Saber only

[Buddha C]

One on one, lightsaber only. Cannon, non-death match.

----

Dan Chambers stepped into the miscellaneous arena, his stance was neutral. Bad leg forward, good leg back in a crouch. The orange training saber contrasted well with his rutian skin. His blue lekku wrapped around his neck and would serve as a cushion to protect against whiplash.

The field was flat, without obstacles and made of stone. A crowd of at least two hundred, mostly insectoid aliens, screeched in exuberance. They wanted a fight, to see two captured 'Jedi' beat each other down for some bread. Not to mention the drugs and gambled money it made for a fantastic and lucrative spectator sport. A hutt cursed in his language and in total told the paired combatants to begin.

 

[SoloWing]

The entire ordeal was infuriating. It wasn't bad enough that she'd been foolish enough to be captured while on a simple carrier mission, oh no. Her captors had to go the extra mile and assume that her lightfoil meant that she was a Jedi. For someone with a deep-seated frustration with force-users, that was particularly torturous.

Eventually, she told herself, her captors would come to justice for their crimes. But, for the moment, there was nothing that she could do about it. Two hundred to one odds weren't the most favorable; Alya realized she was going to have to bide her time and wait for the proper moment to strike.

All of which was why she was standing in this crude dueling ring facing down what she could only assume to be a real Jedi. Wonderful. At least the Jedi would probably be able to tell that she wasn't a Jedi... and at least the Jedi would be slow to cut her down. She assumed as much, anyway. Jedi seemed to have something against killing.

But there was no more time for delay. Alya adopted her familiar stance, presenting her profile to her Jedi opponent, settling her balance, and bringing her lightfoil up in a vertical defense position. She narrowed her eyes at the man across the ring and settled in to wait. Defense was the key in her mind.

"No hard feelings." Alya addressed her opponent. "I get the feeling neither one of us has much choice in this matter."

It pained her to be so cordial to the enemy, but, for the moment, the enemy of her enemy could be a valuable ally.

 

[Buddha C]

The assailant refused to budge, very well. Dan twirled his saber in a fancy show, doing so when there was still a large distance between the two combatants, and marched over to him. His clothes didn't snap or grab air as he walked, his own profile was unchanging.

As he entered striking distance he swung from left to right, which would likely force the opponent to change defensive position under pressure or parry the strike in a precise motion. If the later was to be carried out he would step in with his good foot, trying to force the enemy off balance while he was preoccupied trying to parry his strike. If the attention shifted to his encroachment he would immediately attempt to stab down with the saber or in some other way keep from losing his entire leg.

 

[SoloWing]

A small twitch of her hand brought the lightfoil in line with the lightsaber and caught the broad strike in preparation for a parry. She scowled as the man suddenly encroached on her territory. Alya fell backwards; a quick spring backward took her clear of any retaliatory strikes. You never let the enemy dictate your battleground-- even in a personal duel. The thought burned through her mind as their weapons parted with a snap-hiss.

"Then again, if you insist on this silent treatment, I may change my mind." Alya warned her Jedi opponent. She brought her blade up in preparation for the next exchange. This time, she would not retreat so easily.

 

[Buddha C]

Daft. He didn't try to hold his ground. His opponent wasn't a moron, those milliseconds knocked onto his reaction time by a bad stance could well deliver the outcome of this battle.

He briskly walked towards her, slashing his saber from the right, then above and then to the right again. His attacks followed, he began driving her towards the arena wall that was still far back, even when she had already made a move towards it in retreat.

His attack focused most on the right and left, to try and funnel his opponent in a backward shuffle or to stand and fight. In the event that the enemy were to begin a counter-attack then sheer skill would come into play.

 

[SoloWing]

Alya's scowl deepened as she blocked the oncoming assault. It appeared that this 'Jedi' was more concerned with winning the fight than forging some means of escape. So be it. She had at least tried to work with him only to be turned aside; the guilt for what happened next lay at his feet.

