Countering Aria's blows were difficult, seeing as his natural instincts were to go on the offensive with every dodge and parry, which meant that he was constantly having to move and contort his saber at unnatural angles to compensate for where his body and weapon WANTED to go. What Yerbol feared the most was that her stance, her style was much different than usual, so much so that he was nicked a couple of times in the right shoulder and arm. After the third blow that connected across his right thigh, he realized why he was having such a difficult time fending her off: she was a Sith again. The chill of the tomb blew onto his neck, the years of accumulated bloodshed by Sadow weighing on his shoulders, the sudden loss of Lysa coursing through him...all of it came back to his mind as he weaved between yet another flurry of attacks.
"Ari, LISTEN TO ME! STOP!" She wasn't listening nor could she until he incapacitated her. He had to, somehow. The only way he could think of at that very moment was to throw his left hand forward, summoning whatever energy he had to push her backwards. Instead of pushing her back, however, she flew several feet into the air before crashing to the ground below. He took a couple of steps forward to hopefully pin her down and do...well, he didn't know, but something!
Thankfully his ill-conceived plan was thwarted by a silvery barrier that blocked him from going any further, a command to release "them both" uttered by an incorporeal presence spurred the appearance of black tendrils awfully similar to those that ran across Aria. The mass of tentacles began to undulate wildly as the voice shouted once more, which then led to the tentacles forming the shape of a person, but there were no defining features of the shape; instead, however, there was an aura of menace, of desperate evil that wanted to cling to whatever vestige of life it had remaining. Otherworldly noises came from the "mouth" of the creature, Yerbol wanting to end the noise as fast as possible and charged ahead in vain to try and sever the monster in half. Rather than achieving the desired outcome, a violent shock coursed through his body when he got within a foot or so of his target, dropping him to his knees in time for him to watch a Togruta acrobatically leap into the fray along with a pair of gleaming claws that sundered the presence in half. With the threat neutralized, the Togruta helped Yerbol to his feet, the latter uttering a mumbled "thanks" before he, the Togruta and a massive humanoid slash alien creature with skin colored a sickly yellow huddled over Aria, who was beginning to regain consciousness. Her once tainted eyes were back to their normal dark, vibrant hues and her apparel was restored to what she was wearing before. Ashara made her name known and helped Aria sit up, who apparently knew her from some time before he and Aria had ever met.
"Ari, I-" His touch was met with vehement rejection, prompting a deep pang...of, well, a mixed bag of emotions. Helplessness, agitation, frustration, guilt, surprise and probably some other things all mangled together in his singular reaction. She apologized, to which Yerbol just simply nodded. They would talk of what happened some other time when Manus wasn't trying to take over the galaxy.
With formalities out of the way, the party made their way into the cave, Yerbol grateful for the assistance that these two would provide. Although it was odd and quite "convenient" that they showed up before something awful had happened, he had to wonder what their true purpose was. Hopefully their true intent was to help, but something nagged at the Champion as they strode further down into the now brighter cave interior. Something about Ashara just didn't...feel right. Or maybe his senses were off(obviously) from their recent visionary experience. It didn't matter now, seeing as they could hear sounds of sabers clashing not too far off. When the party arrived at the same entrance the Masters had earlier, they witnessed what could easily be described as a display of the best saber tactics in the galaxy. Soto and Voldon parried, dodged, twirled, clashed and switched forms seamlessly as they attempted to wrest the upper hand from one another. There were two other bodies clad in Faceless armor, one of which Cheriss stood over momentarily before jumping into the fray with Voldon. With Cheriss and Voldon attacking both sides of her flank, Soto had nothing left to do but retreat back towards an exit across from the entranceway where the party stood witness. A few moments later and Cheriss had successfully brought Soto to the ground, Voldon planting a foot on the woman's chest.
"You could've been so much better." Voldon quietly confessed to the hissing Soto before plunging his saber deep into her thoracic cavity, the sickeningly sweet scent of cauterized flesh filling the air as he dug the saber in further, screams of torment filling the chamber for a few brief seconds before silence descended.
"Instead of standing there, you could've helped." Voldon looked back at the party with annoyance before adding:
"We take this passage up to the inner Chamber. That's where Manus will be. Stay on your guard." He looked to Cheriss for a moment.
"Happy to see your reinforcements arrived. We'll need the help."
With the party combined, they traversed the ever sloping path upwards, silence exchanged between all members of the party except for a few side conversations that Yerbol chose to not be a part of. He had learned from their previous encounters with massively powerful Force users that he needed to focus intensely to have the slightest chance of coming out victorious. He thought he could feel Aria prodding him through their bond, but he chose not to respond. Hopefully she could understand his desire for muteness.
They found themselves in front of gilded golden doors that, when pushed, opened up easily to reveal a similarly laid out chamber to the one beneath, except this area was smaller in scope and featured the same ornately carved doors that they had just entered through. In the center of the room were three Voss in robes, their eyes closed, legs crossed in meditative positions. Behind them stood Manus with a smirk of triumph enhancing his already smug features.
"To think that you would kill Jean so handily, Voldon. I'm surprised."
"Enough of your games, Manus. Let the Voss go."
"No, no, don't change the subject, Voldon." He moved to the right, his saber hilt jangling against ebony colored durasteel greaves.
"Jean was a soft, warm woman who you just...cut down without a second thought. I would think a former lover would have had more compassion." Voldon's neck muscles tightened, veins nearly bursting on his forehead, but didn't speak.
"Ah well. She served her purpose, didn't she? A good warm up for the show." He flicked his right wrist, sending all three Voss flying backwards, their bodies thudding onto the ground.
"Isn't that amazing? Their trances are so deep that even a powerful burst of Force energy can't disturb them."
"What have you done to them?"
"Me? Nothing!" He held out a hand.
"No, no, scratch that, I DID so something: I provided them with motivation. If they didn't want to see this..." He waved to indicate the temple.
"Crumble to the ground in tiny bits, they were to find the location of two very important people."
"Who?"
"You REALLY think I want you to know? Really? The famed strategist Manus Vo giving away a mission objective? Come now, Voldon, we may be on opposing sides now, but my tactics haven't changed. All you need to know as of now is that this place is going to be your tomb. Along with all the other precious 'Qyaari' you brought with you." The mystics were thrown out of the room with another flick o the wrist, all doors in every direction slamming shut.
"There are so many of you, but just one of me. Think you handle the odds?" Yerbol ignited his saber and leaped forward, Voldon shouting after him:
"HE'S GOT COUNTERMEASURES! STOP!" Before Yerbol could get very far, flames shot up from the ground from hidden vents embedded in the floors. Manus chuckled as he flung Yerbol to the left, the Champion clattering to the ground. As he stood up, Manus uttered a boast:
'This temple is just chock FULL of surprises. I wonder if you can get through them... to me." He stood in the center of the room as flames gushed in front of him, forming a barrier which would incinerate any who dared to cross. Just then, the doors to both left and right entranceways flung open, two squadrons of Faceless streaming into the room.
"Cheriss, lead the others against the Faceless! I'll deal with Manus!" Before she could object, he told her with solemnity:
"This is what the Force guided me to. Don't stand in the way."
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El Taco Taco
The Elvenqueen