Star Wars RPF Lightsaber Combat thread

If his eyes could incinerate this girl, Grievance's look alone might have reduced her to a smoldering pile of ash when she takes a jab at his history of which she knows absolutely nothing and then adds to the aggravation by throwing in the droid comment. Provoking his rage is not necessarily an easy feat for one to pull off, but Reiis seems to instinctively know what nerves to pick at to push him in that direction.

He takes a breath, preparing to verbally retaliate, but suddenly the air around him feels intensely heavy as though gravity itself has gone on a steroid regimen. Perhaps more than her comments, her constantly resorting to those blasted Force powers enrage him even more. His knees start to buckle slightly under the weight of the Force crush she's executing and he can feel his talons being pushed into the ground. With little time to waste as the Force intensifies, he launches himself out of the target zone. Had he not been cybernetic, he might have been done for under that, but in this particular instance...he is actually grateful for the cybernetics.

"Are you that lacking in skill that you can only hide behind the Force like a stinking Jedi?" he roars, landing just shy of crushing her with his talons with enough of his own physical force to shake the ground on impact and shatter the cobblestones beneath him, "What would you do without that blasted power?"

Intent on forcing her to fight like a true warrior now, he gets up close and personal, attacking with his two dominant arms while keeping the others rotating. He has no choice but to make low blows with Reiis because of the notable height difference between them, which puts him at a slight disadvantage. He could have crushed her when he had leapt clear of that Force crush she had tried to pull, but the love of the game had caused him to direct his landing a bit short of that. This young Sith has a lot of confidence--perhaps a bit too much of it--and he actually wants to see what type of training she has had before he gets serious about vanquishing her.

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Yet again, the cyborg jumped away from her attack. But this time, he jumped towards her, landing very close. Very close. Instinctively, the stepped back away from his twirling blades and the other two that he thrust dangerously close at her. He was much taller than he looked at a distance....

Luckily, though, that could work. She ignited her darksaber in her prosthetic hand, taking advantage of the fact that even such a small part of her was a machine. Mimicking the cyborg, she began rotating her own darksaber much faster than any human hand could. Then, using the saber as a shield, she made a rolling dive underneath the cyborg, hoping to cut off a limb or something as she passed beneath him. And when she stood up behind him, she would swing her darksaber forcefully at his unprotected back

TAGS:Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

Intimidation has definitely shaken her off her game with the Force, much to the Kaleesh warrior's satisfaction. She has finally started using her weapon as it is meant to be used. However, her ability to mimic his saber-twirling admittedly takes him by surprise. He has never seen a human with the ability to do this, but his sensitive hearing picks up the faint sound of gears humming at a lighter frequency than the buzzing of their spinning weapons.

Cybernetics, he thinks to himself, easily able to identify the secondary sound and why shouldn't he? He's heard these sounds enough from his own body; so much that one might think he would be desensitized to it by now. Obviously, that is not the case.

As Reiis makes a bold evasive maneuver by diving under him, using her twirling saber as a shield of sorts, he responds in such a way as to make this truly appear as some sort of deadly dance. As she makes the dive, he picks up the leg closest to sustaining damage from her blade and pivots on the opposite leg so that, by the time she rolls to her feet, he has spun completely around, spoiling her plans to attack him from behind as he stoops his massive height low enough to block her strike and lock blades with her.

"Finally!" he laughs, a rumbling throaty sound. It is as though he is truly enjoying this clash of weapons and spirit. "I was beginning to think you should just give me your weapon. It looked like you didn't know how to use it."

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

When Reiis jumped up on the other side of the cyborg, she had expected to swing her lightsaber at his unprotected back. Bad move.

She found her self face-to-face with him yet again, much to her surprise. But she had begun to suspect this from him. He might be just a neophyte, but he obviously has more experience than just that! In a dangerous and terribly stupid move, Reiis locked blades underneath the lightsabers of the Cyborg. Using her short height as an advantage, she ducked under the blades, sandwiching herself in between all of their lightsabers and the cyborg's body, holding her darksaber behind her back to shield herself.

Grinning rigidly, she reached her hand out to grab his sensitive sack of organs.

TAGS: Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

From his history as a simple Kaleesh warrior, Grievance has become rather skilled at drawing out the fighter in anyone who challenges him. He does this as a means of adjusting his own technique and this is exactly what he is doing with Reiis. However, her latest move is not anything he had anticipated. She's either very bold or very foolish. He can see already that she is impulsive and neglects to think through every possible consequence of her actions, but he's not entirely surprised. After years of battling a variety of species from different cultures, he has come to realize that few think and fight as the Kaleesh.

