Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Feb 27, 2019 6:32:57 GMT -8
All it took to stop Gavin's attack was the block she performed and the strength to withstand it. It was the weakness of Kolk Illuminate. Never could it carry the overbearing power that one's arms had when pushing on an opponent's defenses. All it had was the power of impact damage. Hence the reason he used the form with a pair of sabers, to keep the pressure on, making it harder to simply break his attacks. But he knew she'd quickly figure out the other part of its weakness. Though it favored slamming into an opponent's defenses to overwhelm them, the attacks would lack strength on their own. Comparing the taut muscles of an arm versus the lax tension of the chain, the full amount of damage he could do was lessened. That was why this form required using the Force to make the most out of it.
Just as he suspected, the moment his blade met hers, her strength did more than enough to hold the blade back, eliminating all momentum within it. As such, it bounced back away from her slightly as its path now carried it towards the ground. Pulling the chain, Gavin summoned the hilt back to his hand as he moved forward to close the small distance between them. Hilt of his right saber in hand, he sought to slice through her midsection as her back was turned to him. But she was quick, not letting any more time than what was required to keep her back turned and herself exposed. As he made his attack, she took to the air in a leap that caused the silver beam to pass just under her feet.
Sliding to a stop, his eyes redirected themselves to where she landed. While there was little hesitation in the preparation of the next attacks, a longer pause than normal appeared. He watched as she let go of her sabers, letting them float there with Telekinesis. letting his feet space out a bit, he leaned forward slightly as he prepared his defense. Dropping both hilts, the chains slipping through his hands, giving them about two feet before catching them. He then began to spin them faster and faster, eliminating the appearance of a single saber being spun to the appearance of a semi-perfect barrier of silver light. In this way, Khaotic Reign's defensive capabilities could surpass the double-bladed and dual bladed use of Soresu. He had to be ready for what she had planned. Despite what seemed to be a bit of focus going into preparation, he couldn't discount the chance that Telekinetic lightsaber combat was second nature and an easy task. It meant that he couldn't lash out at the blades when they came as she could easily redirect them upon impact and leave him wide open. His best chance was to wait for them to come to him.
And so he did. As the blades were sent his way, He let the Force flow through him, slowing his perception of time just slightly. This allowed him to time his spins just right to slam down upon the coming blade, the right hilt upon the one aimed at his right and his left for the one at his chest. The moment his blades made contact, slamming down and forcing the purples blades to the ground, he leaped forward, his perception returning to normal. After his block against Marah's sabers, he let his blades flow behind him as he moved forward. But his jump was one not aided with the Force. perhaps it would have seemed that despite wishing to close the distance, he would still have a few more steps to go. But that brought into Khaotic Reign's strength. Letting the chains slide further through his hand, two feet gave way to six feet and with a powerful, Force aided swing, he brought them up over his head and down in a slightly diagonal slash from her right shoulder to left leg.
Yet, his assault didn't stop there. His first attack was still too wide, too time consuming for even the speed it moved at. Easy enough to avoid for someone of her skill. The moment his feet touched the ground, he pulled both chains over to his right, then up. His first attack came with his left hilt with his right following just behind. First, they came down diagonally from his right to left, then carried around to come down diagonally from left to right. Pulling his left chain back to his appropriate side, he forced them chains to spin from behind him. They came straight down in a heavy pattern: left blade, right blade, left blade, right blade. To end his assault, he synced the swing of his blades up, giving them one extra swing around to build more momentum as he slammed them both down together on her. He could only hope that the speed and ferocity of his attacks overwhelmed her, forcing her to retreat at best, but otherwise forgetting the sabers she had thrown at him just a few moments before.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2019 19:20:39 GMT -8
What Gavin gained in an unexpected and unconventional fighting style, he lost in the brutal strength and blows that a traditional staff would have brought that would have surely overwhelmed her choice of weapons. That much was certain the moment Mariah successfully blocked the arcing saber, although even the initial hit was enough to send her heels digging into the ground to withstand a head-on block. There was more, though... something more she could use to her advantage. Her thoughts raged on, coupled with her critical stare that watched in amusement as he deftly sent both of her shotos plummeting into the ground within the fierce, silvery wall he created. Just as Gavin wasted no time rushing his following assault, Mariah wasted no time in ensuring that she wasn't just sitting prey.
Speed would remain her most reliable ally, which by now was hardly surprising. As he had anticipated, the movement of his first attack was too broad and took just a moment too long for trained eyes. Even without the Force washing over her sight, Mariah could see the trails of the blades as they careened over and down in arc towards her right shoulder. It was an easy enough task to dodge, stepping further to the right. The swing of the blade passed to her left but heralded the rest of his impending assault, which she refused to be caught up in unarmed. She may have had one more saber on her hip, but she opted not to turn to it yet, if she would at all. Instead, she summoned the sister shotos from the ground back to her hand with a quick snap of the Force, the violet blades igniting and at the ready before the hilts reached her hands.
The next of his attacks came down towards her left, and with an upwards block with her blades angled down and away towards her right, the silvery ones had no other option but to follow their momentum down the crackling path that was designated to them. They continued on with the same rhythm, the exact pattern, but simply following the path of the swing before. Shifting her blade to mirror her prior parry, Mariah withstood his assault with more grace than before. However, the blades' movement was still too quick for Mariah to issue a counterattack, thus still leaving him with the advantage, at least for now. If he came for her again with that same pattern, though, he might not be so lucky... The single extra swing to build both speed and power came as both a blessing and a warning. Gavin ceased the expected pattern of an assault. Instead of retreating as he might've assumed, though, Mariah sidestepped the blades that came bearing down for her. Her crimson hair fluttered by her, and getting caught up within the silvery glow, the edges were singed away. Although no harm was done, the fire in Mariah's eyes revealed that she still considered it a successful strike, and one she wouldn't allow happen again.
In the time that it would've taken Gavin to regain his blades after sending them slamming into the ground, Mariah ushered her own offensive. With her arms folded across her body -- her right saber hung by her left shoulder and her left saber to her right -- Mariah leaped forward, forcing Gavin back into the offensive radius of her wielded shotos. As her feet hit the ground, a growl ripped from her throat as she swung both blades forward from her opposing sides and outwards, hoping to catch Gavin's body within both blades' strike. Whether he answered with a dodge or a miracle block she wasn't expecting, Mariah still expected some sort of defensive retaliation and followed up with a Push, focused with both hands, aimed for Gavin's center to send him careening away from her. Mariah's arms didn't lower, though, and with a turn of her wrist, she appeared to gain control of something else within the Force. As Gavin came down, it became evident what. The ignition of that saber she relinquished earlier on hissed to life, the crimson blade poised to ignite behind him through the center of his chest.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Mar 8, 2019 12:45:02 GMT -8
For the good it did him, his attacks proved to be too slow out of the gate, allowing Mariah to summon her sabers back to her hand before he could build up momentum. It further proved its failure in his final attack as he gave the sabers an extra spin to add more force. Fast enough for most opponents, but Mariah was proving that her speed was something to contend with. As such, he'd never be able to hit her, especially if she could read his attacks before he struck.
As his blades met the ground in his final attack, he had no time to pull back on the chains and bring them back to his hands, not even with the aid of the Force. The crimson-haired woman had quickly picked out his openings and worked with them. In a flash, she was upon him, lashing out with both sabers, like scissors cutting paper. He was lucky he was alert enough for her offensive. All it took was to drop down to a knee, crouching over just slightly to avoid her slashes. But as he came up, he had no defense ready nor the reflexes to immediately respond as the Force Push impacted his chest. It seemed to be a common thing between them, one that neither would fall for again. However, with her push came her next fault.
