Ask Coruscant Fates and sabers crossing

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

"right then, stubborn oaf, I'll take what's mine and see you in the alley."

With that, he force pulled the Holocron and his saber to his palm, pocketing them both, giving a lazy peace sign as he walked out the door.

"I mean it, and don't bother running again."

Oh how he was tempted to hit the alarm right then and there and set off every ruffian for miles, but nah.. he wanted her all to himself, and he didn't want anything in his way.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Sybella Demici]

Watching carefully as Cremak left, Sybella let out a sound close to exasperation. She didn't know if the man was just arrogant or simply deranged. So she sat there, only for a moment, pondering her next course of action. She could run, very much in the same way as she did last time. Though the glimpse into the holocron had been fleeting, it had given Sybella a better sense of direction - there was no reason for her to stay and entertain this dark sider.

Still, the knight was never one to back down from a challenge. She and her unwelcomed wraith had reached a tentative stalemate; there was more control now, more cohesion instead of discord. It meant she could focus her efforts on confronting Cremek, instead of dividing it.

Seemingly decided, Sybella slipped out of the building much like a shadow herself. The crooks and criminals could continue their illegal bidding; the Jedi's main concern was facing her unlikely rival.

The alley, just as he had instructed. With both saber hilts at the ready, the knight prepared herself for the first, initial strike.

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

Cremek was standing right out in the open, tapping his foot.

"Let's meet my fate shall we?"

With that, he pulled his saber out, as a krayt pearl howl sounded from the flame orange blade.


He takes a stance similar to form II, though clearly tweaked a little. Him holding only one hand to the sabers hilt rather than two, pointing the saber downwards.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Sybella Demici]

"Just remember...fate can be fickle, even upon those it seems to favour."

Sybella recognised elements within his stance. Form II. The lightsaber style usually put a great amount of emphasis on precise blade work, elegant movements, and overall duelling skills. In one on one combat, a master of Form II usually proved to be the stronger of the combatants. Against multiple opponents, it could be weakened. The Jedi didn't have that luxury. Instead, she would have to rely on her own skills.

Activating both of her sabers, the Serennian knight opened by making an advance; with quick and dynamic footwork, Sybella closed the distance, and struck rapidly at Cremak's defence. She wanted the test it, and see how easily gaps could form (if any). When one saber slashed, the other would jab, both moving in tandem with one another. Whilst most Jedi opted for a reactionary style of fighting, Sybella chose instead to employ something more fast-paced, and aggressive in style. In the beginning stages of a fight, it was usually enough to put her opponents on the back foot. Then again, not all her opponents had been Sith.

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

"Okay... LETS DANCE!"

Cremek moved to counter as she rushed forward with speedy strikes, using his cortosis armor to knock aside the second saber, he attempted to shift momentum, because he was definitely not submissive! Though he was impressed, and quite proud that she took his challenge, this only damned another Jedi in the veiw of their peers, which was always a philosophical victory in his book.

"Oh dear me, considering letting me live are you sybella?"

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Sybella Demici]

As the battle commenced, Sybella's lightsabers moved in a seamless dance of motion, their brilliant blades tracing arcs through the air. She blended her physical prowess with the Force, leaping and somersaulting effortlessly, closing the distance between herself and Cremek with astonishing speed. Her agile movements allowed her to evade the Sith's attacks while continuously pressuring him.

Sybella's growing mastery of Ataru allowed her to weave her blades in intricate patterns, delivering swift, almost unpredictable attacks that tested Cremek's defences. Her motions were fluid, flowing seamlessly from one strike to the next; it was as if her lightsabers were extensions of her own body. It was frustrating, however, being countered by Cremek and his calculating form. The cortosis armour was also a bothersome revelation.

Opting for a more relentless assault, the Jedi utilised her dual lightsabers once again, generating a whirlwind of strikes that would force Cremek to constantly adjust his defences. She also slashed at unexpected angles, testing the Sith's concentration and forcing him to react swiftly. The clash between the two combatants filled the air with the sizzle and crackle of colliding lightsabers. By keeping Cremek on the back foot, Sybella hoped to wear him down to the point in which his exhaustion would allow some mistake or other.

"I take no pleasure in this, Cremek. Yet leaving you alive might prove more harmful than good..."

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

Cremek would continue to counter with his own, weaving into soresu rather than makashi for countering her ataru as best he could, he would utilize his signature area drain to fuel him, being on the back foot initially was one of cremeks favorite tactics.

