Private Winter Rain || Srina Talon

[Gerwald Lechner]

V A L I D A T I O N​

WEARING: xxx
WEAPON: xxx
TAG: Srina Talon

Eyes darted open and looked up toward the sky as the wolf woke from his sleep. The grey beast rocked back on his hind legs and stretched his front paws forward as his first breath of the day pulled his maw down into a yawn. Bones began to crack as suddenly the animal began to shift. Within a few seconds a man stood where the wolf once was. Quickly clothing himself, Gerwald started to move toward the river which was nearby. Another yawn escaped as the lupine was having a difficult time waking up.

Dark things haunted the wolf’s dreams. Until the encounter with the Nocna Mora on Nalol, Gerwald was at a loss for what had been stalking him in his sleep. The devourer had found its way into his mind, a gift which remained from his encounter with the Mountain Darth Prazutis himself. That was the easy answer. What drove Gerwald to fear was the notion that something else was at work, that his dreams had been projections of Naedira’s personal hell. Gerwald was afraid their bond was not as final as death should have made it. She was between worlds, so part of her remained. He could sense her in the ring now.

Gerwald reached his hand into the running water. The cold liquid splashed against his face as he tossed it against his tanned skin. He let out a sigh as the chilled temperature shocked his mind into being fully alert. He did not dream when he was a wolf. The nights he shifted to avoid losing control of the beast within were his only reprieve from the devourer which hunted him in the quiet of the night.

“That was sorely needed…” his voice called out to himself.

Drying his hands on the black denim which he wore, Gerwald walked back to where he had been sleeping to retrieve his belt which carried his lightsaber. There was a forest clearing nearby where he had arranged to meet a long standing ally. Srina Talon had been his salvation. Where others had warned Gerwald not to chase after Prazutis, she had understood his anger. It had not been intentional. The lupine had been manipulated. Visions had flooded his mind, a summoning of sorts, of where the Mountain could be found. The frequency had continued until the wolf set out to find the man.

It had been a mistake.

Torture had been the one truth Gerwald had discovered. Darth Prazutis was an evil Gerwald did not understand. In the end he had learned why the Mountain had done what he did, why he had killed Naedira, and why he had tortured the wolf. The answer still made Gerwald sick.

He did it because he could, because no one stopped him from doing so.

Srina had been the one to find his broken body in a pile of rubble, tossed like garbage into a heap of whatever mess that had littered the ground. The body healed quickly. It was Gerwald’s mind which took longer to put back together. His spirit still wavered at times. Darth Prazutis had sought to break Gerwald in every way he could, but the winter haired Exarch had ensured every piece of the wolf which had been broken found its place again.

Some time had passed since their last meeting. In fact, much had happened since their last encounter. Gerwald was now the Lord Commander of the Knights Obsidian, a position he never aspired to, and one he thought he would never be worthy of. Others had seen differently, and while everyone had said he was not ready, the mantle had been thrust upon him regardless. The Knight Obsidian was a strong fighter, he had always been, but there was always room to improve and get better. Today was not about proving to Srina that he was ready for the role that had been thrust upon him, but rather proving something to himself.

The Echani would be honest with him. She knew no other way to be. Her assessment was important to Gerwald as he trusted her above anyone else. Of all those he had been close to, Srina was the only one who remained. She was a constant in a world that was always changing around him. Were they friends? Gerwald could not answer that question, though he liked to think they were. All he knew was she had decided the wolf belonged to her. Maybe it had been his brokenness which drew her to him, or her fascination with the creatures of the galaxy. Whatever it was, Srina Talon was the only test which mattered to Gerwald.

Her approval was most valuable.

His steps carried him into the clearing as clouds began to cover the sun. Gerwald took in a deep breath. He could smell it on the air as the wind changed.

She had arrived.

That was not the only shift in the air.

“It is going to rain,” Gerwald said in greeting.

Soon.
​

 

[Srina Talon]

F I G H T
Direct Tag: Lunara Azure | Gerwald Lechner
Weapon: Saber | White Widow
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​

Walking through the woods, even damp, never bothered her. The silvery Exarch, the Dread Queen, the White Lady of the Confederacy moved through the dense foliage as if it wasn’t even there. Pale fingers moved across the bark of age-old trees while the dense air filled her lungs. She could smell the green. One would think after spending so much time on Naboo that she would be used to it but it still caught her by surprise. Geonosis had been so blisteringly hot that it was the only thing she could see. Even beneath a habitation dome. All she could smell, or feel.

She appreciated that simplicity.

Srina kept an easy dialogue with Lunara Azure while they headed toward the clearing that Gerwald Lechner had chosen for his lesson. The white-haired woman wore a soft while traveling dress that held multiple pieces in layers. It was made so that she could wear training gear beneath it and not receive strange looks while traversing the spaceports. A pair of white hexagonally pattered uniform with ivory pieces of material that crossed along her back. Black accents made it seem far more severe than it was. Lengths of moonlit hair were neatly braided and twisted to form a bun at the crown of her skull.

There were several pieces of jewelry that she was rarely seen without.