As he began to fly back, hands still gripping his chains, the sheer force drawing his blades back towards him with her between them. But it wasn't only the force of the Push, but his own pull, increasing their speed further to come at her from behind. His body leaned back enough that as he heard the sound of another saber igniting, his head turned a bit to see her first weapon now flying towards him. It took all he had to lift his right hand in time to activate a Force Barrier to deflect the attack from behind.
This held his attention long enough for him to slam down hard into the ground and slid to a stop. For a moment, Gavin didn't move. He simply laid there, ice blue eyes gazing up at the clouded twilight sky, the occasional flashes of lightning reflecting in them. He couldn't deny that despite he was excited and enjoying himself, he was growing frustrated. He wasn't one to underestimate an opponent, no matter their skill level, but she was putting up far more of a fight than he expected. Then again, perhaps the frustration laid in himself at letting his skills grow dull over the years without someone to help keep them sharp.
After a few moments, he finally stood to his feet, his eyes focusing hard on the woman as he contemplated his next move.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2019 15:50:35 GMT -8
Timing was everything. There were more reasons why Mariah placed her reliance on speed in every action, past that of her stature which allowed it to be one of her greatest strengths. She knew that with her own Push, she would need to act quickly before the chains would drag those silvery blades to seek her demise. That much, she had accounted for. What she did not, however, was for Gavin's ability to keep a cool and collected mind after one attack while another careened to end this match with him still airborne.
It was nearly a horrifying sight as the chains hastened their pull. Mariah may have set off the ignition of her own blade, but she had no time to witness its success or failure. With both shotos still wielded, Mariah spun herself, creating a violet barrier around her to clash with the silver as they sought to meet her. A crackling collision, then a gray trail of light traveled past her peripheral vision as they continued to heed their master's pull. The moment Mariah knew she was in the clear, she released the shotos, which continued in a twirling violet stream around her form as she settled to face Gavin again. The twin shotos slowed, Arcanum settling before Mariah and its sister behind. Finding Nihilo resting on the ground near her opponent, she outstretched her hand, summoning the crimson blade back to her life as the hilt met her hand.
The way that Gavin just rested there for a moment set Mariah's blood boiling. Although she was hardly ignorant of the labored breaths and exhaustion that started to set in, the end of this duel was still too far out if he sought victory over her.
"Get up, Phoenix," she commanded in a growl, caring little as he began to do so on his own accord.
Flicking her wrist to adjust Nihilo into a reverse style grip poised behind her, Mariah lifted her right hand in front of her to ominously encircle of her body with the shotos in a counterclockwise fashion. He might have stood there, contemplating his next move, but Mariah was growing tired of his ever-quiet lingering. It appeared to her that once again, he was waiting for her next move.
Mariah snarled, "I'm not finished with you yet..."
No sooner that her words ripped from her throat, she pushed forward for another offensive, pushing past the physical limitations she could feel wearing on her from her leaps and somersaults from earlier. As far as one could tell, she still moved with as much liveliness as the start.
With a sweeping motion, Mariah sent Arcanum down over Gavin's left shoulder while she was still two leaps away. Deflected or blocked, the golden shoto continued its path orbiting around her body, the silvery one then swinging into view and taking a sweep from left to right, cleanly parallel to the ground, across his midsection. With two attacks coming for his left side, Mariah followed up with her wielded weapon in a an downwards sweep to his right side with Nihilo, aiming to carve another scar from his shoulder down his chest. Either way, she hoped to break through his guard and remain poised there. With Kolk Illuminate's chains, she knew he needed distance to keep up with those powerful arcs. And to have her two shotos swirling around both of them, Mariah sought to create all the more advantage for whatever plan of attack his brief contemplation brought.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Mar 21, 2019 6:06:42 GMT -8
It was at this time, for once, that Gavin hadn't been waiting for Mariah to move first. She had been successful in keeping pace with him, even capable of fending of Khaotic Reign, a form he knew she never had seen before. But she came, nonetheless. In some cases, some would think her foolish for continuing to charge in on him, but she understood his style enough to realize the best place to be was close to him. With his focus on holding his chains, defending himself at close range was difficult.
He watched as she came, utilizing Telekinesis in a manner similar to his own. It allowed for her to attack from multiple angles, as if she had more than a single pair of arms. He pulled on the chains to get his weapons back to his hand, but once again she beat them, making her attacks to disrupt him. Letting go them, he ducked down and to his left to let the first strike pass by. With little time to react to the second attack at his waist, his hand instinctively reached for Dark Shocker attached to his left hip, igniting it before he even had it free. The purple blade emerged, coarsing with lightning and its black core. But her assault wasn't over yet. In his position, he had no time to grab a second saber, which left one final option.
Lifting his right hand, he channeled the Force through it, activating Tutaminis. The blade met his palm as he drew on its energy, knowing he had but a few moments before it would overpower him and cut through his hand. His presence turned a bit darker as he looked at her, a slight hint of anger within his eyes, possibly from him being forced to bring on of his daughter's lightsabers into the battle. Not wasting a moment, he spoke out to her, his voice carrying a similar growl to Mariah's. "Good. Because we're just getting started!" The last word that slipped from his throat came with a louder voice, one clear in its anger. Pushing back against both of her weapons, he brought his left leg up to kick her in the gut before jumping back a couple feet.
As he landed, he replaced Dark Shocker before summoning the hilts of Kolk Illuminate back to his hand. Not wanting her to gain any more of an advantage on him than she had, he lashed out without thought or hesitation. The hilts departed his hand as the chains slipped through them. He attacked with his right, coming across in a horizontal slash. No matter what happened to it, he continued to control it, flicking his wrist to change its patterns. His left came from a different direction, coming down from her left to slice her from shoulder to hip. As with his right, he flicked his wrists to keep the pattern ever changing.
From here, he continued it fast glancing blows against her. He was finally able to see that neither the Fallen or Chaos forms Khaotic Reign would be effective. It was Golden form or nothing at all. As such, he attacked, both hands carrying different patterns so to become harder to read. He also hoped that the flicks, flairs, and twists of his wrists would also aid him in keeping her blind to his patterns. But he didn;t just stand in place. He began to move around her as if it was a dance, sidestepping and spinning randomly throughout. perhaps now he could show her just how effective his style was.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2019 18:36:33 GMT -8
Mariah had hoped to pin Gavin into a spot, and at first, she thought she would find at least some success in her string of attacks. He dodged her first attack, but that was the only easily assumed answer he provided. How he planned to handle the follow up her sister’s shoto came as a shock when a purple blade was freed from the familiar hilt. It was like an immediate reflection back to the conversation revolving around that blade... Dark Shocker.
The violet twin blades crackled upon impact, Mariah's pulling her own back swiftly to lurk behind her. It was enough of a surprise that her final strike slowed, so that as Gavin displayed his prowess with Tutaminis, it left her harsh crimson stare to pierce into his blue. He met her with that similar burning fire in his own tones, and for a split moment, the appearance of a wicked grin flickered across the woman's lips. He had attempted to pull out her past early on, to use it against her with Dun Möch. However, at least she chose to fight alongside of a piece of her past with her every movement. His anger that she evoked by drawing out his own was an intriguing blow in its own right, and as far as Mariah was concerned, they were now on a more level playing field than before.
