To tread on an Angel's fallen feathers (Open to any & all darksiders)

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira stood atop the highest point of the north spire, which towered on the edge of the Jedi Temple complex on Coruscant. The sun had set only minutes ago, and twilight brought the deepening shades of purple to the night sky, as the orange of day retreated at his back. The wind brought with it a chill, and an omen of what the night might bring. It was not a pleasant foresight, but to avoid the coming storm would be like avoiding nightfall itself. The Jedi Master could only spend the waning few minutes of light in silence as he contemplated what he was about to do.

For too long, dark forces had made themselves present on Coruscant. Hiding in the shadows of course, but nonetheless there, their schemes unknown but their intentions felt. It had weighed heavily on Anbira's mind, like an obsidian mystery, darkening his thoughts. The cancer of the night was not a singular entity, and its ranks were filled by those who would not necessarily share the same banner. Dark Jedi, Sith, Vampyre. There were others, but the ties that bound them to him were the same. They were all unquestionably evil, and he, having tasted from the same dark chalice, was now bade by the will of the Force to smite his numerous foes into oblivion.

Anbira closed his eyes...

...then opened them.

He turned, gazing off into the distance, at a point too far to be seen. It was there that he would enter the fray.

The Angel of Death leapt from the top of the spire, and with the guidance of the Force, accelerated across the skyline like a bullet.

The ultimate battle against his enemies awaited.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Evil can take many shapes.

There are small, malicious shapes that claw and bite and scratch away at the Light. There are the swift, elusive shapes that plot its eclipse in a single, momentus cataclysm obfuscated by stealth. And there are the shapes that are large, loud, and that stomp around and attract such attention they would pose no threat but for the sheer weight they have behind them. And finally, there are the high, tall, cold shapes that step in and out of the midday sun.

All shapes of evil seek to dominate the Light, but only the final shape desires to make the Light its own.

The sun had set behind Hob, who faced the Jedi Temple with calm resolution in his twisted face.

Let the Light come, and let it be ensnared and cast down into the depths of the machine.

Hobgoblin waited with his eyes to the sky.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

High above in the Coruscant sky, what seemed an obscured speck in the clouds, amidst dozens of traffic lanes, approached surface level with alarming speed. At a point, it could clearly be seen as neither speeder nor starship, but a man, hurtling through the void of the night sky, swooping down upon the Hobgoblin as a hawk might dive upon a mouse.

The figure righted itself mid-air, decelerated rapidly, and dropped straight to the ground.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

The little being remained standing as he was, unruffled by the direct and certain approach of a dangerous adversary. Hob was fully cognizant of who Anbira was and what purpose he had adopted for himself.

The Angel of Death, out to slaughter Death itself in all its numerous incarnations.

"Why do you even live? Your chosen destiny will never be fulfilled."

[imported_Grev Drasen]

A pair of eyes sat watchful of the two masters. Surely had they been sensed, but it wasn’t a care to their rightful owner. Hopping down from his perch, Grev approached the ‘battlefield’ with a leery step, although curiosity had accompanied him as well. The geezer of a Jedi was apparently out to set a point; he had either been out of his mind or well into his commitment. The commitment of detracting ‘evil’ of course.

As he furthered into the field, both parties were well registered within his memory. The Hobgoblin, a newly met acquaintance not to far back. The Jedi had been one he had a prior run in with back at his stay with the Order, he and Blaine had taken the old man and Akrabbim on in a ‘duel’ and had been rightfully beaten.

Perhaps now was a good time to redeem his humiliation. Or maybe he’d wait it out for now.

So he stood as a spectator for now.

[Slifer]

*Feeling the presence of a Lightsider, Slifer walked out of the chamber of blood, the bodies of 50 police officers, security guards, and soldiers scattered around, with his "Recent" withdrawal of 50,000 credits. Turning the corner, he spotted the Jedi, and two other Darksiders. Slifer drew his double-blade, but did not ignite it. He stood there, and waited for the Lightsider to make his move.*

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Perhaps."

Anbira arched an eyebrow at the diminuitive Dark Jedi Master.

"That is the paradox of our struggle. There can never be a final victor, for gain or ill. Yet, is it insubstantial to make the beast lame, to offer the innocent shelter from its respite?"

[Dyan Kharis]

The growing darkness was an invitation to Dyan. Once he had seen the Jedi Master Anbira, the darksider hissed his displeasure.

[Slifer]

::Tired of waiting around, Slifer shrugged off his cloak, and casually walked torwards the two Masters.::

"Well, what are we waiting for? We can talk all night, I'm willing to wait, but what exactly are we waiting for?"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The Lupine crouched low, cloaked from all but the Hobgoblin. He knew that Anbira would be able to sense him – they’d met too many times now, and had become far too familiar with one another. Never the less, Vega wasn’t about to make himself known yet and would be happy to wait on the sidelines until the moment was right to strike.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira turned his head to the side, looking past the Hobgoblin and into the shadows of urban dusk.

He ignored Slifer's comment.

"Mr. Van Derveld, so good of you to join us. It's been so long since I've enjoyed your company!"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Quicker than expected, but there was no use hiding no. Standing up and striding out into the light, he sighed silently. Approaching Anbira at a slow pace he smoothed out the look of anxiety with a thin, tight-lipped smile.

“Too long, definitely,” he replied, arms folding behind his back as he shook his head.

“What brings you here today, old friend?” the Dark Jedi added, the smile growing into a slight grin.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Because you are still alive, and have not recanted your evil ways."

Anbira spoke plainly.

"Those are two non negotiable and inexorable paths for you to choose, and yet again, we meet at the same precipice. Your canine attributes have made you more stubborn than a mule, my friend. I'm here to accelerate the decision for you."

[Lord Vali]

Pacing slowly around the sidelines, Vali kept an eagles eye on Anbira. He'd seen the Jedi fly into the current location. Suffice to say, that would be enough to catch the Dark Jedi's attention. To say the least, he was curious, and the fact that Vega seemed to know the man furthered the feeling.

Vali stepped forward slightly, but still kept on the peripheral of the scene, prefering not to rush head first into things, but sit back and make a strategy...

[Iesis]

*In the gathering darkness, both with the night and Dark Siders, a shadowy figure prowled out into the dim light that Coruscant cast through the night sky, causing Anbira to look in it's direction. It stood there, watching the Jedi with yellow eyes, jowls pulled back to reveal elongated, sharp canines, followed by a deep snarl and rumble within it's throat.*

*It was the foreshadowing of what was yet to appear.*

[Lady Vader]

*Indeed the storm was growing.*

*LV stepped up behind Iesis, who was showing her displeasure at seeing the Jedi alive, no doubt wanting to eat the man whole. Come to think of it, Iesis hadn't had a big meal as such in quite awhile, which would make her famished for fresh meat.*

*LV made a quick survey of the surrounding Dark Siders that were appearing for the inevitable fight, a fight which the Jedi would most likely be outnumbered in. Yes, he was a powerful Force weilder, and he knew his craft well. But against so many experienced Dark Siders, and with her knowing most, if not all, of his weaknesses... it did not bode well for him.*

*She finally let her green eyes settle on his dark ones, smiling coldly.*

Still on your quest to vanquish all evil from this universe, I see.

*She shook her head, tisking, and then sighing.*

I suppose the only way you're going to get it through your thick skull that what you are trying to do is an impossible task, is by having the realiziation beat into you.

[Strider]

*Strider stays away from the other Dark Jedi and Sith, but watches the fight anyways.*

I wonder what it is he is looking for, he really would not take on this many at once otherwise. Only a man who has questions about something would do this.

