Vodo almost scoffed, "It would be a mockery of that same Code not to stop you."

Then he drove forward, slashing and attacking aggressively, "I dislike fighting." he said, blocking a slash and driving forward again, "But if one must fight..."


"...win."

With that he abandoned the Makashi form and began attacking with Ataru, the fourth form. Such an abrubt switch was likely to confuse Vance, but not for long. The Sith was an amazing duelist.

The difference between Ataru and Makashi was Ataru was extremely acrobatic. Considered by some as too flashy, it incorporated alot of Force-assisted jumps, spins, flips and others moves.

Vodo leaped and used the Force to flip over Jas, striking at the Sith's head three times. Vance blocked and replied with a twirl of his blade, forcng Vodo onto the defensive.

Vodo continued leaping, attacking from multiple different angles, trying to overwhelm Jas.

"It would be a mockery of that same Code not to stop you."

Vance smirked, leaping back as the Jedi attacked, unleashing with a series of powerful and quick slashes. "I dislike fighting." he said, blocking a slash and driving forward again, "But if one must fight..."


"...win."

Vance chuckled, twisting his blade in his hands, parrying with a precision that allowed him to escape severe injury by the Jedi's staff; through the actual damage it would cause was probably considerably less than a lightsaber, it would no doubt hurt and cause pain.

And suddenly the Jedi swapped forms once more, launching into Makashi, Form II. The draft, almost regeal strokes and attacks given by the Jedi were worthy of respect; Vance was an accomplished duelist, and he could only acknolwedge such skill in the Jedi creature...

As the Jedi leapt over him, Vance lifted his lightsaber, twisting his body ina circle as he knocked aside multiple strikes at his head. His lightsaber completed a full rotation above him, effectively stopping the Jedi's attacks, and stabbing forward Vance launched into a series of his own counter-attacks; Form IV was the strongest form, and Vance would use that to his advantage, especially if the Jedi was using Makashi.

The Jedi flipped forward, but this time Vance was ready; he had been studying the creature's moves, the subtle shift in his posture before he launched himself with powerful legs. And this time the Sith had managed to read him like a book...

...and pushing his hand outward, Vance caught the Jedi mid-leap with a force push. The air rippled and the invisible energy surrounded the defenseless victim.

With a grin, Vance backed away, keeping his lightsaber up as he ensured he had enough distance to make good his escape. And with an incline of his head, Vance began to turn. "I would enjoy if this encounter continued, but I must leave. I sense your fellow Jedi are on the way, and we can't have a lone Sith confronted by so many a foe, yes?" And rushing back the way he had come, Vance began sprinting.

His usually silent steps were loud, almost to the point of thundering through the deathly quiet halls of the Jedi temple, but he did not care. Reaching the large anti-chamber that held the entrance, Vance flipped forward over the second-story balcony; free falling for a split second, he landed easily enough on the first floor, moving into a run in the same motion...

He could sense the Jedi behind him.

Spinning, Vance brought his lightsaber up, knocking aside another strike by the Jedi creature. The being was quick, extremely so, and his compact form was obviously a means of hiding such secreted abilities. Yet, even as the two combatants continued to engage one another in combat, Vance knew that every moment he wasted, the less his chances of survival; coupled with the fact that the exit to freedom beyond the temple was simply a few meters behind him...

"I can not stay to play, Jedi." Vance sneered, his stance falling back to the defensive as he continued to prepare to parry and block attacks. "But I have to admit you're the most amusement I've been able to appreciate in a long while, indeed..."

ooc: If you didn't want Vodo to follow Vance, then let me know and I can edit accordingly.

"I would enjoy if this encounter continued, but I must leave. I sense your fellow Jedi are on the way, and we can't have a lone Sith confronted by so many a foe, yes?"

Vodo landed with a thud as Vance released him from his Force grip. Vodo felt a surge of annoyance but quickly suppressed it. As he hit the ground he immediately entered into a Force-assisted roll and came forward in a guarded crouch.

