Umbaran Hospitality

[Sierrien]

Her grin faded - but just a bit - when Mila berated her instead of saying she had done a good job. It came a moment later though and her grin returned in full force. Ha, the Crusader did care what happened to her. That was good; it made her feel happy inside. Which was.. well, honestly a rather strange feeling for her. She had never sought the approval of another, at least not since the accident. Now that she actually had someone whose approval she craved, she found that it was actually almost... addicting to get it. She had gotten a little bit there; now she wanted some more. Before she could really think that through any more the announcement system blared to life and she looked around quickly, to determine where the sound was coming from. The words sent a chill up her spine and she shook her head slowly as the words ended. She opened her mouth to speak but was interupted by the room going dark and the alarms starting to ring. Well, Mila's words pretty well summed up their current situation. What she wouldn't do for her pink lightsaber at this moment, despite how much she figured Mila would glare at it.

The Crusader mentioned them needed to leave and bolted out in to the hallway. Lairiel paused a moment and shifted her blaster pistol, sending half a dozen blasts in to the computer system before she turned and hurried after Mila. She figured that way, at least it couldn't be used to try and track their progress in to.. wherever they were going. She loaded a new battery pack as she joined Mila out in the hallway and followed her to who knows where. Apparently not Mila, as they seemed to basically be moving around randomly in an attempt to just put some distance between themselves and their last known location. Despite that, she was pretty sure she heard footsteps coming up behind them. Perhaps they had another set of security computers somewhere that could keep track of them visually? As she followed behind Mila, she started to rip out the cords for the security cameras with the Force as they ran by them, trying to deny at least some vision of them to their new enemy.

Mila didn't have a plan, she had figured that out now. Perhaps she should make up a plan and see if she could impress the Crusader again? But, that would require a plan that would work. And right now she was too busy running to be thinking up an actually 'good' plan. So, mediocre plan it was! "We should work our way down and confront this 'Goddess'. If we can take her out, everyone will probably return to normal?" Okay, so it wasn't so much a 'plan' as an 'idea'. But she wasn't really sure what else to say, or what else they could really plan. They didn't know where their lightsabers were, but it was a safe bet the Goddess had them at least close by. And if they could get within reach of them, there was always a chance they could steal them back. Or die trying. Maybe it wasn't a good plan to mention. "I can distract her while you get in position to take her out?" she offered, as a bit of an addition to her 'plan'. She had all kinds of ways to make distractions, and only a few of them involved taking her dress off again. Okay.. most of them involved that.

All the while, she heard their pursuers getting closer, and they would likely have to stop and try to deal with that soon. She couldn't tell from the sound how many were following them, though, or what kind of weapons they had.

 

[Gamov]

The shrieking alarms didn't help her concentration any as Mila cut around the next corner, heart hammering in her chest as she spared the briefest of glances over her shoulder to ensure that Lairiel was keeping up. Which she was, knocking out security cameras here and there as she went. It wouldn't keep the guards behind them off their trail, but at the very least it might confuse any reinforcements being sent to cut them off. She was also trying to say something, but given that her focus was more on escape than conversation, Mila didn't have much time to consider her words. Taking another sharp corner, the Crusader nearly lost her footing on the slick durasteel floor, managing to keep herself upright as she stared straight ahead for the junction in front of them... and the thick blast doors that were slowly sealing their exit. The bastards were trying to box them in. With a defiant huff and a burst of energy from the Force, Mila's speed seemed to increase two fold as she sprinted headlong for the narrowing gap ahead.

"Hurry up!" She called back to Lairiel, hoping the girl could keep pace; suddenly regretting that she hadn't taken the time to teach her Force speed yet. That would be the first thing on their list once they got out of this. IF they got out at least.

Mila still had plenty of time to spare as she bolted through the doorway, immediately coming to a pause on the other side and whirling around to face Lairiel. As she did, the first of two guards appeared from around the bend behind her, taking aim on the Arkanian's back with his rifle. In what seemed to be a move so quick that it would defy the human eye's ability to trace it, Mila twirled one of her spare combat knives around in her fingers before sending it tumbling end over end down the hallway. Using the Force to subtly influence its trajectory, she nudged the blade around Lairiel's shoulder, letting it sail clear on to stick the guard in the neck, plunging in with enough impact to take him off his feet. His blaster went off a second later, impacting the wall harmlessly. Lairiel came rushing through seconds later, barely managing to slip in as the door slammed shut behind her. At least the guards behind them were no longer a thread. For the time being anyway.

