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Post by Whill Shaman Erevis on Dec 19, 2020 11:49:15 GMT -8
Ah Mustafar. The burning hell hole of the galaxy. Lava is fun...right? You find yourselves on an open shelf, 200 feet above a river of molten dhoom. Obsidian blasted plateau, cliffs to the west, mountainous disaster in the distance.
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Post by Reign on Dec 29, 2020 7:42:00 GMT -8
Mustafar. The dark side here seemed as thick as the oppressive heat spawned by its lava flows. A miserable place to visit, let alone fight. But even the best tactician can't always choose their battleground, and adaptability was in making do. As his pilot brings his ship in towards the designated plateau, Reign hits the switch to lower the boarding ramp. The wave of heat that floods the airlock is immediate, causing his shell spider silk robes to flutter around his legs. When the ship is about two metres from the deck, he steps off as if it were but a single step down, landing lightly and striding forward. He thumbs his comlink briefly.
"Come back in 30 minutes, for either me or my body. Reign out."
As he moves further onto the plateau, his left hand reaches casually down to detach his Qixoni lightsaber (it seemed the appropriate choice for the setting); best be ready. Once in what he deems a suitable location, Reign stops and more acutely surveys the landscape, noting any features of interest - debris, cliffs, lava lines, fault lines.... and all the while, waits for his opponent. He wasn't sure if it was a data transfer error or deliberate, but the name of his opponent hadn't been included in the holo-message. No matter... he would know soon enough. Embracing the Force, he closes his eyes for just a moment, savouring the pre-battle lull - the relative peace of that plateau would soon be shattered, with yet another dark scar left on this world's already forsaken soul.
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Lahash de Fortia
Member
Posts: 14 
Affiliation: Xendorian Guard, Dark Jedi Order, Barsoomian Empire
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Post by Lahash de Fortia on Dec 29, 2020 15:52:57 GMT -8
The drop through the atmosphere was rough, turbulence jerked against the controls in his hands. Another shift, a dull gleam flashed across his knuckles as smoke cleared and the liquid surface of the planet shined through the view port. Scanning the surface with sensors showed a single figure kilometers away from any other life.
The landing gear extended and the hiss of coolant sang outside of the cockpit. The heat was stifling and the air smelled rank with natural gases. Inhaling heavily, Lahash turned to face in his opponent's direction. A long pause before letting the foul air out of his lungs. Closing the distance, he wondered at the beginnings and endings. Or was it the endings and beginnings? Like a Moraband serpent eating itself, that was how the universe worked.
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Post by Reign on Dec 29, 2020 23:56:43 GMT -8
Reign watches his opponent approach, and he is immediately struck by a strong sense of familiarity. The shape, the movement, the presence.... memories flare and what seems to be impossible becomes first probable, and then certain. It could be none other than the Jeddak himself. The man who had introduced him to the very Order he would one day lead. One of his closest friends - a sworn brother, once upon a time. But time had a way of breaking down all things. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. He had thought Lahash to be dead. But to be fair, Reign himself had been dead. It was as if Death were but a veil for men such as them, rather than a final destination… but such thinking was folly. Reign knew better than most that no one could evade it forever. Death and her brother, Time, took all things. They would take him again too. Maybe even today. Just as they seemed to take everything else. Like Leto…
Reign pauses for a moment to remember his close friend and former apprentice. A good man, albeit a complicated one. And wasn’t that half the reason he was here? Shaking his head fractionally, he focuses his attention fully back to the man approaching. It had been a long time. What were they to each other now? It had been Lahash behind the Jen’jidai Civil War – Lahash who started it… but it had been Reign who ended it. And on reflection, perhaps it had been as much Reign’s fault, with what the Dark Jedi Order had become. If he lamented anything, it was that Lahash had chosen war over discourse. Or had that been the point? Reign sighs internally. Regardless, a brother was a brother whether you fought beside them or against them. That bond, once forged, never truly broke. And yet here there were again. When he speaks, it is a single word, but layered with meaning and emotion.
“Lahash.”
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Lahash de Fortia
Member
Posts: 14
Affiliation: Xendorian Guard, Dark Jedi Order, Barsoomian Empire
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Post by Lahash de Fortia on Dec 30, 2020 0:47:09 GMT -8
There was a time. The thought hung unfinished in his mind as a dozen different endings fought to take the forefront. There was a time when the name Lahash had struck fear throughout the galaxy, no more. There was a time when he would have leapt to embrace one of the only men he had called brother, no more. There was a time when he would have already have had his blades dancing their deadly beautiful dance regardless of his opponent being a Jin'jedai, no more? Shaking his head to clear the intrusive thoughts, Lahash stops four meters away from his opponent, taking in the lines on his face that didn't match his memories.