[Dyan Kharis]

Dyan remained immersed in the shadows, watching the old enemies reacquaint themselves. He listened to dialogue with only the smallest of piqued fascination. It seemed tonight as the numbers grew that the elder Jedi had bitten off more than he could chew. Delving into a diversion of his own arrogant unmaking. Very convenient, the darksider concluded satisfactorily.

The streamline custom wraparound shades Dyan wore continued to feed him technical data as he groped impatiently at the weapon that lie dangling from his belt. Yet, the darksider chose to lie in wait and watch the rivals engage in mortal combat. Opportunity would surely arise and anything can happen in the heat of battle.

[Severen Morkonis]

Another Jedi?

And a powerful one to? Oh dear, this would be fun.

A smile shot across the white haired man for a few split moments as he watched the goblin and Jedi taunt eathother...but something then stirred him from his smerking gaze,something he had not expected to happen. His face turned to a even more plaler white than it already was and his stomach knotted tightly.

"Mr. Van Derveld, so good of you to join us. It's been so long since I've enjoyed your company!"

The thing is he had not seen Vega since his departure of Facinaturu and whats more is he never told Vega he was leaving, he just up and went one day. To be honest now he did not know who he hated more...the old fart of a Jedi or Vega.

Taking this moment to watch, he would. If truth be told he was a little axious to let know Vega he was watching though he had a slight suspicion he already knew.

[Slifer]

::He felt them before he really heard them, pounding footsteps behind him. He turned as the footsteps rounded the corner of the nearby building, New Republic Security Personnel, and Military forces. Withdrawing his saber from his belt, he turned his back on the Jedi Master, and walked torwards the enemy troops awaiting him, and said::

"Try not to get killed too quickly. I will be back as soon as I slaughter these lambs."

[Malice]

Through the shadows, a figure appeared standing next to Lady Vader. He was cloaked in flowing white robes. His waist length white hair swaying in the night's soft breeze. Though he may have looked angelic, on the inside he was darker then the night it's self. Turning to LV, he motioned to Anbira.

*You suppose he no longer wishes to live mistress? that is why he has attracted all of us here*

Malice's dark blue eyes then shifted towards the fallen sith. How one so powerful and legendary within the sith ranks could become weak and turn to the light. It was just un heard of to the demon sith,

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Slifer's retreat suddenly ground into a halt. His legs no longer moved in a walking motion. Instead, the darksider stood motionless as a rock, his body seized by an immense invisible force.

Anbira looked to his one-time love.

"You once knew me well, my love. When have I ever let my regard for my mortality stop my aspiration for victory?"

He looked to the multitude around him. Indeed she was right. This fight would be hard-fought, and the chances of his victory were slim. He had underestimated the magnitude of enemy around him...yet it was not his nature to back down from a battle so utterly ingrained into his destiny and nature. The ultimate battle between good and evil was in itself an indellible facet in Anbira Hicchoru's soul.

He smiled wistfully, then his eyes seemed to shine at LV as the smile faded, twinkling a tinge of sadness at the crossroads his and her destinies were about to collide upon.

"Our revelry now is ended. Once more unto the breech, my friends."

Feet dragging across the ground at a rapidly accelerating pace, Slifer flew out of the shadows and into the forefront, hurtling through the air like a speck in a hurricane until he crashed across Malice's chest, sending the pair careening across the roadway until they slammed into a wall. The horde before him barely had time to witness the battle's beginning before they caught Anbira's form rocketing skyward in a burst of speed, running parallel the face of the tallest skyscraper in their midst.

In the courtyard, a magnificent statue of an angel blew apart into marble shards, as Anbira's dark silhouette dove down against the purple of twilight once again...

[Pilot Akito]

...

[Strider]

*Strider just stood there as the battle raged on. He watched as Anbira ripped in to the others, wondering what was going through that Jedi's head. After all the Jedi were usually protectors, not outright fighters. Even with his limited knowledge about Anbira's past, Strider could summize that this man had once been a Sith, but then he went back to the Jedi, why would someone do that? Then Strider had that reason, and smiled slightly. After all it was quite understandable and similar to his own, and very respectable. Strider continues to watch, waiting for the inevitable outcome.*

[Lady Vader]

*LV dove out of the way, into a tuck and roll, coming to stand as Malice and Slifer went down in a heap of arms and legs. She'd said nothing more to Anbira after his statements and watched as he shot upwards along side the skyscraper.*

*Iesis bounded out of the way under an outcropping behind some dumpsters. LV herself errected a Force Protection bubble to protect her from the marble shards from the statue he had exploded with a mere thought. Likewise, she prepared her own attack.*

*As he hurtled through the air in between two skyscrapers, closer to one than the other, she raised her hands, palms towards the tall buildings. As he came back down, she flicked her wrists inward, clenching her fists. There was a split moment of eerie silence... and then both skyscraper's windows, from floor one all the way to the top, shattered outward into a billion sharp pieces, flying out towards Anbira and raining on him. He would be cut several times and severly before he was able to deflect the rest of them.*

*As for her, the Force Protection bubble she'd errected earlier protected her from the sparkling shards rained down, bouncing and sliding off the bubble. As she watched on, some of the pieces that came down bore Anbira's blood upon them. her smile turned cold.*

*And this was only the beginning.*

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The attention drawn by Lady Vader left Vega, happily, out of Anbira’s focus. What wasn’t quite so pleasing was the rain of shimmering glass coming from above. Vega had been looking right up into the Jedi’s flight path and found a shard piercing his left eye. He winced and fell backwards against the wall behind him, his hand covering his face as he hissed loudly.

“You stupid bitch!”

The sliver of glass was pulled out of his eye, but it didn’t make much difference. His sight was completely gone – washed over by blood. Stumbling back to his feet, he watched – with his one good eye – what was unfolding, as the pain from his injury surged through him in hot sharp bursts, causing his whole face to twitch and contort, fangs bared and gritted.

[Malice]

Malice did not have time to dodge the body coming at him. But he did have time to erect somewhat a decent force shield to brace him for impact against the wall. The shield took some damage, but Malice still felt a thud, followed by a stinging sensation going up and down his back.

Not to mention his chest. Glaring down at Slifer, Malice shoved him away with one hand. Standing, the demonic sith master glared at Anbira. Outstretching both hands, Malice concentrated on the molecules floating all around them. Manipulating them with the force, he summoned up a wind near Anbira. The gusts of wind picked up the falling shards of glass. Halting there decent, keeping them up in the air.

Further manipulating the wind, Malice started to move it around and around in a circle formation. A tornado is what followed next. The hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of shards that were picked up within the tornado swept along with it. Pushing both hands forwards, Malice sent the tornado towards Anbira. Not really caring who else was in his path. Unless of course it was his own kin, say Lady Vader or another fellow sith. Then he would have to take evasive action.

But should one of the dark jedi happen to be in the way, then no real problem.

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: A vision led her here, not to do battle, but to bear witness. She could see the mark of death upon him. A shadow that clung to him like a shroud. She watches intently, at a safe distance from the battle being waged ::


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[Dyan Kharis]

Dyan safely ducked around a corner, avoiding the descructive missiles of the statue, as he listened to the shattering peal of glass from the highrise structures rise in crescendo and fall like crystal raindrops. Giving the quickly erupting violence an certain undeniable symphonic beauty. Then a bitter scream cried out causing Dyan peer around the corner once again...

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira was caught off-guard by LV's telekinetic attack, but as the first shards grazed him, he was ready for it. With ease, Anbira diverted the stinging crystals from his path, as he descended further. However, the shards soon regrouped upon him in the form of a swirling vortex. Instead of outrunning the tornado, Anbira dove down the gaping maw of the funnel. The silver maelstrom grew tighter and tighter upon him, as Anbira plummeted to the surface. The razor sharp fragments seemed to coalesce into a sphere, surely consuming the Jedi as he slowly reached the ground. By the time the vortex had run its course, there was nothing left but a sphere of shards, glittering bright like a disco ball on the courtyard. In an ear-splitting shot, the ball exploded outward in a massive shockwave, rending the glass into dust. At the blast's epicenter stood Anbira, who with the exception of a few grazing lacerations, was unscathed.

