Irad Demiar vs Grawn Ianie

[Rugs]

Good evening, dear sirs. I have been informed that the honor of one man is being challenged by another...

SO LET'S RIP OUT SOME THROATS!!!

Ahem...

Yeah, it's weird, I know, but it's the best thing I could find to go with Felucia (read: giant mushroom). Because I couldn't just use some random image of Felucia; that would be boring. Work with me, here.

It's a strange sight, really. On the strange world of Felucia, some strange resident has made a strange home in this rather strange locale. It's a mushroom. A very, very large mushroom. Are they home? No one can say for sure, but that is, perhaps, irrelevant. See, two more people are about to come into this place. And, perhaps, when all is said and done, the mushroom will be able to say it got to see something exciting.

Irad Demiar vs Grawn Ianie

5 Rounds, possible extensions

Winner gets one final round to kill/maim/embarrass/have intercourse with their foe.


Magic coin flip says Jackal is up first.

Rebel 1, action!

[Grawn]

So much life. So much activity. It unnerved him. And it was never wise to unnerve someone as unstable as Grawn Ianie. His reason for coming to this planet, Felucia, with its giant mushrooms, fungi and various flora, fauna organisms probably wasn't the most sane of choices.

At the Sith Temple on Korriban, he had read quite a bit on planets that we're strong in the Force. Felucia happened to be a hot spot for the Living Force and it was read a strong enough Force user could actually influence the living things on the planet. The Sith initiate was going to attempt to strengthen his own powers by locating and draining from a large source of the Living Force. However, first he needed to navigate through the blasted swamp!

"Watching this place burn would be a pleasant", the man growled irritably. His boots were sopping wet from the water as was the brim of his cloak as it dipped into the muck from time to time as he walked. His black hair, hidden under the hood of his cloak, was slick with sweat from the humid air. His only visible eye, being his right since the mask he wore hid all but that, was narrowed in annoyance as his mind went to work sensing out a suitable place to begin.

As always, when his anger was being to rise, the black shape of Sampson began to appear next to him. While the hound didn't exist in an actual sense, more the product of a broken mind, Grawn cared for the dog more then anything else. Absentmindedly, his cybernetic right hand placed itself on the dogs head and stroked its short fur from head to back as they came to a clearing.

A wicked grin came to Grawn's masked features.

"Well hello there", he whispered.

A large mushroom was in the middle, surrounded by the dense jungle. Various pools of sparkling water dotted the area around the mushroom and gave the area quite the serene experience. Along with this, a bunch of strange humanoids milled about the area. If Grawn recalled from his studies, they were the native species of the planet, Felucians. Long limbed, masked creatures that could blend in with the planets jungle quite easily.

Dropping the hood of his cloak back, letting the humid air get at his head again, Grawn started down the hill. Sampson walked slowly besides him, its teeth bared. It didn't take long for the Felucians to catch the Sith's scent and their heads turned in unison toward his direction. His face split again into a wicked grin as he drew upon his darkness, bringing the dark side to his finger tips. The Felucians had a natural affinity to the Force and apparently such negative emotions in their range made them reflect the emotions in their own behavior.

The three humanoids screeched and charged in a line, the man only growling as his anger surged from his organic left hand. The Force Lightning struck the first Felucian straight on, frying the creature instantly and dropping it into one of the pools of water. The remaining two Felucians, still aversely affected by the dark side that Grawn gave off and produced, trampled over their fallen comrade to get to the Sith.

Grawn pointed at the nearest Felucian and Sampson howled, his fur standing up with his red eyes shining brightly, lunged at the humanoid. The creature fell to the ground as the hound's jaws clamped on its neck, choking the life from it as the last Felucian raised its arm to strike the Sith down for disturbing its home. A flurry of movement and the snap hiss of a lightsaber later, the Felucian was minus an arm and stumbling past the Sith. The humanoid fell to the ground with a thud and rolled over to see its attacker.

The Sith deactivated his lightsaber, the red blade shrinking from existence and clipped the hilt to his belt. He had no intention of ending this that quick. Taking a glance at Sampson, the hound just finishing the Felucian it had pinned, Grawn walked toward the last of them as it attempted to rise and escape. No chance. The Force smashed down like a hammer on it and held it on its stomach to the ground as the Sith kneeled next to it.