A ring from Kyyrk that sat on a silver chain around her neck. A ring from Darth Metus that had truly solidified her stance as his Apprentice. A ring from Darth Empyrean that let her feel him from one end of the galaxy to the other. That let her be with him, or he with her, in an instant. She had entrusted these precious items to Lunara. The lovely woman was talented her in own right. It was almost a shame to waste her gifts as a handmaiden, though, she had no fears of this training session being interrupted.

“You must stay close, Lady Azure. The woods are larger than they seem.”

Larger than they seemed. Deeper—And darker. As if they were designed to get lost in.

Quiet mercurial eyes found Gerwald Lechner without difficulty. While he had likely picked up their scent on the wind, she could see his Force Signature like a glimmering light, glowing dark, against a pale backdrop. It felt inverted. As the lupine announced that it would rain, she could only nod her head. She could smell the ozone. Careful hands began to pull at her layered clothing while she handed piece after piece to Lunara. It was quite the bundle. “I’ve never had a problem fighting in the rain.”

“Do not think it will even your odds—Wolf.”

Her chilly tone was not without a certain charm. Anyone who knew her beyond her station would have long since realized that her affections appeared rarely. She spoke of them, even rarer than that. Delicate arms twined above her head for a moment so she could stretch. The movements were delicate, graceful, and would have been enough to turn any dancer green with envy. Measured footsteps took her toward the center of the clearing. “The rules of engagement?”

Were there any?

Srina was not known to pull punches but there was a difference between “fighting” and “sparring” when it came to training. If he wanted to come at her barreling like a bantha it was highly unlikely he would learn anything. She would have to wait and see what her wolf yearned to do for the afternoon. Did he wish to learn? Or did he wish to try and win? She would know the moment the fighting began. Orbs of pure molten silver flickered toward the cloud cover above.

Yes—It would rain.

The Echani waited for Gerwald to stand before her in the clearing and raised her hands to clasp them before her chest. One hand wrapped around the other and she inclined her head briefly in a simple sign of respect. Anyone who had seen her train, fight, knew that she did so with the utmost focus and attention to detail. Respect. She did not like cheap tricks; but she wasn’t above turning them around on her opponent. Her head lowered, slightly, and when her head raised, she let her arms fall to her sides.

Her gaze was hard and evaluative. It burned.

“Are you ready?”

 

[Lunara Azure]

​

Location: The woods
Tagging: Gerwald Lechner | Srina Talon

They said the force ran through all things, that it connected the plants and the animals, every organism large or small. She’d always been aware of it on some level, that the energy, the force, the light, whatever you called it, was all around them. That you only had to stand out in nature to feel it surrounding you in that embrace, like sinking into a warm bath…she’d only thought she’d understood what nature was.

Lunara was at heart a city girl, she’d grown up in a city, had spent most of her life in the city, or a campus. The only time she’d ever been out into what she’d thought was nature had been a secondment to a village as an acolyte. It wasn’t until she’d stepped out into the galaxy that she’d truly seen what nature could be. Even then, she got to experience it in the middle of a mission when you didn’t have time to appreciate it, fighting for your life didn’t really leave you with time to appreciate the gentler aspects of your environment. She hadn’t really appreciated how connected it was, how alive it felt until now.

The elfin woman reached up a hand, pressing it against the side of a tree for a moment, feeling the rough surface of the bark beneath her fingers, the soft feeling of moss beneath her hand as she took a deep breath. She could smell the rain, the dam grass and leaves around her, could sense how the entire forest seemed to pulse and teem with life.

“It would be easy loose your way in them my lady. Far too easy.”

It was almost as if the Knight Commander wanted to revel in the nature, or to perhaps he was just hoping they’d get lost on the way to find him. Blue eyes turned to rest on the Exarch as a soft smile turned up the corner of Lunara’s lips for a moment, her hands falling to her sides as she fell back into lockstep with the pale Exarch, letting her lead the way. The familiar signature of Gerwald was easily recognizable, somehow fitting in with the wild feeling of the forest, as if he were a part of it, at home in it. Although, why he would want to be, why anyone would want to be was something the woman would never understand.

The blonde fell back into that easy conversation, that rolling gait that ate up the ground beneath them as they closed in on the wolf in knight’s clothing. The companiable conversation the easy walk came ot an end as the man come into view, drawing a nod from the woman as she slowly stepped aback to the side, letting the two sparring partner’s approach one another without worrying about her getting in the way.

“You know wolf, you do bring me to the nicest places.”

That fond, playfully sarcastic bard flicked at the man as Lunara looked up for a moment, feeling the rain falling on her face, streaking down her cheeks before she waved her hand, weaving the force into a barrier to protect herself as she settled back against a tree. Despite everything, despite Atheus and her ex-husband’s attempts at teaching her, physical combat had never been something the woman had ever been comfortable with. She could defend herself, but little more than that. That wasn’t to say that she didn’t enjoy watching experts fight, and she’d seen enough of the Exarch’s fighting to know she elevated simple combat to an art form.

