Open Invasion Eriadu Taking What Is Ours

[Fennex Fisto]

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Fennex abandoned his electrokinesis as soon as Vahliri maneuvered to her new position and blocked the incoming torrent with her blade. Gold electricity fizzled off the crimson weapon but its failure did not alter the course of his planned offense. Right hand curled tighter around the hilt of the purple shoto as the Sith Champion went in for her attack. While her strike was unorthodox and unexpected there were few nuances that the Amaran would use to his advantage. First off, the arc that her saber travelled was the distance between his left shoulder and middle of his sternum, or roughly, equivalent of half a step. Considering he had already planted and pivoted off the axis on his left foot, it was an easy defense to muster rapidly.

Force flowed through his body as Fennex suddenly pressed off his left foot and took a step to his right. The result being, the blade extended through air where his left deltoid and rotator cuff use to be. As he was moving to his right, he didn't have a natural response of his left hand as she would have expected as in his mind, the left hand was never involved in defending against her attack. With a quick burst of speed he then moved forwards, to gain back into up close and personal range with his adversary. Fennex could feel the force tendrils wrap around his right hand as he evasively moved out of her blade's trajectory; however, his own lightsaber was not a component of his defense and the force grip's brief duration as well as his movement and own muscles tensing against it, shattered the hold prior to his next strike.

With a flick of his right wrist, Fennex aimed to carve a dangerous, diagonal path from the inside of Vahliri's right shoulder down to her liver and belly. There were a few points of positioning to worth noting in this case. With his forward movement, Fennex was now within Vahliri's comfortable reach, utilizing the close range of his Shoto and his dimunitive stature to his advantage. As such, his left shoulder was next to her right forearm, rather than her blade. Considering the extended length of her weapon, pure physics would dictate that she would not be able to maneuver such a large blade on its pendulum quickly to counter. Suddenly side slashing into the Jedi would also not be feasible as that would push her arm into the trajectory of his purple saber.

Regardless, Fennex knew that if she wished to utilize her own saber to defend she would likely have to revert it back to its original size and/or re-position it, neither of which he felt she could do successfully before his attack gained purchase. Force energies began to pulsate and coil around his left palm, poised for a quick counter or close ranged strike if necessary.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Truthfully, Vahliri had to internally question Fennex’s logic by moving in the direction her blade was traveling - but she wasn’t going to dwell upon that quite yet. Instead, she instinctively moved to press the advantage that the Amaran had unwittingly provided her on a silver platter - seeking to finally put an end to their engagement.

The half-Annfyn had deliberately targeted the Amaran’s unarmed left side, and the fact that he had simply stepped to the right wasn’t nearly enough to adequately defend himself from the trajectory of her weapon. In reality, his abrupt change in position - yet another rather predictable side-step - only put him a step or two ahead of the dual-phase extension of her blade - and Vahliri needed only to continue the left-to-right momentum of her swing to find purchase, blade moving with almost unnatural speed to follow him.

With the crimson blade extended to its maximum two-meter length, Vahliri took a single step inward - closing the distance slightly and extending her reach - and carved her blade in a diagonal arc across the Amaran’s upper arm and down towards his hip. If successful, it would completely sever his left arm and slice a molten channel through his torso - aiming to completely several his lower half from the top.

Given the speed of the half-Annfyn’s swing and the point-blank distance, it would be nigh impossible for the Amaran to use the gauntlet on his left arm to defend himself. Moreover, the fact that Fennex hadn’t taken a step backwards or otherwise attempted to distance himself, meant that the dual-phase saber extended almost a meter behind him - making the possibility of abruptly stepping out of range, or pushing Vahliri backwards, equally as unlikely.

All the while, the half-Annfyn reinforced her grip on the Amaran’s right arm - pouring her reserves of the Force into binding the limb in place for only those precious moments. Even if the Amaran managed to break from her hold, the intention was only to pin his lightsaber in place long enough to finish her attack.

If, by some miracle, Fennex managed to avoid her follow-up swing through his upper body, Vahliri would hardly need to move her saber arm in order to defend against his swing. Taking a single step backwards, the half-Annfyn merely pulled her right shoulder back and lifted her left arm to block the incoming swing across her body - the Crystal Vambrace clashing for the second time against the Amaran’s lightsaber.