No sooner than Gavin could witness the dark smirk on her lips, he pushed her back, to which she flowed back even further with the momentum and found herself barely avoiding the kick to her gut in the process. However, she had now given him ample space to take control of Kolk Illuminate and the advantages it held. She believed, though, that she was prepared for the next round of what he had to offer. She had seen the way it worked, analyzed the momentum of the blades with the chains. She could effortlessly break through its radius and bring her own onslaught once more... or so she thought. She deflected the first blade seeking her out with a horizontal slash with a parry of her wielded weapon, allowing the sister shotos to poise themselves to strike once more and forge her next opening. As his second came bearing down, Mariah glided her way to dodge, but with the flick of his wrist summoning the blades to move in patterns unlike before, the smirk on her lips faded just as quickly as it had come. As if answering on its own, the golden-hilted shoto shifted from its offensive positioning to arc over the woman, creating a violet stream of light to catch the silver blade that changed its path. The recognition to his shift in style came swiftly, but how to answer it took several more swings of his assault.
Left on the defensive with this ever-altering style, Mariah scowled. At the very least, she kept up with elegant footwork of her own in this dance of his as he continued to move about her. She refused to let him gain the edge on her, to strike with these unpredictable patterns from behind. Thus, she kept herself facing him, her eyes locked upon him, as she sought to find an opening to break through, yet left on the defensive until she could achieve such. However, no matter her attempts to keep the blades at bay with just one saber, the pattern would change again, and a shoto was forced to answer, lest leave their charge to suffer the consequences.
If she couldn't find an opening, she would make one herself.
There was a lingering theory, and without another option, Mariah had no other choice but to test it now. The moment she was able to successfully connect her crimson saber with one of his, the woman pushed forward. She knew that the other silver blade would follow close behind in some manner or another, to which her gold-hilted shoto raced in a wide arc towards Gavin as if to meet it head on. However, the violet blade would clearly miss the other upon impact. Nonetheless, Mariah dropped low, sliding forward with her foot aimed to impact Gavin's right ankle. The violet blade of the gold-hilted shoto connected with the phrik chain and pushed hard horizontally, as though it somehow sought to break the otherwise indestructible metal. Instead, Mariah sought to change the trajectory of the blade, to send it like a boomerang back towards him. She would then either impact his ankle and force him off his feet, or his sidestepping movements would force him into a dodge towards his left. No matter his decision, the silver-hilted shoto answered a silent call and pierced through the air just shy of Gavin's left, or where she hoped he would find himself if he attempted to avoid her. If she could carve an opening and keep up her assault, somehow, someway, she would find it. Although now, Mariah was beginning to understand just how ready she needed to jump back to the defensive, if he continued to show his prowess in handling her offensive attempts.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Mar 28, 2019 5:24:09 GMT -8
In his flash of anger, Mariah's grin went completely unnoticed as his eyes fixed themselves upon her crimson orbs. As he pushed back and began his assault upon her, somewhere in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder. Why did he get so angry suddenly from using Dark Shocker? It wasn't as if he never used it, only rarely. In fact, he had equipped it prior to the battle, which meant he expected the chance of having to utilize it, all the more reason why there shouldn't have been any reason she could have brought out that emotion. Even now he couldn't explain it, yet that anger towards her had shifted to him for letting such a petty thing get to him. He had started this fight trying to dig into her past and though she had gotten slightly agitated, her only acts of anger were his games in not fighting her seriously. Yet, without words, the forcing of his instinct had broken his calm and carefree attitude to allow such a true display of anger to shine through, even if for a moment. All in all, that point of victory had clearly gone to Mariah.
It didn't help that as he unleashed the unrelenting barrage of his attacks in such unpredictable patterns, she was somehow able to keep up. It didn't matter that she was stuck on the defensive as she was still able to stay with him and keep him at bay. No matter his patterns, she always found a way to block him from getting inside her radius and making contact. Before long, she had finally made enough of a prediction in his moves that she was able to force herself forward. The first strike was met with her crimson saber, and though he tried to switch its pattern based on the impact, the reality of her pushing forward, not being bound in place made the movement useless as it fell back into an attack that hit nothing but air. Even more, was the fact that she made her own attack to intercept and stop his second strike. It had missed his blade, but that actually worked to her advantage. Had she hit the blade itself, he could have easily altered its course and attacked again. Meeting the chain forced it to wrap around the blade naturally before he could change its path, making it an instrument of Mariah's at that moment.
With no weapons close enough to fight back with, not even to create a reasonable defense, he had to pull away. She was sliding in low to attack at his feet by what he could see, her deflection of his own blade had altered its path to fly back at him. That didn't even include the other shoto coming at his left that he didn't immediately notice. But his dodge might not have been what she expected right off hand. With her coming in to attack at his right ankle, his mind shifted to flow with the attack, in a way, as he turned so that his right side faced her and he pushed off the ground to flip over her and away from the incoming attacks from the sabers. However, he didn't move fast enough as he felt enough of an impact against his foot that added to his momentum unexpectedly, forcing him to flip faster. This, in turn, put him into the path of his own saber once more. All he could do was bring up the chain of the other saber well enough to keep it from cutting him. This kept the silver beam from slicing him through, but not enough to avoid it brushing and burning up his arm a bit.
With the immediate threats passed, he hit the ground in a roll that caused him to lose his hold on Kolk Illuminate. It was a few feet before he was able to establish control once more and get to his feet. So far, if there was someone who was actually coming out on top in this fight, it was Mariah. She had effectively laid three hits on him: his ankle at the beginning, the slash that moved up his chest, and now the burn across his right arm. Not only that, she had shown herself more than capable enough to handle Khaotic Reign in multiple variations and had now disarmed him from his staff. He had to change tactics as continuing to use Khaotic Reign was pointless now. She was too fast for the more strong, aggressive styles and skilled enough to handle the erratic, fast-paced style. He had to close the distance and make it even harder for her to respond to his assaults.
Reaching down to the holsters on his pants, he removed Blockade in his left and Deepstrike with his right. Not even taking a moment to open with a stance, he charged her, igniting his blades as he went. With the crimson blade of Deepstrike showed a regular grip, the sapphire blade of Blockade was held in a reverse grip and was positioned in front of his body, acting as a shield against her attacks as he came at her. Ready to block any attack his left hand, he pushed forward before bringing Deepstrike around in a wide, horizontal slash. When it finished and was pulled back, he brought Blockade up in a vertical slash, before finally plunging in to pierce her chest with Deepstrike.
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2019 20:18:30 GMT -8
Mariah may have managed to keep Kolk Illuminate at bay, but she had only accomplished such an arduous feat by the skin of her teeth. Had Gavin continued to reign down on her with the shifted form of uncalculative patterns, it would've only been a matter of time before those attacks enervated her until defeat. He had pushed her into a situation of sheer defense, an ill situation for an offensive combatant as herself. It was a brief, irritating thought, the last time she was forced to retreat to her blade barrier to keep her limbs and life intact. Her burst of speed and reckless offensive may have carved her the opening she sought, but repeating such a feat would have been near impossible.
For now, she accepted her small victory. Gavin was now without his staff, and additional damage had managed to slip through his defense. He seemed to catch on well enough in her unrelenting tactics by this point, though, and he pushed himself away from her as she regained her footing from her sliding strike against his ankle. Although Mariah managed to withstand Kolk Illuminate in utilizing her three main weapons, Gavin still had others in his arsenal, which she had yet to taste the fury of their might. It was not a forgotten fact, one that lingered in the back of her mind throughout this duel, but the flash of crimson and blue as he charged her sent a shock of adrenaline through her system.