"Reign"
At his sides each hand gripped a different lightsaber, and the characteristic snap hiss of each cut through the background noise of the churning, roiling planet beneath them. The long silver of his saber in his right standing pure and unblemished, the shorter molten red of his shoto in his left, almost bubbling as the colors swirled.
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Post by Reign on Dec 30, 2020 2:36:58 GMT -8
The names once spoken, were quickly carried away on the hot harsh winds, but the intent lingered. Little more need be said. Only blades would speak the truth now. Reign's right hand reaches for his second lightsaber - his mother's - and he activates the emerald and crimson blades simultaneously. He begins to close the distance, intently but not rashly, left guard low, right guard high. Reign makes a sudden switch to a firm shien reverse grip with his left lightsaber just as he gets close enough - the crimson blade whips across horizontally from left to right at gut level as his right foot takes the lead, hitting the ground lightly but securely.
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Lahash de Fortia
Member
Posts: 14
Affiliation: Xendorian Guard, Dark Jedi Order, Barsoomian Empire
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Post by Lahash de Fortia on Dec 30, 2020 4:38:15 GMT -8
Rocky soil underfoot crunched as Reign began his attack, and as his blade hummed towards Lahash he moved to intercept. Twisting his silver blade to point to the ground, he caught the attack with his saber. A stride forward and a sharp spin to his left brought him beside the other man. Reversing the grip on his shoto he stabbed backwards and upwards. Better not to see the look on his face as the deed was done.
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Post by Reign on Dec 30, 2020 21:03:35 GMT -8
Reign's left blade meets Lahash's right, as expected. It was but an opening gambit after all. In the same movement, Lahash moves forward lightning fast and spins left, shoto coming around reverse grip. But Reign's other blade is poised to counter, Lahash having moved to that side. He slams his right lightsaber down into a block in front of him, using its superior length to his advantage against the shoto coming up. Maintaining the pressure with his left blade to try and keep the Jeddak's lightsaber locked up, and same with the low block against the shoto, Reign immediately follows it by dipping his weight and driving hard off his left foot and moving closer to Lahash with his right, throwing his weight through his right shoulder into the man next to him. Seeking to drive Lahash away just enough to create room to safely disengage, he follows with a sweep out and up using low emerald blade, left to right, fluidly trailed by the left blade at neck height, still reversed.
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Lahash de Fortia
Member
Posts: 14
Affiliation: Xendorian Guard, Dark Jedi Order, Barsoomian Empire
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Post by Lahash de Fortia on Dec 31, 2020 12:01:38 GMT -8
The moment his shoto was blocked, he had felt uncharacteristic start of a grin. His pulse quickened and Lahash heard a crunch of stone and felt the pressure increase against his blades. Rather than brace himself, he dived forward into a roll, his right shoulder touching the ground even as he heard the lightsabers swing through the air behind him. Twisting as he completed the roll, Lahash stayed low, facing Reign from perhaps 2 meters distance.
Opening himself to the Force, Lahash felt the dark energies swirling across the globe. The echoes of pain reverberating in his spirit spoke of the deepest sort of loss and betrayal. The caress of old lovers to his jaded soul. He could feel the Force begging to aid him, like a loving parent neglected by their offspring for many years, still the warmth was there. Stalking forward the Jeddak took care to keep his mind blank, locking his features into a much more characteristic scowl.
Shoto in a diagonal cross body guard in a once again standard grip. Lahash telegraphed a heavy overhead strike with his saber. Dropping to his right knee a stride before his strike would land Lahash twisted his saber into a crossbody guard and jerked his left arm backwards. Fingers splayed open around his saber hilt Lahash tugged with the Force, aiming for the ground and bottoms of the other man's boots.
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Post by Reign on Jan 2, 2021 8:55:32 GMT -8
When Lahash completes the roll and twists to face Reign, only about 2 metres distant, there is no need for him to stalk forward - Reign is already closing the gap, looking to capitalise on his forward movement and initiative. When Lahash telegraphs his overhead strike, Reign's leading blade, still in shien grip, rises to meet it instinctively, practically under its blade already. His left hand moves up and right as it rises to deflect Lahash's blade to Reign's right, hopefully leaving a gap underneath on Lahash's right side for the reach of his emerald lightsaber to punch through. A second behind instinct comes suspicion - Reign had fought with and against Lahash many a time and unless the years had changed him, Lahash was not a man to give anything away... and indeed he didn't, except that the overhead attack was just a little too.... pronounced. Expecting something but with no idea what, Reign thrusts his second blade towards Lahash's right kidney even as the ploy is revealed...