@Faded

 

[Fennex Fisto]

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Trap. Set. Sprung

Fennex's decision to move in the direction of her blade was intentional, as it allowed him access to get inside her reach to complete his offense, a concept which was critical in the mechanics of saber dueling. Vahliri had seemingly forgotten that in addition to the side step, Fennex had also moved forwards with a quick burst of speed. Additionally, she had put herself further into a miscalculated position by deciding to take a step inward herself prior to completing her slash. The net result of course, was that the two of them were collectively two steps closer to each other, with Fennex being well within her melee range.

Now, that didn't mean that the Jedi was out of peril however. As Fennex was within her melee range meant he was also still in danger of her blade. She was correct in her assumptions that movements of the wrist and forearm wouldn't be able to save him with usage of the left gauntlet. That elbow joint didn't have the mobility to make such dramatic re-alignment and snapping his hand upwards wouldn't provide adequate protection as her blade would still likely cut into his upper arm. Thankfully though, God made shoulder joints.

As her blade came to interrupt, he didn't try to bring the gauntlet up to defend against it. However, he simply pulled his elbow backwards rotating at the left shoulder joint, his forearm essentially moving in a perpendicular manner to his torso. The end result would be that as her downward slash came, it would meet the lateral edge of his forearm. Protected with the cortosis interwoven armor, the red plasma would heat and burn against the gauntlet, Fennex feeling the warmth flicker onto his robes and flesh. Naturally, he next pushed against her attack, hence batting the blade away to her right as his arm tensed against the strike. In a battle between a flick of her wrist and the spring of his arm, his arm would win that battle every time. The force grip she had unleashed coiled around his right hand during the duration of her own swing, but the Jedi's resolve would not relinquish, as his physical movement and own muscles resisting against it to shatter it as he went in for his attack.

Simultaneously, his second lightsaber flew into his left grasp, its purple blade screaming to life as his right blade now collided with her left Vambrace. The force energies that were coiled in his left palm exploded out as two fingers of his left hand disengaged from the hilt and gestured into a claw. The end result was a quick and dirty force grip crushing around Vahliri's torso in attempts at holding it in place for the duration of his attack. Purple plasma weapon burned against the artifact, but Fennex simply continued his forward movement as he brought the left blade in a downward slash on her right to left aimed at near waist level while his right blade tricked into a devious trakata maneuver, un-igniting for a brief movement as his hand fell in its descending path and re-ignited once it was below the Vambrace's defense, continuing its attempted carve at her flesh.

This was a risky move. If Fennex failed, he likely left himself vulnerable for a serious counter. But at this point, he felt he was far within closer quarters that her own saber wouldn't be a factor unless she did some significant re-positioning. Even if she did manage to somehow defend, would it be before she was slashed?

Sometimes though in life, you gotta risk it for the biscuit.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Despite the intensity of their dual, there was an almost eerie sense of calm that washed over Vahliri in that moment - amber eyes remaining fixed harshly onto the Amaran, watching as he blindly rushed to close the distance. Her saber deliberately lingered on the Amaran’s lower left side, the simple press of a button returning it to its original length, while her Vambrace-covered forearm crossed her body - blocking the saber swing that aimed to carve down her right shoulder, all the while gathering the Force within her left hand.

The precise moment that Fennex’s blade made contact with her vambrace, Vahliri outstretched the fingers of her left hand, unleashing a torrent of violet-and-blue lightning from her fingertip that streamed forth to in hopes of impacting the Amaran directly in the face and upper torso. There would be no warning before the torrent was unleashed, and the blocked position of the Amaran’s saber - coupled with his own forward momentum - made it nigh impossible that he would be able to pull back in order to block the attack.

With the timing of her electrical assault, the half-Annfyn aimed to interrupt whatever the Amaran did next - or, if he continued drawing his second saber, gripping her torso with the Force and attempting to perform the Trakata, he would be burnt to nothing but an ashen husk.

At the same time, Vahliri once again began to move with her right-handed saber - having deliberately kept the blade positioned on Fennex’s left side upon being batted away. He had done absolutely nothing to bind or otherwise disable the movement of her blade, and the Amaran had used the Cortosis gauntlet for the single time that it was durable. The half-Annfyn pulled her arm backwards ever-so-slightly before rotating her wrist in a simple, clockwise rotation - attempting to carve the crimson blade across the underside of Fennex’s upper left forearm.

