Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Jacen Voidstalker versus Caleb Brolen (Kenobi Padawan Tournament)

KENOBI CLASS PRAXEUM SHIP
TRAINING ROOM

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] vs. [member="Caleb Brolen"]
Judge: [member="Corvus Raaf"]

This was the highest training room on the Praxeum ship. It was a large circular training room, set down into the floor. Along the front and back were a series of seats raised up on platforms for other Jedi to watch the dueling occur. There were a number of younger Jedi present, waiting eagerly for the match to begin.
A small circular droid hovered down to the center of the training circle. It twirled around for a moment and then a small port opened and a blue light shown out of it. Within a few moments, the blue light took on the form of Jedi Master Kian Karr. He glanced around the room looking first to those waiting to see the match begin and then began to speak.

"My fellow Jedi." Kian began, clasping his hands behind his back and pacing back and forth as he spoke. "Today we kick off the Kenobi Padawan Tournament. Today's match is between Padawans Jacen Voidstalker and Caleb Brolen and is being overseen by Jedi Master Corvus Raaf."
"Before I turn the floor over to Master Raaf, allow me to remind everyone that this tournament is about broadening relationships among your fellow padawans and about striving to hone your abilities with a blade. Don't lose site of the importance of having fun.
"The nature of a tournament such as this means that there will be a winner and a loser. But remember, that in both victory and loss, there are important lessons to be learned!"
"Good luck, and have fun!" Kian said bowing to them all before the image faded away and the droid returned from whence it came.
 
Corvus indicated that both Padawans should join her in the middle of the room. She bowed to both and then spoke softly to them.

“Standing here, I am reminded of the words of Jedi master Repka De. Do not see a lightsaber duel as a choice between winning and losing. Every duel can have many, many outcomes. When you concentrate solely on winning – in lightsaber duels as in everything else – you sully your victory. Winning becomes worse than losing. It is better to lose well than to win badly.”

“So, with that in mind, I ask you to honour each other, your Masters and the Jedi Order. And also have some fun.” Her face cracked into a smile as she finished and she pulled a violet silk from her pocket. “I shall drop this, and when it touches the floor, the bout shall begin.”

[member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] | [member="Caleb Brolen"]
 
This was going to be very fun I could tell. My opponent was tough I could tell but he also had this weird feeling about him. I didn't know him nor have I ever seen him around but he was a Jedi Padawan like me so who was I to judge. I did a two finger salute and said "Let the best man win" then I walked off to my side of the arena if you could call it that. The Jedi Praxeum ship was a work of art by far but after a while it gets a little boring.

I used the force to pull out a training saber from the stand then I ignited it to show of a nice green glow. I was ready and I nodded to [member="Corvus Raaf"] to tell her that.
 
Well, at least I’m not going to suffer getting my arse handed to me by a teenager, Jacen thought as he rolled his shoulders. There was a slight crack and he winced as his right shoulder felt rough in the socket. Good start!

Without pomp or circumstance, he pulled his lightsaber from his belt, keeping it at his side for a moment. The wide circular floor was barren of any obstacles that could impede his footwork, and there was plenty of room to manoeuvre. Nothing much to worry about in terms of terrain, just all those faces looking down at him from the stands.

There was a slight twist in his stomach as he considered that. It shouldn’t have concerned him really. He’d once been at an engagement where the enemy had overrun their position. Someone had called: “Fight to the last man!” and had meant it entirely. He’d made his peace, taken up his blaster and fought without fear, fully expecting it to be his last hour. Somehow, against all odds they had survived. Yet now he was feeling the jitters about failing at a fencing match in front of a crowd? That’s adrenaline for you, he mused.

Of course, he knew that wasn’t all. A defining moment of his life was being removed from the Jedi Order nearly fourteen years ago. It had taken all of his courage to turn up at the gates of the Jedi Temple and face that failure head on. Perhaps signing up for this very public test of progress had been a mistake.

He took a deep diaphragmatic breath. Slowly in through the nose and forced back out from the gut. He Centred himself and brought his saber before him. A half-bow to his opponent in respect, also gave him the time to cast an appraising eye over his opponent. He was damned tall, maybe six and a half foot. Not bulky either, could well have had a long reach and be quick with it too.

He ignited his yellow blade with the signature snap-hiss. Left foot forward, right back he dropped his weight and found his stance. Except that he didn’t. He returned his feet back into neutral position and repeated the process. There! That felt right. Good centre of gravity, feet well-spaced, strong grip on his hand-and-a-half hilt.

