[Duel] On the Heels of a Fallen JediH

[Lord Gaius]

Hasjo propelled himself deeper into the murky waters of Dac. Down where no sun could shine. It seemed that as of late, Dac was ripe with activity. Not only had he received intelligence on Darth Veles' location on Dac, he had just been updated on a Jedi turned dark side. The Mon Calamari known as [member="Ackthon"] was believed to be found in only the deepest of waters of Dac. So Hasjo braved the depths, and it's eternal mysteries. He swam past an eye belonging to a fish larger than a Star Destroyer. He resolved his courage and steeled himself for the oncoming confrontation with Ackthon.

 

[Darth Imperatus]

Ackthon sat on the floor of the great ocean, his eyes closed. They didn't need to be, of course, but presently he was mediating, and he always preferred to have his eyes closed when he did this. This was really a matter of habit, since there wasn't much to see. Very little light reached down here, and this part of the ocean floor was fairly bare anyways. Every now and again, some oddity might swim past, but they were of no concern. Ackthon did not fear much any more, and the creatures of this planet seemed to have enough sense to give him a wide berth.

He had returned to his old home after several years of Jedi training. He knew now that this training was of course comprised of lies and deception, but those years spent at the academy had been a necessary evil. The lightsaber which he could use underwater without being boiled alive had been one of many useful things he had gained from the Jedi.

He knew that once the Jedi got wind of his turn they were bound to come after him, and when it became clear that he was indeed being hunted he fled to his home planet. He was confident that it would be impossible for the Jedi to find him down here. This was his sanctuary. But through the increased connection to the dark side induced by his meditation, he sensed danger. He was indeed being pursued--another aquatic, he assumed. It was impressive that his pursuer had been capable of tracking him down here, but it was of no consequence. No Jedi was a match for the power of the dark side--the power that he now possessed. His eyes flashed open, and slowly he rose off the floor, activating his blade and waiting.

[member="Hasjo Hallu"]

 

[Lord Gaius]

He felt his presence - and in that moment - Hasjo knew that he too knew the Nautolan was here. He continued to bring his legs in the rhythmic motion of swimming. His chest ascending and descending as water filled and expelled from his lungs. His webbed hand curled around the long hilt of his lightsaber. He wore only tight fitting brown breeches, and a belt to clasp his blade. He could feel the presence growing greater. He halted, and began to gather the powers of the force about him. Without the movement of his legs, he began to sink towards him without effort. He raised his hands above his head, and something began to form.

A whirlpool of salt water swirled above the Nautolans head-tresses. He was using the power known as Force Orb, created by one of his own species nigh a millennium ago. As the orb reached the diameter of ten meters, he thrust his hands down. The orb of dense water came barreling downwards through the ocean. Towards where he felt the presence of Ackthon. He hoped that he would be caught unawares. Hasjo swam after the orb, igniting the lightsaber with the familiar hiss. A cerulean blade burst to life.


@[member="Melakoth Tyrin"]
@[member="Ackthon"]

 

[Ackthon]

Ackthon's senses were most at home under water, and his aquatic eyes saw the disturbance coming--but only just. Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, he propelled himself upwards. The orb of water missed him by about a metre, smashing into the sea bed and causing an explosion of mud which shot through the water in slow motion, engulfing him and clouding his usually superb vision. Disoriented, he continued to swim upwards, and cleared the cloud of muck just in time to see the Jedi bearing down upon him, lightsaber drawn. He countered the Jedi's strike, and then, infuriated, he channeled the force into a savage push which, in their weightless environment, would send his enemy hurtling upwards.

[member="Hasjo Hallu"]

 

[Lord Gaius]

He was overcome and thrown back. Barreling end over end, unable to control his body. He kicked and waved his arms, regaining his balance. His black, beady eyes swam with emotions that only Nautolans could read. He was calm, but eager. He didn't intend to kill this being, he needed only to arrest him and bring him back for judgement. But something told him, this fight would turn into a fight for his own survival. And Hasjo would do whatever was necessary to survive. He swam after the creature, shooting towards him with the great speed of a practiced Nautolan. A second blade ignited at the touch of his thumb. The lightsaber pike produced a second blade at it's other end, only slightly shorter. He let out a wide sweeping motion with his blade, attempting to keep him back. He couldn't speak Galactic below waters, and he knew not the language of Ackthon. Nor could he send a message to his mind, he was untrained in such an ability. So he desperately called to him in his own Nautolan language, praying that he knew what he said "Give up, you're under arrest. There doesn't need to be bloodshed!"

