Alkeran Methedal vs. Lordura Rivoltella (Ungraded)

[Kella]

Alkeran Methedal vs. Lordura Rivoltella

An ungraded duel of five rounds! (For now, anyway.)




An ancient technique predating even the most primitive of blasters, the crafting of rice paddies remains a staple of many planets' agricultural economies. The paddies are built and shaped meticulously, from the very earth, turning rolling hills into grand temples of grain. Each terrace is bathed in ankle-deep water, the perfect growing place for rice.

It seems impossible that such a place could be anything but serene. But you know what they say about appearances.


~~*~~

And, just to keep things simple, it'll probably be easier if I go first... So here we go!

---

Lordura Acciaio Rivoltella did not run from a challenge.

She didn't run to one either.

She was rather apathetic towards them, really. So she stood, resembling in many ways a smooth stroke of ink. The water licked at her black boots, which tucked into black pants, which disappeared under a black tunic, which revealed just enough black skin, which retained its utter lack of color all the way to her black face, framed with long, slick black hair, and centered around two dark, deep, pitch-colored eyes.

Many knew her as 'The Black Ghost'. She wished they'd been more creative. It was a name born equally from the romantic fantasy of superstitious merchants as the skill of her pirate crew.

In any event, a reputation for invoking terror made future terrifying all the easier.

Of course, being engaged in a line of work that earns one such a reputation also has a knack for getting one into trouble -- another thing which the pirate Captain was rather apathetic towards.

Having realized she was being pursued, and being neither motivated to flee said pursuit, or to accelerate it, she began to walk in a direction she found interesting, so as to further confuse her pursuer's impression of why she was on the planet. So she had made her way here, two-thirds of the way up a grand, terraced hill, rather unbothered by the water that was beginning to seep into her socks.

Many other such hills rolled off to the North, South, and East, while to the West, they opened into low paddies, carved in sweeping, elegant shapes. To the East, the hills leapt upon each other in a time-frozen mad scramble to reach the highest, in their fervor becoming mountains. Beyond the paddies in the west, a languid river trailed, dotted with a few hazy towns, and the plain stretched and stretched, until at the horizon, it became one with the sky.

So there she perched, like a war hawk, surveying the surroundings. And, like a war hawk, romantic appreciation for the scenery gave way to a meticulous attentiveness.

Her pursuer would arrive shortly. She waited.

[Reece Thompson]

Alkeran had been following his target for a few hours now. There was no reason why this particular pirate was his target. He was no bounty hunter. Neither would he collect on the bounty. He just wanted to kill something.

He followed her to a grain hill so it seemed. She had stopped half way up it. It looked like she was waiting.

Alkeran knew he had made no attempt to conceal his following or her, so he made a reasonable assumption tht she was waiting for him.

He smiled at chuckled a little bit. Pirate's weren't exactly renowned swordsmen, or women in this case. He couldn't help but wonder if she knew what she was getting into. He felt quite happy considering. The idea of killing someone often got him excited.... or maybe it was just the idea of someone dying. He didn't kill often, but sometimes, he just got so bored.

To conceal the fact he was a Jedi, he continued to walk, not jumping over to her position. He climbed up the mountain and stopped a number of steps below her. He completely ignored the water spilling into his shoes. It merely reminded him of Manaan.

He lowered his hood and looked up. She still had her back to him. He was tempted to just use the force to pick her up and throw her back down the hill, but that would just be unsportsman-like. Likewise, he could just throw his saber into her back, but, the same reason popped into his head.

No, he decided to give this pirate the chance.

"PIRATE!" He yelled out loud. He did not need to shout it, they were well within talking distance, he just felt like it added to the drama.

Who knows, maybe this pirate would surprise him.

[Kella]

The man -- for she'd gotten a good look at him when he was still far off -- was far from silent. She'd heard his splashing steps ascend the hill behind her. Even so, she hadn't yet bothered to turn around. The River reminded her of memories. But, all she let herself remember was that she'd locked those memories tightly away, so she took to simply enjoying the river. Like a slender silver ribbon...

