Ask The hunt continues

[Malleus]

Following the trap he set on Batuu and the two Jedi he lured and slaughtered there (Lured in) the settlements on one region of the planet became Malleus's personal Jedi hunting ground of sort. The bandits that harassed the villagers were the bait for the Jedi and the first two dispatched had no idea of the larger plot at hand here. Per instructions of the Sith the bandit leaders would contact him if a problem they cannot deal with ever presented himself, such as a Jedi let's say and such was the case. Malleus's swift and sudden appearance and engagement of the two Jedi respectively as well as their untimely death didn't give them a chance to contact their superiors and inform them what was actually happening on Batuu.

This lack of information and the sudden loss of communication with the two Jedi would surely garner another response from the order and yet again it was most likely to be just a couple of knights or padawans dispatched as the only disturbance they were noted on were mere bandit groups. This would ensure more meat and more training in killing his mortal enemies for the Sith.

During the meeting with a number of his peers on Moraband he received a call from one of the bandit leaders informing him of the presence of another group of Jedi on Batuu. Noticing the bloodlust with one of his peers and coming to understand what motivates and drives him Malleus offered Shorkattatha to 'Come and join in the hunt' as he phrased it.

Now standing on the grassy plains of a meadow he landed on the last time he was here accompanied by the albino Wookie Sith Malleus started making his way through the small wooded area that led to a nearby settlement hoping the all so eager to kill Shorkattatha would follow.

''Tell your man to stand by, same instructions as the last time.'' he spoke into the com link mounted on his wrist addressing the bandit group.
''Yes sir.''

@Charndley @Catbert @Mr. Teatime

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

"This must be the place," Kori mumbled to herself as she found herself in the middle of a village. The homey buildings and pastoral landscape of the surrounding areas met a stark contrast in the burn marks on the ground and the houses. Bandits? Apparently, Batuu wasn't as safe as she was led to believe. Even despite being a sparsely-populated backwater world. The news of Jedi going missing was a tip of the iceberg. What could've happened here? And why does it feel as cold as in that tomb on Ontotho?

Nykoria had arrived on Batuu as part of the mission for the Jedi Order. She was supposed to pick something or someone up. First her contact hadn't appeared for a few days, and then she got a message telling her that the mission parameters changed. Now the Zeltron was supposed to investigate the disappearance of two Jedi. To top it off, the Order were sending reinforcements. A logical thing, given the circumstances.

Kori was the first to arrive to the village, which was the meeting point. Just in case, she had warned a former Jedi Padawan and a friend of hers, who also happened to be on Batuu to be careful. It was a "watch-my-back-and-if-I-don't-return-then-poodoo-has-hit-the-fan" kind of warning. She hadn't asked Eisa to come along; if the Zeltron and her Jedi teammates were to be outplayed and captured by bandits (unlikely, but possible), then the ex-Padawan could be their ace in the hole.

But that was the worst-case scenario. Nykoria had everything to handle bandits on her own: a turned off lightsaber held in her right hand, a backup saber hidden on her for good measure, and a heavy stun pistol holstered on her right hip. Wearing her usual attire and a dark brown leather jacket over it, the Zeltron looked more like a spacer than a Jedi. She'd probably stand out among whatever reinforcements the Order promised. Speaking of reinforcements, they should be here any minute now.

@Charndley, @Mr. Teatime, @Six

 

[Shorkattatha]

The zabrak Sith had made a call to hunt, and Shor had answered. While his armour was certainly not subtle, especially not paired with his lightsaber and cut down E-11D, his was actively suppressing his presence in the Force. He was well aware he generally gave off an aura of menace and anger near constantly, which Mallaeus could still pick up due to their close proximity, but they were here to lure Jedi. A Jedi would pick up on his presence quite quickly if he didn't keep it down. As it currently stood, they wouldn't be able to pick him up unless he was in rather close range. Considering his 'pistol' was actually a rifle with excellent range, he wasn't exactly intending to begin the engagement at such a distance, but even the best laid plans often meet with complications.