Given the compromised state of his gauntlet and commitment to reaching for his second saber, the Amaran would have no realistic defense against the half-Annfyn severing his forearm from the rest of his body - eliminating any risk of the second saber, maiming him in the process, and proceeding to bring her weapon into a defensive guard across the front of her body.

@Faded

 

[Fennex Fisto]

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Fennex had fought valiantly against the oppressive regime, likely longer and better than any Knight so far that the Sith have faced. Champion Kahtal however was an entirely different monster. She had carefully orchestrated appropriate defensive and offensive maneuvers against the Amaran's every move. To that credit, Fennex had to have been impressed with the Sith.

As the force lightning came out from her armored fingers, his eyes opened wide as if time almost slowed down itself. His lips uttered something only to himself. "Clever fucking girl..." He whispered under his breath as the vicious torrent collided against his face and torso. Luckily for him, the impact of the blast sent his body hurling backwards just as Vahliri's right saber flicked to injure his arm. As such, the blade slashed into air, his flesh only hairline away from being severed.

Ironic huh?

Fennex's body smashed against the ground before rolling in the dirt several times until coming to a skidding halt. His sabers had flown out of his hands, their unignited hilts laying in the grass of battlefield. Fingers dug through the mud as he slowly raised his face to view the Champion one more time.

"Maybe one day...you'll fight for good and not evil..." He said, a small smile coming to his face before exhaustion and injury took over. Eyes closed and he washed into unconsciousness.

Fennex Fisto fell that day to the might of the Sith and along with him, Eriadu's last hope of freedom. His defeat marked a dark cloud over the planet, symbolizing their submission into the Empire's tyranny.

// KOed

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Even before the lightning made impact, Vahliri was confident in the success of her electrical assault - capitalizing on the openings that her opponent had presented. Even still, the half-Annfyn couldn't help but some respect for the Jedi, irrespective of what occurred. He was a skilled opponent, and easily amongst the hardest duels she had engaged in since joining the Sith.

The half-Annfyn watched as Fennex’s body sailed backwards - the concussive impact of the lightning sparing his lower half from the dismembering swing of her saber. The air was filled with the scent of burn fur and flesh, rushing into Vahliri’s nostrils with the first breath she took. Even in that moment, she didn’t dare to lower her guard - crimson saber lingering in its vertical guard in the front of her body, poised to block any last-ditch attack sent her way. She knew that Asher and the rest of the Imperial forces wouldn’t be long behind her.

It wasn’t until Fennex came to a skidding halt - half-buried in the mud and barely clinging to consciousness - that the half-Annfyn allowed her red blade to lower and hiss from life. She didn’t immediately move to close that distance - instead allowing her golden gaze to linger on the Jedi for a long moment. She saw the smoke that wafted off his small frame, and the clear, spiderwebbed burns of where the lightning had snaked across his skin. The way he weakly picked himself up off the ground to look at her.

And in that moment, Vahliri couldn’t help the pangs of remorse briefly that flooded through her.

On New Alderaan, the half-Annfyn had been consumed by vengeance - eager to cleave her way through every single person responsible for what had happened to Altair. But here? She had initiated the attack on Eriadu, and the blood of everyone who fell in its defense was on her hands - with not a single action against her personally to justify it away. With every invasion and battle, Vahliri could feel herself changing - perhaps not for the better. Less and less was she the hotheaded Acolyte who had crash landed on Zakuul, continually shaped and molded by the Sith Order since then.

And it was a change that utterly terrified her.

Even still, the half-Annfyn couldn’t help but linger on the Amaran’s words of fighting for good versus evil - her brows furrowing in response. Only then did she start to move - cutting a path forward and through the carnage of the battlefield. “No,” She said, her voice spoken more as a whisper to herself than anything else - remove melting away.

“I will continue to fight for those that matter to me. And nothing else.” Whatever concepts of good and evil simply didn’t register in the half-Annfyn’s mind - only the people and things that she had come to hold dear. She fought for Altair. For Ashla and Cairo. For all the people she held dear and the home that she had forged for herself within the Empire. Those motivations - selfish as they were - would drive her forth.

Without another word, Vahliri reached out with the Force - pulling one of the fallen Jedi’s shoto blades into her grip. It was the same weapon that had been turned against her - the one that had nearly taken her life on multiple occasions. And now it was hers to wield - her gaze lingering impassively upon the hilt before she gazed back ahead, eyes fixed onto the city in the distance.

And she continued her march.

/exit

@Faded