Knights Of The Old Republic: Darkness Falls

[3yks]

Brax gave no word of acknowledgement. He had what he wanted, and lept ... his knees bent, then sprung forward. He cleared the fairly decent distance between the two of them with ease, his clawed gauntlets coming down in a rapid slash at Revan's head and face.

 

(If he blocks the blow, the gauntlets act as lightsabers for parrying and the like, feel free to have a little control of Brax if that makes it go faster.)

[The Doctor]

((ok, I'll take a little bit of control, but not over any dialogue. I'm told I'm fairly decent at writing fight scenes, so if it's bad..... blame Jasra ))

 

Revan parried the blow, then twisted his lightsaber away from the thing's claws. He swung around, trying to cut through them, but they simply collided and sparked - they were far to strong. He jumped backwards as an attack came at his head. He landed on top of a table, sending the glasses falling to the ground, spilling their contents on the poor patrons who had been sitting at the table. He jumped again as an attack came at his knees. He flipped forward and landed behind the creature, and swung at it's back. He managed to pierce it's thick skin, but nothing more. The wound oozed a strange colour blood, but was to shallow to do any lasting damage. The beast turned and lunged, it's claws glowing with a blood red light. Revan barely got out of the way, the sharp claws tearing into his tunic. Three bloody scratches formed on his now partially expsed chest, but he ignored the pain ((what kind of fight scene is it if someone doesn't lose their shirt?)). He parried another attack, then made one of his own. The two combatants swung at each other, ignoring the fleeing cantina patrons and employees in their way.

Revan heard the Doctor calling to the others. He spared a glance over to the - what did he call it? The TARDIS? - and saw that they were almost there. Would the Doctor wait for him? He used the Force to push the beast back, then had to try again with more power behind it for it to be effective. The creature stumbled back slightly, giving him the chance he needed. He swung out with his lightsaber one last time, missing, then turned and ran towards the Doctor.

"Doctor!" he called, just to make sure that he knew he was there.

Doctor? though Brax. I killed the Doctor! What in blazes....?

He began to chase Revan. A group of bounty hunters bravely stood in his path, probably hoping that the Jedi would reward them later. Brax lashed out with his claws, and the bounty hunters fell to the ground, ugly gashes in their throats. He looked up - the bounty hunters had detered him long enough. Revan was gone.

[JasraLantill]

Kira was slowly coming around, as Crystal, was suddenly ejected from the room, falling in a heap near Jasra. Jasra stared dumbfoundly at her, then Kira, then at the Doctor. “I think Crystal’s just stunned,” she said to him. “Like Kira." As the Doctor ran back to the TARDIS to hold open the door, Jasra glared at Tegan standing nearby. "Well, just don't stand there looking like a Bantha caught in a spotlight," Jasra snapped. "Help me get them up!"

[Writer]

Crystal's eyes fluttered open. "What's going on."

[The Doctor]

"No need to get your knickers in a bunch!" retorted Tegan, grabbing Kira under the arm and hauling her up. She stumbled towards the TARDIS, where the Doctor was holding the door open.

Revan came up to her. "I'll take her, you go help with Crystal!" he said, lifting Kira clear of the floor and running into the TARDIS with her.

Tegan turned around and ran over to Crystal, helping Jasra lift her. Together, they stumbled towards the TARDIS, Atton and Disciple giving them cover from any trigger happy rodians in the cantina.

She looked at Crystal as she heard her speak. "What's going on?"

"It's alright, we're heading back to the TARDIS. Hold on!"

[JasraLantill]

As she and Tegan carried Crystal to the TARDIS, Jasra suddenly felt something… familiar. And Dark.

 

No sooner than Crystal was safely inside, Jasra wheeled around and shot out the door, running past Revan as he entered with Kira.

 

“I’ll meet you at the ship!” she called over her shoulder as the TARDIS disappeared.

 

One of the injured bounty hunters from the aftermath of the battle with Brax, was still clutching his Force Pike. Jasra grinned. It was her favourite weapon. And as she had left her own Force Pike in her burning ship….

