Public Shadow Over Manaan

[Xeykard]

Braze ​

Xeykard forced the issue. His saber wasn't cutting it; instead, he wove back in, dodging the first strike and meeting the next head on, slamming his cybernetic fist into the Selkath's. The Force crashed against itself, wave meeting wave, but the rebound hurt Xeykard far more. His metallic knuckles crumpled and he was launched back, rolling at first but finding his footing a moment later.

The Selkath stood tall, no longer in her flowing motion from before. He'd managed to stop whatever she'd been doing to enhance her strength, but it was beginning to gather again. He'd need to be quick-

A child fell from the sky, cracking like lightning onto the ground. His presence flared brilliantly, but closer inspection told Xeykard that it was a ruse. The child's presence was large enough to be impressive -- a well-cultivated skill -- but the Inquisitor's senses were fooled only for a moment. This seemed like no more than a padawan, and one with a broken arm at that. His saber ignited again, levelled at the Selkath.

She, too, seemed surprised, recovering moments after Xeykard did.

"Who are you? Get the fuck out of here, I'm fighting him!" Her tone had an urgency to it -- the situation in the city was dire. But further, there was a tinge of pride, that her skills were being put to use; that her skills were a match for the Inquisitor's, and far beyond this child's.

Xeykard pulled his strength back, centering himself, enveloping himself in the Force, as he prepared to strike.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Xeykard

"Alright," Braze responded with a simplicity that belied the complexity of his emotions, but his stance remained unyielding. He understood the gravity of the situation, the stakes at play, and while he respected the Selkath's prowess and determination to stand against the threat, he couldn't just step aside. There was a role for him here, a purpose he felt compelled to fulfill. If she sought to confront him head-on, he wouldn't obstruct her path, but neither would he retreat from his own vow to hinder the Sith's advance.

 

[Tilon Quill]

A million light-years from Manaan, Tilon Quill woke up in a cold sweat. Ahto City, his home for much of his adult life, had filled his dreams. His heart raced. The gloom of his cabin on the Longjumper's Mark threatened to burst with enemies, raiders, conquerors. Dread sank deep into him, a certainty that his home was burning and he, selfishly, was far too far away.

He wept; he had no choice, and nothing else he could do. The deep void relays weren't functional yet, not all the way, and who could he call back home anyway, and what good would any of it do?

"Some Jedi Knight," he mumbled bitterly, rubbing his eyes, and tried to sleep again, and failed.

 

[Xeykard]

Braze ​

The Selkath was surprised at how quickly the Jedi seemed to back down; she'd been ready to argue, even throw a punch or two to prove her strength. But she didn't spend long on the details. Instead, she moved once more to engage the Sith.

Their fight began much the same as it had the first time -- quick, rhythmic exchanges, with the Selkath leveraging her skill in waveform to her advantage, increasing her strength with every hit. Still, she was a skilled enough combatant to notice after their first few exchanges that the strength gap wasn't closing.

Anger took her for a moment. The Barabel's form was crude, imperfect; the water's flow was impeded by a rock jutting the surface. She was sure she could catch up -- but he kept getting stronger, and stronger-

Xeykard's presence flared, an overwhelming aura of menace exploding out from him. The Selkath knew she had to block, and she raised her bracers to meet his saber -- only to meet nothing. Instead his fist swung under her guard, striking her chest with a heavy crunch. A moment later, she slammed into the wall of a nearby building, very nearly knocking it down. Her chest was caved in, and blue blood spilled from her mouth.

He shook his hand out and looked to the Jedi. "Quickly now. This one has more important things to do."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Xeykard

​

Braze's stance was firm, his gaze locked on his Sith opponent with a hint of mischief. "Why rush to the end? The best parts of the story often lie in the journey, not the destination," he quipped, his voice carrying a playful edge designed to unnerve his adversary. "Stay a while and play~ All work and no play, makes for a rather dull day, don'tchya say?" As he spoke, Braze concentrated deeply, channeling the Force with all the might he could muster. The air around him began to stir, increasing intensity until it swirled into a formidable torrential gust aimed directly at the towering figure before him.