It was an immediate reaction, one founded through the countless experiences that lurked behind her hardened stare. With a twirl of her wrist, she commanded the crimson blade into a reverse grip as Mariah jumped even further into the defensive. However, Gavin was already upon her before she could summon the sister-shotos back to her side. In a reckless block of Deepstrike, Mariah caught the blade with her own, the two crimson blades crackling for a brief moment before Gavin pulled back, sending the sapphire blade reigning down on her. Without another option, Mariah reached for the final saber that hung on her belt.
"I am done."
Mariah froze. Adding to the splitting pain of Gavin's prior blows, the defeated words screamed in her head. The final parting words of the warrior who held the blade before she. As if the blade itself refused to be ignited again for the sake of battle.
Mariah came to as the sapphire blade was about to connect strong with her shoulder. It was only with another sidestep that she was able to keep herself alive, but the heat of the blade sliced down her back, singeing both hair and skin. Her pained cry broke free from clenched teeth, but as experience had cruelly taught her, she hadn’t any time to focus or nurse the wounds. Gavin still came at her strong, his blade poised to plunge through her chest.
With Nihilo still in a reverse grip, Mariah turned and deflected his piercing blow to follow thru towards the left of her body. With Gavin utilizing his own two weapons, Mariah had no other option but to hastily meet him, Jar'Kai with Jar'Kai. She very well could have continued on with her prior strategy, but she refused to let him have a chance at besting her with a style she had trained heavily with. Either pride would bring about defeat, or confidence would ensure her victory. No matter the label, she would meet him with the new unspoken challenge. Her right hand outstretched to find Arcanum on the battlefield as she stepped closer, into him.
With Nihilo still poised to protect her left side from Deepstrike, Arcanum took a low, wide arc aimed for Gavin’s left thigh. Whether or not the shoto would find purchase, she pulled the blade back, poised in defense, as her weight fell heavy towards her left side. With a shift of her shoulder, Mariah changed the angle of the red blade so that it would arc horizontally across Gavin’s midsection. The searing pain from her newest of wounds attempted to hold her back, but it was clear by the fire in her eyes that the woman wouldn’t cease until a victor had been declared.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on May 17, 2019 10:42:15 GMT -8
As it was with her, so to was it with Gavin. Jar'Kai was by far his greatest form. Years of focus and training had eliminated the weaknesses many practitioners faced with weaker strikes and reliability upon two blades. In the end, he had crafted new moves and styles around it outside of the typical lightsaber forms. Precise, strong, and fast was what he was when wielding two blades. Little would he truly realize at the moment that Mariah carried a very similar flow in her choice of form. But he had seized the advantage by wasting no time in making his assault. She was left with but a single saber and seemed to lack the ability to get any of the others to her in a quick enough manner. But despite this, remained aware of the simple fact that she still had yet another saber on her person that could be used.
But as his attacks went, the other blade didn't come to life despite the fact she reached for it. It was a sight that registered in his mind enough to notice, but not enough to think on it. For the moment, he had fully engaged himself in the battle with the crimson-haired woman, the fire in him also alight. So long had it been since he had fought an opponent that could give him a true challenge. Be it she was incredibly strong or he had grown weak enough from the lack of battles was beside the point. He was being pushed and forced to drive into his innermost fighting spirit. There wasn't even a smirk when his attack finally found purchase against her, the first hit he had truly landed upon her the entire fight. And now, at the end of his initial assault, he found her almost pressed up against him as she stepped up, both his blades on either side of her.
She had entered his circle to the greatest degree, rendering any attack of his useless. He had to move back, gain some distance and begin his assault again. As he began to step back on his left, he heard the hum of another saber. Turning his head, he saw the wide arc of Arcanum sweeping at his thigh. Pulling his left arm back, Blockade moved to intercept, blocking and forcing the blade off course. His movement didn't end there as he threw himself back, Deepstrike cutting across Nihilo as they pulled away from each other in an angry hiss. Bringing himself up into the air, he spun, almost parallel to the ground as he moved a few feet back. The very moment he had control, he went back on the offensive, switching Blockade in a regular grip.
As he came down upon her, he brought both sabers down together, just enough off to her left side that it was easy to dodge as he set himself up for his unrelenting assault. His next set up came as he brought both sabers to his left in a low strike towards her without fully turning to her. Yet another easy block to make as he went on the full assault. Turning back to his right, the blades separated as they came around from his right side in downward strikes one after the other. It came with a strike from his right hand, then his left before turning and reversing the flow, coming down with his left, then right. Another two quick downward strikes came one from his left side, then from his right side. Pushing hard with speed and strength, he swiped at her chest first with his left, then his right before waving them around in a chaotic flurry before him that was meant more as a means to force her to step back. Stepping back on his right foot, he then brought Blockade up, first in an upwards vertical strike before pointing it straight up and then brought Deepstrike around to meet it, forcing it to spin around the sapphire blade before he grabbed it and made a downwards strike with Deepstrike while Blockade remained vigilent for an attack from her.
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2019 20:32:18 GMT -8
Mariah's offensive was matched too easily by Gavin's defensive, and just like all times of the past, he refused to let her linger so close. As he jumped away, a snarl surfaced from the woman as she continued to try to rush at him, to overwhelm his defense. However, the speed that Mariah had hoped to outlast Gavin with was quickly fleeting, even more so now as he pushed back against her assault with one rivalling her own.
With the twirl of his wrist to bring Blockade into a normal grip, Mariah did the same with a flourish of Nihilo, but before Mariah could lash out, Gavin was the first to bring his sabers down towards her left. Leaning to the right, the woman escaped the blades’ paths but at a cost as the searing pain in her back stole yet another valuable piece of her attention. With every motion she made to deflect Gavin’s next blows, a growl resounded, solely as she pushed past the pain with her every movement.
Mariah caught the two blades in the one of her shoto, a precise movement that left little room for error. Gavin continued to come at her, though, with a flurry of overhead attacks that left her with the simplest option of raising Nihilo to create a barrier over her head. As each blade struck, she felt the pain from the pressure put against the wound on her back as she stood firm against his assault. Before she could attempt to recover and press an assault with her free blade, he continued to charge, changing the tides of the battle with such ease, there was flicker of doubt in Mariah's mind regarding her own skills, that he could have done it this whole time and simply toyed with her until this moment.
Doubt had no place here, though, be it the lacking of her own skills or the overwhelming of her opponent's. His blades swept for her chest, and as he had intended, Mariah jumped back, flourishing her blades out to the side. She refused to be bested like this, so with his following attacks, she readied to push for the final string of an offensive that she could muster in this state. Sidestepping the vertical strike upwards, Mariah reached out with her right hand, as if Arcanum summoned its sister back to the battlefield. As Deepstrike came down, Nihilo rose to meet it for the final time.
The moment that Mariah had Deepstrike locked over her head, Veritas careened just shy of Mariah's left, under her arm, with the blade poised to strike into Gavin's ribs. Knowing full well that he had Blockade ready for the defensive, the crimson warrior pushed herself yet again that much closer to her opponent, however this time opting for a different approach. With Arcanum, she attempted to plunge the blade parallel to its sister’s mark on the opposite side, as she pushed up and away at Deepstrike above her. However, in the motion, Nihilo hissed as it retreated, clattering and leaving Mariah's left hand free.