With his lightsaber sitting in his right hand and the blaster in his left, Shor followed Mallaeus from slightly behind and to the right. He was well used to fighting alongside smaller Sith, and this position gave him the most freedom to engage at a moment's notice. Shor intended to generally go along with the smaller Sith's general instructions, the entire situation being his scheme for baiting Jedi after all, and would similarly follow him to wherever he intended to go until a Jedi showed up somewhere.

Despite his patient preparation, Shor was indeed quite eager. The last few hunts had been mostly slaughter, with even the attack on the Corellian Ranger station only featuring a single Jedi who was overpowered by the several Knights of Ren who lead the assault. He had little intention to leave this planet without a trophy of some kind to mount on the walls of the the Maw, whether that was a lightsaber or a Jedi's very hide. So for now, he kept his cool. The trap was already in place, and when it sprung, whatever little meat showed up would learn the true meanings of fear and power.

@Six @Charndley @Catbert

 

[Juniper]

Nara eased the Condor down just outside the village, feeling the ship shudder as the landing gear hit the ground. The mission? More people going missing. This time, two Jedi. That didn't always mean the worst, but given the much more violent state of the Galaxy lately, Nara was a little worried.

She wasn't alone, though. There was already another Knight on-world and she'd been sent with Larana Basai, a padawan that was only a little bit younger than herself. She'd offered her a ride on her ship to get to Batuu. Hopefully, with two Knights and a padawan, they could figure out what'd happened. And hopefully, they'd be enough to deter any attackers.

Nara stepped off the ship in her usual gear, namely the coat she always wore, her saber and pistol. Her droid perched on her shoulder, scanning around as best he could. Nara called back over her shoulder to Larana. "The village was the meeting point, right? Guess we just go in."

She stepped towards the village, making note of strange marks on the ground. Noticing the eerie quiet to everything, barely a sound. She could barely hear the sound of life at all. No birdsong. No rustling of grass. No whispers or laughter or movement at all. The hollow emptiness of a breeze working through empty buildings. Nara turned a corner and met a familiar sight.

"Kori!" she called out, smirking at her friend. "Why do we never get sent anywhere glamorous?" She approached Kori, looking around still. "Place seems pretty dead. You find anything?"

@MatureContentWarningx @Six @Catbert @Mr. Teatime

 

[Larana Basai]

It wasn’t too often that Jedi would disappear under obscure circumstances, but something about Batuu left a sour taste in her mouth and a pit in her stomach. It hadn’t taken Larana long to find the small settlement, the forested path heavily tracked and easily distinguished by remnants of what appeared to be blaster fire. The absence of native fauna suggested to her that, whatever had happened here, it had been recent, and it had been horrific; she felt it too.

She paused, a fragile sigh escaping her lips. It was all that she could do to politely ignore the Jedi Knight who accompanied her; who seemed to focus most of her attention on reacquainting with her friend, rather than the task at hand. Larana found it rather frustrating provided the circumstances, but given the two women were her superiors, she opted to hold her tongue.

It had never been her impression that the life they had chosen provided glamorous escapes; perhaps she was delusional. The thought didn’t provide a lot of confidence that their mission here would be of any success, but things rarely went to plan.

Larana stepped away, walking deeper into the village to inspect the markings on the buildings and in the dirt. The reports had provided little information on what had transpired, but there had been mention of a group of bandits terrorizing the locals. It made sense that they would be remnants of blaster fire, but she had her doubts. They were too distinctive, but she couldn’t quite place her finger on it.

She traced her finger in the crevice of the brick, creating some distance between her and the two women. Not much could be said about Kori as she hadn’t worked with her in the past, but Nara had made enough of a first impression that Larana found herself disinterested in acquainting herself with either of them. Perhaps her experiences had been different, but she wasn’t here to make friends.

