Duel Recompense (Darth Prazutis)

[Caedyn Arenais]

Recompense
Caedyn Arenais vs Darth Prazutis

In the aftermath of the Yavin Exchange...​

The Operation to retrieve Grandmaster Elise had been going according to plan until the Lord of Lies had arrived, and for Caedyn Arenais this figure's arrival drastically changed the Jedi Knights motivations for being on Yavin at the time. While the rest of the Silver Jedi Strike Team persevered in the Operation, Caedyn had made himself scarce, removing himself from the battle-field for reasons that would quite possibly never come to light given the Order's disarray and disconcerted hierarchy in the absence of their leader.

Against the original intent of the mission, the Jedi Knights objective had changed and his need to avenge his father's murder had taken the front of his priorities. Caedyn had fallen back to his Starfighter and removed himself from Yavin's surface, instead positioning himself high above orbit with his fighter relying on it's stealth systems to remain out of sight and off radar. Rather than meeting the Sith Lord head on and on his terms, Caedyn meant to catch the Lord of Lies off guard by tracking his ship back to whatever hell it had come from, in the hope of an ambush.

The plan was impromptu, and it was foolish. It was largely fueled by his emotions and would later prove that he still had much to learn, and to conquer in and of himself...-But for now, he needed to deal a blow to Darth Prazutis and remind him that House Arenais had not forgotten, nor forgiven him for the murder of Veiere Arenais on Bimmisaari.

--------------------------------------
Location: Dromund Kaas
--------------------------------------​

Alone and deep within enemy territory, Caedyn Arenais had dampened his presence in the Force until it was almost non-existent in order to avoid being picked up on by the Black Guard who had accompanied the Lord of Lies in his supervision of the Grandmaster’s handover into Sith possession and custody.

Having committed himself to the path ahead, the Jedi Knight had prepared himself for an indisputably violent battle with the Sith Lord, a Force User and Dark Side practitioner who had managed to overwhelm Caedyn’s father who at the time, possessed a greater skill than he felt he was capable of today. Despite having this doubt in mind, he continued to stalk the entourage of the Lord of Lies, adorned in his Knight Errant Armor and carrying the hilt of his Armistice Lightsaber in hand ready and waiting for the right moment to strike.

Dromund Kaas was arguably the furthest into Sith Space that Caedyn had ventured, and the darkness that hung over the great city that he stalked the death legionaries through was a great example of the unnatural change that the Sith and their vile influence could bring about a likely once beautiful world. The lone Jedi Knight could feel the influence of the Dark Side trying to gnaw at him, trying to invoke and bring to rise those darker negative emotions that Caedyn sought to keep in check. His objective was clear, however it wasn't particularly that of a Jedi tactic...-Rather many might see it as an assassination attempt on the right hand of the Sith Emperor, yet how many might be saved from this Monster should he somehow succeed.

There was no back-up laying in wait behind him, not like there had been on Yavin. Caedyn hadn't shared his intentions with the others, knowing that they would try to talk him out of it, the voice of a sound mind deterring his need to avenge his Father...-It all left a bitter taste in his mouth, a metallic like taste however perhaps that was simply the illusion of the Sith world getting to him.

Keeping his distance, keeping to the shadows of the night and using the building heights to scale around and ahead of the Imperial escort, Caedyn found a place to lay low in anticipation for their arrival. Sooner or later, he figured that Darth Prazutis would arrive at whatever facility or installation he was inbound for, and if that was the case then his opportunity would likely be taken from him. Instead, he decided on a much more reckless idea, hoping to lure the Sith Lord out by baiting his pride.

Standing there within the center of the cold and empty street, the Black Guard came into view and as they did so, Caedyn's amber lightsaber ignited whilst holding the hilt facing off to the side, only one of it's blades being released from the emmitter, the Jedi Knight calling out to the Sith Lord.

"Prazutis! I've come for you!"

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Location: Dromund Kaas, New Kaas City, Approaching the Imperial Palace
Tags: Caedyn Arenais

W A I T I N G​

Far removed from the enormity that was the continent spanning metropolis of New Kaas City was a place known to all: District One. It was the place that the Emperor's Citadel stood. It was a towering, majestic spire of glittering light and breathtaking wonder with a buzz all its own. It stood on its own separated from the city by a seemingly bottomless trench that was connected to the rest of the city by a series of enclosed bridges. The entire area was swarming with so much activity at all times of the day and night in fact, that it looked like its own isolated city. Hovercars dominated the skies above from government and other permitted individuals that flew alongside patrolling security vehicles, as well as the occasional starfighter. It was here that the Imperial Crownguard stood alongside forces of the Blackblade Guard, and other security elements. They manned all approaches to the palace and all who approached were looked upon with scrutiny by the silent guardians. Across the sky came the Midnight the personal shuttle of the Shadow Hand himself. The glowing light of the city caused the Nykkalt plating to shine, as if the light itself reflected off of its surface. It was shepherded through the bustling skyline by an escort from his personal starfighter squadron, ensuring no one harried his path it was the perks of his station in the highest echelons of the empire.

