SWC The Official SWC Dueling Thread

Grievance Vexx
Final Trial - Two Left Feet?

Grievance can feel the sudden loss of faith Hades has in him. He can sense the disappointment. He anticipates immediate punishment is to follow and he is actually quite pleased to find he is absolutely right. He knows Hades cannot be entirely unfamiliar with his chosen fighting form, so perhaps the disappointment is a feint of his own to try and destroy his focus by making him think he must work harder to prove himself. Whether this is the case or not, there is only one thing Grievance will prove in the moments to follow: he is a devout Form II practitioner.

Had he still been resisting the Force at this point, he might have been done for, at the very least, suffering a potentially severe injury. His skills in Makashi have always been exceptional, oftentimes with him taking punishment on purpose to give the appearance of a lack of confident skill, thereby settling fellow apprentices into foolish overconfidence. This has not changed, but he now has the Force to enhance every move and every split-second decision he makes.

As Hades uses the Force to jerk his legs forward, Grievance anchors his talons, knowing full well that such a knee-jerk reflex action will be useless as he still gets dragged forward, talons leaving deep scores in the earth. He uses the Force himself to ride the pull and not lose his balance, letting his master drag him toward the plasma blade poised to deliver the punishment he had anticipated for his retreat without engaging. At the last minute, Hades speeds up the attack with a swift move forward. This is the pivotal moment in which timing is everything for the Kaleesh warrior.

Sparks fly as crimson blade briefly meets crimson blade, Grievance reacting with fluid precision to divert Hades' blade away from its intended target in the start of a classic Makashi riposte. The only thing that causes it to be an unfinished move is the sudden Force-push that Hades gives him, sending him out of range to conclude the riposte with a strike. This annoys Grievance, but he rides it out, leaning on the Force for balance until his talons find purchase and bring him to at standstill.

He wonders now if there is an element of underestimation resting on him that he can exploit. Hades could be bluffing every bit as much as he is himself, trying to draw him into unfocused fury of attempting to prove himself a good duelist. Grievance already knows his method is effective. Very rarely has he incorporated other forms into his duels other than the multi-bladed use of Jar'Kai. He is not ready to go there yet. There may be no need of it at all, but he will be ready if it becomes necessary. For now, he takes to circling his master, once again waiting for the perfect opening to attempt a strike. Moving swiftly to Hades' flank, he comes forward again, aiming to pierce him between the last rib and the hip.

Tag: @E. L.Knight

 

Darth Hades
The Sith Samba

As the strike moved to stab Hades, he turned, the blade of the Kaleesh passed harmlessly by Hades.

As the blade passed by, Hades swung the lightsaber in his left hand in a backhanded swing under the cyborgs defenses.

Hades then took the blade in his right hand and held it between himself and the cyborgs blade.
​

TAG: @Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

Grievance Vexx
Final Trial - Dance With The Dead

Grievance had known he would be taking a hit somewhere along the way to the end of this duel. Fortunately, thanks to his post-Tournament upgrade, the blow is not as devastating as it could have been, though the pain is keenly felt thanks to the upgrades as well. The plasma blade of his master glances off his exposed midriff, connecting with cortosis-woven ribs that can withstand the burn of the lightsaber, but he is not without an ugly charred blemish announcing that he has taken punishment.

Swift footwork carries him out of the way of suffering a second strike and he doesn't give Hades the satisfaction of catching him in a lock. Growling now, partially from anger and partially from residual pain, he decides to even the odds by igniting a second blade--one of his own custom design. He then returns the common saber to his hip armor and trades it for one identical to his second blade. The Reprisals. Twin weapons sporting four blades between the two of them, each a forked weapon with dual plasma blades extending from their karabbac collarbone handles.

He advances on Hades again, striking the pronged blades against the ground and causing a vibration akin to that of a tuning fork, which triggers the blades to behave erratically, snapping and snarling, the plasma in motion like a chainsaw blade. He makes a first strike with Force-augmented speed aimed at his master's throat, followed up by a second strike from his other hand aiming for Hades' midsection.

Tag: @E. L.Knight

 

Darth Hades
Beat down in garlands

Hades eyed the new sabers his apprentice had revealed.

Unique in design, he was impressed with the capabilities it could give a duelist.

Hades moved out of range once more and swung the saber in his left hand in a backhanded swing to try and take the cyborgs head.

He then did nearly the same move with his right saber, but as he brought it towards the Kaleesh, he abruptly stopped the swing and slammed it down on the inside of the cyborgs defenses and then continued his side swipe towards his leg.
​

TAG: @Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

Grievance Vexx
Final Trial - Nothing to Lose Your Head Over

The swing aimed at lopping off his head is met by a strong defense as Vexx raises his right pair of blades to deflect the strike. A shower of sparks rain down from the impact of Hades' single-bladed saber against his own pronged one. Through the red glare of the snarling blades between them, Hades will see a fire in the eyes of the Kaleesh, leaving no doubt that he is enjoying the challenge of this crucible designed to test his skill.

