Unsettled Business

[Solone Wren]

Concord Dawn

From the last couple interactions with Leandros Solus, the woman didn't need any magic to determine there was still some strife between her and him. Though the Wren woman had felt she had moved on from the incident, the shame her clan had caused the Field Marshall was still reflected, after all, Solone was the one who had touched his armor, collecting it for her Alor as he was humiliated and sent back to his clan without his toys. Hod Ha'ran was especially pleased that day.

Eventually, Leandros had his armor returned to him, only after his Alor, and now present Mand'alor returned with him to retrieve it and convince Clan Wren to join their house. Who would have thought Mandalorians held grudges. She guessed the best way to solve this unsettled business was to just fight it out and so she would. Solone had reached out to Leandros, inviting him to a challenge she knew he would not turn down; he was an avatar of Kad, the fight and blood that ran from it, fueled his own strength and resolve, something to be admired for sure, but Solone thought it pumped his ego more than anything.

The forest moon was a nice change; she didn't have to worry about the glares of the clan Saxon on Concordia and thought the world would have been more preferable over the snow and ice of Krownest. No one could say Solone was never generous. She stood on an empty plain, the dirt ground was indented with the footprints of past fighters who engaged in the battle circle. The Wren woman herself stood quietly in the bare bones of her armor, leaving behind all her weapons and additional equipment except for her beskad which remained sheathed.

Hopefully this day would give Leandros Solus at least some closure to the contempt he held for Wren.

@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

A challenge issued, a challenge accepted.

Leandros trekked down the footpath made by innumerable warriors before him to an isolated battle circle on Concord Dawn. He was on this planet with a singular purpose: he was challenged to settle his grievances with the Wren woman, Solone, in single combat. She was one of the perpetrators of his greatest shame – losing his armor temporarily. He had never felt anything more piercing than when he was held at gunpoint as his challenger collected his armor and stored in in their compound while he was forced to return to his Alor, now Mand’alor, in order to recover it. Never had he felt more humiliated for his own idle stupidity, his ego blinding him to his better judgment. No, today was one step of many to atone for his transgressions before the gods.

The journey was not long, but the circle was in an open plain whose dirt was stained with the blood of centuries of fighters. Many an argument was settled here on this plain, and another would be added to that long list today. He held great contempt for the Wren clan for humbling him. Regardless of today’s outcome, he would have the closure he needed and that was enough.

Clad in only the bare essentials of his armor, Leandros entered the clearing with just his beskad. His retinue was safeguarding his equipment back on his ship, but he would not come with anything else but what the challenge demanded. He saw Solone standing there in the circle awaiting him. Leandros approached and stepped on the trodden earth of the battle circle, rolling his shoulders.

”So,” he began, eying her, ”Today we settle this feud.”

@GABA

 

[Solone Wren]

Solone watched as the man entered the battle circle, she didn't think he would turn down the challenge and she was glad he still thought her worthy enough to even join her here in order to settle this dispute that he seemed to have with Clan Wren. However, there was something about Leandros, and to which Solone assumed, it had to be the way he carried himself. She had not seen him behind closed doors, out of the public eye, but the aura he presented commanded attention and she was not immune to follow. Then again, she had thought on this and perhaps it was just what arrogance looked like.

She unfolded her arms as Leandros spoke and underneath her helmet she smiled, Solone rather liked this game, chases and tricks and knowing that her presence sent him into a mood, "Shame, I kind of like this feud." the woman hummed and rested her hand on the hilt of her beskad along the small of her back, pausing to let the air settle as she dug in her boots into the dirt before unsheathing her weapon. She had seen the man on the battlefield, unloading war and death onto his enemies as his god commanded it. She had yet to see him in a situation as such, where he would be required to face his opponent without the aid of technology. It intrigued the Wren, she wanted to see more, he emulated his god, but she was more concerned if he was worthy for her

Pressing off the ground, her steps were quick as she approached Leandros, her arm raising in the process to use her weapon to slash right to left in a forehand swing across the plates on his chest. Easily avoidable, she knew, but the woman was also testing her waters. Though even if he did avoid it, the woman would press, bringing her blade back across, backhanded, her steps angled to move counterclockwise to keep him moving with her.

