Private The Testing Grounds

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Niki Priddy Aurelian Veruna ​

"Not. Fluently," Sibylla managed to answer Niki, though the words were barely out before the world spun again and she hit the mat once more and landed flat on her back.

Damnit!

Sibylla fought Aurelian's grip, as it clamped tightly around her wrist, forcing her blade slowly lower, until the flicker of crimson flashed from the shield against her neck. Well, there was the first sign of how the shields might not protect her. A slow attack upon her enough to bypass the shields would very likely end in an injury.

But that wasn't Sibylla's main focus now. Now it was in the savage determination to try and win this blasted spar.

So, Sibylla strained against Aurelian, teeth clenched, a grimace pulling at her mouth as she pushed back against his strength. But it didn't take long for his low mocking tone tickling his breath by her check and their placement on the mat to strike her all at once - - from the heat of his firm body pressed against hers, to that perilous nearness of his handsome face looming near, casting the dark forelocks of his hair to fall in a distracting manner over his brow, down to the glint of gold threading his amber eyes… and that damned wink.

Sibylla felt her breath hitch. For one reckless heartbeat, she wasn't seeing the Senator, the Lord, or the theatric with too many smiles. She was seeing him. A man. Imagination ran wild and an intense wave of heat seared up her neck, flooding her cheeks, and her pulse stumbled traitorously in her chest.

Oh, Shiraya's sake.

The awareness of him crashed through her so suddenly that it left her reeling. Fluster and fury twisted into one unbearable mix, her heart hammering, lips parting in a stuttered breath she hated him for drawing from her. Her hazel eyes flared bright as Sunstones as fury overtook the hot blush, her heart shaped face suddenly lit by the sharpened fire of indignation.

"Enjoy the view while you can," she snapped, then with a sudden snap of movement, Sibylla drove her knee up, aiming for the one place that would wipe that grin off his face for good.

 

[Niki Priddy]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes | Aurelian Veruna​

Wasn't fluent?

A curious look from Niki before she decided to test just how fluent the representative was.

A hand reaching into her pocket to fish out a yellow viper. Lighting it and drawing deep as the laced cigarette worked it's magic.

Her hand pointing the lit viper to the one that was acting professionally before looking squarely at Sibylla. "Gar redalur ti eyn utreekov."

Smiling at her own words before making the mental step back.

Verbally wincing at the kick the representative aimed.

"Delivered that professionally."

Amusement alight across her face as she smiled and exhaled. Smoke whipping up into the air and into exhaust fans as the guards around them made varying sounds of shared pain.

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

X | X​

Aurelian's triumphant grin lingered. He already tasted victory as Sibylla flushed beneath him. Her fire only made the game sweeter, her words another spark to stoke his amusement. He leaned a fraction closer, eyes glinting with dangerous mischief, utterly unprepared for what came next.

The shield flared red at her neck one moment, then failed. Sibylla's knee shot up, unimpeded, and found its mark with brutal precision.

The Veruna jewels.

Agony exploded through him, ripping the smugness right off his face. Aurelian's breath hitched into a strangled cry, his body jerking as he rolled off her, sprawling onto the mat. "Oh, fu-" His voice broke off into a raw curse as he clutched himself, curling sideways before flopping flat with a groan that rattled through the training hall.

He writhed, boots scraping against the plating, the vibroblade forgotten as his hand tightened around the injured area. "Niki!" he barked hoarsely through clenched teeth, glaring daggers at the engineer. "You need to work on your damn shield generator before selling it to the High Republic!" His words were ragged with pain, yet still carried an imperious tone, clinging to him even in disgrace. "And stop speaking that primitive language while you're at it; it doesn't help!"

With a long, drawn-out exhale, he spread himself across the mat like a man struck down in battle, sweat beading his brow. The pain dulled by degrees, but each throb still radiated low and merciless.

His head lolled toward Sibylla. Through the grimace, a crooked, pained grin tried to return, a grin nonetheless. "Shiraya... Sibylla," he muttered, his voice rough. "I still plan to keep the Veruna line going…" His eyes squeezed shut as another wave of pain rippled through him. "But you've certainly made that more of a challenge."

Sibylla Abrantes | Niki Priddy​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Aurelian Veruna Niki Priddy ​

From Niki's direction came a pointed phrase in Mando'a whose tone required no translation. Sibylla didn't understand all of it, but one word carried clear enough.

Idiot. Likely aimed at the prince just as Sibylla's knee connected to Veruna's now bruised jewels.

Sibylla froze, eyes widening in shock as Aurelian's strangled cry broke the air. For a moment, she thought she must have misjudged the angle, but no, from the way he crumpled, clutching himself, it left no doubt. Apologetic horror immediately twisted across her features, mortification flooding through her as the realization struck.

