Back to square one

[Mid Samekh]

Ilum/Sacellum of Ilum​

15:49 local time​

This was where it all began. Almost a decade ago, in this very place. Back then things were simpler. Now it was all a mess.

Mid was lost, furious and betrayed. The order he devoted his life to had cast him out in its most dire moment for simply not killing one person. Out of all the Sith still alive, he was the one who had fought the Jedi and the Rebels the most. He had met them time and again in the field, and time and again he proved victorious. He even sacrificed and arm for the Sith Order. But none of it mattered to them, clearly.

He found himself on Ilum. It was isolated, far from anything and anyone, and he knew the planet. It wasn't the best hiding place at all, given the ties he had to it at one point. Anyone in the Sith Order would most likely think of looking for him here. But he needed a place to camp out on for a bit. He wouldn't stay long, not with the plans he had in place. But for now he would stay here. His ship was parked in the hangar that at one point was bustling with activity. His things were located in his old room that at one point was warm and welcoming. The hallways that once had servants and speakers moving around was now the tomb of a bunch abominations that were left behind, all slaughtered by him. The main entrance was now cold and frozen, the roof falling in from years of neglect. It was depressing to see that this was what remained of the Church. He had a part in the blame. He was supposed to take over and keep the Sacellum running, but the war demanded him to cease being a priest and focus on being a soldier. Something he regretted every day.

Mid wandered the icy halls. At one point they were filled with prayers, chatter and dozens of footsteps. Now the only thing accompanying his own was the howling wind and Varpa's claws scraping against the stone floor alongside him. He made sure to remove the tracking beacon from his ship and he tried to conceal his presence as best as he could in the force. But he wasn't an idiot. It would only be a matter of time before people would come looking for him here. It only depends on who came looking...and if he would still be around by the time they arrived.

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

It all lead back to here. But why. Kalanda wasn't sure, but being with Eithni had taught her alot about dreams within the force. They could lead you on your way, show you a path towards your destiny, and so far all her dreams had pointed to this world. She had seen Mid, seen him trying to explain himself, trying to get a word it, but she wouldn't pause. No, in her dream she killed him, right then and there. His blood would freeze on the icy halls, his last words being his raspy voice screaming out of his crushed windpipe. That was what she had seen for the future, or at least from the dreams she had as of late. Kalanda wasn't sure what to make of it all truth be told. She was still furious with the Sith, wanting to know where he was, what he was doing. Why the hell had he fled like a coward, why didn't he answer for the call of the Emperor? She would get the answer from him by force. Just in case she couldn't, she brought her favorite acolyte along with her; also she didn't trust her piloting skills enough.

As the pair neared the temple site, Kalanda would point out the hanger that had been wedged open on the side of the building, there was still room for one more ship to land in it, though she didn't know who's ship that was. "There. This has to be it. It's just like in my visions." She muttered, before leaving the cockpit and moving into the cabin to grab her equipment. He was going to pay for this. Kalanda would make sure of it. "Amur, just wait here for me, I won't be long." Kalanda muttered, as she slide her heated suit on, as well as her warblade and blaster pistol. She didn't want the woman coming with her, it would only serve to distract her, and her last encounter with the Mandalorians proved that Amur was a weakness of hers that could be exploited, and Kados wouldn't hesitate to do such a thing. Once she had her gear on, and if she managed to convince Amur to stay on the ship, Kalanda would embark into the temple, on a quest to find and kill the man she had once considered her father.

@KinkyPrawn @Caught in Strangereal

 

[Amur]

So the apprentices now become the hunters. Not too odd for the Sith she always likened herself to a predator among prey. In fact the name she choose for herself was in honor of a tiger that had methodically tracked down and killed the hunters that had shot it. It felt very fitting indeed. The cold snowing corpse of the Sacellum also reminded her of her orgins. Once a place of passion now left to rot. Yes this would be a good place to settle this.

Mid. One of the first Sith who Amur worked with, they fought along side each other on numerous missions whether it be striking down thugs in the coruscant underground, or working to liberate Korriban. She in a way had a trust for him. She roughly knew what made him tick, how he liked to run things. She was getting to know more and more hoping to have a powerful ally maybe one that she could get to follow her unflinchingly. That was her goal was it? To finally have control, to free herself from the slavery of oppression to do anything it took to work her way up and to finally control the placement of pieces instead of being a pawn in some cynic's game.

Now one of the people she trust and thought she could use was now running, had change was like a dog. The Emperor had exiled him. He didn't answer to any of that. He seemed like a different person. Amur had an inkling that he was hiding something from her but what? What had been so important? What meant throwing away their chances to claw out some salvation from a order that seemed hell bent on killing it self. What meant abandoning her?