Taking a few short breaths, Mila centered her focus again after eying Lairiel for a quick once over; she seemed to be alright. Nothing was bleeding or falling off so far as she could tell, so that was definitely a good sign. Now, what was it she had said earlier? Distract the Goddess so she could sneak up on her? That actually seemed like a fairly sound idea. Of course, they had to find this "Goddess" first, but one step at a time here. "We need to get to the lower levels. That's where she's hiding. From there we can..." Mila trailed off as the scuffling of boots coming down the hallway interrupted her thoughts. "Damn it. Don't these guys ever give up?" Glancing down an adjacent corridor, she spotted a turbolift at the far end. "Come on."

Taking Lairiel to the turbolift, Mila opened the doors and shoved her in, hitting the button for the level below them. "Find the Goddess." She said, offering little else as the doors closed and the lift started downward. Turning away from the elevator, the Crusader took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she tightened her grip around the only weapons she had left: a spare combat knife and her stiletto. Those guards would be right on top of her any second...

 

[Sierrien]

Lairiel balked at the far off blast doors, seeing Mila take off in a burst of speed and leaving her well and good behind. She breathed deeply as she pushed herself quickly, eyes going wide when Mila spun and then seemed to throw one of those knives at her. In a split second decision she decided to just trust Mila and keep running; turned out it was a good plan as the knife was maneuvered around her and probably saved her life. Then she was through the doors just in time, basically having to slide through as it slammed shut in behind her. She stood up, breathing heavily then, and nodded her thanks to Mila as she caught her breath. Then Mila was speaking, agreeing with her plan of getting lower and confronting this goddess directly. She straightened as she caught her breath - but not quite in time as she heard someone coming down a side hall. Her eyes shifted towards it, then back to Mila quickly.

She gave a nod and followed the woman, moving quickly to the turbolift. Right, this was a good idea - it would get them lower, to the level below them. That's where they needed to go! Then Mila shoved her in and hit the button; she recovered in time to spin back and just stare at Mila. Wait, why was she telling her find the Goddess and then waiting outside.. oh. Oh no. She was being sent on a solo mission. At a time like this. She shifted nervously on the spot before nodding her head, wondering if this was the last time she was going to see the Crusader. If one of them died... more than likely it would be her. But that still meant she wouldn't see the woman again. "I will. And Mila..." she let out, as the woman turned to face whomever was coming for her. Just before they closed, she called out to the Crusader again. Just in case it came in to question later on, with what she had planned. "Trust me, please!"

And then they were closed.. and she was alone. And almost immediately, she started to panic. She was now alone, which meant Mila wasn't going to be there to protect her, and not only that she had to find this Goddess and manage not to die so that she could find Mila again, and they could live happily ever after... okay, maybe that last one was just her own wishes, but still! It suddenly felt like everything was set squarely on to her shoulders and she was not handling it well. She paced around the elevator as she tried to calm down, then she tried meditating; all too soon she heard a ding and the doors opened. She walked out on to this lower floor, her eyes glancing around before she closed them. Okay. She could do this. It was a good plan, the one she had just made up. And the first step was... she pulled off the belt she had stolen, wrapping it around the blaster pistol before she held it up high above her head. Her eyes opened as she steeled her resolve and then she started to walk forward, calling out as loudly as she could.

"Finally, I'm free of her! Goddess, please, I want to be free of that evil bitch!" It wasn't long before some Umbarans guards came her way, taking the pistol from her and each grabbing an arm to take her deeper in to the facility. She worked up some fake tears and sniffles, walking along mostly of her free will besides them having her arms gripped by either of the men. She was led by them, who seemed to know where they were going, through a bunch of different passages until finally they seemed to be approaching some kind of.. well, she would call it a 'chapel'. There were candles set up around everywhere, and a large door that was actually kept closed. It was open and she was pulled inside - and came face to face with this 'Goddess'. She was sitting on some kind of raised pedestal, with all the Umbarans in the room offering her praises. She saw her own and Mila's lightsabers hanging from the woman's belt, as well as two that must have already belonged to the woman. She appeared to be that elusive Vahla race - which made her fairly pretty.

