It's Time To Due-Due-Due-Du-Du-Du-Du-Du-Du-Du-Du-Du-Du-Du-Du-Duel!!! (Darth Erebos)

[Jack Mirrikh]

Jack felt empowered. Ever since he had defeated the ghosts of his past, he could tap into the passionate energy without the horrific memory washback. Of course, all of that energy wasn't going to come like it used to. He would have to learn to reclaim it like an RPG progression system. Still, the energy he could now access was much more comparable to what he used to pull off.

Jack had been practicing before Erebos would show up. As he gained a better grasp on his use of the Force, he found that he was incorporating it more into his style of combat. It freed his hands up to attack with his lightsaber from a longer range whilst employing hand/feet strikes and grapple moves in the close range and Force powers in whatever range was applicable.

He saber tossed his Tsaber quickly between different dummy targets as he jumped and dashed around the room in his training robe; dodging the training shots. He then drew his Tsaber in front of him and spun it in a circle before himself very quickly, deflecting all of shots coming from in front of him.

He deactivated the Tsaber, which prompted the training course to shut down, and clipped the Tsaber to the belt. He walked over to a punching bag and shed his robes, which left him in sweat pants and a t-shirt. He raised his fists and covered them with hardened Force fields. He started beating the snot out of the punching bag before him. The best part of the Force was that it was the best kind of gym spotter: You could do your best for longer because the Force was able to compensate for what you lost until you knew you were truly exhausted.

He hardened his feet and went to town with high and low kicks on the punching bag, as well. He kept a steady pace, this time around. His master was coming down and he just wanted to warm up.

[member="Darth Erebos"]

 

[Shaddi]

Usually sitting and reading some tome or arguing with the guardian of Karness Murr's holocron, many of those around him wondered how he was capable of keeping his body in tip top shape despite the relatively scholarly or downright lazy behavior at times. He wouldn't answer those questions to those that didn't have the force in them since they wouldn't be able to do what he did. Utilizing a facet of Curato Salva he kept his body from degrading in any form and when he meditated this force ability allowed him to massage his muscles and expanded his lung capacity a little, giving him the benefit of a day long grueling training session with half a day of meditation. Of course he usually went to sleep as the exhaustion of this hit him and as such some of the royal guards had caught him napping in his private study or even when he sat on the throne of Shawken's royal palace.

Coming out of such a nap that was also a sort of recharging period he came down to the training area stretching his hand over his head while he yawned a little. As he entered the training room he waited and watched [member="Jack Mirrikh"] beating the punching bag like it owed him money or had knocked up his sister in a one night stand. Though he didn't interrupt Jack he did something some might not do, he studied his movements and how he fought. This would give him an edge in a sparring match but it would also allow Erebos to find the weaknesses in Jack's fighting style which could be straightened out later.

"So you are a brawler..." Erebos then said after a short while and he had seen enough as he walked towards Jack. He wasn't wearing his mask or armor like usual but he was wearing a loose fitting tunic which he could train in along with loose fitting pants. His arms and legs however were wrapped in a canvas cloth, making him seem like the martial art's masters of old if not for the gross guard lightsaber at his belt.

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

[member="Darth Erebos"]

Jack felt that his master was already teasing into Dun Moch. Not in a negative way, but in a way that made you second guess your prediction of their mental processes. The kind that set up an introduction to capitalize on later. He had sensed his master coming, but he figured that his master already knew so much about him that hiding his ways would be a waste of time. However, that didn't mean that he had to train in all areas within his master's sight and/or knowledge. There would be variety, for sure.

"When I need to be," he replied as he pivoted left to face his master and high kicked out to his right side to strike the punching bag. At the same time, he used the Force to hold his otherwise precarious posture steady and he used sharpened, hardened Force discs, which were invisible to the physical eye, to sever the punching bag from the top and bottom of the metal pole it was covering. The result ended up making it look like Jack kicked the bag right out of its sturdy, metal emplacement and was holding his last high kick position expertly for a few seconds afterwards.

He smiled at his master and let his leg down. Then, he steadied his breathing before saying,

"Master? What are your thoughts on the Rule of Two? Do you expect me to kill you to prove myself the better? Is that fatal confrontation going to be something expected of me regardless?"

He didn't at all wish to have to square up in a final duel with his master ever. It wasn't that the challenge didn't appeal to him. The uninhibited mettle and skill of two people could only be proved when two beings were fighting each for their very survival. However, there were plenty of people and things in the galaxy to do that to other than those you formed bonds with. Jack had hoped that, after all this time, that way of thinking had been changed completely or, at the very least, been adapted to fit a better ideology.

