It had taken little time to find Melik, who had been walking around to find Nahdar actually.
Nahdar explained everything, and they went to complete the task.
He knew Melik wasn't taking it well, given he did have some feelings for Flora. He was clearly in denial for now, though Nahdar had a feeling that would soon change.
They came up to Flora's door.
Nahdar could sense the dark side, very little, but it was there, Flora was obviously trying to hide it.
"Enter."
Nahdar promptly opened the door and they stepped in.
"Flora, we need to talk to you."
Flora rose and looked at him with a warm smile.
The force was screaming 'liar'.
"Nahdar, Melik, how can I help you?"
"We were told that you spoke to Anakin before he was arrested, what did you say to him?"
This as he used the force to retrieve her lightsaber.
"Oh, well he is a friend to me, I was only trying to help him. I hope I'm in no trouble?"
Nahdar shook his head.
"No trouble, we just need to know what you told him, and if you told anyone else."
Flora shook her head in denial.
"No. I thought I had a clue for him but it turned out to be a dead end. Who told you I spoke to him?"
"Ventress, she told Barriss, who told me."
Flora frowned a bit.
"Ventress? Isn't she the one Anakin thinks is behind all this?"
"Maybe, but I think he's wrong. Ventress thinks someone else was involved."
Flora looked a bit perplexed.
"And you believe her? Who else could it be if not her? Surely not Anakin."
Nahdar nodded, and could sense her quickly growing unease.
"No, I don't think it was Anakin either. I think that both Anakin and Ventress are telling the truth, but, there's only one way to find out."
He ignited the lightsaber, and lashed out at her, only for her to block it with two red lightsabers.
"Funny, those belong to Ventress."
Flora frowned as she slashed out, but Nahdar blocked.
"You should have gotten rid of them."
Flora smiled darkly, yep, she had fallen very far.
"I think they suit me."
She slashed a couple more times, though Nahdar blocked, and he kicked her out of the room.
Melik was too frozen in his own shock, no longer in denial.
Flora looked at Nahdar, but then started rushing off.
Nahdar was not about to let her get away with it though, and immediately pursued her, Melik following behind him reluctantly
-----------------------------------------------------------
Flora turned around to counter Nahdar, and flipped away.
Nahdar just glared at her.
"Anakin trusted you and you betrayed him."
"I've learned that trust is overrated. The only thing the Jedi council believes in is violence."
Nahdar took out his lightsaber and ignited it, now dual wielding, like her.
She jumped up onto a nearby platform, then to another. She forced pushed him into a wall behind him and then jumped on him.
She tried striking him down, but he blocked and kicked her away.
She then attacked Melik, who barely ignited his lightsaber in time.
"W-what became of you?"
Flora smirked.
"I saw through the Jedi and their lies, you should join me Melik, let's bring an end to their facade."
Melik looked hurt, but tried his best to gather himself.
"No, you have gone down a path I can never follow."
"Then you will have to die, along with the rest of them."
She slashed at him a few times, but he dodged the first two and easily blocked the third, and kicked her back.
Flora looked between the two, realizing she could not win against both.
She knew she'd lose to Melik pretty quickly, but she might stand a chance against Nahdar.
But she couldn't do it here.
Temple guards approached from either sides of the hall.
They all ignited their lightsabers.
"Cease hostilities."
She just ran to a nearby window and slashed through it.
"Flora!"
Nahdar followed, along with a couple temple guards.
Flora swung around in time to block a strike from Nahdar, and then flipped off to the right.
The temple guard on that side barely blocked her, but it was futile, and she stabbed her lightsaber through him and he fell.
She then ran and slashed at the other guard, but Nahdar intervened, forcing her back.
She slashed at the guard's knee, and sent him to his other knee, and she proceeded to decapitate him.
She then turned her attention back to Nahdar, who scowled at her.
"You are not the Flora I used to know."
"No, that Flora was immature and weak, I am strong and powerful in the dark side."
Nahdar frowned but opted to lash out instead of reply. She blocked it, and a couple more strikes before kicking him from where they were fighting up on a temple balcony.
*Balcony, base, idk what you call it ok, just roll with it.
He fell to the ground below, losing one lightsaber.
Master Sinube, who was training younglings at the time, ignited his lightsaber, sensing danger.
Petro pointed upwards.
"Look out!"
Nahdar looked up in time to block Flora from a killing blow, and kicked her off him.
She continued to lash out, and he blocked every time. Once he kicked her in the abdomen.
Master Sinube seemed to immediately understand Flora had fallen to the dark side, and so kept the younglings back so Nahdar could deal with her.
She tried attacking again, but he grabbed both her wrists, and she dropped one lightsaber. She then brought the other back and attacked, but Nahdar blocked again and engaged in a saber lock.
"Surrender now Flora, I won't be as merciful next time."
Flora scowled angrily.
"Never."
She pushed his lightsaber up and off of hers, before slashing at him again.
She managed to graze his chest, but it had no effect.
He then lashed out, though his strikes were slower and deadlier. She managed to block them.
She then jumped to attack him again, but someone grabbed her with the force and threw her back into a tree, causing her to drop her other lightsaber, and she had no choice but to surrender.
Nahdar turned to see a pau'an temple guard, he didn't know the man's name, which nobody did, but they knew that he was the head of all the temple guards, and then master Drallig oversaw all of them.
A few other temple guards promptly went over and placed force binders on her.
Nahdar nodded.
"Thank you...master, um..."
The man nodded.
"Hysio is fine, I never particularly liked titles."
Nahdar nodded.
"I understand, thank you Hysio."
The pau'an temple guard looked towards Flora and frowned.
"How many temple guards did she kill?"
"Two."
Hysio mumbled something to himself, before turning to Nahdar once more.
"I assume you require taking her to Skywalker's trial to prove his innocence?"
Nahdar smiled slightly and nodded.
"Indeed I do master."
The pau'an proceeded to put his mask on, as Barriss walked over, having arrived on scene.
She looked to Flora and sighed, clearly hurt by this, but somehow maintaining herself about it.
"I see you were successful."
"Not before she killed two temple guards, but yes."
Barriss nodded.
"I suppose we better get going then, we have someone to exonerate."
Nahdar agreed, though he had a...not very good feeling.
"I guess it's time to see what chaos unfolds now."
*Yep, remember the Grand Inquisitor? Well in my AU, given how Tales of the Clone Wars ended, he was still on the light side and still a Jedi, though never really mentioned. I decided to give him a moment to shine, and have just decided he'll show up more in this story.