 

“Mind if I borrow this?” she asked the bounty hunter as he clutched at his bleeding throat. He gurgled. “Thanks,” she said in reply. The man slowly sank to the floor.

 

Jasra gave the pike a quick, graceful flourish and readied herself to face off with…

 

What the heck is that thing anyway?

 

“You,” she said challengingly to Brax. “You were on the Ebon Hawk. You’ve been stalking it. Why?”

[3yks]

Brax yowled, there was not much else to consider it ... a bestial scream as the Tardis disapeared. His eyes filled with rage, they grey color turning yellow and red with his hatred. Then they locked on the other one, Jasra.

 

"Why?" He repeated her question, his eyes were pure evil as he stared at her. His clawed gauntlets flexed. "Because Revan deserves death. Pure and simply. I will take his heart and feast upon it. He forfeit his life to my people when he murdered our leader." Brax bent his knees a bit, getting ready to pounce.

 

The back of his mind itched with something ... a presence he had felt.

[JasraLantill]

“So you’re not after the Exile? Only Revan?” She slowly began to circle him, eyes never leaving his, readying herself for an attack.

 

She wanted to occupy him long enough for the occupants of the Ebon Hawk to get settled and ready for take off. And, of course, there was always the possibility of learning a new Force trick from him. She’d learned a few from Sith before during battles. They seemed more than willing to teach her if she proved her worth, even if she ended up yielding to them at the end.

 

“Ha! I find that hard to believe.” She adjusted her grip on her pike. “I can feel your Darkness. Tell me, what kind of leader was he? Was he Dark like you as well?” She grinned. “If so, he probably deserved death,” she taunted.

[3yks]

"Foolish Jedi," He hissed the words, "You think it's all black and white? It's not. You block off your emotions, you spend your lives emerging yourself in not being a part of the force. You will never understand the force if you don't let your emotions guide you. Hate, fear, anger, they are emotions yes, but so is love, happiness, and friendship. Where you see darkness, I see balance."

 

His claws scraped across a wall, digging deep furrows into it. "I was paid to find the exile, but you did tht job. Togo just wanted it done, he didn't care who did it." His eyes were fading in color a bit, the cool grey of them returning.

[JasraLantill]

"I'm not a Jedi." She eyed him critically, watching for any hints of his next move. "Balance, huh? So...." She flourished her pike. "Teach me."

[3yks]

"You move like one."

 

He considered her quietly for a few moments. "Teach you? So that you will be stronger? So that you can try to defeat me." He laughed, "Instead I will kill you, and in your death, as you become one with the force, you will learn." He shot forward, grabbing for the forec pike as his other claw slashed at her stomach.

[Writer]

Crystal's senses gradually returned and she realized that Jasra was not with them.

 

Jasra? She closed her eyes and tried to expand her thought bubble, but her eyes shot suddenly open. What was that?

 

"Wha..." she murmured. Then, she shook herself free from Tegan, who was still steadying her and ran from the TARDIS... and found herself in the Ebon Hawk.

 

"Oh, no, no, no!" she murmured and hurried out. Slowly, changes began to appear. Crystal's hair lightened to a dark blonde and her eyes darkened to a deep blue. But Crystal was oblivious to the changes, completely focused on getting to Jasra. And that's when the change became obvious to her.

 

Someone was in her way. With an angry thought, she brushed him away, no hand movements or anything. A second stood in her way and she leapt over him without a second thought... but her feet never regained contact with the ground. She continued gliding overhead, but when she realized what was happening, she gasped and dropped to her feet.

 

"Ip vzhe pane og amm vzhipt tadsef!" she murmured to herself. Then, she shook it off, deciding that finding Jasra was more important. A flash of Jasra fighting some strange creature flew through her mind.

 

"No!" she screamed. And then, she was there... not far from where Jasra stood, watcing the strange creature take his first swing. She drew her lightsaber.

 

"She doesn't stand alone," Crystal growled angrily.

 

((Jasra, be a bit puzzled as to who's standing up for you... she doesn't look much like the Crystal Jasra remembers.))

