Round One - Padawans Nikias and Zenduu

[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="Nikias"] vs [member="Jerek Zenduu"]

You may begin!

 

[Jerek Zenduu]

Spoiler: Jerek's Psych-Up Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcrJPPv-TpM

A tense silence settled over the arena as the opponents were called out. The boy jerked as his named rang through the air of the small dojo, fading quickly into the woodwork of the room, but not from his ears. A reverberating echo pulsed to the timing of his heartbeat, an inner chant that accompanied him as he stepped out from the crowd to meet his opponent.

His eyes gazed up as his chin followed, rising to take in the full stature of the padawan before him. He was huge! Two meters tall, broad shoulders and shock white hair that didn't match the week's long stubble that covered his chin, the man before him looked too old to be a mere padawan. The boy almost chuckled to himself, realizing his thinking was still attuned to the Republic's Jedi Order and not the Coalition's more lax admissions. But this was not a time for amusement.

Jerek's lanky form stood square as he met the opponent, someone named Nikias, a name he knew only from the arena's announcement of his match. He would have remembered meeting someone so imposing elsewhere. Next to him, the boy knew, he must seem a small fry, an easy match, but looks were often deceiving. He tried to install that wisdom in his own mind as it grappled with the sheer size of the figure before him. The more primitive parts of his mind were insisting that he flee, run from the room and find somewhere safe. Yet he stayed rooted to the ground, the instinct ignored. Jerek was no coward.

The smooth, metal hilt of his saber was in his hand automatically, and with a slight tug it came loose from the spot on his belt. For a split second, the air seemed to tingle with the heat of the stares, his, his opponent's, and the onlookers. Until now, the match's outcome had been predicted by sight alone, even Jerek was victim to it, part of him wondering how he could possibly win against this Nikias. Now, the outcome would be decided by skill. The sound of a lightsaber's activation pierced the air, and a blade rose beside the boy's face, casting his pale skin and blond hair in an eerie green glow.

Raising the weapon above his head, Jerek grasped it in a reversed two-handed grip and placed his right foot forward, opening in the high guard stance of the most basic form. After pausing a moment for Nikias to activate his own lightsaber, he stepped forward, bringing his weapon down in a slash from the right.

With that opening move, the match began.

[member="Nikias"]​

 

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]Hearing his name called Nikias rose to his feet and made his way to the arena opposite his opponent[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] eyes darting around Nikias took stock of the room. How wide across and long the arena was and the density of it. With a tap of his foot Nikias concluded his observations[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] it was always best to know what one would be fighting on and the constraints of a fight before jumping straight in, or at least that's how the Hellyni thought of it. He wasn't too fond of being caught off guard due to the environment that he was fighting in. Eye's scanning the crowd that had gathered to see the tournament take place Nikias was shocked for such a turn out. For a faction of mystics[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] they certainly did put a lot of emphasis on battle. Then Nikias turned to see the figure on the pedestal above them. with a bow he offered master heavenshield his respects.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Finally looking to take his opponents appearance into consideration Nikias simply tilted his head to the side as he observed the young boy. The blonde hair upon the boy’s head seemed to be messy and his eyes still carried a youth to them that Nikias only wished he still had. Some would've been thrown off by being pitted against such a young opponent[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] but Nikias had no such qualms. On Hora they started learning to fight as children and by the time they were the boys age they were fighting in battles. Even then the boy probably wouldn't have entered the tournament if he wasn't a jedi which made him a very real threat in Nikias' eyes. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Offering a bow to the young man as a sign of respect Nikias raised a new fire burning in his eyes. The love of battle[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] something he'd been intimate with many times before. How he once again longed for the feeling of being on a battlefield and feeling his heart pounding to the beats of battle as energy flowed through him. Right hand reaching out Nikias' saber flew from his belt snapping into his hand while on Nikias' left arm was the gauntlet for the Makrosian shield. While he'd not been told specific rules on the contest Nikias had brought his shield as it was nothing but a variation of the lightsaber and its technology[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt], [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]though an incredibly rare one. Keeping the shield in reserve Nikias activated his saber. With the signature snap-hiss a violet blade was shot out from the hilt. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]When the battle began Nikias had been about to take the offensive but Jerek had already made his move bringing the blade down in a slash. Even for one so young Jerek still had the force and meeting a slash head on was not something Nikias did in combat. Taking a step back on his right foot Nikias brought his own blade around to meet Jerek's but not in a head to head collision. Instead Nikias moved to guide the slash away from his body. Then with a pivot and spin Nikias would release a heavy backhand aimed for Jerek's jaw.[/SIZE]

[member="Jerek Zenduu"]

 

[Jerek Zenduu]

"Purple," the errant thought crossed the boy's mind as Nikias ignited his own weapon. A part of him wondered if the color held any significant for his opponent. Sometime the color had a deep meaning, and sometimes a color was just a color. Jerek had been surprised by the emerald hue of his training saber after picking it out from the pile, he had been hoping for blue like Elias', but in time the green blade became as much a part of his identity as his looks or his voice.

