Angelus Errae

He had seen enough. The Dark Felucians had paid no attention to him since he had only stood and watched.

A large group of corrupted Felucians were assaulting a reptilian warrior and a strange armor-clad man who was tearing through the enemy with his slug-throwers. The warriors fought with great skill and cunning, but it was a matter of time before they were overrun by the sheer numbers of Dark Felucians.

<< This is your time, Maroth. Use what your creator gave you to vanquish the darkness from this place. >>

<< This I agree. >>

Maroth slowly unclipped his saber-staff from his belt and ignited its two blades. The colors of the blades fluctuated between purple and red.

Behold the fury of the Redeemed!!!!!!

Maroth lept into battle. He spun his blades in deadly arcs that cleaved the sithspawn into pieces. In a few moments he had made a small clearing around him. The Felucians held back trying to figure this newcomer out. They were mistaken to hesitate.

<< Eli, control is yours now. Obliterate them with the Light. >>

<< The annihilation with be glorious! >>

Eli, now in control of his newly redeemed sithspawn body, reached deep within his spirit where he had stored vast reserves of Light energy. His body began to glow like the mystical Diathim, but with a different intensity. Whereas the Diathim normally bestowed peace and tranquility to those around them, Eli bestowed holy terror. The aura burned white-hot as ethereal flames flickered around his body. His eyes began to change from their prismatic qualities to searingly bright orbs. Eli began to slowly lift off the ground as if held by some invisible hand. The aura of Light energies began to glow with such intensity Eli appeared to have become a small star.

BY THE POWER OF THE LIGHT, BE VANQUISHED!!

Eli held one arm out with his fingers splayed. A searing blast of glowing Light energy exploded from his exposed hand in an almost painful quantity. The Felucians directly before him were completely vaporized in a twenty-five meter long canyon still smoking from the heat of the blast. The Felucians in the immediate vicinity were either killed from the intense heat of the Light's purifying fire or suffered major third-degree burns.

<< Maroth, I am weak now. I must rest. >>

<< Yes, brother. Rest, you will be needed again when we enter the fortress. >>

Eli collapsed to a kneeling position visibly weakened from the expendenture of energy. The aura of Light faded from his kneeling form and his eyes returned to their chaotic color changes. Energy seemed to return to him, and he stood.

They had dug their hands into the soft earth, and were slowly linking their minds to the planet, their mother, all be it, a not -so -happy- mother, at present. The darkness surrounding the four felucians grew in intensity. Vines under the ground began to squirm with new, tainted, wicked life. They were about to spring up, showing their ugly heads, ready to twine around the armored man and drag him under the suffocating embrace of the boggy ground below his heavy feet.

But they never got the chance.

A flash of blinding white light, a loud explosion, and flying felucian body parts was all that remained of the four.

That was not the only blinding light. Eli's presence flared in the force, burning and destroying a great number of the dark spawn. The troopers were thinning the deadly enemy's ranks also...

And, the remaining troopers had made it to the shuttle. Already having made their way on board, the gunship began to power up, and lift off the ground...soon, they would have aid from the air... soon, this battle would be over, and finally victory would go to the Jedi.


*But the demon was not contained within the tower yet... not yet. Eli's weakened frame would suddenly see a flickering light through the trees.... a familiar glow... and a very obvious shape, The shape... of a Diathim. It was being swarmed, pulled on, and attacked by several of the wicked looking Felucians, and it was fighting back.... but not very well.*





*Rage... Sweet.... Delicious .... Rage.

The tower's atmosphere seemed to drink in the emotions welling up and cascading out of the jedi's body. Eruestan was running full force for the shadowy figure that had slain the image of his student. A wicked, heated laughter rippled through the Jedi Knight's mind, it's very sound a tainting one.

As Eruestan slashed for the creature's hand... As the saber touched it's tainted flesh, the creature melted away into a foggy cloud. The saber's brilliant beam went through the grayish, billowing matter with a hissing sound, but the creature only rematerialized a few feet farther back.. deeper into the tower, farther away from everyone else, and completely unscathed. It hissed as it continued to beckon to him... *





The rather lengthy light club held the Demon's blade at bay. Along with the stressed hissing of energy against metal, the screams of the dead reverberated throughout the area. The demon's crimson eyes bore holes into the silent warrior's skull. Those hungering, voracious eyes almost seamed like they would devour the man's soul right then and right there.

This demon, Hunger Wanted a fight. He wanted to drink in the defeat of his opponent, to scoff in the face of the one he had bested, to feast on the victory.

Thus when the warrior finally was able to find strength enough to push the darkened creature off him, The Demon glided backwards. As Siegfried came forth with his long arcing swipe, The demon turned counterclockwise, bringing his right side in the path of the blade. He allowed the light club to cut through the fabric of his ever shifting black cloak, while lifting his blade and bending his left elbow, poised. A high pitched hissing sound broke forth from the creature as saber burnt tainted flesh.... but what was done was done.

In the light club's wake, as Siegfried finished his arc, the Demon thrust forward, stabbing his blade forward at Siegfried's chest, hoping the warrior's blade was too far out to efficiently block the rather direct stab.





*And thus, the Jedi had evaded his attack. Curses! FOILED AGAI-- that's not important. What was important was the fact that part of the lightening burst had hit it's mark, causing the Jedi to jerk and feel pain.

And Legion loved pain.

Even those quavered thoughts and emotions rippling through the air, for but a split second, was lapped up hungrily by the Legion. A satiated smile crossed his pail face and a thin, demonic chuckle raddled through his throat. But there was no time to delay, not a second to rejoice in his small victory.

A cyan lightsaber was coming for his right wrist, continuing for another kind of attack. Thankfully Legion wasn't too close to Dav, given his spin had put him just close enough to hit the Jedi's green blade. The sound of Legion's metalic blade hitting the dark floor, resounded through out the chamber, but there still was the Cyan blade.

and thus, Legion pulled his right hand back, pivoting on his left foot as he did so, to put his side toward Dav. As he did so, his blade reached out from the ground, snaking upward from the jedi's right knee and curing up to his left hip, and diagonally upward to his right shoulder.
It was a flicking motion, mere turning of the wrist. By the end of the stroke, his blade was pointed straight upward, it's path following in the wake of Dav's Cyan blade. Thusly, Legion's inhuman grip held his blade fast, and both of Dav's sabers would collide with it.

Legion looked over the two sabers, held at bay with his own, hellish blade. Sparks danced about the Demon's pail expression, giving fire to his eyes.

And he smiled.

In the few seconds he had, while Dav was held there at bay, Legion's right hand curled up into a tight knit fist. The force around Dav Man'sell began to tighten. All of reality seemed to come crashing down upon the human's strong, yet still.... humanoid.. body.

A force stasis.... no, This was a deadly force crush, fueled by the Legion's serious, and utter disdain for anything of the light... more so, this arrogant fool of a Jedi who dare laugh at him. Legion focused on the heart, on the lungs... on the knees and shoulders. He'd crush this man from the inside out, and he would not hesitate to allow the darkness to snake through the jedi's body, so tainted with Ashla was he...

Legion would Free him... and everyone else from her grasp.*

*Scant seconds after the grenade had left his hand, a flash met his eyes, then the boom of the grenade detonating reached his ears. And he saw objects scatter from the blast. Not earth, not trees, not fungi, they were the mangled bloody bits of what was left of the creatures that had tried to initiate some sort of sneak attack. What John would have deemed a poorly thought-out one, were it not for the faint movement he thought he could feel under the dirt. But all this took no more than less than a second to process in his enhanced mind, as he placed both his hands upon his rifle and turned to open fire once more upon the horde of infected, villainous creatures.

