[Day 5 - EN] Sink into the Floor [Closed]

[The Inquisitor]

The Inquisitor had shed his customary armor and sat cross legged in his bedroom floating above the bed as music played on the sound system. A favorite of Valus, one he had not listened to in a long time… but after today it just felt like he should.

As he listened he realized how much he had changed over the years.

[Lord Vader]

He waited, weapon drawn.

[The Inquisitor]

Valus ignited his blade and came at his Master their blades clashed in the clean white chamber he had come a long way since he trained with Oraka the betrayer but those lessons came in use as he stayed patient yet aggressive. Lord Vader was precise and powerful and the better duelist by far but better did not always win as Oraka was fond of saying.

She took another bite of the souped-up bread. "She does not sound like the kind of person to leave a friend behind. Someone she looked up to." Cared deeply about.

Valus slid under a powerful strike, rolling and then springing up to his feet in a twist to come at Vader once more… but this wasn’t right as they cut and slashed through the soup kitchen! This was not the memory as he dove and avoided flying cutlery.

Their blade clashed knocking him to the ground the strength was incredible as he scrambled back until he used the force to push Lord Vader through a window to buy himself a moment. He got to his feet just in time for the Sith leap back into the fray and their blades clashed once more.

She looked at him thoughtfully. "I think they could accept him. If he realised what he had become, and that there was still a way back. That he could be a hero again, instead of someone else's pawn."

She slowly reached across the table to touch his skin. "You remind me of someone too. I cared about him deeply. He was called Valus."

She lowered her hand again. "I hope he is still out there, somewhere. But if he is not, I hold him in my heart."

The halls of the Old Temple on Coruscant echoed with the clashing of their lightsabers, pillars flew as Valus tried to stay one step ahead of the powerful master of the Dark Side. was this a vision… was this memory? His crimson blade cut through the pillar and sent it flying into two neat pieces as Vader followed with a powerful leaping overhead smash. Valus raised his blade to parry it was a near thing… but enough to keep him alive.

She held his hand, focused on the connection they shared, distracting him from the other guests. "Weak? Valus was not weak. But the dark side provides instant gratification. It is a shortcut Valus. It feeds on you. You know this."

She sought his eyes. "That which has been broken can be mended. Let me help you."

Back in the training chamber he said more to himself, “That which can be broken can be mended.”

They clashed again as Lord Vader overpowered him, grabbing his weapon arm and twisting it. He felt his weapon fall… the crimson blade dying as it clattered to the ground. Vader brought down the blade and cleanly severed the arm, but Valus fought through the pain and focused on that part of him that remained and summoned his weapon to his hand and drove it deep into Vader.

The blue blade struck true before he pulled it out and spun beheading his Master…

His eyes opened from the memory… the vision and he opened his mechanical hand to reveal a blue crystal, long ago lost.

“That which can be broken, can be mended,” he said again.

OOC: Redemption?

Valus Lightsaber vs. Lord Vader Nemesis 5: 3eP+1eA+1eB+3eC+1eD+2eS 1 success, 2 threat, 1 Triumph

[Dove Gray]

The Inquisitor had asked for her to report back to him about her meeting with the Admiral. It was getting late, but she figured she could make this last stop before finding her own bed to crash for the night.

Little did she know she was taking the elevator up to a dramatic moment.

The elevator gave a soft 'ping' sound as it arrived at the luxury penthouse, and Dove stepped out of it. She heard music still playing, but there was a stillness that made her pause and look around...

[The Inquisitor]

It was surprisingly peaceful, he started out the window of his bedroom wearing simple light clothes.

[Dove Gray]

Dove was no Jedi, or an Inquisitor, but she could get an impression of the peacefulness, compared to... whatever it was before. Fear? She pushed the thought away as she found him, approaching cautiously. "My Lord?"

Sometimes she could be cautious when it came to a scene she had a hard time grasping at first glance. And this was one.

[Dapper Dog]

A beat of contemplation and then he said, “What is it?”