Yet Jerek had no time to spare for idle thoughts. His blade made contact, but Nikias had not met him with a full parry. Perhaps he was saving his strength or Jerek had caught him off guard. The man's blade met his own, deflecting it off to the side. The boy let himself be carried with it, loosening his stance as the movement brought him in a half-circle motion around Nikias.

As Jerek stepped through the momentum of his failed attack, his mind alarmed as the primal part of it reacted to some stimuli. The familiar tug of the Force pulled at him, and a flash of movement caught his eye as the boy glimpsed a split second ahead of the now. Without thinking on it, he reacted, ducking quickly to avoid the gauntleted fist heading for his jaw. Still, Jerek had been almost too late and the move had cost him in stance and footwork. Off-balanced, he backed up to give himself space to regroup.

Keeping his right hand on his weapon, Jerek dropped his left, spreading it out as a ballast in a classic Soresu pose. His blade danced as it wove a shield pattern between Jerek and Nikias. The boy hoped the unexpected shift would make up for his clumsy response to his opponent's counter.

[member="Nikias"]​

 

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]Nikias kept his eyes on jerek, he ensured that he could take in everything about his opponent’s movements from their footing up to the emotions on the face. It was one of the best ways to not only learn about the type of combat the enemy usually employed but was a way to better oneself in combat. To make themselves more unpredictable to better shock and awe their opponents. That’s how Nikias operated so as jerek ducked beneath the blow and lost his footing he took note. The boy is fast. Nikias thought casting a fleeting glace to the young jedi’s feet to see how their stance was. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Nikias did not immediately chase after jerek and instead took his own step back to better take in the boys’ motion and immediate change from offense to defense. It was incredibly impressive[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] and while Nikias knew the jedi had names for their forms and such he typically did not employ them in the same way. That would fit in any of the categories[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt], [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Nikias did what he thought was best in combat without dedicating himself to one formation or tactic. More than impressed at the shield that the jedi was forming Nikias began his approach. With his height and long legs[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt], [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]it only took two steps to get close and build up momentum while the third step brought him close to jerek.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Right arm moving across his chest Nikias immediately released it in a slash at jerek. This was nothing but a simple probing attack to goad the boy into a defensive posture as without even letting the slash finish Nikias broked off the attack with a turn and flick of his wrist the slash turned into a thrust aimed for jerek’s chest. The sabers were of course not set to lethal as Nikias was sure the silver sanctum would look down on jedi cutting each other’s limbs off. [/SIZE]

[member="Jerek Zenduu"]

 

[Jerek Zenduu]

Hazel eyes watched Nikias as he approached, his earlier intimidation shed as Jerek looked on with the cool composure honed by years of instruction under the Republic's Jedi masters. The man hadn't even flinched at Jerek's change in stance, just taken his own step back for a moment to consider. Jerek wasn't sure if his opponent had any experience with the classical forms, so far his fighting style had been improvisational at best. Nor did Nikias look like someone who had lost many fights in that manner. He was skilled, but untrained.

Jerek hoped he could use that. He would focus on Soresu, keeping himself on the defensive, wearing down Nikias through sheer attrition. Let the bigger man waste his energy on attacks, while the padawan saved his for the end. If Nikias was really unfamiliar with the forms, he might not even know it was happening, especially, Jerek reasoned, if the boy inserted his own counter strikes here and there. With that, the plan formed within his mind, solidifying into something real. Something tangible.

Something his brother would have hated. Jerek nearly grinned at the thought, if only Elias could see him now.

Putting his thoughts into action, the boy stepped to the side as Nikias slashed across, watching as it sailed into the air where his chest had been. The blades kissed briefly, enough to know the other was there, as Jerek resumed his shield from a different position. He wasn't so fooled by such a move, not when Nikias took a running start at him; broadcast from so far away Jerek could easily sense his opponent's moves.

[member="Nikias"]​

 