He rose four inches off the ground, and extended his hand. From the shadow, Vega was lurched off his feet and drawn toward Anbira with great speed. The Jedi also accelerated with the same force toward his target, a tightening sphere of green clenched in his hand.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

OOC/ *sits back to lurk*

[Lady Vader]

*LV's face took on an unhappy pout as Anbira appeared from within the ball of glass, sporting only mere cuts and bruises. She'd ignored vega's comment. She figured she'd be madder than hell too if her eye had gotten poked at.*

*She was about to counter with another attack when Vega was swiftly torn off the pavement, headed towards Anbira. And in Anbira's hand was something she knew all too well.*

*Cursing, she kept her Force shield up, but this time began to wrap it tightly around her. The smaller and tighter it was, the stronger it would become to ward off the blast from the green sphere clenched in Anbira's hand. That is, if we was to let it go.*

*And then it dawned on her. So what if he let it go.*

*Opting to distract him, she picked up several shards of marble that lay about the area with the Force... large shards... and sent them hurtling towards Anbira. One, being smaller and lighter, smacked against his temple. The others had yet to reach him.*

[Evil Hobgoblin]

The falling shards fell towards Hobgoblin, tiny but lethal missiles that would easily break his skin and kill him. The first in the sparkling shower of death neared his small form just as Hob completed the act of bowing his head-

- and then it stopped.

The next one stopped beside it, and the next one. All around Hob, the shards halted their inexorable trek downward, caught in the invisible net of his power. Then they calmly slid to either side of Hob and fell to the ground.

The dwarf gazed at Anbira with a wicked gleam in his eye. His clawed hands lifted and made a curious twisting motion, and from the space between them leapt Force Lightning, pure and raw.

[Strider]

*Strider snaps out of his sumizing just in time to duck behind a concrete wall section just as the glass shards were reaching him. The shards pound the wall, some of them going through the wall, making it look like swiss cheeze. One glass shard manages to pentrate the concrete block that was about one foot from Strider's head.*

Ok, this is getting a bit tedious. Time to find a way to at least get them to agree to kill only each other..

*Strider then begins to walk toward Lady Vader, also observing that Sorsha is now watching the battle.Strange events to bring strange people together, Strider thinks to himself.*

[Malice]

Growling as Anbira easily evades his attack, Malice surrounds himself with the darkside. Sensing through the force, he instantly sees Hob unleashing the forcelightning. Thrusting both hands forward, Malice does the same.

Like blue missiles locked onto a target. The lightning bolts sped toards Anbira.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Vega remembered this situation all too well, and it was a feeling of déjà vu he did not like to have. What made matters worse was the strings of lightning coming in from all sides at Anbira. If anything, this was just going to rile the old man up further, and then the Lupine would end up getting the full brunt of his anger.

Then an idea struck Vega. He strained in the air, to gain control of himself, eventually managing enough to get his palms angled down at the ground. As the Jedi neared he waited, until the two were mere seconds before collision and at that point sent a great wave of Darkside energy at the ground. The Force created a cushion, or a spring board rather, and vaulted the Dark Jedi upwards into the air at an alarming speed.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

The chunk of marble caused Anbira to whirl about and face his attacker, as he was releasing his compression sphere. The green orb sailed just under Vega's upward-sailing body, off target. In his periphery, Anbira could see the lacing strands of lightning snaking toward him...and in the path of his compression sphere. He dove backwards, and released his control on the pressurized plasma as its path crossed with the lightning. A thunderous blast sent a cloud of debris up as the sphere detonated, dissipating the dark energy in the instant vacuum created by the explosion.

[Lady Vader]

*LV dove behind a shattered wall moments before the sphere let out it's energies. Her ears popped as the sphere released it's pent up energies.*

*When the dust had begun to settle again, she peered over the wall to view the damages. It seemed the Dark Jedi had miracualously cleared the blast radious enough to keep from getting scourched, while Anbira lay a ways away from where he'd let the sphere explode.*

*She stood. She really hated those spheres. Even though she knew how to make them, after studying Anbira's techniques when he had still been with her, she hated to use them. Too many variables could eminate from their wild energies.*

*While she'd been surverying the area, she spotted one individual making his way towards her. She narrowed here eyes, giveing him a once over, before looking back at Anbira, plotting her next attack.*

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Even without the Force's predictive abilities, it was not hard to guess where the dangerous sphere of plasma was aimed. Hob stopped his lightning strike in time to prevent feedback along the lightning trail, but not fast enough to bring into play a full shield against the shockwave of compressed air Anbira had let loose.

However, Masters of the Force are rarely without defense, even in the event of a surprise mischance.

The dwarf leapt backwards, his body flowing into the very shockwave that sought to hammer him into oblivion. It passed over and through him, and then he dropped from it onto the street, mostly unharmed but definitely roughed up.

The dwarf brought his powers of telekinesis back into play, this time in a much more vicious fashion. The speeder traffic above had scattered for safety the instant the Lady Vader had exploded the building, but one or two stragglers still made their way through the area, as yet unaware of what was happening.

A blue speeder of Sullustan design had its body seized by an invisible hand. With a crack and a crunch, the speeder's engines were torn away and discarded, and then the body of the speeder dropped towards Anbira, a human woman and two children screaming from within its enclosed design.

[Strider]

A young man emirged from the ruined area, dressed in black suit and his face and head obscured by a cloak. He watches Hob start his attack, and smirks a little at what he sees. "What a unique attack he has. No remorse, no mercy, but no thought to the future," said Strider as he approched Lady Vader from where he had taken cover. "But basicaly thats what I'd like to talk about real fast. It seems that Anbira is holding you at bay with pure power alone, and pouring more into the battle is going to get someone hurt. Perhaps you'd like a different approch."

[Lady Vader]

*LV looked over at the stranger, sneering slightly.*

With all the power I could bring forth, even I would be matched against a skilled Force user as Anbira.

But all of us combined could anhilate him in a blink of an eye.

*She narrowed her eyes.*

And we know this. But where is the fun in just smiting him when we can torment him with so many other variables to where he becomes so fatigued, all we have to do is squash him like a mere insect?

*LV looked up and saw the speeder screaming towards Anbira with the innocents inside, smiling at the little goblins ingenuity.*

It's things like this that we enjoy.

*She looked about, her eye catching movement under a fallen slab of concrete from one of the buildings frames. An old man, who had been inside, had been caught in the window shattering she had caused, weakening the corner of one of the buildings, and opening one of it's apartments.*

*With a mere thought, she nudged part of the crumbling wall above, making it creak and send dust and partciles bouncing down on the slab. Underneath, the old man began to squirm to get out, but it was useless. In a few seconds, the swaying piece above would crack and fall, smashing against the slab on the ground, and squashing the man.*

*As the speeder roared passed the swaying piece, the wind created by the speeder was enough to make the piece snap, and it began to hurtle earthward towards the slab and old man.*

*Who to save? The old man, or the women and children. It wasn't her problem. It was Anbira's.*

*She turned to the man who had come up next to her.*

Watch the show unfold.

[Dyan Kharis]

Dyan knew it was time to act now, while Anbira's concentration was divided between the hapless victims of this raging storm of power.

