Private The Mind Electric

[Alicio Organa]

<I sense it...> The Count pursed his lips, subconsciously staring intently into Kai's eyes, as if his glare could burn through Kai's thoughts. Indeed, he could feel a wall between his thoughts and the Jedi's, keeping him out of Kai's mind.

<Are you... sure you're okay with this?> In the past, he had only ever used brute force to push past a person's mental barriers, implanting thoughts and suggestions. He didn't want to do that to Kai, hence the hesitation as Alicio's mind gently tested Kai's defenses.

<I don't want to do the wrong thing, and hurt you.> Alicio shifted on his feet. <How... fragile is a mind?>

- Arlo Renard -

 

[Arlo Renard]

<Yes. You’ve already seen more of me than the average person.> Alicio had witnessed Kai at arguably his worst, or at least his lowest point, while the latter was in Azrael. There wasn’t much more left to see that was shameful or sensitive or ugly inside of Kai.

<You won’t hurt me unless you go too far. And I don’t think you have any interest in seeing my deepest darkest secrets anyway.>

Kai inclined his head at the Count’s next question. <It depends on the person. Some people have a strong will, and that’s enough to sustain them through even the most ruthless attacks. Others have training to rely on. They can create a block by thinking about meaningless things. If you try to read someone’s mind and find that they’re just playing card games in their head all the time, that’s one technique. A really skilled telepath can find ways around those defenses, though.>

He didn’t say how strong his own defenses were. To be honest, he didn’t really know. He was used to being the attacker, not the defender.

Kai propped his chin against his hand, waiting for the Count to muster up an attempt. After a few moments, he asked, <Did you just try to do it? ‘Cause I didn’t even feel it…>

He gave Alicio a cheeky grin.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Kai's assurances didn't help assuage any of Alicio's nervousness. He was sure Kai was the expert when it came to matters of the mind, but even so, attacking something as personal as someone's brain was a bit nerve-wracking.

Still, he nodded, and resolved to at least try.

Learning that there were strategies to avoid one's mind being read was news to him, but he supposed it made sense. Bolstering their defenses through a mental activity had to be like pouring spackle on the brick wall of their defenses, helping to hold the pieces together.

<Did you just try to do it? ‘Cause I didn’t even feel it…>

Alicio grinned back. Without another word, he began his attack.

The nobleman was suddenly crowned with the pressure of the Force, weighing his head for only a moment before it was converted into strength. The Count pressed against Kai's mind with that pressure, pushing, rocking, crushing, testing his barriers, until he found a spot that gave, if any. And there, he would try to slip in, if the opportunity ever presented itself.

His technique wasn't bad, for a first attempt.

- Arlo Renard -

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai put up a fight, resisting Alicio’s attempts at breaking through. It was not a desperate battle for control. Rather, there was an element of play, as if it were a game.

He even taunted the Count. <Is that the best you can do?>

But eventually Alicio discovered a weak point. It was some nameless fear Kai possessed, a fathomless dread. Once found, it was easy to exploit, breaking through to the other side.

The first sign that Kai’s barriers had been breached came in the form of a concerned whine from Sophie. Kai reached out to stroke her fur, his touch absent-minded, his eyes shadowed.

<You’re in,> he said. Any pain or discomfort he felt at the intrusion passed quickly, for as soon as he knew he had lost, he stopped fighting back. <Now what will you do?>

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

<Is that the best you can do?>

Alicio chuckled under his breath, accepting the game for what it was. "Yes," he muttered under his breath, too focused to send a thought Kai's way.

But eventually, Alicio was able to find a weakness. Something he didn't think to fully examine, as he pounced on it, and arrived inside Kai's mind. It was an unsettling experience, as the pressure of the Force, usually reserved to just him, crowned Kai's head as well. It was as if the Sithspawn's head were in the palm of his hand.

The success that flashed through his mind as he realized his victory was quickly snuffed by the realization of just how much power he had over Kai, in that moment.

It was terrifying.