@Charndley @Mr. Teatime @Six @Catbert

 

[Malleus]

As the pair of large Sith warriors made it's way through the relatively small wooded area that let to the first settlement Malleus could feel Shor suppressing his presence in the Force, something the Zabrak Sith never had the habit of doing nor was he particularly good at. Perhaps the Wookie wanted this to be more of a stealthy hunting game, it made sense considering their culture, at least Malleus thought it did from what little he knew about the Wookies. His chosen approach was much more direct - make your presence known, pull out your weapon and commence the slaughter. Though this sure was a blunt approach it wasn't due to the Sith's lack of foresight or tactical thinking. No, Malleus was far from a dumb brute but he preferred his engagements with the Jedi to be as clean and direct as possible, only then would he have the full satisfaction of dominance over his foes.

Suddenly the Zabrak Sith felt it. It alerted him as soon as they stepped closer towards the settlement, like a radiant beacon within the Force, several of them. It was clear the Jedi that they were looking for were indeed here.

''Perhaps you want to do this more covertly ?'' He asked his companion addressing Shor's concealment of his Force presence. Knowing that he himself wasn't quite proficient with the art he came to a new thought. ''If you wish so I could distract these Jedi myself before you show up to surprise them... they're already there, waiting, unassuming... little lambs for the slaughter.'' Perhaps the Wookie wanted to make use of his ranged weapon and wanted to gun down a Jedi or two from cover while they were distracted by Malleus though for some reason Shorkattatha struck him as someone who'd prefer a more intimate approach to his kills.

@MatureContentWarningx @Mr. Teatime @Charndley @Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

The promised reinforcements turned out to be none other than Knight Nara Allam, accompanied by a young blonde stranger; clearly a Jedi too. But there was something different about her. A Zeltron could sense emotions almost in the same way like a Human could sense temperature. And Kori could definitely sense the stranger's tension the moment Nara spoke. It was as if the blonde felt out of place; which she quickly proved by walking off. The Zeltron's gaze with a raised eyebrow briefly followed the stranger's back, before Kori turned to face Nara again.

The Zeltron greeted Nara and her remark with a faint smile, that radiated friendliness nonetheless. For Kori, Knight Allam was as good as an old friend, even though they had only been on a couple of missions together. Kark, even Ontotho alone would've been enough. Nykoria knew she could count on Nara to watch her back. "An empty village, signs of combat, no bodies, and one big mystery," the Zeltron shrugged, getting straight to the point.

Kori cast a quick glance at the stranger again, making sure not to be noticed. Then she gave Nara a questioning look. "And they call me a recluse. Who's that?" the purple alien thought to herself, too polite to word such a statement in any form. Although Larana probably wouldn't sense that thought, perhaps Nara could, to an extent. After all, they had worked together before. Nykoria never told anyone, but one of the reasons she kept to herself was because she was prone to forging Force bonds with others; sometimes unwillingly. There hadn't been enough time for that yet, but Kori was already getting used to having her team from Ontotho around (mainly Nara and Izel).

"Hold on," the Zeltron said louder, so that even the stranger would hear her. That was before she even realized why she warned her companions. But then she remembered. It felt as if the colors became less saturated. The temperature dropped a few degrees, as if right before the rain. Yet this rain was waterless; instead of drops on her skin, the Zeltron felt malicious intent.

"Sith," the Zeltron determined without any trace of doubt in her voice. She had sensed a similar presence on Ontotho. Only that time the Sith had been masking it until the end, and then their presence spread through the halls as wildfire. On Batuu, however, it was more akin to approaching smoke. And Kori could even figure out where that "smoke" was coming from.

The lightsaber in her left hand ignited, emitting an azure blade. Yet for the moment, Nykoria held the hilt in one hand, not raising it into guard position. She'd have the time for that later. For the time being, the Zeltron simply walked towards the outskirts of the settlement, where she expected to find the source of that disturbance.

@Charndley, @MatureContentWarningx. @Mr. Teatime, @Six

 

[Shorkattatha]

It seemed the other Sith was determined to make sure Shor truly understood that he was the talkative type. The Wookiee could fairly be describe as a being of few words, in fairness. But it seemed so many of the Sith felt the need for grand speeches and ominous portens of impending doom more than the need to actually do something. Hopefully the large Zabrak wasn't all talk or this would be a most irritating hunt. Irritating additions to his question aside, the other Sith's suggestion was not the worst coming from a prey creature.

