The Force, In Media Res

[The Major]

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Location: a clearing in the copse​

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Late in the afternoon, deep within a remote section of distant woods, was the perfect kind of place for a practitioner of a Force based faith to reaffirm their beliefs in the quietude provided by the protecting trees. Dry bunches of undergrowth and fallen leaves made for a arid, crunchy, and uneven floor. Yet, with each simple step one could be satisfied with the audible crackle as twig and rotten berry relented under the weight of your feet. Now this planet's sun filtered through the canopy of this forest, washing the hillside with radiance, matching well with the reddish and vibrant amber leaves. Autumn was coming, and with it winter. Fitting then, since the galaxy was quickly approaching its end at the hands of the hybrid menace. . .

. . .It was a contingency plan against all the chaos. . .​

​

Why Sukai had come to this specific place, only they could say. Perhaps it was fate: the Force drawing every person into inevitable conflict. Perhaps they had come to reflect on the recent pandemonium and turmoil across the galaxy. One thing was assured: a new set of crunching footsteps resounded somewhere behind Sukai.

Turning, one could easily see a figure proceeding deliberately through the brush, clad in a verdant cloak. Features were hidden beneath a thick gray hood, but one could definitely make out a green twinkle where a pair of eyes would be. Whispers etched out in the Force, singing and wisping away like the whistling wind against the trees.

♬If you surrender,​

I'll give you peace.​

Worship the blood,​

it's silver water in the darkness.♪ ​

​

[member="Sky'ito Yumi"]​

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

Sukai sat among the grass and breaches on the ground, legs tucked underneath in a Seiza style, the slight breeze blowing her straight black to the side. Her reason for coming her, meditation, peace a place to escape the current conflicts raging against the galaxy for the time being, but the young apprentice was not alone.

Twigs snapped in the distance, giving clear indication of the approaching figure, dressed in black, face shrouded by a hood, a void of blackness besides two green beady eyes. A sight that would have sent a shiver down a lesser peoples spin, their voice ethereal, seeming coming from every direction, with a likeness to a siren call.

"Peace, at what cost will it be, lose our humanity and free will", she stood up staring face to face with the mystery person, the so called contingency was a new force to enter the galaxy, wanting to subjugate organics to their own will. Sukai un-cplipped her saber staff, ready to fight at a moments notice, "Join you, I will not".

[member="Verdite"]

 

[The Major]

Even under the thick hood, one could detect a smile stretching in the shadowy folds. Somehow, one could even hear it as fluids pushed between teeth and a sharp intake of breath sizzled the air. The mysterious figure paused, stretching her arms outward, palms twisted outwards as though to convey, so what?

"I challenge you to look back on organic history, and tell me where this, 'free will' saved anyone from centuries of bloodshed, of selfishness, and of pain."

The voice clearly betrayed the fact that this was a woman talking, but something within that resonance seemed unnatural. Enhanced to appear more like liquid, each word spoken softly, slick like crystal drops gently touching a lake. She points now at Sukai with her left.

"What you have seen cannot be ignored. Not even a pitiful belief in the Force can stop what is to come.

And with that same hand the woman points to the ground.​

"Submit."​

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[member="Sky'ito Yumi"]​

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

Sukai kept a cool a straight face, who ever this person was definitely relied on intimidate, it would not work, the only person Sukai fear was her mother. "Has absolute control and power ever worked either, past factions have tried what your doing, there so called control over everything and denial of free will to keep peace and harmony... such a thing never works, and in the long run make people suffer even more then what we have".

"I'd rather live in a world with violence but with the ability to chose what I do, not what ever messed up vision you have, were we are just puppets of your own will, and in a 100 years time, when you have failed I'll be laughing at what ever remains of you". She activated her fathers blade, its blue hue illuminating the ground.

"The force is more powerful that any mortal, even with your cybernetics.... so as for your request to submit", She swag her blade to the side in a wind arc, pointing at the cloaked figure, breathing in heavily, "Make me".

[member="Verdite"]

 

[The Major]

One more attempt. The figure peered down at her own hip at the sight of Sukai's weapon hissing to life. Unlike the organics however, the figure displays self control, possibly thinking of a response to what was said.

"Even now you are ready to cause harm. ​

Ready to bristle. ​

Ready to sweat. ​

Ready to panic. ​

Ready to resist because it is programmed into you."​

The figure flicks off the broach holding her cloak to her body. One can detect the Force flowing around these two and pooling in the clearing.

"This is a misunderstanding. We are manifestations of the Force. It is unfeeling. Equalizing. We seek its balance, between light and dark, between pain and euphoria, between all sentience. All I see from you are chemical reactions forced out from you, from adrenal glands. Are you not the one controlled?"​

[member="Sky'ito Yumi"]​

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

She kept a stern face at her opponent, it seemed that this being did not know when to quit"I am ready to cause harm because I know you intend to cause it to me, this confrontation will not end peacefully, you and I both know that, your attack at Far Harbor has shown me that those not willing to submit, face destruction".

"And all I see from you is a robot, force to think a certain way, weather you agree with it or not, what is life worth living, if we have no purpose, just to be molded to your set and rule and die later on", "True balance in the force can not be achieved by pure power, and those that practice it must remain secluded from other to be in said state of mind". "Even if i did submit other will resist, and they will succeed, I picking the winning side, and what a believe in".