Lahash sinks to his right knee almost right in front of him and with a jerk of Lahash's left hand, gravity suddenly seems to tilt 90 degrees. Shit. Reign's feet shoot out from under him, and his body weight begins to drop - his thrust is naturally dragged off course. Combined with his existing momentum, it’s unavoidable, but the whole situation isn’t untenable. As his weight comes down, he twists his left hand clock-wise 90 degrees so that his crimson blade is now pointing straight forward, descending towards the top of Lahash’s head even as he falls. And as his feet shoot out in front of him, he instinctively tries to arrest them on Lahash himself, seeing as he is right there… Reign tries to kick the man’s knee and foot out from under him at ground level as he slides into him. Let the man have a taste of his own momentum. His aborted emerald lightsaber follows him in, coming in low and defensive, but there is nothing defensive about the expression on Reign’s face. His eyes flash with controlled emotion; absolute concentration – his Force presence just slightly surges – but even a master takes time to generate effect, and there is not much time, barely any at all…
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Lahash de Fortia
Member
Posts: 14
Affiliation: Xendorian Guard, Dark Jedi Order, Barsoomian Empire
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Post by Lahash de Fortia on Jan 2, 2021 17:10:38 GMT -8
Pulling his right hand inward the silver blade tilted from the bottom of his ribs to over his right shoulder. Catching the emerald blade low with his own, Lahash pushed his own blade to stay in contact. Even as he jerked his beskar arm up to catch the crimson saber stabbing towards his head, Lahash twisted his wrist, sliding the silver blade along the length of the green energy beam.
Pushing his left shoulder forward Lahash brings his shoto to bear. Palm upwards with the end of the blade pointed towards his left he sliced forward at the soles of Reigns boots even as they aimed for his knee.
The comfort of the Force surrounding him was disturbed and like eddy in an ocean Lahash could feel the darkness rising from the depths. Anticipating an attack the Jeddak positioned his weight onto the balls of his left foot, ready to spring away even as he looked to bisect Reign's feet.
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Post by Reign on Jan 4, 2021 6:42:19 GMT -8
Lahash sweeps his silver blade in under Reign's green one and sweeps it to Reign's right even as he pivots his beskar arm up to block the red one, keeping the pressure on to prevent Reign's swinging it back. Damn but he was fast...but they both were, or they'd already be dead. Lahash proves it again when he pumps his left hand forward again and reaches down to try and bisect Reign's feet. There is only a split second, and nothing much Reign can do about his forward momentum at this point... but he re-directs it slightly, jerking his hips to his right - his legs naturally follow and he flicks the left one across toes pointed just in front of the right. With Lahash's left hand palm up, shoto normal grip, the top of Reign's left foot should connect with the bottom of Lahash's hand/hilt thus knocking it out of the way in the split second before his other foot enters the space. He anticipates terminating his momentum a moment later on either Lahash's lead foot or by the natural but unpleasant course of friction. Releasing his green saber and anticipating the unexpected loss of pressure will cause Lahash's silver blade to dip further out before coming back, he throws his right hand forward, releasing a telekinetic burst - fancy Jen'jidai speak for Force Push - directly at upper centre of seen mass of Lahash's chest. It's as much as he can muster on short notice. Immediately twisting left again so he's on his back, he tucks his knees and leaps back to his feet, reaching for... his discblade. There's a split second where his mind drifts to his pistol - the very same type as Lahash - but it is not honour that stops him using it. It's just not visceral enough. Not for this.
If he has the chance now, he switches his crimson blade from Shien and begins circling to Lahash's left.
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Lahash de Fortia
Member
Posts: 14
Affiliation: Xendorian Guard, Dark Jedi Order, Barsoomian Empire
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Post by Lahash de Fortia on Jan 4, 2021 16:28:38 GMT -8
Blindingly fast Reign's boot smacks against the hilt of his shoto, knocking it upwards. Even as the other heavy boot impacts his left shin, Lahash's mind is racing. A grit of pain as his right leg is bent in on itself and his molten red blade continues its momentum upwards to catch the crimson blade of his opponent. While the impact had lifted the shorter blade, it had also presumably taken the green saber out of play for the moment while in his twist. Thumbing off his saber and twisting his right elbow inwards Lahash reignited his blade slicing upwards at the backside of Reign. His attention was diverted before he could see the results of his work.