@[member="Ackthon"]

 

[Ackthon]

If Ackthon understood the Jedi's attempt at communication, he didn't let on. He blocked the Nautolan's sweeping attack and brought his blade up, over his head. Gripping the hilt with both hands, he swung down at the Jedi in an attack that was intended to slice his foe in two. The offer of a truce had been rejected, whether it had been understood or not.

[member="Hasjo Hallu"]

 

[Lord Gaius]

Hasjo reacted instinctively. He brought his lightsaber pike up, horizontally so that the Mon Calamari's lightsaber would collide with the hilt. Perhaps the Mon Cala would think this be a success, but ultimately it would be proven otherwise. The hilt had been made of Cortosis, and when plasma made contact with such a material, it would temporarily short out the lightsaber. Hasjo opened his mouth wide as he defended himself from the strike with his hilt. He felt power surge through his lungs and out from his throat as he shrieked loudly, causing the water to tremble. It was a deafening roar, known as a Force Bellow. He had screamed right into the face of the Mon Calamari, hoping to startle him and leave him dazed. He twirled his legs and his body spun fast. He brought his lightsaber pike around in a vicious and speedy swipe.

@[member="Ackthon"]

 

[Ackthon]

The blast of sound, far more intense in the water, hit Ackthon full in the face, knocking him completely off-guard, causing him to recoil and lose his balance. Extending his arm, the deflected the strike--barely, but the spinning motion coupled with the lapse in his grip caused the saber to fly out of his hand. Desperately, Ackthon reached out to the water with the force, causing it to spin around him in his own self-generated whirlpool.

[member="Hasjo Hallu"]

 

[Lord Gaius]

Hasjo was upon him like a predator on his prey. His legs propelled him as he flailed about after the force bellow that had sent the Mon Cala tumbling through the waters. The Nautolan went closer to the edge, releasing himself into the force. His movements becoming more unpredictable. More random. It was not dangerous to his body, but to his spirit. Before he could stop himself, he found himself performing the move known as Mou Kei. A devastating lightsaber finishing move, and one that was rarely used. The name translated to "to dismember." His blade twirled in his hands, becoming a violent haze of cerulean as it moved to cut off each limb in one fluid movement. He was within and without. He was too late to stop himself, he had gone too far. He could only hope the Mon Cala could deflect his attack before it was too late.

@[member="Ackthon"]

 

[Ackthon]

With what translated to an underwater roar of rage the Dark Jedi sent the mass of swirling water outwards, spiraling out and taking the Jedi in the side with enough force to slingshot him several meters away.

[member="Hasjo Hallu"]

 

[Lord Gaius]

@[member="Ackthon"]

The Nautolan found his blade slipping out from his grip, hurtling through the waters. Likewise, Hasjo had found himself in the same predicament. He quickly began to regain his balance, naturally attuned to do so. He bent his spine backwards and straightened out his barreling movements until he was floating still. He kicked his legs, swimming after his hilt, curling his webbed hands around it forced it to burst to life once more. He charged towards the Mon Cala with a powerful swim. His chest rising and falling as he continued to suck in water, and expel it. Getting close to him, he became a fluid whirlwind of eviscerating cerulean plasma as he twirled the lightsaber pike with clear talent. Performing a series of constant sweeps, keeping the Mon Cala back.

 

[Ackthon]

Ackthon searched around frantically for his weapon it the murky darkness, his eyes straining. Laying eyes on it just in time he extended his hand. The lightsaber flew into his hand and he activated it, but was forced to swim backwards as the Jedi pushed him with his sweeping attacks. He waited until he saw an opening and then spun the blade to gain momentum, fluidly moving into a two-handed grip and slashing diagonally so as to lock their blades. The two sabres met with a flash that could be seen in the dark waters for several hundred meters, and the Dark Jedi pressed his blade forward with relentless strength, drawing power from his hate. He continued to simply push against his enemy for a second until he was sure their sabers were locked, and then he lashed out with a kick aimed at the Nautolin's chest.