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]Aw,[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] now I remember where I've seen this. [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Nikias thought as the boy dodged his attack this time with only minimal blade contact. Nikias may not have learned the forms under a teacher or devoted his time to learning them[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt], [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]but he had certainly interacted with jedi and Sith that utilized it. It wasn't only Jerek's dodging that had tipped Nikias off to it but the avoiding of making too much contact with the enemy and him staying on the defensive. Nikias' first duel had been against Joza who had employed similar techniques[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] and now that Nikias had taken stock he began devising a plan to deal with the defense. He knew from experience that meeting such a form head on would rarely work. Joza had been able to land many hits on him during his offense[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt], [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]sometimes without him even noticing. Having learned his lesson Nikias knew that he wouldn't make the same mistake again.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Not wanting to yet reveal his shield[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt], [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Nikias threw out anything having to do with it out. While it would possibly make the duel easier[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] it was something he only saved for when he truly needed it. Devising a plan on the fly[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] his thoughts going at breakneck speed. Nikias turned to immediately pursue Jerek in what would appear to be a full on offensive. Closing the distance with a few large steps Nikais took in the blond jedi, his gold eyes burning with fire. Entering a high guard and bringing the saber down in what appeared to be an over handed blow Nikias would wait till the last second to let his left hand leave his sabers hilt. Pushing out[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt], [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]hands splayed wide Nikias pushed out with the force in a telekinetic burst aimed directly at Jerek's chest. This was nothing but another distraction as on his saber Nikias' middle and index finger opened releasing a smaller push directed at Jerek's feet intending to make the young boy loose his balance. [/SIZE]

[member="Jerek Zenduu"]

 

[Jerek Zenduu]

The blade attack was expected.

Jerek lay in wait, ready to move as Nikias lumbered forward again, announcing his move as loudly as if he'd shouted his plan. Force-attuned senses honed over many-a blindfolded sparring session told him where the man was going to move and when. All he need do was shift his body to respond, rote actions that he performed without much thought. Those thoughts he did entertain were confident, satisfied at his easy response to Nikias' actions. At this rate, the duel would be over with Jerek hardly breaking a sweat.

The telekinetic attack was not.

He had been playing on the notion that his opponent was primarily a blade wielder, someone whose strength came through their physical prowess, and not the metaphysical. Someone more like Elias. His twin would have been happy to overpower someone by his lightsaber alone, and was often frustrated by what he called Force tricks. Jerek tried not to buy into the shaming tactic, but it often took all he had not to meet Elias blade for blade, knowing his brother was the stronger swordsman. Jerek learned to use his Force abilities without guilt.

That didn't mean that he was always ready to be on the receiving end. Case in point was this match, as the blond padawan felt the unseen Force pushing against him, causing him to lose his balance and stumble backwards. A smaller tug played at his feet, but was far too weak to rip his footing away entirely. Still, off balance and teetering backwards, Jerek's eyes widened as his thoughts raced. He had to do something to fend off whatever coming attack Nikias was about to throw at him. In his vulnerable state, such a move could easily end the match.

Throwing out his free hand, the boy tapped into his own Force abilities. His counter was not a push, however. Meeting TK with TK was a novice move. Instead, Jerek moved to another class of powers, those that altered their targets rather than manipulating them. To deaden the mind and senses, disconnecting the target's mind from their body so that its commands could not be executed, was the ultimate goal of Force Stun. The padawan wasn't nearly as proficient, so instead he focused on the joints and nerves of Nikias' limbs. If he could stop Nikias from moving or swinging his saber, even temporarily, it would give him time to recover and launch his own attack.

And perhaps end the match himself.

[member="Nikias"]​

 

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]Nikias had been ready to unleash a full on telekinetic push while Jerek was off balance but upon trying to move his limbs Nikias felt them stiff as a stone. Almost to the point where his joints had locked up on him. His knees were locked in the position they had been and his arms stuck[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] if anything Nikias looked like a being frozen in time. What sorcery is this! Nikias’ mind screamed as no matter the amount of effort put into his own body it would not respond. If the stun had been aimed to incapacitate his mind alone it would’ve proven to have been ineffective and while Nikias’ joints were frozen it did not stop his mind going at the speed of a freight train. He’d been forged through the fires with his duels against not only other jedi[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] but against the Sith and now he had to use those very same skills and Makrosian ingenuity to protect himself.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]While some that studied telekinesis focused on using destructive pushes and pulls Nikias had instead always focused on the finer manipulations. Using the environment to his advantage as in almost all his battles he’d been outclassed in one way or another. As such he had known from the start that using ones hands to direct the attack was to better focus and enforce ones’ power over an object. In essence making it easier to concentrate on it while mid-combat. Though now all of Nikias’ focus was dedicated solely to telekinesis and as his eyes darted to his saber it was plied from his hands with a telekinetic grip. Using a lightsaber solely with telekinesis was a hard thing to accomplish mid duel as one had to keep track of their own body and fending off other attacks. Though Nikias no longer had to worry about what the rest of his stunned body was doing so all his focus was on his lightsaber and controlling it. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The lightsaber still activated would fly at Jerek under Nikias telekinetic control and while a humanoid body was often restricted in the way it could use a saber the mind was not in the same way. By no means was the saber incredibly fast but the blows would begin to fall down from multiple angles impossible for Nikias’ body to emulate. The first attack was a stab straight for Jerek’s shoulder before the blade flipped backwards aiming another hit for Jerek’s knees[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] and instead spinning around to strike at the back of his knees. [/SIZE]

[member="Jerek Zenduu"]