 

[Runar Ulfsson]

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TAG:​

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Srina Talon | Lunara Azure | Gerwald Lechner​

Rhaegar made his way along in the woods, having made his way across the galaxy for several years it was nice to go and see his cousin once more. He felt his feet walk over branches hearing the distinct crunch as h walked over them. The atmosphere of the whole landscape making him remember why he missed staying on some planets longer than a day or two. He had been living from world to world, most of his time being spent in ships, although they tended to be very fancy they weren't the same as the outdoor, the fresh air flowing through his hair, nothing but trees and the surrounding elements.​

His ears caught the sounds of the surrounding wildlife, animals flying away as the group made their way to the designated area. His eyes darting around, his senses being ever heightened. He tended to never be in any true danger but with his past he liked to be overly cautious then getting surprised if he could help it. Beasts darting away in the corners of his visions as he made his way along the path to the group destination.​

Rhaegar had decided to hang back a little behind the group as they came up to Gerwald for the fight that was about to commence. Having decided he made his way further along the treeline. He let his foot kick some trees testing the sturdiness of them, his silvery eyes glancing over them before finding one that suited his purpose before he began to eye a low-hanging branch that suited his purpose.​

With a leap he jumped up to the branch and began to pull himself up, climbing the tree slowly. His powerful arms lifting him ever further onto the next branch as he glanced back at the group every so often to catch a glimpse of the conversation below. His eyes glancing over the figure that his cousin would be fighting he gave a favorable nod, he looked like he was a formidable opponent. He was going to lose though, for Srina was a Talon, and she was a strong one at that.​

"You're fighting that? Huh, sucks to be him I'd thought he'd be a little more, I don't know intimidating. I mean don't get me wrong he looks strong but for you cuz? Pfft not even going to break a sweat."​

Rhaegar yelled halfway up the tree as he perched on a limb watching the fight from above, allowing for better watching, and it allowed him to not be blocked by any bodies whilst the fighting was happening. He moved some of the hair that had fallen in front of his eyes back onto his head, his eyes glancing between the two of them as he waited eagerly for them to begin this little scuffle. He hadn't seen a good scuffle in a while, and he wanted to see what his cousin could do, after all she was a Talon, so she had some nasty tricks up her sleeve if it came down to it. Furthermore, he also knew how she could get if she was pushed far enough.​

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[Gerwald Lechner]

V A L I D A T I O N​

WEARING: xxx
WEAPON: xxx
TAG: Srina Talon | Lunara Azure | Runar Ulfsson

Gerwald had not expected the other two which had accompanied the white haired Exarch. He did not mind. One was a relative, the white hair had given it away. The other was as close a friend to him as Srina herself. An icy gaze regarded Lunara Azure as the Exarch greeted him.​

His comment about the rain was not a warning, nor did he think the Echani would be bothered by it. The lupine was a warrior, trained in the arts of his homeworld. To Srina, combat was not only an artform, but it was her language. The Lord Commander did not underestimate his opponent by any means. Gerwald had no expectations that he would match her skill. What he sought more than anything was her approval and validation. She had been the one to rescue him from the broken heap Prazutis had left him in, and the wolf needed to show he had grown much since then.​

Wolf.​

She was the only one to address him by his nature, the beast and not the man. There had been one who used to refer to him as beast, but it was more to do with hie height and physique than the wolf which resided within. Standing just above 2 meters, Gerwald was an imposing figure to be sure. That was not what made him dangerous. It was the animal that was as much part of him as the man was. It made him more agile than he seemed, and his enhanced senses gave him an advantage over those without them. Again, this would not matter to the Exarch.​

“I did not think it would. It was merely a statement.”​

Gerwald knew that the Echani rarely showed affection, yet he was also aware that did not mean it was absent. Their relationship was interesting, but close in its own way. They did not speak of it, nor did they address each other in ways that would allow the typical observer to know the depth of their friendship. Despite this, Srina Talon was a close friend.​

The corner of his lip turned into a smirk as his elfen friend, Lunara, created a barrier to guard from the rain. Her own words pulled a chuckle from his belly.​

“It is quite lovely here, I do agree. Though, our next outing, the location shall be your choice.”​

He appreciated the jest. It felt good to know that Lunara was comfortable enough with him to tease. Their relationship was no less important than the one he shared with Srina, but their interactions could not have been more opposite.​

The question then fell to the rules of engagement.​

“Just one,” Gerwald answered, “Do not cause any harm that bacta cannot repair.”​

The words left his mouth as he felt the first drop of rain fall on his hand. While Srina was dressed in armor, Gerwald was in simple attire. He wanted to be able to move a bit more free without the restriction of the weight his armor added. His hand extended as the force called the hilt of his lightsaber to his hand. The yellow blade snapped to life on contact as the lupine took the opening stance to the fifth form of lightsaber combat. Gereald was versed in others, but he defaulted to the fifth form for one reason. He did not want many knowing that despite his large stature, that the fourth form was within his capabilities.​

“We may begin.”​

Gerwald stood at the ready. His chosen form was based on heavy counter attacks. Wisdom held him from attacking first.​

 

[Srina Talon]

F I G H T
Direct Tag: Lunara Azure | Gerwald Lechner | Runar Ulfsson
Weapon: Saber | White Widow
_________________________________________________________
​

“I could take you to Mustafar.”

It was a boiling, rolling, hellscape. Her response would display that the Echani held a certain level of wit contrary to popular belief, though, it was exceedingly dry. It would be equally hard to discern whether or not she was joking. Her face remained hard, cold, while her tone was entirely deadpan.

