Round One - Masters Carrick and Jericho

[Coci Heavenshield]

The arena is set for the second annual Silver Sanctum Coalition Tournament.

Many Jedi have gathered to witness the ‘battles’ between the combatants, from Padawans to Knights and Masters, all battling to see who will rise to the top, who will be the cream of the crop?, the icing on the cake?, the best of the best?. It is early morning, the sun has risen to herald a bright new day, avian circle in the Voss sky, the flowers are blooming and the bees are buzzing and there is excitement in the air. And lots of chatter ..

In the arena there is a seat at the end of the room, on which Grand Master [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] will watch over the tournament. With brushed back golden hair, beard trimmed and a set of sapphire blue eyes, and a calming demeanour, the grand master will cast those wondrous eyes upon his Jedi charges and step in if and I say IF, the duelling gets ‘out of hand’.

Before the duelling shall commence, each combatant will acknowledge his presence with a respectful bow and so to, to your competitor, before they begin.

[member="Xander Carrick"] vs [member="Jericho"]

You may begin!

 

[Garza]

OOC: I see what you did there [member="Coci Heavenshield"], and I am not happy about it. -_-

IC:

Taking a look over myself once last time before we would be facing off against each other in this ring of a sort, I made sure I was prepared with my single bladed lightsaber. It was simple in looks and features. Nothing extra about it. My second lightsaber was a little smaller in the hilt size. Comparable to a Shoto that I had once used a long time ago. The all silver hilt was nice and smooth to the touch. It felt good to feel the cold touch of durasteel in my bare hand.

I felt sad for a second as I put the old lightsaber on my belt. Letting it hang there once more. Breathing in, I focused on my training that I have received over many years. Becoming a center within the storm. Freeing my mind of any thoughts and emotions. I walked forward unto the ring set up for a duel against one particular Master I had grown fond of as a Friend, and an ally.

"Jericho, I may love you like a brother, but I must defeat you. You happen to stand in the way between myself, and one particular lady who I intend to have a talk to. May the force be with you, because you will need it."

I bowed to my brother in arms, then to Thuron as he would be watching this duel between two of his greatest allies. Turning back to my adversary, I closed my eyes and took one last breath before a brilliant blue lightsaber snapped to life as I took the form of the great Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Letting my off hand stretch out and gave him a motion to come hither.

"Cometh at thine self brother."

[member="Jericho"],

 

[Saki]

a battle between two powerhouses.... heck yeah. Saki stood there as she was getting some popcorn and wearing her Team Jericho t-shirted located in the temple at merchandise stands today. She sat down looking at some of the others who had come to watch the duel between them. "Oh this is going to be good." She had taken part in the last one against Kei but here with this well she couldn't deny it was a sight to behold. Shameless promotions a nd plugs for merchandise, some hammers or wrecking balls getting tossed in from the crowd. Maybe even if she watched the grandmaster it would become a big knock down blow out.

 

[Jericho]

Jericho quietly made his way to the arena, screams and shouts filled the air with both great enthusiasm and animosity. But the warrior remained silent as he always has and looked around to the crowd analyzing each face and the area around him. Enclosed and tight. Instantly he thought of what abilities he could and could not use due the sensitivity of the audience and that arena grounds. Too treacherous to use his elements aside from his flames and the air, the easiest for him to command. The bright flame known as Morna had taught him well. The warrior took a knee and felt the padding on the floor, meant for limited rough contact.

The warrior took in a breath and close his eyes and felt his own aura around him the light and the dark balance in a light grey, but a storm stirred. He would have to limit himself, he looked up to Master [member="Xander Carrick"] and gave the man a look upward and downward. Jericho would have limit himself to an extent. Telling from the man's size, he was most likely a brute type of fight unlike the other masters around. Though Jericho had the reach and size advantage, only a fool would underestimate the master, in a clash of physical strength alone they may be equals but that was not factoring his cybernetic limbs and the use of force strength or any other skills.

Jericho stood up quietly and face his brother disciple, Thurion and bowed his head then faced his foe in the matter and gave him a humble bow of his head once more. As the master made his statement Jericho gave the man a nod his head in response, in a way respectful to the master. Once more Jericho analyzed the man and recalculated his tactics, the warrior was expected a more aggressive stance not that of the defensive Soreau. Was the man as cunning as he was large? With this in mind, his limits, and the audience, Jericho decided on how he would proceed.

The warrior took in a deep breath before pressinh his right foot foreword and going into the K`thri stance. His saber remained on his belt, Jericho was going to take the first few move to really learn more on Xander to Jericho movements spoke louder than words. He charged at Xander in a seeming overly abrupt manner only to flash step back off his lead foot a few feet back ward, aiming an air blast at the man's right thigh.

