Go Kiss a Hutt

[Skrik Piper]

Skrik pressed her back against the duracrete wall of the nondescript building's basement and slid down into a horizontal sitting position, brandishing an electrostaff. As she performed her wall squats, she twirled the charged staff about and slashed the air, striking and parrying with an imaginary combatant.

This was typical training procedure for her, following the three-hour bruising session she oversaw at this shady martial arts joint. Her name was a bit of a legend underground. She had been a little brawler banshee since she was a young and had only developed into something scarier since then.

Most people were quite surprised when they first met her, however. This terrifying individual was actually a pleasure to meet and maintained a rather amiable personality with the majority of folks, even stepping in to break up arguments without laying a finger on either party. The half-Rattataki was known to be a friendly but firm woman.

Sweat-soaked pants and crop-top clinging to her powdery-white skin, Skrik kicked off the wall, stabbed her invisible opponent with the electrostaff, then deactivated it and headed to the door. It was a warm day on Abregado-rae, and she felt the singing rays of the sun beat down on her pale body as she stepped outside and set the lock to the studio. It seemed like a smoothie kind of day.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Abregado-rae was a planet that the young pureblood had not managed to visit in his days, it's warm sun beating down on the terrain. The planet's surface was filled with mountains, hills, lakes and beautiful rivers. Many thoughts raced through the boy's mind as he descended onto the planet, admiring it from within the Lambda class Imperial shuttle. It's screeching would be heard over head, as it docked into a nearby hangar. The teenager would step out alone, his entire figure cloaked in black garments. His identity was disguised for now, however he did feel rather hot. Heading out into one of the cities, he would stumble upon a small martial arts dojo. Approaching it's door, he would enter the establishment, noticing the white skinned female who swung around the electro-staff while shadow sparring.

Ballen-Ist would make his way towards the officials who ran the joint, beginning a conversation with them in order to gain information. He would learn much, as well as who the best fighter around was. Turning, he would watch as [member="Skrik Piper"] left, her weapons already having been packed up. Leaving with speed in his stride, he would aim to catch up to the female, calling after her as he pushed the door open. "You there."

 

[Skrik Piper]

Skrik had not detected anyone--her hearing was not top-notch--and she whirled to face the speaker in surprise. She answered to a lot of things, but 'you' was a little impersonal. Whatever.

"Hi," she greeted, hands relaxing against her hips as she appraised the man. Being a hybrid herself, she had no prejudices against species, but it was unusual that anyone would hide their form, and she was initially suspicious. After all, the galaxy's worst, despotic witchcraft proponents had adopted this whole cloak and hood thing. Still, he was innocent until proven guilty, so she held a smile. "What can I do for you?"

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

[member="Skrik Piper"] would not be aware of the boy's species, unless she was force sensitive. His entire physical figure was hidden way in different forms, be it gloves or a face mask. The black cloak he wore had a hood, it extending over his head to shield his face to most. A black cloth also wrapped around his lower face, allowing only a small amount of space for the teen to see out of. Using what vision he had, he would examine the lady, nodding in approval of her armory. She was no doubt, and apparently the champion of the area. "Greetings," He would say, before continuing, "Would you consider sparring me?" His youthful voice asked, a look of curiosity plastered on his face beneath his disguise. "I can provide weapons, I want to test something."

 

[Skrik Piper]

"Sparring?" she chuckled, examining his outfit yet again. "Well... you have missed the ship for a couple of hours." The pale woman nodded somberly, tongue probing the insides of her mouth randomly as she considered him. She needed a break for now, but why not humor him?

"Okay. How about we should do this? I am to grab a drink at the Green Galosh and we can talk small." Piper stepped off without his affirmation and began to stroll towards the drink venue, continuing to talk to him as she assumed he was interested enough to follow. "After it, we will see. There is none need to getting you hurt.

"The drink has on me, either or."

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The woman's strange sounding basic was beginning to irritate him, however he followed alongside her quietly. He was rather intent on testing her skill, his mission having been to recruit strong warriors for a small operation of his own creation. His black cloak would flow in the wind as they arrived at the drink venue. Eyeing the menu, he would shake his head slowly, to the question he assumed had been do you want a drink. He really didn't know, and was stuck between laughing or getting angry. Lifting his arm, he would throw a few credits onto the counter, pointing to them after doing so. The person who operated the drink store would grab the money, looking to [member="Skrik Piper"] eagerly.

 

[Skrik Piper]

She laughed. "Okay. You are wanting have paying for a woman." Winking at the bartender, she requested her usual.