Something, however, caught his attention as he cleared away another small group of the beasts. The reptilian beast, the one that had been rather viciously tearing apart the horde, and was now caked in their blood, was calling out to John, thanking him for the aid, introducing himself as "Gar," a "hunter guard under Keriaz." Didn't this man├óÔé¼ÔÇØer, reptile├óÔé¼ÔÇØrealize that he should have saved the formalities until they had beaten back this horde? That was pretty much how war worked to John; never talk unless you were giving orders or strategizing on the fly. No matter. It was up in the air. John might as well return the greeting. He slid the release on the spent magazine of his assault rifle, letting it fall to the ground with a dull thump. He removed a full cartridge and slapped it into the underside of the rifle, listening to the satisfying sound of it snapping into place. He then reached up with his left hand and pulled the charging bolt, then, when the clicking noises had subsided and the weapon was ready for firing, John merely looked up at this "Gar" and spoke.*
Just call me Master Chief.
*John then turned away from the creature and opened fire again, taking down many more creatures, riddling them with bullets as black, inky spray filled the air where his weapons struck flesh. But then, suddenly, he heard a shout. He quickly checked for this new call, to see a rather large man dive into the fray with a pair of lightsaber blades, slashing through a small crowd of dark Felucians and clearing a small area around him. John only smirked to himself. Good; whoever these people were trapped out here with these things that so much resembled Felucians but so much contrasted with them, they looked like they had needed all the help they could get. And it seemed to just keep coming. Nothing better than turning the tide against the oppressors who believed themselves at an advantage. As much as John liked to outsmart a larger force with a smaller force├óÔé¼ÔÇØit had been pretty much the story of his life├óÔé¼ÔÇØevening the playing field also had its advantages; reduce the casualties. Only, what John hadn't expected? What came next.

The man suddenly began to glow. Glow so bright that even John had become distracted from those he was fighting. His visor polarized automatically but the light was still glowing brightly. John dare not look at it; just keep fighting. He didn't see what came next, but he heard it, the blazing, the crackling, the splintering, the squelching, and the screeching. And then, the light died down. John spent his clip and took the time to reload and look upon what had happened: This man had somehow disintegrated a wide range of the creatures. And his eyes widened. He had seen incredible feats of the Force, but never anything like this. He was just glad this strange man was on their side. And the man looked to have been momentarily weakened, as he collapsed to his knees but soon stood. John kept his weapons hot, making a note to get closer to the man anyway, in the event he may have needed protection. Though he somehow doubted it.*

Maroth looked around him for any more sithspawn. His head jerked towards the trees as he saw a flash of pure Light from an all too familiar being. There was no mistaking the identity of the Diathim.

Beacon.

Maroth breathed her name in an almost wistful manner. Then he noticed the hulking sithspawn Felucians. They were swarming around her, tearing at her with their claws. She was not a warrior and thus was not faring well. Maroth, however, was an efficient killing machine.

How dare they be bold enough to touch that which is sacred!

Maroth squeezed the saberstaff in his hand. His beautiful prismatic eyes narrowed in fury. His lips pulled back in an animalistic snarl showing enlarged, sharpened canines. Energy swirled around his body and the very shadows seemed to become his raiment.

<< Normally, I would be saying to you that anger is not the answer, or be using some other over-used Jedi reference to anger. Right now, though, is not normally. >>

<< Kill. >>

Maroth laughed. It was not a joyful laugh. It was the laugh of a sadistic killer who had been set free to prey on whoever he fancied. He fancied the Dark Felucians.

The saberstaff levitated into the air, then was pulled apart by the Force. The parts rearanged themselves then snapped back together forming duel light-tonfas. The tonfas settled back into Maroth's enormous hands.

I am the nightmare of your children. The shadows are my dwelling place. Death has forfeited its claims on you. You are mine.

Maroth gathered his fear and anger around him. The energy crackled and sparked like red electricity. The blades to his tonfas ignited with a hiss and his hands skillfully twirled them to their waiting positions, blades pointing up behind him.

Maroth closed his eyes and pulled on the Force tendrils that this planet had so readily accessible. He went into the Art of Movement accelerating his reactions and processes five-fold. Maroth lept forward with amazing speed. As he neared the Dark Felucians, Maroth jumped towards a large tree and planted his foot on its trunk. His powerful leg muscles flexed and the wood of the tree splintered and cracked under the strain. Maroth was again airborn, but now he was parallel to the ground in a lazy barrel-roll.

He flipped the blades around so they were running along his legs. Maroth neared the closest Felucian. As he did, he spread his arms like they were wings and twisted violently turning himself into a living saw of deadly accuracy. The Felucian would be struck by Maroth's blades full in the chest if it didn't somehow dodge the manuever.

*He could hear the sounds of his footsteps outside the tower as he stared up at it's massive and impending countenance, a dark thing that seemed to mock him with it's very existence. The dust that was kicked up in his path was scattered to the winds, and his black shell spider silk cloak, dyed with the norris root, just barely obscured his scarred chest. Reaching up with his right hand, Makoto brushed the mess of black hair from his face, and he just smiled as if there were no conflict deep down in his heart.

The truth was, conflict was a constant in the universe. There was nothing even the Jedi could do to change that, but not for the lack of pragmatism on their parts. He had always been the vision of respect for their order, even if he lacked the ability or desire to ever be one himself. The simple fact was, Makoto's was already a life of duty. No amount of codes or ritualistic dogma could gussy it up any more than that.

Taking a deep breath and gazing for the last time out at the world around him, just before the pitch blackness of the tower engulfed him like a demonic maw, Makoto uttered a few silent words. "Yuki." His heart seemed to miss a beat as he closed his eyes and faded to black, the world seeming to bleed into nothingness behind him. "Arika."

As he opened his eyes and they adjusted, a whole new world, twisted by the darkness he had once known so intimately greeted him with a burst of unfriendly tension, and he saw the chaos unfolding in the grand foyer, his eyes filled to overflowing with tenacity. He moved for none of his weapons, and from him resonated an odd calm, something of acceptance mixed with defiance and valor. He would never again cave to such a frail darkness as this. And his smile was out of place, though he was calm in the midst of a violent storm.

How he had come upon this place was no secret. Emotions called out to Makoto, and for the first time in his life, he knew that it was his place to answer. His breathing slowed to normalcy, and his eyes came into full focus, and the world around him seemed to lose it's lunatic fringe. The distortion brought upon him by the lies of the dark side were dispelled as he centered himself, and Makoto let his hand fall once more to his side.

Quietly noting the plight of the others, Makoto began to walk forward, plunging himself calmly into the midst of the calamity. There was something to be said for boldness, but...*

*Gut wrenching never got old. Gar pulled out his blade out of the gut of a Felucian and slashed its neck for the final kill. The creature fell down amongst the growing pile of bodies around the reptilian hunter. The sounds and flashes of gunfire was all around him. The... Master Chief, as he called himself, gunned down Felucians with precision and accuracy. Bah! Another Felucian tried to grab him from the beneath the earth. Gar grabbed one of the fleshy arms pulling up with a great force. The dark warrior squirmed to try to break free from the grip but to no avail. The Felucian was helpless to the gutting of his organs and everything else that was suppose to stay inside.