In mere seconds, his master comes back with a follow-up strike that stops short and abruptly changes course. Vexx reacts accordingly and brings down another guard, stopping Hades' blade from crippling him and spinning away from the lock so swiftly that he and the Knight Commander almost stand back to back, at which point he unleashes a savage kick Force-enhanced with unreal speed in both extension and retraction, aiming to either throw Hades off balance or snap his spine, whichever comes first.

Tag: @E. L.Knight

 

Darth Hades
The kicking chicken

Hades felt the kick and simply used the Force to help it propel him foward. He did a flip and landed facing his apprentice.

Hades smiled as he moved into a guarded position.

"Good. You finally touched me. Now, show me you can beat me."
​

TAG: @Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

Grievance Vexx
Final Trial - Fire and Steel

Grievance had braced himself in making the attempt to strike Hades with his talons. He had really, really, intensely wanted it to work; to feel the satisfying impact of his merciless talons against mortal flesh; but he had also known that there was always a chance his master could outmaneuver him. He derives pleasure in achieving his intent. He had landed a blow; maybe not a killing or debilitating one, but he has just proven to himself that he has the speed and timing to land a strike on a Sith Lord.

He avoids the peril of letting this bolster his confidence too much though. He is still a strategist at the end of the day, doing his best to anticipate his opponent's attacks and counters and use both to his own advantage. At the same time, he is observing his master's style and committing as much as he can to memory in order to better his own skills. While he isn't one to rely on styles with flashy acrobatic moves, he realizes they have their place on the dance floor of the duelist.

He maintains his silence as Hades challenges him to prove that he can defeat him. There is neither arrogance nor timidity to be detected in the Kaleesh warrior; only grim determination. He inclines his head in a single nod of acknowledgement that he has heard and will obey. He then moves toward Hades suddenly, making thrust after jab after slash after strike in a relentless flurry of aggressive moves, unpredictable and never repeating the same pattern twice. This is a tactic with the intent to overwhelm his opponent, high on offense, but he keeps his mind on the defense, knowing Hades can probably combat this tactic with more ease than the apprentices he has dueled in the past. As he continues the relentless assault, he throws even more unpredictability into the mix by inserting a Force-push or pull in one direction or another in an attempt to make it more difficult for his master to focus, a mix he is taking a chance on. He has never tried this sort of thing before and is uncertain as to how effective it will be.

Tag: @E. L.Knight

 

Darth Hades
Fast and Furious

His apprentices renewed efforts to hit him came fast and furious and Hades began to block strikes and dodge slashes.

This was the fervor he loved to see in an opponent. The rush of adrenaline was way too powerful to simply control.

And that was where people made mistakes.

Unfortunately, the Kaleesh was a cyborg, making his reactions unpredictable.

Hades knew little about Kaleesh physiology, or that of a cyborg. Meaning physical analysis was harder for Hades than a more humanoid species.

In the furious attack, Hades felt several singers from the blades.

He'd underestimated the pronged lightsabers, though.

Hades felt the Force Push and Pulls and as he did, one of his lightsabers was yanked away and landed behind the Kaleesh.

Hades gripped his remaining saber in a two handed grip.

"Well, that is interesting."

Hades stood his ground once more.

"Come on. You can do better."
​

TAG: @Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

Grievance Vexx
Final Trial - Power and Grace

Priding himself in precision and control even before his transformation, Vexx doesn't even blink when one of Hades' sabers flies from his hand. He sees it zing past his head and has to tilt his shoulders to avoid a glancing blow as it flies by. He hears it clatter to the ground behind him and for a fleeting moment, his ancient culture rises in his mind. Hades is his teacher; an ally by Kaleesh standards. There is an impulse to retrieve his master's weapon and return it to him and this impulse is one he must fight. He has spent enough time among the Sith to know that what is respectful in his culture is weakness in theirs.

It is not an honorable call to make and it burns him badly, but he knows that if he were to return the weapon to Hades, he would pay a price. The Sith are without mercy and this is a matter of surviving and not setting himself up to fall prey to the treachery. So Grievance takes the route of self preservation and splits his right arm into two. He maintains his grip on his own weapon defensively with one of his right hands and with the other right hand, he uses the Force to call his master's saber to him, all the while never averting his gaze from the Knight Commander as he keeps up the barrage of strikes.

The hilt of Hades' lightsaber lands firmly against his palm and he closes his skeletal fingers around it. He will not dishonor Hades by using his own weapon against him, but he will have it in his keeping for now. He extinguishes the blade and places the lightsaber on his hip armor amid the other two of his own in reserve, then proceeds to re-engage Hades, this time suddenly backing away and returning just as fast with a flying leap.

