Faction ORC and Friends Tournament Round 2: The Karkening

[Jerec Asyr]

Ruins outside the desert town of Jiggs Crucible
Sherec Expanse
Zonju V

"Feeling or using the Force is extremely difficult or impossible throughout the Sherec Expanse. There appears to be less of the Force to call upon, making abilities weaker. With extreme concentration, a Master might be able to exert the influence of a Knight."


Here in the armpit of the galaxy, Kaleleon would fight Aaran Tafo , while Caedyn Arenais fought Cassus Akovin , under the same rules as the last round.

For the convenience of gamblers, holocam droids floated around excitedly.

 

[CLEM]

Caedyn Arenais Cassus Akovin Aaran Tafo Kaleleon

Someone had given Clem a job that was very much to his liking. More specifically, they'd given him a large basket of glop grenades. They'd welded the basket to his head, insofar as the GNK droid had a head at all, and given him the ability to refill it from internal reserves. He toddled around the ruins helpfully. Glop grenades rattled in the basket, in search of an owner.

 

[Cassus Akovin]

Cassus sat on the bike, satisfied with victory and craving more. He was more comfortable in the seat this time, having gotten some time to practice a bit before the next round began. In fact, he had specifically asked for the coordinates of the next rounds location, so that he could bike there through the terrain, and better learn the controls. It stalled a few times along the way, but it seemed the mechanical issues he was used to happening around him all the time... seemed to dissipate the closer he got to his destination. A strange chill seemed to permeate him, and the arrogant confidence he held on to seemed to dissipate slightly along with it.

Now, he was just waiting for his opponent to arrive, prepared in the same way as he was last round, except this time with a bit of familiarity with his set up. Hopefully his next opponent would be more of a challenge than last...

Tag: Caedyn Arenais

 

[Kaleleon]

Got through the first round. Quite interesting. Credits were on my side it seemed, and I just hoped they would be for this fight as well.

However, I then looked at who I would be facing. Aaran. I silently cursed to myself. Of All people I could have fought, why did it have to be another Jedi who I happened to know. Though, looking at the roster, it also seemed the Caedyn made it through his round too. And some other kind of person I had never heard before. So wait... Three Padawans made it through the first round of the fighting, against Masters? Never underestimate a Padawan in the force I guess.

Something felt wrong. The force was extremely limited. Almost as though there were a slight weight put upon my chest. I just smiled ever so little. I was not the greatest fighter with the force. While I did use it in some instances, I was much better with tactics, and weapon combat. Since Aaran was allowed to use his Saber, I was allowed to use mine this time instead of Shockmitts. Good ole familiar weapons back in my hands. In fact, I was tinkering with my saber as I looked at my rival across the distance. Making sure to set the weapon to stun setting. The energy of the weapon was brought way down to act more like a hot baton rather than a true tool of war.

"Alright Aaran. Seems like you and I will be going at each other. Just uh... Lets be respectful about this."

Bringing the saber round to my face, I activated it. Letting the blade burn its brilliant blue. Cutting my vision. Saluting the other Jedi padawan with the saber before bringing up a stance that was more reminiscent of Soresu Lightsaber Form. Off hand out in a palm, slightly aggressive stance, with saber held back and pointed directly at my target.

"Show me what the Silvers have taught you."

Aaran Tafo

 

[Aaran Tafo]

Dance Partner: Kaleleon

The air tasted strange.

That was the first thought that came into Aaran's mind as he stepped off the shuttle. A frown crossed over his face as he looked to his surroundings. Everything around him felt stale, muted, dull. His third eye would clouded, and the omnipresent sense of something that had always been with him since as long as he could remember. But not it was profoundly absent from the back of his mind.

Aaran decided that he did not like this feeling and would much rather be anywhere else.

Taking a breath, he fell back on his meditative breathing exercises. Trying to clear the anxiety. The unsettling, alien feeling that was the lack of The Force flowing around him slowly fading away as he recounted what advantages he still had. Looking over to his own opponent. He could summerize that Aaran still held the advantage in both raw physical strength and reach. Considering just how taller and more heavily muscled he was than his opponent.