Lunara had orbited her presence enough to know that Srina wouldn’t actually send her to such a wasteland without good reason. Srina folded her belongings carefully before passing them to her much taller adjunct. She was confident walking through this forest; as if she owned it. But, that didn’t mean she was confident it wouldn’t turn bloody. Srina did not believe in pulling punches.

Every hit that landed was a lesson and a reminder of what not to do next time.

A familiar presence rose from the south and the wintry woman closed her eyes briefly. She could see the flaxen hair of her kin. The pale skin and baleful eyes that caught the fading light that filtered through the leaves of trees while the clouds rolled in and thickened. She hadn’t known that Runar Ulfsson would be attending this session. Surprising, but not unwanted. “So…You decided to leave the ship, have you?”, she questioned, briefly, when her cousin was within earshot.

She turned her head for a moment and watched him scale a tree. There was very little doubt in her mind that he could feel the general thrill of an incoming battle. There was an energy in the air. A hum that moved over her skin like little lines of ants drawing invisible lines of power. Her focus returned to the Wolf that stood several feet away. It would not do to keep her eyes from her opponent for too long. No, they had not begun—But he should have used her distraction.

The moment had passed.

“Don’t fall. Gravity hurts, Rhaegar.”

She dismissed the light-hearted prattle that placed her in an imaginary higher standing than the Lord Commander of the Confederacy. Was it true? Possibly. It was the duty of the warrior to expect the unexpected in the heat of battle. Gerwald could very well best her if his skills had grown intensely since she had last set eyes to him. Srina knew the reason he wished for her presence on this wet, damp, backwater planet. He wanted to prove that her efforts in keeping him alive after his stupidity reigned supreme in the wake of his lost lover had not been in vain. That he was capable.

That he deserved the coveted title of Lord Commander.

“It is brave of you not to take advantage of a situation when you know I won’t spare you, Wolf.”

That would do him a disservice. He would never gain anything but an unwarranted ego if she allowed him to win unchecked. The Exarch would make this brutal, simply, because she wanted him to learn. To fight in the future—And win. The stipulation he posed caused silvery eyes to flash toward a shade of gun-metal gray. “There are many heinous things that bacta can repair…A handicap and a challenge.”

His lightsaber blade ignited in a flare of yellow light and the rainfall increased. She could feel it soaking the thin protective gear she wore and simply let it do so. For a long moment, she let the world settle, and she breathed in the scent of earth and ozone. The words of the battle to begin carried to her ears and the Echani stepped back, balancing, her weight back on her left foot before she darted forward in the blink of an eye. He wouldn’t be able to discern what form she took because she didn’t consign herself to the inherent limitations of broadcasting what she might do. Any Force User that fell into a well-known stance was already at a disadvantage. She knew the limitations of Shien and Djem So. The rain made the grass slick. She adjusted.

Srina dropped low in the last second and used her momentum and the environment to keep sliding forward at a rapid rate with her right leg extended while the fingers of her left hand just barely grazed the ground to keep balance. She aimed to take his legs out from under him. The strength of a man came from what held him up, what kept him upright, and she was certain the wolf would feel it in the morning. The Echani pivoted and twisted her lithe form so that she could catch him at an angle and if needed strike out again.

Still, her weapon remained sheathed.
​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

V A L I D A T I O N​

WEARING: xxx
WEAPON: xxx
TAG: Srina Talon | Lunara Azure | Runar Ulfsson

“If I were trying to kill you, it would not be a question, Hvid*,” his answer to her correction came.

Gerwald had always been one to find his footing in some stance. Every measure of practice had taught him to do so. It seemed his opponent did not fall into such patterns. He did not expect the Echani to. From what he knew about the race, which was little, they spoke the language of combat. They were masters of body language and said more with their movements than they ever put to words. Gerwald expected her to be unpredictable, which gave him no advantage at all.

His only advantage was that he knew forms that he did not broadcast, but as the rain made the ground below his feet under, the wolf knew he would be limited in what he would be able to do. While this was not the first time he had fought in the rain, his opponent was smaller, and much faster, than he would ever hope to be. There would be no time for distraction, even if one of the spectators was a close friend as well.

The white haired Exarch forced Gerwald to the air. Her slide left him no choice, though his stance made the transition difficult. Bringing his feet closer, Gerwald used the force to propel him over the woman as she lunged at him. Without knowing where she would target him, Gerwald leaped high enough to clear her at her full height before tucking into a forward flip.

His feet slipped slightly as the lupine tried to gain his footing. He knew Ataru would be a difficult form to use in the rain, but his training in lightsaber combat only went so far. He was not the duelist that others were, though he had the potential. Gerwald had been proficient with a broadsword or battle axe long before he held a lightsaber in his hand. The balance was much different, something he had not been used to for a long time.

The wolf pivoted to compensate for the slip. His weapon out, facing the Echani now whether her back was to him, or not, Gerwald gathered the water around him into an orb. A push of his hand would send it flying toward the Exarh. A creature of nature had more at his disposal than just the weapon in his hand. The elements were his to command as well.

