Duel Galactic Kaggath Round 1: Darth Malum vs Gida Luroon

[Mauve]

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The arena floor rumbled and shook, the entire surface sliding open like a missile silo to reveal… an enormous Wroshyr tree rising up from the lower levels. It towered so high that its upper branches crested the arena and stood nearly eye level with the skybox. It sat upon a grassy, fern littered field. Amid the ferns, shapes prowled. Dangerous predators. Vornskrs. Force hunting beasts.

The boughs of the Wroshyr tree criss-crossed, forming limbs as wide as Coruscanti skywalks that the combatants could duel upon.

Droids hovered in the air around the tree, some with cameras, but many projecting interlinking rayshields so that the duelists could not interfere with the duels of the others. Of course… ray shields could always fail.

If any of the combatants fell to the ground far below, they risked being set upon by the vornskrs.

The announcers’ disembodied voice cut through as the combatants took their places on the boughs of the tree. “Honoring those who fell in the Battle of Kashyyyk between the One Sith and Republic, so many years ago, I give you the FIRST ROUND of the GALACTIC Kaggath!”

“He needs no introduction, but we’re giving one anyway. The Heir to House Marr. The Veteran of Exegol. The Lord from Beyond the Blackwall. Wielder of the Soul Saber. Leader of the Tsis’Kaar. DARTH. MALUM.”

“And his opponent… Gida Luroon! A… A militia general.”

"CHALLENGERS! BEGIN!"

Darth Malum of House Marr | Gida Luroon

 

[Gida Luroon]

General Gida Luroon stepped into the area to roaring applause, for her opponent, it was a sobering moment; she knew she'd be an underdog, but she was under the impression that people loved an underdog story, this could only mean one thing, the crowd didn't see her as an oponent for him, just a speed bump.

Stepping out into the branch of the massive tree opposite her opponent, Gida balanced with a mix of acrobatic skill and the FrictionGrip on her boots. She held her handcannon in her left hand and her vibrosword in the right, on her belt was several stun grenades, reloads for her gun, an energy shield in case someone thought that could end things with a quick blaster shot, and a second short blade if the melee got too heated for her preferance.

Despite having not a drop of force sensitivity, she could imagine that she could feel her opponent, Darth Malum, from across the tree, so thick was the dark side in the air around him. Gida knew this was a fight she couldn't win fairly, feth, this was a fight she probably couldn't win at all, but her pride and honour were on the line so she'd at least go down swining, and hey, maybe he'd cream her so badly she'd win the black market prize for throwing the fight without needing to worry about wounding her armour.

"SO DARTH MALUM!" She projected her voice with a commander's set of lungs, the kind of voice that could cut through the din of a battle if comms ever went down, "WHO'D YOU HAVE TO BRIBE TO GET THE EASY FIRST ROUND WIN?"

Gida knew that she had to fight dirty, so even though Sith had strong control over their emotions, she might gain something by calling him out, implying some sort of cowardice, and that he paid to make sure he'd advance in the tournament might upset his focus. Even if there was no truth to the statement, nor any way for her to know if she'd accidentally been right or that the accusation was as false as she expected.

Readying for the fight, Gida held her blade out in a duelist's salute and her hand cannon down and to the side, prepared to snap up and shoot in any direction.

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Spoiler: Equipment

Hâsk-type Vibrosword (Standard length)
Hâsk-type Vibrosword (Shoto length)
HG-88 'Big Iron' Hand Cannon
Stun Grenades
Kainate Officer Uniform
DS-102 "Aegis" Personal Energy Shield
Climbing Boot and Glove Set

​

Tags: Darth Malum of House Marr Mauve

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

It had taken an extensive survey of the Tsis'Kaar files to uncover who the opponent that he had been bracketted against was. It had taken so long in fact that, he had almost given up, believing that the figure so unnotable that they had not been provided a file. Yet, as just as he was about to, he had uncovered just enough to realise...

...His initial evaluation did not seem to be entirely false, an attractive Twi'lek could arouse his attention at the best of times, but hardly politically. A general of Darth Morta hardly constituted great interest, especially when their allegiance and loyalty was not flexible enough to their own interests.

The file had long ago declared that the one known as Gida Luroon would have no use as an asset.

He supposed then, there would be hardly any loss if he dispatched such a figure... yet, Darth Morta had been one of the more supportive independent votes in the Assembly, even with their public sympathy towards the Kainite. He could not fault those who chased power in the midst of subservience...

...Could not fault them too much anyway.

Regardless, dispatching one of her loyal servants, hardly endeared him to the Twi'lek's mistress. To do it safely then... at least it would provide some challenge.