Unfurling the whip that was clipped to his belt, the darksider stormed into the center of the metropolitan square and gave the whip a single crack ~ then arced back his hand and flung the leather skin-flaying coils around Anbira's neck. Desiring not only to choke the life out of the Jedi but to cause further distraction so the other darksiders may descend upon Anibira and smother him. To quench his light beneath the gathering mass of the Darkside. Dyan gathered his strength and pulled upon the whip. And the coils grew taunt around Anbira's throat.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira tensed, ready to move into action as the civilians' lives were threatened. Yet, as he did so, the coils of a whip snapped around his neck, and drew tight. Bracing against being thrown back, Anbira spun about, drawing the brilliant white blade of Gallanthor. He quickly severed the taut whip, causing Kharis to sprawl onto his back from the sudden release. Whirling about, Anbira was too late to save the old man, as the concrete edifice fell upon him with a deafening boom. He could not pause to reflect upon the tragedy, as the speeder above dove down upon him, about to crash. With a great effort, Anbira leveled off the angle of descent, causing the speeder to glide to the ground instead of crash outright. The speeder sailed over Anbira's head, descended further, and plowed into Dyan's prone form as it skidded to a stop. The frantic occupants of the speeder pulled themselves free, and ran away.

With Kharis buried, Anbira pulled free at the remnants of the whip at his neck, and twirled his ancient lightsaber's blade, leveling it off at those still entering the fray.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The explosion from the sphere still caught Vega and launched him even further into the air. There was most definitely not a pleasant landing awaiting him below and when he did hit the ground it was with a wet crunch. The fight was still going on around him, with others joining and leaving, and quite frankly the Lupine didn’t fancy his chances now. His back was aching and the leg he’d landed on was jolting him with pain every few seconds. If he could make like a moving corpse and wriggle out of there, maybe he’d be alright.

[Dyan Kharis]

Minutes later, Dyan came through abit shocked and a body badly battered. The sequence of events were too quick and unexpected for Dyan's logic or instinct. He knew Anbira's neck was a given, yet, now found himself immersed in complete claustrophobic darkness. A condition he was all too intimately familiar with, having been born blind. But miraclously through modern nanotechnology and cybernetics, the Darksider had been given the gift of true sight. Something his moderately inherent wealth afforded.

Craning his neck painfully left, Dyan could make out neon lights and occassional speeders materializing in the distance, stalwart against the dark city night. If only he could roll to his left but everytime he attempted to, right ankle and ribs howled with pain. The vehicle must have drug him beneath it for several metres and now lie askew atop of him. Balanced on varying degree of debris and rubble. Only chance kept Dyan from utter mangle. But the Darksider had to find a means of escape without further injury or death. The sole method relied upon his dark gift and a lightsaber.

Dyan acted immediately by slipping his left hand to his waistband and reached for the cylindrical instrument. Finally his fingers fell upon the lightsaber after groping and grasped it. Laying his right palm beneath the chasis, Dyan closed dead grey eyes and concentrated upon the Darkside. Only required to elevate the vehicle a couple of inches to free his ankle. Dyan held the lightsaber in a backhand grip, hilt facing away and thumbed the switch.

Snap-hiss!

The weapon swept in an arc above him, cutting a swathe through steel and alloy of both chasis and door panel. Encouraged by the Force, the disembodied piece of machinery flew a couple metres away and came crashing back down to the ground. Thus exposing Dyan to the starlit night again and like a second birth he gasped for air. Deactivating the weapon, Dyan put all his focus on the remaining speeder lying atop of him and drew in the Darkside. Immediately, he felt the vehicle's weight lift and freed his ankle and rolled out.

[Strider]

So then you have made your choice, it seems.

But remember the more energy you waste in torture, the less there is in the end.

Pity, I don't think you'll win. But when your done let me know.

*Strider begins to walk away from Lady Vader, he smirks as he sees Sorsha watching, waiting for the inevitable.*

Oh and remember, this world has eyes, some seen, some not. A failure of this mission will be seen by both.

*Strider then turns his back to Sorsha, and watches the battle.*

[Slifer]

::Pulling himself up out of the rubble, Slifer staggers to one side before he regains his compisition. Then, sounds of battle draw his eyes skywards, where he sights several Darksiders locked in combat with the old Jedi.::

Hmmm, it seems I underestimated the situation as usual. I have really got to start observing more than fighting. Oh well, I could run off, but I want to see this LightSider taken down.

::Walking over to the street, he trips a woman running past in a hurry. He then extends his lightsaber blade, and slowly inserts the blade into the woman's abdomen. The woman shreiks, and screams. Slifer can feel the woman's pain through the force. He uses it to direct the pain, and suffering at Anbira.::

[Evil Hobgoblin]

"So very foolish."

Hob looked between Dyan and Vega, both having been hammered by Anbira's counterstrikes. Experience would one day teach them that wisdom could accomplish what power could not.

With a slight and subtle gesture of one hand, Hob wrapped the Force around a long lamppost and tore it from its' weakened foundations. He turned it horizontally and swung it at Anbira, a long club held by invisible hands.

[Lady Vader]

*LV just rolled her eyes.*

Like a give a womprats -Censored- about what you think.

*He'd underestimated what power she held, but it mattered not. He was not her target and thus not worth anymore of her time. And she could care less about these "eyes" that were watching.*

*She turned back in time to see the little goblins "club" come swinging towards Anbira's head. Yet she knew the lamppost would be severed into two pieces by Anbira's lightsaber. Unhooking her own double bladed lightsaber, she detached it at the center and ignited both blades, Force throwing one in Anbira's direction, taking on the same speed as the lamppost. The lightsaber would arrive at Anbira's position, aimed for his lower half, at the same time the lamppost did. At that time, it would be a choice to either deflect the deadly blade from slicing into him, or to deflect the lamppost meant to decapitate him.*

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira braced, and countered Hobgoblin's momentum with his own, bringing the incoming post to a halt. However, he could not recover in time to avoid LV's incoming blade, and it slashed deeply into his left leg.

"Aaagh!"

Anbira dropped to the ground, clutching at the cauterized gash in his leg. An attempt was made to right himself once again, but the damage was to great to sustain himself, and he fell to the ground once more.

[Lady Vader]

*The lightsaber swung back around, guided by LV and smacked into her open palm. She looked at Anbira, downed and grasping his leg, clenching his teeth against the pain. It made her smile evily.*

*But she was not going to underestimate the Jedi. Now that he was wounded, he would become more dangerous... for once the prey is wounded, it uses every last resource to preserve it's life.*

*Keeping the saber on, she advanced slowly towards Anbira, keeping her green eyes on him, sensing for any power build-ups within him, being sure to use dust and debris as cover for any surprises he may yet have.*

[Evil Hobgoblin]

The lamppost suddenly jerked into motion, swinging downward at Anbira's prone form. Clearly, Hob had used the Jedi Master's inattention to work through the powerful counterhold placed on his makeshift weapon and was now continuing his assault.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Prone on the ground but not defeated, Anbira met Hobgoblins assault by raising a hand. Whatever telekinetic manipulation the Dark Jedi could muster would be met at least equally by Anbira's physical manipulation mastery. The post jerked to a halt mid-air, and the metal itself seemed to warp as if it were putty, no match for the immense forces placed upon it on both ends. The post tore itself apart, pieces flinging far apart in opposite directions and coming to rest in mangled forms.

Anbira rose...but not by the strength of his wounded leg. By the power of the Force, he now hovered mere inches off the ground, inexorable and as formidable as before.

The fist at his side opened into an outstretched hand, and the ancient lightsaber at his side was once again in his grasp, and ignited.

No longer bound by the restrictions of gravity, the Jedi Master was far faster than his aged form betrayed. Hobgoblin could barely engage his weapon before the heat of Anbira's blade was at his face.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

(ooc) You shoulda told me in IM that you posted, doofus, or I would've responded sooner. :p

(ic)

In this case, Anbira's speed worked against him; as he charged forward, he passed right through a cloud of glass shards that had almost injured Hob earlier.