Lairiel's eyes swept over the woman, and though she put sufficient awe in her eyes to appease this woman who styled herself a goddess, inside her mind she was scoffing. Mila is SO much hotter than this woman...

 

[Gamov]

She caught Lairiel's words just as the lift closed. Trust her? Why would she need to... that thought stopped short as the first of the guards came into view from around the corner. Then another, and another, and another and another. There didn't seem to be an end to them, but that hardly deterred Mila as she set her jaw and rushed towards the armed guards with an explosive burst of Force power. The first Umbaran drew on her, lining a bead up, but she was past the muzzle of his rifle a fraction of a second before he could squeeze the trigger. A single red bolt of energy barely whizzed by Mila's head, singeing her hair as it sailed on harmlessly. In the next instant, her right arm snapped out, the blade of her stiletto driving deep into the guard's chest. Using him as a crude pivot, she spun around his body, reaching back with her combat knife to bury it in the next guard's abdomen, giving it a firm twist and cutting upward to split his stomach wide open and spill his innards. Barely a handful of seconds in, and the Umbarans were already down two soldiers; the remaining four hesitated, as if to estimate their own chances against the Crusader. They weren't promising.

But Mila hardly gave them the chance to retreat, had they desired to that is. Slipping her blades free of her victim's bodies, she sent her combat knife through the air as she whirled around to face the remaining guards. The knife found its mark in no time, dispatching another guard with ease as it drove into his skull. Just three of these bastards left. At least these ones were armed with edged weapons, so the playing field was a bit more level now. Not that the blasters had made much of a difference in the first place, but at least it would feel more fair now. Two of the guards rushed in, swinging their blades wildly at the Crusader. She easily dodged their attacks, stepping in and out of their furious slashes as if the swords weren't even there. Despite being outnumbered and surrounded, Mila was trained for this kind of fight.

Slipping into an almost meditative trance, she used the Force to sense every move her opponents would make - almost before they knew what they were going to do themselves. She may not have had the same reach with her stiletto that guards enjoyed with the swords, but in the narrow confines of the hall she actually had the upper hand. Quick footwork allowed Mila to dance between her attackers, dodging and parrying where appropriate. Still, as much as she would love to stay here and play with her new victims a little longer, time was of the essence. Swiftly taking advantage of an opening in one of the guard's defenses - if you could call his wild swings and flurries a "style" - Mila slid the edge of her stiletto along the length of his blade, slicing across his knuckles and causing him to drop his sword. As the blade clattered to the floor, she drove her blade sharply upwards, jamming it up through his jaw. The Umbaran's eyes bulged and his body went slack as she pulled the dagger free, letting him crumple to the floor at her feet.

The remaining two guards seemed to consider their options for a second, trading an anxious look before throwing their weapons down and fleeing.

"Cowards." Mila sneered, yet she didn't care to give chase just to hunt down two pathetic guards. She had much more pressing thoughts on her mind. Closing her eyes and centering her thoughts on Lairiel, she extended her senses in search of her apprentice; hoping that she was still alive. If not, then things would get exceptionally complicated.

----​

"Welcome, child." The Goddess's voice filled the room with a lilting echo as she turned a pleasant smile onto Lairiel. "I was hoping to meet you face to face." She rose from her makeshift throne, the incessant drone of her thralls trailing off as they shifted from their prayers, dozens of dull, sunken eyes now peering at the Arkanian as if they were extensions of the Goddess's own body. "I had sensed something special about you when my servants first brought you in." She circled Lairiel, studying the girl from every angle.

The Goddess crouched in front of her, a gentle hand guiding her attention forward as she studied her features. "You're Arkanian." She said, making note of Lairiel's pale green eyes and ashen hair. "Your people value logic so highly. So tell me, how is it one such as yourself becomes involved with the likes of the Sith?"