Unfortunately, a shift in the Force indicated their prey had been spooked. Doubtless the unsubtle nature of Shor's companion had washed over them by now, and at least one of them was moving closer. Even if Shor's presence was unknown, at this point a sneak attack would be less effective and would more likely result in the smaller Sith being swarmed before Shor could join him. Shor grumbled low beneath his mask, a deep bass that rumbled through his chest into the air, and indicated the edge of the settlement itself with his blaster-wielding hand.

"No point. Just kill them," he replied in his translator mask's distorted bass tones as they continued to move forward, replacing his blaster on his belt and flexing the fingers of his left hand. Quietly he wondered what variety of species these Jedi were, and what sort of warriors they were turn out to be. Shor was not the scheming type, of which he was well aware. What he was, instead, was a Wookiee warrior hardened by over a century of combat and killing. He hadn't really trained with the Force any longer than most of his contemporary Marauders, but when it came to hunting or close combat he had the advantages of both experience and sheer power. He longed for a fight that didn't devolve into simpleminded slaughter like the last few times had, and he had yet to duel a Jedi since he had become active in the greater galactic community.

So, with that in mind, he dropped his aura concealment and allowed the Dark Side to burn within him, all but announcing his presence. If Mallaeus wanted a straight fight, he would get a straight fight. But for his own sake, he had best not prove incompetent in the fights to come. Shor was not a beast that truly possessed either friends or allies, only varying degrees of hatred and contempt. For now these were focused on the Jedi, but afterwards would depend on the fight itself. Only time would tell the outcome.

Meanwhile, the grouped Jedi could doubtless easily feel Shor's presence in the Force, a seething mass of malicious anger and bloodlust. It wasn't the cold of death, but the burning fire of passion and war. His wasn't your average, every day garden variety of malice, but a disregard and utter contempt for all other life in the galaxy, a devouring beast that consumed and destroyed any other being it felt like wherever it went. A century of hate and killing had turned his presence into a furnace that fed on the death and pain of others. He wasn't merely a Sith, he was a monster, and it was blatantly obvious simply from his presence in the Force.

He was here to rip, tear, and devour. Nothing else. So until the fight began, he would continue to follow just behind the smaller Sith, ready to engage at a moment's notice.

@Six @Catbert @Charndley @MatureContentWarningx

 

[Juniper]

Spoiler: OOC

Sorry about the wait, the alert didn't ping so I completely missed this thread.

One big mystery indeed. Nara didn't exactly hear Kori's thought, but she definitely read the sentiment there. She looked over her shoulder at where Larana was walking, before giving a languid shrug. "Larana-somthing," she replied in a quieter voice, raising her eyebrows. "Doesn't seem to talk much, so I wouldn't waste my breath. Maybe she'll like you though," she suggested gently, smirking until Kori started acting strangely.

"What's going on?" she asked, watching Kori, until she said that word.

"Sith."

Nara mimicked her, taking the saber from her belt and igniting it. Sapphire blue light bathing them both as she held the hilt in both hands, looking around. Trying to feel it. Trying to sense it too. It didn't seem there at first, she wasn't sure what was out there. Until suddenly, there it was. A rush, a surge of the Dark Side coming from the trees. Almost a roar in the Force around them that emanated from the tree line.

"There!" Nara yelled, pointing, though she was certain the other Jedi could both feel it too. "One at least, maybe more." Her droid cowered and slipped into her bag, squeaking quickly in fear. Nara quickly moved towards the nearest building, huddling herself close to a wall. The last thing she wanted to give them was an easy target. This distance with a long-shot? They'd smack her dead.

@MatureContentWarningx @Six @Mr. Teatime @Catbert

 

[Larana Basai]

In that moment, the world froze around her, the breeze cold and silent as it drifted in from the forests that surrounded them. The word 'Sith' hung in the air and she paused to process it, realizing that what she had mistaken as the calm after the storm was, in fact, something far less familiar.

It had been 6 years, though Larana would have been content to avoid it for a lifetime, but it all came rushing back to her now. Their presence was cold and uninviting, and the weight of darkness almost suffocating. It threatened to take her back to that moment in time, a scared child of thirteen who had just found her place within the Jedi Order, but with a deep breath she suppressed it.