His saber hand had reache dout as a visual and mental aid of hos focous and he began to twist it. The wind, under Braze's command, swirled into a horizontal vortex, its howling fury lashing out. "Let's see if you can dance with the wind as well as you dance with death," Braze taunted, hoping to catch his opponent off guard with his words as much as with his actions.

Braze knew the risks of engaging so closely with a Sith, especially one as formidable as the red lizard man before him, but Braze also knew the importance of protecting those who could not protect themselves. He couldn't engadge him with fire or scorching heat incase his previous oponnent may have been clinging to life still. The proximity was too close.

 

[Xeykard]

Braze
​

The wind and words washed over him. Xeykard remained unmoved.

He brought the Force around him in a tight shield, dispersing the first wave of wind. As the padawan gathered his next attack, Xeykard raised his right hand; as the vortex spun towards him, he swung down with his telekinetic might, dispersing the air in a single stroke. These were unusual abilities, but from what he could tell, nothing to be worried about.

For all the wracking of his brain he could do, Xeykard could not see how this could be a ruse. If it was going to be this easy, then there was little thinking to do.

The Inquisitor wasted no more time, hurling himself forward at the Jedi with alarming speed. His saber ignited mid swing, a wide slash of his club, using his massive reach to try and catch the padawan at the edge of his swing if the Jedi tried to dodge backwards.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Xeykard

Dashing forward, Braze found himself face to face with Xeykard. Something in the large Inquisitor's body language suggested that he wasn't taking Braze too seriously. Determined to prove himself, the Padawan steadied his grip on his saber and aimed a thrust toward Xeykard's midsection.

However, the Inquisitor's movement caught Braze by surprise. His quick glance down was all the warning Braze received before Xeykard's club came into play, swinging down for a strike at the Padawan. Braze pushed himself forward and stepped up on seemingly nothing in thin air, gaining elevation at an alarming rate. There was a twisted torque to his form, although his toes touched down on something unseen but clearly tangible. The wind around the small figure bustled and swirled out, his white hair and clothes billowing in the breeze. The club missed him by mere centimeters behind him, leaving a powerful gust of air in its wake. He had moved faster before the strike, placing himself in incredibly close quarters to the man as he climbed step by step higher up. His goal was a slash at Xeykard's neck.

 

[Xeykard]

Braze
​

Xeykard shifted his swing, twisting his body to follow the padawan as he launched himself into the air -- and then took a step. After the second step the Inquisitor adjusted again; by the height of the padawan's movement, Xeykard's saber was already swinging to parry. He carried himself forward, out of the way of any further strikes.

He'd heard of abilities like this before, but seeing them up close was something different entirely. That storm-wielder he'd faced off against, who'd been with Vanagor... this sort of thing was inefficient, in Xeykard's mind. Yet he did not understand it -- and he wouldn't, if the child died too quickly.

Clearly he had underestimated the padawan. His victory was assured, of course, but it would be a touch more challenging than initially expected. Here he saw opportunity, though; this was an adept but not a master, surely. The danger was not too great. His skill could be taken.

With a touch of distance between them again, Xeykard simply raised his saber again, appearing to be wary of the Jedi -- and allowing him the initiative.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Xeykard

Braze was surprised to see the man draw away from him and parry his attack. He continued upwards, moving away from the seemingly invisible spiral staircase he was running up that had previously spiraled around where Xeykard stood.


Each step elevated Braze, positioning him just above Xeykard's chest height as he launched even higher into a forward front flip spin, suspended mid-air. To compensate for their disparity in strength, Braze harnessed momentum, his weight, and gravity to empower his attack. This move had to be decisive. Familiar with rapid, forceful movements, Braze emerged from his spin, diving towards Xeykard blade first. With his feet raised high, he thrust his blade downward in arch bringing forth a fulcrum-like motion aimed directly at Xeykard's head. Aware of the peril his adversary posed, Braze chose tactics that, if successful, would be lethal.