Kalanda's words snapped the Acolyte from her introspection and thoughts. She looked over to her. She had two feelings going inside her mind about Kalanda. On one hand she saw her as a powerful Ally. One that would be happy to follow her into the depths of hell, and best of all one with no desire to usurp and overthrow. Infact quite the opposite she seemed to care about her a lot, maybe even love...

That brought the other set of feelings the one that filled her headspace aside from the pragmatic politicking. She had a soft spot for her and a fondness. She wondered if she would ever get to meet someone again who she could 'click' with. Maybe it was the snark, that underlying bitterness and hate, or just the pain that they could wallow in together. Amur wanted power but also wanted to steer things to have power the way she wanted it, and Amur wanted to be in power with a loyal darling like Kalanda by her side. Maybe that was her own twisted view of love, she didn't quite know yet. What she did know was that she couldn't let Kalanda venture forward by herself. She would get up and remove her mask so Kalanda would be able to look at the real person underneath the guise of Sith.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing hon." She would grab Kalanda by the hand holding it tightly. "Even if you haven't said anything I can tell this is weighing on you. I also know I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew staying here ended up with us never finding out why... he ran... or you dying. Amur's mismatched eyes would stare directly into Kalanda's. "I'd rather we be together and if it comes to it, die together."

Amur in the moment didn't know what was going on in her mind. On one hand she was saying whatever she could to get Kalanda to willingly take her. On the other she felt like she meant every word. The only thing certain was that there was a passion in her voice and maybe passion was guiding her. She hoped that Kalanda would just say yes, but even if she refused she would just find another way to look over her darling witch.

@Algarus @KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

Theme​

Amur and Kalanda would notice the aura around them was flowing with emotion. For the most part there was hatred, but not towards them. Now, towards them were vastly different emotions. The biggest part was concern to the point of worry. Why did they come? Why were they here? But alongside that worry, there was also happiness bordering on excitement. He was happy that they were here...and with that came the sadness. A deep and strong grief mixed in between it all. A whirlwind of emotion could be felt throughout the Sacellum, but Mid's presence was still hidden.

He wasn't hiding. Not from them. If anything, he was inviting them in with the lit braziers and wall sconces along the hallways towards the main hall. The flames shuddered under the howling wind, but they didn't go out.

Mid sat cross-legged in the center of the massive chamber. Snow fell from the holes in the roof and several pieces of debris were all around him...but they weren't on the ground. They were all hovering in the air, slowly rotating around him like planets. In front of him were his two lightsabers, neatly placed to face ahead of him along with his helmet. He was facing a large stone pulpit with ruined statues of ancient Sith lining the cracked pillars. He seemed to be meditating, but as soon as he felt them near he would stop and the rotating stones dropped to the ground with heavy thuds. "Amur. Kalanda. Welcome to the Sacellum." he would say warmly and gently, his voice echoing through the empty halls. Varpa would emerge from behind a pillar, ready to attack. But he would immediately relax as Mid held a hand out towards him.

"Varpa, malsini kalv. Mezdi savimi buti." he said calmly and just like that, the Tuk'ata laid down and simply watched them with his blood red eyes. "I wish I could have shown you this place all those years ago. It was...beautiful. Back then we were priests, servants of the Dark Side. Not soldiers. I wish you could have seen it." he said without looking at them, though with his force sight he could see them quite clearly. His tone was filled with happiness and a hint of nostalgia. Though it fell away as he sighed. "If you've come to kill me, know that I don't want to harm either of you. If you've come to know why I am here to begin with, then ask away." he spoke calmly with a somber tone.

He knew why they were here. They hated him right now. He was supposed to lead them but instead he fled like a coward. He was ready to fight, but he prayed to the Force that it didn't come to that...

@Algarus @Caught in Strangereal

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

This mission was anything but satisfactory for Kalanda, despite all the hate she held for her master, she didn't want it to come to this. There was a dull pain that had been growing within her for the last few weeks, at times she managed to hide it, disguise is as mild annoyance or channel it into something for her to lose her temper over, but it had only grown worse. She had come here to kill her master, but at another end of it, she wanted to be killed in turn. She couldn't be happy with the Sith, she would never be free of the chains that held her down, and that was the truth of it. She had her doubts before about what being Sith was really like, but seeing the fate of those who held such power, and the things they did with it, no....that was not the life she wanted. Better to die in an unmarked grave than have a worthless monument made in your honor that none would remember. The life she had known was long gone, the Empire was destroyed, all that was left was a handful of rats trying to stay above the waters as it took down the ship; and she wasn't going to die like a rat.