Releasing Arcanum, still thrumming with life, Mariah twisted her wrist. At her command, the sisters swept horizontally, guided by the Force, easily cutting through whatever might've lied within their path, before falling back and the hilts finding Mariah's palms. With Arcanum now her main hand and Veritas her offhand weapon, she arced Arcanum diagonally downwards from Gavin's upper right to his lower left, following with Veritas to mirror the movement from his upper left to to his lower right side. The wide arcing movement paired with the shorter blades made it an easily enough attack to block, both she was hoping to draw out of him. It was then that Mariah pushed even closer into him, pulling her blades back before forcing the movement through into a dual piercing of the sister shotos, Arcanum poised for his chest and Veritas to plunge into his stomach.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on May 21, 2019 5:32:34 GMT -8
For all the pain flowing through Mariah and the effects it bore upon her, it went unnoticed by Gavin. Even now, he saw her staying with him, bearing his assaults and returning the favor shortly after. For all he guessed, she was just as capable as he was in turning pain into strength for battle. It was only because of this fact that he could stay on the assault like he was with the wound she inflicted upon his chest and arm. Pain fueled anger and that anger was sharpened and properly focused. But there she was, keeping up with some of his best movements. It brought admiration for her capabilities, but it also infuriated him to a degree. With two centuries under his belt, nearly one hundred and fifty years spent in focused training, his skills were not something to be underestimated. He knew due to it, he could stand against those who had that great well of power, such as Viox. Yet, Mariah, who said she was older than she looked, was nowhere close to his age. As such, even her having dedicated training shouldn't have been able to match him. A truth he had to accept: he had underestimated her skills. Then again, having not fought someone of incredible skill in a long time had left him unknowingly rusty. Two realities that were bringing this battle to carry on in such a way.
It was but for a moment, yet when Mariah caught Deepstrike in its final attack of his assault, he eyes met hers and reflected the thoughts within: anger, yet admiration. Time seemed to stand still for him as he let himself gaze into her crimson orbs, trying to gauge the truth while allowing her to see what he truly thought. As she pushed Deepstrike away, his attention first found Arcanum making its strike for his side. Flipping the blade down, he was able to block the attack as he began to turn to best keep it at bay. Only then did he notice Veritas coming in quick from behind Mariah, set to strike at his right side. All he could do to avoid the attack was to continue his turn and let his left arm stretch out as far as possible until he was finally in the clear. However, it wasn't enough as Veritas ran along his front and side, leaving another burnt scar across his body. He grunted as he tried to force back the pain, using it to slash out with Blockade to break free of her attack.
However, his attack did little to disrupt the flow as Mariah resumed her Telekinetic control over her weapons. Continuing to be forced on the defensive with little room or time to maneuver, it was all he could do to lean back as the sister blades passed over him, millimeters from making contact. Luckily, her next attack was much easier to deal with for as he came up, he brought his blades up to meet hers. It wasn't held long though as she pulled back and made the plunge with both blades towards his torso. But the closeness between them worked to his advantage. To make a successful plunge as she was required to pull back in a more obvious manner. And with his blades just above him, it was a simple task to drop them down to push them away. And so he dropped his blades down, Deepstrike up high and pointing down while Blockade went low and pointed up. He sidestepped a bit and turned so that Arcanum and Veritas would be brush off to what was once his right. Using his left leg as a pivot point, he let himself turn so much that he ended up standing right next to the crimson-haired woman, their shoulders nearly touching.
Not allowing himself to stay that close and let her have another chance throw thrown him back into the defensive, he spun around behind her and away. As he did, he made one final swipe with his sabers as he did, hoping to inflict one final bout of damage to her as he jumped back to gain some ground. However, this time, he didn't attempt to rush her again, but let his arms rest to his side as his head dropped slightly, but allowed him to keep her in his sights. Then came the faint chuckling. "I have to admit, Mariah. I expected you to be skilled, but you have far exceeded my expectations. Very few are capable of staying with me this long." He chuckled a bit more before a faint smirk grew. "I never imagined I'd ever have to resort to that form again. But, it seems I have little choice. Oh, well. Let us see what happens when it’s Shadow versus Shadow."
Lifting his head up to the sky, he took a deep breath before returning his gaze to her once more. Now, his expression seemed empty as he looked at her. Curious enough as it was, what was more intriguing was the stance he ended up taking. The stance Mariah was currently in while gauging him and listening to his words was what he had chosen. But it wasn't as simple as simply copying her stance. No, from the way she bent her knees, to the precise angle her blades were, it was as if he became the exact image of her in that moment. And that's what he was. The form he had reverted to was a special form of the mind, one capable of emptying their minds so well and seeing into their opponent's that they could mimic their movements as they performed them in exact unison and form. For now, any move she made, he would make the same. He would be her shadow. If her right hand moved, so did his. If she made a kick, so would he. It was a form that would never be capable of damaging the opponent, nor would they hurt the user. It was nothing but an illusion, created to disrupt the mind.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2019 7:47:34 GMT -8
There was always that risk, over and over again, that she put herself in. Mariah had hoped that her speed could, just once, outmatch her opponent enough where she could create a clear opening, claim her victory, and this duel would be over. It wasn't so much that she underestimated Gavin, especially after he continually revealed his own prowess on the battlefield. It was more so drawn from the belief that her own skills weren't something to be laughed at, and she could manage whatever he threw at her. Just once, though; that was all she needed. One single serious wound to turn the tide of the battle. The issue came, however, when all she could do was push her way in without inflicting it.
Gavin swept behind her as she reached the end of her furious string, capitalizing on the close quarters she pushed the two warriors within. She dropped low, crouching below the swipe of his sabers, and spinning her own round to slice below the knee. However, the shortened blades of her shotos missed their mark as he jumped back, again putting that damned distance she fought so hard to close each and every time. With a growl in her frustration -- and pain -- Mariah rose back to her feet just as her spinning momentum slowed, a grace she still possessed despite the wounds that tried to tear away her focus and movement.
With Gavin's words, her expression hardened. There was a burning, hellish fury revealed in her eyes, one that she could easily reign back, or at least typically. Her scowl was only intensified by the focus of her gaze, locked upon her foe. His compliments came half-hearted, a tout of his own magnificence that she strove to cut down... yet was failing to do so. If there was one thing to send a second wind through the small, crimson-haired warrior, though, it was the words he ended it with and his stance thereafter. Shadow versus Shadow. It sent a boiling rage deep within her chest to hear those words, as if he mocked her very people in those words.
His expression may have cleared, his eyes now hollow like a puppet's, but Mariah couldn't have cared less. Even as he took on her very stance, she seemed too overcome by her need to cut him down to be startled by his sudden shift.
"...Shut it, Phoenix...!"
She had hardly realized the pattern of his footsteps as she rushed towards him, the steady beat of his feet hitting the ground just as hers did. She took a wild, arcing swing with her left, but as she did, she could see the sapphire stream coming at her right. It was instinct to have her right saber catch his own, but in that same movement, his crimson blade met hers. Like a parallel. With a growl, she twisted her right wrist to force his saber out to her side as she stepped in, and as she did so, she attempted to pull back with her left blade. However, she felt it caught within his saber as he pushed it out and away. With a growl, she pushed in with her right foot, and with a jerk of her left shoulder, switched her handle of her left blade to a reverse grip for an upwards slash into his chest. Yet again, his blade seemed to follow hers, the movement catching each other in a 'X' formation so close to their bodies that she could feel the heat of the blades against her.
What was this madness? It was a brief thought as she glared into those empty blue orbs, but pivoting on her right foot, she freed the blades before sending her left pommel to crack against his skull, with the intention of following through with a downwards slash. However, she could see a glimmer of metal coming for her own, and she was forced to lean back to dodge, her own missing him in the same exact fashion. The blades, once again met with a crackle of lightning before they slipped away from one another. The wound in her back sent a piercing pain throughout her whole body with the movement, though, and Mariah was forced to fully retreat for the time being, giving her several feet between she and Gavin.
"Enough of your games and fight me," she demanded through clenched teeth.