Placing his hand on the struggling Felucians back, Grawn closed his eyes and concentrated into the dark side. He could feel the Felucians natural attunement to the Force, now only if he could take it from them. Concentrating harder, he tried to open a rift in the Felucian. The creature cried in pain as Grawn felt himself and the Felucian connect on a mental level. Its emotions flowed into him and the Sith smiled as he began to draw on its pain and agony. At first, Grawn felt himself seem to recover from his use of the Force earlier, slightly rejuvenated. But then it stopped.

"What?!", the man demanded, his eyes wide. He couldn't pull anything else from the creature. Was he that weak!? In his anger, the Sith stood up and raised his cybernetic hand. The sharp ends of the fingers shined in the light as he drove them into the Felucians back, silencing it as he felt him go entirely through into the ground. In disgust, he withdrew his cybernetic hand and drug it threw one of the nearby pools clear waters, tainting it with blood.

[Hand Soler]

Irad, too, had come to Felucia because it was a hotspot for the Living Force, but not with the intention of draining from it. No, instead Irad always felt comforted in such places, and always enjoyed any time he spent in these locales. This had not been the first time he had made a trip to Felucia, though the last had been rather abruptly cut short after a dispute had ended in him severing the heads from a few Felucians.

But that was in his past, and that meant that he had no hard feelings or ill will toward this place. He only hoped that it felt the same way about him. After all, a planet this rich in the Living Force would be a loss if he could not come here when the mood took him. Places like this, the more of them he had access to, the easier it would be for him to resist the now ever-present call and lure of the Dark Side, which he had already felt and tasted. It was a bitter taste, and a memory that brought a frown to his face, but also a widening in his senses.

It was this widening that opened his mind to the three dying shrieks in close succession. At first, he put it off as just some predator gaining an easy meal from a weak Felucian, until he felt a cold chill creep up his spine and lodge at the base of his brain. Swearing, he pushed his senses further. "That was someone using the Dark Side, or I'm a rancor," he muttered, and started off in the direction the pulse had come from, the dual-phase saber leaping to his hand as he moved swiftly and silently through the swamp. He had been here for almost eight months the first time, and had returned to make up for the wrong he had done before he had gone before the Order seeking to be allowed back in.

As he grew closer, he realized that it was indeed a Dark Side user, but it didn't feel QUITE like a normal Dark Jedi. He sniffed, and caught the lingering odor of cauterized flesh. He had smelled it many times before, and knew it instinctively: the smell of a lightsaber cut through flesh. Shaking his head, he crouched low, and then leapt, landing on a low hanging branch. He then proceeded to leap from tree to tree, trying to use as little of the Force as possible. It was possible that this was just some untrained adept losing control, but it was equally as likely that it was a trained Force weilder, and that could make things a lot more interesting, as his use of the Force would alert them to his presence. However, as far as he knew, this was unavoidable.

As he leapt from tree to tree, he pulled his second saber from his belt, flipping it in his hand so that it rested backward, with the ignition plate by his thumb. He had designed it slightly backward, with the intent that it would make it harder, should he meet an untimely end, for some random Dark Jedi -- or worse, some untrained normal person -- would pick it up and cause harm.

Finally, he perched on a branch, gazing over the scene. The three dead Felucians and the lightsaber hanging from the man's belt were taken into account in a heartbeat, and then he nodded. "Just what I thought," he muttered, and then dropped from the tree, the sabers held out, but unignited for the moment. "What are you doing here, and how are you using the Dark Side? Answer quickly. By rights I should either take you into custody or kill you where you stand," he called out in a clear voice, his words slow, measured, nothing at all suggesting impatience in his words.

[Rugs]

Round 1

Jackal
Effort: 4/5 Good job. A nice, meaty post.
Fairness: 5/5
Detail:3/5 Your descriptions were good, but I'm docking a bit here for clarity, specifically with the part where Sampson goes to bite the Felucian's neck. As far as I can tell, Sampson is only a figment of Grawn's imagination, right? So I'm not quite sure how an imaginary hound could rip out a real Felucian's throat. So, unless I'm missing something, which is always possible, I don't really get that.
Coolness: 4/5
Bonus: /2
Comments: Grawn seems to be a rather dark character, and you've done a great job portraying him as such. Good job, sir.

Drake
Effort: 4/5
Fairness: 5/5
Detail: 4/5 Good job here. The thought behind the strangely built lightsaber is certainly interesting.
Coolness:3 /5
Bonus: /2
Comments: Not bad. Irad seems like a nice laid back fellow. I'm interested to see if he'll maintain that composure through the fight or not.