 

[Sierrien]

She was nervous as the Goddess spoke to her, especially when she just called her 'child'. And then said she was hoping to meet her. Then she was standing and Lairiel shifted on the spot - her arms were released and the Umbarans all stepped back to stare at her. Along with every other Umbaran in the room. Her eyes shifted around towards everyone, feeling more than a little intimidated with all these eyes on her, and then they shifted back to the Goddess. The woman was speaking to her again, saying she had sensed something special in her. And then she was circling around Lairiel and she shifted nervously on the spot again. Okay, maybe this had been a horrible plan. She had thought she wouldn't have an issue with getting close to the Goddess and trying to put her off her guard; now she was feeling like she was the one who had been put off her guard. Just the way those eyes were roaming over her and taking in every little detail about her... Actually, that was kind of how she wanted Mila to look at her, now that she thought about it.

Then her attention was stolen back by a hand gently guiding her attention forward to the Goddess, who was crouching in front of her and looking over her face. Her ancestry was noted quickly, and then she was asked how she had become a Sith. Now came the difficult part. She had to sprinkle in enough truth so that it would seem real, but also make it look like she was a victim. "Not by choice." she let out, a bit of a tremor altering her voice to seem emotional. "My parents.. they were killed, when I was young. Since I could feel the Force.. the Sith abducted me from the orphanage, and they... well, they forced me to become one of them. There's nothing I could do, they are all too powerful for me. And even when they send us out, they send us with horrible, more powerful Sith who watch over us, ready to cut us down or do horrible things to us." She let out a soft whimper, her bottom lip quivering. "But then.. they said you're a Goddess, and that.. that means you can protect me, right? I.. I can serve you. I will serve you, willingly, if you'll just.. save me from them, Goddess..."

She had to hope she wasn't coming on too strong, but with some fake tears welling up and the regular emotional whirlwind that was her messed up mind, she thought it wouldn't be. She was doing her best to seem like a scared child; to be honest that likely wasn't too far off of most Sith, if they were honest with themselves. She knew that it would be her for real if she had ended up with almost any other Crusader she had met. She had lucked in to meeting Mila and being chosen by her. But now in order to continue that apprenticeship, she would need to survive this, and of course make sure that Mila did as well. Right now the way to do that was to get on this woman's good side and make her think she was sincere, by any means necessary. And then she would have to hope that Mila would understand that what she was doing was a ruse, assuming they managed to get out of this at least.

She slowly shifted down to her knees, then fell forward to bow and kneel before the Goddess' feet, as if offering her praise and adoration to the woman, or at least her placation for the woman to be her savior, and to be her Goddess. "Please, Goddess!" she let out again, putting all the emotion she could muster in to her voice in order to really sell it.

 

[Gamov]

Her senses were guiding her through the academy, deeper and deeper, descending level by level as she kept Lairiel at the fore of her thoughts - for more reasons than one she found, too. There was the mission of course, and while her apprentice might not have been able to fathom her role in it quite yet, to Mila the goal was obvious. Lairiel had been her bait, the blood in the water that would draw her directly to the Goddess once she had found her. But there was something more to it all that was keeping her focus on that wayward little Arkanian. Something that she had entertained before on mere whimsy... she had actually started to like her. The girl could be insufferable at times, yes, but there was just something about her the Crusader couldn't place that was allowing her to grow more and more attached to her.

"Argh... focus dammit!"

Mila shook the thoughts from her mind as she slipped through the next hallway, barely avoiding another patrol. Down another vacant stairwell and through a few more twists in the dim corridors and the Force began to warp in unusual ways. The energy down here was... wrong. Her senses became momentarily disoriented as she tried to maintain her focus on Lairiel's presence, but everything was hazy and unclear. She could get glimpses of her now, but that was really all she could see anymore. The Goddess had to be nearby. More than that though, her power must be far greater than what she had anticipated if she could cloak herself so thoroughly in the Force. Not to mention manipulating the Umbarans into doing her dirty work. Mila let out a weary sigh, hoping Lairiel hadn't gotten herself into something she couldn't handle.

Moving deeper into the lower levels, the light from the upper floors gradually choked off until she found herself plunged into an abyss. Strange markings, some drawn in what she could only presume to be blood, lined the walls as the smell of smoldering candle wicks hung in the stale air. What kind of ritualistic madness must have enveloped these people? The atmosphere only grew more and more oppressive with each step and Mila fought to keep her wits about her. This place... it felt like it was invading every fiber of her body, gnawing at her from the inside out. Chanting filled her ears, monotonous and repetitive, grating until she felt as if she could tolerate it no longer. And then silence. She swallowed uncomfortably, extending her senses again towards Lairiel, a brief pang of fear tracing back along the connection. Mila's pulse rose sharply and her heart seemed to skip a beat.

