Obsidian Truths [Songsteel]

[Darth Metus]

There was no reason for Isley to be here;
Yet this was the place he had come.
For many months, this place did he fear;
And from the South did he run.
However, the time had come to make a stand,
Whether by fist, blaster or saber.
So Isley Verd ventured to this land:
One ever characterized by capitalist labor.

To Roon did he venture from across the stars;
Seated safely in a vessel of stealth.
And as he drew near, he remembered the scars:
Proudly gained bringing this nation wealth.
Yet despite the battles he had won in bringing the Confederacy fame,
All his efforts disappeared when Salem destroyed his name.
Overnight he went from hero to prey and was forced to abandon his home;
Now he was determined to right the wrongs by facing the Lord Commander alone.

Once landed, the Mandalorian made haste:
He briskly walked from the landing pad to the door.
Suffice it to say, there was no time to waste;
For he would not be an outlaw anymore.
The Citadel was to be the site of a war,
And when it was over Isley had hope.
He aspired for his trial to be no more;
For with that, he could no longer cope.

Today there was no beskar,
Yet only durasteel and a cloak.
His sword and gauntlet would take him far;
At least that is what he hoped.
Standing fast in the atrium, the Mandalorian drew first.
Devorah's Song came alive in his hands:
As if it expected the worst.

[member="Asher Valentine"]

 

[EmKay]

Upon the ruins of what was,
And through the passage of time,
This thread will be a cause,
For a writer to horribly rhyme.

Valentine stood, expectant of the coming,
To and end of the struggle, the flight,
He knew that Verd was running,
But he'd not expected this plight.

Senses quickened, spirit as stone,
Mind was racing, climbing higher,
The Obsidian Archon rose from his throne,
And prepared to face this trial with fire.

But fire would be omitted in this battle for honour,
For Sigma knew the truth of Norongachi's plot,
A Fall was needed, regardless of colour,
And Verd was convenient for just that spot.

So the battle would go,
A test of will.
If it went just so,
They'd be over the hill.

[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

Isley deserved to know the reason.
The truth, he wanted to learn.
If not, he would fight this season;
with the intent to burn.
He was ignorant of Norongachi's plan:
One of vile and convenient intent.
So he now faced the Obsidian Command,
And prepared his sword to rent.

But first, the successor deserved a chance:
One to right the many wrongs done.
Perhaps the torment would end at last;
Or perhaps Asher would pull a gun.
Regardless, Isley posed his question;
While briefly holding his sword aside.
"Before us lies a junction."
He said while continuing his strides.

"We can battle until one falls to the other."
Came his words of a tone grave.
"Or we can end this and return to being brothers."
And now, a choice had to be made.

[member="Asher Valentine"]

 

[EmKay]

Was he unaware? Asher thought he knew.
He supposed he shouldn't be surprised,
Atretes too was without a clue.
And now things came to be surmised.

"Plans were made, sir," came his reply,
His tone was pleasant and even,
"I hold nothing against you, but I cannot lie,
I cannot simply let you back." he said, to the once-heathen.

So he let his saber come to his hand,
A short space between him and it,
"I have some terms, of my own plan."
He said as the lightsaber lit.

"Face me, in this duel of two men,
Best me in combat and you're free of sin.
Should I best you, then you'll ken
Absolution is yours, should I win."

So the pieces were put,
And the first die cast.
Valentine hoped, but
Uncertainty filled his past.

[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

Snap-Hiss did the saber sound,
As machinations fell from lips.
Devorah's Song was brought around,
and was held just above the hips.
A battle between men was the cost:
One that Isley would gladly pay.
He would reclaim the honor that was lost,
Or fall to [member="Asher Valentine"] this day.

The time for words was done,
This much was true.
Yet before the Mandalorian could start the fun,
There was something he had to do.
A breath was drawn to center the mind,
Whilst twin Nexuses roared.
Isley then fed upon this darkness in kind,
For failure he could not afford.

Through the Force did his body grow strong:
Reflexes, speed, and all in-between.
By this might He would right the wrongs:
He would win by any means.
Then, a single step started a sprint:
Isley surged forth against his foe.
Devorah's Song then came down with a glint:
A powerful, over-the-head blow.

 

[EmKay]

So it was an agreement,
That made things run well,
Asher hadn't prepared his raiment,
He had no metal shell.

So he prepared for defence and poise,
Then his senses flared,
He could feel the glow of the little toys,
The trinkets belonging to Verd.