He springs high and far with the appearance of an intent to drop a double-handed strike down on top of the Knight Commander, but he lands just short of that, using the momentum of his landing to lurch forward with another flurry of thrusts, strikes, and slashes in a forever-changing pattern. His focus is on Hades' other blade now. Makashi is designed to defend the practitioner and disarm the opponent. He has already managed to take one blade from him and he aims to take the other as well. As he continues the rapid assault, he leans into the Force once again, aiming to break his master's focus in another way he has heard tell of, but never tried. His yellow eyes fixed on the windows to Hades' soul, he visualizes sending a jagged spear of broken transparisteel into his brain, intending to shatter his focus with the pain of a mind shard.

Tag: @E. L.Knight

 

Darth Hades
Mind over matter.

Hades had plans for that lightsaber that now sat on his apprentices person.

It was in that moment he realized old tricks weren't going to suffice for defeating some trained so well.

As fast as a blink of the eye, Vexx engages Hades again and his attacks come hard and fast.

Hades has no issue blocking his apprentices attacks. It was the next attack that came as a surprise.

The Mind Shard was a surprise and not something he had expected.

As it pierced his mind, he quickly disengaged from Vexx. Hades then left into the Jungle trees and disappeared.
​

TAG: @Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

Grievance Vexx
Final Trial - No Mercy

Even now as Hades evades and retreats, Vexx is not foolish enough to assume he has won. There is no rest in this battle to prove his worth. As his master retreats, the apprentice pursues, crashing through the jungle in hot pursuit like a ravenous beast chasing down its prey. He cannot give Hades a moment's rest for he knows it will give his master time to regroup and plan another assault. He knows enough about war to know that causing a retreat is not a stopping point; it is merely a call to the next level.

He moves through the jungle on a path running parallel to his master's, his aim being to head him off and force him back into the duel. In all actuality, he is surprised the mind shard had been effective. Still so inexperienced in the Force, it will be a while before he gets used to the fact that he can exercise such power. For a moment, he wonders if the Crucible power applies to a wound such as a mind shard. He knows it intensifies the pain of physical wounds to potentially crippling levels, but does it have the same impact as such wounds to the mental state? Only one way to find out.

He focuses on that sliver of sharp transparisteel in his mind; the shard he had driven into Hades' brain. He can see the burning, stabbing pain it has caused; crimson like an angry wound bleeding profusely. He visualized twisting the shard in its place, digging deeper and cutting wider as he pursues his master, remaining aware of his surroundings and wary of retaliation from Hades as he isn't entirely sure Crucible works in this fashion.

Tag: @E. L.Knight

 

Darth Hades
Fight or Flight or Finished

Hades had placed distance between himself and Vexx because that simple move made the Mind Shard less effective.

Hades was left with a head splitting headache, but it would only serve to fuel the fight.

The Cyborg gave chase, just as Hades knew he would. If you run from a predator, they will pursue.

Hades knew that, from his time alone in the Jungle, that predators were all too easy to fool if you knew how they acted.

Vexx reached out again, aiming to take the Mind Shard to the next level.

He let the Kaleesh think he had the true upper hand, but then, Hades slammed to a stop, grabbing a tree with the Force he tore it from the earth and tossed it at the Kaleesh.

He took the pain and used the headache to draw on the dark side.

More trees were uprooted and slammed towards his apprentice.

Now was the time to let loose.
​

TAG: @Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

Grievance Vexx
Final Trial - If A Tree Falls In The Forest...

The fact that Hades is able to maintain control leads Grievance to believe his attempt to intensify the mind shard had failed, so he continues his pursuit, trying to get ahead of his master so he can cut off his retreat. He crashes through another portion of the jungle to suddenly find...the jungle crashing down on top of him.

The first airborne tree bowls him over, burying him under its thick foliage. The second one piles on top of the first, followed by a third, fourth, and fifth. By this time, there is not a trace to be seen or heard of Grievance Vexx and the stillness lasts for several heartbeats before a low creaking is heard, accompanied by a rumbling as though the ground is shifting.

Multiple trees are lifted and separated above and around the cyborg who, though battered and dented from being buried, is still very much alive and not too terribly worse for the wear. He is just a little bit irritated. There are leaves stuck in his respirator. Who wouldn't be irritated under such circumstances?

With a low vindictive growl, he uses the Force to mobilize the trees by way of a whirlwind. The trees rotate swiftly as Vexx stands in the center of the chaos. He thrusts a hand toward Hades, addressing the trees "return to sender", but he doesn't stop there. As the cyclone moves toward Hades, the Kaleesh ignites the flamethrower built into his arm and sets the swirling trees ablaze. The fire of determination still burns brightly in his amber eyes as an orange glow engulfs the jungle. He is not ready to give up. Not by a long shot.