Turning to leave, Kalanda was halted by Amur, taking her hand and bringing the Crusader to a halt. As she turned back, she was greet with a sight she had wanted to see for sometime, but only now would Amur show her what really laid beyond that mask. There would be no disgust in her eyes, no pity, just a sense of understanding. If allowed she would reach out with her free hand and caress the woman's face. This only confirmed everything she thought, everything she felt about the woman. They were both scarred in their own ways, with their own masks to cover it up. She stared into the set of discolored eyes for a bit, her mind thinking of just how stupid their plan really was. She wanted to tell Amur no, to just insist she stay on the ship, but the fact was that they were here because they were both hurt. This wound wasn't just Kalanda's to mend, but Amur's as well. She had come to share in the suffering that they both understood, that they both knew. Kalanda couldn't deny her that, because Kalanda wouldn't want that denied to her. If her hand hadn't been removed, she would stroke Amur's cheek with her thumb, before nodding. They were in this together, she had no right to keep her. "Together it is." She answered, squeezing the woman's hand tightly, as they would leave the shuttle hand in hand. The dull pain she had been holding onto for so long was starting to fade, as a sensation of relief was starting to take it's place. Kalanda wasn't sure what love was, but she had to guess it felt something like this. She didn't feel happiness like she had with Eithni, but rather acceptance, in what they were about to do and what might come from it.

She could feel the disturbance in the air, Mid was making no attempt to hide himself, which only served to fuel the hate she was feeling for him. Was he gloating? Was he daring them to come to him? Was he that confident he could win? She was going to flay him for this, rip him apart and- She cut that line of thinking off, looking to the woman at her side. As nice as revenge would be, it wouldn't bring them closure. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to kill him, she just wanted him to hurt, to feel the pain she had felt by being left behind; but seeing as how that killed her inside, it seemed only fair that death was his fate as well. They would proceed down the halls, hand in hand, as they moved closer in the aura their former master had put up for them. Entering the chamber, Kalanda paid no mind to the desolate temple that was to be their battle ground, staring only at the man who she had thought of as a father. He told her as much the day he took her under his wing. Just like most fathers, he had left unceremoniously, having never truly been there when she needed him. Kalanda felt a rift tearing in her heart, as she tightened her grip on Amur's hand. She didn't move any further, seeing her master's beast had come along as well. She was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions, her free hand moving to take the lightsaber at her belt into her palm. She had manged to find the words she wished to say, though she had to twist them into being angry and laced with venom; otherwise she would sound far too feeble. "Why did you lie to me? To us?" She pressed the ignition on her lightsaber, if Amur had left go of her hand at this point she would take a two handed grip. "I trusted you. I loved you. And you left without so much as a word. So tell me, father, what were my sins?" She had killed for him, she had done things she swore to never do with her powers. She had pushed through her discomfort, her grief, all in the hopes that he would just be proud of her for just a single moment. But no. There was something better, something more interesting for Kados. Perhaps all she had ever been was a tool, maybe that's all he had viewed her as. Still, she took no other act against him, for a moment she needed to focus, find an opening, then strike.

@Caught in Strangereal @KinkyPrawn

 

[Amur]

Amur could feel a spark in the air between her and Kalanda. A part of her was begging to just give in and move in for kiss and connect physically how they did mentally. Still It weighed inside the Sith if she could ever expose herself and open to that. It bounced around in her head as a tension was in the icy air around her. Ah kark it. She lounge forward as Kalanda was straddling her cheek just after she spoke and gave a long passionate kiss that lasted several seconds as Amur felt a certain release that surged throughout her body. An endorphin rush went through her body and calmed her down.

Hand in hand they moved into the ruins. Seeing it inside a place full of history and story now left to waste. Now it was a wasteland. Amur had a curiosity flowing through her, she felt Mid's presence but noticed that he wasn't giving off a hostile vibe. He was even welcoming them. This was going to be an interesting encounter. Still holding on to Kalanda's hand even as she stared down the pureblood that she hoped would be her master one day. Now that had gone away. Such is the way of things it seemed.

Still she had a concern, she could feel the anger radiating off of Kalanda. The worst part of it was that she knew that anger. The unmistakable feeling that you meant nothing, just a tool or toy to be used up and thrown away without a thought, all the while it meant everything to her. This wasn't going to be easy to get the outcome she wanted. She held onto Kalanda's hand even as she ignited her lightsaber. No Kalanda needed someone here to ground her and stop her from acting to impulsively. A true sith after all observes and finds the best way to spin things in their favor. Still she would let her comrade speak first.