[member="Verdite"]

 

[The Major]

The figure tilted her head to its side, perhaps weighing the best course of action. Its thoughts were unknowable, but rightly stated as rigid.

​

"The balance of the Force will never be achieved by flesh, whim to emotion; we, the contingency plan to your chaos, will equalize you all into ashes. . . . Win. Lose. These are organic concepts, born of mortality, of weakness. LET ME SHOW YOU HOW WEAK YOU ARE!"​

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As she roared the last word, she ripped off her cloak and threw it to Sukai's face. Assisted by a tiny Force Push, the cloak unfurled and could cover any view from Sukai's perspective on what motion the mysterious woman.

​

!SNAP-HISSS! ​

A thrust, and Verdite's lightsaber blade, green as emerald, poked through and threatened to poke Sukai in the stomach.

[member="Sky'ito Yumi"]​

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

"Emoition do not make us weak, they give us meaning a purpose and drive us towards our goal, but I don't expect an amalgamation of machines and flesh to understand, you were never open to reason to begin with". Her opponent removed their attire and threw it as her, the oldest trick in the book.

All Sukai could do was take a step back as the cloak was thrown at her, the emerald blade soon piecing the fabric on course for her stomach, the extra distance meant she could dodge, but wouldn't. Sukai slight side stepped the blade, but allowed it to hit her hip, the blade causing some pain but skipping off of the tailor made suit, designed to deflect glaceing sabers blows. She pushed forwards past her opponents saber, swinging her own blade towards her leg.

[member="Verdite"]

 

[The Major]

And now the flying cloak worked against the opening attacker. As Sukai sliced low it was the mysterious woman's turn to have her sight-line reduced. The blue and green haired duelist attempted to move her leg back away from the strike, quickstepping backwards along with Sukai's forward motion to maintain their guard distance, but it was too late.

!SIZZLE!​

The blue blade slices one inch deep into the combatant's inner right thigh, just above the knee cap. This gash is about two inches long, and pain flares at the point of cauterizing contact.

"HHUUHHHHH!"

To punish her opponent, the emerald blade wielding fighter flicks towards her opponents arm, aiming to cut them asunder with this twisting wrist flick. On the one hand this kind of strike could be deflected easily if parried, on the other hand it would be easy to shift the blade about defensively with vigorous finger and wrist motion.

[member="Sky'ito Yumi"]​

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

Her blade hit, the sizzle and smell of burnt flesh and metal entered the battlefield, now that is was apparent both sides were willing to kill one another things got a whole lot more complicated. The following flick by her opponent hit into Sukai's in the back, not enough force to penetrate the suit but burning her back, to doge any further damage she did a cart wheel flip over [member="Verdite"] landing behind the corrupted Jedi, sending a force push in her general direction to gain some distance, she would have to fight much more seriously to win this duel.

 

[The Major]

In a normal circumstance, the blue and green haired warrior would have simply cut upwards while the cartwheel went off, as it was one of these most, if not the, move that leaves the user far too exposed. In fact, a legend briefly stipulated the even Darth Vader was eviscerated by such a miscalculation.

Tending to a shock-wave a pain, Verdite could only vaguely watch as the target was already beyond her reach to punish.

For but a moment, she flinched as she could imagine the saber of her opponent piercing her just now. Instead, a Force Push collided into her back, sending the duelist stumbling through the brush, and away from Sukai. Rather than further fight the momentum, Verdite rolls and completes a turn.

Facing her opponent now with her weapon in guard, she appeared to be panting.

"Hah. . . Hah. . . Hah. . ."

From her wound sizzled no enhancement or machinery. It was just blood. Could this thing be human? Was such the fate of those submitted to the tyranny of the Contingency?

[member="Sky'ito Yumi"]

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

Suki gave her opponent a stern stare, thing had been going a little more easily then initially though, or was the amalgamation of machine and human an affliction that caused more harm then gain. The green haired woman seemingly already panting a bit, either from the wound of anther reason, regardless Sukai needed to change up styles.

The young apprentice returned her fathers blade to its place on the utility belt, pulling out her personal saber staff, "Your force implants and other enhancements seem to be causing you more harm then good". Her fingered pressed down on the sabers switches, purple blade sprouting from both sides, "but I will not hesitate to kill you if you don't back down". Suki twirled the saber staff around into an passive aggressive stance, both ready to defend and press the attack when needed, a slightly personal from combining the speed and offensiveness of Ataru with the defensive art of Soresu.

 

[The Major]

"Hah. . . It doesn't matter. Hah. . . My master has ordered all at Far Harbor to be either made subjects or exterminated. Hah . . ."

Verdite's grip shifted to a two hand stance, her face completely colored by the verdant blade humming in her hands.

​

"This organic form may falter. Rest assured: they will come with more."​

​

Those green eyes seem to notice Sukai's shift in. Luckily in the Jewel's side, this opponent wasn't more bloodthirsty.

[member="Sky'ito Yumi"]

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

She frowned a bit at the last comment, the classic you kill me and 10 more take my place line, though unlike most cases there was no back up, just a one on one duel, with a single victor once the fight was over. "You talked of peace and control, but you resort to mass killing to assert your power, you are no better then the Sith, full of lies and deceit".

Sukai launched forward at her opponent "I'll be more than happy to destroy that lifeless fleshy husk you reside in". She struck out with a quick thrust, pulling back a bit for a possible counter attack before aiming a back swing aimed at the green haired woman's left arm.

[member="Verdite"]