Kyradia was getting increasingly agitated waiting for Zash, the desert was way too quiet but she could sense all the danger in the galaxy approaching and she wasn't going to let it escape this time. They had left their speeders nearby so Malora could set up some kind of ambush, she tried her best to remain calm and collected she couldn't let her anger overtake her now or she'd make a mistake like she did on Yavin IV. She looked to her left and right, Ashara and Malora stood ready there seemed to be some tension between them but they at least both looked ready.
Ashara broke the silence "are you sure these things will work, what if they don't go off" Ashara had been skeptical of this plan but it was better than trying to catch them on speeders
Malora scoffed "I'm sure don't question it just because you don't understand Jedi, even if the sensors don't cause the trap to go off I can do it manually" Kyradia could sense the tension but she wasn't gonna be the one to diffuse it there was more at stake right now.
But then she sensed something she spotted two dots on the horizon "shush they're close" she watched as the dots slowly got bigger she didn't take her eyes off them for a single second. Soon they were barreling towards her and she could sense Zash's presence, she smiled she couldn't run forever.
Her hand went to her saberstaff as they came into range of the traps, two plumes of sand erupted and she watched as the speeders skidded and the form of the Mirilian tumbled out of the sand onto the ground. She frowned where was Zash? A second later a figure dropped down next to Terri unscathed by the attack and snarling at them, Zash loosened up as she whispered to Terri but not taking her eyes off Kyradia.
Kyradia gritted her teeth as she ignited her saber, seconds later Zash's sabers shot to life and she lunged forward towards Kyradia it was time to fight
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Zash jumped across the distance between them and slammed down with her sabers against Kyradia's staff "well well well Kyradia I thought I sensed an afterthought" she turned to look to Malora "and look you've picked up a stray, here for your experiment I bet how terribly boring" Malora snarled dashing forward trying to cleave into Zash's stomach. But Zash saw it coming immediately and blocked it with her yellow saber, Kyradia and Malora began to each try to break Zash's defense but neither could get past her blocking.
Malora hissed "I'm here for what's mine, don't think I'll be so easily beaten" Kyradia could see out the corner of her eye as Ashara tried to help them but was blocked by the Mirilian, looks like this was going to be a sith exclusive at least for the time being.
Zash chuckled "my dear the bar isn't exactly high" she parried Malora's attack before a sudden jolt of electricity sent her flying backwards. Zash smiled turning back to Kyradia "now that your new toy is out the way I suppose I'll have to teach you another lesson apprentice" Kyradia could feel the anger build up inside her as she fought one of her oldest enemies
Kyradia snarled "I wouldn't bet on it Zash you got lucky" Kyradia pushed her saber forward againsts Zash's causing her to lose her balance for a second, Kyradia brought her saber up hoping to capitalize but Zash suddenly jumped rolling just out the way of her saber and landing crouched with a smile.
Zash continued to taunt as she stalked her target "I haven't heard from you in a while apprentice, too scared I may find out more about your past" Kyradia tried her best to hide the worry the snarl ever present on her face.
Kyradia could see Terri and Ashara had continued to fight doing her best to disarm the Mirilian "please listen to me why are you helping her" Ashara had more faith in the innocence act from the girl than Kyradia did
Terri pushed her back with the force "I could ask you the same question the commander is a ruthless killer don't lecture me on helping sith" Kyradia knew Terri had a point but she had to focus on the monster in front of her for now
Kyradia responded to Zash "you're being played, you either lose to me or you lose to the sisters but I want the satisfaction of you losing to me" Kyradia threw her saber out as a distraction as Zash went to parry it Kyradia channeled all her anger and flung Zash towards her getting ready to kick her in the stomach
But Zash was ready to turn herself around as she flew towards Kyradia using the force of Kyradia's kick to propel herself over her, she landed and went to stab at Kyradia. Kyradia dodged out the way trying to pull her saber back to her hand as Zash responded "you think I don't know they're playing me Kyradia of course I have my own plan for that, this body isn't my only contingency apprentice" the stabs were getting closer and closer and Kyradia felt something stopping her from being able to pick it up "I'm not letting you block your way out of this one apprentice this loose end should've been tied up a long time ago" she lunged forward to try and stab Kyradia but a flash of red flung into Kyradias view blocking the attack.
Kyradia looked to see Malora slide in front of her picking back up her saber "find your saber Commander we'll need both of us to defeat her" Kyradia felt Malora push her back blocking the strikes from Zash
Zash snarled "oh please you think you can stop me scientist" she begun a barrage of strikes at Malora it was clear Malora couldn't land a hit on her and was merely stalling, Kyradia scrambled to find her saber which had been left far away past Terri and Ashara
They seemed fairly evenly matched neither having made headway on the other, Kyradia rushed past rolling to pick up her saber as Zash and Malora continued "you'd be surprised Zash I'm not so clueless anymore and it's time to exterminate a fossil" Malora activated some kind of gadget grabbing Zash's arm and shocking her
Zash shrieked in pain but the shrieks soon turned into a cackle as the electricity focussed into her palm "oh wrong move scientist, it's a shame you would've been so much more competent under my tutelage" she let out an intense burst of lightning which sent Malora flying back into the sand.
She started to breath heavily looking around extremely panicked, grasping at her neck Kyradia didn't understand why but she was in trouble, she shouted to Ashara "Ashara! Malora's in trouble" Ashara nodded as Kyradia focussed with the force holding Terri in place while Ashara ran towards Zash as she closed in on Malora.