As Reiis extends her hand toward him while maintaining the lock on his blades, he is vulnerable, but not at any sizable disadvantages. Contrarily, he has more than one option. He could easily grab her face with his talons and flip her right over his head--and he would quite enjoy executing this move actually--or he could simply retract his lightsabers and let her own momentum send her away from him when she suddenly has no resistance against her own blade. He's not sure what she hopes to accomplish here if she is going to attempt damaging him with her single bare hand, but of course it's not far from his mind that she might call on her Force powers again for this, in which case the armor plating on his chest would do little to protect him. He certainly can't just stand there and let her injure him the way she is hoping to. Executed properly, she could put him out of commission for an extended period of time and he has too much to do to set himself up to be stuck in a bacta tank again.

Though he could unleash heavy damage through an assault with his talons, he chooses the more merciful way to spare himself and retracts his lightsabers out of the lock. He will at least find out how quickly Reiis can adjust her balance anyway. He may be only a neophyte in status, but he has a history that Reiis doesn't know about; a history on the battlefield from the time he was very young. It is only these skills he is applying right now; skills so deeply engrained, they have practically become instinct.

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis didn't know what went through the cyborg's mind that caused him to retract his lightsabers, or what he thought that would cause, but events were transpiring too quickly for that to matter.

When he did retract said lightsabers, it did throw Reiis off a bit -- enough for the hand moving towards his organs to change course and instead grip her darksaber. Now that her own blade was free, she made an arcing movement with her darksaber over her head at the cyborg, both hands on the hilt.

Now it was time to the cyborg to die. Reaching out with the Force, Reiis tried again to crush his organ sac, while the lightsaber sailed dangerously towards him.

And, just for good measure and just because she could, she kicked upwards -- balancing on one leg -- aiming for his organs.


TAG: Kaleesh-Cyborg
OOC: Awesome post, Kaleesh!

 

Admittedly impressed that the girl is able to recover her balance on the fly, Grievance does take into account that a quick recovery means a quick backlash on him for sparing her a more aggressive attack. He is braced for whatever her reflexes dish out, particularly an attack with her weapon, which he blocks by crossing two of his own over his head, allowing some give in his arms to absorb the impact of the strike and proving once again that outmaneuvering him with any form of swordsmanship is going to be a challenge.

Unfortunately, Reiis is unleashing multiple attacks on him all at once. The kick he could have handled, but the Force hits him first and his lungs are the first organs to take the punishment as a notable dent appears across his chest plates. The impact brings him to his knees, but he maintains the cross-bladed lock overhead. Angered by her resorting to the Force again, he growls and pushes back against the lock, but his lungs are at a limited capacity now and he falls to aggravated coughing that forces him to double over. Knowing he can't push her back in this compromised state and seeing the kick coming his way, he goes straight to the ground, where he throws himself sideways to roll out of range of being kicked.

Stopping a good yard or so away, he staggers to his feet, still coughing, and starts spinning all four lightsabers again to protect himself from any further assault while he tries to recover. There's no doubt Reiis has done some damage here as his respirator rattles slightly as though it is filtering through chunks of gravel. He's not about to call it quits yet. A price will be paid for such damage and the cost will be on Reiis' account.

"Bravo, warrior," he coughs, but the sarcasm behind his comment is still clear, "You can count that as mere coup in this match. You and your cursed Force."

Another coughing fit wracks his body before he recovers himself enough to take the initiative and attack first. He comes at Reiis like a hurricane of strobing blue and green light with all the power of a locomotive and when he closes the distance enough, he takes the unorthodox route and, instead of striking with his sabers, he raises the rotation clear of his own legs and strikes out with one foot, a powerful kick aimed at Reiis' torso.

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker
OOC- Thanks. I think we've got a pretty good fight going here.

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis was surprised that her attack had worked. She had half-expected to lose a limb, or her head. At least perhaps he was taking her seriously now. Faster than she could process it, he was up in a flash. He charged, lightsabers ablaze.

But expecting a lightsaber attack was a grave mistake -- one she should have foreseen. She wasted time raising her darksaber, instead of protecting or avoiding the cyborg's powerful kick. She had just barely managed to let out a small amount of Force-lightning in the hope he'd be electrocuted when he kicked her, but she wasn't sure it would work.