The footsteps stopped.

"Pirate!" yelled the man, very loudly. Lordura blinked. She sighed. She waited a moment, then slowly, as if the yell were nothing more than a soft whim, turned towards the man. He stood, two steps below, dark hair and dark robes making his pale skin look even paler, and his gaunt shape even gaunter. Couldn't have been more than thirty. Now wasn't that rich.

"Nerf-Herder!" she suddenly yelled, just as loud as he had. Then, in a conversational volume, "I am glad we are now acquainted with each others' professions."

His body language was confrontational, and Lordura had a feeling that, whatever his intentions were, things were going to come to blows. She saw a glint of metal at his hip, which looked rather like a lightsaber hilt, which when added to his dark cloak, spelled 'Jedi'. And, obviously, not the nice, holier-than-thou, over-obvious, goody-goody kind either.

Lordura, despite not being the confrontational type, was also not the stupid type. And she knew from experience (of which the scars had yet to vanish, and probably never would) that a Jedi could draw his saber and be on top of you before you'd even realized there was going to be a confrontation. Even such a green one.

So, she reached back over her shoulders and felt the familiar canvas at her palms. She drew her Wakizashi swords, customarily sheathed in an x-shape on her back. They hissed with glee at being brought out for blood, as if they could feel the sunlight as it glinted along each double-edged, slightly curved blade. This sort of situation was exactly why each had been plated with cortosis.

Lordura struck a defensive posture; her right foot slid back, her knees bent, and the swords rose in front of her. She finished it off with an expression that both warned and challenged.

So she waited. Again. If he were going to derail her day, he might as well be quick about it...

[Reece Thompson]

"Nerf-Herder!? That's abit harsh." Alkeran stated.

He smiled as she unsheated her weapons and took a defensive stance.

"Really? Do you really think that you would stand a chance against me?" Alkeran asked.

"I'll tell you what, you kill yourself and save me from doing it, and I'll forget this ever happened."

She didnt move at all.

Alkeran sighed. "Very well."

He pulled his lightsaber from his belt and held it firmly in both hands. He ignited both blades to show it off, then dropped one of his hands from the hilt and allowed the lightsaber to move to his side.

The thoughts of how he could end this in a few seconds ran through his head again. But he suppressed them.
- I could some good dueling. Haven't had a decent battle in a while- He thought to himself.

His smile expanded slightly into one that just showed pure malice and evil.

He jumped up and over his target and spun his blade around behind him. He turned and swung his saber to meet the pirates blades. Alkeran pulled his saber out of the lock and swung a few more strikes at her. One for the head. Then one of the legs. As he swung his last blow, the two were locked. He kept his saber firmly in the lock, as if trying to keep her there aswell. With the force backing both his speed and strength, he knocked her swords aside and brought his leg up. He planted a firm kick to the pirates stomach, forcing her down a number of hill steps.

She fell down a number of levels. To assist in her tumbling down the hill, Alkeran gave a quick sneaky force push. He chuckled slightly to himself.
He calmly started walking down the hill down to where she had tumbled.

[Kella]

((Just a feedback sort of thing, try to limit how much you control the other person’s character. For instance, saying that his kick landed, and she rolled down a few steps, was a little too much. X) Don’t worry, though -- I’m not easily offended. Just something to keep in mind for the future. It’s one of the hardest things to get the hang of, actually. xD ))

Lordura didn’t dignify his taunts with an answer. She’d been alive two decades longer than he had, and such things had ceased to impress her. He smiled the sort of smile that said he thought he was the only, most perfectly, maleficent individual in the ‘verse. If the Pirate were in any way moved by this, or by the ignition of the double-bladed saber, her flat expression and steady stance let nothing on.

He leapt, and Lordura twisted to remain facing him as he claimed the higher ground. He struck immediately, but she was ready, catching the blow to the outside right. Then she raised her left blade to catch the swing at her head, then lowered her right to catch the one that lunged at her knees, actually an easy parry, as the Jedi’s higher ground made the angle awkward. A fourth blow, which Lordura caught with crossed blades, set the weapons hissing and screaming as they locked.

