"SRF-1M" Elyrphiel vs. Adept Tasha'Vel Versea

Located on the Rimma Trade Route within the Outer Rim territories, Dagobah could very well be the best place in the Galaxy to hide. The remote location of the planet in combination with the lack of any kind of advanced civilization made it a system of little value to any kind of galactic government. The planet is hot, humid, and mostly filled with foggy, swamp-like jungles.

Dragonsnake Bog is a murky lagoon on the surface of the planet. Fog covers the cloudy waters of the bog. The waters ranged in depth, but at its deepest the bog was roughly 4 meters deep. Even in the shallow areas, the floor of the bog was thick with mud, making it easy for something or someone to get stuck within the lagoon.

True to its name, Dragonsnake Bog was the home of the large, snake-like creature known as the dragonsnake. The beast had an average length of 7 meters and weight of roughly 200 kilograms, though some fully grown dragonsnakes were much larger. It had large, venomous fangs that could help it to subdue prey and a hunger that was nearly unmatched. The dragonsnake usually hid just below the surface of the water, waiting for an opportunity to find its next meal. Once the creature spotted a snack, it would quickly lunge out to attack it.

An Ascendant Drone moved through the dense fog. The polished chromium shell caught fragments of light that had managed to pierce through Dagobah’s cloud cover, silver and gold briefly gleaming through the dense forest. Reinforced steel plating and sealed seams aided in protecting the droid from the elements, as it hovered lower to observe the surrounding landscape. The Drone glided through the trees, as its artificial intelligence made various calculations to begin cataloging the unfamiliar terrain. Tangled roots and thick vegetation surrounded the stagnant, murky depths.

It began to descend, silver and gold reflection shimmering atop the dark surface of the water below, with a beam of light gleaming from the central photoreceptor as it continued a routine scan. When the Ascendant Drone approached a cluster of reeds, from somewhere nearby a branch suddenly snapped, breaking the silence. Then another. The Ascendant Drone stopped and rotated several degrees, locking its primary crimson photoreceptor onto where the sound of the disturbance had come from. The intelligence housed within the dense mental shell came to the conclusion of a possible predator, just as SRF-1M had warned prior to their arrival together.

Before the drone could adjust course, a large reptavian shape emerged through the mist in vibrant hues of blue and green. The varactyl clawed across the muddy bank with a predatory growl that sounded in ripples, as it locked onto the hovering metal machine. The Drone began to hum quietly, defensive beams beginning to activate beneath within its central core. The varactyl lunged, claws tearing through wet ground as it surged forward, jaws snapping towards the Ascendant Drone. The Ascendant climbed abruptly, narrowly avoiding the bite before gliding sideways through the fog. A beam of red light flashed through the haze of the swamp in reaction, though the varactyl instinctively sprung to avoid the fired attack, which struck the mud and left deep scorch marks across the soil.

Elyrphiel descended from the shadows of the trees in a flash of silver, her chromatic appearance carrying the unmistakable resemblance to that of advanced cybernetics. Her pupiless golden gaze landed on her Drone, then to the reptavian within a calculating manner. Suddenly, the approach of another emerged from the vegetation, as a sapphire skinned female Twi’lek burst through the surrounding swamp.

"Varashi!" Tasha'Vel Versea's emerald eyes locked immediately onto the conflict at hand. Just as the varactyl sprang at the Drone again, Tasha reacted after a brief moment of calculation. A bolt of green ichor gathered around her outstretched hand and fired across the clearing, striking the side of the Ascendant Drone. A second bolt followed, this one with enough force to send the droid careening into the water with a loud splash, disappearing beneath the murky surface.

Elyrphiel's attention snapped toward Tasha. Her internal programming processed the hostile action at nearly the same instant as her conscious mind, information flowing directly through her own cybernetic structures alongside what little of her organic nervous system still remained. Force capable combatant. Threat classification elevated. Electricity began to gather between Elyrphiel's fingers, rippling around them in a series of white sparks in preparation as she gazed down at the female Twi'lek.