Quickly Ashara ran into Zash's path pushing her back with the force, Zash kept moving forward admittedly slower "ah well well well the little apprentice we manipulated is still around following orders" Kyradia could see Ashara struggling and began to run back towards them
But before she could the Mirilian stood in front of her "NO s-stop" she didn't seemed very confident but it'd still slow her down
Kyradia stood tall "get out of my way kid you don't understand what you're doing" Terri didn't budge a new wave of anger coming over her face.
Terri held her lightsaber ready "I understand that you don't give people a second chance, that you kill people who disobey you and that you won't stop until you have revenge. That you're cruel and allowed and endorsed a corrupt system for your own selfish reasons and I understand that's not someone I want to let by" she lunged forward with a new found anger catching Kyradia by surprise deflecting a series of impassioned strikes
Behind them Ashara also stood ready "you don't scare me Zash we defeated you before we can again" Zash seemed amused by the statement getting closer and closer
Zash smiled "oh honey you show such devotion to someone who uses you maybe you should've been my apprentice you'd fit right in" Ashara shuddered at the statement but stood ready while Zash lunged at her hitting her with strike after strike
Ashara tried her best to keep it up but was falling back "She's not using me! Not anymore and you can't manipulate me no one can not anymore" her strikes continued and just before she was overpowered Malora's saber came into view blocking her red saber pushing Zash back.
Zash snarled at each of them "fighting you apprentices is beneath me I'm done playing with my food" an intense blast of force energy pushed them both back as she swung her sabers forward
Kyradia could see that Zash would overpower them soon she didn't have time for this girl time to appeal to her innocent side "look I'll be honest you may be right I'm cruel, self serving and short tempered but i'm trying to be better, I can admit my flaws ,but can Zash?" Terri seemed confused for a second and in that second Kyradia took the opportunity to hit her in the face with her saber causing her to fall back to the ground.
Kyradia couldn't take a minute though as she saw Zash starting to overpower Ashara and Malora, she sprinted up the hill and threw her saber towards Zash. Malora seemed to take note of this and activated another gadget spraying acid, Kyradia heard a scream but once again she seemed to take that pain and manipulate it.
Zash snarled "how dare you this form is brand new, you're no-" before she finished however she felt Kyradia's saber embed itself in her should causing her to shriek out in immense pain, it was the first clean hit anyone had got on Zash and the fury was clear.
Kyradia pulled her saber out as Zash stumbled but when Kyradia arrived next to Zash she vanished striding away, Kyradia looked around her and noticed a phantom like shape she was very familiar with circling them.
Electricity started to pulsate creating a wall of dark shadow energy, the lightning itself surrounding the three of them, Kyradia gasped she'd never thought this possible she had to protect them or they'd all be fried to a crisp.
What could she do though shields weren't her thing she turned to Ashara "Ashara! We need a shield now how do we do that" she looked as confused as Kyradia
Ashara considered it "I um I guess just clear your mind and reach out" she frowned "and maybe hold hands to channel our power" Malora and Kyradia both scoffed but as the column of shadow encircled them they were willing to try anything.
They joined hands and focussed, Kyradia tried her best but she was furious Zash would get away she knew it but it was either protect themselves or die. She tried her best to let go of the pain and think of something calm, something innocent before Zash, her mind drifted to home but not when she was a teenager before all that happened with her family if she could really call just a brother that. She felt her eyes well up, she missed that more than she realised she shook off the feeling and when she opened her eyes she saw that the lightning was sparking off a very small shield around the three of them. She smiled it had worked at least somewhat she just hoped it was enough.
She looked out to see if she could spot Zash but she could already hear the sound of a speeder startup and as the column of shadow dissipated he speeder with Zash and her apprentice was shooting off towards the nearby ridge
Malora cursed to herself "we have to follow them now they can't get away!" she sliced at the ground with her saber her features looking more savage than normal as she let out a furious growl
Ashara gasped "uh that might be tricky" she pointed to where their speeders had been but now all they could see was piles of scrap where the speeders had been
Kyradia gritted her teeth "great so not only did she escape again but now we're stuck in the desert" this situation had gone from bad to worse…
Terri awoke suddenly feeling the wind on her hair she looked up realising she was in the cave they'd parked the ship in, she realised she was being carried. She tapped on Zash's shoulder "um I'm awake you can put me down" Zash nodded setting her down "what happened Zash I thought we were fighting the Commander" Zash turned to face her causing Terri to shriek noticing she had a rather bad acid burn on the right side of her face as well as a stab wound in her shoulder she was nursing as she walked
Zash snarled "what happened is you got tricked by that bitch Kyradia and as a result I had to fight them all off" she winced in great pain as Terri slowly watched the burn heal itself up once again resembling Lusari's face "I am extremely weak because of all the energy I used today, fly us out of here quickly to make up for it" Terri had never heard Zash so harsh before but she guessed getting such an injury would make you angry. Still it wasn't her fault right? she paused realising it was, the Commander had acted like they were changing their ways just so she could get past Terri.
They made their way back onto the ship "sorry Zash I'm just a little too trusting" Zash seemed to be returning to her normal self as they returned to the cockpit much less angry and understanding
Zash shook her head "from now on Terri don't trust what anyone says but me, you've seen first hand how people will try to trick you, so never trust anyone you even slightly doubt ok after all next time we may not be so lucky." Terri nodded, maybe that was a better rule she didn't want to get Zash hurt after all but did she trust Zash beyond a shadow of a doubt? She had to right? for Lusari, still she'd not admit her mistakes like the commander...