Instead of breaking the lock, and coming back again, they continued to hiss, so Lordura put her mind on high alert. Sure enough, the Jedi suddenly thrusted upwards, carrying her blades upward and exposing her stomach. Eyes already on his navel, she saw it shift and knew a kick was coming, so she swiftly bent her knees.

As the Jedi’s foot connected, she jumped backwards, absorbing some of the shock. The blow still wretched the air out of her lungs, and sent Lordura into the air. She tumbled -- but not in the way of a ragdoll; rather, in the way of a gymnast. Her body arced backwards until her palms, having released the hilts, sunk through the water and found the mud. Her lower half continued over (somewhat helped by the odd sensation that she was being pushed), dropping onto the next terrace below and she was upright again, facing uphill, and quickly snatched her swords up again.

The Jedi had just finished lowering himself to her level. She looked up at him with raised eyebrows, that communicated a sort of ‘That all you got?’ sentiment.

Her right sword suddenly lunged upwards, towards the Jedi’s stomach, knowing that double-bladed sabers had a bit of a weak spot for parrying central thrusts. At the same time she stepped up onto the terrace even with the Jedi, immediately slashing at his shoulder with her left blade.

Taking advantage of the distraction of his parry, she stepped up another terrace, then from above, launched simultaneous attacks on his right shoulders and left chest. She bore down hard, then suddenly withdrew her blades, so that if he’d been parrying with any force, he’d be set off balance. As soon as she’d stepped back, she hooked her boot under the water and kicked sharply, sending a wide arc of water in the general direction of his face.

Finally, she backed up two more terraces, blades raised and ready to catch any attack, and eyes watching his body closely, so that she could slice him up a bit if he decided to jump over her again.

But beyond all these immediate goals was a quiet, overarching one; reach the top of the hill, with its wide flat plain, so that she did not have to worry about suddenly losing the high ground.

[Reece Thompson]

(Oh, sorry.)

Alkeran dived backwards and avoided the central blow without needing to parry. He jumped back up to his feet and swung his saber around to deflect the second blade.

As she moved up to the higher level of the terrace, he moved his saber above his head and span it in a circle deflecting the two above blows.

He was caught slightly off guard by her quicking water, but he used used the force to 'flick' it away.

-OK, maybe slightly underestimated this one. Could still have some fun- Alkeran though to himself.

"That's a dirty trick." He said. "Allow me to reciprocate."

He force pushed large amounts of both grain and water in the pirates direction and used it as a cover as he jumped up to her position.

Once again, he span the blades above his head, more showing off this time before bringing one of the blades down in a diagonal strike from the side for her shoulder. Once his downward strike was finished, he quickly spun around and used the second blade for a strike towards her head. At the same time, he kicked again.

As he landed, he brought the blade around again for another strike, using the blade at the back to slice for her chest.

He decided he'll use his normal tactic of persist until the target wears out. It's always worked before.

[Kella]

"That's a dirty trick," the man said, "Allow me to reciprocate."

Haven been given a slim moment's warning, her mind was already whirling through the possibilities when she saw the water surge. She jumped backwards, splashing up two more terraces, and the wall of water and rice basked across her legs.

"Well, aren't you proper," she said dryly, catching his first blow. Then she shifted, and caught the second. It was clear that, despite the saber's dual blades, it could only launch one attack at a time.

This time, she was more than ready for his kick, and dodged it, deftly swinging his blade towards the exposed extremity -- missing it only barely.

Then another strike, this time towards her chest, and another parry. She noticed that his blade was relatively easy to stop. Either he was holding back, or he had significantly less muscle strength than did she, and by his emaciated look Lordura highly suspected the latter.

Which meant, that int his back-and-forth of blades, she could call the shots. She began side-stepping up the terraces, absorbing his attacks by moving upwards, ever upwards. He matched her pace, being just as fast, if not faster, so that she never truly had the higher ground. Lordura found it odd that he did not make some decisive mood, but the expression on his face seemed to indicate patience. He was waiting for something.

