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Cain
Indignant
491 posts
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*Indignation intensifies*
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last online Jul 8, 2020 8:17:11 GMT -5
Knight
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Jan 29, 2012 23:28:17 GMT -5
Post by Cain on Jan 29, 2012 23:28:17 GMT -5
A barely audible growl escaped Jack's lips as he hefted himself back up onto his knees. His body labored, each breath Jack drew was a sharp stab through the ribs. The trickle of blood from the corner of Jack's mouth was smeared across his chin, and his long hair was matted against his face with sweat. From beneath the dark veil Jack's eyes burned, taking on a hue like that of molten durasteel as they flashed up in the direction of Si Quan. Jack's jaw clinched and another long, low hiss escaped him as he rose back up onto his feet.
Jack watched while the Jedi avoided another of Nieraan's attacks, his anger compounding with the pain of each inhale. The stabbing in his ribs, the metallic taste of blood on his tongue, even the steady pounding in Jack's head now began to have a visceral effect on him, feeding the rage that had been growing inside. Jack's thoughts were paralyzed by the insult inflicted upon him by this Jedi. He could feel the dark side of the Force responding, its energy seeming to vibrate as if sharing the anticipation of the kill.
Straightening his back, Jack held up his hands in front of him, each digit contorting as the dark side's power began to flow through them, hardly able to contain the rapidly building energy, sparks began discharging randomly from their tips. Finally Jack lowered his hands to his sides, his palms facing out toward his target as he at last relented. Allowing the dark side to flow freely, it rushed forth in a wave of electrical energy that threatened to wash over Si Quan.
Their lightsabers hissed as blade was forced up against blade. The Firrerreo was formidable, matching Si Quan's strength as his blue and gold sabers forced Si's weapon down. Suddenly the Sith disengaged one of his blades to take a swipe Si's neck. The Jedi's senses flared as the Force alerted him to the immanent danger. Allowing the Force to direct his reaction, Si avoided the attack by falling backwards, hitting the floor and rolling over backwards before popping back up onto his feet.
With the momentary reprieve, Si noticed now that the cantina had almost completely cleared out. The only lifeforms he could sense nearby were the two Sith, but there was still no sign of Kyo. Si had hoped that after the bar had cleared that he'd be able to feel Kyo more clearly, however at the moment he could sense no trace of his old Padawan. It was discouraging, but Si didn't allow it to distract him for long. His undivided attention was with the Firrerreo as he brought both hands back to his lightsaber, holding it up high over his head in the style of Djem So while pacing slowly around his opponent.
Si's focus on Nieraan was soon broken with the recognition of a sudden spike of dark side energy. A wave of malevolence washed over Si alerting him just in time to raise a barrier with the Force. Jack's lightning slammed into Si Quan's barrier, threatening to overwhelm it. As the Sith poured power into his assault, Si strained to match it, forcing his barrier back into and through Jack, hitting him with a telekinetic wave and a dose of his own energy. The counter sent Jack reeling back into the Pazaak table behind him, but the distraction had caused Si to lose sight of the Firrerreo Sith.
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Rugs
The ring-dang-doo, now what is that?
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Feb 5, 2012 13:01:02 GMT -5
Post by Rugs on Feb 5, 2012 13:01:02 GMT -5
Clever Jedi. Duck and roll away from the strike, come back up just beyond the range of Nieraan's blades. "Come on now," Nieraan teased with an insolent grin on his face, "don't run away from me. That's not any fun."
While the Jedi slowly circled, saber held high, Nieraan watched him. His own posture was more relaxed, and at ease, with a self-assurance that bordered on cockiness. He wasn't so arrogant as to think the fight won though, not by a long shot. But there was some reason to be feeling good--this Jedi would have a hard time stopping Jack and him together. If Jack ever got back up from whatever had happened to him.
Nieraan turned where he stood, keeping an eye on the Jedi as he slowly circled around him. The air was thick with anticipation. Thick with the threat of violence that was waiting to explode again.
Thick with malevolence and a dark, swelling energy.
Nieraan smirked. There you are, Makura.