But those were only parts of the equation. Not deciding factors. It would ultimately come down to experience and skill. And while Aaran was reasonably proud of the latter. He knew that he lacked the former. The Padawan in front of him may have been lacking in terms of raw muscle or ability to call on the Force. He was no doubt Aaran's superior in terms of raw epxerience.

"Best of luck to you as well." He said, settling himself into the traditional stance of Makashi. One of the most optimal forms to use in a situation like this. Hopefully Aaran would be able to find and exploit any holes that might exist in Kale's defense. Saber igniting, the silver blade emmenated a dull hum. Its own power reduced to a training mode, as was proper in such a scenario.

Slowly moving towards his opponent, Aaran began to circle Kale. Waiting and watching for a moment as to how the other Padawan positioned himself, when he decide to shift his weight to recenter himself against his brawnier opponent. But them without warning, Aaran lashed out. A series of quick thrusts aimed at Kale's midsection and legs. Simple tests, curious about his opponents reaction time and how he dealt with an assault.

 

[Kaleleon]

With the final words spoken of providing luck to one another, it was clear that the fight was on. Aaran moved about. Utilizing a stance of Makashi. Known form of Dueling against lightsaber opponents. I smiled brightly at my foe. Even if he was considered an ally, I would perform to my absolute best. What made me wary of the man, was the clear advantage of height and reach. Sure, there is always a bigger fish, but that doesn't mean the bigger fish will always win. Nor does raw power. In fact, I have fought opponents who were taller than myself, and much heavier. Yet here I still am.

Aaran knew this. His own stance, taking directly to lightsaber combat only confirmed that he knew I had training that may very well surpass him. It was when he decided to strike, that I decided to flip on him. The lunge to close that last little bit of distance with a thrust at my midsection, was easily defended against. A flick of the wrist outwards from me, having the blade stop pointing directly up. Moving the blade to skid against my own, and away from my side. As the stab came for my legs, A twist of my wrist downwards with a little upward movement of my hand, allowed a full swing in front of me, and once more smacking his blade aside.

The thing with thrusts, is they were accurate strikes. Ones in which required dexterity and precise movements. Yet, the direct answer to such strikes, was Soresu. The Defensive form meant to move the absolute minimum, yet be a wall that could not be penetrated by bolt, or blade. Soresu was actually, the direct answer to the question posed by Makashi. If Aaran had studied these Forms and the almost rock, paper, scissor game they played upon one another, he would have been able to easily modify his own form to combat Soresu.

Once more, easy movements of barely moving my hand, or a twist of the wrist, to slap the blade aside. All the while, My fellow Jedi was moving back and forth to thrust, draw his weapon back, to thrust again. This time, I changed my stance. Offering the Counters and parries by Djem-So. The real intention all along.

I took a step into his lunge like strike. Using the parries provided by Djem-So to easily keep the blade away from me, transitioning my weight forward as I came in to slash towards his saber arm. Aiming to not just strike it, but to cut clean through and into his upper chest. A fighting style in which your strikes would be forceful and aiming not at a point and stopping, but to cleave through them as though you wanted to be on the other side all along. Providing a power to your swing that should it be effective, can be devastating.

Yet, as with Djem-S0, it was an aggressive form. Countering strikes, only to then come down upon them like a ton of bricks. And so I did. Aiming to take control of the fight. As soon as the swing missed or made contact, An opposing twist of my body to allow an easy yank back, and striking a second time. Using the same form again, the saber came back, and then swung for a final time. This time, aimed for his thigh of the same side.

So many combatants would fight and move their saber from one side to the other. However, beating your foe all along a singular side, meant they were completely focused as such. I wanted him to stay on that side. Keeping control of his saber arm and side as a whole. Not letting him strike out to my "weak" or off hand side.

Aaran Tafo