Beside the boy, Leoria shifted uncomfortably. "No," came her simple, honest answer. "I don't think it will be." His response bordered optimistic, as if their presence would somehow improve the situation. [i]It can't save these people,[/i] whispered the darker depths of her mind, but she immediately shoved it away. If Yerbol attempted to be positive, the least she could do was follow suit. So she nodded. "Clean up crew." Her smile was forced, but it was there. "Things can't get any worse at least."

[hr]

It has been a foolish, foolish thing to say. Of course things could worse. And they did, shortly after. The scream froze the blood in her veins, and as her fingertips brushed the hilt of her lightsaber, she moved closer to Yerbol's side. "What was that?" she asked on a whisper, though she knew full-well that her companion would not have the answer. It was just slightly comforting to hear her own voice fill the cavern, and not the screams. But the wail came again, and this time, the sound was accompanied by an approaching figure.

While they had known not what to expect, a pair of crazed troopers had not been high on the list of possibilities. As such, the pair had responded a bit more slowly than usual, shock and confusion rooting them where they stood. It was Yerbol who moved first, and it was fortunate that he did. The duo would most likely have been killed had he not.

[i]"RIA, DO SOMETHING."[/i]

But what was she supposed to do? The situation was so unlike anything that she had seen before. These men were clearly theirs, based on their attire. But there were rubies where their eyes should be. No, not rubies. Blood. And the lightning that danced from their fingertips was impossible, as only a limited number of dark uses were capable of such power. The scene she watched unfold before her was so wrong, in so many ways. Yet he called for her, and she knew she had to act.

The young woman lunged, her actions sure and practiced now that she had finally made a move. Her lightsaber was in hand, and the blue light that lit the cavern was suddenly joined by a more purple hue. She wasted no time, creating a tight arc around the two troops, and positioning herself directly behind them. They were so occupied with Yerbol that they could not react in time. With an electric whirr that seemed impossibly loud in the small space, she raked her lightsaber across the two men's backs.

Instantly, the tomb fell silent, save for the soft noise cast by the Jedi's weapons. Leoria turned hers off with a tap of her thumb. But in the light cast by Yerbol's, it was easy to see the paleness of her cheeks, and the haunted look in her eyes. "They were in pain," she announced robotically. "They were in pain. They said they were in pain, and so I had to do it."