 

[Garza]

The man who walked before me was very much prepared for this fight. I had a feeling that this would be one of the more difficult fights of my time, as a Master within the Silver Jedi. The man was limber, and would very likely play as much. Conforming to a style that would be either fast, or fluid in its form. Jericho was such a man even by his mastery over the elements, would be fluid as the water he could command. As harsh as the fires he could create, sturdy as the stone he could influence, and as fast and agile as the wind itself.

I could see all of this in the man. Considering his lightsaber was double bladed, you had to have alot of training with the weapon in its movements. One false twist of the hand, one incorrect movement of the feet could mean cutting your own limbs off. I would have loved to see how this man fought on the battlefield, however, not be on the receiving end.

We had the gocahead to fight, and as such, The Jedi Master came forward very fast, only to take a step back and launch a burst of wind towards my right leg. The slight boom of a force push erupted from my off hand downwards just in front of my leg. Nullifying the gust to a great degree. I could still feel the wind grab at my clothing, wanting so badly to throw my stance off. However, as a use of Soresu, becoming the center of the storm was much like a hurricane.

Becoming calm when all else around you was a raging wind. In this case, literally. Sidestepping to the left, My arm moved across my chest with my palm up, and the saber blade facing once more towards the Jedi Elementilest, My force speed shot me across the distance between the two of us to stab towards his chest. My arm lunging forward enough to still be in front of me, but not over extend myself.

With a flick of my wrist, and a twist of my elbow, I let loose a slash that went from my left side, to my right. As the blade would pass my target, the follow through would be different. My saber shut off. Using Trakata to increase my focus upon the force as I sent a blast of the force with my off hand. I may have been using one of the many Soresu stances, but I never stayed that way for long. I was about confusing the enemy with tactics such as Trakata, using stances to forms I knew very well, such as Soresu, only to switch into an aggressive form such a Djem-so or Ataru. It was my personal style to move with the ferocity of Shien or Djem-so, while have little movements and the counter ability you could achieve with Soresu.

However, that may change with how this fight would proceed. Jericho was no fool. He was a Master. I expected much of him. And as such, simplicity at its best.

[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

Slight movement on the counter, he focused on solely the wind, countering with the force. His stance remained strong and untouched stemming down like that of a mountain. Leaving Jericho's attack as that of gentle breeze. Truly a man with talent and mind in the heat of the moment, sadly in doing so the blonde mountain reveal much to the warrior's eyes. Though the warrior's eyes was far from all seeing, his lorrdian eyes read movements with the deadliest of precision. The master that stood before him was a wall. Sturdy. Strong. But if the right brick was pulled it would fall.

For Jericho, it was time to find that brick. Jericho would remain at play until he could come to truly learn more on Master [member="Xander Carrick"]

Like a dance of wind, Jericho let the mountain make its subtle movements while howled around him. With the stance of soreau the mountain remained centered even when making its strike. When he lunged with a side step to the left, Jericho with his southpaw stance followed his step, his right foot remained outward from the man's leading foot. Making a dodge seemingly easily made from his more straight foreword attack. But that was not his end game, to end with such an open strike, no. Xander was much more clever than that. That much was reveal from his force push to counter instead of a traditional movement form counter of Soreau.

No, from his movement, more of the recoil of his attack, Xander wouldn't commit to such an open strike. The Jericho heard it, the slight flicker that made sabers made when they are about to be shut off for a feinting type of attack. The warrior was all too familiar with this tactic, a burned scar on his nose left by the trickster type fighter, Crovus, made its mark. As did a number of other Jedi loved this little move. There would be three ways this move would go about. One, aimed to unbalance him from another strike, since Jericho had not touched his saber that was obviously not his aim. Two, Xander aimed for a fatal strike or at least a crippling blow by reactivating his saber. Or three, a concussive type attack either physical or that of the force.

Had it been physical, Jericho's reckless style would take the hit to dish out something harder. Jericho saw the palm being made by the off hand. Force. Jericho remained on the outward end and danced with the mountain doing a speed with a push of his back leg he spun closer using the force to increase his own momentum away from the hardy stance made, aiming a fast elbow to dig into the man's shoulder blade. But the attack itself was a distraction, Jericho's true aim was was to continue his spin for a full round house kick to the man's back leg.

