Rhissai'arckan vs Mon'vueem

[Dutch]

Deep seeded within a mountain range on a supposedly uncharted world is a small valley. Waterfalls run into rivers that twist all around an ancient structure. Mighty statues and intricate detail show the markings of a long lost culture. There is no signs as to why this mountain oasis is empty, no bodies or destruction of any kind, it's as if they all just disappeared. However, those who are drawn here by the will of the Force are pulled deeply into the place. As time passes, memories fade, to the point where one doesn't even remember why they came, or how to leave.

Rhissai'arckan vs Mon'vueem

Jedi Master vs Jedi Master

Delta first, let the madness begin!

[Dire Wolf]

Sparkling green eyes danced across the perfectly preserved 'ruins' of the jungle world through a red visor as the body attached strode through them. The robes that she wore during her alignment with the Order were among the first things to go after she left, followed shortly thereafter by the restrictions that the Code tamped her down with. Armor replaced those robes. Not any manner of armor that could block a lightsaber, but more than enough to turn a fatal shot into a wounding one. The third object of hers to be shed was the name, "Rhissai," as it was nothing more than a hurtful reminder of her past darkness. It was designed to do nothing more than constantly remind her that she could fall again. No longer was it needed. In lieu of her former "name," she took the one that her mother gave to her: Jessa. Coincedentally, it was considerably harder to search for an alias, especially when the one its attached to is a former high councilwoman. The raven maned woman looked like something of a pre-hyperspace knight bearing gleaming silver armor as she walked through the ruins, searching for evidence of her quarry.

None.

Which brought her to the second thing that she offloaded when she left the order: their restrictions. Emotions. Passion. Powers that were considered "dark" by their view, but their nature truly depended on how you used them. Jessa had also become something of a vigilante assassin during her leave from the Order. Those green eyes had seen far too much injustice in the galaxy, and that the war had shifted needed attention away from the criminals and onto the more 'pressing' threat. They also saw the war was slowly and subtly changing her into, and that it wasn't something she wanted to become again. No war was worth her soul. So, she left. No-one was warned, no replacement was named, and no lightsabers were left behind.

As far as the Order knew, she was dark.

Did she care? Not really.

It seemed that, in her sudden extraction from the war, the Republic had lost one of its high generals, the Jedi had lost a council member, and the Sith had gained a 'vulnerable' new gold mine of intel on their enemies. The first two weren't exactly pleased with her decision, but the latter... oh boy, were they ever rubbing their hands together in preparation for the new meal. As a result, a rather exorbitant bounty was placed on the head of Rhissai'arckan from the two governments, and the Jedi were most likely scrambling to find her. Oh, wasn't she ever so glad that "Rhissai" was utterly foreign to her?

Again, her care-o-meter was at zero. She had a mission, a new goal in life.

That goal was to eliminate those that needed elimination, and help those that needed help. No longer did she have the resources of the Jedi Order at her back, or the status and respect that being a Master called for. Her shoulders raised up slightly in the form of a mild shrug as she passed into a tall, elven looking building. Those emerald green eyes seemed to darken as she saw what was within: nothing. The foreign words that left her tongue rolled together in a special kind of angelic grace as she uttered them to herself, <<Not a thing.>>

A heavy sigh forced the wind from her body out past her lips at the sight of nothing but ancient stone altars, seats, and other miscellaneous things one would expect to find in a heathen temple. But no signs of that slaver, Charon, or his "merchandise." A scowl appeared on her face at the thought of attaching that name to a sentient being, and soon a pulsing heat cultured up within the cage of her heart. One that desired for nothing more than to be set loose on the temple, for her to do nothing more than exert her will on the stone around her. Shred it apart. She knew he had been here! By the nine, he kept "his" slaves in this very room! Rhissai could feel their fear, suffering, and anguish!

"Calm, Jessa, calm. Save it for that wretch and his cohorts... not an inanimate thing." Her breathing grew deep at the thought, and she slowly counted to ten. The heated rage within her heart seemed to slow at her counting, as did her mind and that baying for her to make the city reap the whirlwind until there wasn't a brick standing ontop of another brick. Fear cropped up within the woman's heart, "Think you left a little too late, girl?"

In truth, she didn't want to know the answer.

[Otterling]

((There was no specified limit on the number of rounds so I didn't rush to combat. Hope that's ok. It's just not Mon'vuuem's style and would be REAL OOC for her. If you need me to go that route, just tell me and I'll adjust.))