 

[Xeykard]

Braze
​

Xeykard, again, moved out of the way, sliding back smoothly out of reach. Again the padawan surprised him, but not in a way that would make a difference. More frustrating was how the boy's strange ability still seemed out of reach.

He bounded further away, taking a moment to focus his energy, seemingly on nothing. His brow furrowed in concentration, then in frustration.

"Child," he snapped. "Your wind. Hit this one with it."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Xeykard

The battlefield had shifted, and with it, the tide of their duel. Braze, seizing the moment, had maneuvered the towering Xeykard into a position that favored his next move. As he descended from the air, his landing wasthat of grace and precision, a few steps taken to arrest the momentum of his fall. A smirk played on his lips, a silent herald of the storm he was about to unleash. "As you wish," he declared, his voice carrying the weight of impending victory.

Around Xeykard, the atmosphere began to change, the air itself seeming to conspire with Braze. A gentle breeze, at first no more than a whisper, grew in intensity until it became a howling gale, centered on Xeykard like a predator circling its prey. But this was no ordinary wind; it was the prelude to something far more devastating.

With a focused gesture from Braze, a spark ignited within the heart of the tempest, a nascent flame that hungered for the oxygen-rich environment. In moments, the spark transformed into a roaring inferno, the flames turning blue and white with the ferocity of their heat. Xeykard found himself ensnared in the heart of a swirling vortex, a maelstrom of fire that swirled with lethal grace around him. The vortex tightened, the flames drawing closer with each passing second, a vivid display of elemental fury that left no doubt of Braze's mastery over his powers.

This was not just a display of pyrotechnics; it was a declaration of intent from a young Jedi who had turned the very elements into his allies.

 

[Xeykard]

Braze
​

Xeykard was never 'impressed', he never 'worried', but as the firestorm rose around him, he realized the nature of this battle. This child -- assuming he was human -- couldn't be older than sixteen, but was already manifesting power in the Force like this. There was talent there.

Some beings could wield the Force, but among those who did, there were still disparities. Xeykard had been a weak and stupid child, and his masters had never let him forget that fact. The child before him was certainly stupid, but he was not weak.

Even so, he did not know strength as Xeykard did.

He took a deep breath in before the smoke and sulfur took the air. His energy churned along with the vortex around him, gathering strength in the same way his earlier opponent had. The flames closed in; Xeykard lowered himself, his weight and the Force keeping him on the ground, until-

The release cracked the earth, shattering the street beneath him. The cracks in the pavement spread up the wall of a nearby building, while the water of the canal nearby was pushed away, spilling over onto the other side. The air rushed outwards, shattering windows all the way down the street. The firestorm burst outwards, broken from the bottom up, revealing Xeykard once more.

If he was burned, it didn't show on his red scales. His form smoked lightly, and his jaw and left hand had a fading red glow, but otherwise he stood tall, if still in a slight depression in the street from the force he'd released.

Again, he focused on nothing at all, but his expression this time was of satisfaction.

His gaze turned to the Jedi.

"You have taught this one something today. You are talented. It is not enough. This one offers you a choice: flee now, or die."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Xeykard

Braze took a deep breath, his chest heaving with exertion as he surveyed the scene before him. The air crackled with energy, a heavy tension hanging heavy in the air. His eyes narrowed as he locked gazes with his adversary, a formidable Sith whose power seemed to radiate like a dark aura.

Braze couldn't help but marvel at how Xeykard had escaped and dispersed his sirocco, the fire vortex of wind. "Well, I'll be a Kowakian monkey-lizard's uncle," he exclaimed, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "You're a slippery one, aren't you?"

Feeling a surge of defiance with a touch of bravado, Braze's playful side emerged. "An overgrown iguana can't scare me off so easily," he declared, his tone daring and defiant. "I've faced scarier things than you on a bad day!"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Braze couldn't resist injecting a bit of his natural pluckiness into his response, determined to hold his ground against the Sith's formidable power.

 

[Xeykard]

Braze
​

"Then let it be your last day."