Spoiler: translation

*White One

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[Runar Ulfsson]

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TAG: Srina Talon | Gerwald Lechner | Lunara Azure​

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Taking the jab at him with gest Rhaegar gave a loud chuckle as he leaned back on the tree as if to fall off before righting himself with a coy wink. The wind flowing through his hair as he sat perched on top of the tree his eyes watching the pair as they watched the two spar off against one another.​

"I heard the news through the grapevine that my cousin was gonna kick some arse so I came to join in on the fun! I won't fall, I'm as nimble as I was when we were young! Well, at least I hope I am, I guess we'll find out."​

The Echani's eyes watched the two sparing, back and forth they went, each taking as much as receiving, he hadn't seen a good fight in a long time. These two definitely had some years of experience behind their moves, each flowing against one another, in harmony as their moves came one after another, defensive and aggressive flowing and weaving into the dance that was a good fight. If he hadn't been Srina's cousin he didn't know if he could pick a side to favor in the duel the two were engaged in.​

Perched on the tree, he had a better vantage point than Lunara below, he could see their feet, and their movements more clear than on the ground, making certain mental notes for his own accord on the way those two fought, did he think he would engage against them? Well, he hoped not, but Rhaegar had always been a person to gather as much information he could, even if it was against people he considered his allies.​

"You gonna let this Wastoid kick your exhaust port there cuz? I thought I knew you better than this!"​

Rhaegar made sure to slip in another jab, both to ignite Srina, and to annoy the Lord Commander a little bit, he liked having his fun too, especially whilst they were both so focused on what was happening in front of them.​

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[Lunara Azure]

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Location: The woods
Tagging: Gerwald Lechner | Srina Talon | Runar Ulfsson

There was something about a duel between capable fighters that moved beyond what you saw, the sound of weapons cutting through the air and of feet pounding on the ground. It was…a dance, no less beautiful and elegant than a waltz from the most courtly ballroom. There was something in the way the two combatants fought, the way they shifted around one another and avoided the strikes throw out.

If Lunara closed her eyes she was almost transported back to the ballrooms of the Imperial Palace on Zernia. She could hear the sound of the rain pattering down around her, the footsteps of the fighters and the sound of the wind traveling through the frees, the creak of branches swaying. Behind that though she could almost hear an orchestra, the soft notes of music building and swelling around her. For a moment, when she opened her eyes they weren’t in this damp forest but she was back home in a palace that hadn’t been burnt down, in a ballroom that still glittered. The wolf and the exarch dressed in finery as they swirled around one another.

For a moment before the world re-asserted itself, dragging her back to the present, to the here and now as the to fighters clashed again.

Watching, it was obvious neither of the combatants was giving an inch of ground, but the difference in their styles was obvious. The wolf was big and flashy, big sweeps, big jumps that sent him soaring through the air. The echani on the other hand never used more motion, more energy than she was required to at any moment. The duality between the two of them was…interesting, opposites clashing though, like her treeborne companion she knew who her money would be on.

If she was honest, Gerwald’s style was more akin to those she was used to, using natural strength to beat down an opponent. She remembered watching her husband train against the guard. He’d been like a rock, they could waste their energy trying to beat on him, but he bore it and crushed them with his counters. Whenever she’d tried to fight him the fight had always been a foregone conclusion, as much as he tried to show her how to defend herself she had never seemed to be able to gain the proficiency the wintery warrior was displaying in the forest. Instead she’d found herself resorting to the Light, to the force, more and more, using her control of the energy to counter him, to send him flying.

A sad smile touched the woman’s lips for a moment at the nostalgic memory, she’d long since accepted that physical combat wasn’t her strength. Much to the chagrin of her mentors and tutors she’d long since given up on that and focused herself entirely on controlling and using the force. That didn’t mean, however, she couldn’t appreciate the show that was unfolding before her, she just knew that if she’d had to fight either of them she had better hope that she had enough space to neutralize them before they got to her or she’d be in big trouble.

 

[Srina Talon]

F I G H T
Direct Tag: Lunara Azure | Gerwald Lechner | Runar Ulfsson
Weapon: Saber | White Widow
_________________________________________________________
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“If you were trying to kill me you would already be dead.”

Cold words were issued with the sharpness of any vibroblade. They were final, chilling, and spared no feeling that may have railed against such a vile notion. She could hear her cousin laughing in the tree line behind her head, nearly, like a hyena. He had always held a more poignant sense of humor than she did. Her upbringing had been stringent. A long tenure at, Dagorlind, the military academy her mother had chosen for her promised that she would be skilled and severe. “If you fall and break your neck, cousin, I will expect that your mother will be informed that it was not my doing.”

For some reason, every Talon that ventured too far from Eshan seemed to wind up in rather difficult predicaments. Worse than that, others, like Tellu Talon met their end. Srina had tried to reason with her mother about the death of her sibling but the woman would not hear of it. She was an heir to a matriarchy whom loathed her; for killing her children. For surviving.

The feeling of the wind and rain pelting down while she slid toward the wolf was akin to a balm for a wound she hadn’t known existed. For all of the violence, the fighting, and mayhem she often found herself taking part in—Sparring with others happened less and less. There was a sense of community to be found in placing one’s life and limb in the hands of a trusted companion, versus, greeting the snarling blade of an enemy. She anticipated that he would jump.

He had no choice.