Soreau, a form favored by most jedi due to its calm nature and defensive ways was something Jericho disliked. Even though many twicked with their own style the core of the form was too clunky, its foot work too standard and flat. Truly an art opposite of him, unadaptive but traditional.. Though Jericho never openly spoke against the form, he, himself would never like the art.

What would tradition do in face of adaptation?

 

[Maya Carrick]

There among the people was the one that stood out among the others not only for her skin and hair but for other reason also. Knowing who she was that today she was called upon not only as a wife to watch her husband take on Jericho whom she had knows just as long if not longer.

Even so she was here for Xander but also her healers was here to heal those that needed to be healed after the matches was done and over with . Knowing that there would be some bones to be mended and wounds that would be open that would need closing. For now she would just watch on and give her lovely old fart of a husband the support. Knowing that her children would be there also any minute to support their father also.

 

[Garza]

This was good. The man was as fast as I had thought. Avoiding the jab, and the slash to come around towards my saber arm. His movements were much of a blur, but that is what I was good at doing. Detecting these movements Either through the force, or though pure observation. He knew I was a Telekinesis user. As well as a Lightsaber duelist. He would try and find the keystone that held everything together of who I was, and yank on it as hard as he could.

I could feel the presence of my wife in the room, and so badly I wanted to wave to her, but I pushed the thought of her from my mind. I didn't want any distractions as I would be fighting a very challenging foe. Albit, I focused back on the fight at hand,

I knew what it was. And he may soon find out as well. With my lightsaber arm extended to some degree, his blur moved towards my right arm. Moving my own arm, I let his elbow slam into my shoulder. My Knees were bent at the moment, taking much of the blow, other than the physical contact with the elbow. However, I was not done.

The man came around to try and hit my leg. As a mountain, you needed a foundation. Roots. As such, you needed to protect them. Even more so than you arms. Especially my own right leg. The knee was screwed up from multiple battles over my time as a Jedi. Instead of trying to defend my leg, I would move it out of the situation a foot.

I spun around. Using my left foot as a pivot point, while my left hand used the force to take the inactive lightsaber from my right hands grasp, and activate it as I came with a full swing from my left side. This would result in a slash at Jericho's chest, going from his left side, to his right. Once again, following up with my right arm swinging around. With such close proximity towards each other, a force push would be useless, as well, costly should I miss again. Instead, I opted for my own elbow to come in at an angle from the right. A mix between a horizontal strike, as well as an uppercut. aimed to head for his stomach.

If the man could breath after getting hit there, I would be amazed, however dodging it was not hard. A simple backstep could prove to have both of my attacks to miss. I was prepared for this, or even some more intricate move where I may have to force myself past limits that I have gone with other Masters I have faced. If Jericho was using martial arts as his way of fighting me, then I may have to revert to some as well. Seeing as he could swipe and attack me from within my arc of the lightsaber. I might have to fix that soon.

Otherwise, I wouldn't be in this room for long.

[member="Maya Whitelight"], [member="Jericho"],

 

[Jericho]

Body movement is what came first nature to him, with the life that he had lived, as did battle with the two skill sets combined made him a deadly enough fighter. There was almost nothing his Lorrdian eyes could not see nor pick up on. And he could see the man before him, his eyes had seen the face of battle, a great many. They were honed and well trained, only few trained to eye coordination in such a full extent. But he didn't use it in a manner in which the warrior had; Jericho knew that, utterly and completely.

With his tactic like mind, his eyes and gauging from fighting style, he could read varied moves from the slightest of movements. No, the warrior was no mind reader of any kind nor could he see into how a fight was going about. The warrior merely would assume. He would have to assume several moves that his foes would make and plan for them an hope the moves that he assumed, they would make. Indeed, it was reckless and it has left him with a great many scars. But this was his style, adapt.

The elbow strike took its mark making a damaging it on the man though it would be a mere bug bite for what Jericho was planning to do. Xander was smart, seeing through Jericho's original tactic of ending the fight fast. His foe was far more formidable and intelligent for that. Jericho had to step up a bit more, more so his tactic rather than his strength. The more the sparred with his friend, the more he realized just how much damage a life or death battle would cause. Luckily this would not be the case, as this would be just that a session.

Jericho formulated more moves as Xander moved, taking in what he could do, and how he moved. Xander indeed had the elegance to him, the man had to using a weapon like a lightsaber. With a slight bend of the knees was able to limit the damage made by the elbow strike while able to spin out from the kick leveling their plain of motion. Smart move. Doing his they remained closed and both on able footing. Jericho at the moment did not have the advantage from space and vantage point.

