"—I—thought it could be—a trap—

"—noted."

"Traps are best dealt with preemptively."

"Yeah, okay."

And then next time the rustling happens it comes from beyond Occlus's shoulder.

—she's not sure she's fast enough but screw it she takes a step back and tries to throw lightning in that direction—

Occlus drops low and tosses her lightsaber out, red scything through the darkness.

Something shrieks, an unearthly howl of pain.

"What the hell kinda stuff lives here."

"Not a terentatek, if we're lucky." Her lightsaber comes flying back and she snags it out of the air. "That didn't sound quite right for one."

"Why. Ugh."

"Quite often, the answer turns out to be 'because I can'."

"—I meant why does this kind of stuff live here."

"Likely it was made here. Or made by here."

"Hmm. What a charming place."

A massive dark shape rushes in and headbutts Occlus into the wall, and roars.

Saber in one hand and lightning with the other at the thing—

Lightning doesn't seem to have any effect. It spits a glob of something at her.

Dodge, saber throw—

The goo hisses as it flies past her and fizzes the wall away where it strikes.

She catches a glimpse of the creature. Larger than a terentatek but lacking the distinctive headplate. Formidable claws and two rows of spines across its head and down its back. Then her saber buries itself in its shoulder and it rears back and shrieks again.

What the fuck. She wants her saber back, thanks muchly, and then maybe lightning at its stupid face she hates it so much—

Lightning continues to be ineffective. It starts to charge.

Ack okay no physical confrontation with the thing how about she dodge again.

With how big it is, there's not much room to dodge. On the other hand, once it gets going, it's not very good at traveling in not-straight lines.

Yeah that's her thinking she can go perpendicular to it and what the fuck is Occlus even doing did she die her vision did not say she'd die—

Wasn't she planning to kill Occlus anyway?