Total:

Jackal: 16

Drake: 16

And here I thought I wouldn't tie you two on the first round. Heh. Well, off to round two, children!

*cracks whip*

[Grawn]

Grawn's anger had slowly begun to simmer when he heard the words.

"What are you doing here, and how are you using the Dark Side? Answer quickly. By rights I should either take you into custody or kill you where you stand"

It didn't take much for him to figure out what would say such self righteous blather. Only the Jedi had the audacity to claim they are the protectors of the Republic, when all they protect is a hive of filth and corruption. Turning his head, he caught sight of the speaker, sitting on a branch and sure enough, having the garbs of a misguided Order without a clue how things really were in the galaxy.

"It would seem I can go no where without you dogs interrupting me", Grawn said darkly, turning to face the Jedi completely. "My business is my own and just because you weak minded fools cannot comprehend the darkness in yourself, doesn't mean I cannot".

The Sith chuckled at how the Jedi mentioned arrest. Ever the fools. Ever the bold, self righteous, fools.

"By right, you could try. But I'm not here to play and you are wasting my time. I would leave you the option of fleeing with the tail between your legs, but my experiences reveal your kind doesn't know when to give up. No...let us see if you can actually do what you speak of, wretch!"

The dark side surged around the man like a locust swarm, beginning to churn endlessly about him. His head tilted downward as he recalled Sampson back into the bowels of his dark soul and he felt a surge of power rush through his tormented, scarred body. He could hear the hound bellow its rage in himself and he would make sure its bloodlust was sated. And he would make sure that his bloodlust was quenched as well.

Looking back up, his two lightsaber sprung from their clip as he went into a Jar-Kai Shien hybrid stance, his twin blood red blades snap hissing into exist, pointing backwards. For a moment, only the hum of his lightsabers were the sound that were made in the large jungle. Then Grawn exploded into action, Sampson snarling in his heart as he went. It had been so long since he had clashed lightsabers with a Jedi, he would enjoy this to its fullest extent. If things went as planned, he would hold a throbbing heart by the end of this charade.

Jumping forward, the Sith gathered the Force and unleashed it into a push directed at the Jedi. This however wasn't his only move. He continued to come at him until he was in range, Grawn's lightsabers hummed for bloody satisfaction and so did he. His twin blades began to be as vipers, continuously striking forward, poking and slashing, quick attacks that any normal being could hope to counter. His attacks were filled with anger and pain only one of the dark side could understand, only Grawn could understand.

The Jedi were the cause of so much of it and while it wasnt this particular Jedi that had lost him his right arm, the cybernetic appendage always a reminder of his failure, he would prove his failing a thing of the past. The Jedi were his prey and he was the hunter. He would give no rest to them and they deserved none. Grawn would make sure that the Jedi would understand what a nightmare was and he would hunt them down all nightmare long.

[Hand Soler]

"Comprehend the darkness? I have stared deeper into the darkness that dwells within my own heart than you can possibly HOPE to imagine. I was once like you. Foolish, powerhungry, unwilling to realize just how much I was damaging the Living Force by my actions. It took a collective outcry of an entire CITY to bring me to my senses and help me realize just how far I had strayed from the BEST path. Not the easiest path, not the most lucrative path, and CERTAINLY not the most famous path. But the best path for all involved.

"At least give the Living Force a chance to show you just how wrong you might very well be. I know what the dark side is like," he said, circling away from the advancing Dark Jedi. "I've seen it first hand, and I know how alluring the power it gives you can be. But that power corrupts! The saying is true, cousin, that absolute power corrupts absolutely. And that is what the dark side offers, I know."

When the male roared out his challenge, and charged Irad, he sighed, lowering his head for a split second. As he looked up, both sabers ignited with the characteristic snap-hiss, blue blade extending out FAR past where it should have, and the green blade extending backward, and a strange light entered Irad's eyes. He dropped into a stance that combined Jar-Kai with some strange combination of Shii-Cho, Makashi, and Ataru, one saber held high and out, the other held low and close in to the body.

"I do not want to fight you, cousin, but if you force me to do so, I will have no choice. I do not like to spill the blood of a fellow Force Adept, but at needs I will not hesitate!" he barked out, flipping backward a few times, back into the tree he had dropped from to begin with. "I am not like the other Jedi. I have SEEN what lies within the darkness. It is US, albeit a twisted, corrupted, tainted version of what we should be. Do not fight me like this, please. Do not force me to kill you."