[Dove Gray]

There was a hesitation, as no answer came right away.

"... You wished for me to report about my meeting with the Admiral, no?" she said after the long pause where she was studying his features. "... If it's a bad time, I can come back at another time, of course."

[The Inquisitor]

"No, go ahead," he said with a wave of his mechanical hand.

[Dove Gray]

Maybe she was just being too on edge now, or she was reading too much into things. Taking a deep breath, she took a step up to look at the window too.

Dove continued in a soft tone. "She called me to look into some leaks, and follow up on who she had picked out as the most likely targets. I'm sorry to say that connecting with the suspects occupied most of my time today, leaving not much time to continue my work for you. Sorry."

[The Inquisitor]

"And?" he asked.

[Dove Gray]

Dove shrugged. "I think the Admiral's leads are... a waste of time. The suspects lack the training, or the guts, or the skills, to pull off something like it. I'll have to work a bit more at it and see if anything comes up, since I don't think she's going to accept no result."

Her frustration slipped through as she sighed. "Maybe it's just all a setup, I don't know. Maybe she is just expecting me to fail."

[The Inquisitor]

"What do your instincts tell you?" he asked calmly.

[Dove Gray]

"Like its a trap. Like I'm the mouse in the maze," she chuckled, the frustration mixing in, shaking her head as she looked back out at the view.

[The Inquisitor]

A datapad flew to his hand and he handed it to her with images of her from all around the city including shots of her with Dak at his cabin.

"Because it is," he said flatly.

[Dove Gray]

Her eyes widened as she saw the images. She had been tailed almost the entire day without noticing? Had she really been this sloppy? What the kriff is the meaning of this?

She looked up from the datapad to look at him, and then back down again. "I... I don't understand."

[The Inquisitor]

“Something bigger is happening, and I am not in the loop of what that is,” he said honestly.

“She isn’t answering to me, which means I have no idea, but I suspect she is using you to lead her to Resistance targets. Clever. I should have thought of that.”

[Dove Gray]

She bit on her lower lip as he spoke. If he didn't know, and he couldn't bring the Admiral to heel, then this situation was even messier.

"Did she give you these pictures, or you get them somewhere else?" Just exactly what was the dynamic between the admiral and the inquisitor.

[The Inquisitor]

"She had them forwarded to me, I suspect so I would kill you," he responded. "It's really the only logical response."

[Dove Gray]

There was a sharp intake of air, her lips pressed together for a moment as she looked at him in silence.

"... Are you going to kill me?" she asked, her tone careful... anxious, even.

[The Inquisitor]

“You would already be dead, I suspect,” he said, not looking at her.

“I won’t play her executioner, though it is probably best you form an exit strategy, Dove Gray.”

[Dove Gray]

It was a strange relief. Well, it was always a relief to not die, but when she had first met him, Dove had suspected he would kill her easily the moment there was any indication of this kind of stuff.

Then something had changed. Or maybe she just hadn't seen it before. Maybe I've just been in deep for too long now, or I've become too conflicted about things.

"It seems like I should..." she sighed, holding the datapad out for him to take. "... I guess that will be the end of my service to you, my Lord. If she wants me dead, I can't stick around."

[The Inquisitor]

"It was a pleasure, and if you meet a soup girl named Xanna... tell her... tell her broken things can be mended, but they never forget," he said.

"May the Force be with you, Dove Gray."

[Dove Gray]

"That don't make a whole lot of sense, but sure, I will find her and tell her." She didn't know the entirety of that story to understand it, but it felt like an easy enough favor to do.

It had... been a ride. And then it ended like that. At least she wanted it to end with one memorable note. Her figure leaned in close and with a hand on his shoulder, as she closed the distance enough to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "And may the Force be with you too."

She let go of him and stepped away. "Stay strong, my Lord. Don't let the Admiral or anyone else kick you around." Her confident smile returned as she stepped away to leave. A dove would always find a way to fly out of trouble.