But Xander's reflexes took hold. With the reactivation of the blade and swing of his arm. He treated the weapon differently than what Jericho would in a enclosed and leveled position. Instead of quick swing, his foe went for a full swing aimed to cut down with increased power. In doing so, Xander left his saber arm vulnerable but as a great warrior did, attempted to distract him with a followed combination strike. But they were enclosed and with the motion Xander aimed for one spot and failed to take in the factor of his three durasteel cybernetic limbs, one missing limb being a parting gift left by one, Nickolas Imura.

Jericho aimed a punched the front end shoulder where the elbow strike had landing being his saber arm. With his right arm being cybernetic, felt less wrist pain palmed striked his foes forearm, to ensure he couldn't follow through with the strike stopping the momentum. From such a foolhardy attack, most would have had their wrist fractured or broken from a man as large as Xander and the momentum the man had ready. But with an arm like Jericho, he had less to worry.

Maybe his friend was expecting a reasonable retreat. Maybe he felt Jericho style from the years of friendship and missions. But seeing it was one thing, experiencing was another. Hopefully Xander would learn as much as Jericho was already from their contact thus far. Jericho pushed a aggressive stance more pushing foreword with slight check of Xander's lead leg. Jericho took in a a deep moment with a slow exhale Jericho unleash a barrage of strikes aimed at Xander saber arm's shoulder.

Though his punches would be with his middle phalanx of his index and middle finger since his foe wore only jedi robes for the match Jericho didn't have to worry about power but rather speed. Jericho's aim; to tenderize the muscle and temporarily mess with Xander's nerves for the remainder of the fight.

[member="Xander Carrick"]

 

[Garza]

Jericho was a man who was very tactful. Meaning he read in on people and their actions and from them, made his own. He was a Silver Jedi, A Je'daii, and someone who craved knowledge to use. If that meant using it in battle, then all the better for him. I could even see this in the way he fought. How he reacted so quickly to my own actions, he was either using a form of precognition, or had a form of tactics. Reading the enemy through their previous actions to determine what may happen one, two, hell even five moves into the future. As such, I needed to find the edge on this man.

His arms came and blocked my arm. Not from the saber itself, but from my shoulder. Limiting movement of my arm. Meaning the saber was nowhere near him at the moment. My arm was extended out with the saber pointed towards my wife in fact. I could see her face for a split second down at the point of the saber. However, I was surprised that he had not broken anything with how hard I swung at him. My own arm would likely be bruised later on from it. I felt no flesh on his hand. Weird, but one thing different about hands and arms was their softer texture.

When he had first slammed his shoulder into me, it was rather hard and almost too hard to be a normal elbow. I had shrugged it off to be bone or just the weight he had put behind the strike, but this time, it was real. Hands were soft and malleable. Not hard as stone, and seemingly almost cold to the touch. Metal meant that his attacks would have more effect against my softer flesh and bone. Point one for him. However, that also meant that it was material. A structure which can still be broken. I intended to do this very thing.

A flash was all I needed. It was very short in the time it took for me to comprehend this information, but nonetheless, I could feel and inkling of information in the back of my head. A formation of rapid strikes upon my shoulder. It was there for a blink of an eye, and then was gone. As were his hands from my shoulder. I took that as my turn to make a move.

Twisting with my upper body first, I came to use my left elbow and push aside his strike. The elbow was a very strong bone. It took well over two and a half tons of pressure on the joint to break it. As such, it was a very useful tool in combat as I was not taking a direct hit from his metal hands. Instead I was allowing his strike to slide from my elbow, and climb slightly up my upper arm to be almost harmlessly thrown away from me. His second strike was aimed for my shoulder. However, since I have moved to the side, and twisted my top, I was a much smaller target now. I was still large, but not as large as I once was.

This would mean his second strike would slide just in front of my collar bone. It would hit nothing but air, and would be a waste of energy. However, I shouldn't be worried about that. I was more worried about his next attack. As such, I moved into action. The lightsaber in my left hand had shut off while my arm moved to block his first punch. It would be stupid of me to bring my arm up towards my head with the ligthsaber, and cut myself. While the lightsaber was set on the lower end of the spectrum to only cause minor burning or bruising, I still didn't want to hit myself while moving.

With the next attack coming in, my right arm came in horizontal between our chests, and pulled up in a 90 degree from the point of my elbow to send his third fist away from me as my feet turned around to have correct placement.

The fourth strike coming in even faster than the last one, I increased my own speed to compensate for, and blocked with my left arm doing the same motion as I did with my right. It was a motion that some considered to be very useful in any sort of hand to hand combat. Using your wrist to catch onto the person own wrist or arm, and almost literally throw their hand away from you. It wasn't a full block. More so a diversion of Jericho's fists to not hit me. I knew I would have scuff marks on my wrists and elbows when I was done with this, and Maya may fret over it, but I wanted to keep them. It was a lesson for me to learn.