"Now now, don't lie, you act like it's all black and white, your either good or your evil, you fail to realize that when you kill me, a much more cruel sith will simply take my place."

He huffed, but his form did not fail on him, long accustomed to fighting in mandalorian armor, his stamina was quite high.

"You wanted this, didn't you?"

He extended his other hand, a few crates laid dormant, but no longer, as he pulled them to both of them.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Sybella Demici]

Wise to the Sith’s ability to drain energy, Sybella fortified herself further, ensuring her shields continued to hold strong. It wasn’t the best of solutions - Cremak might still be able to wear them down but it was enough to buy Sybella time. Time to strike, time to attack. Compared to other Jedi, she certainly played on the more offensive tactics.

“Then I will defeat them. And their predecessor. Again, and again, until the cycle finally breaks.”

Ducking under one of the levitating crates, the knight used the Force as well, only she ensured they shattered into pieces. Some of the planks broke with sharpened points; utilising them as impromptu weapons, the lady Jedi would fling them towards towards Cremak. They flew with such speed, if not stopped, they were piercing any vulnerable areas. Annoyingly, the Sith was armoured as ever. It would take more than that to breach the metal’s integrity - still, the distance it created between them was good enough.

“Wanted ‘what’ exactly?”

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

"But I wonder how many lives you will have to take before you finally do so, the human mind is weak, it can only take so much before it succumbs to madness, I have to wonder, what is your breaking point, sybella? how far are you willing to sink?"

he laughed to himself shortly after his own question

"The sith order is like a organism, sure, you can cut a limb, but the body will survive."


correct to sybella's assumption his armor had indeed protected him from the attack... mostly.. one had lodged itself slightly in his arm, he hisses in pain slightly, taking a moment rip it out, blood dripping down his arm now.


"Why, if I didn't know any better, you wanted my blood. Now if you really wanted to make me bleed, you should have used a vibro-knife."

spurred on by pain, cremek went of the offensive, striking in a flurry despite his arm bleeding. It became clear cremek in truth held very little care for his own body, as long as victory was obtainable.

"I think, you are more like your ancestor that you wish to believe, If I'm bested here, I think you'll make a fine carrier of my beliefs, that I do not doubt you'll come to understand in time, in some way."

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Sybella Demici]

Sybella knew all too well the looming threat that came with potential madness. Had she not nearly lost her own sanity when first trying to deal with the spectre of Lujayn. None of her few Jedi could perceive the spectre, save for a few with intuition acute enough to sense her presence. Instead of asking for help, Sybella chose to bear the burden alone, believing it was her responsibility to deal with the remnants of her disgraced ancestor. Cremek raised a valid point. How long could she continue battling her own affliction.

“Only time will tell, I suppose…”

The Sith was a true marauder, charging ahead even when injured. Sybella attempted to slow his advance, creating a wall with the Force but the brute managed to pummel his way through. Knowing she could not match him in terms of physical strength, the Jedi chose to employ more evasive tactics. The knight was rather nimble, and moved with surprising swiftness; dodging Cremek was like trying to dodge a raging rancour.

He was trying to unsettle her, using words as well as punches. Like her ancestor? A carrier of Sith ideals? “Such insult!”

Extending her fingers upwards, Sybella willed the ground beneath them to shift and surge. The concrete cracked and spikes of solid earth rose up in revolt, ready to piercing anything that was unfortunately too close.

With a huff, the Jedi steadied her breath once more, taking even intact of air till her heart rate returned to its usual pace. “It’s never too late, you know. To turn from darkness and join the light…”

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

"but am I wrong?.. after all, your here, are you not?"

he gently chuckled, rolling aside and away from the spikes hoping to avoid them.

"now that's an insult, I've split the blood of men, women, children, and my own family to get to where I am today, it would only be a slap in the face to walk away now. I may be a sith, but I at least honor the fallen."

he would now finally ignites his saber gauntlet at his other arm in a visceral change of pace.


"there must be a night sky to the jedi's sunny day, or the universe crumbles, the fact that you are trying to suggest I join the jedi, the enemy of both my people and my order, is laughable. You have not seen what I've seen, walked through what hell truly is, and come out on top, come back whole, stronger, but I think you will, one day."

he would continue his onslaught, attempting to catch her as she catches her her breath, building like a rising flame now spiraling out of control, which wasn't too far to what cremek was feeling, he was truly delighting in the mayhem.