She stopped herself by digging her heel into the wet moss that coated the ground and used her other foot to push her form flawlessly back into a standing position. He slid and wobbled like a youngling finding its first steps. Silver eyes caught the ebb and flow of liquid trapped within the will of the Force and a single eyebrow rose when Gerwald Lechner launched a ball of water at her person. “Do you learn nothing?”, the pale beauty called out as her hand snapped out to draw the water in, catching it, before manipulating it into a solid phase. It looped around the back of her head and when she launched it smoothly back at the wolf it was a long spike of ice.

“You have only yourself to blame.”

Srina hadn’t intended on bringing the Force into this fight, yet, if his designs were as such she would respond in kind. Mercurial eyes began to burn and bleed into a deeply tarnished gold while a dark latticework of corruption began to pattern the tender skin beneath transient orbs. They flared in the pallid and grey light of stormy weather as if twin suns burned. The rain that fell from a darkened sky began to condense and cool rapidly. Moments after she threw the first shard, more fell, and at a rapid pace.

Some were small. Harder to dodge. While others were large enough to stand on once they fell and pierced the earth. Again, she charged forward. Between the falling stalagmites of piercing cold that would sheer flesh from bone if he wasn’t fast enough. She moved with the grace and surety of one who knew exactly what they were doing; dashing between columns at rates that would almost seem super-sonic until she was near enough to breathe his air.

His weapon would be harder to wield when he had to deal with her invading his space, plus, the frozen hell that promised death from above. A punch that was almost surgical in its precision lashed out toward his throat before she spun down and her right leg kicked up to try and catch him in the softness of his right side. She would become a terror. Something new. The fearsome Exarch had changed since her formative years. She had grown, adapted, and invested hours upon hours of intensive study into every aspect of combat.

Srina, had remade herself. She was new—And she was new with every fight. Every time.

In a precision-speared tornado of feet, fists, and ice her vision was never clearer. He had spent his time since she had returned him from the jaws of the Sith Empire learning to better himself. She had spent the entirety of her life choosing to walk a line of grey that teetered neither too far between darkness and light. Only, Sith called. It rang in her head because it was the superior weapon. The brighter the light, the darker her shadow became.

If the wolf managed to avoid her onslaught, she would give him no quarter. She would remove herself when necessary to avoid his blade, or, the environmental hazards he had so foolishly requested—But he would find no easy moment to regain the upper hand. No peace. No chance to catch his breath nor find his footing while the ground beneath their feet turned to muck and mud.

“You cannot outrun me, Wolf.”, she hissed through the frost. Her voice was filled with the absolute power that it took to turn the weather in her favor. Focus. The dark within her had gone deeper than a well and bleak as obsidian cliffs. “Do not hesitate.”

“Fight me.”

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

V A L I D A T I O N​

WEARING: xxx
WEAPON: xxx
TAG: Srina Talon | Lunara Azure | Runar Ulfsson

Hesitation. Another had accused Gerwald of that. Dodging attacks was not hesitancy, not when his chosen form was one that used the attack of another against them. Srina made that difficult. Every attack she had levied at him was designed to throw him off. It was as though the Echani knew his every weakness and targeted the things which would force him to be at a disadvantage. The chiefest among them being her size compared to his. While he was physically stronger, she was more agile, quicker. He would not be able to compensate for those differences in a battle that was closer, fought in more intimate spaces.​

“If you were trying to kill me you would already be dead.”​

​

She was confident, but Gerwald knew it was properly placed. If the Echani wanted to kill him, she could, but Gerwald was certain he could say the same. While they were not evenly matched in skill, the wolf had methods at his disposal which the Echani did not. It was simply a matter of breaking past her defenses, something which would be very difficult to do.​

His leap into the air had been anticipated, even designed. However, she had not expected his use of the force, though it mattered very little. In a matter of seconds the water he had sent toward her was returned to him as a spear of ice. Gerwald raised his saber in time to split the piece in two. Both halves whizzed beside his head as the lupine stepped into the defending motion.​

Little time was given to react as the Echani ran toward him, dropping daggers of ice as she did so. Gerwald quickly erected a force barrier above his head to protect himself from the shards which were too large or too quick to dodge. Despite the moisture in the air, Gerwald latched onto the lone spark of heat he could feel from the electricity dancing about in the clouds. The barrier above him soon became visible as it was engulfed in flames, melting the ice as it collided with the fiery shield.​

Force attacks Gerwald could handle. He had spent the years since his torture at the hands of Prazutis ensuring he would not fall victim to the attacks he had sucumb to before. The way Srina moved in was a different matter entirely. His saber would be of no use to him, and so as he blocked or dodged each attack, he clipped the weapon back to his belt.​

“I am not hesitating,” he managed between her strikes.​

He could not move his feet, not because he had been made immobile, but because the ground would not support his weight. Gerwald would have to resort to boxing. Srina was fast, but all he had to do was land one punch. This was her language however, and as Gerwald fought he did so as one desperately trying to learn her language.​

She gave him no quarter.​

Reaching for her, Gerwald closed his fist and launched it at her face. His knee came up hoping to crash into her gut. His only hope to slow her down now was to attempt to knock the wind out of her.​

 

[Lunara Azure]

​

Location: The woods
Tagging: Srina Talon | Runar Ulfsson | Gerwald Lechner

The elfin blonde found it funny, after her playful threat to send her to Mustafa, a threat Lunara was most assiduously ignoring. She enjoyed those moments when the Exarch let that sense of humour out to play. She did enjoy the irony that after threatening her with the burning lava of that Mustafa she would go after the wolf with ice. The blonde raised a finger, reaching out to the energy that surrounded them all, all it too was a thought for her to redirect the heat away from the raindrops falling around her. It was an idle thought that left those crystals of ice suspended in the air before she lowered her finger, the crystals starting to move, almost dancing around her body. The action served no purpose but to practice her control of the force, but the floating crystals split the light around her, leaving the woman highlighted in an aura of rainbow light.