With her left blade poised behind her, and her right held in front of her, the woman remained crouched, as if prepared to charge him yet again without notice. Yet this time, she didn't. Instead, she simply stared at him, waiting for his response, or even just a twitch, before pushing another assault.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jun 6, 2019 5:09:30 GMT -8
The moment she moved, so did he, matching each and every move with perfect accuracy as if they were completely in sync. All the while, his eyes never left her, even when his head turned to match her. Between the dead stare and the matching moves, he could tell it was slowly working its way into her mind, disrupting her focus and elevating her anger. This was further confirmed by her words. It could easily be said that this was nothing but a game, just another moment he was toying with her, though the truth was it was far from it. This was by far the most dangerous form of combat in his arsenal, both for him and his opponent for not only did it work to drive the opponent insane, but the proper move could, in fact, successfully injure the both of them.
Known as Shadow combat, the form befittingly took the name to its furthest extreme by literal becoming the shadow of those they fought. But unlike typical combat forms, Shadow combat wasn't a skill of the physical, but one of the mind. Through intense training and focus, one could master the ability to read muscle movement down to the slightest detail. Of course, that wasn't enough. It also required getting into the mind of their opponent. Usually through knowing them inside and out through other encounters to making them expose themselves on the battlefield. For this fight, it had been the latter. While not actually intending on using this form against her, Mariah had made it necessary. Fortunately for him, he had drawn her out with his word and simply pushing her back and standing against her. That fiery anger that burned so brightly had become his doorway. And by clearing his mind of all though, he was able to hone in on her movements and match them perfectly. From an order that focused solely on illusions, this was the only aspect that carried over to the physical, though it carried enough in illusions on its own. By utilizing the Force to occasionally speed up his movements, he could take her own moves and hit his target ahead of her while leaving her with no success. It was about creating the illusion of manipulation and control, making one think that maybe, the user wasn't the one doing the copying, but the one the ability was used on.
True to the form, each strike of their saber met in perfect unison. Each attempt she made in dealing damage with the belief of success was forced into a retreat to avoid receiving the same punishment. And now, they once again stood standing apart from the other, each crouched with their right-hand sabers in front of them and their left sabers behind them. He could feel her anger resonating around him as she called out in a near murmur due to it passing through her teeth. In the back of his mind, it hurt seeing her like this, being forced into this position over a simple fight. He would have had no qualms had she been an enemy. But he considered her a friend. However, this had been a challenge, one that may have escalated too far in the wrong direction, but it was too late to change course now. All he could do was push on a little further. Soon, he'd bring the fight to an end as the lightning above them became more active, lighting up the twilight sky around them. Only for a brief moment did some light seem to return to his eyes when he thought on the hurt, though it quickly faded as he set forth his resolve to stay true to this course. He could only hope she'd forgive him for all this when it was done as he stayed still, mimicking her stance, waiting for her movements.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2019 8:05:20 GMT -8
Despite Mariah's command to cease the games she believed he played, Gavin had stood there, the same as the moment before. Although he had done nothing, his apparent inaction was a choice of his own, or so the crimson haired woman he stood against believed. Her scowl deepened as the grip on her sabers tightened. If the only way he could handle her was to follow her movements down to the second, then so be it. If anything, her anger he ignited within this duel raged the fire within her, sparking that determination to break him from these games. However, in it, she nearly became blind to all else, the lightning that lit up the twilight sky, even losing sight of the flickering change in his eyes, the hurt she might have caught otherwise. Then again, had she caught it, what good would it have served? In the heat of their fight, the only thing that mattered to Mariah was who would achieve victory, and who would face defeat.
Yet again, Mariah rushed forward, knowing Gavin's tricks now. If she knew the moves he was going to make before he made them, then it would give her the upper hand. Her attacks came furiously, beating down on him from all angles. Where she attacked, as did he. As she blocked, so did he. Yet with her movements, her attacks were picking up speed, pushing herself past the pain and exhaustion. However, it seemed almost too effortless on his part, keeping up with her where many others failed to do so.
Mariah's deadly intentions became easily readable as she unknowingly fueled the illusion she fought against. Her mistake soon caught up with her, as her blades locked with his and the vision of her pressing forward and, with a flourish of her wrist, piercing her saber through his stomach urged forward an attack. Before she could even shift her weight...
Another piercing, screaming pain ravaged her left thigh.
Mariah had pushed against his other saber as she leaned away from the crimson blade, but without enough room, she had no other option but to minimize the wound. With a flourish of Arcanuum, she had managed to guide his blade down from the fatal area, but nonetheless, the wound was a debilitating one, and another that could cost her this fight.
Mariah lifted her hands to send out a Force Push to send Gavin away, knowing that he would do the same, and the two figures spiraled away from each other. When Mariah landed however, she had no other choice but to take a knee, to relieve pressure off of the wound. He was only mimicking her movements up until that point, summoning a question to burn into her mind: How did he know...?
A sudden realization washed over Mariah, an old teaching from years ago. After a few heavy, labored breaths, she released one final, low growl, too quiet for Gavin to have heard from the distance she put between them. Finally, she exhaled and forced her way back to her feet, stumbling at first against the pain that now tore into her left leg. However, this time as her eyes met Gavin, the scowl was gone from her features. The livid tension that wreaked havoc over her body dissipated. Like a mirror of her breaking through his Dun Möch, she appeared confident yet no longer shaken or fueled by anger to put an end to him or his style. Switching her left hand to a reverse grip, she kept the blade poised behind her, her offhand blade angled in front of her. With one final breath, she pushed past the pain and came at him again, clearly favoring her right leg but still pushing herself to remain in this fight.
Her right saber came behind her as her left came arcing towards the front to swipe down as it continued from his right to left. This style of his would bring him to dodge it with his own attack, mirroring hers, but she continued another assault, bringing in her right blade as the two retreated from the other. Left, then right, or so the pattern would go, except now, the movements of the crimson-haired woman flowed, no longer linked together by anger, but simply by the guidance of that decades old lesson.
"Quiet your mind, child... and let the Force be your guide."
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jun 16, 2019 11:13:38 GMT -8
Taking off after Mariah in similar step, even letting himself favor his footing to match, the battle continued as it had. Each step and attack was replicated with perfection. But no matter how much Mariah realized this, it wouldn't change anything. If she was to score a hit against the man, she had to risk taking damage itself. If anything, it presented the chance to break this hold and shatter the illusion, letting them get back on track with a real fight.
Gavin, however, knew it was coming time to end this. He was becoming very familiar with her patterns and styles, but there was a final card to play in drawing out Mariah's anger to force that final mistake to bring the battle to a screeching halt. Sensing her intentions to deal a serious blow against him, and thus herself, Gavin let the Force move through his body, amping his speed just a bit to move ahead of her attack that appeared to follow her state of mind. His blade met her thigh, bringing her actions to a sudden stop and sparing them both a possibly fatal blow.
Seeking to separate them, Mariah pushed his blades away and sent her arm out to release a Force Push upon him, an attack that he replicated. Just inches away from each other, the Force built between them repelled each other and sent them flying further away. Rolling across the ground, his gaze shot up to find the crimson-haired woman again so as to return to his games of shadows. As she moved to her knee, so too did he. The battle was taking its own toll on him, that much he knew. It had to come to an end before either of them got hurt beyond anyone's ability to heal.