Throwing away the carcass with the smell of freshly spilled blood entering his nose, Gar head a loud cry. Turning he along with Master Chief laid eyes upon a large being wielding a saber and charging into the ranks of Felucians. For some reason Gar thought this man was a bit... different and that showed in the next few moments. A bright light started to form as the Felucians started to attack. Gar had to shield his eyes being used to the current dark lighting. Even a Felucian who was going to attack Gar suddenly turned to look upon the spectral;however, it was the undoing of the Felucian horde. Sounds of flesh vaporizing and burning filled the air. The smell of burnt flesh pushed aside all of stenches of the battlefield. It was a terrible, yet useful tactic against their enemy. As the light died down, the man nearly collapsed and as Master Chief did, Gar moved up to provide assistance to their sudden ally. In his weakened state, the Felucians may try to strike him down, as these dark Felucians showed little fear except on the verge of death.

Well, they were going to assist him, but he stood up right when Gar arrived. His gaze looked off in the forest and he muttered a name. The Barabel was slightly confused, but his eyes also looked in the same direction. There, he saw a Diathiam being pulled by Felucians and torn to shreds. More of the puzzle pieces started coming together as the man shouted out giving away he had an emotional tide to this one; though, the Diathiam bothered Gar. Something just wasn't right. A sense told him this... Maybe... Just maybe it was a trick. Gar tried to move forward to warn this man, but it was of no use. He ran off in the heat of battle to try to rescue her.

Gar gave a hiss and just gave a glance at Master Chief. *

Let him go... He haz chosen were he fightz.

*In a way these events helped Gar realize an important message. During the heat of the battle, his rage had made him entirely focus on the task at hand, but something tucked away in his memory beckoned to be released. It only took a moment, and a flash of a memory streaked through his mind. It was Jair...
*

<< Gar... Gar... I have Anna and I am on my way back to the base. It's time to retreat! >>

*He had missed it.. Anna was safe in the hands of the Jedi. A retreat would have been impossible at the time, but that is not the point. Gar's very soul was relieved that she had been taken into care. He wished that her recovery was going well and hopefuly Legion would be defeated soon. With her being safe, his priority shifted slightly to keeping the remaining troops alive. If their presence was needed at the tower, he would gladly join in the assault.

Danger..

His senses kicked in and he turned about to meet a blade of a Felucian. While the blade was at bay, he brought his blood caked left claw around and dug it grisly into the Felucian's head. Tearing it asunder the carcass fell down... another Felucian had been slain. This battle would not be over till Legion was dead. Until that time, Gar would fight. Fight every dark Felucian that dared showed its face upon the battlefield.

Of course, little did he know of the situation in the Medical Facilities. Not everything was well as it would seem...*

*The twins along with the remaining troopers continued to gun down the Dark Felucians. They had become more organized now and received a boost of moral when Eli decimated the Felucian army. They still had a ways to go, but progress was being made. Finally, a turning point that would alter the course of the battle. They were starting to win, and this bulldozer of a troop wasn't going to stop.*

[size=85:4vnh0i8r][quote="Anna":4vnh0i8r][color=#BF4000:4vnh0i8r]The rather lengthy light club held the Demon's blade at bay. Along with the stressed hissing of energy against metal, the screams of the dead reverberated throughout the area. The demon's crimson eyes bore holes into the silent warrior's skull. Those hungering, voracious eyes almost seamed like they would devour the man's soul right then and right there.

This demon, [i:4vnh0i8r]Hunger[/i:4vnh0i8r] Wanted a fight. He wanted to drink in the defeat of his opponent, to scoff in the face of the one he had bested, to feast on the victory.

Thus when the warrior finally was able to find strength enough to push the darkened creature off him, The Demon glided backwards. As Siegfried came forth with his long arcing swipe, The demon turned counterclockwise, bringing his right side in the path of the blade. He allowed the light club to cut through the fabric of his ever shifting black cloak, while lifting his blade and bending his left elbow, poised. A high pitched hissing sound broke forth from the creature as saber burnt tainted flesh.... but what was done was done.

In the light club's wake, as Siegfried finished his arc, the Demon thrust forward, stabbing his blade forward at Siegfried's chest, hoping the warrior's blade was too far out to efficiently block the rather direct stab. [/color:4vnh0i8r][/quote:4vnh0i8r][/size:4vnh0i8r]

[narration:4vnh0i8r]The hissing noise coming from the demon seemed to signal that Siegfried's blade had more or less hit its mark, though it didn't seem to slow the creature down in the slightest. As he followed through with his swing, the creature's wicked sword came forwards, aimed directly at his chest. There was no time to try and block or divert the staff, as even at his fastest, the warrior would not be able to move his blade around in time.

Instead of trying to block, he bent backwards, the demon's blade slicing his chest, but it was most certainly not a fatal wound. It hadn't cut in deep, but the pain of the slice was fierce and blood began to seep from the wound. The warrior gritted his teeth against the pain and moved his saber back to slice at the demon's outstretched arm. If he could manage to sever a limb, it would certainly put things back in his favor.

Even as he fought, the warrior could feel the malice coming in waves off of the demon, the darkness rivaling or even surpassing the minions of Ramius that he had fought in the past. Truly this was the work of a Demon...[/narration:4vnh0i8r]

I AM NOT PLAYING GAMES WITH YOU, ABOMINATION!

*His anger swelled. The beast dared to mock him? Does it know what he is capable of doing. His hands gripped so tight to his saber that not even the sweat was lessening his grip. What else is there to live for? His padawan now lay dead in this horrific tower. He knew what must be done. He opened himself to it. Eruestan let the darkness rush into his very veins. What power he now possessed! Nothing could stop him now from achieving vengeance. Removing one hand from his saber, he pointed it at the phantom that now haunted his every thought and with the power of the Darkside now at his command he struck! The warm sensation that he felt at unleashing the blue chains of electricity, was intoxicating. He drunk ever more deeply from the cup of the Darkside energy of the tower itself. Eruestan kicked it up to another level so that the lightning now flowing freely from his fingertips now turned purple. And again he up the power, paying no mind to the draining effects it was having on him. The pure energy that now glowed blood red felt as natural as breathing. He would not stop until his enemy stopped twitching!*

*Zendora watched the poor, young Jedi knight struggling against his own anger.... but, she honestly didn't know what he was responding to. Her eyes saw little of the Demon, known as Deception... All she saw was the Jedi shooting lightening at ... nothing. The tower itself prevented her from getting close to the man... but right now, it wasn't Eruestan who needed her blade... It was Siegfried.

Still, she called out to the jedi, hoping to ease his mind, with her words of compelling nature.*

Cirel Jedi! You are fighting nothing! Use your mind, Open your eyes! Mier!. See the lie before you!.

*She whirled around, unable to do anything more for Eruestan. The long, Silvery sword, given to her by Adieumus, on the planet Honoghr, made itself known in her slender grasp. She felt her energy instantly polarize within her, centering to her right arm. A light, thin smile came to her expression as her eyes cast themselves in silver.

She would play a part now.... and it would be sweet.

As she spun, the Shilor shot out the blade, directly pointing it at the Demon Siegfried had just been cut by. The thing was massive. A thing created from dark... energy. Perhaps energy of the same caliber would harm it. Perhaps something not so physical, would harm the semi physical being.