She watched Srina slip past the Gerwald’s guard, unleashing a flurry of attacks that would drive back any opponent that she might face. It was…an education watching the petite woman fight, moving in a way that Lunara knew that she would never be able to match. There was a fluidity to the motions that she could barely follow, motions that Lunara had only ever come close to matching in a dance, the memorised movements providing her with a fluidity that came of years of practising those same steps.

If she was honest with herself, the woman was more than a little jealous of the surety and the confidence she saw in the combatants dancing around the field. She wished that was a skill she had, that she had that ability. But hers was a more esoteric talent, no less deadly but perhaps less impressive in it’s way. A hand came up, caressing the rings on a necklace around her neck before letter her hand fall to her side, blue eyes drifting up towards the man in the tree. The cousin.

“Do you always jeer and taunt the combatants in a duel? Maybe toss something at them to distract them?”

She had seen duels before, attended them but they had always been a solemn affair, two combatants going all out, using all of their abilities, their skill to defeat one another. It was an affair to be respected, to be treated with the gravity that it deserved. At least…that’s what she’d been taught. She could imagine how interested her tutors would be in the fight, how they would lean forward, eyes sparkling at the sight of the fight, how the jabs would leave them perplexed and uncomfortable.

 

[Runar Ulfsson]

​

TAG: Srina Talon | Gerwald Lechner | Lunara Azure​

​

Rhaegar looking upon the two duelists, his eyes glancing over his cousin's acquaintance he watched the fight from above, a sly smirk coming from the corner of his mouth as he looked upon the duel, strike after strike coming down to one another. The wind rustling his hair, the leaves around him swaying, unaffected by the battle down below.​

​

"I agree with her, I have had less discussion in the sack than you two have whilst fighting one another. This isn't some sit-com this is a duel, you just slash and hit one another, stop flirting and get on with the damned fight."​

​

Rhaegar gave a sarcastic roll of his eyes as he leaned back. Slightly forgetting that he was perched up in a tree he began to fall back, his eyes giving a brief moment of worry as he fell back, his legs clutching onto the tree as he hung upside down from the branch, his eyes glancing upon the group as he hung there.​

​

"I won't break my neck, I am not a child anymore, I can take care of myself, and what did I say about small talk whilst fighting, it's disrespectful to the mongrel if you don't pay him full attention, don't forget to get blood on your lovely blouse though, It'd be dreadful to get out."​

​

Only accented his cousin's point he hung from the tree, his legs the only thing giving him support. Honestly, he could fall at any time, he most likely wouldn't but she had a right to be worried, he was always been a fool in the family, but that was his way.​

​

 

[Srina Talon]

F I G H T
Direct Tag: Lunara Azure | Gerwald Lechner | Runar Ulfsson
Weapon: Saber | White Widow
_________________________________________________________
​

He did hesitate.

One that did not dedicate the entirety of their soul hesitated by the very nature of what they did and did not wish to achieve. He did not seek to kill her. Therefore, he held back. The wolf would find nothing simple about her defenses. She reacted to his movements as if she could see them coming. Echani had keen eyes. That was well known. Srina had taken those inborn gifts and bred them into an art form. He had surprised her once with his utilization of the Force because she had expected he would want to practice physicality. It was what she was best known for. The Dread Queen would not be taken as such a second time.

She followed the ice. As if carried by the wind, heralded, by nature, she flowed forward with wings attached to her ankles. The young woman seemed to be made of fluid rather than bone and tangible flesh. A shield erected before her eyes while the Lord Commander sought to evade her constant attacks. What else could he do? It would be impossible to keep every stalagmite of ice from burrowing into his skull while it dropped from the sky—So he would need a secondary defense.

A way to tank the hit.

Srina could feel the fire from the shield that surrounded him but paid it little mind. Compared to the veritable inferno she had witnessed through Darth Metus when Mandalore fell so many years ago—This was nothing. She had felt his flesh melt, bubble, and fire crawl down his throat like the fingers of a god while it burned him through and through. This? This was sad. A temporary stopgap for a very real problem. One that he would soon understand.

He claimed that he wasn’t hesitating and silver eyes flashed in defiance.

“You are.”

The heckling voice of her cousin was only so much background noise. Her blood thrummed through her veins with heightened, vicious intent, and if Runar Ulfsson pressed her further he would soon find out what it would be like on the other end. The pale-skinned woman would reach deep into the earth and use the tree roots to pluck him from his perch and beat his body into the tree trunk until he wept. The training that Srina had endured ensured that combat, even sparring, was never a laughing matter. It was never something to be jeered at. It was less than a centimeter between life and death—In every moment. An endless dance, a waltz, in which her opponent could not afford any distraction.