This Sith certainly was't anything like the last one Vodo had faced.

The Sith Lord was an amazing duelist and had countered the Jedi Knight's every attack with an ease that almost frightened Vodo. Vodo would have to try something new to defeat him.

And like a good Jedi, he had plenty of tricks.

Vance took off running, with the Jedi in hot pursuit. Vodo sensed Vance tense, which was a warning of an impending counter attack by the Sith.

Vodo leaped again lashing out quickly with his stick. Vance batted it aside in a powerful block and waded in, smashing his way through. Vodo fell back, parrying and blocking wildly, barely able to defend himself. He felt his body weakening...

The Sith being was talking again. Vodo barely noticed.

"...but I have to admit you're the most amusement I've been able to appreciate in a long while, indeed..."

Vodo leaped again, but instead of attacking he put all of his effort into his control of the Force, which allowed him to sail high above Vance's head. He landed between the Sith and the exit.

Between Vance and freedom.

"You certainly like the sound of your own voice." Vodo stated.

He then closed his eyes and reached deep within himself, taking a hold of his last fresh reserve of strength.

And then...

... he attacked.


With Vaapad.


Vapaad was perhaps the most dangerous of all lightsaber forms. Considered the pinnacle of Jedi combat, Vapaad skirts the Dark Side of the Force, forcing the user to attack aggressively and lightning fast, yet opens the user up to the Dark Side itself.

Vodo was far from mastering it, and had been studying it with Holocrons for little under a year now.

He drove forward. His stick was nothing but as blur and his hands were a torrent of motion, almost fast than the eye could see.

Vodo had just used his trump card.


It was all he had left.

Vance growled as the Jedi launched at him again, his stance changing once more. This time, in what appeared to be one final surprise, the Jedi began using Vapaad; the technique was dangerous, to both attacker and opponent, and managed to prove that the small creature before him was quite able to fight to a higher degree than first believed...

Very surprising for a being of peace, indeed.

Vance back stepped, knowing that he was heading back into the temple, the grand doors beyond the Vapaad wielding enemy; seemingly the Jedi rushing to meet with the small creature would be reinforcements, aiding in the slaying of a follower of the dark side.

Lightsaber humming and crackling with energy, Vance gritted his teeth as he fended off the attacks, the staff taking slices from his robes and flesh; the Jedi was incredibly fast, and Vance was relying on his combat instincts, falling back on years of lightsaber training in an attempt to buy himself some time...

For the Sith had a new plan.

Twisting his body, Vance kept moving backward, forcing the Jedi to come after him; the Sith even continued back up the steps that led into the temple corridors, the large foyer that held the doors out of the temple being left behind. It would be in the corridors where Vance would hold the advantage, where he would only be surrounded from two angles, instead of more in an open area. He could handle such angles, front and rear, as opposed to all around.

And almost like clock work, the first of the Jedi rounded the corridor corner, lightsabers lit and eyes alert.

Smirking, Vance leapt forward, attacking with a series of quick hits designed to push the Jedi creature back; and keeping his sphere of responsibility spread outward, Vance waited... the few seconds it took for the Jedi creature to return to the offensive... it was all the Sith needed.

As the younger Jedi closed with the exposed back of the Sith, Vance backflipped; the Force was used, giving him the entra lift he needed to pass harmlessly over their swinging weapons, two in total that had actually reached him, more on the way down the corridor.

Landing firmly behind the two young Jedi, Vance stepped forward, stabbing into the back of the closest warrior; the young man let out a cry as the azure lightsaber blade sliced cleanly through his right flank, falling him. And reaching out, Vance grasped the second Jedi around the throat, twisting the young woman in his arms, holding her against him as his lightsaber came around. Knocking her weapon free with a parry, the Sith held his forearm around her neck, holding her in place as a shield.

"Jedi creature," Vance hissed, his lightsaber blade held within inches of the woman's throat. "Back away, and tell your precious Jedi to fall back... unless you wish to have the death of this one on your hands?"