At that second, a memory, of his first time off Mechis IV to a water world. He'd managed to tread water and was working to improve his rather tenuous set of skills. Ignorance of his limits had almost been his undoing, drowning in wave after ever higher wave. Never ending, unstoppable, unresistible. The wave of energy hammered into his chest and the sensation of being punched by a battle droid was second only to the scream of his right ankle as it was hyper extended momentarily before the push sent him skidding.
Engrained techniques of a thousand years of Echani martial mastery had Lahash twisting after his first brush with the ground so his right shoulder would impact next and rolled into a fighting stance leading with his left foot. When he had broken the surface of the waters, his eyes had immediately searched for land. In the path of his short flight deep furrows scarred the black stones of this lifeless world from his blades. As Lahash found his footing his eyes searched for Reign with the same alacrity.
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Post by Reign on Jan 5, 2021 6:03:13 GMT -8
There is that moment of intense focus when Reign bends the force to his will, and it is his to command.... and there is that moment of intense pain when it is hard to focus at all. But Reign is no stranger to pain, and force of will was a salve to the fog it could induce. The tip of Lahash's saber rakes the back of Reign's Fravashi armour, but its touch is shallow, halted both by Victory in its sheath running down his back, and by Lahash's rapid departure from his immediate threat radius. Still, there is a line through the armour that the sword didn't stop, and a thin cauterised line just above his left butt cheek.... and Reign had oh so been hoping to have less scars on this miraculous new body than his old one. This body - this gift that he'd been granted - he knew such a confluence of events would never occur again. Some returned from death more than once. Reign would not.
When he rolls to his back and flips back to his feet, he both hates and embraces the pain... but not in the way a Sith would. To let emotions master you is not freedom - they are but a tool, albeit a powerful one. He circles to his right - Lahash's left - as the other man finds his own footing. With his crimson saber in his left hand and discblade in his right, his reach is a matched set to Lahash - long against long, short and short. He takes note of the terrain as he moves, but without removing his sight or senses from Jeddak.
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Lahash de Fortia
Member
Posts: 14
Affiliation: Xendorian Guard, Dark Jedi Order, Barsoomian Empire
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Post by Lahash de Fortia on Jan 5, 2021 13:39:54 GMT -8
Rocking back slightly to test his ankle, Lahash was met with a dull throb. Not agonizing, but not feeling pain would have been a sign of a worse injury. Eyeing the weapon in Reign's right hand with distaste, Lahash switched leading feet, turning to face Reign with the right side of his body. Errant twisted locks of tarnished silver hair framed his face, having slipped free of the tie that bound them during his tumble. Extending his right arm, so the silver blade is eye level, he tucks his left behind him, smoothly shifting to a reverse grip for the smaller beam. The face of the Jeddak twists into a soot covered smirk as he flicks his head up, sharply, slinging his hair backwards.
Breathe and feel the ripples. In his exile he had raged, he had been the most powerful being on that thrice damned planet, with no way to leave. Anger, no matter how potent, how terrible, his fury could not solve his problem. Lahash sensed this to be the case here as well.
Breathe and feel the tremors. Discipline was the remedy. It had taken him years to build an almost serviceable craft from the remains of the dropships sent to hunt him and his own vessel; but without a functioning hyperdrive, leaving the system had been impossible. Similarly, there would be no flight here, no escape.
Breathe and feel the torrent of the Living Force. Fate had gifted him with a second chance. It was not his purpose to die a quiet death in peace. For while he breathed, the power he commanded demanded his action. Opening himself to the ineffable will of the Force, Lahash found the peace of being a tool to something more meaningful than being a footnote in eternity. Raising his saber in a quick salute, he sprung forward off his back leg in a straightforward thrust towards Reign's right shoulder.
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Post by Reign on Jan 5, 2021 16:47:26 GMT -8
It's almost Makashi in style, Reign notes, as Lahash adopts a narrower profile and lunges. Shifting his weight over to his left foot as it slides out slightly, and pivoting his right side away from the thrust, he raises the discblade up in a tight clockwise semi-circle to deflect the blade outside his right shoulder. At the same time, his crimson blade darts in for a riposte at Lahash's right side, coming in from the outside just under Lahash's arm. He then continues that movement to the left with his right foot, trying to stay outside of Lahash's guard as he executes a quick oblique kick with his left foot towards Lahash's right knee. The more Reign could try and keep him off balance, the better. Easier said than done.