The tip of his blade lowered down to chin height. He kept the flickering blade right between himself and his opponent, a good defensive posture from which his opponent would have to get his own blade out of the centre ground to attack him directly. He stretched out with his senses, quiescing his high level thoughts and focussing on the moment. Jacen would need to react on guidance from the Force and his own body, without letting his extraneous thoughts get in the way.

With a barely-perceptible nod to [member="Corvus Raaf"], he signalled that he was finally ready.

[member="Caleb Brolen"]
 
I got ready in a stance that no one in a duel would expect. I put my saber in my face and listened to the force around me. I had no master but I didn't need one to know that the force could guide you through any test, big or small. This guy may have been big but there was something off about him. He was to static and orderly. He was tense but hey who wouldn't be in a situation like this.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Most people would take the advantage but I knew nothing about this guy. So lets see what he does first.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]
 
[member="Caleb Brolen"]

The silk cloth seemed to waver in the air for and impossible length of time before coming to rest on the ground. Jacen’s gloves made a slight noise as he tightened his grip on his hilt. His muscles coiled as he readied himself for whatever attack was to come.

Instead, Caleb closed his eyes and lifted his blade, holding that pose. Jacen regarded his opponent suspiciously. Caleb certainly had the advantage in reach over him; that alone stole away Jacen's appetite for acting hastily.

In his time in the military there were a number of rules he had picked up that translated across to duelling with blades. One of those was that a strong defence was only as effective as its ability to enable an offensive manoeuvre. When outnumbered, they had often coordinated their defensive line to leave what seemed like weak points to the enemy, only to draw them out into a killing field with a counter from artillery and close air support. Of course, Jacen barely had the skill to utilise all his tactical ability in the arena, but the principles could still be followed. He wouldn't be drawn in against an apparently defenceless opponent.

He slowly advanced on his Caleb, keeping his blade directly between them. His feet never left the ground by more than a few inches and he shifted his weight slowly with each step. In this manner, he never left himself off-balance for a sudden counter.

He accelerated over the last pace. Slightly rolling his right shoulder forwards and his left hand back, he swung a tentative strike for Caleb’s left rib. With his opponent's saber held high, it would be an awkward height to block, but Jacen didn’t over-commit. If his opponent reacted quicker and brought his blade down, Voidstalker still had the ability to bring his hands up and left to block.
 
[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

I felt the force around me and used it to sense the incoming blow. I could have blocked it but that would just let him go into a offensive onslaught. I instead fell on my right foot and rolled to the side. His blade almost hit me in the ear but it must have just missed by a millimeter. I had to be on the offensive now that I saw his attack pattern, though he could still have a trick up hid sleeve.

I ran forward and did a flurry of three strikes, all in quick secession to the upper torso. This was to keep him off balance and if so make him fall back.
 
His opponent dived to one side with great speed, avoiding the blow. Rolling around in combat was tricky business, but rather than follow up and keep the pressure on, Jacen came around with his saber ready to guard. He hadn't expected the roll and didn't want to be drawn into another unexpected manoeuvre.

Caleb came back at him quickly with a quick flurry of blows. At the edge of his own reach, Jacen could do nothing but block without over-extending himself. Smooth transitions to each block kept his own saber in the centre ground and pushing Coleb out each time. Sabers had no mass, so regardless of strength if you blocked nearer the hilt you generally held your ground.

However, Jacen was simply too slow on the second block; it was a rookie mistake. There was a quiet hiss, followed shortly by the smell of burnt fabric filling Jacen's nostrils. The stench of his singed vest served as a pertinent reminder that even set to reduced intensity a saber could burn skin painfully.

He gave ground, smooth steps backwards that kept his balance. After the third blow he risked a longer stride backwards, hoping to draw Caleb forwards off balance. As he planted his left foot his muscles tensed and he sprung back off it, reversing his momentum. He risked putting some strength behind the simple stab. It came forwards straight for Caleb's neck. A simple attack, but hopefully delivered as a surprise. If Caleb responded with a high block, he hoped to follow in on the blow, closing the distance and negating his opponent's advantage in reach.


[member="Caleb Brolen"]
 
[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

When I came for the stab to the neck I barely had anytime to react. I couldn't use the force in time so I simply did a back-flip over the blade. Not without consequence since he cut of my braid. Normally that wouldn't be a problem if my long hair didn't cover over my eyes.

I stepped back into another defensive stance to see if I could fix it but I had no time. It was only a matter of time before he would notice this blunder and press the advantage. I had to do what any Jedi could do in this situation, I had to trust the force. I had to let the force guide me and be my sight.