Lightning erupted from deeper in the cantina. While the Jedi defended himself from the attack, Nieraan decided it was time to move. Away he darted, over a table and through a pieces of broken glass as he looped around the Jedi. He stopped a few meters away and knelt down, killing one of his lightsabers for the time being.
Jack's attack was quickly being turned back by the Jedi's defensive abilities. Nieraan was impressed, but it still gave him time he needed. While the Force still filled the cantina, rippling and roiling from the conflict and strain of the two of them battling against one another, Nieraan quietly made the first steps for his next attack.
The Jedi was distracted, his senses clogged for a moment by the battle with Jack. Nieraan called on the Force in a more subtle way, directing it with his fingers to pick up the largest shards of broken glass that littered the floor. They quietly came to him, hanging like sharp, wicked crystals in the air in front of him. He directed them, turned them so the sharpest edge pointed forward.
Jack got knocked back, thrown again into a table. Nieraan would have to thank him for being generous enough to take all the lumps for him. He didn't know if Jack was built for it like he was, but well, he wasn't going to complain about it either.
In the moments after the exchange, Nieraan's focus hardened. It solidified into a point and he opened the fingers of his free hand. The shards of glass flew as one, on a path that would have them converging at a single point. Right on the Jedi's back.
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Cain
Indignant
491 posts
23 likes
*Indignation intensifies*
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last online Jul 8, 2020 8:17:11 GMT -5
Knight
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Feb 8, 2012 21:13:49 GMT -5
Post by Cain on Feb 8, 2012 21:13:49 GMT -5
Another shudder in the Force signaled danger. The Force was disturbed now, the warnings coming too fast for Si Quan to process them all. He hadn't sensed Nieraan's attack until it was nearly too late. There wasn't time to turn and look, no opportunity to assess the situation. All Si could do was react. After driving Jack back with telekinesis, Si's senses all at once compelled him to move. He dove to the side, though his dodge was too late to avoid the projectile shards of glass completely. Together the broken glass shards landed, imbedding themselves deep into Si Quan's thigh.
The Jedi Master loosed a grunt as his body slammed awkwardly to the floor. Quickly Si extracted the glass from his leg, holding his palm over the wound and willing the shrapnel from his flesh with the Force. Si's features twisted as he stood and positioned himself back into his Djem So stance. His right leg was an inferno, his fatigued muscles spreading the pain quickly as if they were dried paper. Despite his inner turmoil, Si remained steadfast, using the pain to sharpen his focus for as long as he could.
Dammit... the kid isn't even here. Si thought to himself. He maintained his awareness of his breathing, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Tightening his grip, Si raised his lightsaber. With Kyo still nowhere to be found, the entire trip had been one very dangerous waste of time. If his old Padawan wasn't here than there was no need to draw out the battle.
Si Quan's body was battered, but the Force was still with him. He needed a way to escape these Sith while he still had the strength to do so. There was still one more option in Si's arsenal. Of course that ability was one the Jedi Master hesitated to resort to as the damage it inflicted was impossible to control and the likelihood of collateral damage on such a densely populated world was high. What's more, that technique required expending a dangerous amount of energy. If it were not to work, Si was unsure he would be able to keep up the fight.
Ultimately he decided against using it unless at the utmost of need. Si would need to find a safer way to end the fight. For now, he still had the Firrerreo to deal with. Not betraying any outward signs of fatigue, Si closed the gap between himself and Nieraan. With a few quick steps he was back over his foe, bringing the attack to the Sith, as he had before, with a cautious aggression.
Jack, meanwhile, lay sprawled out on his back over the Pazaak table in the corner of the cantina. Once again he attempted to will his body upright, but this time his limbs would not obey. Jack had about reached his limit, the Force within him had been nearly tapped. He would need time to replenish his strength before he could fight again.
"Pitiful brat..." the hiss of Jack's former master echoed inside his skull, "hurry up and die already."
Jack attempted one more time to raise up, this time his body reacted with a violent coughing fit. Jack's lungs heaved, spitting up a crimson mixture of blood and saliva. He moved an unsteady hand over his injured ribs, calling upon what little reserves of the Force he had left to try and heal his wound.
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Rugs
The ring-dang-doo, now what is that?