Inside that large shuttle darkness churned.

They moved like shadows through the halls formless physiques, hidden underneath dark ceremonial robes heaved the screaming man down the ships corridor. This was not a rite meant for the known galaxy for eastern eyes to witness, it was ancient, belonging to a people long forgotten by this side of the galaxy. Begging and pleading through violent sobs, the foul wretch vanished into a black chamber lit only with the vague glow of burning torches. Ebony sand, darker than the void of space had been poured across every inch of the steel metallic floor, and at the center, a massive boulder with hideous runes chiseled across it's surface sat waiting ominously. To it's asperous shape the man was nailed his horrid shrieks echoing deafeningly - and there he was left helpless to the whims of his silent assailants. Every inch of the walls bore tapestries hand woven by the craftsmanship of artisans that hadn't been seen by eastern eyes for ages they were blacks, purples, reds, yellows and each was bejeweled and adorned with profane symbols.

The giant entered amidst the victims cries his massive body bare, and almost completely hairless. Behind him two more adjutants came their flesh pale as bone moved in silence. The sand was coarse and felt like glass on bare flesh, the microshards of obsidian still burned with the heat of their home, biting into the skin of his feet and spilling blood. The torturers drew daggers of a metal black as the sand they stood upon their pommels held a glistening silver skull its maw opened into a face of sheer agony. Their hooded forms began by shearing flesh from the trapped victim's terrified, convulsing form, hideous chants sang loudly through their opened mouths. The Shadow Hand stood in utter silence before the display, allowing these monstrous fiends of Zalacodyr to conduct the depraved ritual. The adjutants struck his flesh with barbed cat o' nine tails wrought from foreign leather carved with faces of agony over every inch, runes carved into every barbed tip and jewels studded the hilts. Each strike against his flesh elicited no reaction from the giant, no eruption in divine agony as the flagellation began. However with each cut across the mans form their blades cut again and again severing bits, cutting skin piece by piece. In a twisted perversion of natural law the sensations returned across his skin as pain turned to ecstasy as the ritual unfolded, the chants growing cacophonous. He whipped and roared in torturous delight as they bit harder, he called out in the ways of Zalacodyr to bless his flesh with the devouring of the victims soul

And the dark one would be delighted to reply.

As the trapped figures form withered it turned bone white and atrophied into nothing until it was naught but a shriveled husk as the darkness glowed over his skin, the blessing fell.

"Prazutis! I've come for you!"

The call to the floating shuttle as it hovered over the empty street was answered with the opening of its exit ramp, a hiss of hydralics extended it through the open air.

It was only then that he came.

Unlike Yavin IV the giant was wrapped only in a black cloak and dark boots. A single immense seven foot profane blade was gripped in one hand. It was a weapon hand forged by the ancient Order of the Sanguine Hammers from Ar Golraz Blood Iron. But this was special. It was a weapon created just for the giant who carried it. For the Bloodsoaked Desecrator it was forged from the extracted blood iron of the billions that fell during the horrific Blood Purge Games, the Walk of the Champion, and the Gladiatorial Games that followed which saw him triumphant. It was ritually quenched by the Sanguine Hammers in sacred blood oils, and again at Shrine of Zhal'axar in the Blood Lands, swallowed by the woman herself.

The storm that surrounded him was a hurricane of fury. It was an inferno that burned brighter than a star, a mounting pressure like the deepest depths of the ocean. Its darkess choked out the light like the vacuum of a howling abyss as the infamous Lord of Lies looked down at the young, fierce Caedyn Arenais with utter disdain for the Easterner. To a true Maenan they were a weak, spineless lot to be exploited, and victimized. To the Bloodsoaked Desecrator? To Ya'zid-rah?

Nothing.

"Who are you to challenge me, boy?" He said stepping right up to the edge of the shuttles ramp.

"I've been waiting for you." The giant added. He dropped then crashing into the ground beneath with a boom a short distance away from the young Arenais. The young boy who had chased him. Vengeance burning in the youths mind. Why wouldn't it? The agonies he had inflicted upon the Arenais, his killing of the boys father? Veiere would've turned away in shame if he saw his foolish son now. It was rather strange how the giant moved. Each step was measured he didn't break into a charge. The blade simply hung at his side as he locked eyes on the young man.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Recompense
Caedyn Arenais vs Darth Prazutis

Inventory: Knight-Errant Armor, Armistice Dual/Staff Lightsaber

"Who are you to challenge me, boy?".
​

Glaring back towards the Sith Lord, absent of his armor's helm, Caedyn replied coldly and with no lack of distaste in his voice for the Lord of Lies; "You have brought this upon yourself. You killed my Father, you tortured and corrupted my Mother to the Dark Side of the Force and are responsible for the fall of Commenor's Monarchy. Everything you have done, every act against House Arenais has given me every right to be here and now. You're a stain on this Galaxy that cannot be ignored any longer!".