After being served a burshka juice, Skrik sidled over to her usual table and nonchalantly plopped down onto one of the barstools. She bade the mysterious man sit across from her and commenced speaking once more before he had even reacted. "So," she began, elbows planted firmly on the table top, "You are not from here, or yes? I am not recognizing your speaking."

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

"True, I am from a very distant planet...Dromund Kaas." Ballen-Ist would say, a blatant lie. Though obvious to the boy, Skrik would most likely not notice anything suspicious, no evidence of his deception being present do to his face being concealed. As they sat, the boy could not help but admire her arsenal, surprised that she was able to carry it all comfortably. "Nice weapons you got there. Don't you want something better?" He would question, his eyes trailing over the vibroblades that she carried.
"That's what I want to test, new weapons."
[member="Skrik Piper"]

 

[Skrik Piper]

Piper sucked at her straw for a few moments as she dissected his statements. She did not care where he was from, truly, but the fact that he wanted to jump right into things and take her on with weapons alerted her that things were even more peculiar than she had first ascertained. "Okay. You are wanting to have fighting with pieces?" The tall woman glanced at her belt and the smaller weapons strapped in. A mischievous thought crossed her mind but she pushed it back for the minute.

Tapping her fingers casually on the table, Skrik proceeded cautiously. "You can be giving me an idea about what types of weapons we are chatting?"

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

"Yes, I just recently attained them. I don't know how to use them, so if you use them against me, that will be great." He would mutter, his arm fiddling around his torso beneath the dark cloak that shrouded his figure. "If you help me, you can keep one, or a credit reward." He stated, his hand emerging from the darkness to produce a small metallic cylinder. Placing it on the table, he would allow [member="Skrik Piper"] to examine it. Of course it was a shoto lightsaber, it's size being considerably less than a regular saber. Pushing it across the surface, he would urge her to pick it up, his free hand motioning towards it to signify such a thing. "Do you agree? What would you prefer?"

 

[Skrik Piper]

Skrik maintained a genial expression, though inwardly she was starting to become very wary of this character. Maybe it was time for a test. "Okay. This can not be using as a practice piece. It is serious too dangerous while we are not knowing your level." She stopped tapping with her dominant hand and used it to analyze the hilt of the lightsaber, rolling it halfway to observe all the markings. Simultaneously, she quietly unsheathed a vibroblade with her other hand and held it under the tabletop. How he reacted--if he reacted--might help determine whether she was going to allow him to keep her friendly attention.

"And I am thinking you have done your research, or no?"

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

"Research on what? The blades? No, I just got them. I said I didn't know how to use them." The young teenager would explain, his other hand that he had left beneath the table gripping eagerly at the second shoto he held on his belt. This situation was tense, more tense than [member="Skrik Piper"] released. It filled Ballen-Ist with excite, however he would not strike until she did. The presence of her treachery clung to her very being, the boy's mind being able to sense it clearly. Still, he did not act until he needed to. "I just want you to attack me, I won't attack you." He explained further, a massive grin having formed on his shrouded face.

"Well, are you in?"

 

[Skrik Piper]

The Forcebreaker raised her eyebrow, attempting to decipher his last sentence. Was he referring to her armed hand? She had noticed a slight twitch in his shoulder but was not sure if he was on to her. He had not moved to stop her yet.

Still suspicious but not wishing to get off on the wrong foot if she was off-base, Piper casually shifted her body and replaced the vibroblade. She would continue to keep an eye on that shoulder, however. She nodded to him and took possession of the lightsaber. "Okay. You are knowing it is an offhand saber and is not going best for my size, or no? Short and tall woman." With her free hand, she pulled at the flowing tail of red-tinted blond hair sprouting from her head and awaited his response.

[member=Ballen-Ist]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Watching the female play with his hair, the grin he had worn previously disappeared, his grip loosening on the saber he had been gripping up until now. This one was rather interesting, he knew he had chosen the right type of person. "...I have trouble understanding you, to be honest, it's rather irritating." He would explain, sighing quietly to himself. "I don't really care about anything else, other than you helping me. You seem to use a wide variety of weapons, surely you can handle it." He spoke, his gaze averting to the shoto saber he had handed the white skinned female. [member="Skrik Piper"] was indeed interesting, hopefully Ballen-Ist would be able to train her into a deadly assassin, given the proper equipment.