I put saber in a horizontal position across from my chest and waited for the next attack.
 
[member="Caleb Brolen"]

A little voice at the back of Jacen’s mind laughed when the braid was cut free. The singed hair smelled even worse than fabric had a few moments ago. Jacen didn’t noticed Caleb’s weak stance, that would have required a mature level of duelling analysis than he had. Frankly, Jacen lacked the experienced and was too focussed on the present.

What he did know, was that he couldn’t afford to let up. Caleb was clearly more agile and athletic and with his greater reach Jacen had to keep the pressure on and close the distance. Voidstalker followed the back-flipping padawan in a more ordain manner.

As Caleb brought his saber up, Jacen struck. He swung down from shoulder height towards the hip. The strike would come in from the opposite direction to the tip of Caleb’s saber. In this way, he hoped, Caleb would have to bring his saber across his body in an awkward manner to achieve the guard.
 
[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

I had to shift my body again but this time I was two slow and my saber collided with the force of his push my back. I was on the ground but the adrenaline help me stand back up before he could capitalize.

This was a very even fight for the both of us. He was stronger than me but I was fast and more unpredictable and that might just help me here. I charged forward and kept o the attack, circling around him and doing a few strikes. Then I fall back and do it again in quick secession.

Hopefully this will keep him on our toes.
 
[member="Caleb Brolen"]

As he was pressed back by another quick sequence of blows, Jacen made a conscious decision to slow down the tempo of the battle... if possible. Jacen kept his back angled towards the centre of the arena as much as he could. Keeping his footwork tight he turned to face Caleb as he came in, blocking a few testing blows.

The tall man danced away and came in again, more testing strikes to keep Jacen on his toes. Voidstalker kept his calm, even as his guard was pushed wide, forcing him to react quickly. As Caleb kept dancing away and testing him, Jacen moved slowly but inexorably between Caleb and the centre of the arena. He wouldn't be drawn out into this game, but let the taller man wear himself out dancing back and forth. He would try to force Caleb to engage him head on and if not he would try and press him towards the edge of the arena.
 
[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

This battle was epic but it was also extremely even on both sides. At this point I could pass out from exhaustion if I keep up the attack and that's just what he is waiting for. I charged at him again this time doing a leg sweep. If I could get him on the ground I could finish this but that's way easier said than done.

If was able to knock him down I would follow with a strike to the chest. This was risky because I would leave my head exposed.
 
[member="Caleb Brolen"]
[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Jacen had been taking extreme care with his footwork since the battle had begun. Keeping his footwork tight did not come naturally to him and so it was a far more deliberate act than he would have liked. It hampered his mobility and required concentration that could have been devoted elsewhere. Still, it would get better with time he believed, and better to look cautious than rush around and make a fool of himself.

The leg sweep was unexpected and hit the back of his front leg hard. However, Caleb was relying on the power of the strike alone to bring him down, and hadn’t made a concerted effort to control his centre of mass, or use telekinesis to complete the attack.

Still Jacen’s front leg was kicked up into the air without enough Force to send him stumbling backwards. His legs moved quickly enough to keep him from keeling over, but he staggered backwards. He had to take a knee to keep himself upright, it put him in a bad position, but it was perhaps the best he could do in a tricky situation.

He saber swung upwards to try and cover his back pedal. From the angle of his left hip and up towards Caleb’s chest. His right hand stayed on the hilt as he completed the swing. His left hand came away, palm facing his opponent. Narrowing his eyes, he put all his concentration behind a telekinetic strike. It wouldn’t be the most powerful push, but it would hopefully put some distance between them, or at the very least buy him some time.
 
[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

The strike to my chest was block when I did a left spin and put my saber behind my back. I tried to retaliate but I didn't expect him to use the force right after. It caught me off guard but I was prepared enough not to fall over. This was the thing about lightsaber dueling, the result can vary and the factors are endless. We both had scratches and burns from the battle and I could tell we could pass out if not careful.

I kept my saber in my left hand and focused force around it. Then I threw it as hard as I could while spinning it. This was a diversionary tactic however as I went in for a jumping face kick.
 
[member="Caleb Brolen"]

Mental and physical fatigue: two precipitating factors for the end of a protracted engagement. They were interdependent too. When the body tired, more mental focus was required to cope and fight on. If the mind was fatigued the body was exhausted by wasting energy through poor decisions.