Alicio froze, his eyes narrowing in alarm. then softening again. He didn't have to take. He could give, instead.

The Count shared a memory with Kai. Of a knee-height Alicio, dancing around a dingy, dirty Balmorran apartment with his two sisters. Smiling and laughing, the centrifugal force of being spun around the room by the arms, the only thing mattering in that moment the joyful grins on Claire and Victoria's faces, the taste of sweet fruits on his tongue as waltz music played in the background.

<Thank you for the dance,> Alicio offered Kai, before retreating from his mind.

- Arlo Renard -

 

[Arlo Renard]

The connection between Alicio’s mind and Kai’s was a one-way street. Kai could have manipulated it into becoming two-way, gaining access to the Count’s thoughts and emotions, but he did not. Not merely because it would be a violation of trust, but because he was afraid of what he might glimpse inside this man who seemed too good to be true.

So he waited, not knowing what to expect, until suddenly he was dancing. He had become someone else—a child with two sisters in a dingy apartment, tasting music as well as hearing it. The shock of the experience was disorienting at first, but by the time Alicio departed from his mind, he understood.

In all his time as a Doppelganger, he had only stolen the memories of others. No one had ever freely shared their experience with him before—or at least, none had been willing to part with anything precious. They only wanted to get rid of the worst parts of their past, and figured they might as well feed his addiction while they were at it.

But now he had the gift of a good memory, something which had always eluded him when he desired it most. There was no way he could digest it in the old, vulgar way. Since reclaiming this body he had managed to avoid indulging in those grotesque habits. He would treasure it instead.

Kai was quiet for several long moments, not knowing what to say. Eventually he settled for <Thank you, too.>

Then, after another pause, he added, <There was something else you wished to learn?>

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio offered a small smile at Kai's own thanks, his mind drifting to his next question.

What else did he want to work on? He had one answer.

"Well..." He stopped himself, grinning. <How long has it been since you've held a weapon in your hand? Maybe I can help you get your dueling legs again. Show you a bit of my progress, too.> There was a silent challenge in his thoughts. He wanted to show the shapeshifter just how far he'd come.

He palmed his lightsaber once more, rolling it once across his knuckles before clenching it in his fist again.

- Arlo Renard -

 

[Arlo Renard]

<How long has it been since you've held a weapon in your hand?>

Kai’s eyebrows rose. <I live on Coruscant, so… not very long?>

It was a joke, of course, but there was some truth to it too. The upper levels of Coruscant were kept relatively safe for the tourists’ sakes, but the lower you went, the more danger one was in. This warehouse, for example, was a little on the deep side.

Regardless, Kai enthusiastically agreed to the proposition. <Okay good, okay fine,> he said. A flick of his wrist sent his lightsaber into his hand. He moved into position, setting his feet apart before activating the blade.

<Your move.> It was another game, after all.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio raised an eyebrow. "Har har."

Kai agreed to the duel, bringing his weapon to bear against Alicio. The Count skewed a mischievous smile, turning down the power setting of Introspect, before letting it growl darkly to life. "I've grown more powerful since last we met, Kai. Careful."

He winked, before surging forward.

His legs pumped wildly as he approached the shapeshifter, tensing as if he were about to jump at the man. Instead, his footing stuttered, and he lunged low, stabbing out at Kai's midsection.

Alicio's style was precise, and deceptive, as he had always been, but there was a new proficiency and urgency to his movements A striking snake, with quite the bite.

- Arlo Renard -

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai also lowered the intensity of his lightsaber blade, not wanting to accidentally dismember his new boss on the first day of the job. <I’m shaking, I’m shaking,> he said, flailing his arms in a mockery of fearful trembling.

Then Alicio lunged toward him. Kai held his blade up, ready to parry. But it was a feint. At the last moment, the Count changed his trajectory and struck low. Kai blocked the jab, but he hadn’t expected a move like that from the Count.