[The Doctor]

The Doctor watched as Crystal began changing in front of his eyes. No, he thought to himself. No, she can't be a Time Lord!

He watched as she moved frantically around the TARDIS. She pushed him out of her way, then dissapeared in to thin air.

[3yks]

Brax grabbed Crystal's lightsaber, by the blade. It was in all likelyhood the strangest thing anyone in the bar had ever seen. But he grabbed it like one would grab a steel pole, as if the blade was not burning hot light. He squeezed, and the blade flickered, and then sputtered out.

 

"Toys." He said with a smirk, and then he turned ... and ran, his claws tore through the door, and he vanished even before he should have. His mind disapeared even to crystal ash e pulled his force cloack around himself.

 

(His gloves are Cortosis weave, and force attuned. the lightsaber will work again, it just died for a few moments)

[JasraLantill]

Being a dancer, Jasra’s reactions had been quick and her body very flexible. As Brax had attacked, she had arched her back, retracting her midsection as his claws caught the edge of her tunic, leaving only scratches. Then instead of backing away from him as he seemed to expect, she had moved forward, using the end of the pike to catapult over him as he had lunged for her. Momentarily satisfied with her success at repelling his attack, she had suddenly began to have doubts. Perhaps he had just been toying with her. His claws and gauntlets were formidable. Still, she readied herself for another attack.

 

Then, suddenly, there was a Jedi standing there beside her, lightsaber brandished in challenge to Brax. Jasra's mouth hung open.

[Writer]

((This saber isn't an average saber... the gem within is rare and nobody knows where to find it... Crystal has the only one known to be in existence large enough to use in a saber. It'll be on in a few seconds.))

 

Crystal muttered something unintelligible and pressed a button on the side of her saber twice. The third time she pressed it, the saber flickered back to life.

 

"He'll regret that," she told Jasra. "You just wait and see."

 

In the artificial light of the cantina, Crystal's blade glowed a purplish-red. The door opened and the saber flickered hazy green for a second. Then, the door closed and the other color returned. Crystal turned a knob near the top of the saber and nodded.

 

"That should do it," she told Jasra. "Now he'll not be able to short it out. I've made it stronger. Don't much like to do that... I like to give a fair fight, but if he can do that, it's not much fair, is it?"

[JasraLantill]

Jasra couldn't help but to continue to stare at the unfamiliar woman with the unusual lightsaber who had probably just saved her life. Well, not totally unfamiliar. She resembled her former Master, Kelva. But Kelva was dead, right? This couldn't be her. Kelva was taller, wasn't she? And Kelva's nose was slightly wider. And her chin more rounded. Still, this woman looked like she could be Kelva's sister. "Wha...huh?" was all Jasra could say in response. "Erm..not. Fair. Right."

[Writer]

Crystal offered Jasra a confused smile. "Jasra?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

[JasraLantill]

Jasra nodded, and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Finally, something did. And it came out like an uncontrollable flood.

 

"Well, yeah! I'd say something is wrong! Who the heck are you? Where did you come from? And what kind of lightsaber is that? And what kind of creature was that? Where did he go? And how did he disable a saber blade? And....?"

[Writer]

Crystal looked slightly surprised. Then, she laughed.

 

"Who am I?" she echoed. "As for how I got here so fast, I surprised myself... just 'poof'! And here I am. My lightsaber has a one of a kind gem inside, one that creates a much stronger blade. If I choose, and I usually do, I can slip a second crystal, sort of a dilluting crystal into place between the gem and the output."

 

Then, she looked around. "But as for that creature, I've never seen anything like it in my life. He disabled the blade by squeezing... apparrently he can catch a blade. And now I've lost him... I don't sense him anywhere."

 

Still noting confusion on Jasra's face, Crystal stopped smiling. "You weren't joking when you asked who I am..."

 

It wasn't a question and Crystal began to wonder if Jasra had lost her memory... but wait.

 

"My voice," she murmured. It was definitely different. Panic spread over her face and she turned to Jasra.

 

"What do I look like?" she demanded. Without waiting for an answer, she pulled at her hair, bringing it around within view of her eyes.