Larana took a step back, igniting the pale blade of her lightsaber, eyes watching the treeline for any movement. It made sense that they would be close, or she might not have sensed them at all. There was a part of her who now wondered if they had been drawn in like lambs to slaughter, same as the Jedi who had come before them -- would the three of them disappear here too?

Her heart thundered in her chest, but on the outside she appeared calm and ready, spreading her feet into a defensive stance. She wouldn't allow herself to be taken out without a fight.

@Charndley @Mr. Teatime @Six @Catbert

 

[Malleus]

''Ah there it is..'' a thought went across Malleus's head as he felt the fear festering within the three as him and the Wookie approached the settlement. He quickened his step slightly, bulldozing his way through the tall bushes and slapping away the tree branches in his way before finally emerging out of the forest and into the settlement. His large hooded shape was still somewhat obscured by the shadow of the last few trees that acted as a border between the settlement and the forest next to it.

The sight before him was that of three Jedi women all with their blades ignited unsurprisingly as the Zabrak didn't bother to hide his presence in the Force since arriving here. The rest of the settlement was pretty much vacant, the trio of Jedi and the two Sith being the only ones occupying it now it's previous residents driven away or suffered much worse faiths under Malleus's group of bandits.

He gazed over the Jedi clearly satisfied that his trap had worked once again before his eyes stopped at the blonde girl. For a moment he wasn't sure but it quickly became as clear as sunlight in which the three Jedi were standing. Her face, features and even more so her stench in the Force. That was the same girl responsible for his injuries years ago, same girl who's master he had brutally murdered before a mix of her being lucky and him being young and careless had gotten him a face full of explosion. He never knew the girl's name so he couldn't ever search for her or address her properly but he was sure that she would never forget him.

''The Force... truly has it's own ways of working things out.'' The evil yellow eyes widened signaling a twisted grin beneath his neck guard as Malleus took off his hood and stepped out of the shadows confident that Larana would recognize him wanting to take in the full scope of her reaction. ''Did you come to meet the same faith as your pathetic master years ago, brought here before me and by my own machinations for me to exact revenge for this apparatus you have bestowed me with...'' he said directly to LaranaMeeting the three Jedi on other occasions even Malleus would approach the situation with extreme caution and wouldn't be foolish enough to let himself be overwhelmed by numbers. In this case however the Sith confidently marched out of the shadows facing the three without any hint of fear as he wasn't alone either. And the sight of the terrifying Wookie that had accompanied him alone would be enough to strike fear into the Jedi he believed.

Malleus's right hand reached for his belt and extended outwards to his side, his crimson blade igniting in the process as he pulled out his heavy duty lightsaber. ''I promised you a good hunt.. or at least a good fight didn't I ?'' He said addressing Shor that would be behind him while not taking his eyes of the Jedi.

@MatureContentWarningx @Mr. Teatime @Charndley @Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

Although she tried her best to keep cool, Kori's heart was pounding. The anticipation of a fight was giving her goosebumps. So far, she had crossed blades with the Sith just briefly. But something told her it would be different this time; there wouldn't be a sudden escape facilitated by the collapsing temple, that was for certain. But despite the anxiety, Nykoria was ok with that. That was exactly what she had trained for.

Meanwhile, another presence emerged in the Force, and it wasn't anything like the previous one... Or like anything else that the Nykoria had run across. Pure, primal, animal hatred. Something that any Zeltron couldn't comprehend, because that kind of emotions was always avoided. Kori instinctively raised her blade into a defensive stance. And for good reason.

Both Sith who emerged out of the forest were giants; towering over Kori, and very much unlike any Sith she had encountered before. The Zeltron shifted her weight backwards a little, the blade now held in both hands between her and the two darksiders. But to her surprise, the apparent leader of the Sith didn't lash out, like she expected he would. Instead, the Zabrak addressed the newcomer Jedi, as if he had known her.