From the center of the two tines, at the base of the blade, a white hot, ball of energy formed, collecting itself and shooting out between the two blades of the sword, straight down the middle, and through the two tips, thrusting itself toward the Demon's center. The friction caused the blade once more to ring with that musical notation, a sound that still Awed the cold minded Shilor.

The blast was powerful, yet not as powerful as it could be. She cut the energy flow from her own body quickly, so as to have plenty of it later. Zendora was not a fan of using blades, she did not craft herself, but this one.. this one was an efficacy weapon, she figured. She would use it.. if anything, to finish this ordeal quickly.*

*And the Felucians continued to die at a rapid rate. The tide of the war was changing, but..Rather than retreating like any normal out numbered, and out planned force would be doing... the mentally enslaved, sithspawn just continued charging blindly, into saber, light, bullet, blade, and claws. They had no regard for their life, indeed, those of the more conscious ones wanted to die... to be ended, to finally free themselves of the torment within their minds, and plaguing their bodies. Those mutations weren't painless .. ya know.

and then, the hum of a ship.. the gunship to be exact. It's bulk shot over head, and began spraying powerful laser fire upon the ground, targeting the Felucians, and the ground around them. The Army of darkness was no match anymore for the number of people that were oppressing it. The ties had turned strictly in the favor of the Jedi. The gunship clared out an area and then landed, training it's laser cannons on the approaching people, ready to shoot down any felucians trying to board. IT was time to leave... and Time to get those Jedi in the tower, out.... before Legion had too much time to give them a worse fate than the troopers outside.*



*The Diathim looked up, locking her silvery eyes with that of Eli as the large Echani came spinning through the air, lightsabers extended, ready to defend her. A light gasp escaped her lips as the first Felucian was cut into peaces. The others looked at the approaching figure with what seemed like fear. They chattered to themselves and then, when the gunship began firing, the remaining black creatures fled into the forest, closer to the tower, leaving the Diathim alone. *

Oh... Eli...

*She whispered, waiting on him to stop his motion, and then approaching him. Her six wings flexed slightly, ridding themselves of the light damage they has sustained. She reached out for him, her glowing hands extended, wishing to feel his presence, more than just looking at him.*

I came....I was ... worried about you.

*She whispered. Her eyes... those eyes were so innocent. She looked at him with sorrow behind them, apology that she'd slowed him down. The light, her light seemed dampened in this place, and indeed, the darkness would take its tole on any Diathim so close to its center like this. For now... it didn't seem to bother the creature... at least, not yet.*





*Inside the tower, all was a different story. Siegfried had been wounded by a corrupt blade, Dav Man'sell was fighting the center of the great evil, Zik was racing up the steeps, Makoto was walking through the slaughter of minds like it was a field of flowers..... and Eruestan was following a phantom to his death.

A thick, inky laughter rippled from the being the jedi knight had his sights on. The words of the Shilor ran like bells in the tower, but they meant nothing to Deception. He payed her little attention....after all, the Jedi sure was not going to pay attention either. The demon watched as the Jedi's hand shot forward, the gnarled fingers of force lightening starting out as a pure blue, then deepening from violet to red.

Good...good.... he was coming along nicely.

Reaching out with his bony hand, Deception opened it, splaying his fingers. The lightening collided with his figure, and he drew it into him. A shriek of agony passed through the demon, and its form flickered in and out of existence.

Strangely... the body, seeping with blood, or the Vahla... also flickered in and out of existence ... if Eruestan had the focus to notice it. As the demon faded in and out, his shape changed... to something more human.... something more wicked.... something matching the man that Eruestan had killed on Zeltros.... the murderer of his family. Sickening words, even matching the man's voice, echoed into the falling Jedi's ears.*

<<< I will take everything from you.... And I will watch you suffer... And I will watch you drown in the darkness...>>>

*His eyes opened, and suddenly, the demon collected the lightening being shot at him, within his outstretched, now humanoid hand. Thrusting forward his shoulder, he shot the lightening back at the oncoming form of the jedi, amplifying it.. devouring the jedi's anger, pain and agony.... It would end... and it would end quickly.*




Blood... It drove the demon over the edge.

Hunger Shot forward with a scream of maddened determination, clashing blades with the mighty Silent warrior. Bringing his blade around helped him keep his arm... not that it would have mattered. This being... this demon didn't feel pain. He'd simply keep fighting till something hit him that he could not simply absorb.

And that attack came.... with a bell like ringing sound, accompanying it.

Blazing energy, burning in all it's luminous glory, suddenly shredded through the cloaked figure, casting his body to the side. He fell to his knees, screaming in pain, a hideous sound of anguish. The creature's pale face turned toward the Shilor.... and then, looked over at Siegfried. The nightmarish blade was still clinched in his hand, but it was laying on the ground, almost seeming to be useless. The black robes that billowed about the demon were not smoldering, small blue flames leaping up and caressing the black inky fabric. Muffled hisses of pain lifted from the creature, and he gave Siegfried a defiant look... a challenging one. He'd not simply die like this... that was for sure.

The demon even chuckled slightly, speaking finally, in a raspy voice, tempered with strain from the attack.

You.... will not stop us.... And the only one who can, will sacrifice her mind and humanity to do so... you've failed again.

Bitter, cynical ... were the words that issued from his mouth... the mocking nature of a being who wanted the fight to rage on.. no matter what condition he was in.

After all... the darkness was already starting to peace his broken flesh back together.





Tal...Malier.... Tal vo zen a tier? Tal Tier vol? Tier nol, a ridic, Ai vo... sola.

Truly Zendora heard the words of her daughter. The words of her language asking so many question. The Shilor Zen'tier now held emotion within her mind... and the image of Paradigm was determined to draw them out... the dangerous ones... the latent feelings of anger... of hatred ..of... fear.

They use you mother... just like they used you on Kyris... And soon, peace will be restored, and they will leave you.. or he will kill you.

The child whispered, pointing toward the muddled form of Sabo as he walked into the tower. This demon... the demon of Doubt Knew the strings to pull. If Zendora would turn.... Doubt would attempt to do the unthinkable.... it would attempt attack the Shilor.. to distract her from aiding the other warrior... and the manner of weapon... for once, wouldn't be the darkness.... it would be words... thoughts... beliefs...




But what would the smiling warrior, Makoto find, other than singular conflicts, all spread througout the tower. Well... the darkness would make sure he found guilt.... anguish... Woe

A sudden chill might, perhaps, take hold of the black hared man, similar to that he felt when entering the tower. The truth was... the darkness here, didn't just hang like smog in the air. It was a leaching, searching, nagging thing. It entered the minds of those who were foolish enough to enter its own shell... and it pulled at those memories, those thoughts, those emotions, that caused the most pain.

~Look at them~

The voice was almost like the sound a friend would speak to another friend. Conversational. At present, the demon had yet to take physical form, though the voice seemed to come from directly behind Makoto.

~Their fight is futile. Their resolve is braking, giving way into insanity.

And why are you here?~

Whispered was the last question. The darkness that saturated the air, was put into audible form with that last question. But it was still just as smooth, and oily as before. It was almost like all of creation waited on the answer to that last, very important, probing, question.

Why?





A strangled laughter reached its way around Zik, as the echani made his way up the winding staircase of the tower. He was making quite a bit of progress... yes?.. no.. not really. He'd not gotten too far....It wasn't like the guy was that fast.