His reaction to Anbira's lightsaber was more curious. A backflip allowed him to avoid the first strike, and then Hob cartwheeled to both sides, dividing into two exact copies of himself that each drew a lightsaber. "Come now, old man," Hob grinned. "Can you defeat two Dark Jedi at once?"

[Lady Vader]

*LV watched the display the little green man put on, and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. While it was partially comical to watch such a towering man go up against such a small foe, it was entertaining to see how cunning the creature really was. She'd only seen the small being on a few occassion, and had never before had the opportunity to speak with him or fight him... let alone fight along side him.*

*But she was not one to pass up an oppotrunity where her opponent was split between who to channel energies too... and it seemed now he had three oppontents. She didn't think the green being knew, but Anbira's weakest point were illusions. At that thought, the smile she wore turned sinister.*

*She had stopped her advancement upon seeing the little man challenge Anbira with an illusion of two, disengaging her lightsaber. She took this opportunity to step to the side, into the shadow of a crumbled building, and become one with it... an illusion in itself. Before she'd moved, though, she'd left an illusion of herself where she had previously stood. With her new found camoflage and decoy set, she would circle to stand slightly behind Anbira, but not so that she was directly across from the goblin.*

*There she would wait for the next attack, and let one of her own be let lose.*

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Flanked on both sides by Lady Vader and the pair of Hobgoblins, Anbira paused. His weakness against illusion was well known by his former lover, and the Hobgoblin's treachery was steeped in the art. The Jedi Master brushed the mirrored glass shards from his tunic with his off-hand, looking toward the pair of Hobgoblins.

"No."

He extended a hand to the dwarf and the doppleganger.

"Only one at a time."

The ground shuddered, and debris swept up into a force shockwave, which raced out to the pair. Only one of which would be affected by its onslaught.

[Kharis]

He had watched the dual efforts of Hob and Lady Vader successfully breach Anbira's mighty Force defenses, injuring him in the process. Even now, the Jedi Master was contending with the Sith Lordess on one side and a Dark Jedi Master on the other with his illusionary dopplegangers no less.

During this time, Dyan was quickly recovering from his incident with the runaway speeder of moments earlier.

The blind Sith moved with the alacrity of a phantom, moving what was seemingly a hundred times faster than any human being. He landed directly behind Anbira and threw a sidelong kick to Jedi's right temple. Any non-Force witnesses would have sworn they had seen three legs.

[Slifer]

Slifer stopped torturing the woman, and watched as Lady Vader, and the little midget thing pierced Anbira's defenses. He was impressed by the power they wielded. Slifer walked over to where a Darksider had landed on the ground hard, apparently breaking his leg, and he seemed to be in quite a lot of pain. Slifer gave the man a pack of painkillers, and stimulants, then set off to once again confront the old Jedi Master. He ran over to where a speeder was idle, and hijacked the vehicle, with four children still trapped inside the speeder. He then took off, arcing up through the buildings until he was 30 meters away from Anbira. He saw him hurling a storm of stones at two little midget masters, and decided to break his concentration. Slifer urged the speeder forwards, and charged straight towards Anbira at breakneck speed.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

"Graaaah!"

The pair of Hobgoblins leapt right at the incoming shockwave, as though seeking to break through it with sheer force of will. Anbira's strength was far too mighty in this case, and both Hobgoblins were hammered by the blow. The doppleganger vanished but its' lightsaber did not, while the real Hob's lightsaber disappeared and the dwarf himself was caught and hurled away in mid-leap.

The wind whistled around Hob as he was tossed backwards through the air. It would have been fairly simple to save himself- a telekinetic adjustment here, a shift in body weight there, and Hob would land on his feet.

But he had created a chance to strike a deadly blow at Anbira.

The real lightsaber hung where it was as the shockwave washed over it, held fast by Hobgoblin's power. Then it took off like a shot bullet, whirling across the short distance to its target guided by the power of Hob's mind as Hob himself was inevitably blown backward.

[imported_Akrabbim]

BAMF!

And suddenly, he is there. Akrabbim appears in front of the fallen Anbira from seemly nowhere as he drops the various Force illusions that had been covering him. First to drop was the illusion woven from light. Though much harder to create than a normal illusion, it had the advantage of being impossible to see through. With the remaining concetration he had, he had been masking his Force signature entirely. The result, however, had been an agonizingly slow trek to Anbira's current position. While masked, his Jedi reflexes had been nullified. As well, he had been forced to move slowly so as not to reveal his Force presence. Fortunately, he had arrived just in time.

As the shielding around him drops, Akrabbim triggers the small round device in his hand. With a muffled sound like depressurizing air, the EMP grenade detonates. The flying saber is suddenly extinguished, and the rapidly approaching speeder is abruptly brought down. The now inert saber continues its path, striking Akrabbim in the chest. Though somewhat painful, the damage is minimal.

In the moments of confusion generated by his sudden appearance and EMP detonation, Akrabbim reaches down to take hold of Anbira.

Come on, old man. Quit sand-bagging... I know you have more fight left in you than this...

Quickly, Akrabbim opens the now familiar mental link with Anbira, merging their minds and powers.

Are you done playing now? Good. Let's get to work, shall we?

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Reeling from Kharis's kick, and fatigued from battle, Anbira was slow to rise. Blood flowed freely from his head, yet he looked to Akrabbim with renewed determination.

"It is good to see you again, old friend."

Widening the mental link shared with Akrabbim, Anbira smiles defiantly, and glances back to Kharis, just in time to see the darksider snatched up by a roaring rancor. The beast squeezes down on the sith mightily, roars again, and hurls Kharis to the ground with enough force to cause him to bounce twice. Snuffling, the beast pauses, and suddenly distorts, becoming a charging Gamorrean highlander, with a massive battleaxe.

[Slifer]

Slifer gets out of the speeder that crashed into the rooftop, and looks as another lightsider appears next to Anbira. Slifer charges the duo with his lightsaber burning a crimson red, intent on slicing up the newcomer like a durasteel can of bantha steaks. Slifer knows it's futile, but he wants to inflict some kind of harm on these people, only if he manages to land only a single blow.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob got to his feet and shook the glass from his robes. Blood also fell in large drops- he'd been blown through a window into a wall and had several gashes on his face and ears. A large wound had been opened on his head, and his white hair was starting to stain red in one spot.

The dwarf limped forward to the shattered window and peered through it. The two Jedi Masters together were clearly too much for Hob.

The dwarf cloaks himself in an illusion and clambers through the window, another doppleganger of himself following a minute or so later. The two dwarves (one hidden, the other not) once again head for the Jedi, seeking to exact revenge through one final trick.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

The Gamorrean construct turns on a heel, the ponderous inertia that it should have not affecting the illusion. It charges, raising its battleaxe high, as it draws down on Slifer. The Dark Jedi braces for an attack, but the rushing Gamorrean vanishes into mist...

...to be replaced by another charging Gamorrean at his right, this time wielding a warhammer. Slifer pivots to deflect, but he cannot extend. The full inertia of the porcine weapon is realized as the construct smites Slifer's skull, slaying the darksider in one fell motion. Slifer's bloodsaber extinguishes, as his lifeless body falls to the broken pavement. The Gamorrean warrior, his task at hand finished, turns insubstantial as he vanishes.

Anbira and Akrabbim remain at the epicenter, vigilant and ready.

OOC: Ready to go :D

[imported_Akrabbim]

Very good work my friend... but I think we should concentate on quantity over quality...

Utilizing their combined powers, Akrabbim summons six ninjas quite literally out of thin air. Each one carries a katana and rushes at the nearest opponent they can find, including the image of Hobgoblin. In their combined form, Akrabbim and Anbira must make physical manifestations of every Force ability, so he does not see through the illusion. Though each is weak, they are rather fast, and their swords cut as well as any other.