She paused her attack, as the Ascendant Drone suddenly shot upward from the water. Various waterproof seals had already engaged throughout the droid’s joints, effectively protecting the internal systems beneath. And yet, something else moved beneath the surface of the lagoon. A large, shadowy silhouette slid beneath the ripples of the water in coils. A dragonsnake rapidly lunged upwards from the depths, following the path of the droid. Its jaws unhinged, revealing sharpened fangs, snapping towards the Ascendant Drone and missing only by a few inches as the machine sped forwards.

The dragonsnake paused only once it reached the edge of the water. Slit like eyes scanned for prey in a predatory manner, locking onto where Varashi stood, still growling up at the Drone as it rushed by into the fog. The dragonsnake surged from the lagoon, meeting Varashi head on in a matter of seconds. Before the varactyl could fully react, the dragonsnake twisted around the reptavian in an ambush, dragging the other creature towards the water. Varashi's claws tore through the mud and across stones, desperately seeking to find purchase, as the varactyl thrashed in protest against the dragonsnake’s tightening grip. Tasha advanced, lightsaber drawn, just as the two began to vanish into the water.

Elyrphiel did not yet move, her gaze fixed upon Tasha, whose earlier attack still registered within her mind. The logic within her Collective programming insisted that the Twi'lek represented a threat, and that the distraction created by the dragonsnake should have been advantageous to Elyrphiel’s efforts. And yet, as Varashi made whimpering sounds, thrashing barely above the water with wide eyes…. Elyrphiel knew that expression. Could understand it, on some level, with distant memories of pain that broke through her programming in fractured images.

A subtle change passed the flawless metallic features of Elyrphiel's face. “Threat has been identified. Dragonsnake," She said, her voice carrying the faint melodic resonance native to a Diathim, fused with the various electronic distortions of her reconstructed vocal cords. "Aquatic predator. Highly venomous,” Elyrphiel continued as she moved forwards. Her massive wings snapped open, with enough force to send a soft gust through the fog, the forms of them coated in engineered metallic silver and gold feathers.

Below, the dragonsnake began to open its jaws, head rearing back in preparation to land a bite to Varashi’s neck. Elyrphiel folded her wings slightly inward to gain speed, dropping lower. Her first punch struck the side of the dragonsnake's skull. The impact carried the full weight of her muscular metal frame behind it, amplified strength focused through the movement of her arm. Scaled flesh and layers of muscle compressed beneath Elyrphiel’s fist as the creature's head snapped sideways, dark water spraying from its jaws. Her metallic wings extended behind her, while her golden gaze remained fixed on the predator, already calculating the next strike.

A long muscular tail shot out from the murky waters from behind, attempting to wrap around the metallic angel. “Varactas, Vilruna illuminate!” Brilliant violet light crackled from Tasha’s one saber in hand and now a second one. She balanced herself on a large tree branch, her hands waved outward as she let go of both violet blades. They rose into the air and began to twirl like a wheel. Around and around, picking up momentum until finally, glaring at the dragonsnake, who was shaking it’s head from the angel’s strike, Tasha smirked. “Rip and tear.” With a flick of her wrists, the sabers whistled through the air straight for the tail.

Sickening sizzles, mixed with the sound of flesh tearing as the blades carved through the tough scaly skin, melting the bone as they mutilated the tail into a stump. Rearing back and roaring, the Dragonsnake dropped Varashi from its grip as it tried to snap at the Ascendant Drone, but missed while her wings swiftly propelled her to the right of the beast. With calculated precision, the dazzling Diathim aimed her shoulder cannon and fired two missiles directly into the gaping mouth of the beast. They exploded against the back of the beast’s throat blowing the head off sky high. Putrid chunks of brain matter, muscle, blood and bone scattered into the water as the body fell back into the depths, nothing but a smoking rotten carcass for the bottom feeders.

“Hostile Dragonsnake eliminated, scanning for more potential threats.”

Hot steam blew off from the shoulder cannon as it tucked back neatly into her shoulder. Her gold-lit eyes now gazed upon the Twi’lek, observing and analyzing this opponent. She hovered in place over the calmer murky waters.

Impressed, Tasha smirked at the angelic individual, her hand pulled forward, sending the whirling blades back into her hands as she held them.

“Varashi, heel!” Obediently, the blue-and-teal-skinned varactyl scrambled out of the water and leaped for the branch that Tasha’Vel stood on.