Suddenly, a skinny, gnarled hand grabbed Zik's shoulder, with very little strength behind the action. A hissed sound came from behind the man, small, elongated words, and hot, quavering breath brushed the man's ear, almost in a spastic manner.

hehe... hehe are you really going up there?... hehehe.... Are you really going to face the center... The Legion?.....

The thing slithered around Zik, slender enough to pass him on the narrow stairs with out falling over. Flexible enough to move fluidly before the Echani, and stand in his way... but he didn't look half as strong enough to withstand the lightsider. This demon Disappointment Was one of the smaller ones... what some considered one of the lesser ones.. but oh.. they could not be more mistaken....

[size=85:2d09p2nd][quote="Anna":2d09p2nd][narration:2d09p2nd]And thus, the Jedi had evaded his attack. Curses! FOILED AGAI-- that's not important. What was important was the fact that part of the lightening burst had hit it's mark, causing the Jedi to jerk and feel pain.

And Legion loved pain.

Even those quavered thoughts and emotions rippling through the air, for but a split second, was lapped up hungrily by the Legion. A satiated smile crossed his pail face and a thin, demonic chuckle raddled through his throat. But there was no time to delay, not a second to rejoice in his small victory.

A cyan lightsaber was coming for his right wrist, continuing for another kind of attack. Thankfully Legion wasn't too close to Dav, given his spin had put him just close enough to hit the Jedi's green blade. The sound of Legion's metalic blade hitting the dark floor, resounded through out the chamber, but there still was the Cyan blade.

and thus, Legion pulled his right hand back, pivoting on his left foot as he did so, to put his side toward Dav. As he did so, his blade reached out from the ground, snaking upward from the jedi's right knee and curing up to his left hip, and diagonally upward to his right shoulder.
It was a flicking motion, mere turning of the wrist. By the end of the stroke, his blade was pointed straight upward, it's path following in the wake of Dav's Cyan blade. Thusly, Legion's inhuman grip held his blade fast, and both of Dav's sabers would collide with it.

Legion looked over the two sabers, held at bay with his own, hellish blade. Sparks danced about the Demon's pail expression, giving fire to his eyes.

And he smiled.

In the few seconds he had, while Dav was held there at bay, Legion's right hand curled up into a tight knit fist. The force around Dav Man'sell began to tighten. All of reality seemed to come crashing down upon the human's strong, yet still.... humanoid.. body.

A force stasis.... no, This was a deadly force crush, fueled by the Legion's serious, and utter disdain for anything of the light... more so, this arrogant fool of a Jedi who dare laugh at him. Legion focused on the heart, on the lungs... on the knees and shoulders. He'd crush this man from the inside out, and he would not hesitate to allow the darkness to snake through the jedi's body, so tainted with Ashla was he...

Legion would Free him... and everyone else from her grasp.[/narration:2d09p2nd][/quote:2d09p2nd][/size:2d09p2nd]

[action:2d09p2nd]The Dark Side of the Force snaked out, wrapped around him, and pressed down on his form, a choking, suffocating, claustrophobic morbidity - an oppressive evil that was as twisted and corrupt and as far from all that was good and true and living as was possible. It was death. It was wrong. It was everything he had fought in himself, and in the wider galaxy, and in the fabric of existence permeated by the eternity of the true Force, the Light, for longer than most life forms would ever live.

It didn't mean it couldn't hurt him. It most certainly could. He'd been often hurt and battered in the course of his life. There was no nice way most of his prior injuries could happen to a person; shot, stabbed, rammed through walls, electrocuted, flailed, burnt, skewered, even eaten, all had happened to him before several times. Being crushed, incidentally, wasn't something new to him either.

It bloody hurt, each time it happened.[/action:2d09p2nd]

"Ungh!"

[action:2d09p2nd]He pulled back, stumbling three, four long steps backwards from the demon, drawing his Lightsabers from atop it's dark blades and putting him out of reach for the moment.

His mind, his talents in the Force, all went instinctively to shoring up his own defences. He some times came across arrogant, and there were few that could doubt his level of self-confidence, but it was [i:2d09p2nd]deserved[/i:2d09p2nd]. The truth of the matter was that he was a powerful spirit. His was the will power that only a true master Jedi could achieve. And through his strength of will and his determination alone, he could weather the unimaginable. He wrapped the Force around him, gathering it in a telekinetic build up of his own. For now, he just pressed back against the crush, holding off the damage as much as he could. His lungs burnt as he exhaled and yet couldn't completely inhale again. His chest was on fire with pain as the attack pressed against his heart. He could feel his joints seize and tighten, as if the space he occupied was just too small for his heavily built frame. His own Telekinetic build up deflected some of the pressure, slowed the damage, but only by striking back could he completely stop it.

So he did.[/action:2d09p2nd]

"You never asked.... ugh... what your... mistake was. You... should have. Clearly... nobody told you."

[action:2d09p2nd]He directed all his might, channelled all the power of the Force he could muster into his arms. His arms he then lifted to his side, partially symbolic, partially a somatic element to his powers as he pressed the crush away from him, easing the pressure a little further. The hum of his Lightsabers seemed to grow a little louder, their blades seemed glow a little brighter - and indeed, they did, as the carefully attuned crystals inside them reacted to the sheer build up of Force energy within him.

And anyone viewing him through the Force would see him blaze with brilliant fire; anyone sensing below would feel the blaze of the light, as he poured almost everything he [i:2d09p2nd]had[/i:2d09p2nd]. The telekinetic build up swelled against the crush, enough so that this demon would have to withdraw, focus it's [i:2d09p2nd]everything[/i:2d09p2nd] upon him, take it's attention from the others if it were going to over come this effort.[/action:2d09p2nd]

"There's one thing you never... put... in a trap. If you're smart... if you value your continued existence... if you have any [i:2d09p2nd]plans [/i:2d09p2nd]about [i:2d09p2nd]seeing tomorrow[/i:2d09p2nd]..."

[action:2d09p2nd]He stared it down, eyes locked upon it. His teeth were grit, sweat running down the side of his face, his Lightsabers illuminating him in green and cyan and casting his features in deep shadow.[/action:2d09p2nd]

"There's one thing you never, [i:2d09p2nd]ever[/i:2d09p2nd], put in a trap."

[action:2d09p2nd]He lifted his arms further. The Force channelled in. The power of his energy, of his spirit, of his sheer will to persevere, all built together now in his forearms. In his hands.[/action:2d09p2nd]

"├óÔé¼┬ª Me."

[action:2d09p2nd]And he cast his hands forward, releasing all that energy, all of that power... and sent his [i:2d09p2nd]Lightsabers[/i:2d09p2nd] spearing out, with such formidable velocity that they would cross the space between them in the blink of an eye. They travelled together, riding a powerful Force Push like surfers on a wave, racing in at the mighty demon's torso, straight for the centre of the body mass, infused with all the power of the Force he could muster into them - they were not just energy weapons anymore. They were literally [i:2d09p2nd]Light[/i:2d09p2nd]sabers, infused with all the power of the Force, as his sheer talent and unmatched bond with the weapon of the Jedi manifested in them. Against the darkness, they were a powerful attack of the light that would hurt a creature of the Dark Side greater than they would hurt any other.

Should the Legion take this hit... it would hurt. Defending itself successfully meant sacrificing almost all of it's attacks. It would either withdraw, or take a devastating blow.