[Lady Vader]

*LV's frown deepened as she stopped her advance on Anbira as another Jedi entered the scene. What a nuisance they could be!*

*Her thoughts raced to find an alternate solution to finishing Anbira off, when the second Jedi (and Anbira, from the surge in combined Force powers that she felt) conjured up several ninja-like beings.She knew they were generated using the Force and the particles and light within the air, and would be weak. But this did not mean their weapons would not cut, and their kicks not sting.*


http://www.sw-fans.net/photopost/data/501/119LV-ninjas.jpg

*She basically put Anbira on hold within her thoughts, and went to her first instinct of preservation.*

*As she clipped her double bladed lightsaber back together, two ninjas angled towards her at great speeds, katanas held high to slice into her. As one came towards her, she ducked the swinging blade, whipping out her electro-whip at the same time, and letting it lash out and curl around the attacking ninja's ankles. The second one would have been caught in the grasping whip, but it jumped clean over her and the first. The first one however did not fair as well, tripping within the confines of the whip's tendrils and falling on it's back. With her saber, she ignited and stabbed it into the fallen ninja's chest. It vanished without complaint.*

*She then turned to face the second who was already swing wide at her with it's weapon. She had barely enough time to twist away from the swing. Unfortunately, the ends of her hair got sliced by the sharp blade, and she took a brief moment of surprise as the ninja finished it's swing. Snarling, she lunged at the ninja that had just shortened her hair by a foot, ducking away from a kick and blocking a punch with her arm. In the close quarter combat they were in now, weapons were of no use to either of them. It was now physical and brute strength. She balled her fist and let it swing towards the ninja's jaw, knowing he would block it, and did the same with the other. Several punches, kicks, and blocks later, neither had sustained much damage, and while the ninja showed no signs of emotion, she was getting frusterated with it's lack of dieing.*

*Finding and opening in their "dance", she jabbed stiffened fingers into her jugular, causing it to stumble backwards. Now with some distance, they could continue the fight with weapons. She used her whip, but the ninja again jumped over her to land behind her, where she dropped as it landed, stretching her leg out, and tripping it. Miraculously, it kept it's balancie, albiet taking a few steps back to keep from toppling.*

*With gritted teeth, she stood and glared at the ninja, placing both weapons in one hand. The ninja leapt forward, running at full speed, katana over one shoulder, ready to detach her head from her shoulders. It was within a few feet of lobbing her head off, when she reached a hand out quickly and let a strong flash of lightning lose. The attack stopped the ninja in it's tracks, convulsing it. The lightning wrapped itself around the ninja, popping and flashing, destroying the illusion. When she finally lowered her hand, the vision was gone.*

*Once again, she held each weapon in seperate hands, and turned her attention back to the two Jedi, one weakened, yet one still strong.*

*Her eyes traveled from the pair to the ground, just below their feet... and looked past it, down, down, down, until she found what she was looking for. Her eyes slowly looked back up towards Anbira and Akrabbim, and a slow smile crept onto her lips.*

*Softly, the ground began to rumble.*

[Evil Hobgoblin]

With two ninjas speeding towards his illusion, Hob has no choice but to stop his forward progress in order to concentrate on manuevering the illusion to keep his concealment a secret. That would be difficult to do without a personal weapon.

Both ninjas were evidently tandem creations. The one to the left moved to attack high; the right one went low and since Hob was a small creature that left him very few options. The best of those was to back up, so Hob took two steps in that direction, the unreal blade of Ninja Right swishing through the hem of his illusory robes.

Ninja Left made an angled cut at his head, which Hob leaned to dodge. Right aimed a slash for his midsection, but contuing into the lean allowed Hob to do a small midair cartwheel over the blade. Left came back at him with a slash, but illusion Hob ducked down to all fours and avoided the blade. Seeing potential victory, Right stabbed at Hob's prone form.

But with a lean the dwarf wasn't quite where the blade aimed to be. His hand gripped the hand of the attacking ninja and pulled. The overbalanced ninja opponent toppled to the ground, rolled over, and leapt to his feet, whipping his blade up over his head as a defensive manuever. Hob held his sword hand back for a brief second, just barely breaking the tandem timing between the two ninjas.

But it would turn out to be enough. The other ninja was forced to hold back his attack until his partner had finished the upswing. Hob took the opportunity to move out of harm's way, again catching the swordhand of his attacker and pulling him into his still-recovering partner. The two ninjas crashed together and fell back to the pavement.

In an instant, Hob's illusion had pounced on the two downed warriors. It swiftly snapped the neck of one of them, then leapt onto the shoulders of the other as it tried to rise and repeated the process.

The illusion stood still, pretending to recover as Hob himself once again began to sneak forward.

[Miryan no Trunks]

*With a silent curse, Sith Lord MnT turned the corner and nearly ran into the back of Sorsha Kasajian, just managing to stop his momentum maybe a full foot away from her.. Side-stepping up beside her, he took in with his eyes that which he'd been feeling both through the force, and through the energy in the air.. The battle was still going strong, and for that at least, MnT as grateful.. He was annoyed that he had been so far away when he first sensed it, and that it had already gone as far as it had.. He had hoped to be able to throw in his own lot against the Jedi Master, but not under these circumstances.. When he fought the man, he wanted them both to be at prime condition.. Not weary from battle already, nor paired with a second Jedi either.. It would be completely dishonorable, if not just foolhardy, to enter the frey now..*

"... Though if they overpower and move to strike down Lady Vader and Hobgoblin, I may just have to.."

[Anbira Hicchoru]

From a perch on one of the skyscrapers great heights, a huge falcon spread its wings, diving downward. It caught the down draft, leveling its fall, as it drew down upon its target - Lady Vader. The massive bird snatched the Sith up in its talons, and mounted for the sky, determined to thrash her or release her to the perils of a tremendous fall.

[Lady Vader]

*LV's wind was knocked out of her as she was snatched up by the enormous bird... yet another confounded illusion, but strong never the less. She grit her teeth as it squeezed with it's talons, threatening to make her as thin as a pole.*

*She reacted out of instinct, and lashed out with her claws, tearing into the birds unprotected feet. It squacked, though whether it was in pain or not was unknown. It loosened it's grip slightly, allowing LV to slip her lightsaber hand free and shove the extinguished blade against the underside of the falcon.*

Bye, bye, birdy...

*She activated the saber that was against the birds underside, causing the blade to drive through the feathers and flesh made by the illusion. The bird jolted, causing it's grip to losen even more. Finishing the carving of the large turkey, she sliced downwards, splitting it's underside from stem to stern.*

*It shrieked and let LV go completely, disappearing into the air. s for LV, she dropped through the air, the gound being a long way down. She knew she could halt her descent by using the Force, but she really didn't feel like cascading back to the ground. Instead, she angled her drop towards a nearby skyscraper, slowing herself with the use of the Force. As she neared the buildings roof, she saw Anbira on the building adjacent to it. Needless to say, she had a bone or two to pick with him.*

*Reaching the roof, she landed and rolled several times, coming out of her roll into a kneeling position and shot a hand out, throwing a powerful Force push at Anbira. The force of it bowled the old man over, causing him to land on his back and skid a few feet.*

*She stood and ran towards the edge of the roof, sumersaulted to the one that Anbira was on, and landed silently, much like a cat would. She narrowed her eyes at Anbira, who was picking himself up.*

This galaxy has seen enough of you. It's time to end this.