She caught his right slash with her foil, refusing to fall back any more, and dropped it into a parry. Sparks danced across the air as their blades met and slid against each other. Alya held firm, dropped her foot deep within the Jedi's territory, and gave her free hand a burst of momentum, aiming a quick punch at the Jedi's face.

Some might have decried the move as fighting dirty, but she did not care. Her opponent had many advantages: the force and an actual lightsaber to name a few. She wasn't about to pull any punches while fighting him. No pun intended.

 

[Buddha C]

Sparks flew, the mixture of energy created a great venue. The insect on-lookers cheered in high-pitched joy. The punch emerged from under the attack with a surprise, he was only able to dodge by sacrificing stance composure. His right had been left completely open, and had the enemy taken advantage he would be dead.

He jumped back, his stance was everything. Without a strong foundation one could never build a wonder, and that is what Chambers strived for in every strike. He wanted perfection, even when faced with death.

This 'Jedi' had added another dimension to the fight altogether. He had never been taught to strike with his saber and his fists, so for the entirety of the fight he would be consigned to acting more reserved. He switched his stance, shifting balance on both legs equally, his good one back, and put the saber in the center of his body. In that position a punch or kick would leave the punchee/kickee open to a nice saber-amputation.

He swung vertically lightly, testing his opponents defences. If the attack surprised her and broke threw it would not kill her, since it was only meant to tease and thus would have no follow through. Power was given up for the ability to react to his opponent's next strike.

 

[SoloWing]

Well, this was about to get interesting. Alya recognized the stance that her opponent had taken as being fairly similar to her own, one designed for stability and defense. It looked like their duel was about to turn dull for the onlookers. Two defensive players often resulted in a slower, more calculating match. These people here wanted flashy moves and blood.

His attack came at a slight surprise, for she had just finished resettling her stance. The fact that it was a vertical attack was what took her off guard. Most of his assaults up until now had been wide and sweeping, not quick and vertical. She twisted her lightfoil as best she could, but it wasn't good enough, the blocking angle was awkward and weak. She caught herself before she slipped backwards, but it wasn't good enough. She was off-kilter and weak-- not a good combination.

 

[Buddha C]

There was something raged in his eyes, when he saw that imbalance. That slight appearant misplacement of the feet, the foretelling uncertainty in their eyes. He threw himself forward into the air, his strike again coming from the heavens in a vertical slash. Unlike his previous motion, the test she had failed, this attack was a full train of aggression. It was his belief that this erratic and ever-changing style would keep her reserved when she shouldn't be and vice versa.

 

[SoloWing]

Alya gathered her footing just in time to see the Jedi switch from a defensive formation to a wild one. That was his loss. Had he stayed calm and collected, he would have been able to end the match easily. But in putting all of his emotions into the strike, he had delayed his powerful blow for several crucial seconds-- seconds she could now use to slip to one side.

It was that simple. Alya stepped to one side, cleanly avoiding the overhanded death slash. She was half-tempted to step forward and punch at the Jedi again, or to try and stick her lightfoil in his neck, but she refrained. Doing so would help neither of them.

"We don't have to do this." She said. Alya went against her instincts and tried to open her feelings to the outside world. If this guy could sense that she meant what she said, maybe that would get through to him. "We could try to escape, instead. You're a Jedi, right? Rumor has it that you can take all of these guys without even trying."

 

[Buddha C]

He chuckled, "Nah." Kicking his left leg into her stomach, after it stepped back on the ground he swung overhead at her. His muscles bulging from strain, he was new to the saber and didn't realise how open he had actually left himself to the strike. The enemy's talk would do little to stop him, he wanted this fight, to prove himself with the saber. It was a lust, but he was no Jedi, it was not against his code to want such things.

 

[SoloWing]

Again, he refused. Perhaps she was wrong. It did not matter. Either way, this proved that he had no reason to help her, and he proved even more unable to show basic pattern recognition. It did not matter how many times he tried the overhead slash, he would fail each and every time.