It was a beautiful sunshine afternoon. Golden light spilled down through the canopy of the forest to dapple the paths below and all the myriad life of the wilderness hummed as it went about its business, utterly oblivious to the willowy figure that glided in its midst. A large golden beetle buzzed across the thin meandering trail and landed with a click against the bark of an ancient tree. Just beyond it, lustrous gray eyes turned to follow its path but their owner had little time to spare for appreciating the beauty of nature. Truly, it was a shame to her that such heavy duties were to be carried out on such a peaceful day but peace was a matter of perspectives sometimes and for the Jedi, there had been little peace to be had since one of their own had disappeared without a trace.

Young knights would disappear every now and then in the Order, sometimes to fall at the hands of darkness, sometimes as the victims of circumstance and on the rare occasion, as betrayers of their own people but this was no ordinary Jedi knight that had disappeared. It was a member of the Jedi’s own High Council and with no word or explanation left, her sudden absence had shaken the Order at its foundations. Some thought she had been abducted during the war, others that she had fallen in some battle and had simply not been found among the many dead but those who knew her, who were closest, feared something worse had happened. Rhissai’arckan, Jedi Master and High Council member, co-founder of The Blades, had fallen to the seductive pull of the Dark Side. War had changed her, had soiled her, and she had abandoned the ideals by which they all lived in favor of something easier and more alluring. Mon’vuuem didn’t want to believe that. Perhaps the other Council members didn’t either. It would explain why they had chosen Mon’vuuem for the unpleasant task of hunting down their missing member. The kaminoan had become known for her diplomatic skills and her views on approaching every situation with an open mind; perhaps the Council had hoped that if anyone could convince their wayward fallen to come home, it would be her. Mon’vuuem wasn’t so sure.

Rhissai had always been a passionate person, full of the fire of her genetic heritage, but she wouldn’t have turned so easily unless the damage in her soul had been growing for some time. How could they all have missed the warning signs? It would take quite a bit of talking and a lot more listening on Mon’vuuem’s part if she was to bring Rhissai home with her but that would depend on how much the other Jedi was willing to communicate…and how far she’d fallen. A swell of anger pulsed through the Force, shuddering the normally tranquil layer of energy Mon’vuuem kept around her at all times. She turned her head in that direction though it was not with her eyes that she was looking. Her mind stretched out across the space toward the rage that was washing through the area and right away she recognized the Force signature it belonged to. Rhissai was here. The information Mon’vuuem had paid dearly for had finally proven valuable in return. Rumors of the rogue Jedi chasing down a slaver had led her this far and now she only hoped she wasn’t too late to stop her old colleague from doing something she would regret the rest of her life.

Mon’vuuem bounded down the trail, nimbly avoiding low hanging branches, until at last the tree line thinned and parted to reveal a set of ancient ruins crouched within the mountain’s embrace. Carved stone faces of a people long since vanished stared up forlornly at her, evoking a feeling of warning with their silently pleading eyes and for a moment, Mon’vuuem had the bad feeling she wouldn’t be leaving this place. Death did not frighten her in the least, when it was time for the Force to call her home, she would go gladly, but she feared what would happen to the one she had come to save if she fell this day. Still, there was no turning back now and as another wave of rage rolled up at her from within one of the buildings, Mon’vuuem hurried to make her way down the steep incline that would lead her into the ruins.

There was no merry tinkle of bells to accompany Mon’vuuem’s steps as she approached the lone figure she could see in the distance. Jedi robes had been traded for shining armor but there was still enough familiarity in the Force signature rolling off the other person for Mon’vuuem to recognize Rhissai. Darkness had begun to seep in around the edges though, like a sheet of paper freshly tossed onto a fire, its borders charring and curling in on themselves. Did Rhissai even realize how far she’d already fallen? How close she was to burning away her own soul? Mon’vuuem glided as silently as falling leaves until she could clearly see the other Jedi’s face, a thin tendril of Force wrapped around her saber ready to pull it to her hand should things turn ugly quickly. The world around them seemed to hush in anticipation as the two powerful beings stood face to face, the air between them so thick with the power of the Force that it seemed as if a whisper could ignite it.

“Rhissai’arckan,” Mon’vuuem broke the silence, though it pained her not to be able to use her former Council member’s proper title, “I am here on the behalf of the Jedi Council. You already know why I have come.”

Her words were tinged with a sadness she normally held in reserve for no one wanted to be the one that had to cut down a fellow Jedi.