Such were the thoughts of Darth Malum of House Marr, as he stepped out from the shadows, to cheering, roaring crowds. Bedecked in his black armoured plate, encrusted with rubies that glimmered in the evening's light, at his side, sheathed but still felt, the beskar hilt of his Sith Sword itched to be unleashed on his foe, whatever foe that may be. Even as his masked head tilted in direction of the announcer.

The Heir to House Marr.

Te Veteran of Exegol.

The Lord from Beyond the Blackwall.

Wielder of the Soulsabre.

Leader of the Tsis'Kaar.

It was an intriguing list of titles and accomplishments. Even as the figure they were addressed to, Malum could not help but feel amused. Though perhaps that was only due to the relative... seemingly embarrassed riposte that his opponent's announcement was given. It really was quite unfair... but, he could say that about quite a many of the matchups thus far.

Almost as if they were by design...

They stood upon unwieldy foundations, yet, that would only make the first rounds, seeming to be as unbalanced as they were, at least the slight bit entertaining, gazing around his form, the droid above descending down a shield, as far to the horizon and by his periphery similar arenas were formed, tracked by a small horde of camera droids.

Of the arena itself, there was not much to say, flat, with nature seeming to perch through, indeed it was the branches of the great tree breaking the arena's grounds. He then, brought red eyes to consideration of his foe.

Only for their booming voice for barest moment break the monopoly of the crowd's.

Beneath the mask Malum could only smirk.

As his legs began their motion, from nothing increasing in speed from a walk, to a run, to a fully fledged sprint, all the way to a speed, buoyed by the Force that was beyond the means of human biology, as one hand gripped around the beskar pommel, and with a mighty hiss that seemed to resound the arena, the Sith steel was born to the cool outside of the sheath, as the tip protruded out to an even greater hiss as the red plasma extended even further out.

Launching himself into the air, the blade swung with all the force of momentum and muscle, before a second trick unveiled itself, the steel bursting into rankerous orange flames, the heat coalescing in the field between them, as they blade struck for what was seemingly a mortal blow, but in reality, duel strikes to cripple both weaapons the woman wielded.

Gida Luroon
Mentioned: Darth Morta

 

[Mauve]

“That probe droid is getting awfully close to those two duelists.”

The droid swung low, carrying something that looked like a massive pontoon gun beneath it.

“WHAT’S THIS,” shrieked the announcer.

Chwwwump. Chwwwwump.

The probe droid’s device sprayed what looked like gravel all over the two duelists, the rocks littering the thick bough of the tree all around them.

“OH MY FORCE, THAT DROID JUST DUMPED PULVERIZED VOIDSTONE ALL OVER DARTH MALUM. I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING!”

There is now a fine layer of voidstone gravel covering the wroshyr branch, dampening force abilities of those around it.

Darth Malum of House Marr Gida Luroon

 

[Gida Luroon]

Gida readied herself to resist a force-empowered strike from Darth Malum by holstering her pistol and placing both hands on her blade's grip. At least the cortosis in her blade would resist the lightsaber edge projecting out of the blade he was swinging, and depending on whether the crystal in the weapon was one of those cortosis-resistant ones or not, maybe even give her an edge on the riposte.

Though she still wasn't exactly overburdened with confidence. Not until Gida saw what she originally assumed to be a camera droid dump a load of gravel on her opponent and the area around him mid-jump, and then commentators said what the drop was, Void Stone.

Gida herself didn't have the funds to pay for assistance like that, so it was either someone who wanted Darth Malum dead or embarrassed, or someone, most likely Darth Morta, wanting to give her a fighting chance. Well, she was going to milk this assistance for all it was worth.

Launching herself forward, keeping low to the massive tree branch they were duelling on, she slid underneath Darth Malum's leap, something that normally she would not have been able to do if it wasn't for the Void Stone temporarily making adjusting his trajectory with the force impossible.

As she slid underneath him, Gida slashed up at the back of his legs while switching to a one-handed grip, though she doubted the strike would connect, temporary interference with command of the force wouldn't interfere with his command of the blade. Her real objective was to keep him on his toes so she could grab a handful of the gravel before it could be kicked off the tree limb. Gida had to assume his priority would be to clear off the force-damping substance as quickly as possible, so she shoved as much as she could fit in her hand into a belt pouch. The obvious benefits being he no longer had the option to quickly snuff her out with the force, read and influence her mind, or predict her moves, other than via his experience as a bladesman.

"Be careful Lord Malum! When fighting someone you think beneath you we might drag you down to our level and beat you with experience!" She shouted, less of a taunt this time and more clearly psyching herself and the crowd up for a fight she now at least had the slightest chance of winning.