Meet the same fate as your master... Revenge for this apparatus... Promise of a good hunt... By my own machinations... As intimidating as the bruiser's physique was, he sure liked his exposition. The whole story already shaped in Kori's mind. She didn't even need to verify much. There was only one thing the Zeltron had to verify: "So, you're the one responsible for the Jedi who have gone missing here." It was more of a statement than a question. The phrase was said in a stale and distant manner, as if it was a casual greeting to a stranger. If Kori had read the Zabrak correctly, he'd be all too eager to confirm his involvement.

The Zeltron's gaze went from the Zabrak to his even taller and burlier accomplice. She had to look up to do so, but tried her best not to show her pre-fight chills. So far, Kori seemed to be at the forefront; quelling her emotions and building up the power within her for the inevitable confrontation.

@Charndley, @MatureContentWarningx, @Mr. Teatime, @Six

 

[Shorkattatha]

While Mallaeus further confirmed his status as a talker, the massive madclaw swept his eyes across the three Jedi present before them. Two humans and a Zeltron so far as he could tell, and all clearly Jedi. At least they were Jedi this time. In this case, the hunt had been more of a trap, baiting in Jedi to come and help the innocent dead as they always did. Which meant the fun part wasn't the hunt, but the fight. Shor did not interrupt the the other Sith's talk about the Force and meeting and so on, though the Dark side did begin to build up within him, ready to fight and kill.

After the Zeltron Jedi replied, however, he'd had enough. With an earsplitting roar typical of his species that the translator mask didn't bother to translate, he announced his intention for battle and stepped his right foot forward. The madclaw's lightsaber, held in his right hand, ignited a single 1.5m long blade that was held before him in a neutral Djem So guard, diagonally tilted upwards. He was ready now.

"Choose who will fight. I tire of waiting." intoned the hidden mask, Shor's predatory gaze shifting from one Jedi to the other. Always with the talking and the debating and the taunting. Killers did not talk, they kill.

@Six @Charndley @ModernMarvel @Catbert

 

[Juniper]

Nara eyed the both of them, watching the Zabrak talk. And talk. And talk. My, he likes the sound of his own voice. She was tempted to try a shot at him, but his saber was up and he was watching them. Too risky. He could pelt it back at her... or at one of the others.

Carefully, she moved out from her cover as she saw them ignite their sabers. No longshot weapons, they were coming in close. This was going to get ugly. She moved closer to Kori to present a united front, eyes flicking from Sith to Sith. A dirty look on her face and determination in her eyes.

The Wookie roared, making Nara wince even more. She focused as best she could, trying to stop her hearing and her ears from being overwhelmed completely. Gritting her teeth through the piercing scream. Just like Ontotho, there always seemed to be a talky one and a brutish, angry one.

"All I see is two runts preying on innocent people. You want a fight, furball? Come and get it," she fired back, brandishing her saber in a defensive stance, just waiting for one of them to make the first move. Never mind that she was just a skinny toothpick compared to either of them. They were bulky, strong for sure, but that made them slow. It made them sluggish. Even if the Dark Side coursed through them, it made them weak.

@MatureContentWarningx @Six @Catbert @Mr. Teatime

 

[Larana Basai]

That suppressed memory came flooding back as Mallaeus stepped out from the shadows, removing his hood. She had previously believed him to be dead, but the empty yellow eyes that stared back at her were familiar enough that she didn't need to see beneath the apparatus to recognize him. His twisted expression made her ill, but she wouldn't allow him the satisfaction of knowing, as it would only serve to entice him further.

"No, that is not why I've come." she spoke loud enough that it covered the distance between them, holding her defensive stance. "Though, it would seem rather unfortunate that you didn't learn a lesson the first time. I see you're still hunting Jedi." It was not meant to taunt him, though once the words had left her lips, she realized how it might be perceived as such.

Her attention was drawn momentarily to the second Sith, a beastly looking Wookie, as he roared out over them, clearly becomming impatient. She flinched, her eyes focused on him as he looked back and forth between Nara and Kori who stood together at the edge of the small village, and where she stood between two buildings.

There was silence, and she waited in anticipation for either of them to spring their attack.