But Caedyn hadn't come here to talk, and with his Lightsaber held tightly in his right hand, he drove himself forward in a direct sprint towards the Sith, Darth Prazutis bringing the hilt up into both hands, the single blade rising and being drawn back over his right shoulder in anticipation for the clash of arms.

The Force around the pair of them bellowed out across the Cityscape as Caedyn's presence was unleashed, no longer needing to keep a low profile, he called to every ounce of his control over the flow of energies, channeling throughout his body to heighten his pace and strengthen the impact of the hopeful strike.

His lightsaber came sweeping around and down in a diagonal swing aiming to cut the Sith down from his neck to his hip. There was no hesitation or apprehension behind the Jedi Knight's body language. No proof of the usual 'restraint' typically taught and upheld by the Jedi Order. His actions and his intentions were wholly focused on striking Prazutis down, unable to believe that there could be any other answer to the tyrant's vile ways.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Location: Dromund Kaas, New Kaas City, Approaching the Imperial Palace
Tags: Caedyn Arenais

M I S T A K E S ​

"You have brought this upon yourself. You killed my Father, you tortured and corrupted my Mother to the Dark Side of the Force and are responsible for the fall of Commenor's Monarchy. Everything you have done, every act against House Arenais has given me every right to be here and now. You're a stain on this Galaxy that cannot be ignored any longer!" .

The words hung in the air as the young boy, the child of the late Veiere Arenais broke into a headlong charge the sword of a jedi knight raised above his shoulder. The giants face pulled into a look of disgust as he just watched the young boy "Perhaps I was wrong, " Words began to fill his mouth and they almost didn't even feel his own. It was as if his tongue had been seized by his old mentor, friend, and brother Warmaster Arudes himself, and the syllables spilled from him chillingly with revolting distaste. In his mind memories of the past flowed to the surface, time spent under the Armageddon training his mind, and body to perfection, getting beaten down into the sands time and time again. "Not even a boy." He would ferociously mock the much smaller Easterner. He didn't even bother to elevate his guard at this point of the contest. "A creature! " Ya'zid-rah hissed, his body drifting backwards with three masterfully elegant strides atop the duracrete. Due to his sheer size his strides were immense when compared to smaller beings. The first removed him from the danger and measure of the mans blade, making a silent mental note of the height and reach discrepancy between them, the two that follow hastily arced leftwards - to Cadeyn's right - seemingly choosing to reset the exchange entirely rather than engaging in any meaningful way.

It was highly uncharacteristic for the Lord of Lies. The Dark Titan that swept through with the fury of a storm to decimate the world. But unbeknownst to Caedyn it wasn't the same man that he fought, it wasn't the same one that his father fought. One marred by the weakness of the eastern world. It was the Maenan who thrived during the golden age of that blasphemous world and rose to a legendary status, a name carved deep into the annals of its history. Panatha was the world that spawned him but only a select few truly knew that Maena was the world that made him. Ya'zid-rah.

"Was it your father that taught you how to wield that little tool like a toy, creature? The failure of a Jedi? Will you try to overpower me with the force next? Surely you can do better." The taunting continued, as the giant of a man took a stance with his right leg forward, the left allowed to comfortably trail behind. With both hands now he gripped the hilt of his large sword, allowing the blade to hang point towards the ground. "Come then, show me how well you can tell a lie with it."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Recompense
Caedyn Arenais vs Darth Prazutis
Inventory: Knight-Errant Armor, Armistice Dual/Staff Lightsaber

"Was it your father that taught you how to wield that little tool like a toy, creature? The failure of a Jedi?
Will you try to overpower me with the force next? Surely you can do better."
​

The Sith Lord goaded Caedyn as his attacks were evaded seemingly with easy, the Master of darkness moving completely out of his reach with unprecedented speed already proving to be as powerful and well practiced as the Gatekeeper of his father's Holocron had foretold. Veiere and Darth Prazutis had crossed blades numerous times over his father's past service, yet Caedyn had rushed in. Worse yet, the Jedi Knight had expected to pit himself against a vastly formidable foe, one that he doubted he would overcome without great struggle.

Standing there with his lightsaber being taken up into both hands, the single blade huming vibrantly as he moved to position it pointing skyward alongside him, turning side on from the Lord of Lies and adopting a balanced stance, he cast Darth Prazutis a look of defiance. "I'm no mere Jedi..." he responded in answer to the tyrants ridicule, although he didn't seek to elaborate.