"Listen to yourself you are as sad as the order itself. Waxing philosophical about how great things were in the old days will do little. You can let yourself hang onto those past memories and let sloth destroy everything you have left to cling to." Amur took out her light saber in her free hand and now ignited her blade. Flecks of snow would drift down and land upon the lightsaber causing the air to vibrate with the sound of fizzling and boiling pieces of snow. "But I'm not here to give kind words. I'm here to see you confess. You're lies have caught up to you, you can't run away now. You can either reclaim your dignity, or be struck down and forever known as a coward."

@Algarus @KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

Kalanda spoke first, followed by the snap and hiss of her lightsaber. Then it was Amur's turn to degrade him and threaten him with her own lightsaber. They wanted to fight, to kill him. But despite the advances against him, he didn't even flinch.

But their words cut deep.

They accused him of cowardice, of abandoning them, of betraying the trust they shared. He couldn't deny any of that. That was exactly what he did, but while he fept it was wrong of him, it was justified.

"Lies? Sins?" he asked calmly. He turned his head slightly, glancing at them from the corner of his eye. "I never lied to any of you. I could never lie to you." he admitted. He finally moved, calmly and slowly sliding both lightsabers into his sleeves before he rose to his feet with a sigh. He turned to face them with his arms by his sides. "And it wasn't your sins, Kalanda, that made me flee. It was my own. You never did anything wrong. You could never disappoint me." he spoke gently and sincerely. "It was my own fault, my own sins. My...hubris...for thinking I knew what the Force wanted. Meanwhile it was my own selfish desires." his tone grew dark as he looked to Varpa then back to them.

"Tell me, Kalanda, if I asked you to kill the person you cared for most in your life, would you do it?" he asked her as his golden eyes looked her over with a hint of anger, but not towards them. "That was what that arrogant boy with his crown asked of me. To kill the woman I love. It always was the Dark Side first for me. Not the Order. So when the time came, I refused. And for that, Zeven decided to banish the only Sith Lord left in the Order." he explained to them, refusing to call Tagus by what he deemed to be an undeserved title.

"That was why I left without a word. Why I couldn't see you rise to the rank of Crusader despite being willing to do anything to be there. I had to flee not only to save myself, but to protect you and her from the remains of Zeven's dying Order." he explained as he looked at them.

@Algarus @Caught in Strangereal

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Amur's kiss had taken the Sith by surprise. Kalanda stared rather wide eyed as she felt Amur's lips invade her own, but she didn't resist it. A side of her had wanted this, maybe craved it even. It was...unnatural to say the least. There was a sinister chill that tickled her down to her toes, yet she couldn't bring herself to pull away. Whatever this was, it felt wrong, and right. Kalanda wasn't sure what to make of it frankly, but...it felt like something had finally come full circle. Whatever that might have been, she couldn't say, but Amur's brashness certainly added a bit of color to the crusader's cheeks. Pulling back from that, Kalanda let out a rather flustered breath, before swallowing. "Right...we...have a Sith Lord to kill." Onward the murderous duo would march, hand in hand towards their target, with no idea if they would return or not.

When the time had come for Kados to explain himself, she had hoped when it came to this that maybe his words still had a touch of sense to them. That maybe, in spite of everything, he had some reason for leaving, for running away. But he didn't, it was an excuse, just like all the other times. He had told her long ago, that this was their way, that they would need to make the hard choices in life. He told her that before she murdered a village, destroyed a mother, slaughtered a child. With his guiding hand he soaked he hands in blood and coxed her into accepting that. Hypocrisy, thy name is Kados.