The Jedi Battlemaster took solace in that as, now somewhat depleted, the Force Crush came crashing back on him once more, dropping him to his knees and contorting him with pain.[/action:2d09p2nd]

[size=85:1q4k1pai][quote="Anna":1q4k1pai][color=#BF4000:1q4k1pai]Blood... It drove the demon over the edge.

[i:1q4k1pai]Hunger[/i:1q4k1pai] Shot forward with a scream of maddened determination, clashing blades with the mighty Silent warrior. Bringing his blade around helped him keep his arm... not that it would have mattered. This being... this demon didn't feel pain. He'd simply keep fighting till something hit him that he could not simply absorb.

And that attack came.... with a bell like ringing sound, accompanying it.

Blazing energy, burning in all it's luminous glory, suddenly shredded through the cloaked figure, casting his body to the side. He fell to his knees, screaming in pain, a hideous sound of anguish. The creature's pale face turned toward the Shilor.... and then, looked over at Siegfried. The nightmarish blade was still clinched in his hand, but it was laying on the ground, almost seeming to be useless. The black robes that billowed about the demon were not smoldering, small blue flames leaping up and caressing the black inky fabric. Muffled hisses of pain lifted from the creature, and he gave Siegfried a defiant look... a challenging one. He'd not simply die like this... that was for sure.

The demon even chuckled slightly, speaking finally, in a raspy voice, tempered with strain from the attack.[/color:1q4k1pai]

You.... will not stop us.... And the only one who can, will sacrifice her mind and humanity to do so... you've failed again.

[color=#BF4000:1q4k1pai]Bitter, cynical ... were the words that issued from his mouth... the mocking nature of a being who wanted the fight to rage on.. no matter what condition he was in.

After all... the darkness was already starting to peace his broken flesh back together.[/color:1q4k1pai][/quote:1q4k1pai]
[/size:1q4k1pai]


[narration:1q4k1pai]Siegfried was prepared to fight once more as he pushed his saber against the creature's wicked sword. Their blades had scarcely met when the creature was thrown to the side by a blast of light coming from where Zendora was standing. He stood back and held his lightclub in his right hand while he inspected the wound on his chest with his left. The creature's blade had cut a line all the way across his chest, just above his ribs. The blade hadn't cut deep into his flesh, but the pain was searing and the blood had stained his tunic. The action of moving his arms around caused even more pain, but now wasn't the time to focus on how much it hurt. The creature had survived Zendora's attack and, to his dismay, seemed to be recovering rapidly.

This was a creature who could not be defeated, not here in the very heart of darkness where it could draw upon the shadows to regenerate itself. It was a fight that could not be won, but there didn't seem to be any place to retreat to. Ordinarily, panic would have set in, but the knowledge of possibly dying in this place didn't frighten Siegfried. He had come prepared to give his life and if that was what it took, then so be it. But it wasn't even his life that was in the most danger.

The demon's words rang in his ears taunting him as he remembered what Raven intended to do to seal Legion away. He had cautioned her against such a method, but her mind had been set and he had little choice but to accept it. But if what this creature said was true, then Raven was doomed.

Despite that train of thought, however, the warrior had absolutely no intention of throwing his life away if he could help it. And if he did survive here, he would do whatever it took to help Raven seal this evil. He looked back at the creature and didn't flinch as it looked back him, defiant and its eyes still beckoning him to attack, to fight. Maybe he couldn't win this fight, but as long as he could draw breath, this demon would not win either.[/narration:1q4k1pai]

"I think not."

[narration:1q4k1pai]Despite the pain it caused him, Siegfried brandished his saber once more, holding the weapon with both hands. His expression remained unchanged, effectively concealing the pain he felt.[/narration:1q4k1pai]

"You will not break me."

*A wicked smile curled across the Jedi's face. He had hit his target and he relished the agonizing screams of his opponent. It wouldn't be long now. He heard the voice of the Shilor but at first payed her no heed as she tried to open his mind. But what was this? The demon seemed to be going in and out of it's shape. Eruestan dismissed this as one of the things tricks... But if this was a trick then... A horrified Eruestan looked to see his padawan's body flicker in and out of being. What a fool he had been. Alas, he had no time to dwell on this, for his own lightning was returning against him. The young man was flung back and landed on his back with a dull thud. The fingers of energy licked every inch of his being. He let out a yell of agony and pain. Tears streaming down his face now, partly from the pain, and partly from the regret he now felt at falling so easily into the blatant trap. His mind was racing with a storm of thoughts to rival that of the one now consuming his being. Finally his thoughts rested on a very much alive Naomi. She was smiling at him after one of there training exercises. He could hear the demon now taunting him. Promises of tearing his life apart. Eruestan now saw Naomi's face if he were to fall here. It broke his heart, what he saw. He could not allow that to happen. Forcing himself to stand, against every molecule in his body, he finally stood. Knowing that his own hatred only gave his enemy the advantage here, he simply let it go. Still feeling the tongs of electricity lashing him, he forgave his opponent who had now taken the shape of a man he had killed before. He forgave that man too, the man who had made him an orphan and only-child. He felt the light welling up with in him as his opponent continued to thrash him. And at that moment he unleashed the light within. Sending the Force Light straight at his enemy.*

I prefer my personal demons to stay buried, thank you.

*Gar shoved over another Felucian after plunging his blade into its gut. His breath became heavy and his movements started to slow. He had been fighting since the beginning with physical force and now it was draining him. He whipped out his tail striking another across the face. Spinning to his right he deflected a blade and shoved it off to his right. Lunging his left claw forward, he dug into the fleshy neck of the Felucian ripping its vocal chords out in a shower of blood. It was suddenly after this motion, that his head was hit by something hard that knocked him off his feet. His vision blackened for just a moment as he rolled among the dead bodies around him. Quickly he tried to get up firmly to his feet, but was only able to go upon one kneed before seeing a Felucian holding a steady dark blade at his neck.

Time seemed to slow as the Barabel looked into the dark eyes of the Felucia. This one had lost its mask and its fleshy face was exposed. Gar looked into the eyes of void that had absolutely no fear or care... completely of malice and empty mercy. This was the end. He would die by the blade of his enemy. His death would be glorious as an instrument to end Legion and free Anna.... Anna. He wished he could see her one last time. If only-

A tremendous tremor shook the field of battle. Blazing lights and explosions littered against their foe tremendously. Felucians were falling quickly and it gave just enough distraction for his opponent to look the other way. Quickly standing, he grabbed hold of the sword arm and twisted it harmlessly to the right. Stepping through past the sword's effectiveness, he took his right claw and went for the heart. He let the form stand their for a moment, looking deep into the eyes of darkness. Slowly the cold malice it once held faded into nothing, and Gar let the body fall among the rest.

His eyes snapped to the transport as it landed. The Felucian horde had been beaten and now it was time to pick up their other comrades in the Tower. With the troops filing in, Gar jumped aboard the transport ship and strapped himself into the seat. No doubt Master Chief would be following close behind. When they would reach the tower, no doubt more resistance would be met and both Gar and Master Chief would have to fight to save their allies from a certain death.*

[size=50:3dj7kh2l][quote="Anna":3dj7kh2l] [color=#BF8040:3dj7kh2l]But what would the smiling warrior, Makoto find, other than singular conflicts, all spread througout the tower. Well... the darkness would make sure he found guilt.... anguish... [i:3dj7kh2l]Woe[/i:3dj7kh2l]

A sudden chill might, perhaps, take hold of the black hared man, similar to that he felt when entering the tower. The truth was... the darkness here, didn't just hang like smog in the air. It was a leaching, searching, nagging thing. It entered the minds of those who were foolish enough to enter its own shell... and it pulled at those memories, those thoughts, those emotions, that caused the most pain. [/color:3dj7kh2l]

[color=#FF0000:3dj7kh2l]~Look at them~[/color:3dj7kh2l]

[color=#BF8040:3dj7kh2l]The voice was almost like the sound a friend would speak to another friend. Conversational. At present, the demon had yet to take physical form, though the voice seemed to come from directly behind Makoto.[/color:3dj7kh2l]

[color=#FF4000:3dj7kh2l]~Their fight is futile. Their resolve is braking, giving way into insanity.

