Private Black Peaks

[Telani]

Telani walked along the rocky terrain of Katarr. She was on one of her run-of-the mill missions for Ravenous, scouting out potential targets for observation or collection. Usually some kind of weapon or potentially weaponisable objects, relics or technology. The only risk was that it was in Sith territory, not far into it, but still there. So it was a big risk for her to be there, she could probably pass for a Sith more easily than most other working for Ravenous, but she had betrayed and left the Sith before she came to Intrepid Inc. so they might not have been too forgetful.

Her head raised in attention as she felt a presence, a dark force user, not a master, not yet but definitely a dark force user. She was ready to grab her lightsabers at a moments notice. She stood up, and got ready to talk or fight her way out of this.

 

[Iasha Rha]

The chatter of the scout-droid filled her ear as it reported back from perimeter duty. Iasha did not speak binary, but her datapad translated the chatter to aurebesh.

Movement, 455.679 southward. Humanoid life-form.

No one was supposed to be anywhere near. Even the fauna was scarce on this strange planet. All she could feel in the earth were the earthworms, in the air she only occasionally saw pollinating insects. Katarr had a living biome, but the humanoids usually remained near the villages. That was especially true now, so soon after its joining the Sith Empire. The planet lay near the border against the Silver Jedi Concord, and the conquest had come with some minor complications. Despite the unwillingness of the inhabitants, the Empire had not placed a great presence here; a squadron of legionnaires here and there, and one Sith Acolyte on rotation to oversee the process.

Mostly, it was guarded by an early warning system of camouflaged scout droids, like the one that had spotted this humanoid life-form.

Iasha stood up, stretching until her back popped and then clipping her lightsabre to her belt.

"I'll go check it out."

It was not far, not now that she knew the narrow, overgrown paths. She tried to stay hidden, keeping a low profile and taking the path that offered cover. Iasha kept a hand on her lightsabre, both to keep it from moving around and to be ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

Stopping, she knelt down and carefully turned a leaf for a better view.

The lightsabre released from the belt, thumb rested on the ignition. Her eyes narrowed.

Telani

 

[Telani]

The dark force user was behind her. She pulled her own lightsabers out, the ignition switch ready to be pushed at any moment. She didn’t turn around, but she made no attempt to hide that she was aware of the other’s presence. Her lightsabers ignited, and the red blades extended. It would be notable that her lightsabers blades were a little bit on the longer end, and if she stuck the bottom she of the hilts together they would link and become a double bladed saber.

She dashed backward, a blur or red skin and red light as the force aided her speed. She couldn’t expect her to be cut on the first attack, it was likely that she would block, parry or dodge. Of course, she wouldn’t stop with just one attack either.

 

[Iasha Rha]

Tension grew between the two twi'leks in the moment of observation. Then, rapidly tension turned to escalation as Telani charged and struck with one of her two sabres. Telani was quick, dangerously so. Vegitation fell from the sweep of the red blade, sundered by Telani's attempt to hit Iasha. Cinders ate their way into the green.

Iasha stepped back, just out of the range of the blade. It was far too close for comfort. To gain a little distance, she jumped, aided by the Force, and kicked off from the tree trunk behind her.

As her body turned in the air, Iasha pushed a hand in the direction of Telani. She gathered power from the threat on her life, from the adrenaline of the sudden attack and the lingering fear that she had met her match and then some. The physical motion summoned a response on the Force. A booming push rocketed forth, seeking to push Telani off balance and into the tree trunk while Iasha landed safely on the other side.

The moment her feet touched the ground, the bloodshine blade ignited, held two handed with the hilt close to her hip and the point extended forward.

"State your business here."

Telani

 

[Telani]

She was quick too. Good, so this wouldn't be completely boring. The force push was expected, and while not directly countered, but rather she took it in such a way that it didn't do much.

The impact flipped her backwards onto her hands, and she flipped forward again onto her feet. And her purpose was questioned, she countered with.

"State yours, Acolyte."

 

[Iasha Rha]

Iasha scoffed, changing the position of her feet and the angle of her blade to keep her opponent on her toes.

"This is a restricted area, you are tresspassing."