So far, it seemed as if the slice to his back had been too shallow to affect muscle function or mobility... or was that adrenaline talking?
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Lahash de Fortia
Member
Posts: 14
Affiliation: Xendorian Guard, Dark Jedi Order, Barsoomian Empire
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Post by Lahash de Fortia on Jan 8, 2021 14:28:35 GMT -8
Even as the discblade snapped forward Lahash was preparing for the landing of his right foot. Rebounding at the moment of simultaneous impact of his foot and the weapons, Lahash bounces back a step, bringing his weight back to his left foot. Twisting slightly to his left so Reign's blade is behind him, he turns his shoto upwards vertically guard his back. Using the momentum from his saber being deflect and a quick twist of his wrist he brings the energy weapon into a sweeping low slash at the incoming limb. With his arms crossed Reign should have a difficult time bringing his discblade low enough to block the strike. Lahash was poised to bounce either forward or back depending on the flow of combat and through force of will strengthened his attunement to the Force. He could feel the energy flowing through him and his perceptions increase even as a sense of readiness settled into him
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Post by Reign on Jan 12, 2021 4:14:30 GMT -8
As Lahash unexpectedly reverses direction, bouncing backwards, Reign continues his own momentum, moving forward and left to circle further to Lahash's back even as Lahash turns further left and brings his shoto up to parry Reign's blade. Even as skilled a fighter as Lahash would be cautious exposing his back without good cause... the blade in Lahash's right hand comes around fast and low, and Reign raises his knee high, higher, kicking much higher than originally intended, aiming for the kidneys. It gets him over the blade and allows him to better posture the discblade in his right hand defensively. Reign keeps the pressure on the shoto with his blade the whole time, to try and stop Lahash spinning back to the right and bringing his longer saber to bear fully, and, if the kick lands successfully, force the man off balance and away. If it succeeds, he lunges forward after, crimson blade leading the way, discblade still close and defensive. If not, well...that would not be unexpected. This was a high speed game of chess after all, and every move was check.
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Lahash de Fortia
Member
Posts: 14
Affiliation: Xendorian Guard, Dark Jedi Order, Barsoomian Empire
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Post by Lahash de Fortia on Jan 14, 2021 15:48:21 GMT -8
Sometimes, when in contact with something left with a strong enough memory, Lahash would see what had transpired with that object. Not the actual event, just an echo of the past. With the Force flowing through his veins, his temples pulsed and he could see an echo of the future. Shoto met saber and Lahash leaned backwards onto his left foot, knowing his own saber strike would miss. The world seemed to slow and the beads of sweat on his forehead crawled down his face. Sliding back a step and spinning left on his heel the Jeddak pushed his shoto against Reigns saber. He wasn't entirely sure if he actually saw the kick miss with his eyes or the Force granting him the vision. He was already twisting his wrist and pushing downward, he kept the blades in contact even as his saber swung slightly upwards from chest height towards Reign's neck. He expected the strike to be blocked, and was using his momentum to prep and launch a snap kick at Reign's left knee.
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Post by Reign on Jan 18, 2021 4:53:25 GMT -8
“You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war.” So said some famous general, although Reign couldn't remember which. But he certainly felt that way battling Lahash. The man was in some ways his opposite, and in other his mirror... or Reign his perhaps. And much like the abyss, one best not look too long into the mirror...
Reign's kick snaps back as quick as it went, technique honed from decades of Teräs Käsi and kick-boxing. The leg keeps going back, moving his weight to it momentarily even as Lahash is spinning to meet him head on. Reign's crimson blade is still locked against the shoto, and he twists his wrist over clockwise to maintain that from a more advantageous position to utilise his shield gauntlet. Reign ducks low and pushes forward, sliding his left foot forward, bringing his left forearm up and engaging his shield gauntlet to catch the incoming lightsaber near its base, even as his right hand holding the discblade uppercuts towards Lahash's stomach, aiming - if he can - for a gap in the ultrachrome plating. The forward movement also moves Reign's left knee sufficiently that the snap kick lands slightly higher; he still catches the stinging blow, but the force is lessened by his movement inside the optimal arc of the kick; it hurts, but not sufficient a strike to throw off his own offensive. Not keen to remain at such close distance for long, against a man with a beskar arm and a shoto, Reign's uppercut is followed immediately by a speedy tactical retreat - three quick paces to set conditions for his next offensive...
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