Reiis heard a loud crack as she flew backwards onto the area floor. Her head hit hard, and she felt hazy. There was a sharp ache in her ribs as she tried to get up. She was breathing well enough, so she didn't think it punctured her lung. It had certainly cracked her rib. She rolled onto her side, trying to get up, but was unable. She quickly used Force Heal to treat her rib bones. She managed to keep them together, but they were significantly weakened. Worried the cyborg would use this opportunity to finish her off, she unleashed a powerful Force Push -- hopefully wide enough to prohibit him from jumping away from it.

TAGS: Kaleesh-Cyborg
OOC: Nice kick.

 

With the successful feign of a lightsaber assault, the Kaleesh cyborg cannot deny satisfaction as he watches Reiis go sailing off the end of his foot. He had been merciful once; he will not make the mistake of doing it again, especially now that he knows she is capable of executing multiple attacks at once. Having a feel for the way she fights, he now has a better understanding of how he can possibly stay one step ahead of her strikes and counter strikes, yet he still is caught off guard by the Force lightning released on the fly. The jolt catches him in the torso and quickly takes him down. He splits his two arms into four to catch himself and adopts his alternate spider-like posture as he hits the ground.

Growling in annoyance, he shakes his head to clear it and rises to his feet once again, shakily though as electrical discharges pop and crackle through his metal body. Seeing Reiis on the ground and obviously in a bit of pain, he laughs heartily, taking obvious pleasure in having dealt her some damage in return for her dealings on him. Of course, the laugh ends in another coughing spell, but he remains undaunted and, like any true predator, he advances to close in for the kill. What Reiis probably doesn't realize is that he won't finish her; she is barely an adult. However, he won't hesitate to break a few bones and scare the confidence out of her. She deserves at least that much.

Once again though, that Force power he hates so much puts the kibosh on his plans. Reiis' Force-push catches him like a battering ram to the chest and pummels him right into the wall on the opposite side of the courtyard, extracting a furious growl from the cyborg on impact. He then clatters to the ground like an insect sustaining a heavy whack from a flyswatter. Picking himself up, he looks a bit dazed, but far from ready to tap out. If this girl is going to beat him, it will not be with the Force. He will not allow it.

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis lifted herself from the ground, pleased the Force-push had worked. Her chest hurt, but the bones would stay together providing they weren't kicked again. She'd have to be much more careful with that.

The fight wasn't going as well as she had planned. She had wanted a quick victory, but now she was beginning to realize he was a formidable opponent. Winning this fight would be an honorable achievement. Just as well, she thought. The cyborg was slightly dazed from the blow, which gave Reiis time. She ignited her darksaber once again, and brought it in front of her. She walked closer towards the cyborg so he was within hearing range.

"You think I'm just a child, Grievance. I've seen more than many adults. You're just a neophyte in our Empire, and thus you have so little to lose. I cannot lose! What would they think if they saw a neophyte defeat me, nearly Underlord? Do you realize what that would mean? It would be a disgrace not only to myself but to my Master and the Empire. So, you see? I cannot lose. I will fight to the death, but I will not lose!"

And with that, she swung her saber directly for his head.

TAGs: Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

Swaying slightly as he tries to recover from the blast that had slammed him into the wall, Grievance lowers his head and blinks heavily as though he's having trouble getting his eyes to focus. He's not in the best of shape right now and, even if he were to suddenly gain interest in using the Force, he wouldn't know the first thing about how to use it to shove Reiis the way she had shoved him, let alone how to execute self-healing. It certainly doesn't help his disorientated state that he can't breathe to full capacity.

He shakes his head again as Reiis' voice reaches past the ringing in his ears, declaring her unwillingness to let this battle go. Very well. Neither will he because he's not about to surrender to one who insists on bringing him down with the Force. He glares at her, golden eyes peering through the skull-like mask covering what is left of his face. Her words are analyzed--each and every one--as they meet his ears. So this is a matter of personal pride; at least that's how it seems at first. He has had little personal dealings with the Sith Empire and those who rule it, but he's heard things. No doubt, if he defeats Reiis, not only will she suffer humiliation, but there is a chance she would suffer punishment from whomever her master is. He himself hasn't had any such dealings, but again, he's heard things.

"I do not care about your status or mine," he growls dangerously, "There is no status in war. You either survive, or you don't. If you survive, you only live to fight another day. There is no glory to be had."