@Charndley @Mr. Teatime @Six @Catbert

 

[Malleus]

Malleus's eyes wrinkled almost signaling a smile underneath the mask he wore as Larana's bravado echoed in her words finding it amusing as he still viewed her as that lucky padawan that narrowly escaped death.
He turned his attention the Zeltron that stared at him and indulged her query ''In the flesh. I'm the one who killed the two that came before you and I knew more of you would come following the bread crumbs.'' he fully admitted his crimes,obviously taking pride in his scheme on Batuu.

He heard Shor's impatience rising as the large wookie spoke and the Jedi seemed to be careful enough not to try and engage the two large Sith warriors right off the bat.
''No need to keep you waiting any longer my friend.'' he said addressing Shor but his eyes were locked on Larana and they narrowed as he did so. ''I'll take the Padawan first!'' he said, the last part of the sentence being yelled out as he got into a sprint. Moving diagonally towards Larana at the side rather than going straight for the Zeltron that was in front of him at some distance. Malleus moved rather quickly for someone of his statue and with a distorted roar from his breathing aparatus the attack began. The first strike was a one handed cleaving motion from his right down to slightly lower left. The attack was angled in such a way that the Jedi couldn't duck to avoid it. His second strike would have been an immediate horizontal slash but this time aimed high since most of the opponents would try to jump up to avoid the first hit and it would bring instant death to them, his attacks executed with speed uncharacteristically high for what one could assume about someone of his appearance. That is not to say there weren't any other options, Larana could fall back or try to meet his blade but the truth of the matter is - as layered as his initial attack pattern was and his goal seemingly to strike a quick victory the secondary goal was, if the sequence didn't go as planned, to have his opponent try and meet his blade. Getting into a pummeling contest or a lightsaber lock against smaller opponents was where Malleus could dominate with little effort. It is such elaborate tactics that allowed him to always put tremendous amounts of pressure on his opponents and scored it him his many kills.

His swift jump and subsequent attack at Larana wasn't done recklessly either as he knew of Shor's rising impatience and was sure the Wookie would jump to fight the other two Jedi immediately and occupy them. And even if the other two women had the time to reach Malleus and Larana before Shor attacked them it wouldn't be wise to lose sight of the Wookie killing machine and concentrate on something else even if it was for a moment.

Spoiler: OOC

Had to edit out a part since my dumb brain almost ignored a part of Nykoria's post and her positioning. My apologies SENPAII

@MatureContentWarningx @Mr. Teatime @Catbert @Charndley

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

That's all I needed to hear, kriffhead. Kori's lip twitched as she sensed twisted pride in the Zabrak's reply. Or was it because of the mighty roar of the other Sith? Where do they even recruit so many beanpoles? Does the Eternal get them from the same zoo or something? Under different circumstances, Kori would've been eager to share her assortment of insults with the enemy. But it wasn't appropriate yet, and the Zeltron had to remain focused. Showtime.

The Zabrak starts running. I take a step back instinctively. Nara is now at the forefront, while I cover her flank and rear. But the Zabrak is sincere in his intentions; the attack doesn't seem to follow yet. My left hand lets go of the lightsaber hilt. The heavy stun pistol springs from the hip holster into my palm.

Lightsaber in my right hand mirrors the Wookie's stance, but one-handed. Without the Zabrak, he's the immediate threat. A single shot at the Wookiee's wide chest should do for now. He is tall and massive, towering above me and Nara. Would be hard to miss at close range. And the beauty of the situation? I can probably do it unpunished.

To get to me, the Wookiee would have to go through Nara first. Lock the blades with her even for a moment? The shot would most likely hit. Focus on defense? Sure, but Nara gets free a swing. Not to mention that the Wookiee's saber would only dissipate the stun shot. Dodge the shot at close range? That giant furball? Oh please!

Is the big guy distracted for a couple of moments? If so, great! A brief turn to the other hulking juggernaut rushing towards the Padawan. Haven't they told you it's rude to turn your back on people talking to you? Just as it is stupid to leave your flanks and rear exposed? A heavy stun bolt aimed at your back, at your center of mass will do the teaching for me. But sure, keep swinging at the Padawan in the meantime! I know it won't probably knock you out cold, but it should slow you down if it hits. You're on your own from now, Larana-something.