As she stood, he did too, his mind made up in pushing ahead of her attacks and bringing her down completely. Moving in, the attacks began again. His speed increased by way of the Force as he sought to end the fight, but something happened he didn't expect. Despite moving quicker, his attacks met hers as they normally would. The next attacks followed suit, not one of his being able to get through to her. The realization was but the first of the snaps of the strings that connected his mind to hers. No matter how fast he moved, he could only meet her attacks. No longer able to stay ahead, it was all he could do to stay with her. Then came the repeating snaps as he saw what was happening. He could it see it in her eyes, feeling it in her presence. She had calmed herself and began to think less about her attacks and simply attacked by instinct and the Force. With each passing second, his ability to read her was fading. Despite his skill with the form, it had been so long since he had used it and never once achieved a mastery status with it. As such, he couldn't retain the connection and continue reading her.
With each slash she made, it was only his enhanced speed that allowed him to see and match her form, though its precision was fading. He had gone from being her shadow to just another trying to copy her movements. And soon, she broke free of the illusion. Feeling the drain the speed was beginning to put on him, he had to stop. And with it came her opening. With an attack similar to how she started, her right blade came down in a diagonal slash from his left to right. He stepped back, but the blade caught him, creating another scar across his body. But it wasn't over. Moving in to keep him from retreating, her left blade came around for his right leg. Only by still retreating did he keep it, though another scar was created. The pain coursed through his body, the injuries he was beginning to sustain starting to push outside his limits to control in such a short amount of time. He had to end it now.
With aid of the Force, he jumped back away from Mariah as another attack came, though missing him. With heavy breaths, the life returned to his eyes in a piercing stare as he looked at her. She was incredibly skilled, that much was for certain. To stand to his forms, even find a way to disrupt his Shadow combat was something he hadn't;t anticipated. It was a good thing he had a final card to play. Had he not planned for this fight to be intense, he wouldn't have prepared, and thus risked losing to her. "You continue to impress, Mariah. To overcome such a style as that, your skills and mental prowess are something to be feared. However, it's time to end this. Surely, you've noticed by now, right? This storm raging above us isn't a natural one." That was all he spoke of the flashes of lightning that raged above him. He knew she'd quickly catch on. Taking a deep breath, he deactivated his lightsabers and replaced them, his right hand then lifting into the sky. "Now be gone with the thunderclap."
Bringing his hand down, a bolt of lightning came slamming to the ground. He purposely directed it just off to her left, keeping it close enough to make her respond to avoid it, but easily far enough that it wouldn't actually harm her. Receiving a strike from a bolt of pure lightning wasn't a game, and in her state, risked killing her. After the first came four more strikes right after the other. As the fifth bolt came down, he prepared himself for his final move against her. If this didn't work, he didn't know what would.
Leaning forward slightly, his hands came together to create hand signs as it looked like he began to speak. He knew that spending time with Ifrit would have taught her the ways of Sith Magic. As such, it was likely she'd assume him to be casting a spell, a powerful one if he needed to recite an incantation with hand signs. However, it was just another ploy, an illusion to send her into a slight panic, a manic fury to get to him to keep it from being completed. Yet, he was focusing the Force around her alongside his Doppelganger abilities. The moment she'd tried to come at him, his hand would then slam into the ground and the shadows she created would reach up and wrap around her. By using the Force to grip her body where these illusionary shadows rested, it would seem as if he commanded the shadows themselves to stop her in her tracks.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2019 11:12:24 GMT -8
Whether it was skill or something else entirely, Mariah gained the advantage she sought, yet it wasn't through sheer force as she had attempted time and time before. Even as her critical strikes made contact, there was no satisfactory glimmer in those crimson eyes, no wicked smile to creep upon her lips. It was simply fluid arc after graceful strike, as if the woman before Gavin now was submerged deep into a battle-like meditation. The only thing to draw her out was when a sweep met nothing but air as Gavin pushed himself away from her and his words uttering a lingering warning above her. She didn’t need to turn her gaze to know the storm that raged on above them, the source of the disturbance she felt upon following him here. It all pieced itself together much too quickly, and far too late.
Mariah was fast, but even in her best condition, her speed was no match for the flash of a lightning strike. She could have at least put up enough of a fight if her wounds had remained among her upper body. However, as the lightning strike came crashing down to her left, it sent the crimson-haired warrior scrambling, her leg screaming in protest from the wound that restrained her movements. She couldn't remain on the ground, however. As soon as she regained her footing, though, another came down. And another. And another. And another. Each one, settling her up into a position, right where Gavin wanted her. As much as she abhorred it, her only other option was putting herself directly into the path of the lightning, not only ending this duel but her life.
The final bolt forced her into that final position. The electrical current shocked through Mariah's system from being forced so close to these strikes, further inhibiting her already pained movements, but with a determined growl, she forced herself back to her feet one final time to face Gavin, who stood there poised and prepared for his next move. Hand signs, Mariah knew, were a powerful conjuring tool, manifesting the magicks all around similar to incantations. However, when brought together, those magicks summoned could increase tenfold easily by a skilled user. However, she refused to let that knowledge hold her back, to create fear in her mind. This time, she didn’t charge after him out of panic to stop him from this powerful spell, but simply because she refused to allow this duel to be over yet.
It may have been a pathetic sight to some, the way the crimson-haired woman half-limped, half-charged her way to close the gap between the two. It was then that Gavin played his hand, slamming it into the ground. She could feel a resistance wrap around her ankles, each step at first feeling as though rubber bands or elastic tried to hold her back, snapping away with a step. It only took a matter of mere seconds, however, before the resistance grew until she didn't have the strength to break those shadowy chains. With a furious growl, she glanced down to see the darkness of her own shadow further climbing up her legs, her body, tendrils even reaching high to ensnare her wrists and arms. It wasn’t long before any type of movement at all was impossible for the small, battered woman. Even then, however, there was a furious gleam in her eye, a sharp look of determination. If there was one thing Gavin had taught her throughout this whole fight, it was that he played her anger against her, her fears that she had learned over the years to shift into a livid fire to ignite her soul and tear down those who stood before her. She could not turn to them, if she wanted to break free. He was a man who learned to fight not only in the typical, physical sense, but to prey upon his opponents mental state. A lesson she may have learned far too late, but it still didn’t stop her from the fight.
"You continue to claim how impressive I am, but you fail to understand one simple fact, Phoenix," she warned with a low growl. "Today, I'll teach that powerful lesson as to what happens to those who cross me."
With an exhale, the tension in her arms and her legs ceased, as if for the moment, she gave in to those shadows that crawled up her body. It was but for a single moment, before there was a powerful surge in the Force that pulsed from the woman, sending those illusionary shadows jumping away from her body and fleeing back under her feet where they belonged. In the same way that he had hoped to send her into a slight manic, Mariah had hoped that a heartbeat of this powerful sensation would be enough to startle her own opponent. Either way, she had calmed her mind and twisted the mental illusion to her own liking, freeing herself in the process by pushing against Gavin's grip around her within the Force. He had exposed his mind games throughout this fight, and she would be a fool to submit to them yet again. It was but a beat before Mariah pushed forward for one final charge, offering all that she had left.
With her main blade poised in a reverse grip, she reached out with her right hand, pulling Gavin towards her with the Force. Another ploy, hopefully to startle him further, to keep his weapons at bay, so that she could end this fight once and for all. As soon as he was within reach, she would keep her blade positioned across his collar, just below the neck. This duel wasn't to end with another dying to the other, but to prove that she could have had she the will. It may have took all she had left, but she refused to let failure be an option.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jun 23, 2019 11:48:49 GMT -8
Despite his work to merely scare her with his lightning strikes and avoid hitting her, he couldn't fully anticipate her movements to avoid them. And in such, she had lined herself up with that final strike as it came raining down upon her. For a moment as the light shone brilliantly from its impact, Gavin's eyes widened, worried that he had truly hurt her, if not killed her. But it was gone in an instant, sensing her presence still lingering, even if it was weak. It seemed she had avoided being hit, despite the angle, and the damage she received was simply from being so close to each bolt.