@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros drew his beskad as Solone regarded him, then answered his question. Something about this woman absolutely infuriated him and he could not explain why; all he knew was that he had to fight her. Either way, he was here and so was she, so they had to finish this. She knew how he fought, using the strength and conviction of his holy furor when laying waste to planets, but she had never seen him in single combat. He relied on his technological advantage to defeat his foes, but that did not mean that he was not an adept swordsman.

”Shame indeed.”

Solone charged at him, crossing the path of the battle circle in seconds. Leandros, rather than stepping out of the way of her blade, sought to occupy her and restrict her mobility. She was committed to her opening slash, so he saw fit to capitalize on that, knowing that he was stronger and faster.

He stepped forward and to his left, bringing his beskad right and to the left in a similar forehanded swinging motion as Solone, catching her blade midway through its strike such that her blade arm would be extended diagonally across her chest. His other hand was free and, as his blade made contact, he pressed forward, bringing his body further around Solone’s right side and planting his free hand on the back of her blade arm shoulder. Beskads were short weapons, and so stopping her horizontal slash put their bodies close to one another.

He held the blade lock for as long as he could before simultaneously pulling the woman’s shoulder towards his right side as he stepped through, rotating his body to keep pushing her forward. As he did so, he brought his beskad in towards his body, hoping to draw the blade along her bicep.

Afterwards, he would square his body up with the woman again and take a step back, regaining the defensive posture he previously held.

@GABA

 

[Solone Wren]

Leandros met her in her swing, mirroring her swing with his own beskad as he met her blade, stepping forward in his offense, force Solone to take a step backward in order to dig her right heel into the dirt in order to anchor herself against his strength. She felt his free hand on her shoulder and the woman gritted her teeth as she felt him begin to place weight against her, however, Solone knew he could easily overpower her in sheer strength alone and she would not win the battle if she kept their blades locked as they were.

As he stepped in order to move around her right, Solone ducked under his left arm that attempted to hold her in place, it would release Leandros' grip on her shoulder and free her from the blade lock before he had a chance to pull away and nick her with his own blade. The ring of the metal weapons echoed across the plain as she pulled her blade underneath his own left bicep and place her on his own left undefended corner. The woman didn't retreat and instead pressed forward, her left arm raised ready for defense and her beskad held across her own chest as she stomped into the side of his left knee joint that would be vulnerable.

If successful, it would be painful as it would force the knee to bend in an unfamiliar fashion in addition to sending him off balance.

@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros halted Solone’s attack and put her off balance. She had to step back and plant her foot into the soil in order to maintain her base. He knew he was stronger than her, but he also knew that she was still a capable warrior. Hubris got many men killed, so he would not underestimate the marauder.

As he stepped forward to place his hand on her shoulder, she slipped past and ducked under it, putting her on the outside of his left arm. As soon as he no longer had a way of maintaining that leverage, he pulled his arm back towards his body. She broke from the blade lock and attempted to drag her beskad across his own bicep; however, in order to do this, she would need to either draw it up and slice it as if she were attempting to start a push mower or twist her arm in order to put the blade-edge towards his exposed bicep. With his arm no longer extended once he recognized that he could not grab her shoulder, it became even more difficult to cut his arm.

The second she broke from the blade lock and pulled her arm back and her beskad away from him, Leandros continued with the forward motion of his swing, having been applying steady pressure to her blade during the lock to begin with. His beskad would travel from right to left still in a diagonally-upward motion towards her blade arm collarbone. Simultaneously, he would circle her counterclockwise in order to keep their bodies parallel and not allow access to his side.

@GABA

ooc: pls forgive for tardiness