<At least you know better than to fight fair,> he said with a grin, using the length of his blade to keep some distance between him and the cobra strikes of his opponent. It was easy to see why Kai had wanted his old body back so desperately; his movements were far smoother than they had been during their last sparring match together, when he was merely human. The Doppelganger was graceful and slippery, darting away from blows with elastic flexibility.

Impressive as it was, he was actually toning down his more superhuman attributes, both for Alicio’s sake and out of a need to keep things lighthearted. In fact, he was overdoing it a bit, being too cautious and holding back a bit too much. He managed to lure the Count into a bind, holding him there with minimal effort, but didn’t take advantage of the position, instead waiting for his opponent to make a move.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"If you want to fight fair, by all means," he quipped, fully switching to the spoken word in response, his blade turned to the side. He had to rely on what he did best to stand any chance in their duel- footwork, precision, and finesse.

Of course, he wasn't entirely prepared for the combat capabilities of the shapeshifter's new-slash-old body. His duel with Iris made Alicio seem stiff by comparison. Kai made Alicio seem petrified solid, as the Jedi rubber-banded around his strikes and stabs, eventually catching the Count into a bind.

Alicio narrowed his eyes at Kai, his mind traveling far faster than his body ever could. Kai still wasn't trying; not really. Perhaps that was something to be thankful for, considering how long the doppelganger had been training as a Jedi, and Alicio's own relatively short time with a lightsaber.

With some effort, the Count stepped back from the bind, pushing off to give himself some space, before pivoting on a foot, and continuing the assault. "You're not going to lure me in that easily," he managed between swift cuts, trying to outspeed Kai's elastic defense. "Not again!"

- Arlo Renard -

 

[Arlo Renard]

<No one fights fair in a real battle.>

Alicio freed himself from the bind, and the duel continued. The Count was moving faster, pushing harder against Kai’s defense. Apparently he really didn't want to get knocked on the head with the butt of Kai's lightsaber again. But that didn’t mean the Doppelganger couldn’t use any other tricks he had up his sleeve…

Alicio’s precognition was his primary advantage, allowing him to peer into the future and know his opponent’s intentions before they acted. Kai knew this, so he aimed high, only to feint the move, thrusting his blade down toward the Count’s right thigh at the last second. Were this an actual duel, the result would have been potentially lethal damage to the femoral artery—or if nothing else, the jab was uncomfortably close to the groin, the targeting of which was practically the definition of dirty fighting.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Yeah, I know," Alicio said, between strikes. "It was... a joke. Implying you could... ah... you could fight fair, and I might win by fighting dirty."

Kai was never in any real danger from Alicio, and if he were being honest, that damaged his rather modest pride. He'd hoped to show the shapeshifter how far he had come, but he hadn't even been able to land a hit, like he had last time.

It was a little disheartening, but the Count managed to push through, executing a few well-timed blocks, gaining a little bit of his rhythm back.

Which was thrown off-kilter by Kai's feint.

The future revealed it all to him a second before it happened, of course. He saw the feint coming from a mile away. But that didn't change how fast the Count's muscles could move, as the senator was just a touch too slow at bringing his lightsaber to bear, his grip just a hair too weak to hold on, his form just a bit too rigid to dodge.

Introspect twisted from his fingers as he blocked the stab incorrectly, spinning to the side of the warehouse with a clattering sound. Not to be pounced upon, the Count took a lightning step back, eyeing the Jedi warily.

"Did you just...?" He laughed, a bit strained. "Rude."

- Arlo Renard -

 

[Arlo Renard]

<Oh.> A beat passed before Kai smirked and added, <Implying I would let you win.>

But he sensed that the playfulness was starting to fade. At least, until Alicio’s knee-jerk response to his jab resulted in the Count losing his grip on his lightsaber and practically leaping across the room to get away.

This overreaction, while perhaps not entirely unwarranted, sent the boy into a fit of giggles. Sophie barked happily from the sidelines, having no understanding of what was going on, but able to sense the uplift in her master’s mood.

<Noooo,> Kai finally managed to squeak out a reply. <Your leg… I was aiming for your leg, I promise.>

With a gesture, he lifted Introspect from the floor and floated it within Alicio’s grasp.