His words alone reveal that he has seen many wars, but they also reveal that his understanding of this empire and the statuses therein is very limited. It's not that he is stupid. On the contrary, he is highly intelligent. His knowledge is simply based on past experiences and the upbringing of his culture. All of that is put aside though as Reiis attempts to deliver a potentially fatal blow to his head. He draws himself to his full height and arches himself away from the strike with only milliseconds to spare as he can feel the heat of her blade pass over his face. While she aims to strike high, he tries to strike low, swinging his metal leg out in an attempt to knock Reiis' legs out from under her.

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis jumped as the cyborg swung his leg out, trying to knock her down, and she simultaneously tried to swing her darksaber at him again. She laughed. "I don't blame you. You have yet to learn our ways. As much as they pretend there is no honor or glory or status, they always prove otherwise. It is a lesson one learns -- you too will learn someday, should you survive this."

Reiis reached out for another attack with Force-lightning. He seemed to dislike her Force powers, which was even better for her. The more irritated he was, the more likely he was to mess up.

And she hoped he would soon.

TAGS: Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

Quite the cheeky little blighter Reiis is showing out to be, much to Grievance's annoyance. He really should just grab her by her face right now and backflip her into the next planetary system. In fact, he should have done it the first time it crossed his mind when he wasn't so banged up and lacking in stamina. He growls and ducks to the side as she jumps and takes another swing at his head.

"You are little more than a nuisance to me, Invadator," he snarls, bringing his weapons up to commence another attack and hopefully halt her irritating jumping around, "And I grow weary of your impudence."

Another hit from the Force-lightning is expected the moment he sees her raise her free hand and the fact that metal conducts electricity puts the cyborg at a huge disadvantage. A fierce growl that is a mixture of fury and pain rumbles out of him and he just barely maintains his footing. She is indeed doing a fine job of making him angry.

"I'll teach you to shock me," he growls. Shooting out a foot and catching hold of the collar of her clothing with his talons, he gives a swift jerk backwards and does the very thing he should have done earlier--he flips her right over his head and slams her on the ground.

Of course, this move of fury comes at a price as it has clearly spent a good amount of his stamina, leaving him gasping for breath after executing it. He takes to putting up his shield of spinning all four lightsabers again to protect himself while he tries to recover. Even so, he advances slowly on Reiis in an attempt to force her onto the defensive as soon as she realizes what just happened.

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis was growing tired of people calling her "impudent" and a "nuisance." She was a Sith -- nearly Underlord -- and she was going to get somewhere in the Empire. Her musings cost her, though.

Without warning, he grabbed her by the collar with his foot and sent her flying over his head. She slammed to the ground. Another crack. Her ribs had broken again by the sheer force of this "landing." Her head throbbed.

Now was time for a different tactic. Reiis kept her eyes closed, and did her best to appear dead -- which wasn't hard at this point -- mouth partly agape, motionless. With luck, this would work. She had never tried it before, but there was always a "first," right?

TAGS: Kaleesh-Cyborg
OOC: Technically, I think that's Godmodding, but I love it so much I'll run with it.

 

OOC- Oops. Sorry. I didn't think it would be, but I guess I should have left it an open-ended move. I see that now. Apologies.

IC- It wouldn't have mattered if Reiis' status had been matched with his own or whatever her highest rank could be in this empire; he would still classify her as a nuisance for ever starting this fight simply because, given the choice, Grievance would prefer to be left alone. He has been harassed all his life by other species intent on dominating him. What he wouldn't give to just return to his home and fight for what mattered. While fighting is in his nature and there is a part of him that enjoys it, he, like anyone else, grows weary of it as a constant way of life.

His respirator still rattling under the duress of desperate shallow breathing, the cyborg circles the fallen Reiis, keeping his distance as he has effectively spent himself in fury and is in no condition to be blitzed at the moment. Animalistic instincts tell him the girl is not dead--not yet anyway--but she may very well be knocked out and teetering on the precipice of death; he can't really tell this for sure. He experiences the slightest twinge of remorse though. She's proven to be a good fighter if not an arrogant one and aren't they supposed to be on the same side? If they represent the same organization, why are they here toying with the idea of killing each other?

Eliminate the competition, he thinks to himself, slowing the rotation of his blades and cautiously approaching his rival, That's what these Siths seem to glory in doing. Trample the weak and hurdle the dead. Is there any form of the spirit of comradery that comes with war?