Now, quickly turn back to the Wookiee and take a shot at its chest again if it's nearby and still swinging... Or roaring... Or whatever. Yeah, that should be a good course of action.​

@Charndley, @MatureContentWarningx, @Mr. Teatime, @Six

 

[Shorkattatha]

Finally. Though of course the other Sith went for the Padawan first. So be it, more fight for the madclaw. A growl rumbled deep in his throat as the battle begun and he took a step forward. The Zeltron fired her stun weapon and Shor slightly adjust his forward guard to intercept the shot. A single stun bolt against a guarded target followed by changing targets? How bold this Jedi was.

The Dark Side surged forth toward the Zeltron as she turned to fire at Mallaeus, Shor's left hand and fingers curling and pulled back, pulling and twisting fiercely at her stun blaster with a telekinetic grip while it turned to sight the next target and she was thus distracted. Unless she resisted the sudden pull the weapon would be removed from her grasp and launched toward the back of Nara's head as a blunt projectile. He would also of course deflect her third shot should she still have her weapon in hand to do so, still out of immediate melee range of either of them but still close enough to be a threat, more than ready and quite capable of dealing with further ranged or lightsaber attacks.

Shor certainly gave the impression of a slow, dim-witted, lumbering brute. An excellent trait to be utilized by one who was none of those things. Misconceptions would be weaponized, Jedi arrogance leveraged. All the madclaw had to do was wait for the most opportune moment to act, and the trap would be sprung. If his opponents believed the madclaw to be slow, they would be corrected once within the durasteel grip of his claws.

@Six @Charndley @ModernMarvel @Catbert

 

[Juniper]

Nara stood. Assessed as quick as she could. Too far from the Zabrak. Kori firing on the Wookie. Deflected. Of course. That's too easy. Still some distance from them both but she could feel it. The Dark Side surging, roaring from him like a caged animal. He was the one who'd made his presence known. Dumb hunter? Using fear. Actual thought, or animal instinct?

She made her decision quickly. Lock blades. He's strong, I'm quick. Drawing on the Light within herself, she stared full on at the Wookie as he moved. She infused the Force into herself as she ran. Her legs picked up the pace, moving quicker than quick, meeting the Wookie as he made his way towards them.

As she did, Nara waited until she was close, until the brute towered over her, to try her attack. She held her saber hilt in both hands for extra support. She shifted her saber down to her lower right, slashing up and left at a 45 degree angle. He'd have to meet that blade or do something... which would hopefully be long enough for Kori to do something else that might help. Anything.

Because Nara did not like her chances of beating this thing alone.

@MatureContentWarningx @Six @Catbert @Mr. Teatime

 

[Larana Basai]

Malleus did not look away from her, even as he addressed his beast of a comrade, who only growled in response. The pale yellow blade of her lightsaber guarded her torso, heels dug into the dirt as she waited for him to close the distance between them. Larana kept her attention on him, sure that he would come for her first, even before it had been announced.

She took a deep breath in preparation for his attack, building the force within in.

For someone of his size, Malleus moved much faster than she would have anticipated, closing the gap between them in a matter of seconds. The warm tip of his blade grazed her robes as she stumbled back to avoid both of his cleaving strikes, feeling the heat on her skin. Larana knew better than to lock blades with him, assuming that his towering height and near unnatural muscle would make it too easy for him to overpower her.

She hoped the single stun shot that Kori fired would slow him down, his back turned to it as he engaged in his attack. Larana, taking advantage of his wide swing, lifted her blade over her head and struck out at him in a slight diagonal motion, aiming at his exposed left side.

Without allowing him much time to counter, she followed through her previous motion to strike in a horizontal motion, if not to strike him, then to push him back so that she wouldn't be as isolated against the buildings, hoping to move further out to the edge of the village so that Malleus wouldn't be able to trap her.

@Charndley @Mr. Teatime @Six @Catbert

Spoiler: OOC

Sorry this one took me a minute. Prepping for a surgical procedure on Friday.