The tip of her blade now pointed down in front of her as she circled to the right. While it protected her lower quadrants well, it left her head exposed. It was a gamble, but had some potential rewards were she quick enough.

Iasha considered her opponent's extraordinary agility and skill. The twi'lek had rushed her with a rapid attack and avoided her push. That alone warranted some recognition. Her oppoent also carried two lightsabers, indicating a focus on the sabre and its more extravagant forms. Iasha was uncertain if she could beat her in a straight fight. So, she would have to tip the fight in her favour.

The terrain was familiar, she had been stationed here for a while and scouted the region several times.

"And considering your weapons, you are no ordinary trespasser."

The wind picked up, rustling the trees that clung to the mountainside, picking up leaves and throwing them into a wild escape. The leaves swirled and danced on the wind. They were thrown off the side of the mountain and soared high before they began to gently plummet into the chasm between the mountain's steep sides.

"So tell me, who are you and what is your business here?"

Telani

 

[Telani]

So she decided to take the aggressive approach. Very well. So she linked her lightsabers together and the double blade do lightsaber was readied. “You say I am trespassing. How can you confirm that I do not belong here?”

She was a young opponent, a red twi’lek much like herself, an odd coincidence. She carried one lightsaber and from what she could tell was still limited as far as force skill was concerned. She was fast at least, so it would prove interesting at least. She herself was moderately good with the force, though it was mostly just making her faster, and the angrier she got the more force she could put into speed. Aside from that she knew how to use lightning and push.

“My name and my purpose are confidential information. What authority have you to demand I inform you?”

 

[Iasha Rha]

"If the Empire had sent another Sith to oversee this area, I would know."

Her opponent linked her sabres to a single weapon. That made Iasha suspicious.

Those kinds of weapons were unfamiliar to her. They further made her think that her opponent favoured use of the blade in strange and unorthodox ways. She did not want to engage in a duel if she didn't have to, but she was ready to fight. This was her responsibility, her chance. In response, Iasha changed her footing, adjusting the space between them and shifting which foot stood forward. Then she shifted her blade from low to high, bringing it back and over her shoulder as if she was ready to attack at a moment's notice.

"I have the authority of my orders." She sneered at the fellow twi'lek "Either tell me your name and purpose, or show me some qualifications as to why you are exempt."

While their blades had yet to cross, they were already locked in a fight of words and positions. Iasha had learned this well in the academy: Finding the perfect starting point gives you the best onset to winning a fight. She was not about to hamper herself against this trespasser.

"You can't, because you don't belong here." "You have failed, so comply."

Telani

 

[Telani]

“not going to happen” She said calmly in response to the Sith demanding she comply. “You have two choices, walk away or cross blades. What’ll it be Acolyte?”

She was unfazed by her fellow twi’lek an did her demands, she stood ready, so too did Telani. She would not be the first to strike here, at least not the first to attempt a strike, ignoring the first swipe of her sabers. She readied Lightning in her empty left hand.

“Come If you will.”

 

[Iasha Rha]

"Then so be it, trespasser."

She could not see the lightning being readied by her opponent, but she could tell Telani had some sort of plan.

She took a step forward to close the distance and brought the sabre around in an attack from the upper right against Telani's head.

Iasha was very fast, even without speeding herself up through the Force. While her attack was fairly basic, the arc and swiftness of the motion showed her devout practise of the basic movements. Then, just as the strike appeared committed, she moved her back foot and changed the attack without any forewarning. Her hand quickly turned, bringing the blade around from the right to the left as she slashed against Telani's hand instead.

It would seem she was targeting the weapon hand, seeking to debilitate her opponent's ability to defend.

Telani

 

[Telani]

The first step forward lead to Telani lifting her empty hand to release a torrent of force lightning directly at her opponent, followed by a thrust. Her armed hand went to the lowest part of the handle to give her the most reach, and offer some wrist protection should she attack her armed hand, which she did as it turns out. Or tried to.

Once the lightning stopped she began to give a spinning whirlwind of saber attacks, cutting at quite literally anything she could get at.

 

[Iasha Rha]

Telani

The lifting of the hand made Iasha change her plan.