 

[Shaddi]

Erebos simply smiled at [member="Jack Mirrikh"] after he had lazily raised his hand to stop the punching back from flying to far away. Given how he saw, he could see the discs forming and how he used them. 'It's good he's imaginative.' He though as he brought the bag to his hand where he breathed in and then seemed to simply push it before it burst almost into nothing. "No, We will not face one another in a cataclysmic duel to the death, to see if my teachings have been good enough to make you stronger than me. As much as I admire the rule of two that small aspect of it is the only flaw I see in it. I Will out live you by centuries if we live to old age and as such I will have many apprentices in the future but what I can do is make sure that each and everyone of them will be as strong as they can be before leaving my tutelage."

He said with a smile as he moved to a stance were he breathed in and then exhaled as he spent his muscles and his body became covered in lightning. "This skill for example is a good one but currently you haven't mastered force Lightning to the degree you need to learn it." With another exhale he took two steps forward and the lighting didn't follow instead it dissipated as if desperately trying to grasp onto him for nourishment. He then moved into a stava opening stance before Jack and a mischievous smirk came to his lips. "While we won't need to duel to the death a friendly little sparring match won't hurt. Will it?" He said almost taunting as he seemed ready for Jack should he lunge at him but the stance also allowed for Jack to stand opposite Erebos, and should he mirror his stance their dominant arms would intersect easily.

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

[member="Darth Erebos"]

Jack smiled on the outside and groaned on the inside.

"Oh, it's going to hurt a lot. Of that much, I am quite certain."

Then, he spread his legs a little in a basic fighting stance. His fists came up in a ready and protective stance. For all intents and purposes, he looked like a boxer. These duels with his master ALWAYS had a sense of dread with them. Jack knew that, at his power level, he was going to get his shebs handed to him. Thusly, the prospect of attacking his master left Jack with a small amount of hesitancy. The upside was that the real important aspects was how long it took for him to be defeated and that the closer he got to defeating his master, the easier he could defeat others.

His fists started to glow and fist-sized manifestations of Force energy appeared right in front of Erebos. Jack swung his right fist and, subsequently, the right manifestation swung out at his master's face. He was shadow boxing with the Force.

 

[Shaddi]

Erebos took a tip toed back step when he saw the manifestation swing at his face. 'Hmm, I could use this.' He thought as he gathered the force into his hands and then took an offensive stava stance. With a quick two steps forwards he jumped and did a horizontal side flip as he brought his leg down in a crashing strike. Using the large spiral effect of the flip to add momentum to his kick though what it was aimed at was to have a step right in front of [member="Jack Mirrikh"] so he could bring the other leg over which was aimed at Jacks chest. If the latter strike connected it would be used to push Erebos off from Jack's chest to increase the distance between them once more.

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

[member="Darth Erebos"]

He dispelled the Force fists. Master was far too fast. He could see the intimidating, spinning kick coming from a mile away. An electrical defense would do nicely. He crossed forearms and mixed Force field construct and contained electricity. He raised it to prepare to block the kick coming down for him.

"A spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go d---"

The spinning kick planted down in front of him instead of on his block. It was at this time, he knew...he messed up.

"Fffffffff---"

The second foot caught him square in the chest below his block and propelled him back. He exhaled sharply from the blow and, instead of losing control, he used the Force to steady his body so that he only slid on his feet across the smooth floor. His momentum came to an end and he put his hands together. He charged up a force energy ball, brought his fists back and brought both fists forward like a strike as he launched the sizable ball of energy.

 

[Shaddi]

Raising both hands up as quickly as he could as the ball of energy came at him and caught it. It blew and sent him flying but he had managed to use Tutaminis to dispel some of the energy but he still needed to learn more to be able to dispel all of it. "Good one." He said with a smile as he took his stance once more. Though he wasn't going to engage his apprentice outright with the force he was going to fight him using only two different force abilities not only to allow jack to see them in action but to also train himself a little more in them.

[member="Jack Mirrikh"]

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

[member="Darth Erebos"]

Good one, eh? Jack thought.

Jack smirked to himself. A glimmer of anxious hope ignited in his stomach. He planted his left foot firmly in front of him so his left side was facing his master. He constructed many Force constructs, but they were all smaller than the initial one. They flanked him on both sides and hovered in the air until he motioned both hands forward. Then, one by one, they started flying at his master. When half of them were gone, the rest flew at Erebos all at once.

That was a big attack, so it had drained upon his Force reserves. He stayed rooted to his spot, waiting to see the reaction of his master.

 

[Shaddi]

The constructs that [member="Jack Mirrikh"] sent towards Erebos were mostly snatched out of the air itself as he utilized Tutaminis as well as he could. He moved with precision and left little if any wasted movements in his defense. Then the barrage came and Erebos could do little more than put his hands up and construct a hastily made barrier out of the force energy he had absorbed through his use of tutaminis in defending against the initial strikes. It wasn't enough however and some got through, hitting Erebos's abdomen and his upraised arms.