This time though, it was going to change. His fifth punch was coming in for me. While I had done the motion with my left arm, I brought my right arm back enough to be between myself and Jericho. Palm open as though it wanted a hug. And in all honesty, I was going to hug him. HIs fist came to slam squarely into my own open palm. I could feel the metal as it hit my hand. It hurt. I wont lie. It was like someone was taking a hammer and slamming it into my hand at a very fast speed. The thing that was different about this block was that my fingers and thumb then closed around his fist. His attacks were all about speed, not power. As such, it didn't hurt as much as it could have. However, with my own speed enhanced, as well as a little help from precognition, I could catch his fist before he could draw it back.

In that second, the room became quiet as it seemed like all the air was sucked out. The result was a resounding boom as my right hand exploded with the force. It was a force push. it may have been a very simple move to do, but seeing as this was near the beginning of our fight, I was nowhere near drained of my force usage. I could still muster up quite a powerful force push. Albeit, one that was still connected to Jericho's hand. The result would not be in his favor.

If he wanted to get into hand to hand combat, then we can. Two can play at that game. He was intending to disrupt my own arm. Only now, the table has turned. Jericho was a man about knowledge and fighting prowess that could very likely surpass my own. He was tactically inclined due to his wealth of wisdom, however, I may have beat him there.

Having over 30 years worth of battle tactics and strategies helped you in more ways than you could count. Dissolving children's problems, helping in a relief effort, or even, hand to hand combat. Strength and speed were good. However, tactics and finding the right keystone to knock out of place was the way to win in every fight.

[member="Jericho"],

 

[Jericho]

Xanders movements spoke much louder than his words ever words. The spoke of his boundless experience, the stories of his expanded adventures. It spoke of his prowess in a fight, his strength, his power, and of his needed ability in the force. By no means was Xander a man to ever be underestimate, he indefinitely was a powerhouse among the other great warrior Jedi. But the more Xander made his movements the more he was revealing about himself to Jericho. As things progressed,

Jericho realized just how much Xander needed the force to keep up with the warrior. Maybe due to his size, maybe his age, whatever the reason, the man needed the force to stay on pace with the warrior. It was made obvious by the closed distance, from the lack of space inbetween the two and the rate Jericho made his strikes, there would not humanly way one would catch him without some sort of augmentation.

The warrior let out a breath as he felt the clash between his fist and Xanders palm. At the rate of speed, Jericho found himself slightly surprised at the strength of Xanders bones. As "light" as Jericho's flurry strikes were; the strikes were still meant to tenderize the muscle to the full extent of exhaustion. With the pointed edge of his fingers they would feel more of a jagged hammer than that of a blunted or dull end. Regardless, as the man unleashed a force push from his palm without releasing his fist.

Xander's folly, had the man released him the warrior would have been left unbalance and flew backward. But it seemed Xander's any was to cause a great deal of pain, in which he did. But pain was something Jericho was used to the the more powerful his foe and the more damage he took, the more enjoyment he would have for the fight. But alas, in the warriors mind he knew this was not a fight to the death, as such, he would not fight at his fullest. As this arm surged with pain, and crackled to the might of the force push.

Xander's focus was completely on Jericho's flurry of punches as expected and warranted. As masterful as Xander was in his specific style; his trade. There was something that would subconsciously be made by the blonde scruffy warrior. His reflexes and his pride. The temptation was too great not to match, Xander went as far as to even deactivate his saber, so he would match Jericho in close range hand to hand combat.

Though he didn't foresee, Xander would aim to catch his cybernetic arm, it played to his advantage, whether Xander expect so or not. Next for his downfall would his lack of focus on his foot work. With the light check to his lead leg, Jericho would keep a close and strong stance; basically wrapping the man's leg with his own maintaining his balance from the shock of the powerful force push made on his arm. In the game of chess, a single misplaced sacrifice would end in checkmate but from time to time it was needed to sacrifice a piece in order to capture the king. This case being his own arm.

The warrior's saber unclipped from his belt to his free hand, left unchecked by Xander. With a slight grunt the warrior pressed his saber to Xander's cheek left un-ignited. Jericho slightly turn the blade slightly allowing it to singe only part of the man's beard allowlng the message to sink in. There were a great many factors in which tactics were made. But in the end it was a matter of which they were used or executed in which they would made useful.

[member="Xander Carrick"]