"At one time, I would have done that for you. Without question I would have killed anyone if you merely asked me to." Kalanda's voice was shaky, she felt a creeping wave of pain mixed with disappointment seizing her gut. She had thought that maybe she had found something to be free of her old life, to get away from the abuse, manipulations, everything that had caused her to snap so many years ago, she thought she could maybe be free of that. But no, she was right where she started. She was only fooling herself. "You hide behind excuses like a child. You ran away when it got tough, you only seek to find excuses while you cower here in the dark waiting for the end to come." Her disappointment and pain melted into a boiling rage, her hand jerking away from Amur's, a fury took over that she hadn't felt in years. She was going to kill him. Cut the last tie to the Sith, and be gone forever. "I lied to myself, thinking maybe I had a future by your side. Maybe together, we could have made something. But Kados will only care about Kados. All you have ever cared about was saving your own skin, haven't you? Living a double life, never willing to walk the walk, but just so willing to keep up appearances. You fled because you couldnt have things your way." Kalanda stepped forward, taking her saber in one hand as she leveled it towards Kados. Violent and passionate thoughts burned through her mind, as anger laced tears spilled from her eyes, the moisture causing her face to sting as the cold air was quick to jump at it. The man she had put so much faith into was nothing more than a charlatan. Mid was never there for her, Mid was just an act. There was only Kados and his desires, everything else was secondary. She let every positive memory of 'Mid' go, twisting every emotion it made her feel into a memory of disgust. In Kalanda's mind it was all an act, he never really cared. He had quite literally ran away from them, from his own responsibility because he didn't get his way. Kalanda angled to blade out in front of her, as she knew Mid would most likely attempt to strike at her now. "You claim the Emperor is a child, but the only child I see right now, is you Kados." Kalanda took in a shaky breath, letting the initial geyser of rage push through her, then cool to being a steady current. She glanced back to Amur for a split second, feeling some of her sense return to her, before looking back to Kados. "But I've killed children before. Hopefully this will be the last one." Kalanda would wait for Amur to take her place at her side before trying anything. She was strong, but fighting a Sith Lord by herself was suicide.

@Caught in Strangereal @KinkyPrawn

 

[Amur]

Amur wasn't satisfied. It was clear to her. He still was hiding something in him. Sure he could talk about his feelings but it was obvious he was hiding the pertinent details of his reality. In a way his way to get around a lie was to lie by omission. She felt an anger course through her. She was watching what was once one of the most powerful Sith in her mind reduce themselves to the state of a rat. It was clear that Kados had grown weak. This wasn't the passion that he could use to break his chains and free himself... no this was a web of cowardice he still kept constructing. She could feel the desire in Kalanda build with each syllable, it was a pain that could no longer be beared and each second it was ever closer to bursting out in a flurry. Amur; however, would try to stem the tide even if for just a little longer. Without a full understanding even his death wouldn't be fulfilling.

"The pursuit of our passions is a core way we try to free ourselves. Tell me then. Who? Who was the forbidden fruit that caused Zeven to demand their death, and now to banish you? She asked raising her voice almost as if she was try to steal the energy and steam from Kalanda. She took a few steps closer but didn't yet step next to the Sith.

"I know the smell of someone who is still hiding even when faced with reality. You stink of it. Kados... Mid, if you want a chance to live, a chance to break free from the chains that bind you right now then please listen. You hurt us whom you supposedly cared about, and right now you're hurting yourself. Tell me what will you gain by hiding this from us? You want Kalanda to blindly kill you without being able to understand why? You want this to end in our death with your hands soaked in blood you'll never be capable of washing? You want to constantly look over your shoulder in fear? You want to live knowing you might endanger the people you love most?" The Sith's tone grew softer over time and slowed it cadence sounding wholesome to an extent. If there was a chance to mend this situation or atleast claw out every bit of information to achieve some sort of closure out of this she would take it.

"This can end one way but you in the back of your head you know that denial isn't what you want. If you want this to be the stepping stone for us all to achieve our own personal freedom and break the chains that enslaved us to this point. Please Mid, understand that laying yourself bare and trying to come to acceptance will help free us all."

@Algarus @KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

Mid's heart sank as Kalanda spoke. Her words weighed on him as he listened to her speak. It broke his heart to see his daughter in such a defeated and hurt position. What hurt him most was the fact that she believed he never cared for any of them, when in reality that was as far from the truth as it could get. He closed his eyes and turned his head away as he listened to her. After she finished, he spoke up. "I never wanted this for you. I never wanted any of this for you. I am sorry, Kalanda." he said gently. He looked at her again with sad eyes. "I should have told you to leave the order long ago, to spare you all this pain. I thought I could protect you from this life. I have failed you, Kalanda. Failed you when you did nothing but make me proud." he admitted to her. His golden eyes looked into hers, seeing the hate and pain in her.

Amur then spoke up. His gaze turned to her. She spoke the truth. But she still didn't understand the position he was in. "I never told anyone to protect her. I hid it from you and the rest of the order to try and keep her safe. Just like I tried to protect the both of you." he admitted, but he knew he needed to come clean. He drew a deep breath then looked between the two of them. "But I guess it's too late now. You both know her. You fought her on Mandalore, Amur. And you fought her on Tython as well as met her on Cato Neimoidia." he finally explained to them.

"Her name is Sakadi Marathi Sinvala." he said heavily. "Now you know why I never told anyone."