[imported_Akrabbim]

Akrabbim, still linked with Anibra, falls with him. They break contact momentarily, causing the illusions to flicker out for the moment. He reestablishes physical contact very quickly, and with it the Force Link. He lets the ninjas fall away into mist. He has more pressing things to concern himself with. His eyes blaze a fierce blue as he views the Sith Master, mouth curled into a mischevious grin. He speaks with a voice in a strange echo, as if both Anbira's and Akrabbim's voice are combined.

We remember you... you were with our good friend Anbira here... back when we were a Padawan. As you see, we have grown quite a bit since then. His eyes narrow dangerously. And we do not like to be pushed.

Silently, a great samurai bearing a warhammer appears behind the Sith Master. Since illusions need not make sound unless it's creators demand it. In this case, silence is of great use. The giant warrior swings his warhammer in a horizontal arc, slamming Lady Vader in the side and sending her flying quite a distance.

In that strange voice, Akrabbim speaks once more.

Come, my friend... we must now tend to our defense.

[Lady Vader]

*While there was no time to deflect or avoid the blow from the warhammer, LV was able to cushion it with a Force induced "pillow", a small bubble of air between herself and the illusion's weapon. Yet, despite this protection for her ribs, she is still thrown to the side a fair distance, coming to a sliding hault on her back. That would of course leave a few bruises to speak of later.*

*Wincing with gritted teeth, she stood up and glared in the direction of the two Jedi. While she would like nothing better than to smite both, her main focus was to rid Anbira of his life once and for all.*

*She watched through narrowed eyes as the duo made there way to the edge of the building, further widening the gap between her and them. And in the middle was that infernal ninja.*

*It lumbered toward her raising it's warhammer high to dril her into the roof. She let the illusion come. Just when it was in striking distance and doing just that, she ducked the hamers blow and swung her lightsaber at the illusions legs. It lost it's lower apendages, but it kept on coming, bringing the hammer to bare again, causing LV to leap over the gigantic masked being.*

*Not being able to move well at all now, the ninja swiveled and brought the hammer to bare on the roof, cracking it and sending a jolt through the concrete, causing LV to concenrate on her balance lest she topple over.*

*As she was maintaining her balance through another roof barrage from the warhammer, her eyes looked upward and she saw an antena perched on the edge of another roof, just a bit high than the one they were on. With a look of disgust at the sharp metal prod, it snapped near it's base as the force crumbled and bent the metal. It toppled over the edge of the other building and sailed down, point first, coming to land and driving itself through the behemoth. The illusion vanished to leave the antena still waving in it's embedded spot through the roof.*

*At that moment, the rumbling that had been occuring down on the ground, the event that she had begun minutes ago, now came to fruitition. Out of the ground shot a 5-car subway train, loaded with screaming passengers. The driver had long since died when LV had forced it's angle upward through the various layers of concrete and metal. Now the train crashed through the ground, came up into the air, then toppled over, slamming into two consecutive smaller buildings as it did so.*

*The cloud of debris grew around the wreck as the wind picked up, followed by a rumble of thunder. How quaint. It was about to rain. Perfect for a setting such as this.*

*She looked back to where Anbira and that infuriating illusionist were standing as the drops began to fall.*

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"No..."

Anbira, hobbling, distanced himself from Akrabbim. His face somehow seemed...different.

"I have forseen this."

Weary and wounded, the Jedi Master approached LV. A chill wind began to blow, as a faint green blade formed at Anbira's hand. His movements were labored, and it took much effort for him to approach her.

"Our time is at hand, Sel'arra."

[Lady Vader]

*The rain had begun to fall heavily now, blanketing the area in a sheen of glissening water. LV narrowed her eyes even more, gritting her teeth at the mentioning of her true name by Anbira, quietly spoken so as not to be heard by anyone else.*

You have no right to call me that now, Anbira. You may have had the right long ago... but you gave up that right when you joined the worthless Jedi and abandoned me.

*She watched him closely as he took each labored step towards her, his green blade fizzing where the rain hit it. She had neither ignited her saber or lifted her whip or even made any moves. She merely watched her prey advance.*

You've become a pitiful old man...

*She shook her head, never breaking contact with Anbira's gaze.*

... such a waste and shame.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob had used the dialogue between other parties as an opportunity to approach Akrabbim and Anbira under his illusion cloak. His image continued to remain still to the point where it was seemingly statuesque- not even breathing. It was a dead giveaway to anyone looking closely.

Hob was counting on that not happening.

He continued to sneak closer to the duel at hand.

[imported_Akrabbim]

Akrabbim doesn't even notice Hob coming from the side. He is too focused on the fdight at hand. He can remember the first time he ever encountered Lady Vader. She was with Anbira at the time, but Anbira was a practitioner of the Dark Side and Lady Vader's compation. Akrabbim knew better than to fight the two masters. All he was able to do is fire a weak blast of Force Blindness and run. He is a great deal stronger now... perhaps the attack is worth another shot.

He concentrates for a moment, opting for an actual light illusion instead of a mental one. Though they are harder to create, they are more powerful, as mental resistance does not factor in to real light. He starts drawing in the ambient light for several moments until he has a self-contained ball of light. He manuvers the light behind the Sith as she talks to Anbira. As soon as she is done, he quickly flings the ball directly in front of her eyes. The ball explodes in a silent flash of light. The flash is aimed directly at her eyes. The compressed light is several million candle power in brightness. The light should be more than enough to steal the woman's sight for some time.

[Lady Vader]

*While Akrabbim has grown stronger in the Force, so too has LV grown wiser and quicker at hand. True, she had been distracted in speaking with Anbira, but her sub-conscious was anything but unaware of her surroundings. At the instant the sphere of light exploded, she shut her eyes and surrounded herself with shadow, a field devoid of light. The field sucked in the engery from the light, feeding her own energy, before fading.*

*Her physical eyes opened and continued to look at Anbira, while her mind's eye turned to Akrabbim. In a gesture of "eye for an eye", the growing storm above spouted a long tendril of lightning, directed by her to snap at the spot where Akrabbim stood. The Jedi jumped back to keep from being barbecued as a voice entered his mind through the wind.*

Do not interfere in a confrontation you have no ties to.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

SHUNK

LV's distraction was brief, but severe. When the dark haze waned, a searing pain coarsed through her body. A tint of green caused her to look down. Anbira's summoned blade pierced her abdomen through. The hand was steady, and did not waver.

[Lady Vader]

*LV fell silent, mostly our of shock than anything else. The pain came after she'd seen Anbira's hand move out of the corner of her eye, and she had just enough time to turn her head and move her body slightly to the side, but it wasn't enough. The blade had gone through her side. She wasn't sure whether it had seered anything vital, but the fact the summoned saber had also cauterized the wound meant she wouldn't bleed to death which also meant there was time to treat whatever damage the decrepid Jedi had caused.*

*She didn't cry out, but looked at the steady hand, instincively grabbing it with her left hand so that it wouldn't move, and moved her line of sight upwards to lock with those eyes she knew all too well.*

*She grit her teeth and forced the pain to stay at bay lest it take over.*

So it comes to this.

*The rest of the world seemed to slow and disappear. She moved ever so slightly closer to Anbira. The hand that was holding Anbira's wrist began to tremble slightly from the pain that was slowly creeping back into LV's mind. She tightened her grip, extending the claws, and digging them deeply into Anbira's flesh. This seemed to calm the trembling. The other hand's claws had also slowy crept out from their sheethes as she continued to look at Anbira. A slow smile crept on her lips.*

You died a long time ago in my mind. Now it's time to make it official.

*Digging her left hand claws even more deeply into his wrist, she reached out with her right hand and dug the sharp claws into his chest, where his heart lay inside. The claws tore inward through his skin, opening holes large enough for her slender fingers to seep inward. While his sternum did cause a sort of road block for her entire hand, her claws were still long enough to graze the sides of the heart, punturing it and opening long wounds, spilling the fuilds from the vital organ.*

Goodbye, Anbira.