6,347 posts
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Feb 21, 2012 16:02:46 GMT -5
Post by Rugs on Feb 21, 2012 16:02:46 GMT -5
"Tsk, tsk, Jedi." Nieraan's shaggy hair bounced around his face as he shook his head. "I had such high hopes for you." The Jedi had dodged most of his glass, and in doing so stayed away from the worst of the damage Nieraan might have inflected onto him. But the evasion was clumsy and he fell awkwardly to floor, with some new shards of glass decorating his thigh.
By this point, Nieraan was beginning to wonder if he'd overestimated the Jedi. He felt powerful in the Force, and his display against Jack had been rather impressive. But perhaps it'd just been fools gold. Nieraan didn't know Jack's fighting style, but he could gauge enough to surmise that he wasn't at his best when he was fighting up close. Maybe the Jedi dealing with him so easily had been a show of Jack's lacking instead of the Jedi's skill.
He waited for the Jedi to get up. Kamirille's voice yelled that he was a fool in the back of his mind, screamed that he should press the attack. Wear the foe down under the strength of his assault and when they finally faltered, put an end to them. But there was too much distance between them, and Nieraan still yearned for a real fight.
Maybe Jack's interference was part of what was holding the Jedi back. Nieraan wouldn't bet against it, but he could feel Jack's presence wavering. Whatever the case, Nieraan knew one thing: if the fight continued as it was, the Jedi was in trouble. And he still had trump cards of his own he'd yet to show.
"You can do better than that, can't you?" He teased, smirking cockily as he watched the Jedi take up the familiar Djem So stance once more. Outward appearances aside, he remained as alert as he'd been from the moment the fight started. Though he might've held the upper hand, the Jedi was still dangerous. And if Jack was down, perhaps things would be getting more interesting...
The Jedi closed and attacked. Nieraan raised his blades and answered.
The Force surged through him as they began to fight again. Every stroke was met with an answer. Each powerful blow was met accordingly, knocked aside or evade rather than blocked outright. A thrill raced through Nieraan's blood and the Force whispered to him, daring him to release himself and let go of his inhibitions.
Not yet.
A strike came at him from above. He crossed his blades and caught the Jedi's between them, trapping it for a moment in the corner he'd created and forcing a lock. "Come on Jedi," he taunted over the hissing blades, "stop fighting like you're afraid." His muscles hardened and the Force gave him a surge of strength. With his firm stance supporting him, he pushed back against the Jedi, hoping to throw him back a bit with his own raw power as he broke contact from his blades. Two strikes came, one with his gold blade striking high at the Jedi's chest, followed quickly by his blue blade licking out low at the Jedi's shins at Nieraan ducked and quickly stepped to the side with the motion.
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Cain
Indignant
491 posts
23 likes
*Indignation intensifies*
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last online Jul 8, 2020 8:17:11 GMT -5
Knight
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May 16, 2012 14:49:00 GMT -5
Post by Cain on May 16, 2012 14:49:00 GMT -5
"Come on Jedi, stop fighting like you're afraid." The Sith taunted.
Si Quan offered no response. This Sith had bathed himself in the emotion of the battle. Si would use that to goad him into a fight he couldn't win. With the telepath down, Si now had the time he'd need to work on his own terms.
The Force is with me. Si Quan's thoughts were few and far between, his focus remained with the Force and had foregone the passions that a battle as fierce as this would typically incur. Together, we are the eye of the storm. Aided by the Force, Si's lightsaber moved in time with his opponent, almost like a dance, as his old master would have described it. Nieraan's blades closed in on Si from opposite directions, one high, one low. Ignoring the pain of his injury as well as his advanced years, Si crouched down, almost to the floor, avoiding the lightsaber swung up near his chest. The golden arc of light Nieraan's blade left in its wake cut a swathe through the air just above Si Quan's head. The Jedi Master maneuvered his own lightsaber into a defensive position, redirecting Nieraan's second strike at Si's ankles.