 

[Skrik Piper]

"I am troubling for your understanding?" Skrik asked, a quizzical look washing over her face. She thought she was perfectly clear. Maybe the dialect was different on Dromund Kaas.

"Okay. I can be helping you if we are returning to the fight club. I am going at taking it easy for you so you are not having hurt. A lightsaber..." She halted, attempting to peer under the beak of his hood. "...It is not a toy." She finished off her drink and smirked at the cloaked customer. She simply could not shake the bad vibes, and her instincts were screaming at her to proceed with caution.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

"Perfect." Ballen-Ist would mutter, quickly standing on his feet. Moving out from the bench that was beneath the table, the boy would make his way to the exit of the store, holding the door open for the white skinned female. Regularly he would make the door stay open, however there was a strange aura of suspicion that surrounded the female. She seemed weary of his presence. As they walked, the boy would continue to speak, being completely serious, "Feel free to attack me as you would someone you intend to kill." He would say, his cloak flowing in the momentum he had gathered. Their walking would soon cease as they arrived infront of the small dojo, the two entering quickly.

"I shall use my own...Vibro-blade." He said, his cloak being brushed to the side by his free hand to reveal the sheathed sword. His other hand would shoot down to his waist, having it's fingers wrap around the sword's handle with a firm grip. Pulling it from the holster, it would shine majestically, an apparent energy field surrounding the metal. "All out, please, I am safe." He would say, lifting the blade. Just by the looks of it, one would tell that it would be capable of standing up to the shoto saber. "You still haven't told me whether you want to keep it, or get a credit reward." He stated.
[member="Skrik Piper"]

 

[Skrik Piper]

This guy was asking for it, and Skrik was near ready to give it. His confidence was overt and borderline agitating. But her suspicions had yet to find that one solid piece of confirmation and she was going to remain civilized and have a friendly bit of sparring with him. Besides, his hood would have to come off eventually if he wanted to have even the slightest chance of going toe-to-toe with her and getting 'real'.

Skrik sniffed. His choice of vibroblade was almost convicting. Hearing him speak, she responded, "I am choosing to have the saber." She readied herself in a balanced, defensive-oriented stance and apprehensively struck towards his left shoulder.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

There was now silence as the two stood in the small arena, the dojo barely being big enough. There would be no flashy displays of the dark side, or influential gestures of the light side. Gripping his glowing sword, he would lift it, having it point forward, his free hand closing in on the handle to hold it more steadily. With a bend of his knees, the boy would slightly lower his body, giving him a better center of gravity. From beneath the hood, his eyes watched every detail he could see, his mind doing the rest. He had been concentrating on the force all around him, sensing it's very essence move around as the duo prepared to battle. He attuned his mind to it, hoping to feel every movement of the fighter he faced.

"I would have it no other way." He spoke, in regards to her choice of weapon.

Stepping forward with his booted foot, the boy's electrical sword would thrust forward, it's blade pointing and headed towards his left. Without budging from his position, the teen would defend himself from [member="Skrik Piper"]'s offensive attack, it being a rather sudden change from her defensive stance. Using all of his muscles, he would push forward, hoping to fend off the short blade, as he took a single step backwards. After attempting so he would draw his sword closer to his body, having it ready whenever he pleased. "Very good."

 

[Skrik Piper]

Very good. For some reason, that sounded like more of a taunt than an appraisal. She was the martial arts expert here.

She maintained a defensive pose. It was better for control and she intended to stay on the cautious side in order to avoid bloodshed. He had parried well but she had hardly been trying with her first strike. She really wished she were using a training saber instead so that she would not feel badly about kicking giving him a bit of 'tough love'. Seeing he retracted his sword towards his body, she decided to give him a little scare and remind him that arrogance was not necessary.

Bending her knees to hold a healthy center of gravity, she slashed an intentional near-miss at his hip, opposite his dominant hand. That should make him think.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Jerking his torso to the side, the boy would do his best to keep up with [member="Skrik Piper"], her skill not disappointing him in the least. However, due to his training in the Soresu form, he was more than capable of keeping up. The near miss of her blue glowing shoto saber was obviously used as an intimidation tactic, Ballen-Ist already having sensed the frustration that was building up in her. With a flick of his fingers and a twirl of his wrist, the boy would spin the long katana, it's rotation being rather close to his own body. However, he would not slip up and cut himself, for his target was the short blade of the shoto. His defense had to be precise when going up against a weapon like this, made specifically for close combat. With, he would aim to slam his sword into the blade, forcing her arm upward in an attempt to display his own strength.