@Algarus @Caught in Strangereal

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

While Kados might have tried to sow an apology into his words, Kalanda wasn't having it. Where there might have been something akin to sympathy she might have summoned up in the past, that time had since passed. In place of a heart felt apology, all she could see were lies and excuses. She felt physical pain when he said he was proud of her, as if she had taken a vibroknife to the ribs, a sharp stabbing sensation tore at her chest. She half expected to look down and learn Kados had disemboweled her, but sadly this was not the case. She was fuming, mentally all she wanted to do was silence him, but at the same time....a small part of her didn't want to do it. That soon changed as Kados continued on, admitting that he had taken the jedi as his lover, that he had tried to hide things from the two of them. By the time words had left his mouth, Kalanda felt something snap in the back of her mind, akin to that of a twig.

Her body stiffened for a moment, as several things began to line up and make sense to her. She was right about everything, Kados never truly cared. It had all been an act after all. She was beyond angry. Beyond disappointment. She was just tired. She felt as if everything since meeting the Sith had just been a lie. She couldn't even bring to hold up her lightsaber anymore, as her arms slowly dropped, the crusader sunk under the weight of the confession. Out of everyone she could have guess Kados would care for, she never imagined it would be Sakadi. Once more that knight had injured her without laying a blow. Kalanda's lightsaber clanked on the floor, rolling away from the crusader before it was finally stopped by the uneven stone surface. "You should have killed me on Ziost." She replied, her gaze stuck to the floor, as she couldn't make sense of anything at the moment. "Congratulations Kados. You did it. You protected her by hurting everyone around you." Kalanda slowly nodded to herself, before looking around the room, she didn't care if she died now. Nothing mattered in this moment. She had spent both of her lives living a lie. There was nothing else after this. Kalanda looked back to Amur, the life that had once been in her eyes was gone. Kalanda was planning to die here, and she didn't want the acolyte to see it happen. "Amur. Please, get out of here while you can." She half asked, half pleaded, before turning to Kados. Kalanda reached up and drew the war sword from her back, taking several steps towards Kados. "I asked you, back on Ziost if I could keep this as a momento. I wanted to remind myself that there was a reason we killed all those people." Kalanda said, looking the blade over, before looking back to Kados, to which she let it drop to the floor. There were still several meters between them as Kalanda was not yet half way into the room. "I was an idiot to think it would ever stop. I let you trick me into believing that we were any different from the others." Tears still spilled from Kalanda's eyes, but she didn't pay them any mind. Despite not being stuck, Kados had hurt her deeply both by actions and words. She attempted to speak again, but found herself struggling with the words. She finally managed to force the damn sentence out. "Tell me, Kados, how are we different from the other Sith?" He had told her something akin to that long ago, when they had first met. She was stupid enough to believe it then, but she could see now that they were both monsters. Once this fight was done, there would be two less Sith in this galaxy. Kalanda would reach out, grunting as she drew upon everything she had, as she would attempt to dislodge the center pillar of the room they were in. The pillar shifted only a little, as several small rocks fell from above. It would become rather obvious what she was attempting to do. She couldn't beat Kados in raw power, but at least this way they would have a proper tomb. Fitting for two Sith, was it not?

@Caught in Strangereal @KinkyPrawn

 

[Amur]

Amur heard the name and something clicked a before remnant of a prior connection. That moment of passion. A laugh just came from the Sith as it fell into place of disbelief. How funny and connected this all became. How silly that brief moment now flashing back and the emotions flowing through her. She remember how the Sephi felt and she didn't like the nature of these feelings. Yet here he was a man who in a way fell prey to that same thing, a desperate feeling to belong, to be cherished, to matter to someone. That was the feeling at the crux of all of that. This was in a way a tragedy on the nature of blind physical love. Yet where was her? Amur didn't know but the last time she felt a connection to her she could only feel a well of sadness and failure. Where was he for that?

Now though Kalanda was going through a crushing realization. One that Amur knew all to well. In her head she saw how the hoops she jumped through, all the stress and anxiety over her 'masters' feelings, the multiple times she had put her wants and health below her to serve the master. Now the slave was realizing that the effort was for not. The master had other things and agendas besides them and that they were merely a component. Even if they were a cherished component or tool that still didn't get rid of the feeling.

Amur knew that. Once she was Skyler Targrin. She had a man she loved that her mind cared for. A man who she would have listened to without a doubt. One whose satisfaction was placed above hers and a man whom she would mentally destroy herself if it meant he could smile at her. She later learned that was a crocodile smile and that it was all lies. Now everything had to be doubted and you could never trust your perception of reality. All that was left was the pain of being a tool that was thrown away. The realization from this relationship was simple: It was never one of equals, you were a willing slave to a master.