From there, Si charged at Nieraan's center with a Force aided burst of speed, utilyzing all of his momentum to land an elbow right into the Sith's sternum. The strike was meant to stagger him, but more to the point, it was meant to piss him off. Si hoped to coax the Sith's passions to the surface. Though Si Quan's Djem So form was aggressive, he deliberately kept it basic. He wanted the Sith to believe he could win by ratcheting up the intensity and going for the quick kill. As the Firrerreo's aggression raised, Si's form would revert back to Soresu. From there he would let the Sith beat himself, and wait for his opening.
With his ability to call on the Force all but tapped, Jack had managed to control most of his internal bleeding, though his ribs were still broken and would take some time to heal. He could only watch as Nieraan and the Jedi crossed blades. It would do him no good to try and engage in battle again. Instead, Jack mustered his strength and slipped out of the cantina while the Jedi was distracted.
Jack clutched his side as he limped through the crush of life on Metellos back toward the hanger where his freighter, and his Jedi cargo awaited. As he approached his ship, the hanger security guard on duty caught a glimpse of Jack. He was crumpled over his right side, out of breath with hair matted against his face from sweat, and dried blood caked around the corners of his mouth and on his chin.
"What the hell happened to you?" The guard asked, wide eyed, "Are you alright, sir?"
"Piss off," Jack growled, dragging himself up the loading ramp. Inside, Jack found Kyo waiting for him, his flesh drained of all color. It was obvious he'd sensed the confrontation with the Jedi Master.
"What happened?" Kyo asked nervously, "Was it Master Quan?"
"Never mind that," Jack answered between breaths, "get to the cockpit. We're taking off."
Kyo was confused, but nodded and did as he was instructed.
Nieraan would be a great asset, it would be a shame to leave him on Metellos. However, Jack also didn't need that Jedi following him. He would wait for the Firrerreo, but not for long.
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Rugs
The ring-dang-doo, now what is that?
6,347 posts
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Jul 14, 2012 13:26:58 GMT -5
Post by Rugs on Jul 14, 2012 13:26:58 GMT -5
{Mrrrrr... you know the deal. Still kinda in a slump, might not be great, etc etc.
But here's your post :3}
There we go.
The Jedi was good--better than he'd let on so far. This Nieraan knew, and he wanted to push him, get a real fight out of him. It had been far too long since he'd really faced off against a foe that should've been his superior. That got his blood flowing.
Besides, Jack, for all his efforts, hadn't been able to keep up. He'd fought valiantly, but now it was time for big boys to play.
The Jedi ducked one strike and diverted the other safely away. Nieraan felt a rush in his blood as he stepped back and recovered, staying light and easy on his feet. To his great surprise and amusement, the Jedi followed, charging at him like an angry reek, elbow extended like a singular horn.
Nieraan grinned.
He took the blow. It hurt, but a youth full of abuse had made pain tolerance a strength for the Firrerreo. Rather than resist the blow, he let the force of it push him backwards, stepping lightly around some of the wreckage that littered the cantina floor. All the while, he watched the Jedi with a crooked smile on his face.
The blow hadn't angered him. It excited him.
"I knew you had some fight in you," he said, stopping abruptly in a slight crouch, trailing leg planted firmly behind him. "Just had to get it out."
He was dimly aware that Jack had left the premises. Unsurprising; there wasn't much the other Sith could do, though Nieraan wondered how effective he might have been if he hadn't charged the Jedi like an idiot.
Still, Nieraan realized it would be best not to waste too much time, but he wanted to play some more first.
"Time's short," he crowed softly, lowering his weight. The Force surged into him. "Let's not waste any more."
He slammed his hand down onto the ground and pushed the Force out ahead of him at the Jedi. Windows near him shattered, and the part of the wall groaned from the sudden stress. Immediately he followed his attack with motion, legs pushing him ahead like springs. His golden blade turned downward as he lifted it away, leaving a long, glowing gouge in the grimy floor.
As he closed on the Jedi again, Nieraan twisted around, sabers burning through the air as he launched an assault. Gold and blue attacked together, came in staggered pairs or alternating strokes. From above, below, left and right, Nieraan pressed his assault, always staying in motion. And though his press was fierce and attacks ferocious, he did not lack control. Only the appearance of it.
Now was the time to test the Jedi and see what kind of mettle he really had. And perhaps, if he found a crack, claim a trophy before he had to withdraw.