Her eyes narrowed warily, she didn’t trust this Diathim. “While I appreciate you rescuing my companion, I unfortunately cannot quite trust you. No hard feelings.”

“Extreme hostility detected.”

Bracing herself, Elyrphiel began calculating every possible combat scenario she could think of in mere seconds as she readied for the Twi’lek’s retaliation. There was a high probability she would throw the lightsabers. Wasting no time, she flew up higher and dove swiftly towards the Sith. Amplifying her speed once more, she approached Tasha’Vel at breakneck speed before the Sith had a chance to throw her blades.

Using her speed, the Force Disciple had planned to punch the Sith in the face and incapacitate her before she struck. While about halfway through her dramatic dive, Elyrphiel immediately teleported herself into Tasha’s space, set her gloves ablaze with fire and threw back her fist for a swift hook punch. Unfortunately, to her surprise she felt very sluggish.

“Nice try, Angel.”

She attempted to dodge backwards, but even that felt so much slower. This Twi’lek was somehow causing her amplified speed and power to falter, yet she did not seem to break a sweat. Even while she tried to move, the Diathim could see the murderous spinning violet blades of Tasha'vel were about to carve a deep canyon into her metallic body.

“Targeted threat extremely dangerous; recalculating maneuvers.”

She then concentrated on the Sith, sending her and the Varashi fifty meters away from her body.

The Twi'lek and Varashi had vanished further away from her in an instant. The silver Diathim climbed higher, her mechanical wings extending as she rose above the canopy. Damp leaves and moss brushed against the reinforced edges of durasteel feathers, as she broke through the uppermost branches and rose into the humid clouds over Dagobah. Below her, the dense trees disappeared into an endless haze of dark green, broken only by reflective pools of water and mist.

“Hostile still nearby…. Distance is approximately seventy meters,” Her voice spoke. Elyrphiel's fluorescent golden eyes narrowed, as she glided a bit lower. Her augmented vision filtered through the haze, focusing in until the distant shape of the sapphire Twi’lek appeared among the twisted trees, with Varashi close to her side. Instead, Elyrphiel began to concentrate on the surrounding air, on the patch of swamp that surrounded Tasha’Vel. The first shift was almost insignificant… Warm droplets of water struck Tasha's lekku and Varashi's smooth scales.

Tasha gazed upward, only to see that the dull gray clouds over her had begun to darken, as rain began to fall. And through it all, hovered the distant silhouette of Elyrphiel from somewhere within the mist, wings extended. The soft drizzle soon gave way into a steady downpour, striking against broad leaves and flowing over exposed roots. Wind howled through the swamp next, snapping reeds around where the Twi’lek stood, as thunder echoed from somewhere above the canopy.

Rain began to hammer against the surrounding swamp, sharply decreasing visibility, as sheets of water poured down around Tasha. The saturated earth soon lost its ability to absorb more water, as the banks of the swamp began to quickly overflow. Within minutes, what had once been knee deep swamp water climbed rapidly toward Tasha's waist, in a torrent of waves. Varashi gave a startled cry and began to paddle, her long body twisting as she fought against the current, with Tasha grasping onto the creature’s side. The Twi’lek’s sabers began to sputter in their exposure to the elements, though their core construction still remained intact. “Kriff,” Tasha muttered to herself.

Above the clouds of rain, Elyrphiel continued to watch, hovering in place. “Environmental pressure increasing,” She spoke quietly as she asserted her focus. Tasha swam toward the nearest tree, catching a low branch with one hand with Varashi still at her side, to begin pulling herself upward. The swamp shifted beneath her, as a deep cracking sound echoed beneath the downpour. The soil around the tree became completely saturated, as roots that had once anchored the enormous trunk ripped free from the mud. An entire section of the embankment soon collapsed into the rushing water, carrying branches and soil with it. Tasha disappeared beneath the flood, and the waves carried Varashi further downriver. A twisted mass of roots caught Tasha’s legs, holding her underneath the muddy water. Her hands immediately pushed against the submerged timber, as she instinctively searched for a way to break free.

Elyrphiel turned slightly toward the Ascendant Drone, without breaking her sense of focus on the weather below, “Ensure the creature remains separated from the conflict. Do not injure it, or elevate stress levels.” The Drone pivoted in midair and flew lower, as soon as the order was received.