Irad's face held the suppressed pain of some long past argument much like this one. He was, while managing to concentrate on the events at hand, half-remembering the very same argument he had had with Master Kiyana, only he had been where this strange man was, and she where he was now. She had made this same exact arguments with him, and now he only hoped that this one would be as attentive to the truth in his words, as he had been so many years ago.

"We should not be fighting. Our fighting is tearing this galaxy apart! We should be working together to fix the damage that our forebears caused, not worsen it!"

[Rugs]

Jackal
Effort: 4/5
Fairness: 5/5
Detail:4/5
Coolness: 4/5
Bonus: /2
Comments: Good stuff. Liked his talk a good deal. He's so angry ._.

Drake
Effort: 4/5
Fairness: 4/5 See below
Detail: 3/5
Coolness:3 /5
Bonus: /2
Comments: Alright, this was not bad. There seemed to be a bit less to it than there was in the last post, but what you had was good. Also, while I liked the talking, he didn't really do much. And, I don't think you mentioned the Force Push that Grawn launched at Irad. A minor slip, perhaps,and it happens, but still, gotta be careful to try and mention everything.


And to both of you, I'm quite liking the banter between the characters. Emotions in fights are good. Hooray! I'm still really looking forward to see where this fight goes.

Jackal: 33
Drake: 30

And on to round three. I think I might feel an extension coming...

[Grawn]

Grawn was quickly tiring of this tool. As always, the Jedi try to comprehend and amend what they will never understand! The fool actually thought he gave a damn about keeping the galaxy together?! And he DARED to question how deep he has seen into the darkness!? Did he know the pain of being tortured day by day by his own uncle?! Did he know the helplessness of knowing no one but himself could save him from the agony he felt on a daily basis as he trained against a man that sought to ensow nothing but doubt and despair into but a mere CHILD!

"NO!", the Sith roared as he renewed his attack. "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN! IT IS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT I HAVE FELT MY ENTIRE LIFE!". His blows came stronger and stronger as the darkness within began to bubble like a cauldron and spill over the side. "You dare to question me!? You DARE TO QUESTION THE PAIN I HAVE FELT SINCE I WAS A CHILD! YOU KNOW NOTHING IN YOUR SHORT TIME EMBRACING THE DARK SIDE! I HAD TO CLING TO IT JUST TO SURVIVE!"

His twin lightsabers gave no time for counters as they darted toward Irad's body. Every strike, every spark of clashing lightsabers only served to increase the already insurmountable rage that was threatening to unleash forth like a black wave of destruction. Something in the Siths mind snapped at that moment, as it often had when he was in a fight. Disengaging himself from the Jedi's blades, he Force Jumped backwards onto a low hanging branch and began to laugh. It wasnt an amusing laugh, it wasnt a funny laugh but a laugh that could only be described as one would hear in a mental institute. Grawn continued to laugh as his blades hummed for blood, pointing downwards as his head went back and the laugh began to echo into the surrounding jungle. Still chuckling as his mind began to slowly unravel, Grawn looked down at the man he was fighting and slowly took off the mask that was hiding his face to reveal a mad grin. His yellow eyes shone with an unnatural light as he began to speak.

"The galaxy can BURN, Jedi. I care nothing for the Sith! Do you know why I joined the Sith? Is it because I cherish the thought of controlling this cess pit? NO! I joined so that I could kill YOU! All of you and your lying brethern! I wish to see the Jedi Temple burned to the ground and your remnants scattered to the winds! The Sith can control the galaxy while I have the pleasure of eradicating a Order of false protectors!". His grin and tone began to grow serious as his mind began to become straight again. "Where were you when I cried for help? Praying for the day the noble Jedi that my father spoke so highly of, would take me away from the all the pain? I am your failure. You failed to protect as your Order claims it does and I am the result. I AM THE RESULT OF YOUR LIES!"

With this last sentence, Grawn gathered the Force and pushed off the tree towards the Jedi. The bark of tree exploded as did the upper half, causing it to fall backwards with a crash as the Sith bullet and its twin sabers aimmed at its hated foe raced forward. The lightshow began anew as red clashed with the blue and green of the Jedi. The aura of hate that Grawn gave off was near choking, the strength of the dark side began to show in the trees and ground as they began to slowly lose their color and limp to one way or another under the continued assault of such black emotions. His mask now off, Irad had the full pleasure of seeing the madness in the Siths fiery eyes.