"How about you take it back." He said with a smirk as he created a small ball in between his hands but despite it's size it would pack quite a punch, which was it's little deception. The size was small but it's density was three times that of Jacks own constructs. With a reeled up leg he moved forwards and flipped into the air to allow the ball much more momentum than he would be capable of achieving with a simple throw. The throw was aimed towards Jack's legs instead of his chest.

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

[member="Darth Erebos"]

"Can't! I'm afraid I lost the receipt, master!"

Jack was feeling just a TAD bit full of himself, but it lead him to do something mildly stupid. He sensed the incoming projectile and braced for impact, hardening the Force around him. Halfway to him, he crouched, as he thought that would provide a smaller target. Instead of hitting his legs, his master's projectile smashed through his barricade and gave him a sucker punch to the gut.

This caught him by surprise and he bent over slightly while he dealt with the pain. Although his barricade helped, his Force reserves hadn't prepared for such an attack just yet. He said more conversationally,

"Ooo, damn...I found that receipt, master...Looks like it's time for a refund." Then, he looked up and snapped his hand up at his master, then back towards himself. He was using Force Grip to try and yank his master off of his feet.

 

[Shaddi]

Erebos simply chuckled at his apprentices attempt at humor but mostly due to his misguided attempt at a defense. Erebos was about to charge in when [member="Jack Mirrikh"] used a force grip to off balance him. Coming down with one leg pulled forwards in his forwards dash, he was brought down to one knee but utilized a slight force empowerment into his other leg to jump up and flip in the air as he moved over to land behind Jack. "Pulling a more skilled opponent towards you isn't very smart Jack." He said as he brought his leg up into the air and brought it crashing down towards Jack.

On Erebos's face was a smile as to him this reminded him of when he was much younger and training with his father. The few good times he had with his father.

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

*FWOOSH*

Jack barely had enough reaction time to spin his body to the side. He could feel the intense rush of air as [member="Darth Erebos"]' foot came slamming down close to him. He spun around his master and attempted to secure a full Nelson Hold on him.

 

[Shaddi]

Erebos had never seen someone pull off the maneuver [member="Jack Mirrikh"] managed to do to him and was utterly caught by surprise as he was put into the hold. "Impressive, what is this hold called?" He asked as he struggled against it with his own bodies strength.

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

[member="Darth Erebos"] (OOps. Did I power game by accident?)

"I don't know. It's what some wrestler did on the Holonet once. I think his name was John Cena, but I'm not certain. The man followed up the hold by then flipping his opponent up and behind him while still holding on. I would try it now, but the effect it had made the opponent end up landing on the back of his neck, instead of his shoulders. Medics were called and the man was rushed out."

He tried to keep his grip strong, despite taking to a casual level with his master.

 

[Shaddi]

(Nah you didn't XD close but not nearly enough to be considered power gaming, if I ever do it tell please )

Erebos had to admit that his apprentices ability to learn so fast was astounding. "Well then how about it if I show you some moves I've held in reserve." He said as he brought his hands together and moved to the side, putting his leg behind [member="Jack Mirrikh"]'s legs and with a sweeping movement picked him up to put an end to the hold. However instead of throwing him down to the ground he threw him forwards to get out of the hold. After that though he had to go down almost to one knee as he breathed in once more, having had his breathing almost cut off by the hold and what he did to get out of it.

(I saw the way to get out of it here hope it's ok.)

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

[member="Darth Erebos"] (pfft! It's fine.)

THUD!

Jack arched his back in pain as he bounced and landed on the ground. He sat up and leaned his arms on the ground, but, otherwise, kept laying there, as his master wasn't making a move, yet. As he laid there, he had a philosophical thought. So, he asked a philosophical question.

"Master? Have you ever had fear for your life so intensely that you stopped reciting moves to do in your mind and just...you know, go at it? Fight them tooth and claw? Pull whatever savage move you could to ensure your survival? Or, is it all just steps in a dance for you always?"

 

[Shaddi]

Erebos had to stop and think on this one. "I have only once been put close to such a situation. It was on Lujo, when the Republic attacked. I was faced with a jedi master, a jedi knight and a jedi padawan all at the same time. I've never been so hard pressed on the defensive before and I will not be so again." He said as he clenched his fist tightly as he remembered the feeling of near helplessness.
"I am going to train you so you won't ever feel that way yourself." He said as he walked towards [member="Jack Mirrikh"] and offered him, his hand to get up. "A sith's greatest weapon isn't his power in the force or his skill with the lightsaber. It's his mind how he reads the currents of his enemies, interprets them and uses them against his enemies. Power in the force and skill with the lightsaber do help but never neglect your mind Jack, It might lead to your downfall."