She had to move faster.

----​

The tears in her eyes brought no joy to the Goddess, her compassionate praise falling over the downtrodden girl as she offered her peace within her bond to the Force. "Your suffering is at an end now, child. Never again will you be made to serve." She bid Lairiel rise as she returned to her throne, the Umbarans receding into the shadows along the walls of the chamber at her beckoning. "Those who call themselves Sith are the cancer that has plagued this galaxy for too long. The Empire and her people suffer for no greater reason than their own selfish whims. You suffered for no better purpose. But that suffering is at an end." A gracious smile spread across her lips as she motioned Lairiel closer, a subtly ploy with the Force would comfort her and allay any latent reservations she may yet harbor.

"The hour of retribution is approaching the Imperium. Soon all who serve her shall be consumed by the fires of war. But you, my child, can escape their fate. Soon the Ember of Vahl shall burn across the galaxy, purging the the unclean and the unworthy." The Umbarans at the sides of the room resumed their melodic chant, bowing to the floor as they twisted their tongues around foreign words. "I am the incarnation of the Goddess Vahl, the instrument through which her righteous fury shall be exacted." Vahl stood, raising her arms wide to the heavens as if to invoke the very Goddess herself. "Starting with... YOU!"

All at once, the Goddess whirled around, a finger pointing towards the far corner of the chamber as she singled Mila out to her thralls. "Kill the Sith! Flay her flesh from her bones!"

 

[Sierrien]

The Goddess was totally buying it. The turmoil of her mind was.. more than likely helping with that. She put a smile on her face as she rose, trying to make it as genuine as possible. "Oh, thank you Goddess, thank you!" she let out, nodding her head as she listened to how selfish the Sith were and just trying to look grateful for the woman's blessing upon her. She was beckoned closer to the throne and she approached, not too quick though. She didn't want to look so eager that she overplayed her hand, so instead it was nervously slow steps that took her towards the woman sitting on her throne. She was talking about retribution, and how the Ember of Vahl were going to destroy all the 'unclean and unworthy'. Yeah, fat chance that was going to happen.

Just as she arrived, the Goddess stood and lifted her arms, and then spun to point a finger at.. Mila. Lairiel's eyes went wide, and then she quickly adopted a panicked expression and shifted to kneel down next to the Goddess' feet, as if she were cowering in fear. "Oh no, don't let her take me back!" she called out, even as all of the Umbarans in the room fell upon Mila. She couldn't blow her cover now by going to help; she'd just have to hope that the crusader was good enough to get through that mess of bodies and challenge the Goddess directly. Doing anything herself right now would be too risky.

So she simply cowered, shifting to hide behind the Goddess and doing her best to look entirely like a frightened little lamb. "P-protect me, please!" There was even an emotional quaver in her voice as her hands clutched lightly against the Goddess' leg, trying to stay close to her so that she could be protected. And also waiting to see if the woman would engage Mila directly, which would give her a better shot at stealing her lightsaber back.

 

[Gamov]

Well, so much for stealth. Mila's eyes narrowed on the Goddess, peering through the hazy candlelight at the woman as a dozen bodies coalesced out of the shadows around her, circling her like a pack of hungry wolves. Some brandished weapons, their blades glinting dully in the dim light, while others seemed possessed as little more than savage beasts, gritting their teeth and snarling wildly. The Crusader's focus drifted then towards Lairiel, cowering behind the woman and her brow darkened with a sinister frown - yet it was naught but for show. She knew how her apprentice played this game, feigning weakness and vulnerability to outwit her enemies. Most might fall for it, but Mila wasn't most people, and she certainly knew the girl better than this "Goddess"; who no doubt wished only to use Lairiel for her own selfish gains despite whatever rhetoric she offered to the contrary.

"KILL HER!"