Lordura took nothing for granted. Finally, she reached a level where she knew there was no higher; they were atop the crest of the hill. She guessed the flat cap was about twenty feet by thirty-five feet, and vaguely oval in shape. Here there was no high ground, and all was on level plain.

Lordura caught another thrust, and held the lock. For a moment, she looked into her opponent's eyes. Then, suddenly, she thrust her blade forward, throwing his off hers. Then again, a hard strike to the right, then another, hard to the left. Swift, sharp, strong. Her blades were easily met, but not easily stopped.

When his attacks came, she caught them with her blades but let them skim along the length, diverting them with minimal energy, before again, she struck at him, again, made a hard, swift blow.

[Reece Thompson]

Alkeran persisted his attacks until they reached the top level of the staggered hill.

The pirate eventually began fighting back as they wree on the same level.

Alkeran ducked and parried every attack that was given. Either this pirate wasn't skilled, or he was really awesome.

It wasn't long until Alkeran realised they were on even ground. He'd been so caught up in the fighting he was paying no attention to the terrain.

He rolled away and stood up to the face the pirate.

He used the force to grip her and before lifting her up, several inches.

He smiled gently, "This is my hill. Get off it."

He threw her off the hill and walked over the edge to watch her hopeful demise.

[Kella]

((Don't forget to be careful about controlling other peoples' characters. And you're going to see me take some liberty here, but that's to keep things fair, and because I'm the Jedi Mod and should know about such things. xD Anywho.))

The Dark Jedi ducked and rolled away, getting completely soaked by the water, as it was ankle-deep on every terrace, the top one being no exception. This would no doubt hamper his movement a bit, seeing as damp, heavy clothes tended to be troublesome to maneuverability.

Lordura readied herself for the Jedi to do something with the Force, since he seemed purposeful. She felt an odd tugging sensation in her navel, felt a bit of weight lifted off her feet, and prepared for the worst...

But nothing happened. Suddenly the feeling was gone. Had she been a scholar in such things, she would have known that the Jedi had attempted to lift her. However, this Jedi was only of average telekinetic abilities, and having already put them to use in the recent past, and also having been recently engaged in intense blade-to-blade combat, which interrupted his ability to concentrate on the Force, he simply did not have the strength left to achieve such a feat. Had he attempted to push her with the Force, or even to pull her, he would have found himself much more successful, but alas, ambition is the downfall of them all.

Lordura was not a scholar, however, Lordura was a pirate. And pirates knew not to take things for granted.

So she dashed forward, and bore down upon the Jedi. She was physically stronger than he was, and she knew it. He may have been faster than her, but only a little, and it likely was not enough to escape her blades.

She struck first towards his shoulder, bearing down hard enough that if he didn't parry it properly, he'd get a gash along the collar bone. Then she struck again, for his other shoulder.

Suddenly, both blades rose and came down together, one for each side. She guessed that in order to parry the blow, he'd have to hold his lightsaber flat, so that each blade was matched. But, at the very last moment, she planned to bring her swords to the center, and attack the lightsaber emitter, which would be made vulnerable...


((Well, this marks round five! Do you want to keep going? :3 I'm game if you are! Also, don't forget to respond to each attack, and mention how Alkeran did (or didn't!) block/avoid it. :3 ))

[Reece Thompson]

(I'm good for it. Sorry again. This is a new type of rp-ing for me.)

He cursed himself for not being able to throw her off the cliff.

-Figures- He thought to himself.

He stared as the pirate dashed forward. He lept up, and then forward, making sure he left a good two meter clearance between himself and the pirate. He didn't want a quickly slice to the shin as he flew past.

He landed far behind her and rolled to take the brunt of the landing. He stood back up and turned to face her.

He raised one hand and released several bolts of force lightning on her direction.

Maybe, if he was lucky, he could direct her over to the edge.... then push her off. However, that tactic had already been used.... or attempted. No doubt she would expect it again. Alkeran quickly scrapped the idea.