Duel THE IRON TOURNAMENT - FIGHT 8 - AYA CLARKE VS KAURI KRYZE

[Scherezade deWinter]

In the corner of nowhere, somewhere in Wild Space…

Crowds had gathered in the arena in lieu of the fight that was about to commence. Somehow, millions had known how to find this place, this unmarked space station that seemed to be moving swiftly across the galaxy skies. Today, it had come to a stop in this little random in Wild Space, not near anything important, and yet always inviting, inviting to come and wager on who. Will. Win.

A gigantic hexagon lay in the center of the arena, split into six triangles. For the longest time, it appeared as though nothing would happen. There was no announcer, no one screaming over any mic, just the smell of very cheap junk food fried in questionable oil that seemed to take the place over.

And then the lights went out.

In the darkness, shuffling could be heard, and when the lights went up again half a minute later, the hexagon in the center of the arena had changed - its northern triangles appeared empty - there was no ground that could be seen, and those who looked up would only see stars. The entire section, controlled with advanced tech, now mimicked space itself. While the warriors would be able to breathe, they would not feel gravity. Their choice of how to handle fighting in that half of the arena - was completely up to them.

The southern triangles were the exact opposite; there, both opponents would face gravity at 1.5 strength, making them slower and feeling heavier. Unlike space though, here the entire half of the hexagon was filled with staircases. Some were made of stone, while others made of glass, and the overall construct was not unlike an Escher holodrawing.

In the middle of both of these halves stood Scherezade deWinter, a huge smile on her face, a microphone in her hands.

"People of the Galaxy!" she announced, "Welcome to the Iron Tournament! Today, we have two fighters here - Aya Clarke and Kauri Kryze ! Two will enter. One leaves. FIGHT!"

And with that, she disappeared from the stage. The doors connecting the dressing rooms to the arena opened. Who would show up first? Who would take first blood? Who might die?

 

[Kauri Kryze]

ROUND TWO

Apparel: Civilian Attire
Weapons: Hūkerikeri
Opponent: Aya Clarke
Judge: Scherezade deWinter

FIGHT!

​

Kauri Kryze would enter the arena, adorning not his Beskar'gam as he had in the last battle but this time wearing the leathers and fabrics of a civilian's clothing offering no mercy to the likes of any weapons expected to be engaged and fending off against during this battle. In response to this, many of the spectators on his side of the dueling arena laughed or boo'd in response, wanting their fair credits worth in this show, yet Kauri himself carried a cheeky grin across the arena floor as he felt exhilarated by the gamble he had chosen to make this day.

Of his arsenal of weapons, he carried only the Hūkerikeri, unsheathed and reflecting of the lighting around the fast station stadium as he slowed to a halt on his side of the grounds. While waiting on his opponent to arrive, he'd cast his eyes upon the peculiar battleground, sectioned into oddly chosen triangles, some of which shared the same lack of gravity as the space-stations exterior, however breathable due to whatever technology had been implemented for their bloodletting that day.

Raising his sword-arm and turning to cast his eyes to the crowd, he announced himself without words and addressed those who would watch the coming battle. Today they would see a member of Clan Kryze enter into a fight as a Mandalorian lacking their traditional armament and yet showing no fear in the face of probable death.

 

[Aya Clarke]

• Apparal: Saint's Armor (in sig), Cyber Eye Contacts
• Weapons: Yei Karkan, Gifted Lightsaber (Both in sig)
• Opponent: Kauri Kryze
• Judge: Scherezade deWinter

Shortly after Kauri made himself known, Aya herself would join him in the arena, her personal banner flying from Yei Karkan as she held hit calmly against her shoulder. She did not at first see her opponent, as her eyes and head were downcast, her prayer for the both of them just barely audible above her own breath. The crowd's response from Kauri, laughing and booing, would continue, with some even amplifying at the sight of Aya herself. She of course wore her Saintly attire, the phrik armor made for her upon being gifted title and authority, and at her hip was the solid scabbard that held the hilt of her lightsaber giving off the impression of a solid sword within. She, quite honestly, looked almost every bit that they had expected from the mandalorian.

Minus blasters, of course.

When her words of prayer finished, she looked up to spot the plainly dressed man, and was honestly dumbstruck by his boldness. From the way he stood, and held himself, it betrayed massively of his experience and capability. Professional soldiers would hold themselves similarly, but there was something else different, a place she had seen not a few, but a people hold themselves as he did. Mandalore. This man may not wear his armor, but he couldn't hide his stance or walk. Or, for that matter, could she hide the painful insult that he gave by suggesting he required less than his best to stand against her.

She calmly disengaged the projected energy helmet portion of her armor, making her head, and only her head, completely vulnerable, seeing as she cared not to strip down to the same level as this man in front of hundreds, if not thousands. It would be truly the very least she could do to match his boldness, with things as they were.