To some, it would have been a pathetic sight, seeing her scramble towards him the way she did, but it only built his adoration for her strength. Even now, she refused to go down, would prove her strength and ability, no matter what. He was glad that he was seeking to bring the fight to an end, seeking out the least damaging attack for the ending. But for his hope she'd simply submit to her position, he could tell now that it would be so easy. Defeat wasn't something she accepted so easily, if at all. He prayed that defeat didn't come at her death. If that was the only option, he'd throw the fight.
As his hands touched the ground, the mock Sith Magic attack began. Shadows wrapped around her and his grip on her with the Force brought her to a stop. His breaths were heavy, but it had finally come to an end. In her state, there was no way she would be capable of fighting back, much less move. Standing tall, he let a few breaths emerge as he worked to calm his breathing. But that control was quickly ripped away. Suddenly, he felt the surge of power emanate from her, his eyes widening. He wasn't surprised, having faced powerful beings before. It was the fact that even now, like him, she was still holding back the full depth of her power. It amazed him and made him smile faintly. Even now, she refused to go down. That power forced his illusions away and he felt her break free of the grip held upon her.
At that moment, he felt the Force pull on him, forcing him towards her. In a split second, he made the choice, let himself get pulled as he pushed off the ground towards her. He couldn't let that level of power come out now, not in her weakened state. He had one chance to end it and he had to be quick. Otherwise, he'd have no choice but to forfeit a possible victory. Hoping the added momentum of him jumping into the pull would throw off her, he moved in. His feet touched the ground in front of her as he set himself up. His hand came up to grip her wrist that held the blade and forced it out to the side, his leg coming back behind her as his other hand came to her throat. The same maneuver that put her on the ground his room the first day they met. The only difference was that he put more force into the slam, hoping that the impact would knock her resistance out of her.
As the back of his leg met hers and his hand pushed at her throat, he slammed her hard into the ground. Once again, he placed himself over her in an attempt to pin her as he looked down at her. The fire still burned as he looked at her. He was completely amazed at her strength and resolve. For someone who simply lived back then, this didn't play out like a fight of someone with such a mindset. She fought as if something mattered as if there was a future she wanted to see. Even in her weakened state, she was able to avoid being caught up completely in his bolts of lightning and was able to break free of his grip. And that power he felt. He couldn't describe what it was or where it came from. But it seemed that despite all his skill, she was capable of facing him down. Who knew what would happen the next time if they ever chose to fight again.
But hopefully, it would all come to an end here. "Do you wish to try and continue? Or do you submit?"
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2019 13:49:11 GMT -8
It took everything she had just to follow through with that final assault. As she watched him take on that familiar stance, reaching to push her saber away from her body, Mariah barely had the strength to attempt redirecting her attack, shifting her footwork, anything. It was as if she could see his movements before they happened, yet unable to do anything. Her back slammed against the ground, knocking the wind out of her and summoning a groaned cry, and the next thing she knew, Gavin was on top of her, pinning her to the ground as he had done the very first time they met. The last time, it was a wound in her side that prevented her from being able to counter him and roll out from under his grasp. This time, it was the multitude of wounds plus the added exhaustion. She swallowed hard, feeling the pressure of his hand on her throat as he held her down firmly.
His question rang in the air with an impending doom, signaling her defeat she fought against until it nearly killed her. She attempted to answer that question with actions, with her free hand, still wielding her sister's ignited shoto. But her muscles refused to answer her command. Her labored breath shuddered as she was forced to consider of his second question.
"I..."
Her mind raged on for any other answer. He could cut off her breath with his grasp around her throat, or crush her in some manner or another in the way that he kept himself poised on top of her. If she chose to keep fighting, Gavin could easily end this duel with nothing short of ending her own life. As that fact sunk in, it boiled down to the cause of her failure. Was it because she had fallen victim to his mind games too many times, giving him the advantage? Was she growing weak, so much so that she couldn't best him, a man who claimed to have two centuries of experience yet had fallen into the lull of training younglings? Had she fallen to that same lull with her own apprentice for all those years? Was it because of her pride, in holding back the truth of her power until that final moment, to do something so minimal as breaking free from his grasp, yet far too late to swing the tides of the battle? Although her brow was furrowed in her exasperation, those crimson eyes looked up at him, and for a brief moment, the truth behind her anger revealed itself. The fear of defeat, the fear of death. Even then, though, it would not control her as it could so many others. It was there and gone as she hardened her expression, uttering nothing more than what he needed to end this duel, but never once breaking her gaze from those piercing blue orbs that looked down on her.
"...I submit..." As if to further her words, she released her grip on her sabers, the purple blades retreating with a hiss for the final time here. She breathed out another shuddered exhale, ravaged by all that she had just endured plus the added stress of those two uttered words, before she demanded. "Now get off me."
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jun 23, 2019 14:04:55 GMT -8
As their gazes remain locked, he felt he could almost see the thoughts that raged inside her mind. Determined to the end, submitting wasn't something she wanted to do. She was proud and he could understand the pride that resided there. It made him hate the fact he beat her...almost. The truth was, they were both warriors and there could only be a single winner. Ultimately, the spar had gone in a direction not originally planned. He couldn't explain why he worked her up the way he did, pulling out those few things she had told him, using that little bit gained in trust against her. He had wanted just a good fight. Had the years really turned him into that kind of man? Was it from the constant training he did with his students in working them up to break them and rebuild them bleeding over?
In the end, it didn't matter anymore as the words finally came. Letting out a heavy sigh of relief, the grip around her neck disappeared as he pushed himself to his feet. reaching down to her, he offered to help her up. The hard stare had faded now and he offered her a smile, hoping for it to be a sigh that he had enjoyed the fight with her.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2019 15:54:12 GMT -8
As the grip around her neck diminished, Mariah exhaled a frustrated sigh. Even as Gavin offered a hand down to her, the woman didn’t move at first. It took several beats, several breaths, before she could summon her muscles to move again, and even then, it was a strain. She had pushed herself far past what she needed to for most fights, and now with the battle over, the fatigue from her Force-imbued speed and strength was quickly taking its toll.
With a groan, the crimson-haired woman forced herself up to sit, the lingering dust and the dirt agitating the wound on her back as it fell. She glanced up at Gavin's outstretched hand with the same level of intensity within those crimson eyes -- even now, a calculative stare as if her every decision decided some great, unknown outcome. However, it didn't matter her choices; her answer had been thrust upon her by a single fact, one she refused to admit no matter how obvious.
With a roll of her eyes and a slight, snarling sigh, Mariah affixed the twin shotos back upon her belt before she took Gavin's offer to help her to her feet. However, the once graceful and agile warrior now stumbled as she stood, shifting her weight to her good leg as to keep from falling over again. Unable to look at her victor in her current state, Mariah turned her gaze away to locate where her other saber remained on the battlefield. Locating its silvery sheen among the dull shades of dust within the twilight, she limped away from Gavin and towards that final weapon in need of gathering.
In all of this, Mariah refused to break the silence. Although there was no denying she still held back some sort of power deep within her, she still fought as though her life depended on it, or something of equal value. Had this duel truly mattered in some fashion or another, she could have lost everything. And to such a cocky and confident man, who she waited to break the silence with some arrogant comment or another. There was nothing she could do about it now, though. All she could was gather her weapons... and leave.
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