All at once the Umbarans closed in like a host of ravenous locusts, the Crusader's blades clashing with those of her adversaries, parrying and countering where she could find openings to do so. The unarmed members of the group fared little better, most of them being cut down as they made frantic - albeit doomed - charges at the Sith. The echo of blood curdling screams filled the room as Mila danced among her opponents, dodging, weaving, slicing, cutting, gouging. And in the midst of it all, anger riled her nerves, warming her blood as adrenaline surged through her veins. The Force tangled around her, twisting and bending to her will, punishing the Umbarans with impunity while she continued to carve a bloody path through their ranks. Euphoria washed over her mind, numbing her nerves even as her enemies tore at her own flesh with their weapons; a nick here, a cut there... but she hardly noticed. Mila's usually calm hazel eyes glazed over, unflinching as she cut through one man after the next, ignoring any please for mercy as she went.

And just as quickly as it had started, it was over. The Crusader breathed out a deliberate breath, turning her sickly pale gaze on the Goddess. Sweat and blood matted her hair in an unflattering tangle around her features, a few cuts on her arms and abdomen visible through the tears in her jacket. "You've made a grave mistake 'your highness'." Mila hissed, mocking the woman as she tightened her grip on her daggers.

"I'm afraid it is you are mistaken, girl." The Goddess sneered. "Your delusions of power and pride do you no justice here. I will not be intimidated by your petty displays." She drew her own lightsabers, the iridescent orange blades glowing brightly against the murky dimness of the chamber. "You will die here, Sith. Your blood shall herald a new dawn for the galaxy... one free from the likes of you." Using the Force to propel herself forward, the Goddess leapt from her throne - easily free of Lairiel's grasp - towards the Crusader, her twin blades poised to crash down on the woman with terrifying force.

 

[Sierrien]

Lairiel watched nervously as the mob descended on Mila, trusting that the Goddess would either be watching herself - or simply would take it that she was nervous that Mila was going to live. She just barely managed not to wince when she saw Mila being cut a few times, and it helped that far more Umbarans were going down than she was taking cuts. And then just like that it was over; Mila was the only one left standing. Again, she barely managed to not let out a sigh of relief. She watched the Goddess draw her lightsabers and Lairiel tensed up slightly, her hands shifting slowly up the woman's leg. She called out that Mila was going to die - she was about to leap towards Mila, Lairiel was sure. Her hands shifted the rest of the way and deftly grabbed her lightsaber from the woman's belt as she leapt forward - she also loosened Mila's lightsaber, so that the woman could grab it through the Force, and she made a quick hand motion afterwards to draw attention to it so that Mila would know. With the Goddess' focus being firmly on Mila, she even managed to do it without the woman noticing.

But now came the hard part. She had to close the distance fast enough that Mila wouldn't die in the time it took her to get there, yet also do her best not to be noticed. The second part shouldn't be too hard, since their focus was more than likely just going to be on the battle they were about to join. For the first - well, she ran across the gap between herself and the Goddess' back, though she wasn't running flat out so as to keep her feet as quite as possible. She also didn't ignite her saber, and she had cut herself off from the Force as best she could so that it would hopefully just be assumed that she was still cowering back near the throne where she had been left, afraid of Mila the evil Crusader.

Mila had seemingly seen her hand motions at least as the woman now had her own saber in hand, and though the Goddess had brought both of her own down hard Mila had managed to block it. She saw the contest of strength and wills going down as the two remained in a saber lock, pushing back and forth. She really wasn't sure which would win, though since Mila was bleeding and tired it probably wasn't going to end will for the Crusader. The Goddess was just a no-good lousy cheater - which meant that she needed to even the odds. She didn't do so by announcing her presence; instead she shifted the last ten feet down to a slow, steady gait - and once she was just within reach, she held her saber up and ignited it with a snap-hiss. The end of the bright pinnk blade stabbed straight in to the Goddess' back, through her spine and scouring directly in to her heart.

She deactivated her saber as the Goddess let out a screech of pain, then fell to the ground. Lairiel shifted forward again to stand over her, a dark grin gracing her lips as she watched the light leaving the woman's eyes. Once it was fully gone, Lairiel shifted her saber and hooked it on to her own belt, where it was supposed to be - the bright pink thing was likely somewhat annoying to Mila, but she was fairly sure Mila couldn't complain about it now that it had been used to kill a Goddess. Even if it was a self-proclaimed Goddess, how many could really say they that their lightsaber had killed a Goddess? Not very many, she was pretty sure! What a lovely inauguration kill for her brand new lightsaber, she mused.

Her eyes turned towards Mila then and she smiled then, still with that bit of darkness in it. "Well, that was easier than expected."