Confusing, this whole Sith mentality. A far cry from his own culture. He shakes his head to clear his puzzled musings and stretches out one set of talons to grasp Reiis' shoulder and turn her over. She certainly looks dead, but he's not about to check for a pulse. Not on this one. She behaves more like a traitor than a comrade. He retracts his foot and backs away a step or two. He could just deliver the coup de grâs and run her through with one of his blades, but cursed be the inner conflict created by his upbringing, he doesn't have the desire to. Though he does not see her as a youngling, he does recognize that they represent the same side and he does see her as being too young to die this way. Besides, if it's a warrior's death she wants and honor she seeks as much as he does, he will give her just that--not take advantage of an easy kill.

"You are lucky you are not a Jedi, young Sith," he grumbles, turning away to succumb to another ugly coughing fit.

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis is generally surprised that Grievance didn't come in for the kill immediately -- surprised, and grateful. There was a sharp pain in her ribs, and she was worried that if she moved, it would puncture her lung. So she stayed still....for now.

She almost panicked when the cyborg reached out and turned her over, but she maintained her cover. It was only when he began coughing that she moved. She had planned to use Force-lightning on him, but she was puzzled by his reluctance to kill her. Carefully, the sat up, having to roll on her side to protect her ribs and not bent her torso so much. She sat, arms behind her, and gave Grievance a combination of a "WTH" look and a "What are you" look.

"Are you even trying to kill me? I mean, really?" She continued to stare at him, glaring.

TAGS: Kaleesh-Cyborg
OOC: No worries.
OOC2: You have me, and Reiis, stumped.

 

Caught in a nasty fit like he is, Grievance honestly doesn't notice Reiis' movement as he is too frustrated by trying to get a handle on this blasted cough, so when she speaks, it admittedly startles him. She couldn't have been truly unconscious if she's come to that quickly. No. She had to have been playing possum. No matter. For whatever reason, her efforts to bring him down have been stalled. It seems confusion begets confusion because, all in all, the Kaleesh cyborg is very confused in this new "tribe" he has been taken into, that being the Sith. Simply put, he's going through a massive culture shock.

"I have resolved never to start an unjust war, but never to end a legitimate one except by defeating my enemies," he replies cryptically before continuing, "You are not my enemy. Neither am I yours. How can we be enemies if we are fighting on the same side?"

He is half expecting to be blasted with lightning again or for Reiis to try her hand at Force-choking a cyborg, but clearly her confusion over his lack of bloodlust has effectively left her seeking to find some sense in his actions. He looks down at her with eyes that make it impossible to decipher what is going on behind them. Frankly, it's hard to read any emotion in Grievance due to his expressions being solely limited to his eyes.

"No. I had no intentions of killing you," he replies flatly, "Rough you up? Yes. Break a few bones? Maybe. Re-arrange your face? That was very tempting--especially when you called me a droid. But I have no legitimate reason to kill you. You are on a quest to climb a staircase of status and you have come far. I was pleased to find you actually do know how to wield a real weapon and you have plenty of zeal for it; however...I've seen greater skill. What have I to gain in killing you? In my culture, you would be the neophyte."

Surprisingly, he is not saying this to be rude or insulting. He is merely revealing his point of view based on his own life experiences beyond the Sith values of which he is still having a difficult time grasping. There is no telling how his master might handle his thought processes or his honor code in all of this. It is the first time he has revealed it to anyone within this empire.

"I will let you make the call on whether or not we continue this duel," he concludes, daring to turn his back to her as he clasps his hands behind him, "After all, I am but a neophyte."

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker
OOC- Bear with me here. It's character development on the fly for Grievance.

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis listened closely to what the cyborg was saying, surprised he admitted to not wanting to kill her. It made her feel bad for wanting to kill him. She stood.

"It seems this is a duel between allies rather than a duel between enemies. Accordingly, we should change our goals. This fight, if you are willing to continue, will be a fight until one of us gives up instead of one killing the other. You are correct -- we are not enemies." She had a newfound respect for her opponent. He obviously had some experience behind him.

Reiis paused, her hand over her newly broken ribs. She looked up at the still-blazing sun. It was getting later, but it was still very hot. Goodness knows she was exhausted. Her ribs hurt, too.

But she couldn't give up now, which felt like mental defeat.

Luckily, she was using this time to put her ribs back together. They seemed stronger than before, and she hoped it would hold.