Caedyn hadn't committed himself to the Jedi Path until much later in his lived years, having been trained and raised within the Je'daii Order and taught by Asha Hex who had been at the head of said Order. His training didn't solely favor the light but he was taught to respect every aspect of the Force and to seek to practice in balance of both Ashla and Bogan, the Bendu. Taking in a slow inhale through his nose, he allowed his anger to roll over him, acknowledging the passion within himself and containing it with the anticipation that the Sith Lord would demand all of his skill and experience in order to come away from the duel with his life still in tact.

Prazutis' speed and momentum were a threat, and in order to meet such a threat Caedyn had to call upon the Force to flow throughout his form strengthening his muscles and bracing his body to jump beyond the physical limits of normal men. Augmentation, otherwise known as Force Speed, it was an ability that Caedyn had learned early on in his training.

Drawing his Lightsaber back over his left shoulder, both hands tightening around the grip, Caedyn's form lowered, bending slowly at the knees in order to propel himself forward from his position, sprinting with heightened pace empowered through the aid of the Force as he moved to meet the Sith Lord head on with a heavy handed horizontal slash aimed at the midsection.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Predictable.

The boy might have the potential for skill it was his foolishness that offset all of that. The young Jedi threw himself like a rabid dog at him desperate for a kill, aggression fueling his drive as the anger built up within him and became his strength. Veiere was undoubtedly rolling over in his grave to see his own son calling upon his passion and toeing the line so easily. It was the fact that young Caedyn Arenais was so vastly outclassed, and he didn't seem to have the ability to see it. It reminded him of his own past against that old Null when the Armageddom would cast him down upon the sands, beating him like a dog for every mistake he made in combat. The Sith Lord carefully watched the young Jedi's every move analyzing his body language, using the nonverbal cues to read his intentions before they were realized, while using his knowledge of their reach discrepancy to plan his next move. So when Caedyn struck hard with the force augmenting his speed...​

​

He was waiting.​

​

It was at the last moment that the giant finally pulled that crimson blade up in line to intercept the relatively weightless blade of a lightsaber from below. Almost instantly as sparks flew when the blade touched the blood iron he used his vastly superior weight and strength to offset the blade, pushing it upwards and to the right while he stepped forward on his right leg just along the outside of the jedi's body. In the moment he made a minor readjustment of his arms and tipped his sword just slightly above his own right shoulder, and used the surging Jedi's own momentum combined with his own fluid moves and masterful foot work to drive the pommel of that blade into a bone crushing strike right into his face.​

​

It felt good.​

​

The strike brought back memories of his own mentor and how many times Arudes had done that to him, using his own mistake to deliver a bone crushing pommel right into his face. If the strike were to land he would immediately move to follow in the moment after with the first sword blow, to draw blood from his opponent.​

​

"You are no son of Veiere. He was a failure. But even he wasn't as worthless as you. What tricks do you have left, creature? What powers of the dark will you try to fell me with next?" ​

​

Caedyn Arenais ​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Recompense
Caedyn Arenais vs Darth Prazutis
Inventory: Knight-Errant Armor, Armistice Dual/Staff Lightsaber

"You are no son of Veiere.
He was a failure. But even he wasn't as worthless as you.
What tricks do you have left, creature?
What powers of the dark will you try to fell me with next?"
​

Caedyn was too slow to avoid the back-swing of the greatsword's pommel sending him reeling back as it connected with his right cheekbone and felt as though something had cracked beneath his cheek, the impact sending him stumbling backwards and only with the sudden crying alert of precognition, did the young Jedi Knight throw himself into a strong and agile backwards somersault in order to evade the follow-up attack from the Sith Lord.

Coming to a burdened halt some distance away having made sure he would be free of the Lord of Lies long enough to collect himself, Caedyn spat blood out across the pavement to his side, dark and dense, suggesting a heavy gash had been left beneath the skin. His gum had been forced against his jaw so heavily that his teeth had cut into the flesh and grinded raw as he had tried to get clear.

His eyes returned a glare back at Darth Prazutis , a wince as pain struck sharply at his right side in response to the turn of direction alone. "You talk too much" Caedyn replied, though not without his words being marred by the blood gathering inside his mouth.

The presence of Bogan was out in force within the air across Dromund Kaas, the Darkside fueled by the mass presence of the Sith as the world stood as one of their greatest within the territory of the Sith Empire. However, while most Jedi might shy away at this, Caedyn reached out and called to the turmultous presence of the Sith Lord himself, drawing upon his monstrous power in an attempt to draw upon Prazutis' strength and shape it into his own, the ability known as Force Drain, seeking to rejuvenate what damage had already been done.