Spoiler: Equipment

Hâsk-type Vibrosword (Standard length)
Hâsk-type Vibrosword (Shoto length)
HG-88 'Big Iron' Hand Cannon
Stun Grenades
Kainate Officer Uniform
DS-102 "Aegis" Personal Energy Shield
Climbing Boot and Glove Set
A handful of Void Stone gravel

Tags: Darth Malum of House Marr Mauve

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

He had known that something organised as profane as a "Galactic Kaggath" ran by the newest brand of criminals that sought to infect their galaxy would hardly be an homourable affair.

What he had not expected was outright corruption.

Red eyes had noticed the oncoming droid, only moments later had he become altogether too aware what it had been carrying. When it felt as if his heart had stopped in his chest for barest moment, when it felt as if his very being was split in two only to be carelessly stiched back together... suffice it to say, he had enough experience with Force Dead, Ysalmari, and the Nether for a lifetime. Voidstones were only yet another trick those without blessing nor gift used to attempt to even odds.

And a particularly annoying one at that.

He snapped his eyes shut as his mind screamed, gritting down his teeth as a seering pain broke across the threshold, his body forced to adjust to the change of speed almost immediately, as he thrust whatever momentum was left to fling himself across the arena, the short bursts of what force sensitivity passed through the cracks of the stones a godsend, as the air whistled around his foot, the enemy drawing far too close, to drawing first blood.

He hissed, as he bit down upon ever harder, his feet cracking against the ground as he made landfall, skidding away, as he opened his red orbs.

Knowing they had been dulled.

As another figure took control, they keenly took stock of the situation, regarding the voidstones with a near disgust, gazing at the slide of hand employed by the Twi'lek with annoyance. An analysis, sorting itself quickly in Malum's mind. There was as always now, only one singular objective.

The Twi'lek had determined to be an obstacle.

He considered the words she threw at Malum... it was unlikely she had anything to do with what just occured...

...But she might know who did.

Dulled red eyes flicked to the beskar hilt in Malum's hand, the blade stung at the skin, a foreign presence hardly appreciated, as the red plasma still hissed, even as the flames had been long ago put out.

They would not need it presently. The thought passed as quickly, as the lightsabre hissed its deactivation, and the Sith Steel met its home within its sheath, held upon Malum's side, they flitted both hands across their wrists.

As between the fingers of the left, four tiny black balls were unveiled, and betwen the fingers of the right, four obsidian blades stood at the ready. They offered no riposte to the Twi'lek, indeed, it seemed silence to be the name of the game. As the balls were shot out of the fingers, exploding on impact as a black acrid smoke filled the air.

As the Shikkars burst through the darkness, attempting to skewer their opponent.

Gida Luroon

 

[Gida Luroon]

Gida steadied herself for the Sith Lord's rebuff to her attack, or riposte her words, only to see a thick black smoke quickly obscuring her vision of him and hear not a single word. Banter was no fun if the opponent just ignored it, still, she could hope that it was getting the crowd and judges. In reality, she only stood a chance at winning by decision, not by death, by knockout, or by yielding.

Turning side face to present a thinner target as she expected Darth Malum to come at her through the smoke, Gida instead felt an explosion of pain in her right arm as a short blade suddenly sprouted from her bicep.

"Feth." She swore under her breath.

Gida had let her opponent draw first blood by assuming he'd go for a melee attack again, at least the protective weave in her uniform meant that the blade hadn't sunk too deep. Well, she was going to have to play dirty to win; there was no point holding back.

"With hits like that, we might as well switch over to a rap battle, words might hurt more." Gida taunted, trying to annoy Malum and cover her next move.

Quickly, she grabbed a stun grenade and whipped it through the smoke, unsure if it would be any more than a quick distraction, she sheathed her sword and drew her pistol. Quickly sending a quartet of disrupter shots through the smoke, followed by a cluster round from the pistol's underslung Verpine launcher, Gida dropped to the tree's massive branch while still obscured.

Looking to take advantage of, hopefully, sending her diving for cover and a broken line of sight, she scrambled to climb underneath the thick tree limb. Hanging by the climbing equipment on her hands and feet, and hoping the deadzone in the force by the spray of void stone gravel was large enough that he couldn't track Gida by the smaller dead zone created by the stone in her pocket. She moved well beyond the smoke and hoped to pop up behind Darth Malum, sword in one hand, pistol in the other.

Spoiler: Equipment

Hâsk-type Vibrosword (Standard length)
Hâsk-type Vibrosword (Shoto length)
HG-88 'Big Iron' Hand Cannon
Stun Grenades
Kainate Officer Uniform
DS-102 "Aegis" Personal Energy Shield
Climbing Boot and Glove Set
A handful of Void Stone gravel

Tags: Darth Malum of House Marr Mauve