She could ignore Rhaegar. Could he?

Gerwald finally attempted to go on the offensive and were she a cruel mistress she might have sneered at his attempt. He was fast. Better than human, but still, far slower than she had come to be. In order to attack her something would eventually give. He had stowed his weapon, though, the shield of fire was bothersome. She knew of several ways to put it out.

Few of which, he would like.

Srina slid to the side to avoid the punch to her face, still, using the frozen mud, grass, and water to her advantage. The silent woman caught the knee that was launched upward toward her stomach and brief telekinesis forced it back down in a way it wasn’t meant to go. A sizzle rose from her flesh from her proximity to the flame shield, though, she paid it little mind. Her skin would mend in the bitter cold or the blistering heat as if it had been kissed by an invisible healing touch.

Srina spun around and brought her elbow high so that it would aim for his face before using her momentum to keep spinning so that she could raise her right leg to again attack his knees. A man was only so strong as that which held him. Her breathing seemed calm while her heartbeat remained even and slow. She was aware of the natural reactions that a body held toward imminent danger. Toward fighting an opponent wreathed in fire—But she was in control. Always, in control.

Her awareness in the Force only led to the anticipation of his movements. She could sense him plainly and it would almost feel like she had eyes in the back of her head. The slender creature mouthed one phrase that the Stewjon born warrior likely wouldn’t catch. “Ra atoki…”, the soundless words spoke of the imminent state they were designed to affect. Flame could not burn without its treasured catalyst for long. Food. Fuel. Even if it was driven by the Force, the user, was still flesh and blood.

The Darkside blossomed with Srina, the power of it resonating within, like black lightning, that augmented years of training that guided her swift reactions. Time seemed to slow, to stretch. It would have been easy to call a Wraith up from the Nether has her Master had taught her to attack the Lord Commander. But, there was no challenge in that. Srina dropped to her left knee to allow a swing from the wolf to whistle overhead. She could feel the wind of it. Without looking she drew back and threw a serpent punch at the inside of his extended knee. She dodged down low and then struck at the inside of his other knee just as quickly, spinning low in the mud, so that she could stand and fall into a guarded right leg forward, left leg back position.

Her hands remained raised defensively while her chin drew down and she threw several quick jabs that were powered by her back leg. She was careful not to over or under extend her reach and her knuckles rotated while she aimed for his head. If it connected, regardless of the shield, she would follow through by turning into him one more time to get a little air and execute a spinning roundhouse kick.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

V A L I D A T I O N​

WEARING: xxx
WEAPON: xxx
TAG: Srina Talon | Lunara Azure | @Rhagar Talon

Gerwald was not trying to kill the Echani, because he could not. The lupine knew he did not have it in him to strike down the woman he fought against, and perhaps that made him weak. It was evident she would not spare one thought or blink if it came to killing him. Perhaps the Vicelord’s son had been correct, that Gerwald’s weakness was how much he cared for those he held close. The wolf was loyal to a fault, and baring his teeth at the one who had nursed him back to health was an unfathomable thing.

Yet, she demanded it.

He had not hoped to catch the woman by surprise. Her reflexes were much quicker than he could move. While the force could make him faster, she would match, and exceed, anything Gerwald could produce. It was something he had to counter. Why else had he brought the force into the match. His strength alone would not be enough to defeat someone that clearly held advantages he could not counter without it.

A smirk tugged at his face as the other Echani laughed at them. For an Echani he did not seem to appreciate the art of combat, or the exchange which was taking place between the lupine and the Dread Queen. Had it been the place for it, Gerwald would have made some quip about how boring his partners must have been had the Echani found himself lacking in conversation or banter in the bedroom. Instead the wolf inside was finding himself more and more content with a violent retort.

Srina spoke. It was barely audible and in a language Gerwald did not understand. He believed it to be some form of Sith. Whatever she had said seemed to have an effect on the area around him. There were two things Gerwald noticed immediately. The flame began to diminish, and it was getting hard to breath.

Oxygen.

Srian had managed to find a way to siphon the one thing the flame and the wolf needed to survive. It slowed him down. Gerwald managed to block the first attack, and barely found a counter for the second, but the onslaught of jabs to his knee, and the inside of his leg found the wolf on the ground.

His knees slammed hard into the mud as the white haired woman took a fighting stance. The next attack was either merciful on her part, or foolish, Gerwald would never understand why she had chosen to spin. She may have found a way to drop him to his knees, but his upper body was still strong. The woman’s foot would not meet with his face, but rather the wolf would catch it. If she wished for him to stop hesitating then she would have her wish.

As his grip tightened around the leg he had caught, Gerwald brought his other fist upward to strike at her knee as many times as she had pummeled his own. It only took five pounds of pressure to break a joint, and Gerwald was certainly strong enough without the force to do just that. If he could damage her knees, Gerwald could hopefully even the fight.

He pushed her back as the wolf stumbled back up onto his feet. His mind was frantic with a way to at least give him breath once more. A quick flick of his wrist and the lupine forced a gust of wind to blow past him. It would be enough air for now, but he needed a counter, and he needed one soon.
​