 

"Xzhav vzhe zhemm zhaquepef vo ne?" she gasped. Turning again to face Jasra, she said, "This isn't my hair! This isn't my voice! What the hell happened to me?"

[JasraLantill]

"What do I look like?" she demanded. Without waiting for an answer, she pulled at her hair, bringing it around within view of her eyes.

 

"Xzhav vzhe zhemm zhaquepef vo ne?" she gasped. Turning again to face Jasra, she said, "This isn't my hair! This isn't my voice! What the hell happened to me?"

 

Her appearance was different. Her voice was different. Even her Force signature felt different, but yet the strange language the woman spoke sounded oddly familiar…. “Erm….Crystal?” Jasra said uncertainly. “Is that you?”

 

A spark of recognition in the woman’s blue eyes told Jasra that she was indeed Crystal.

 

“Well... how the heck should I know what happened to you?” Jasra blurted. “Last time I saw you, you were lying in an unconscious heap in front of the inner sanctum door! Tegan and I had to drag you into the TARDIS while that creature was attacking Revan. Then the TARDIS vanishes, I pick a fight with that ‘in-balance-with-the-Force’ blue shredder guy to keep him occupied for a while, and just when it looks like I’m about to get myself disembowled, you appear out of nowhere, looking hauntingly similar in appearance to my old master, Kelva, and save me from …!” She paused pensively. “Wait a minute….you went into the inner sanctum,” she said slowly. Then her eyes narrowed slightly. “You touched it, didn’t you?” she said accusingly. “Like Kira did. You touched that Gayat crystal shard, didn’t you!”

 

She backed up a few cautious steps. She had seen that piece of shiny golden rock change the Exile’s frame of mind from Jedi-like to Sith-like while she had been holding it in her hand. Now, she suspected Crystal had touched it as well, and she had been transformed from a dark-eyed brunette to a blue-eyed blond. Jasra wondered if there was anything else that had changed.

 

“Erm…maybe we should get back to the Ebon Hawk,” she said with trepidation. “See if Kira is all right and if the others are ready to go.” She looked around at the destruction in the bar caused by Revan’s battle with Brax. Oddly, enough, it didn’t look that much different than when they had come in, apart from a few broken tables and a couple of bloodied bounty-hunter corpses. Of course, Sig wasn’t going to be happy about the mess. Nor would he be happy that most of his patrons had left without paying in their haste to escape the carnage. Sig would be looking for someone to pay, and Jasra could do without being his scapegoat. Especially since Togo had not only failed to pay her for her services thusfar, but now had implanted something in her to blackmail her into working for him for free. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to linger here much longer.”

[The Doctor]

((The Doctor thinks Crystal is a Time Lord. I know she's not, but the Doctor thinks she is.))

 

The Doctor stared at where Crystal had disappeared.

"Doctor, are you alright?" asked Nyssa.

*Nyssa, please tell me you saw that as well....*

"Se what, Do-"

*Oh, dear God...* he said. He was panting, and there was a look of terror on his face. *Nyssa, Tegan. We have to leave. Now.*

"LEAVE?!" they yeled in unison.

"But Doctor, Kira needs our help!"

"We can't abandon her!"

*You don't understand!* the Doctor yelled, flicking switches and turning dials. *Crystal.... she......* he couldn't say it. To say it out loud would make it true, make it absolute. *They've found me. Trapping me here wasn't good enough. They've come to...* he let his voice trail off.

"Doctor, do you mean that the Time Lords have sent someone to.... kill you?" asked Tegan tentatively.

*No, Tegan,* he said. *Time Lords do not assasinate. They will take me back to face trial for whatever trumped up charges they have this time, then sentence me.*

"What could they possibly charge you with?" asked Nyssa incredulously. "You've saved the universe dozens of times over, you're the only one to ever defeat the Master, or the Daleks, or the Cybermen. Not to mention-"

*That doesn't matter to them!* he yelled. still flicking switches. *They'll most likely charge me with 'conduct unbecoming a Time Lord,* he said darkly. *A load of Trilo slime, but it will get me convivted.*

He pulled one final lever, and the TARDIS kicked in to action.