It was uncomfortable as Amur's mind phased from the reality of the moment and instead ventured into the universe of memories. feeling returning to her and that whirlwind was back in her mind. In that all you knew was that you wanted to end no matter what even if it meant death. This was the well of the abyss and Kalanda was staring down it right now. It would need a jolt to break sight from it. For Amur it was being lit aflame and having the will to survive perplexing take over. She didn't kn-

Suddenly something snapped Amur back as she was so deep in thought she barely registered the events around her. The words of Kalanda before hand were like soft echos in a raging storm. Now though the Sith could feel the murmurs of the force and what it was concentrating around. The pillar and made note of the source. It clicked inside Amur's head and now all the pain she knew was going to manifest in one messy finale.

Thought flew out the window as instinct kicked in. She bolted towards Kalanda whose back was to Amur and her concentration so fixated on her pain the desire to end it would likely make her notice. The Scarred Sith now pick up considerable pace and would go to tackle Kalanda. Little care being placed for the tackle being soft and gentle. The two would likely rocket to the ground and if they both fell then Amur would lay on top of her. Amur would roll Kalanda over on to her back and stare her the eyes not knowing how long it would happen. Soon it would feel like a heavyweight would hang from the Sith, one that she couldn't support anymore and she would simply collapse on top of Kalanda burying her head into chest and silently weeping to herself. It felt like the first time in a decade she cried. She didn't have the ability to speak but she did have one desire to flow over her. To stop Kalanda from tearing herself apart like she once did.

@Algarus @KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

Mid looked on at Kalanda as the lightsaber fell from her grasp and she started to walk closer to him. He took a single step closer as his hands balled fists then relaxed. Her words cut deep, but what hurt most was that he couldn't argue. And in this moment he wished there was a way to undo the damage he had done. To mend this rift he created between them, to save whatever he could of their relationship. But the damage was done. Kalanda hated him, and now she was drowning in pain.

He listened to her, drawing the force through him as she drew the Sith sword from her back. He wouldn't hurt her, but he would still defend himself. Then came the question. He frowned slightly as he looked at her. How were they different? "We care, Kalanda. That's what make us different." he answered softly.

Things suddenly took a wild turn. Kalanda reached out with the force and pulled at a column, and the next moment Amur tackled her to the ground to try and stop her. But the damage was done. The column started to buckle and the ground started to shake as the temple's structure weakened. Debris cracked and loosened, threatening to come down around them in the next few minutes. A statue of an ancient Sith Lord cracked and started falling over...straight down towards the two women on the floor.

With little time, Mid reached out with the force and wrapped it around the both of them. He pulled them towards him and away from the statue just in time as it came crashing down and shook the ground. More pieces started coming down and Mid worked to push it away from him and the two women merely a few meters from him. "The place is coming down." he spoke as he looked around them. Varpa had emerged from his spot and came to stand next to his master.

They were running out of time...

@Algarus @Caught in Strangereal

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda felt some semblance of peace as she could feel the main support give way. It took a great deal of effort, indeed she could feel her very being start to give as the ancient structure shifted from her focused effort. She wasn't sure how it felt being crushed in a turbolift, but she imagined the sensation she was feeling currently had to be similar to that. Every inch of her body felt like it was being pressed down on, in fact she felt as if her bones might give at any moment as so fierce was the pressure her knees began to give. But she pushed on through, focusing on the pain she felt, the anger that burned within her like a star. This would be the scar she would carve into the galaxy, this would be her mark she would leave in her wake. A forsaken tomb, on a frozen world, where no one would even know they had been. Some twisted part of her wanted that, even if it was meaningless, it would be her choice for once, no one else had forced her into it. But even then, she wasn't happy with this choice. No, this wasn't how she wanted it to go. But it would have to do, the alternative was facing the truth about who she was, and didn't want to accept that. Was it childish? Perhaps, in a way she was merely deflecting everything she hated about herself onto the man who had been with her through it all. This was her damnation, her punishment. That little girl named Kalanda had long since died on Coruscant, and the one masquerade as that little girl was going to die on Ilum. At least, that was how Kalanda had planned it in her mind.