Discipline, training and the Force were the greatest allies in this personal battle that ran alongside the main conflict. Fortunately, even though Jacen still lacked the fitness of the sprightly teens who back flipped around the training fields of Ossus whilst he was sucking in air, a few weeks of the gruelling padawan regime followed by a few days rest had significantly increased his reserves. He still had some gas left in the tank, and had stuck to a much more conservative game plan than his opponent.

Jacen took the breathing space his relatively ineffectual Force Push had given him to get back off his left knee and return to a solid defensive posture. Caleb, however, wasted no time in flinging his lightsaber in his direction. Voidstalker tracked the incoming missile, but also kept his focus on his opponent’s footwork, which enabled him to anticipate the charge that followed.

The flying lightsaber had two components to deal with. Its angular momentum was quite small, being comprised of a very small hilt and a weightless blade, but it was the trickiest to deal with. Its forwards momentum was still small, but Caleb had given the hilt significant velocity. It also needed arresting before the blade could strike home.

He immersed himself in the Force to the extent of his abilities, honing his focus to a keen point. The blue blade was more of a white blur as it span towards him. At the last moment he shifted his body back half a step to get the right alignment and brought his blade up and across his body. Sabers crackled as his own yellow blade hit Caleb’s near the tip in opposition to its spin. The hilt carried on its path as a cascade of sparks bounced across the arena floor, but Jacen had a point of control now and had freed his left hand. His palm reached out and snatched it out of the air, sending a jolt of pain up his arm from the impact.

Pulse racing, Jacen felt some elation at what he had achieved, even though his balance and timing had been pushed to the limit. It was short lived with Caleb just two paces behind the saber. Jacen pivoted on his right foot, bringing his left behind him. His hand slung the blue saber off to his side, he could hardly fight with two blades. He deliberately avoided putting it behind him, better to put it out of Caleb’s immediate reach but not have it pulled into his back.

Unfortunately he moved a touch too slow. Side on, the kick lost some of its power, but still connected solidly with his cheek. There was a loud crack and his head was turned to the side. Jacen tasted blood, and the blossoming pain possibly indicated a broken jaw.

Tired, off-balance and hurting, a grim determination came over Jacen and smothered all unnecessary thoughts. He permitted himself to sacrifice some balance to close the gap between himself and his opponent. Blood streamed from his nose as he came on, saber stabbing and slashing forwards, yet he always kept some attention on the lightsaber he had discarded.
 
[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

After the kick I had rolled back into a standard position. He was hurt I could tell but I wasn't doing as well either. I concentrated the force around my saber and propelled it back myself. I caught it then ignited it and I continued to circle my opponent. I had to finish this off since this was going to end by the death of one of us if we continue. Also it seemed that people were getting really board with this duel but hey I wasn't complaining. I was actually having some fun with it. However I had to end it hear and now.

Before I could realize what was going on he was right there closing the distance. I had blocked the initial slash but he countered with a forward stab. I was not ready for it and it hit me dead in the chest. The force of it knocked me down to the ground but I was still close to him so I did a backspin sarlaac sweep to take him off balance or distract him.
 
[member="Caleb Brolen"]

Jacen couldn't be deterred from his current plan. He'd had a slow start to the engagement, trying to keep his footwork tight and test out his opponent's limits. He was only now beginning to gather some momentum. He tried to ignore the throbbing pain down one side of his face, easier said than done.

The sarlaac spin came nearly horizontal, but with a slow rise. Normally used to get in under an opponent's guard, or at least allow the attack to slide off the block and come back from another direction quickly. Fortunately, with his opponent low to the ground, he had already been holding his saber in a low position, though in truth he had been hoping to deliver another strike.

Jacen brought the tip of his saber down and around. Their blades crossed at a perpendicular angle, hissing and spitting like a pair of angry snakes and sending another burst of sparks across the arena floor. The sweep had brought Caleb in close and no Jedi training had taught Jacen his next move. He pushed in, disengaging his left hand from his hilt. His arm whipped around over Caleb's should, but his hand tucked back in. Jacen went for a quick and powerful elbow strike for the back of Caleb's head. Many times his knees and elbows had got him out of a tight scrape. If the blow connected solidly it would discombobulate at least, give a mild concussion at best.
 
[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

I moved forward a little bit but it wasn't enough because the elbow to the head sent me rolling across the training pad. It hurt a lot but I wasn't out yet. I had to win this if I was to move on and I wasn't going to let this guy stop me. I lunged forward and with all my strength and went for the stab at the chest. I wouldn't let up and keep going with slashes to the face and chest. This entire time I kept saying I would end this. Now I will.

(sorry for the small post, been busy)
 

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