Walking forward, Vance kept close to the wall, knowing that if he gave the chance, the Jedi would try attacking his exposed rear. He kept his eyes on the small being, watching him with blue eyes glowing.

"No, Master Baas," The girl said, as she struggled against the Sith's firm grip. "Don't hold back, he must not escap--"

"Silence." Vance hissed, his arm tightening around the girl's throat, cutting off her words. "He will not attack, he will not sacrifice you... it is against your code, against everything you are brought up to believe in this order." Vance smiled, still walking along the corridor, toward the foyer. "Isn't that right, Master Baas?"

So the creature had a name. Interesting. Very familiar, Vance had heard it before.

Now the two reached the foyer, walking down the steps slowly. The Jedi were following in their wake, Vance having moved past Baas; and even as the girl began to struggle again, the Sith kept her in place, his eyes not leaving the Jedi creature with the staff.

"I wish merely to leave, Jedi," Vance sneered, adjusting his posture to better see around the girl. "Stand down, and she will not be harmed... even as it is, the boy I hit is not dead, and the wound not fatal." The Sith smirked, inclining his head. "But do not make the mistake of assuming I will not kill if forced to..." And reaching the middle of the foyer, Vance began to use the force, reaching into the energy source to push open the grand doors behind him.

He would not reveal his trump card. Not yet. Not today.

Vodo held his walking stick at the ready as the Sith Lord held the young apprentice in his grip, ready to kill her at a second's notice.

Vodo mentally calculated how fast he could move in and strike at the Sith Lord's head and distract him long enough to get the girl free.

It would be close, but Vodo didn't think he was up to it.

"Let her go, Sith." He grated venomously.

Vance just smiled evily.

Standoff.

Vodo contemplated attacking Vance, letting him kill the padawan. But it was not the Jedi way. Vodo could not let him hurt any one.

He pointed his stick directly at Vance's face, "My name is Vodo Baas. And I am your biggest enemy."

With that, Vodo waved at all the other Jedi, who immediately stood down and backed off.

Vodo still remained in Vance's way.

"I certainly hope to see you again." Vodo said with a tone of voice as cold as ice.

And then he moved aside.

"My name is Vodo Baas. And I am your biggest enemy."

The Sith smirked. "Vance Jas... a pleasure."

"I certainly hope to see you again." Vodo Baas said, his voice low, almost a growl. And then he moved away, allowing exit from the temple.

"Indeed," Vance said, his eyes narrowing for a moment. "We shall, and the next encounter shall be so much more enjoyable, yes?" And backing out through the temple doorway completely, the Sith kept his hold on the young woman.

"And as I promised." Vance said, deactivating his lightsaber. Lifting the hilt up, he thumped the pommel on the back of the young woman's head, knocking her to the side with a crack; she, as was the case with her young friend within the temple, was not dead, and she would live to fight another day. And with any luck, she would learn from her mistake and actually grow to prove a problem for another Sith at a later time.

Holding the young woman in his arm, Vance supported her so that she was upright. With a smile, the Sith reached into the Force, wrapping its invisible hands around the girl; and with a push, he sent her flailing form high and fast toward Vodo, leaving the creature no choice but to save her, lest she land heavily on the temple floor.

Changing his focus, Vance grasped the temple doors with the mysterious energy, and with gritted teeth, he forced them closed with a loud slam; the action had been quick enough to allow no attack from the Jedi nearby, and to ensure he was able to best make his escape, Vance twisted one hand as he clenched his fingers... and the temple doors twisted, jamming at the seal.

Turning, the Sith gave one last glance over his shoulder, and then began to walk briskly; he would return to his ship, leave the system and take his prize back to the Sith temple. It was not every day that one managed to infiltrate the Jedi's dwelling, steal their supply of holocrons and escape.

Indeed, quite the midnight prowl.

And with silent footfalls, Vance disappeared into the darkness of the night, his mission complete as he grasped the pouch of holocrons at his belt...