Xeykard ignited his saber again and levelled it at the Jedi. As his body cooled, he felt the strikes already in his mind, and sped towards the Jedi. His swing began early, only for a telekinetic pull to bring his opponent just into striking distance. He put his full strength behind the swing -- and the next, and the next.

It was not overwhelming how he normally was; his left hand mangled by his earlier engagement, he left it instead to focus on the other half of the barrage. Every swing came with a push, a pull. They were quick, less any genuine attempt to force the Jedi away, closer to a light shove. With the speed he swung at, waiting any longer to gather his energy would be pointless. Instead, he was trying to keep the Jedi perfectly in range; he wanted to force the Jedi to block, not allow him any respite of dodging, nor the unpredictability of getting close enough to properly counter.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Xeykard

There was no smarmy or witty reply this time. Braze staggered backward as Xeykard's relentless assault pushed him to the brink. His right arm strained to deflect the flurry of blows coming at him, but with his left arm paralyzed, he couldn't maintain his balance or control as effectively as he needed to. Each strike sent vibrations up his arm, rattling his nerves and sapping his strength.

Desperation started to fueled Braze's movements as he struggled to keep up with the larger, more powerful opponent. He focused on timing his blocks just right, trying to find an opening to counterattack, but Xeykard's onslaught left little room for error.

Despite his efforts, Braze found himself being gradually pushed back, his defenses starting to crumble under the relentless assault. Sweat beaded on his brow as he realized the gravity of the situation. He wouldn't be able to keep this up.

Braze attempted to anticipate Xeykard's attacks before they happened, aiming to stay one step ahead. By reading Xeykard's physical cues, Braze sought to adapt his own tactics, positioning himself strategically to counter each assault with more efficiency as he tried to gauge and catch one to Xeykard's micro-expressions and movements. He wouldn't be able to keep this up forever but it was buying precious moments for others. Any minor mistakes Braze made were costly and came a little too close for comfort with singes left in the wake of barely avoided swings that he failed to completely block due to his dwindling strength.

 

[Xeykard]

Braze
​

The lightclub lived up to (half) its name, heavy strikes battering down on the Jedi less like a simple blade and more like a blunt instrument. Yet, Xeykard still moved with the grace of a killer, maximizing each strike's wear on his opponent's guard.

With the duel progressing as he'd intended, his focus shifted imperceptibly -- he searched for a moment for a proper killing blow. Between his pushes and pulls he instead began to use his telekinesis to move the Jedi's saber hand, attempting to knock it out of the way before his saber came crashing down.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Xeykard

Braze felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he continued to faced off against the formidable Sith.
But despite his skill Braze was sorely outmatched. Xeykard's strength seemed inexhaustible, and no matter how hard he fought, he couldn't close the gap.

Frustration boiled within him as he grappled with the realization that his efforts were futile. Anger surged through him, fueling his resolve as he pushed himself to his limits.

As Xeykard deployed some dirty tactics and unleashed a flurry Xeykard's strikes rattling his bones.

Finally, with a swift and brutal maneuver, Xeykard landed a devastating blow that sent Braze crashing into the nearby wall with bone-crushing force. Pain seared through his body as he struggled to catch his breath, his vision swimming with stars. Despite managing to brace himself just before impact, the force of the blow still left him reeling.

With a defiant glare, Braze forced himself to his feet. Despite the odds stacked against him, he refused to give up. The battle was far from over, and he would fight with every ounce of strength he had until the very end. However, as he pushed himself past the point of exhaustion, his body began to falter. Despite his best efforts, Braze found himself barely conscious on his feet, his vision blurring and his limbs trembling uncontrollably. And then, with a sudden and inevitable wave of dizziness he stumbled over the rubble, his body finally gave out, and Braze succumbed to darkness, collapsing to the ground in a state of unconsciousness.

 

[Xeykard]

Braze
​

Xeykard looked at the Jedi, crumpled and broken. He deactivated his saber, raised his hand, and tore down the half-broken wall of the building he'd struck with the Jedi. The building began to tip, until it crashed down on the little Jedi. The Inquisitor left the padawan to his fate, sure that the Jedi was dead.