 

[Lord Gaius]

The Nautolan pushed against his blade with all the strength he could muster. He was a strong creature, with a powerful body. The military service he had endured had only gone to further that power. [member="Ackthon"] threw out a foot that connected with his chest. It served to push him back, knocking the water out of his lungs for a moment. He propelled himself away from the Mon Cala, his feet moving in a rhythmic motion as he swam away, but yet still facing the Mon Cala. He then changed direction, performing the technique of Su simultanously. The blade twirled around his fingers, becoming a hurricane of death were one to get in it's way. He shot towards the Mon Cala as the blade increased to a speed that it became only a circular cerulean haze.

 

[Ackthon]

Knowing that he would be hard-pressed to block his enemy's blade, Ackthon steeled his resolve and waited until the last moment, and then pushed himself upwards while simultaneously rotating his body forwards so as to continue to face his enemy and extending his ligthtsaber arm out to his side. He got out of the way just in time, immediately following up with a horizontal slash intended to decapitate his foe.

 

[Lord Gaius]

As the Mon Cala dodged his attack, swimming above him to move his lightsaber for a fatal attack, the twirling blade came above Hasjo's head, narrowly missing his head-tresses that glided in the water. It slammed against the plasma of the Mon Cala's blade, with enough strength and speed to jar the Nautolans teeth. He spun himself around, back to the oceans floor, facing upward at the Mon Cala. He pressed the attack, performing a wide diagonal arc. He was having trouble fighting in the water. Unlike land fights, to fight beneath the water was to lose much of your lightsaber form. As form was not only the techniques you applied with your blade, but your stance and movements.

 

[Ackthon]

Ackthon blocked, the momentum of Hasjo's lightsaber causing pain to shoot through his arm. They exchanged several more blows as Ackthon allowed himself to float down back to the Ocean floor. Ackthon was being driven more and more to the defensive, with Hasjo's wide, sweeping attacks leaving almost no room for counter-attacking. After several seconds of this, Ackthon suddenly sprung backwards, pushing his free hand down towards the ground as he did so. The force push sent a dense body of water slamming into the Ocean floor just in front of the Jedi, causing a great cloud of sand to explode in his face. Pushing upwards so that he landed firmly back one the ocean floor, he crouched and then sprung back towards his enemy, his lightsaber pointed at the center of the cloud and prepared to stab.

[member="Hasjo Hallu"]

 

[Lord Gaius]

Sand exploded around him in a thick crowd. He glanced around. It reminded him of a duel with a Sith on Tatooine. They had thought sand would be his enemy. Nautolans were born without eyelids, and their large eyes were naturally attuned to resist eye irritants, such as sand. After all, Glee Anselm was a salty ocean. He couldn't see the glow of the mans lightsaber. He now merely relied on his training as a Youngling. He closed his eyes, allowing the Force to guide him. He called upon his tutelage under Master Sochi Ru, of the Matukai. He felt the mans presence come hurtling for him, moving to impale Hasjo. His hands moved with instinct, batting aside and down the stab, bringing his Pike's opposite blade around, a move that could potentially dismember the Mon Cala's arm.

@[member="Ackthon"]

 

[Ackthon]

In the cloud of blinding sand, Ackthon couldn't see the long saber blade coming until it was too late. He let out an odd strangled sort of sound as the brown-colored cloud began to be tainted with red. His left arm had been severed at the elbow.

Filled with rage and pain, he pushed himself backwards, using the force to aid his desperate attempts to get out of harm's way.

Ackthon pointed his blade towards the still stirring cloud from which his enemy would surely emerge within the next few seconds, his mind doing its best not to grind to a complete halt. It failed completely in this regard, however, thanks to what happened next.

A loud, low hum penetrated through the water. Ackthon turned to its source, and wished he hadn't. Looming out of the darkness was the massive form of a...thing. Whether it was a fish or a reptile or something else he couldn't say, but it was about the size of an average skyscraper, with a long, thick body and gigantic flippers on the tips of what might have been arms and legs. The creature was a deep orange color, and in a horrible way it did resemble a Mon Calamari in many ways.

The thing must have been attracted by all the noise and flashes--and it certainly didn't look happy about them. With a roar that definitely put it more on the reptile side of things it came barrelling towards them at a speed that shouldn't have been possible for a creature so large. Suddenly, the Jedi seemed like a very small problem.

Ackthon turned and swam at his full speed--making for the surface as quickly as he could. Glancing back, however, he discovered that the monster seemed to be pursuing him, following the trail of blood...

[member="Hasjo Hallu"]