 

[Gamov]

Mila barely heard the Goddess's scathing words as she took long, deliberate breaths to soothe her anxious nerves. If this woman intended to attack her, then she should just do it and stop wasting her time with pointless speeches. The tension mounted between the two, their pointed glares meeting for what felt like an eternity as each did their best to stare the other down. She could feel the Goddess trying to ply at her mind with the Force, the desperation in her attempts made all the more obvious when she ignited her sabers with a sharp hiss. That's when Mila's own spirits wavered slightly. She had no real means of defending herself without her own lightsaber; which the Goddess still possessed. Shifting nervously on her feet a bit, she ran her tongue along the back of her teeth and swallowed uncomfortably. Suddenly the daggers in her hands felt as useless as wet paper. But there was something the Crusader had noticed in the midst of her own swirling emotions - Lairiel; her fingers moving deftly along the Goddess's belt to claim her own saber and loosen the grommet holding hers in place. She didn't acknowledge her apprentice's signal, that might tip off her opponent. Instead, her eyes fixed on the Goddess again, just in time to see the woman launch herself through the air at her in a gravity defying leap.

Mila breathed out a shallow gasp as the woman descended on her, her lightsabers singing downward in a pair of sweeping arcs that threatened to cleave her wide open. Nerves firing, reflexes and muscle memory kicking into overdrive, the Crusader threw one of her combat knives at the oncoming Goddess, the blade shearing through the air to glance her on the stomach. It wasn't enough to stop her, but it clearly gave her something to think about as her eyes widened noticeably. Seeing her opportunity, Mila reached out through the Force, yanking her own saber into the palm of her hand and activating it just in time to stop her attacker's blades cold. The pop and hiss of electricity hissed in the air as the Goddess pressed in on Mila's defenses for all she was worth, finding her efforts frustrated by the Crusader's stubborn defense. Mila pushed back with teeth gritted, feeling the sting of her wounds for the first time now; but she had to numb the pain. She had to hold on.

"Your kind have no place here, Sith! Go back to hell." The Goddess hissed out through clenched teeth.

Mila held firm against the pressure, despite the fatigue that was beginning to visit it's effects upon her extremities. Her eyes locked with the Goddess again, her lips curling to chew out a defiant response. "You first." In the next instant, another shrill hiss filled the chamber and the Goddess gasped, her expression suddenly going slack as the tip of Lairiel's saber pierced her back. Mila felt the strength drain from the woman's muscles seconds before her sabers cut out, her body tumbling back onto the stone floor. Staring up at Lairiel's grim expression, the woman barely uttered some unintelligible curse before the life faded from her eyes and she fell dead.

Finally letting out a deep sigh, Mila released all of her tension, deactivating her blade and slumping against a nearby column. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Her body ached in places she never knew she had, every muscle and ligament feeling as if they had been stretched to their limits and beyond. Her chin slumped wearily onto her chest and she closed her eyes briefly, feeling as if though she could sleep for hours right here. But then her groggy mind caught Lairiel's comment and she lazily shifted her eyes onto the girl. Easy? This was easy? Maybe for her, but for the Crusader it had been a painful ordeal that she would be trying to forget for months.

"I think you and I have very conflicting views on what 'easy' is." She said, partially teasing the girl as she shifted off the wall with a groan. Her hand instinctively found its way to a long cut on her left side just beneath the arm. She winced as she dabbed at the wound with her fingertips, examining the smear of crimson on her jacket. "I think I need a vacation." She chuckled painfully before nodding to Lairiel. "You did well here today. I'm... moderately impressed." Mila's enthusiasm was tempered, but hopefully that much would do for a compliment. "Come on, I don't know about you but I've had quite enough of these Umbarans and their so-called 'hospitality'. If I never set foot on this wretched planet again, it won't be soon enough."

Moving with a slight shuffle to her gait, Mila made her way out of the chamber and back to the upper floors of the academy; Lairiel not far behind. They still had to issue their report on the matter, but thankfully that would be simple enough. Every Umbaran at the academy turned out to be a dissident, and they were all summarily executed - or at least as many of them as they could track down. She rather doubted her masters would question their judgement. No doubt this place would be up and running again inside a week though... once they cleared the bodies out and got the blood stains out of the floors, of course.

-Fin-​