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Cain
Indignant
491 posts
23 likes
*Indignation intensifies*
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last online Jul 8, 2020 8:17:11 GMT -5
Knight
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Jan 3, 2013 19:15:17 GMT -5
Post by Cain on Jan 3, 2013 19:15:17 GMT -5
A slight sense of amusement washed over Si as he felt Jack move further from the scene of the crime. Truly there was no loyalty among the Sith. For all his poise, for all his posturing the Firrerreo had found himself right where Si Quan wanted him; running low on friends and on time. Against a Jedi whose most potent weapon was patience, this was bad news. Perhaps Si's greatest advantage in this clash had always been his opponent's ignorance to just that fact. The passion required in using the dark side is a crutch that most Sith take up all too eagerly. They think only of destroying their enemies and assume that this makes them powerful. Very few will ever understand what a virtue serenity and patience can be, especially in combat.
Si's tactics had been effective in generating the results he'd desired. His simplistic, aggressive advances had succeeded in stoking the Sith's passions. Following Master Quan's flying elbow, Nieraan came back with twice the intensity as before. The Force rippled from his body as he charged, and it was all Si Quan could do to keep his footing in order to meet the Sith's furious assault. Blue and gold blades rained down upon Si from all sides. The seeming clumsiness of the Firrerreo's style only made it more difficult to predict and counter. However, Master Si Quan was not without practice.
Moving with his opponent, Si's approach switched seamlessly from aggression to passivity. Nieraan's violent strikes were met blow for blow by Si Quan's defense. The Jedi Master's lightsaber danced between the Sith's twin blades with speed far beyond anything he had revealed to this point in the fight. A series of quick, tight strokes created a whirling green barrier between Jedi and Sith, intercepting the energy of each attack and redirecting it harmlessly away from Si's center. His eyes closed, a silent placidity accompanied Si's stance as he allowed the Force to guide his motions.
The two combatants were in a stalemate. This would grant Si the opportunity to put an end to this. He hesitated to use it before for fear of harming innocents. However, with the exception of the lifeless bodies strewn over the floors and upturned tables the bar's only occupant's were now Si Quan and Nieraan.
Utilizing Soresu, Si was continuously drawing the Force in to him. Most was used in guiding his lightsaber, though where he could spare it Si began to collect the Force around his body. Compressing it tighter and tighter, Si prepared to unleash the coup de grace.
Si waited for the opportune moment to draw his trump card. The tight rotation of his Soresu intercepted Nieraan's lightsabers one final time. Redirecting the momentum to the side, Si slid back to open up a bit more room to work. Si Quan's concentration was strained to it's limit containing the gathered Force energy around himself. With the Sith momentarily taken off his balance Si wasted no more time. His lightsaber cut off as he called upon what was left of his strength to bring the gathered Force energy in as tightly as possible. Then, finally, release.
A blast wave of Force energy erupted out in all directions with Si Quan as the epicenter. Any glass that remained behind the bar was blown apart like dried leaves. The debris that littered the cantina floor was flung against the walls which themselves groaned loudly against the strain for a second before finally buckling with a thunderous pop. It was spectacular carnage.
Si crumpled to his knees. The outburst had drained an incredible amount of energy from the Jedi Master. He gasped sharply, his face mated with sweat and dust that swirled all around what was left of the bar, making it impossible to see whether the Sith was alive or dead. At last a beam of light broke through the thick cloud. The blast had splintered the walls and brought the ceiling down all around Si as well.
Picking himself back up, Si quieted his breathing and stretched out for any sign of his worthy adversary. There was the sound of faint sirens in the distance... but Si Quan could feel nothing of the Sith.
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Rugs
The ring-dang-doo, now what is that?
6,347 posts
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Mar 24, 2013 12:44:20 GMT -5
Post by Rugs on Mar 24, 2013 12:44:20 GMT -5
The Jedi was good.
That much, Nieraan could appreciate. It had been a long time since the Firrerreo had found a good adversary to cross blades with. And though he did not thirst for combat for the sake of combat alone, the chance to test his mettle against that of a powerful foe sent a thrill rushing through him.