"Grievance Vexx, do you accept a duel between fellow apprentices of the Sith Empire, a duel in which we fight until one of us concedes rather than a fight to the death?"

TAGs:Kaleesh-Cyborg
OOC: No worries! It's great!

 

Grievance's act of turning his back to Reiis had been a test, though he will deny it if asked. He has done this many times before with his own people--particularly the adolescent Kaleesh males intent on becoming warriors themselves. Had Reiis chosen to attack him while his back was exposed, he would have taught her a fast Kaleesh lesson in what happens if you try to blitz a warrior who previously specialized in blitz attacks. Of course, this lesson would have only worked if she had tried to attack with her weapon. He is well aware that he had foolishly made himself vulnerable to a heavy Force attack, but a lesson would be learned in that as well; he would learn that this particular Sith could never be trusted.

As it stands, Reiis refrains from attacking in any way, shape or form and instead adopts the role of a diplomatic negotiator, meeting his point of view with a surprising amount of understanding. Still, he regards her with a hint of skepticism as he turns to look at her over his shoulder. Her words invite him to trust that she really sees them as allies, but there's always a chance that her actions hereafter will not match those words.

And may the Force be with her if that's the case. If it's one thing Grievance Vexx does not handle kindly, it's betrayal. Nevertheless, he is not afraid to meet her terms. He will be ready if she deviates from their agreement. Hands still clasped behind his back, he turns completely around to face the young human. He too has sustained some injuries that will likely be a hinderance to his fighting abilities if this duel is to continue, but like Reiis, he is not one to call it quits so easily. He may grow weary of being harassed, but he truly enjoys the game of an honest-to-goodness duel.

"I accept, Reiis Invadator," he replies, inclining his head to her in a docile gesture of respect, "I will consider it a sparring match of iron sharpening iron and I wish you luck." He lowers his head until his armor-plated face is mere inches from her nose as he adds, "You're going to need it."

Of course, this is just his way of saying "game on". They may be on a standpoint of alliance now, but that isn't going to change the fact that Grievance has not forgotten being antagonized by Reiis and her insufferable arrogance and he's not afraid to fire a little of it back.

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis was glad he agreed and didn't try to kill her, but now she wondered how the fight was supposed to progress. Turn their lightsabers to half-power? How would they determine who wins? She supposed she'd have to see...

Reiis nodded back silently in response. "Lightsabers and my darksaber on half power?" she asked. She adjusted her darksaber. Reiis had never thought she'd use that button, for she generally intended to kill her opponents. She frowned. If the battle was to exhaustion, she was at a major disadvantage. Even with the Force, the being before her was almost completely cyborg. How was she supposed to win this?

"So....it seems a battle of endurance would ultimately leave you the winner." She paused. "How do you suggest we do this? Perhaps a mediator to call points or something, as this is now more sport than battle?"

TAGS:Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

In a rare moment of readable expression, Grievance's eyes take on a blank look as Reiis acknowledges the elephant...or, better put, the cyborg in the room. How can they spar fairly without severely injuring or maiming one another? Lowering the power seems like a logical answer to one problem; the other, though Reiis doesn't know it yet, is not exactly a problem at all.

"Agreed," he nods, using all four hands to adjust his sabers simultaneously, then he targets the other perceived problem to their duel. "Do not think that just because I am largely cybernetic that I have much advantage over you." He pauses and emits a low growl of disdain as he continues, "I may appear to be ninety percent machine, but I am more of a living creature than you know. My stamina is not much greater than your own."

This is no falsehood. Call it foolish pride or insufferable stubbornness, but Grievance's designer had originally engineered him for unstoppable strength and inexhaustible stamina. The cyborg remembers it well. Killing his captor had not been part of the deal they had made, but it had almost happened.

"You are a never-ending well of strength and stamina," the Sith lord announced after his creation had undergone a third enhancement to his cybernetic body.
"I requested to be left as I was with the strength and stamina that was truly mine," the cyborg growled.
"Expendable strength a war machine does not make, Kaleesh," his captor replied matter-of-factly.
"I am not a machine," came the growling response, "I am a warrior. I have earned my scars and my strength comes from years upon years of extensive training. I...am...not...your...war machine!"
Before his captor could counter or react, his creation was upon him like a savage beast; a vicious attacker equipped with claws and talons. There was no stopping him; not until the Sith lord dealt him a heavy dose of Force lightning was the enraged Kaleesh cyborg subdued.
"Reverse that enhancement," his captor, bruised and bloodied, commanded the medical droid, "He is too temperamental and too dangerous to allow him to be nearly immortal. If he turns on me like an animal again...I may not be so fortunate to stop him next time."