When her feet rested on her side of the arena, she lifted her banner up, and brought the flat butt of her flag-spear down on the ground beside her. The crimson eagle that represented her family shone almost in the light, despite being made of cloth, and her confident voice almost seemed projected, to her, as she called out to him. "I am Lady Clarke of Kalis, and today I shall be your opponent. I pray She looks upon this fight with a smile, Monsieur Mandalorian."

 

[Kauri Kryze]

Weapons: Hūkerikeri
Opponent: Aya Clarke
Judge: Scherezade deWinter
​

"I am Lady Clarke of Kalis, and today I shall be your opponent.
I pray She looks upon this fight with a smile, Monsieur Mandalorian."

Monsieur?​

Kauri's head lifted slightly at the word, tilting back as he wondered what Aya Clarke had just called him. He understood Mandalorian perfectly and yet he'd never been called a Monsieur before, it sounded entirely foreign to him and nothing like a compliment that it should've been taken for.

"Name's Kauri Kryze" the man called back in response, soon glancing about the Arena as though someone else might be with them, although his smirk would give away his doing this in jest of her greeting, "And I'm sure plenty of Women will be watching me as I win this round" he concluded rather arrogantly.

His opponent wore a full suit of armor, although she had let her headdress down and in doing so exposing a fatal point of weakness. Compared to his own lack of armor, she of course looked much more intimidating. There was however some advantage to wearing such thinly crafted clothing, the lack of reinforced plating meant that there'd be no hindrance in his movements, speed and agility would be his take on this fight.

With the hilt of the Hūkerikeri firmly grasped in his right hand, Kauri moved to close in on the distance between them. For the time being he avoided the triangular tiles that negated the natural law of gravity, walking for the time being and watching his opponent closely to gauge her reaction or body language. You could tell a lot by the way someone held themselves, or for example if they backed away as you drew in close for the kill.

Would she show fear, or would Aya Clarke challenge his arrogance with her own confidence and willingness to spill blood for bragging rights.

 

[Aya Clarke]

• Apparel: Saint's Armor (in sig), Cyber Eye Contacts
• Weapons: Yei Karkan, Gifted Lightsaber (Both in sig)
• Opponent: Kauri Kryze
• Judge: Scherezade deWinter

"Well, Monsieur Kryze, I am sure they will be watching. Of your victory or defeat though, I make no promises. Though I'm certain Her gaze, now, eagerly awaits the latter." There was just a bit of venom to her words this time, as she was uncertain if the man was mocking her beliefs or not. Either way, she felt more emboldened by his arrogance, certain she could use that against him. She certainly wasn't going to be able to outmaneuver him if he started jumping, and flipping around, but armor wouldn't inhibit her running, or rolling, or other such actions nearly as much as he might assume.

After all, she was not wearing some crude armor, but a masterwork meant for the divine.

She hefted her banner up, and grasped it firmly in both hands, the spear point at the end glistening in the light. She was not afraid, she knew she would not die, could not die. She had holy work left to do, this man would merely be a test of her ability now to do it. She met his advance with her own, each step calm, paced so as to leave just a bit of a gap between the both of them when she would stop at near the halfway point. She had, while it bore a flag, a spear... and such meant she should best keep him just a bit at range.

A stance was taken, keeping the point of her spear aimed at Kauri's chest as she distrubted weight equally on her feet, this would be a fight just slightly out of her element, unless she was forced to use her proper blade. "En guarde," the words escaped her lips rather softly, just audible enough to be heard as she gave him a testing thrust of the weapon, aimed at his center of mass. How would he choose to handle this, an attempt at a parry, a dodge, or would he simply take it in stride?

 

[Kauri Kryze]

Weapons: Hūkerikeri
Opponent: Aya Clarke
Judge: Scherezade deWinter

The spear was a curious blend of flag-pole and penetrating blade, a stabbing weapon with obvious reach and yet Kauri could not help but suspect that the material on the side of the user would be debilitating during a fight. It seemed that he would find out one way or another as Aya Clarke moved to make the first strike, a simple yet deadly thrust.

The trajectory of the piercing weapon was direct, and Kauri's right hand brought the Hūkerikeri blade sweeping vertically and off to the right while simultaneously stepping to his left to avoid being run through. With the length of the weapon holding an obvious advantage over the Mandalorian, the spearhead reaching further behind the man, he hesitated none to dash forward two steps in the hope of closing the distance between she and himself, bringing the blade sweeping back horizontally left, aimed at the height of her neck.

A practicing spearman would likely be used to this form of tactic, and able to counter or Evade swiftly. Keeping this in mind, his left hand remained free and his blade needing only a single hand to be deadly, he knew that he was again taking a gamble. There was something to be said for it however, in that it was better to game and do the unexpected as opposed to being easily predictable and lured into defeat.