[Dutch]

{Oh- and I'm thinking 8 rounds with a final killing blow round, sound good?}

This'll be good, no chance for bias with you two <3

Oh, and if the score is low, it is the first round, no worries

Round 1

Delta
Effort: 5/5
Fairness: 5/5
Detail:5/5
Coolness: 3/5
Bonus: /2
Comments: Good intro, I liked her thought process.

Otter
Effort: 5/5
Fairness: 5/5
Detail: 5/5
Coolness:3 /5
Bonus: /2
Comments: You really showed Mon's gracefulness, loverly.

Total:

Delta: 18

Otter: 18

[Dire Wolf]

The woman's armored head shook lightly as those green eyes behind the visor surveyed the barren room. Nothing. Not even residual energy or pain from those that the slaver kept against their will. Her silver-clad hands gripped the jaw of her helm and slowly pulled it off, allowing her now chin length black hair to fall and her bright green eyes to be freed from the restrictive view of the lazy "v" shaped visor. Rhissai's diaphragm expanded outwards beneath the silver plates of her armor, which created a new expanse in her body and allowed the air to rush in through her nose. A girlish smile soon overtook her face as millions of scents and smells wafted into her nose. Thousands of jungle flowers, lillies, and her favorite... tree sap... were among the most pleasing to her nose.

She could live here forever.

Emerald eyes slowly slid closed after but a few sniffs of the world, and it caused her feet to guide her out of the beautiful temple where she resided. But another presence assaulted her sense of smell, and that sixth sense that all Jedi have almost the instant that she crossed the plane that divided the curving stone structure and the world surrounding it. A Jedi, and a familiar one. It was a scent from long ago, and it almost felt like a lifetime since her nose had sampled it. Somewhere, deep down, the woman could sense this powerful being as she gracefully walked through the forest... the power and light radiating off of her like rays from a supernova. Yet, the warning never sounded in her mind... troubling. Jessa had little time to think of this, however, as soon enough the tall being was a fair distance away... and speaking.

"I do," those chillingly beautiful eyes slid open, and that girlish smile left her face quicker than it came, "you believe that I've fallen." Jessa's eyes danced about in thought, not taking any care to focus on one thing or another... not until they hit a particularly mundane tree in the distance. "Perhaps I have. Though I left before my fall was complete. I do still serve the people of the galaxy... just in a different way. One that involves action against those who wrong innocents instead of inaction. One that serves the people before the Jedi, rather than the Jedi before the people." She allowed a fairly long pause in her words, and noticed that the world had essentially silenced itself when this other being met with her. An odd air of anticipation sunk in around them, almost as if every eye of the forest was watching in awe of the two. Soon enough, however, Jessa forced her eyes up to the long-necked Jedi Master that she not only respected... but often found that she looked up to her. In more than one way. "One that leaves my alignment on the edge of a knife."

Jess forced herself to shift back into what looked like a relaxed stance, but it was simply a loose one that allowed for quick hand to hand reactions should she need it. Lightning fist was an option, though it would be considerably harder to wield seeing as how she had conducting armor clinging to her form. The armor. It wasn't anything special, though the woman did regard the crimson red dragon decal that dominated her right pauldron and part of her chest as something of importance. The Dragon was in the shape of the most ferocious of Aphithiri creatures - the waste dragon. Creatures of that species would often make their home in the nuclear wastes of her homeworld, and have become a terribly powerful and ferocious creature because of it.

White fang called to her from the small of her back. There his katana hilt form rested, waiting to be ignited and sear into the flesh of her enemies. Yet... he did not bay at her to cast out the scintillating silver star in Mon'vueem's direction... even he knew that she was a friend, and not an enemy. White Fang, of course, was one of her lightsabers, and her most prized possession. He held crystals that were far more valuable to the woman than mere crystals for her lightsaber. The Qixoni crystal was that of her master's, the woman who'd trained her, redeemed her, and who Rhissai considered a mother. She was slain on the blade of a Dark Jedi, in front of Rhissai. The next was a krayt dragon pearl. One of two that she'd taken from the gullet of one of the tatooine dragons that had eaten her quarry, and nearly ate her. It was a symbol of her bond with Dace, her former padawan, whose lightsaber held the sister crystal. Finally, the durindfire gem, which was found shortly after the death of the krayt dragon. It reminded her of the mysterious ways of the Force... and how it can make good results out of the most evil of creatures.

"Before you ask, I'm not giving you my lightsabers." Her words were blunt, to say the least, but truthful. "Not unless you come here and take them from me."