"No matter" came Valentine's mind,
As he flicked his wrist with a flair,
The power would only serve a time,
Before the Force answered his dare.

SNAP! Came the blow,
The clashing of saber and steel.
And through the Force Asher felt the flow,
And his body filled with zeal.

While Isley had a Nexus, Sigma had nature,
The Force flowed by force for the man,
But he was a different creature.
To Him flowed the radiant glow and the guiding invisible hand.

This was, however, a proper duel,
No plays of spark or mind.
So pure stamina came from the fuel,
Not powers of a different kind.

A shove, a twist, a parry of sorts
Valentine drove his opponent back
He needed a moment to develop a thwart
Before the next attack.

[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

The battle had only just begun:
Mandalorian and Obsidian clashed.
Although parried, Isley would not run.
This battle was sure to last.
Shii-Cho was the form of choice:
Born of wide and spontaneous blows.
A grunt of strength was Isley's voice;
For his efforts would end his woes.

Although pushed back, his blade now sang.
A strike was aimed for the right side.
The Force granted great speed to the Fang:
The weapon that was Isley's pride.
Of course, while bold, there were flaws.
For one, the Mandalorian seldom dueled.
However, he was confident that he wouldn't fall.
And his faith in vengeance held true.

So close was he to restoration.
So close was an end to his plight.
So much he had lost to this nation.
Now he would reclaim it all by might.

[member="Asher Valentine"]

 

[EmKay]

There were different traits,
There was no denying that,
Different hounds of different gates,
And such would decide this little spat.

In his moment of respite, Asher realised,
That Verd's movements were slow, delayed,
So he came to know, that the man he'd once idealised,
Was another man, whose intentions would be belayed.

Light met metal once again,
And the clash they once again did feel,
Sparks flew up and came down as rain,
While Asher shifted weight unto his heel.

He dipped, and swooped, while blade met blade,
The energy locked to the physical, pivoting like a lever,
Then Valentine lifted his grade,
And the power of his saber he did sever.

Snap-HISS did it sound, a split-second later,
But his intent had been fulfilled,
The sudden loss of traction, it left a crater,
And support had been lost, and Valentine chilled.

He did not strike, he was still in study,
Of how Verd reacted to this new turn of play.
Instead, Sigma gripped his weapon steady,
And waited again to see what might had to say.

[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

When wielding sword and saber,
Momentum is a friend.
Yet Isley soon found his labor,
Could bring about his end.
Asher moved rather swift,
His movement like a snake.
His saber, against steel, did shift,
Yet a counter-strike he did not make.

Instead, the saber's fire vanished;
And Isley pitched forward.
One strike could see him vanquished;
And left deceased on the floor.
Yet the advantage was not taken,
Instead Asher stepped back.
And Isley was not shaken,
Yet instead now caused a new crack.

Polished floor was impaled:
The blade thrust into the earth.
Against a saber, the Song had failed;
And Isley had no mirth.
Reaching, he gripped a hilt;
Then turned to face his foe.
He would fight to recover what he built,
And finally end his woe.

Snap. Hiss. The saber spat red.
And Isley stood fast.
Defense was how to avoid dread,
And so he would make a move last.

[member="Asher Valentine"]

 

[EmKay]

A moment passed, and then another.
Then Sigma understood.
Isley changed his stance to cover,
And it was Asher to try what he could.

With a slow exhale and deliberate shrike,
A mirror of moments ago formed out,
Valentine made a great overhand strike,
And that seemed to be the clout.

However, the feint made itself known,
When the glowing blade jerked and slipped,
And Asher's body spun itself home,
And from the side the crimson bar ripped.

In the fluidity of movement, the strike was to toy,
Not to harm, hurt, main, or kill,
But to continue to flutter, and to play coy.
A test of might, and a test of skill.

[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

After a stare, movement was made;
And the Mandalorian stood fast.
Seeing the blow, his saber was raised,
Yet this defense would not last.
Valentine was sly in his act,
This much Verd saw was true.
Overhead turned into sideways hack,
And there was not much Isley could do.

Reflex took over: the Gauntlet rised;
A fortunate defense, this was.
Valentine was sure to be surprised,
For only sparks were caused.
Shoving back, the saber was moved;
And now Isley attempted a strike.
By victory would his return be approved.
By victory, everything would be right.

For the torso did Isley aim,
A blow meant only to graze.
The Archon, he did not want to maim,
But only to leave in a daze.