While Kalanda had been focusing on bringing the temple down on herself and Mid, she had no way of knowing Amur had ignored her plea. A large force struck into her back, sending her sprawling onto the ground in the process as concentration was lost. Her mind was still reeling from the strain, just vaguely grasping the reality that had come slamming back into her all at once. There was a ripple of shock, milled with confusion, as she found Amur laying on top of her, sobbing into her chest. She hadn't quite regained all sense, her mind still recovering from the sudden shift in priorities, though her arms find themselves wrapping around the acolyte in something akin to an embrace. She still cared about the woman before her, even if she wanted to destroy herself, she had learned back on that crystalline hellhole that she couldn't bare to see Amur harmed. The aftermath of attempting such an effort now slammed into her full force, as she felt as if the planet was trying to pull her into it's core. Kados could kill them both now, all because of her stupidity. To add insult to injury, she caught sight of a statue to her right beginning to give, as it seemed as if her efforts were for not. A sad smile crossed her features, knowing she had just gotten Amur killed with her folly. She shut her eyes, feeling disgraced for having failed once more, what little strength she had in her body went to hugging Amur against her chest. At would be over soon at least, or that's what she thought, fortunately the galaxy loved proving Kalanda wrong.

A sudden pull tugged at Kalanda, as for a split second her eyes opened. Instead of being treated to the welcome embrace of death, she witnessed the statue narrowly missing crushing both herself and Amur, as it shattered upon the stone floor. A pair of uncertain eyes loomed to Kados, a mix of confusion and hate, as Kalanda didn't know what her master was playing at. She soon realized that her failed efforts were not as failed as she had thought, as a loud rumbling began to overtake the temple, several ceiling tiles fell from above. Kalanda had wished Amur had just taken off, this next part would have been so much easier if she had. She felt bile building up in her throat, as she knew what she was going to ask. She didn't want anything from him, in fact she wanted him to die with her, he owed her that much didn't he? She cast one look down to Amur, Kalanda's arms still locked around the acolyte's body, as she returned her gaze to Kados. "If you're going to run, please, just take her with you." Kalanda pleaded with a pair of emotionless eyes, letting her head drop down in defeat. She wasn't crippled, but she was just going to slow Amur down, and the woman wasn't going to leave her behind. The end result would get both of them killed, and that wasn't something the crusader was willing to tolerate. If the price for Amur to live meant Kados getting away, that was something Kalanda was going to have to accept. Amur could still have a life after this, Kalanda...not so much.

@Caught in Strangereal @KinkyPrawn

 

[Amur]

Feeling the warm embrace of her body, mind was desperate to find anything to grab onto. Completely unaware of her surroundings at the time. It was most unusual of the Acolyte but she didn't care. She just wanted to settle in this moment and lay there for hours just the two of them. Her mind faded from the moment, Mid and Ilum and focused on just Kalanda. She may normally have been weak by the standards of the Sith but to Amur that was fine. Some people just weren't meant for it. The thing was Amur could see it working out. It could very well turn into a future that wouldn't need to be hidden, where she and Kalanda could just spend time together it sounded quite nice. Maybe the Sith were doomed but maybe she didn't need that, maybe things could turn out to something happy for the two. That was the first time she thought about that, what an eventful bunch of revelations this day brought.

Suddenly her moment in heaven was interrupted by the icy pull of Mid. Looking up slowly wrenching her head up at the pureblood. A scowl slowly forming across her face. She felt anger against him now. Anger at the fact that he left her but most importantly she felt anger on behalf of Kalanda. She hated that she had to watch Kalanda tear herself apart all due to the machinations of a Sith that was focused on himself. Now he was trying to come to recompense, this wasn't something that could be patched with a bandage. You don't just bring someone to the brink of wanting to die and then when you fall back from the cliff edge try to act like you didn't have a part in bringing her to the edge. Still it was now up to her to keep Kalanda from falling. Amur could feel her heart sink upon hearing Kalanda beg. No she was going to do something that someone had done on behalf for her when a part of her thought death was imminent.

She finally raised up breaking the comfortable locking embrace and pick Kalanda up in her arms. Being unsure if Kalanda would have the desire to run she would just carry her to keep her close and safe. Channel every fiber of the force she could muster on one thought and passion: surviving so they can be together. She would try take a burst of Force Speed and race the two as quickly out of the building as possible she would try to keep Mid's presence in mind but in that moment she didn't care it didn't matter. They could dwell on that later. If Mid had accompanied and lead them out then Amur would take a look out at Mid. She couldn't deny they would both be dead without him but they also wouldn't be suffering if it weren't for him.

"Don't think this suddenly make things right. You've deeply hurt someone who did nothing but care for you. You turned your back on us all as things continue to decline. It is not the question of intent but results, and your results are shameful. I will let you go but If you want to return it will come at a great cost. Leave now and only come back to the order if you're willing to give your title to me and surrender yourself, live as a acolyte and serve under me so you can learn what the ground underneath you felt like to your apprentice otherwise I never want to see your face again. If you return still unwilling then I will strike you down bounty or no. The rat Tagus could be dead in some forsaken tomb for all I care for."

@Algarus @KinkyPrawn