(npz, Otter. Rhiss/Jessa isn't exactly rushing off to fight, either. xD
Edit: I'm cool with that if Otter is, Dutch. ; D)

[Otterling]

((Hrm. Ok, I’m going to go a little OOC with Mon’vuuem here because if we don't go OOC, there will be no duel. XD We’ll just talk at each other a lot.))

You believe that I have fallen.

The words were simple and straight to the point and sadly enough, true. Rhissai had always been headstrong and passionate but Mon’vuuem wished the woman’s compassion for others had been tempered with a little more wisdom. She was spouting a rhetoric that the Kaminoan had heard many times before and from many others though this time the one speaking them had crossed a line. She hadn’t just voiced a concern about the actions or lack thereof on the part of the Jedi Order, she had let her impatience carry her away from the larger goal. How many other Jedi had fallen to darkness down that same road? How long would it take for Rhissai to realize she’d begun the path into chaos and pain and would she wake to that realization in time to save herself from it?

“Do you truly believe that we no longer hear the cries of the people?” Mon’vuuem asked imploringly. Surely Rhissai could be reasoned with to at least some extent. “You rush to judgment too soon and you know better than that. Look inside yourself Rhissai and you will know this is true. Do you truly think that one Jedi rushing into the darkness heedless of danger will save the galaxy? You will save many lives, of that I am sure, but how much damage will you leave in your wake? You confuse your limitless compassion, whose great boundlessness I have seen, with a desire to silence the pain you feel over all that has happened. If you think I lie or am mistaken, think about why you are truly here, Rhissai. What emotion most fills you now? A desire to free those slaves? Or your anger at the one who enslaved them? I did not feel your sorrow rising from these ruins, Rhissai, I felt your rage. If you can no longer even see that, then you must ask yourself how far you truly have fallen.”

Mon’vuuem waited for the words to sink in but the response was not what she had hoped for. Rhissai had made her intentions clear. She would not be leaving with Mon’vuuem and certainly had no intentions of turning over the lightsabers she was no longer authorized to carry. To strip a Jedi of their sabers was a terrible blow, the final killing stroke that would sever the fallen from the Order permanently, and the Jedi Master wished again that she wasn’t the one to have to do so but Rhissai had made her choice and Mon’vuuem was tasked with carrying out her orders. There was a small part of her that almost wished she could join the Aphithiri on her quest, she did understand the pain that came with forced inaction, but she knew that the path her former friend had chosen was not the right one and in the end would not help as much as Rhissai might think. It was so much harder to know that you could do more good through slow and careful actions than you could with a lightsaber and she could not so easily toss aside thousands of years of Jedi wisdom for the sake of instant gratification. There was no moral precept in existence that did not have something inconvenient about it and that was what made the Jedi better than those who sought the easy way. They knew the right thing to do was often the hardest thing and their sacrifice of their own desires was what made them so honorable.

Just as Mon’vuuem now found herself having to sacrifice her desire to walk away rather than fight someone she had once looked upon as an equal. “I had prayed to the Force that this would not be your answer but you know I cannot leave without them. Please believe me when I say that I am sorry it has come to this.” Mon’vvuem’s long silver saber hilt was in her palm in a fluid motion so fast it was as if the item had simply materialized there. There was a moment of pause where the Jedi sent a final wave of remorse, not for the actions she was about to take but for the fact that she had to take them, and then her mind sealed itself off. She knew Rhissai’s prowess with such skills and could not afford a moment’s weakness around her. To underestimate Rhissai was to die foolishly. Mon’vuuem offered her old companion the slight bow of a sparring partner as a last nod of respect but this would be no practice duel, no mock game that would hone their skills. This would be a test of survival for them both that would press their skills to the utmost limit and Mon’vuuem knew now that whether she succeeded in killing Rhissai’arckan or died at the other woman’s hands, she had already lost what was most important.

Rhissai would never come home again.

[Dutch]

I'm soooooo sorry I forgot about this! *dusts off*

Round 2

Delta
Effort: 4/5
Fairness: 5/5
Detail:5/5
Coolness: 3/5
Bonus: /2
Comments: Beginning posts are always a drag, but your detail was fantastic.

Otter
Effort: 4/5
Fairness: 5/5
Detail: 4/5
Coolness: 4/5
Bonus: /2
Comments: Huh, I never knew Mon had a silver lightsaber Good post.

Total:

Delta: 35

Otter: 35