And why are you here?~[/color:3dj7kh2l]

[color=#BF8040:3dj7kh2l]Whispered was the last question. The darkness that saturated the air, was put into audible form with that last question. But it was still just as smooth, and oily as before. It was almost like all of creation waited on the answer to that last, very important, probing, question.

Why?[/color:3dj7kh2l][/quote:3dj7kh2l][/size:3dj7kh2l]

[narration:3dj7kh2l]Those lucid eyes gazed out at a dead world contorted by the wiles of a dark being, and the frigid gale that moved across him stank of a familiarity he had long since foregone. Each step felt like one on ice, where beneath his feet cracked the very foundation of the world. But Makoto knew better.

He knew better than to search for the source of the voice, or to satisfy it's thirst for knowledge.

His gaze remained eternally soft, through the looming shadows that fell like a curtain before him. Though he could not truly see what was ahead, he also knew that there was no looking back. He had a duty, and this... whatever form of darkness it was... was only a piece of the larger puzzle. It was not binding all the secrets and lies together, it was not the source of all the mounting agony. It was a weaker strand of a larger, more fortified web.

Makoto could feel that.

But this creature was not interested in what Makoto could feel in the now. The wanderer felt it's prying, and he gave no pause to it. If the demon wanted a lesson, Makoto would not hesitate to give it one. In his own way.[/narration:3dj7kh2l]

[action:3dj7kh2l]Letting a soft, albeit long breath go out through his nostrils, Makoto closed his eyes and held out a hand, as if inviting the evil to take it.[/action:3dj7kh2l]

-----------------------------------------------

[i:3dj7kh2l][color=#FF0000:3dj7kh2l]Hellish, torrential rain split the ground as the droplets exploded in a furious crescendo. Every aspect of the downpour seemed to drown out reality, down to the sound of the horrific screaming. A young boy stood in his swathing black robes, holding tightly to the hilt of his blood colored lightsaber. His eyes were wide, his mouth set in a deadpan, and he stared down defiantly.

That boy's flesh did not crawl with the sickly pallid taint of the dark side that tore at those around him, but instead with the horror of what he had been asked to do.

If the rain were not distorting the scene, one might have discerned that the child was shivering, struggling with the aspect of finality. And staring into those deep, blue orbs and listening to the innocent girl's wish for a brighter future, his heart shattered into a million pieces.

With her sacrifice, the boy had been granted a second chance at living. But at what cost?[/color:3dj7kh2l][/i:3dj7kh2l]

-----------------------------------------------

[narration:3dj7kh2l]Serenity emanated through the world around Makoto as he gazed somberly down at the floor, his hand still outstretched. These were memories he had lived, that he had come to terms with, things that the creature had never seen. It was pulling them forward in his mind so that it could turn them against him.

The smile never truly left Makoto's face, and he kept his hand outstretched as he walked forward slowly, the images still flooding to the forefront of his mind.[/narration:3dj7kh2l]

----------------------------------------------

[color=#00FFFF:3dj7kh2l]"She's only a girl!"[/color:3dj7kh2l]

[color=#FF0000:3dj7kh2l][i:3dj7kh2l]The words were defiant, full of the desire to keep her alive, understanding of just how wrong the way he was choosing to live was. But the words did nothing to placate the being standing over him, or to abate the pain of the hellish lightning that jolted through his body as he defied his Lord.

And looking into her defiantly happy eyes just killed him even more inside.[/i:3dj7kh2l][/color:3dj7kh2l]

[color=#FFFF00:3dj7kh2l]"Kill her. I will not command it again."[/color:3dj7kh2l]

[i:3dj7kh2l][color=#FF0000:3dj7kh2l]Tears flooded down his face as he fell to his knees in front of her, and he grabbed at the hem of her shirt, his face slamming down into the mud. His muffled pleas for forgiveness reached her ears, though her smile never wavered. Somehow, he knew, that she had already forgiven him. But it didn't make him love the thing he had to do any more.

Pulling her to his chest, the boy sobbed violently, and she wrapped him tightly in her arms, planting gentle kisses on his quivering chest. He knew she could feel his heartbeat racing in his final moments, yet he wanted her to know so much more. There was one thing she needed to know before...

...no. The boy wouldn't think it. His eyes were knit tightly shut, and his breathing was quick and harsh, but he wouldn't stop. Grabbing tightly to her back, he forced out the words, and he began to choke on his tears.[/color:3dj7kh2l][/i:3dj7kh2l]

[color=#00FFFF:3dj7kh2l]"I love you, Arika."[/color:3dj7kh2l]

[i:3dj7kh2l][color=#FF0000:3dj7kh2l]The illusion was shattered. All of the strength she had shown, the smile in the face of death, all of it was gone. Her eyes swelled with anguish and she began to cry fiercely as she held him, and pulled him impossibly closer, as if trying to make them one being, just once.

Pushing her lips to his for a flurry of moments, Arika did not stop sobbing, not once.

And when her eyes went wide and she slumped over, the boy stared down, his eyes never once losing that horror that had surrounded and seeped into them. His face had flushed of color and his body had become devoid of heat. The black clad figured that had congregated around the two lovers had dispersed, all but the Sith Lord, who stared down almost mockingly.[/color:3dj7kh2l][/i:3dj7kh2l]

[color=#FFFF00:3dj7kh2l]"You did it. You're free. You're a Sith now."[/color:3dj7kh2l]

---------------------------------------------

[narration:3dj7kh2l]Makoto's eyes closed for a little more than a moment, this time, and his hand twitched once. He took a long, solemn breath, the smile still on his face. And when he reopened his eyes, he continued yet again on his trek through the darkness.[/narration:3dj7kh2l]

*Zik gave a slight snarl as the demon grabbed his shoulder. Something was different. The sparkle in Zik's eye was gone, replaced by a dull pain. The warmth that would be felt merely from his presence replaced by a bitter cold. Zik reached into his coat and produced a mask that he slid over his face.*

Fight me or release me demon, but do not waste my time with talk.

*Zik's thumb moved to the activator of his lightsaber, daring the demon to reach out for him again. His right hand remained open under his sleeve, the claws of his Z-series warding off most attacks from the right side.*

[quote="Anna":1nc68l3h]*[color=#FFFFBF:1nc68l3h][i:1nc68l3h]The Diathim looked up, locking her silvery eyes with that of Eli as the large Echani came spinning through the air, lightsabers extended, ready to defend her. A light gasp escaped her lips as the first Felucian was cut into peaces. The others looked at the approaching figure with what seemed like fear. They chattered to themselves and then, when the gunship began firing, the remaining black creatures fled into the forest, closer to the tower, leaving the Diathim alone. [/i:1nc68l3h][/color:1nc68l3h]*

Oh... Eli...