Tag: @E. L.Knight

 

Darth Hades
Out of the Frying Pan and into the FIRE!

Hades was impressed with the Cyborg. His will over the Force was solidifying and he was beginning to come fully into his own right, but then Vexx made a mistake.

The Kaleesh had not paid attention and now, he would pay. Hades grinned as the fire swirled and the Jungle burned around him. He didn't fear fire, no, he had a fascination with it. It could consume and destroy, but it could also burn away dead things and allow new life to spring forward.

Hades focused his power on the fire and claimed it as his own. Pyromania was powerful, but he had already used it once and using it too much could leave one weak and vulnerable. This is why Hades used it in bursts, rather than sustained attacks, but with the Kaleesh using his cybernetics to provide the fire, this ability became less a drain.

Hades manipulated the flames back onto the Cyborg. He didn't need to do anything but make the flames dance and converge on his apprentice, and he did.​

TAG: @Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

Grievance Vexx
Final Trial - Refiner's Fire

The fire suddenly reverses its track and Grievance knows it is the hand of his master deflecting the firestorm back at him. He could erect a Force barrier easily enough, but he has already done this more than once and the defense grows tiresome to him. Repetitive actions in any duel generally cause him to become bored with himself and it stirs in him a desire to experiment. What he is about to attempt is taking a gamble, but without much to lose physically and having no real fear of death to himself under certain circumstances, it is worth the risk to him. Perhaps Hades will truly see that his time invested in this mechanical beast has not been wasted.

Grievance lets the fire envelop him, just as he had allowed the trees to crush him. He has learned well how to embrace pain and convert it into power and he is out to prove as much. Pain becomes his world and is all he knows as he disappears in the snarling, swirling flames, fully engulfed by the inferno as though giving himself over to a living cremation of what is left of his organic parts. He should be consumed within seconds. Hades may have a hard time seeing through the hellish fires to confirm whether or not his apprentice is still standing within.

Suddenly, the flame is extinguished as though all oxygen has been deprived. Ash now swirls around the cyborg where there once was fire. Like a whirlwind blizzard, the ash emulates the effects of a shaken snow globe. A gesture of Vexx's hand brings the whirlwind to a halt and the ash drifts lazily to the jungle floor. Using the ability known as tutaminis, Grievance has consumed the fire that would have otherwise consumed him and absorbed its energy. He now looks at Hades with potentially lethal intent as he stretches a hand in his master's direction and unleashes the absorbed energy converted into a powerful blast of Force-lightning.

Tag: @E. L.Knight

 

Darth Hades
When Lightning Strikes

The blast of lightning crashed forward and Hades barely caught the blast with a blade of one of his lightsabers. He was thrown by the force of the blow across the jungle and smashed into a tree, falling to the Jungle floor.

Hades stands and extinguishes his lightsabers.
​

"Grievance Vexx, come forward. You have taken everything I have thrown at you and you have excelled in defense and attack. I see no need to test you further. You are now, a Dread Knight."
​

TAG:
@Kaleesh-Cyborg, @dragonsith13, @Darth Kronos, @Sinrebirth, @Darth_wanderguard, @Lady Belligerent

 

OOC- I never got a tag alert for this post. I got the one in the KoD thread, but not the tag here. My apologies for inadvertently keeping you waiting.

IC- Grievance Vexx
Dread Knight Rising

The cyborg clenches his tingling fist, breathing hard from the residual pain and subsequent exertion of the Force within him. He appears solid, but his soul trembles as Hades calls the trial to a close, deeming him worthy to ascend in the ranks. He has waited a long time for this, all the while swearing up and down it never really mattered that much. In this moment, he realizes for the first time that he has truly desired and sought after this; the proof that he is worthy to truly fix his presence within the Knights of Darkness. He obeys Hades' command and comes forward to kneel before his master.

"I am honored, m'lord," he replies, "Your test will be remembered as it is an honor to have dueled you and deepened my reach into the Dark Side."

Tag: @E. L.Knight

 

Darth Hades
Where Dread Knights Walk

"You have proven worthy and have earned your place. Go and prepare for your ceremony to ascend the ranks. Lord Haretisch will call for you."
​

TAG: @Kaleesh-Cyborg

 

OOC- I am not getting tags from this thread for some reason. Once again, I am sorry for the delayed response.

IC- Grievance Vexx

The cyborg rises in respectful silence and inclines his head in a single nod of understanding before departing, heading back through the jungle scarred by the destructive exchanges between master and apprentice. He sends out a call through the Force to summon his gargantuan spider to his side as he nears the place where they had parted company. Sputnik comes, looking no worse for the wear than he did before, thankfully, but he will need his wounds tended to and Vexx will see to that himself while he awaits the summons from the Night Herald.

Tag: @E. L.Knight @Darth_wanderguard