Still, he kept a measure of control over himself. It was a difficult balance to maintain, letting himself go into the flow of the battle without getting lost to himself. Of all Kamirille's lessons, it had perhaps been one of the hardest--and most painful--to learn and master.
But here he was, letting himself flow with the waves and currents of their battle, and still dimly aware of the world and pressures around them. He stepped smoothly over a broken table rather than get caught on it as he sought to strike at his foe's flank. The first stroke was turned aside, as expected. The second, the true heart of the Firrerreo's attack, was avoid.
Yes, he's very good. The thought slid along at the edge of Nieraan's awareness; it was perceived, but it did not intrude.
The battle continued. Most telling of this Jedi's skill was the fact that he withstood and consistatnly turned aside Nieraan's attacks that were made intentionally to seem clumsy, thoughtless. The sharp strokes, the suddenly shifting tempos and the sometimes jerky, halting motions that the Firrerreo chose to employ were each meant to try to get the Jedi to bite or to test his defenses to find a sliver of a hole to slip through. But he did not, he could not.
And so the stalemate held. Either something would have to change, or it would continue on like this until one of them tired. Nieraan had the strength to go on for a while, if needed, but he was not keen on letting the fight settle. Nor was he unaware of Jack's ever-retreating presence, slowly dimming in the back of his mind like a light turning down. He had no doubt that Jack would abandon him, and he didn't plan on being left. The game would have to change. All he needed wasn't a point on which to pivot it.
He continued, patiently testing the Jedi's defenses in his wild, random way. He was aware that the Jedi was drawing the Force into him, and could feel it resonating within him more powerfully in him than it had been before.
What's he up to?
Nieraan struck low once and then again with his second blade. The first turned upward and darted at the Jedi from below, trying to cut under his blade and pierce his stomach. But again, the attack was turned aside.
Nieraan's senses screamed a warning to him, shattering the measured emptiness of his concentration.
Then everything exploded.
The Force surged. His sabers died as he tried to counter the sudden blast of power with a push own that was devoured like a wall of sand before the wrath of an angry sea. There was a loud, terrible crashing sound and the groan of tortured metal and the world went black.
A thin, tenuous ribbon of light brought Nieraan back to his senses. It fell right onto his eye through a hole in the rubble over him. He winced, shying away from it to protect his throbbing head. Dazed and becoming aware of the pains and pangs that plagued his body, the Firrerreo sat up, or attempted to. Whatever was over him was heavy. By fate or by luck, it had caught on a block of concrete that held it just over him without allowing the full weight to crush him.
Nieraan felt around for his lightsabers and found them by his side. One took a bit of wiggling to get free, made more awkward by the position his was forced to lay in, but he managed it after a few frustrating moments.
With his weapons secured again, he put his palms against the slab of wood and metal and duracrete above him. Warily, he reached out with his senses, trying to feel what life may have remained around him. He still wasn't completely about himself so quickly after the blast, but he couldn't feel anything. That was either very good or very bad.
Deciding it best not to linger, especially without knowing how much time had passed, Nieraan pushed against the slab over him. It didn't budge, though the effort of straining did reveal new pains from muscles that had strained or torn. Which he couldn't say; he'd figure it out later.
What he lacked the capacity to do physically, he could still do with the Force. He pushed and the slab turned over itself and crashed to the ground with a thud and puff of swirling dust. The Firrerreo lifted himself to a crouch, joints cracking, and surveyed the scene of destruction.
The cantina was gone. He was across the street, still partially hidden by the rubble he'd fallen in with. Dust still hung thick in the air, with shafts of lift breaking through. Can't have been that long, then. He couldn't see the Jedi, though that didn't mean he wasn't still around. If he was, he'd surely be weary after such a display.
Didn't think a Jedi would have it in him to do all that. Nieraan smiled quietly in spite of himself.
Nieraan took inventory of his pains and decided that, tempting as it might be, it wasn't the best choice to go after the Jedi now. Tired the Jedi might have been, but he wasn't in any better condition. And if the Jedi had more left in his tank than he expected, it could be the end.
No, he thought, listening to the sound of approaching sirens, time to slip away and live to fight another day.
And so he did, leaving to try to find Makura so they could get off this world.
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