"Wait! What about us?!" yelled Revan. "We don't want to travel around with you!"

((I'm going to make Atton threated the Doctor, if that's alright, FFWM?))

Atton pulled his blasters and pointed them at the Doctor. "Take us bac, Doc. Now!"

*I'm sorry, Atton. I will return you, but you must wait until it is safe for me to return.*

The TARDIS began to shake, and the pillar began to smoke.

*No no no no no!* yelled the Doctor. *The time circuit has been locked! I can't leave this time frame!*

"Well we can at least leave this galaxy, can't we?" asked Tegan.

*Yes,* he respomnded. *Perhaps Earth... no, there's a war on. Some meglomaniac named Hitler... under control of the Master....*

"Doctor, look!" yelled Nyssa, pointing at the pillar. The lights on it were flashing randomly and it had stopped moving. With a deep thud, the console went dark.

*NO!* yelled the Doctor. *Those....* he trailed off, leaving the console room in anger, throwing open the door to the rest of the TARDIS.

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Urngh..."

Disciple turned back to where Kira lay on the examination table of the med bay. She was stirring.

"Kira?" he asked tentitivly.

She cracked her eyes open slightly, peering at him. He could see a slight, gold tinge to the edge of her iris, but it was fading rather quickly. "Are you alright?"

She closed her eyes and sighed again. "Depends on what you mean by 'alright'." her head sagged back against the exam table. "He took the crystal, didn't he?"

"Er..." Crystal? What was she talking about?

He was saved a response by Atton, who came wheeling into the room. "Where's Jasra and Crystal??" he asked hurriedly.

"Jasra didn't get in the TARDIS with us. I think Crystal went out to find her."

Disciple replied.

"Damn it!!" Atton yelled. "Well, get ready. We're blasting off this rock as soon as they return." and with that, the Scoundrel was gone.

"So...how are you feeling?" Disciple asked the Exile.

"I was just shot five times. How do you think I feel?" she asked with a half-hearted smile.

He reached out, meaning to place his hand on her forehead to take her temperature, but she caught is wrist.

"I'll be fine." she said, with the same half-hearted smile, "I...I just need to rest a while."

[The Doctor]

The Doctor threw a glass vial across the laboratory, where it shattered, spilling it sontents all over the floor. He flipped over the table where, and hour ago, he had assembled the tracer. The pieces of metal and circutry cascaded across the floor. He punched the wall, sending a stab of paion up his arm - the wall left undamaged. He collapsed against the wall, sliding down to the ground. He was panting. They've found me, he thought. They've found me. They'll bring me back to Gallifrey, give me a biased trial, then execute me.

He stood. He wouldn't let that happen - who knew what they would do with Nyssa and Tegan? For all he knew, they would execute them, too. He burst into the console room, where Nyssa and Tegan sat next to K9 quietly. He ignored the, duxked under the console, and pulled open the console. He began fiddling with wires, repositioning them and disconnectiong them. The lights on the console came back on. He moved to the next console, and pried it open as well. He pulled out a long pipe, and examined it - it had a small computer screen on the side. The numbers were constantly changing, the combination never remaining the same.

"Doctor?" asked Tegan carefully. "What is that?"

*That, Tegan,* he responded, now surprisingly calm. "Is the time circuit. The combination has been encrypted - there's now ay I can predict what it will be, or how to unencrypt it. We may be forced to stay here.*

"But we can leave this galaxy, can't we?" asked Nyssa.

*No, we can't,* said the Doctor, getting frustrated again. *The long distance capacitor has burnt out,* he said, holding up a piece of circuit board that they hadn't seen him pull out. There were about a dozen ruptured microchips along the side.

[Writer]

"Hold on to me," Crystal told Jasra. "I sense the Doctor has grown very nervous. We need to get back..."

 

She muttered something about wishing she knew exactly how much she could do and, in Crystal's words, 'poof'! They reappeared in the TARDIS and observed the Doctor under one of the consoles.

 

"Doctor?" Crystal asked, stepping forward slightly and letting go of Jasra. "Is something wrong?"