She slid backward, folding around the kick. It impacted, but with far less force than the opponent had expected. Alya closed herself off to the outside world again, building the practiced walls and buffers that would prevent others from reading her thoughts. A sidestep brought her clear of the overhead swipe-- she responded by thrusting her lightfoil forward, performing a clean, simple stab at the man's shoulder.

"Then you are a fool." She hissed.

 

[Buddha C]

The lightfoil disintegrated the fabric around his shoulder, but being side-stepped he immediately rolled forward and out of the way. His shoulder hurt, he rubbed it feeling a singe and boiled skin. He had been hit, albeit very lightly, but this woman. He put his saber in the middle of his body, equal balance, same as before.

Dan swung from the right, then the left. To the right again, his blows were a mixture of vertical and every once in a while horizontal. He would press his attack, if she stood her ground he would simply grow more ferocious and if she stepped back he would give a slow chance. It was important not to become too overzealous in one's assaults. Continuing an attack on a running opponent can lead to mistakes or surprises.

 

[SoloWing]

Maybe he'd caught on to her method of operation, or maybe she'd just made him mad. Either way, Alya twisted her lightfoil about, catching each strike but not daring to parry or counterattack. This guy had just gone savage. That was a problem.

She retreated back a step, but only a step, trying to gauge whether that would affect this relentless assault or not. Thanks to Form 2, she could effectively keep this up for a great while. In the meantime, she simply needed one mistake on her opponent's part and this would all be over. Time was on her side.

 

[Buddha C]

The dance raged on, their weapons clashing several times a second the tension that had been created from the show was palpable. Even without the blood, the gore or the general dismemberment those aliens had paid for they rallied on, excited. It was more fun than watching an unarmed human against rancor, that was for sure.

The lightfoil and lightsaber caught, the twi'lek forcing pressure on his saber. If the opponent moved his saber would slice forward into her. His strength was impressive, above average for both his species and size, and the construction of lightfoils, while originally meant for dark-side followers had diminished in the years. Not to say the one he was against was of sub-standard quality, there were also some floating out there that were better than the average lightsaber. It was a big-bet to place your life in the quality of a strange weapon. Unknown to him if he continued to press against a sub-standard lightfoil it could short out.

 

[SoloWing]

Alya grunted as their blades locked. This guy was getting more and more wild. Of one thing she was certain: he was no Jedi. She'd fought Jedi before, and this guy was not acting like any of them.

She stared across the bladelock at her opponent. He was bearing down, attempting to overthrow her through raw power. A thought darted through her mind. Throughout these previous exchanges this guy had relied only on power. There was no finesse or technique in his blows... that could be his undoing.

Alya shifted to one side and removed her thumb from the lightfoil's kill switch. The scarlet blade vanished in an instant and she twisted to one side. Now that the one unmovable force keeping this 'Jedi' at bay had been removed, his own power, force and momentum should send him pitching forward face first. Alya re-ignited her lightfoil and prepared to capitalize on her advantage or bring up a quick defense.

 

[Buddha C]

Was the twi'lek relying on strength, being his formal training a tad weak? Yes, was he not a Jedi? Yes, but he was not foolish to put all his weight behind sabers. When the enemy's lightfoil turned off his saber immediately sliced into the air forward, missing her by some inches. But the enemy's counter-attack was gone, there was no beam of energy to enforce her coercion.

The twi'lek's lightsaber swung from left to right against her opponent's now-opened chest. The red light stretched forth, blocking the strike just in time. Sweat was trickling all over Dan's body. This visceral sport was a real display of his capabilities and the pain seething through his muscles were being quelled by the rush of endorphins which made him stronger and more alert, his untrained Force would naturally improve this slightly as well.

He attacked again, refusing the stop his barrage. All the fear, the indecision, the clumsiness, the pain it was drifting away in one focused being of battle. He was not a good fighter, no great armies would ever fear his name but he would press on. The swings came faster and less sweeping, the strikes still in an attempt to funnel his enemy backwards. His opponent had been gradually making steps backwards towards the wall.