Before she could launch her attack, Iasha reacted instinctually, putting the sabre between herself and the stream of violent energy being flung her way. It was not something she thought about, but now she had to keep it against the pressure of the electric current being channelled against her.

With a sneer of effort, she shifted her position just enough to avoid the thrust while holding off the lightning. The tip of the double-bladed sabre burned through cloth and came too close for comfort, but did not land on her skin.

As soon as the lightning seized, her opponent broke into a flurry of saber attacks, momentarily forcing Iasha on the defensive. She kept her sabre close and moved it with her body as she parried the two blades. All the while, in her mind, she considered how best to fight such a weapon. It had two blades attacking rapidly, but the position of one foretold the position of the other. As long as she could keep track of one blade, she could follow it.

Simple idea, not as easy to put into practise.

As Telani came in with one of her swift strikes, Iasha snuck her tip under the blade and ducked down while directing the already existing momentum of the strike diagonally up. Then, immediately, she swept her blade in a counterattack against Telani's arm, followed up by a cut against her lekku, and then her calves.

 

[Telani]

The cut to the arm singed the skin as the blade passed very close to her skin, the attack against her lekku would not go unpunished as she herself leapt over the strike to her calves and simultaneously separating her double saber into two separate ones, she cut at the other twi’lek’s lekku from behind with vicious intent. Followed up by a kick to the back.

This Sith was definitely an opponent who wouldn’t hold back, good, neither would she. And she wanted a good fight. So now she fought with two identical but separate sabers, and she could change between one double saber or twin sabers fairly easily and with minimal concentration. There she could strike at two places at once, and she intended to do so, to push this Acolyte to her limits, whilst testing her own.

So she resumed her offensive, her sabers a d herself blurring as she sped at her opponent.

 

[Iasha Rha]

The fight was intensifying, strikes were coming closer and closer to striking true.

It was really only a matter of time.

Iasha brought her sabre over her head automatically and swung it over her head on pure reflex. The motion batted Telani's blades into each other and away, but the kick landed. Iasha rolled forward over the forest's rough floor, and rose immediately to her feet while bringing her sabre into guard. As she stood up, she also picked up a rock and quickly flung it into Telani's offence, aiming for her head to distract her.

From the throw, Iasha went into a parry, keeping the sabre close to her body to defend herself. Then she stepped out to the side and made a swift flick of her sabre against Telani's leg to slow down her footwork.

Telani

 

[Telani]

She sent a wave of force towards the rock and threw it aside. She was mostly on the offensive, and her opponent seemed to be on the defensive, however she also knew not to stay in the dark defensive and was actively trying to change it. Then she swung for Telani’s leg, which was always a risky move to make, it was only ever a good idea when the opponent was off balance or when your weapon was considerably longer than that of your opponent. So she was able to see this happening and and stepped back, while swinging one of her own sabers at her enemy’s head.

This was undoubtedly expected and evaded or blocked so it was immediately followed up by a thrust with the other saber.

 

[Iasha Rha]

Telani

The stone trick had worked well before, but this one was a notch above most of Iasha's former opponents. Good, that gave her room to grow.

The swipe for the leg was evaded with an easy step, followed by a snipe at Iasha's head. The young twi'lek ducked underneath as she readied a counterattack. However, her dual-wielding opponent interrupted the counterattack with a thrust, forcing Iasha to first go into a parry while deftly stepping to the side, ensuring she was on the outside of Telani's arm, forcing her to spend more time moving if she were to pursue her attacks further.

From her step and parry, Iasha launched into a swift thrust to the head, followed up by a cut to the wrist as she anticipated a parry.

But Iasha did not linger, instead she launched herself back with a boost of speed, jumping back over a tall root and disappearing around one of the large, venerable trees.

 

[Telani]

She anticipated a parry, she anticipated incorrectly. The thrust to the head was avoided as she leapt into a spin and kicked harshly across Iasha’s face, followed up by a second kick with the heel and a slash to the gut. Telani was thoroughly enjoying this despite it being a legitimate duel, where most likely one of them would die. Still, it was fun to be in a no-holds-barred smackdown with a fellow duelist.