*With strength channeled from the Force, she dug further in pushing against the sternum, and released a poison through her claws she had had surgically implanted years ago when she had still been under Itala's rule. It was a lethal poison, with no known cure. The blood flowed more freely, being thinned by the poison. The wrist she was holding with her left hand began to waver. She took this moment to pull herself free of the summoned blade lest it exlode inside her. With her hands free of the wounds, the blood began to spurt as Anbira's heart spasmed inside his chest.*

*With a final shove, she pushed him as far away from her as she could, trying to distance herself from the dieing Jedi and his elthal blade. She'd seen him summon such things before, and knew what they were capable of when the weilder lost control. Weakened now, she staggered backwards to lean against a ventelation shaft, falling to her knees and breathing heavily, yet taking pleasure in watching the stagger Jedi as he took in his final breathes.*

[Anbira Hicchoru]

With a slight stagger, Anbira dropped to his knees, eyes staring unfocused at a point in front of him. Traces of crimson pooled behind his lips. His wound was mortal. Even drawing the venom out with the force could not stop the inevitable. It could only slow his passing.

A weary arm raised, trying to level his ethereal blade in the direction of his enemy, which he could barely see now. However, Anbira's strength left him, and the Jedi Master fell backwards, his summoned weapon blasting skyward in release as he did so.

His breath became shallow and uneven, then steadied. A Jedi knew his destiny. He had forseen the road that would bring him to this juncture. Now, his journey was at an end.

...wait...

Anbira gasped slightly, dialated pupils staring at the sky above.

"It's not finished."

With that, the Jedi slipped into unconciousness, the impending fate of his death now only a matter of time.

[imported_Akrabbim]

ANBIRAAAAA!

Akrabbim's eyes widen in shock as the older master, his friend, goes down hard. Without a second thought, he leaps into action. His katana goes flying out, hilt first, directly at Lady Vader's nose. The sword is covered in illusion, so when it strikes her nose hard, she'll have no idea what hit her.

He rushes in after his blade, calling it back to his hand just after it strikes the Sith Master. He stands near Anbira, a katana in each hand, ready to defend his friend until his last breath.

Or, so it seems. He summons his concentration for this last illusion. It must be flawless, or this will never work. Just before he brings the illusion to bear, he shouts his defiance to the other combatants.

COWARDS! FACE ME IF YOU DARE!

And with that, he falls silent, illusion at the ready. He uses, once more, an actual illusion of light. As well, he masks both his and Anbira's Force signatures. If all goes according to plan, he may be able to take most of them down with him. The Dark Siders begin to move in on the figure of the lone Jedi and his fallen comrade.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

A loud and long cackling mocked Akrabbim directly.

Hob leaned heavily on his cane. The battle had taken its toll on the dwarf, and it showed in the stoop of his shoulders. "Coward?"

An illusory double of Akrabbim springs from nothing. It lets fly a ball of pure light, which fades off into the distance. Then, the double of Akrabbim runs away from Anbira's side, highlighted by an aura of Hob's magic. The image doubles, then doubles again, eventually surrounding AKrabbim, all with a cruel reminder of his retreat.

"You are the coward, Jedi. You failed your friend. Even now, you fail your code. Today, you are lost beyond all redemption."

[Lady Vader]

"It's not finished."

*LV had just finished punching a code into a small datapad she had retrieved from her pocket, calling her ship to the rooftop to pick her up. It was during this time she'd heard Anbira's comment and looked up to whisper towards him.*

Why prolong the inevitable. Accept your fate... with honor.

*She stood, shoulders hunched over as she favored the side that had been injured.*

If you have any left.

*LV was already moving further away from the fallen Jedi's form when the other Jedi's shriek assaulted her ears. She turned to look at the same moment the Force urged her to duck, but not fast enough. An invisible force struck her hard in the face, causing her to careen backwards against a pipe that was protruding from the rooftop. Her eyes were shut as she colapsed to her knees, gritting her teeth and sucking in air as she focused past the pain in her nose.*

*She cracked an eye open to glare at the illusionist as he now knelt near his fallen comrade. It was then she heard Hobgoblin's voice. She looked over at the small figure as it hobbled in the direction of the Jedi.*

*While she wanted to stay, she knew when it was time to retreat to fight another day. She could do no more in the state she was in, and she was beginning to feel her body physically weaken.*

*A high whine of engines signaled her ship had come, hidden on the other side of the building, away from the Jedi. She stood with more effort this time, and gave one last look in Anbira's direction. She spoke to no one in particular.*

Farewell, Anbira.

*She was about to offer a lift for the little green man, but it seems he had found his own way to depart. With no more thought to the battle, she makes her way to the edge of the building, and leaps off it, only to land through the small open hatch at the top of her ship. With a single voice command, the ship closes the hatch and takes off for space, using a busy space lane to squeeze through traffic control and the patrols.*

*She made her way to the pilots seat, already having fetched and applied a bacta patch to her side. She would return to Coruscant to give her respects to Anbira as he lay burried six feet under the crust.*

*With that as her last thought, her ship entered hyperspace and was gone.*

[imported_Akrabbim]

Akrabbim can hear the diminuitive little Dark Jedi in the background, surrounding what appears to be himself and Anbira. In reality, Akrabbim is basically dragging a mortally wounded Anbira from the fight. Behind him, an illusion composed of light is guarding their retreat... and a rather nasty suprise. Lady Vader had the forethought to get away. Hobgoblin did not. More's the pity.

It's taking all Akrabbim's concentration to maintain both the light-made illusion and the masking of their signatures. Fortunately, the timer is about to go off. He causes his illusion self to smile broadly, teeth proudly displayed, just before it fades entirely. Akrabbim vanishes into nothingness. When Anbira's illusion fades, however, three spherical objects are left behind... two are metallic and shiny, while the third is a matte black. With a sudden hum, the dark sphere activates. The grav grenade causes the gravity within a 10 meter radius to suddenly increase five-fold. Approximately a second later, the two thermal dets set off in unison.

Akrabbim picks up the pace... if that didn't catch Hob, then they wouldn't gain much time from the explosion.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

A grin spread across the face of the Trickster.

From within Hob, a small child bursts forth. His arms are bound to his sides with a large metal beam and his mouth is clearly gagged. On his head is a large bruise- the result of a knock with a cane.

The edge of the plasma wave burns through the air. Its edge warps each mockup illusion of Akrabbim running away, burning them into nothing. The child has a full three seconds to realize what has become of him- long enough, perhaps, for Akrabbim's prizing of one life over another to become apparent even to him.

In the Force, a voice cries out in terror and is suddenly silenced.

The detonation rolls onward, blasting Hobgoblin into nothing- but it is already apparent that the Hobgoblin from which the child burst forth is merely the illusion that has existed since the dwarf pulled himself from the building.

Where the real Hobgoblin is, is anybody's guess.

If they'd guessed that he was caught by one of his own illusions and had fallen down a sewage pipe by accident, they'd be right.

[imported_Akrabbim]

Akrabbim drags Anbira on toward the ship as the explosions go off behind him. The death of the child goes virtually unnoticed, though. In masking his and Anbira's Force Signature, Akrabbim has cut his own awareness to the Force.

He looks over his shoulder, once the explosions die down and sees that no one is following him. He drops the illusions covering him and instead turns the Force inward, strengthening himself and increasing his speed. This is in no means his specialty, but it does at least help. He hurrys along, drawing Anbira to his small craft. He must return the man to Jubei as soon as possible. If any healer will be able to save him, Jubei is the one to do so.

He loads the man onto the ship and takes off, setting in the coordinates. Once the ship is on its way, he heads to the back and starts applying the bacta-soaked bandages and other items he can find. He can only hope it is enough.