He shakes away the unwanted memory with another aggravated growl. Perhaps he had been foolish to resent the attempt to make him invincible, but he would rather die a mortal warrior and let his name be immortalized than he would to live his life viewed as a gutless machine designed only to kill. Oh, he had paid a hefty price in punishment for the choice he had made that day and he remembers all of that just as well as he does attacking the Sith lord who had captured him, but he has no regrets.

"You can involve a third party if you wish," he replies with a shrug, "As I see it, if we both grow weary or bored, we can simply walk away with a duel under our belts for no other purpose than keeping our skills sharp."

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis watched the cyborg think. He was obviously remembering something, but Reiis was too darn tired to probe his mind out of sheer curiosity.

Nevertheless, the problem of injuring each other was solved, as was the stamina problem. That was what mattered. "Very well," she said. "If we consider this practice, a third party is not needed after all." She offered the cyborg a small acknowledging smile -- a very slight upturning of the corners of her mouth with a slight nod, nothing more. She took her hand off her ribs. They would stay together until she went to a med center after the duel.

Reiis summoned a rush of energy with the Force, and adopted a defensive stance. "You know," she began, "You would make a formidable warrior if you accepted the ways of the Force, as I have. You'd be nearly unstoppable, and a great asset to the Empire." She meant it as a compliment; not as putting him down for not using it. "I sense your reluctance, but I assure you, it is truly wonderful."

TAGS: Kaleesh-Cyborg
OOC: oooohhh! So want to read your character sheet!!!!

 

Giving a single nod of agreement, Grievance opts to duel wield at the moment, returning two of his lightsabers to his hip armor and locking his arms back together, a stray cough escaping him as he shifts his center of gravity to take up his own fighting stance. He appears to flinch somewhat as Reiis summons the Force, able to sense it and clearly disliking it, but saying nothing. At least, not until Reiis mentions it to him.

He doesn't take offense to her statement, able to recognize it as a persuasive suggestion with the undertone hinting that he is already a force to be reckoned with on his own. How much more fearsome could he be if he were to utilize this unnatural power? He does not know, nor does he really care, truth be told. He does not like it and he has no desire to tap into it.

"I am not interested in such things," he replies with a slight chuckle, "And I have my reasons." He growls slightly as Reiis informs him that she can sense his reluctance. He can sense things too and so he knows how she is picking up on this. He just chooses to ignore it and employs instinct and his past training instead to override the sense when it comes. He scoffs as he takes to spinning his lightsabers. "What is so wonderful about it? Being able to choke the life out of someone without ever laying a finger on them?"

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker
OOC- Ugh! Yeah, I definitely want to post it. Still waiting on executive Siths though.

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

"The Force, especially it's Dark Side" Reiis began as she walked closer towards him. "Is a path to powers many consider unnatural, true." She took her left hand off her darksaber, holding it only with her prosthetic right arm. She adjusted her footing, her body now position in line with itself as to reduce the area.

She leans forward as far as she can and thrusts her saber towards his own in an attempt to block the spinning sabers. "But it can save your life one day. I know it has, mine."

And the fight began.

TAGS:Kaleesh-Cyborg
OOC:

 

Grievance is actively listening as Reiis speaks fondly of the Force, but everything else is focused on her advance. He crouches a bit, widening his stance in case she's plotting to do an overhead strike. He knows she is going to try to break his defense, he just doesn't know what direction she will try to do it from. When the thrust comes, he is braced for it and, despite the lowered power of their weapons, an impressive explosion of sparks cascade from the blades as they collide, his rotation stopping as she manages to put one of his blades in a lock.

"And how much is any one life worth saving?" he asks, holding the lock while keeping his free weapon spinning, "I now rely on fabricated machines to keep me alive. Is that worth saving if the alternative were to be an honorable death?"

Truly, he is bitter over the transformation that was forced upon him, his very identity stolen. It is irreversible. And the cruel irony is that a Sith lord did this to him and he now is in servitude to the Sith Empire. The thought alone spurs his anger, though he is mindful that Reiis is not responsible for anything that haunts him now. Even so, this is a duel and he draws his free weapon back and takes a swipe at his opponent, aiming for her exposed side.

Tag: Anakin.Skywalker