"Oh Shiraya... I am so…" she began, words tumbling out in a flustered rush.

But Aurelian barked before she could finish, snapping at Niki about the shield and primitive tongues, his voice hoarse with pain but still managing indignation. Sibylla's apology stuck in her throat. Truth be told, the entire scene with the mighty maddening Prince of Parrlay cursing and writhing in pain as he clutched himself struck Sibylla not as tragic, but… funny.

She bit her lip, desperate to keep the laugh down, only to fail, as a distinctly unladylike snort burst out, echoing in the testing hall. Heat rose to her cheeks, but this time from suppressed mirth and the rush of satisfaction. She had ended it, well, ended him, with one strike.

Oh, how Sibylla's expression lit with unrestrained mischief and delight, her hazel eyes flashing with golden sparks as her lips curved into a wide, triumphant grin.

She rolled up onto her knees then, her movements quick and sure as she plucked his vibroshiv from where it had fallen. In one fluid but purposeful motion, she brought it to his throat, the shield shimmering red between them as the edge gently touched his skin with the same teasing motion as a fencer claiming a point.

"Perhaps you were right, Aurelian," Sibylla quipped with sugary triumph as she hovered over him, "If this is what dominance looks like. I must say, the view suits me far better."

Her smile widened just a fraction in rare devilry.

"If nothing else, you've proven useful. Now I know these shields don't cover everything... at least yet."

She withdrew the blade only to extend her hand to help him up, her hazel eyes laughing down at him.

"I am sure your Veruna line is secure. I only bruised your ego. The rest should recover… eventually."

 

[Niki Priddy]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes | Aurelian Veruna​

"Specific point protection is not a feature of this model, but will be kept in mind for future iterations." Her tone deceptively nonchalant as she took another drag and blew the smoke sidelong from her mouth.

A few guards still shifting uncomfortably, making small noises of pain, or adjusting themselves slightly as Sibylla took the lead now.

All the while Niki watched the two without letting herself fall to the jabs.

"And Mando'a is far from primitive compared to a greater many languages that are present throughout the galaxy." A faint smile appearing as she glanced between the two and added. "And should hardly be a professionally offered opinion with the company you have present."

She flicked ash away from the viper and tilted her head slightly.

"You are both well studied in the blade. Albeit one of you should seek those soothsayers in regard to managing emotions. It is easy to fall prey to them in the heat of the moment." Her face now plastered with a frown. "But space wizardry is hardly my purview or a subject of interest."

Dropping the viper on the floor and stomping it out with a gesture to a guard. One approaching quickly as Niki spoke in their ear and nodded to Aurelian. A quick grab into their pouch before approaching the two to wait for their duel to cease.

Holding an ice compress in their hand.

"If you have any further testing requirements, please inform myself or a staff member. But if that is all for the day, I think a dinner is in order." Niki's hand joining together in front of her with a polite smile.

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

X | X​

Flat on his back, Aurelian's chest rose and fell in shallow, pained breaths as he gazed up at Sibylla, her blade hovering smugly at his throat. The red shimmer of her shield flickered between them, casting a triumphant glow on her grin. Despite the ache in his Veruna jewels, a slow, crooked, wicked smile spread across Aurelian's face.

"You know," he rasped, his amber eyes tracing her flushed, victorious face, "I don't mind this view either...." He let the pause stretch, savoring it before adding with a velvet purr, "But don't get too comfortable, my lady. I'll take it back soon enough."

Sibylla's hand extended, steady despite her flushed cheeks and sparking eyes. Aurelian hesitated, the smirk deepening as if he considered pulling her down again, before finally clasping her wrist and letting her haul him upright. He rose with a grunt, shaking out the stiffness in his limbs, his other hand protectively hovering near his injury.

The guard stepped forward with an ice compress, and for once, Aurelian accepted it without a quip. He pressed it to his injury with a wince that pulled his mouth tight. "Much obliged," he muttered, though a flicker of amusement in his gaze showed he was hardly cowed.

Niki's dry commentary and final offer cut through the tension, her nonchalance a stark contrast to the chaos that had just unfolded. Aurelian adjusted his tunic, rolled his shoulders back, and let out a breath that turned into a chuckle. "Dinner is a fine idea," he said, his voice regaining its smooth, patrician lilt despite the compress. "I, for one, need to sit. Then we can hammer out the details of your shield deal over a proper table."

He glanced sidelong at Sibylla, his dangerous smile blooming fully once more. "Though I admit," he continued, "this demonstration was far more memorable than I anticipated."

Sibylla Abrantes | Niki Priddy​