Beneath the water, Tasha held her breath, closing her eyes for a moment. Her fingertips curled, as the Force surged outward around her. The mass of roots pinning her shook before being wrenched sideways, as several fallen trees were telekinetically lifted away from her. Tasha kicked free, breaking through the water’s surface with a sharp gasp. Rain poured down her face as she gazed upwards. Even through the storm, she could see the faint silver and gold silhouette hovering above the canopy. Her hand rose, as the half submerged logs around her began to tremble. One trunk launched upwards, flung towards the Diathim, with a second following from a different direction.

Elyrphiel swiftly angled her wings, rolling to the side through the air. Rather than simply reacting, she began to calculate the angle at which Tasha had launched the object. Another fallen tree passed overhead, causing Elyrphiel to fold her wings inward and drop lower. And yet, something had begun to change. The rainfall grew weaker, and the winds began to falter in place. For several moments, the swamp had grown more still, and Tasha had not failed to notice how the distraction had proved effective in breaking Elyrpiel’s hold over the localized storm.

Rain began to strike the canopy once more, as Elyrphiel attempted to reclaim her concentration, yet Tasha grit her teeth in determination to not give the Diathim that opportunity. Green ichor began to form around the Sith's fingers as she suddenly swept her arm upwards, firing a bolt through the mist. Elyrphiel barely evaded the flash of green, moving sideways as the emerald projectile passed beside her head, close enough to singe the reinforced plating of her cheek.

Though the attack had missed, Tasha was pleased… Striking the Diathim had never been the point, but rather, to break her sense of concentration. The rain ceased, even if the area of swamp still remained shifted with the water that stretched between the trees, flooding the terrain. Only thick branches and the occasional protruding rock now offered somewhere to stand, which Tasha moved towards in a single leap. Her breathing remained controlled, though considerably heavier than before. She closed her eyes for a heartbeat, glimpsing through the various possibilities

Her eyes suddenly snapped open. Above her, Elyrphiel had already moved. One mechanical hand extended downward, with white sparks of electricity beginning to gather at her fingertips, just as Tasha had sensed. Rather than climb higher atop the boulders she now balanced on, the Twi’lek lunged toward the exposed trunk of an enormous tree. The trunk rested at an angle above the flood, dense enough to form a barrier from the open water. Tasha lifted herself onto one of its raised roots, ducking behind the wood and creating as much separation from the water's surface as she could.

Elyrphiel's golden eyes burned through the mist as white lightning struck down from her hand, aimed towards the water. For one instant, electricity flowed in a web across the water’s surface, branching lower through the mud. Despite the trunk between herself and the direct strike, part of the electrical discharge traveled through the soaked wood towards Tasha. The energy dispersion system of her armor carried much of the electrical surge across the protective shell, rather than allowing it to sweep through her body.

Slowly, Tasha lifted her head, looking through the thinning mist toward the gleaming figure hovering above her. Elyrphiel remained motionless for several seconds. Her golden eyes swept across the flooded battlefield, processing the environment alongside Tasha. The swamp had become an expanse of deep water, with considerable distance now separating the two combatants. New calculations rapidly swept through Elyrphiel's mind. The Diathim lowered her hands, as her assessments told her that the distance between them and changed landscape, now aided in creating a lower threat level.

Her attention momentarily shifted towards where Varashi rested in the distance. The creature had since managed to climb atop a remaining patch of muddy land above the floodwaters. Elyrphiel's gaze snapped back to Tasha as she channeled her focus one last time, causing the Sith to vanish fifty meters away once again. A moment later, Tasha reappeared upon the muddy bank beside Varashi. The exhausted varactyl immediately turned toward Tasha, tail wagging expectantly.

Elyrphiel's Ascendant Drone that had once hovered nearby began to retreat, gliding back to her side. High above the flooded swamp, Elyrphiel's mechanical wings spread to their full extent. The gleaming Diathim moved through the lingering mists, gaining altitude until the trees began to vanish from view. With a powerful sweep of her wings, the chromium angel soared across Dagobah's darkened sky, her luminous silhouette gradually fading into the haze.