<You’re still a bit stiff. You should loosen up more.>

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

With their first bout over, Alicio laughed along with Kai, sharing in his joy, in the ridiculousness of the moment. "Sure~..." he teased, arching a joking eyebrow, before simply displaying a kind smile.

It was nice, seeing Kai laugh.

<You’re still a bit stiff. You should loosen up more.>

Alicio sighed, plucking his lightsaber from the air. "I know. But perfect posture is a hard habit to shake." He considered the hilt a moment, studying it's elegant, yet straight design. "Not all of us can have rubber bones at a moment's notice." He twitched a smile at Kai, before reigniting his lightsaber, and flashing it around his body, before it finally rested above his head, pointed towards his opponent.

He held out two fingers, beckoning at the Sithspawn, as if to say come at me.

- Arlo Renard -

 

[Arlo Renard]

<You don’t like pizza, and you can’t slouch? No wonder why you always look like you’re about to cry.>

His rubber bones had kept him alive and intact in plenty of hairy situations, and they also allowed him to shapeshift. If Alicio ever had need for a decoy, whether of himself or of anyone else, living or dead, Kai could serve that purpose too.

Alicio beckoned to him. With a mischievous look Kai seized a small empty crate with the Force and hurled it toward the Count.

It was a distraction, diverting his opponent’s attention long enough for him to run over and swing for the neck.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio saw the scene play out before it happened.

But this time, he was ready for it.

As Kai tossed the crate his way, Alicio pirouetted out of the way, bringing Introspect between himself and Kai's saber at the last moment, letting it glance off the blue and black plasma.

The Count threw a bit of his caution to the wind, attempting to stay close to the shapeshifter. Like a partner dance, his feet moved in time with the Jedi's, gaining when Kai lost ground, and giving when he advanced. But always, his lightsaber came from odd angles, as he tried to keep the leverage of the duel on his side, against a being that could mold his own leverage.

He waited for an opportunity. For when Kai would inevitably get cocky.

- Arlo Renard -

 

[Arlo Renard]

It wasn’t so much that Kai got cocky, as that he began to enjoy himself a little too much. They matched each other evenly at last, fighting like partners in a dance.

But it was still a competition. Kai tried to get the upper hand with another feint, a low slash that became a high, sweeping uppercut, counting on the Count (heh) to not react fast enough.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

With his visions whispering in his ears, Alicio gave a bit of ground in their dance, putting weight on his back foot to ward off the feint, and just barely get his jaw out of the way of the uppercut, blinding light flashing before his eyes.

Hopefully, Kai was off-balance enough for his attack to work.

The senator sprang back into close distance with the shapeshifter, the Force suddenly pressing down around him. He chopped his blade sideways, towards Kai's midsection, before reaching out to the beating heart of his crystal.

Mid-swing, the blade veered off-course, turning sharply down to Kai's leg. Shunted by the Force, losing none of it's momentum, none of it's speed. A little trick he had been perfecting for a while.

- Arlo Renard -

 

[Arlo Renard]

Now it was Kai’s turn to jump back, his thigh smarting.

<Cool! What was that?>

He had felt something happening in the Force, a surge of power concentrated around (or within) Introspect, but he no more understood it than he could have replicated it. Had he seen the lightsaber briefly leave Alicio’s grip, operating as if it had a will of its own? Or had that been an illusion?

Of course, the duel wouldn’t stop just because he had asked a question. The sting in his leg was already fading as he continued to fight, debuting another little trick of his own. He waited for Alicio to attack, moving to parry the blow—only to suddenly turn his lightsaber off less than a second after their blades met, leaving the Count stumbling against empty air. Kai reactivated his lightsaber behind Alicio and slashed at his unprotected back.

<That’s called Trakata,> he explained. <Jedi and Sith both consider it unsportsmanlike, but not taking advantage of the fact that we can turn our weapons on and off like a lightswitch seems like a missed opportunity.>

Alicio Organa​