*[color=#FFFFBF:1nc68l3h][i:1nc68l3h]She whispered, waiting on him to stop his motion, and then approaching him. Her six wings flexed slightly, ridding themselves of the light damage they has sustained. She reached out for him, her glowing hands extended, wishing to feel his presence, more than just looking at him.[/i:1nc68l3h][/color:1nc68l3h]*

I came....I was ... worried about you.

*[color=#FFFFBF:1nc68l3h][i:1nc68l3h]She whispered. Her eyes... those eyes were so innocent. She looked at him with sorrow behind them, apology that she'd slowed him down. The light, her light seemed dampened in this place, and indeed, the darkness would take its tole on any Diathim so close to its center like this. For now... it didn't seem to bother the creature... at least, not yet.[/i:1nc68l3h][/color:1nc68l3h]*[/quote:1nc68l3h]

[color=#FFBF00:1nc68l3h]Maroth landed the attack and whirled the light-tonfas into their waiting positions. He looked at the Diathim he had thought to be Beacon. She looked like Beacon, but something was off. The damage she had sustained was too little for the fighting to have been real. There was something in those glowing eyes that wasn't supposed to be there. Then she spoke, and he knew that this was an imposter.[/color:1nc68l3h]

You speak lies. You are not Beacon. I granted her her name, I know whom I love, and you are not her.

[color=#FFBF00:1nc68l3h]Maroth's eyes glittered with a dangerous flint-like hunger. That something would want to deceive him in such a manner ignited his fury into a raging inferno that could compete with the closest sun. His hand shot forward in a fist aiming a force grip at the being's throat. His next words were not a question; they were a command.[/color:1nc68l3h]

Who are you.

*The horde was greatly weakened by now. Good. That meant they were winning. That did not, however, necessarily mean that this was over. He wasn't even sure why all these people were out here fighting in the first place. But these beasts, these creatures, despite now-overwhelming odds against them, had such a feral, primal sort of fury that they wouldn't stop coming at them, despite watching their comrades charge in and go down, some more violently and gruesomely than others. After watching the reptilian creature├óÔé¼ÔÇØa Barabel, Cortana had eventually supplied├óÔé¼ÔÇØnamed Gar tear through several of the beasts with a similar primal rage, John's method of killing seemed like euthanasia in comparison. Although John hadn't seen such a mindless and single-minded horde of creatures since... The Flood... Only, these corrupted Felucians merely sought to kill, not assimilate. Which meant this was simpler. However, when the cartridge in his rifle was down to a few mere bullets, one of the creatures rushed him with a large sword made of bone. John raised his rifle and fired the last few bullets into the torso of the beast, but it only staggered and kept coming.

Acting quickly, John dropped the rifle, sidestepping the creatures wild overhead swing. John's right hand snapped forward, gripping the creature's bicep. The fingers of his left hand then wrapped around the creature's wrist, and, in one motion, John twisted his own wrist forward while pulling the bicep towards him. The bones in the Felucian's weapon hand's wrist crackled as the blade came loose and fell to the ground. But a louder snap was heard as the force of the movement of John's strong arms caused the creature's elbow to snap, the bones separating completely from the torn cartilage. The Felucian screeched in pain as John released its arm. In one quick motion, before it could attempt a desperate maneuver of vengeance, John drew the pistol from the holster on his thigh, aimed it directly at the creature's forehead, and fired a single slug that went straight through its mask and out the back of its head, exit-wound splatter spraying the air as the creature recoiled, then slumped to the ground, dead.

John quickly swept the area, making sure he had enough room to reload. He did, so he quickly removed the spent cartridge and slapped a new one in, pulling the charging bolt and preparing to fire anew when he heard the roar of a ship's engines overhead. A shuttle appeared, opening fire on the horde of beasts on the battlefield. Reinforcements? Excellent. But now John had a new mission: Making sure they had a clear LZ. As he saw the shuttle select one and start to clear it out, John maneuvered towards that location, back towards the ship, firing on any stray Felucian that tried to get close. Then the troopers and Gar began to load up, and John followed suit, though his first step into the shuttle caused it to rock slightly with his extreme weight. He approached the Barabel, barrel of the rifle aimed out the opening of the shuttle, and spoke to him sideways.*
Gar, is it? What exactly is going on out here? What happened to these Felucians? I was just in a village full of them, and they looked nothing like this.
*At long last, John would be getting the information he needed. Cortana had actually attempted that herself, but had somehow been able to use long-range communication to the Jedi Base to attain that information. Though John couldn't say he had been surprised; this jungle was thick and the Base was a ways off, after all. But this man would know in all likelihood, and he was John's best bet, having been introduced while on the battlefield. John would also be more than willing to lend his aid in any coming conflicts, unless this shuttle was returning to the Base. Of course, he wasn't sure how long the Calmcacils would be remaining on planet, with Morgan having just returned to life, so even if it did return to base, there was still a chance he could lend further aid here.*

*Gar wiped off a bit of fresh blood off his face. His ears were ringing and his senses scrambled being pulled from the fight so quickly in an exhausted state. The words of John seemed to reach him late. Shaking his head, his mind replayed the "message" again before he spoke. His question was just, for one who did not enter with the group, it would seem confusing why all of this was happening. With a nod Gar replied.*

There iz one named Legion who iz doing thiz. He came onto Felucia not too long ago and established a foothold here. That tower iz hiz stronghold*Gar pointed at the looming structure nearby*. Everything that he touchez became tainted and twisted by his demonic powerz. Legion iz not one demon, but of many into one mind. Thiz one haz seen hiz power two timez... Thiz being the third showing of hiz power over the Felucian mindz. They bend to hiz will because of the taint he placez here. Their eyez are of void; mindz lost to eternal suffering. We came out here to destroy Legion. Thiz one and the trooperz created a diversion so that the Jedi may move into the tower. Thiz one does not know of the situation in the Tower but hopez that everything iz well. Legion iz not one to be trifled with... Even the Jedi who confronted him before with the powerz of the Force and light had difficulty pushing him back.

*Gar looked down at the metallic floor and closed his eyes. He needed to have a little rest right before they would land at the tower. Once this was all over, he would return to Anna who was now safe at the Medical facility. Gar knew that his life was changed entirely by this chain of events. His mind and conscious being would never be the same.*

*Zendora's careful eyes were snapped away from Siegfried and his foe. Her ears perked at the sound of the Kyritoral, her language, spoken flawlessly within her mind. The shilor's body tightened significantly, and she gripped the sword in her hand. Her eyes turned this way and that, but she only saw brief glimpses of her daughter... or rather, her image. She didn't want to give into the thought that it actually was Paradigm. Her child would not be here, not by a long shot.

But her language, speaking on subjects that aught not be spoken of in Zendora's company.

Eruestan's cry of agony, and the feeling of his realization, distracted Zendora for a brief moment. She longed to aid him, to end the threat that was attacking him... But, there was Sabo. Was what the creature said, true?. Why should she believe anything that was masking as her daughter? It was a lie, and that shot down anything else the creature said. It could also be a lie.

But it made so much sense.

Her silver blue eyes landed on Sabo Un, for a brief moment, they were dangerous orbs of silver, intent on killing, thirsting for the blood of those she saw as a threat. Cold, dangerous calculations ran through those eyes. It was almost as if she were deciding on the larger threat, The demon...

Or Sabo.*