Her Ascendant drone continued to monitor and calculate. Varashi and Tasha’Vel were cast into the bog and found themselves suddenly swimming in deep, nasty water. After she sheathed her blades, Tasha’Vel immediately swam towards a nearby tree as her Varactyl followed.

Target threat is 50 meters west; recommended firing shoulder cannon.

Elyrphiel’s shoulder-mounted cannon rose again from its tucked position, locked onto the swimming Twi’lek, and launched her last two missiles. As they cut across the bog, Tasha’Vel felt a disturbance and dived under the horrendous, putrid waters.

“RAWWR!” Sensing his master in danger, the Varactyl spotted the oncoming missiles and tried to leap out of the water, snapping his jaws at one, while the second impacted, both exploding and instantly killing the beast in a shower of blood, guts, and viscera. Tasha’Vel dived down about seven meters and activated her barrier, which blocked the rest of the blast and shattered it, protecting her. Seething at having just lost her beloved companion, her emerald eyes flashed while she held her breath underwater. Amplifying her speed with the Force, she kicked her legs upwards and swam up, surfaced, and made her way onto land again. Her lips curled into a sneer.

“You are gonna regret that, metal angel.”

Missiles depleted, target threat still active. Calculating next move.

The Diathim began analyzing the environment, and the Twi’lek, who was now moving towards her at a Force-amplified pace, began closing the distance quickly.

Focusing on the Sith, the Force Disciple looked and pointed at Tasha’Vel while concentrating on the Force. Immediately, the sky darkened with a large, ominous black cloud above Tasha’Vel as lightning flashed around her and struck a nearby tree, setting it on fire while rain pounded down on her like a torrential flood. It slowed her a bit as she fought against it.

“Takes more than a thunderstorm to take me!” She pressed forward as the Force Disciple kept her focus on the storm, trying to break her.

“Waaaarrhhhh!” The Twi’lek roared defiantly as she lifted one of the fallen large branches from the bog trees and hurled it straight for the Diathim. She then took another and another, lifting and throwing in quick succession.

Warning: heavy objects about to impact; calculating, sending dodging maneuvers and retaliat—

SMACK!

The drone went down into the bog as Tasha’Vel brought another large branch down, striking the drone and sending it deep into the murky waters. The storm let up for a moment as Elyrphiel teleported directly behind Tasha, her fists now aflame with a greenish hue once more as she threw back and punched. To her surprise and quickness, Tasha’Vel whirled around and grabbed both her fists mid-punch, using her might combined with her telekinetic powers to halt her punching momentum.

“Game over bitch.” Lightning crackled through her fingers as bluish-white lightning surged and electrocuted the Diathim; she felt her systems starting to short-circuit as the power increased. Tasha’Vel wasn't letting go, despite the agony of the Force-borne electricity channeling through her enemy and back into herself via touch.

“YOU KILLED MY BELOVED VARASHI, I WILL END YOU!”

Lightning continued as she held onto the Diathim; however, Elyrphiel threw up a barrier and activated her repulsor gloves, sending Tasha back three meters away from her.

“I am not finished, Varactas, Vilruna illuminate!” Both blades ignited in a brilliant violet light as she halted her lightning and found a large boulder on the ground. Her hate-filled cold eyes glared at the Diathim as her hands moved forward, sending the boulder on a murderous rampage. It began to pummel the barrier relentlessly. The Diathim punched back once more, sending the boulder away from her, but Tasha’Vel brought it back and continued to pummel her until the barrier shattered. As it came down, she moved in, hacking and slashing the Diathim with both gleaming violet blades. Her hatred poured into each powerful strike, beating and berating against the metal angel until her left arm melted off at the joint, dropping to the ground before she turned the blades onto the second arm, delivering swift judgment and slicing it clean off.

But Tasha’Vel wasn’t finished. Not by a long shot.

Sheathing her blades, she gripped her first set of wings and, with a guttural primal scream, combined with the Force focused in her arms, ripping and tearing them off. A sickening crack emitted as the metal gave way from wires and nodes while it tore from its base. Panting heavily, Tasha’Vel sent them flying before activating her lightsabers once more and battered the wingless angel until she was nothing but a smoking scrap pile on the ground.

Glaring at the heap, she sheathed her blades and wiped her brow as she made her way out of the bog. “I need a long hot sonic shower after all this.”