"There will be only one way to best me here, I've insured it, you have a gift, use it, and this battle could be over!"

now added with the saber gauntlet, it was like some unsettling dance, graceful, exact, not a single movement or arc was wasted now, using the sparks he kicks up to his advantage, he slices his main saber upwards, creating a wave of sparks in hope of distracting her for a jab to her side with the saber gauntlet.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Sybella Demici]

There was no helping this one. He simply too far gone, too rooted in the darkness (of his own making, it seemed) but at least Sybella could say to tried. Steeling herself once again, the Jedi’s eyes narrowed at Cremek’s additional weapon; she hadn’t seen a lightsaber used in the form a gauntlet before. Perhaps in conceptual schematics but never in functioning reality.

Keeping her distance the best she could, Sybella shifted into more defensive tactics. The Force partially helped to guide her movements, ensuring she avoided the slashes of sabers; the sparks, though persistent, did not hinder her very much. Had she not done something very similar during her duelling demonstrations on Yavin IV? It was a common tactic (solid in its logic), to distract one’s opponent and divide their attention.

Flipping back to avoid the arcing slash of Cremek’s main blade, Sybella landed low and crouched. If she were standing, it would have targeted her side but now, in her lower position, it was on par with her head. It would have struck, had Sybella not blocked it. Not with one of her sabers however, as she had tossed the both of them upwards high into the side in mid motion. From an outside point of view, it would look as though Sybella was holding the the saber off with only her hands. Those trained in the Force, however, would know different. It was tutaminis she was utilising, in which the Force dissipated the concentrated energy, be it from a blaster bolt or a even a lightsaber.

The blade crackling was almost as violent as its wielder, the heat almost incomparable yet Sybella remained focused and rapt. “People keep telling me what to do and what not to do…But no longer.” Being so close to Cremek’s, in that moment, she wanted to make clear her stance. “I will do things the way I choose and damn the consequences that may follow.”

Knowing time was of the essence, the Force that acted buffer between her and Cremek’s gauntlet seem to almost implode, pushing both him and her apart rather suddenly. There was reason to this as from above, metal scaffolding had come crashing down. The sabers Sybella had thrown earlier had arched upwards, with her subtle influence. Still ignited, the Jedi’s weapons had cut through the various metal poles and pillars; not many were, but enough to make the partial structure to bend and collapse under its own uneven weight. Taking possession of her sabers once more, Sybella pulled something that others might determine as ‘dirty’.

Using the Force, she took hold of Cremek’s foot, just enough to halt for a passing moment. She hoped the metal debris would fall upon most of him; not enough to crush the dark sider, but certainly inconvenience him by keeping him pinned.

The Jedi knew she ought to finish him, but the noise of the calamity would surely draw attention. Pulling up her hood, Sybella gave a glance between making a retreat. She had spent too long on Coruscant, on this personal errand. No doubt the Order would soon be checking on her and find she wasn’t where she was supposed to be…

Spoiler

typing on tablet, having some editing and formatting problems

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

"T-truly?.."

Upon hearing those words, cremek did something he himself could not believe, he hesitated and backed off, honestly impressed and slightly enamoured by the determination, after all, those were once his words, that he spoke proudly and feircly, back when the flame of hope still burned in him, he hesitantly steps back, tripping slightly, cuasing the end result to be the same, but falling on his legs and cuasing excruciating pain as a loud crack could be heard on impact. He hisses, trying not to scream. A hollow chuckle could be heard from him.

"Saybella, can you stay a moment? I need to ask you a honest question."

Cremek disignited his sabers.

"Say I listen to you, say I have a chance, what do you think would happen to someone like me, who pushes the boundaries of what one thinks is logical.. would they would call me mad and lock away the key? Exile me? Kill me? I appreciated the offer, and it's tempting, but if I do, who's to say I won't be charged for slaughter after slaughter that I was in the center of?"

He gave another weary chuckle.

"You know the thought keeps me up at night, I fight for a family I know never cared about my people, or my family, not like I do, they took my family from me, turned my own mother against me."

Cremek was exhausted, vulnerable, panting slightly.

"Live or die I just want to see mandalore, my family, restored."

He coughed a little.

"If you think you can save me, tame and reform me, this is your chance to try. I'll gladly experiment, either way.. you do indeed carry the ideals I was speaking of, so I know at least some chance of change is possible, in at your mercy saybella."

This was Cremeks chance to either gain deep insight into how the Jedi function, or a chance to escape this death spiral he put himself in. Either way, he wins something here.

@HoneyMagpie