 

[SoloWing]

She really should stop being so nice, doing so had almost cost her an arm. But some deep-seated part of Alya's psyche refused to allow her to fully cut loose. They were locked in a death-match that was undoubtedly kill or be killed... yet she was unable to bring her full skill to bear on this mongrel of a man for the simple reason that there was no honor in this.

All of her life, Alya had considered herself far too strong to engage in random acts of cruelty or to take pleasure in the suffering of others. All of her actions, all of her battles, had a purpose behind them. A reason for being. This battle now was not a battlefield. It was not a war. It was for the express purpose of enjoyment and pleasure-- the very thing that she hated most. That was why she was unable to go all out on this fool's carcass.

She scowled at herself and concentrated on beating back the many slashes. This man seemed to have learned from the gist of her last lesson. He was being tighter now, more controlled. At the very least, Alya could take satisfaction in having had a hand in training the one who could potentially kill her.

Inaction wasn't serving her. It was time to get her hands dirty. Alya allowed the next blow to come sweeping in close-- so close that she could feel the heat of the blade on her shoulder-- before she caught it with her lightfoil.

She twisted the sword around, forming a bladelock and turning the scuffle into a battle of strength. Their blades were engaged and wouldn't come free until one person managed to physically overpower the other. Then, and only then, did Alya snap her head forward: aiming a headbutt at the twi'leck's forehead. If it connected, then the force should daze the man and give her a crucial edge. If not, then... she'd deal with it then.

 

[Buddha C]

The twi'lek's saber caught onto hers and the struggle intensified. His endorphin filled body grasped at the opportunity to establish dominance, to use all that strength he had. The blades were caught for only three seconds before he overpowered the woman's hold and pulled his saber out, hers was thrown outwards leaving her body completely open.

The headbutt emerged as a surprise, even though it shouldn't have been since he already made that mistake in this battle, and clipped the left section of his forehead. The blow dazed him, the pain was nul but the vision in his left eye started to dissipate. An abrasion, caused by the strike, had made home on his brow and was profusely bleeding into the eye below.

The natural drugs kicked into overgear as he again took on the offensive. He would not give his skilled opposition a second of respite. A forward strike twice, then the left, then a forward strike followed by a left swing and his last move was stab to the centre of her stomach. He hadn't used the strike once in the match and it would probably at least lead to an arrhythmic blunder. Though his death perception was shot as his only had one eye to peer out of.

The crowd had fallen silent in amazement. The human's position on the field was about two steps away from being near the arena wall. Clearly they were getting their money's worth. But one rude basterd had the gall to throw some garbage at the two, in an effort to degrade them further. Then the entire arena's populace was chucking refuse at the duelling pair.

 

[SoloWing]

That... had not quite been what was expected; a blow like that should have slowed him down, not caused him to speed up. It was all that Alya could do to keep up with his slashes. Sidestep. Sidestep. The only saving grace to all this was that he was acting on pure emotion... which meant that he was being overly slow.

Garbage began raining from above. Inwardly, she was glad. It would give her another valuable edge to this battle.

Alya ducked beneath his next swing and stifled a gasp at what turned out to be a near miss. The lightsaber scraped across her back, creating a light but painful burn. She blocked out the pain as best she could and forced her right hand to extend; her fingers closed about a piece of fruit-like substance in an instant and she righted herself as quick as she was able.

It was just in time. The twi'lek broke out a stomach level jab that would have impaled her forehead if she'd been any slower. She twisted about the lightsaber, avoiding the bulk of the thrust, and brought her right arm up in a jabbing punch. If it connected, the fruit would smear all over her opponent's good eye, obscuring his vision even further.

Without waiting to see if it would connect or no, Alya rolled into her next move. She grabbed at the man's shoulders, intending to pull him down and into her-- straight into an extended knee that was aimed squarely at his groin.