[member="Asher Valentine"]

 

[EmKay]

A smile came to Asher's lips,
The fun was just beginning.
A pivot turned Valentine's hips,
It wouldn't be so simple for winning.

His saber struck the glancing blow,
His body swayed just slight,
He let the Force guide his flow,
And with that he'd direct his might.

The mark for torso skittered off,
The move sent off to the side,
And with that Asher did cough,
His demeanour vaguely snide.

For [member="Isley Verd"] was once a foe,
So the battle would be fought.
While there would be no killing blow,
Fire was whence Ash was wrought.

Moves and counter moves,
Did conflict and war make,
So with a step that was smooth,
The next move did Sigma take.

A flurry of glances, an act to confuse,
Only to stop at the nape,
For Asher did not have plans to lose
Of this there was no jape.

 

[Darth Metus]

The counter strike had missed:
The Mandalorian's saber struck air.
As it moved, Sigma's blade did hiss;
And the two men shared a stare.
A smooth step was taken,
Along with motions meant to confuse.
Yet Isley remained unshaken,
For this fight he would not lose.

A step back did he take in that second:
A retreat strategic in make.
Aggression was key, he recognized;
Not flourishes, feints, or fakes.
Power surged to Isley's bones,
The Force made him strong and quick.
He would win by might alone;
He would make this return stick.

With a roar did saber meet saber,
And the Mandalorian pushed back.
He empowered himself through anger:
He relied on power so black.
The strength of the blow was high,
And with it he hoped to unsteady.
The limber foe expected much,
But for this, he hoped he was not ready.

[member="Asher Valentine"]

 

[EmKay]

With the Force an ally so ready,
Asher could reason from sense,
That the next blow would be heady,
So he prepared, stiff and tense.

The blow did make,
And Asher did slide,
But he did not break,
Nor did it scratch his hide.

In defiant will,
In feeding grace,
Til his feet came still,
And hard was his face.

The Dark side fueled Verd's might,
Of that there was no doubt,
But the whole fed Sigma's fight,
And he pushed back with a shout.

The lightsaber did screech in its efforts to cut,
But the metal before it was resistant to such.
The outside world, did Asher out shut,
And now he prepared for this effort so much.

He launched himself forward, into the fray
Body twisting around the crossed blades.
He would make his point, that his power was to stay,
And that he would not fall to simple tirades.

With a grunt of effort his arm cut down,
Elbow aimed for arm and bone.
Though clad in metal, Valentine focused a frown,
His might and power he did hone.

A lock he'd made, a choice Verd had,
To back away or take the blow.
For in this stance, he would surely be mad,
To attempt some kind of counter throw.

[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

Back was the Archon driven,
By the might of the man branded "traitor".
Yet soon, a new title would he be given;
Earned through might and saber.

For moments, the clash persisted;
Neither man was willing to yield.
Yet Sigma's strategy insisted
That his will be ever steeled.

With a roar, he ended the clash
And whipped his elbow round;
In hopes of finding flesh to bash,
Yet Isley stood his ground.
Reflex demanded evading harm,
And the result: a simple tense.
The elbow collided with his arm,
And pain was present thence.

Yet this was not the end of the plight,
For down came the saber.
Despite this, Isley would fight:
And avenge his lost laber.
As Sigma struck left, Isley struck right,
And flesh was rent on his arm.
Despite this, he struck with full might,
Desperate to cause Sigma harm.

[member="Asher Valentine"]

 

[EmKay]

While he was nimble and he was quick,
He was not omniscient or flawless
His commitment to making hits stick,
Left his flank guardless.

He hissed as a fist met his ribs,
He shied away from the pain,
His temper seethed as pain flashed like squibs,
And he gripped his blade the tighter.

Still, he bit his anger and remembered the lessons he learnt
He stood straight again despite his bruised bones,
And he stared [member="Isley Verd"] even. "You desire honour, to feel you've earnt,
And I have found, through listening to combat's tones,"

"That your desperation to earn your place
Gives you a level of merit
So long as you know this race,
I see no reason to inhibit"

"So take your place, wherever that may be.
Just know in your heart that you stand here
By a mercy graced by me,
And should you prove to have malice in heart, I'll flay you ear to ear."

So he spoke, unfiltered and unbroken
He uttered nothing but the truth
And he would see how Verd took this token.
After all, what else was there, when all that mattered was sooth.