Striking, parrying and blocking was on autopilot as Grawn's enraged mind sought ways through the Jedi's defense. Lightsabers sparked as both combatants refused to give or be struck. They both believed far to much in each others views to let the other win.

[Hand Soler]

(((OOC: Sorry. Got sidetracked with real life. But here you go!)))

Irad swore silently as the Sith renewed his attack, his own sabers darting, flashing, and flaring as he sought to block each and every strike as a single attack, working at tiring out the dark sider. It wasn't going to be easy, and he knew it. But it was something that had to be done, as he wasn't about to end this way, not here, not now. Retreating inward, he felt once more that ever-present soothing sensation that was the living Force, and linked into it, drawing it into himself, giving back much of it, but the rest went into fueling his own speed, strength, and endurance.

As the Sith disengaged, Irad slid back slightly, dropping into a low crouch, one blade held low, about knee high, the other pulled back, pointed forward and down, much like the stinger of a scorpion about to strike. But that laugh rattled him slightly, nearly cutting the tie he had established with the Force to a thin trickle. He muttered under his breath, pushing back on the frustration that threatened to engulf him. It was a tough fight, one that only took seconds, but to Irad seemed to span an hour or more. He shuddered, and then gazed right into the Sith's eyes, sadness and regret clear in his eyes.

"I admit, the Jedi are not always successful," he called out in response. "But is anyone ever ALWAYS successful? Show me the person that has never once failed, and I will be the first to sha--" But he cut off when the tree exploded under the force of the Sith's jump, flipping himself backward and away, landing at a run on the ground, keeping the fight moving. He had spent much time in his youth, and throughout his life, conditioning himself to endure fights like this through sheer willpower. But he could already tell that this fight was going to be the hardest test he had ever endured.

Of course, the longer the fight progressed, the more his fighting became like Grawn's: autopilot, running on instincts honed not only through his years as a Jedi, but also during the period where he had been fighting against his only family. Meanwhile, his eyes were darting this way and that, so fast it seemed like they were boring straight into the Sith before him, seeking an opening in the onslaught. Finally, he found one. During a slower section of the onslaught, where both of them were changing footing, he Force jumped up and back a few feet, and brought one hand up, shoving outward with the Force, hoping to use that to put the Sith off-guard. From what he had seen, the man was concentrating on the saber side of the fight. Hopefully this meant that he had completely forgotten about the Force.

Of course, just behind the Force push, Irad was charging back in right behind it, sabers both up, aiming for an overhead strike that would knock both sabers out of the way so that he could use a quick twist to toss them away. He prayed to the Force as he charged that it would work. If it didn't, this fight was about to turn nasty for him. He could feel his off arm tiring, and that wasn't a good sign. If it was tiring, his primary hand wasn't going to be far behind. And once that happened, he would have to slow down. And he didn't think this Sith would be one to allow him to take a break to rest and regather his strength.

[Rugs]

Jackal
Effort: 4/5
Fairness: 5/5
Detail:4/5
Coolness: 4/5
Bonus: /2
Comments: Good job, once again. You're doing a great job getting Grawn's character across, and that's always a good thing.

Drake
Effort: 4/5
Fairness: 5/5
Detail: 4/5
Coolness: 4/5
Bonus: /2
Comments: Good, good, an improvement over last round. I like that Irad is still trying to actually talk to Grawn. He's a better Jedi than my own Jedi is, in that regard xDD

Jackal: 50
Drake: 47

And to round four we go...

[Grawn]

The whelp was persistent. He continued to try and make Grawn see the error of his ways, but ultimately his attempts would be doomed. It wasn't just years of hatred that reinforced the Siths beliefs. Insanity does many things to the mind. It makes it difficult for others to read with the Force, but it also causes lapses in judgment and thinking. Even if Grawn wanted to, there was no turning back for him. His twisted mind would never recognize any wisdom when it came from the mouth of a brown robed liar.

"I think its time you met the monster you helped create," Grawn growled. His rage began to rise dramatically, his vision near blurring and growing sharper at the same time. As they fought, his head convulsed slightly and his mouth jerked in a snarl. Force Enrage had been something he had been studying along with Drain. While the effects were quite different, he was able to gain a better footing with it then Drain as of yet.

The Sith seemed to act as if he was about to explode. And he was in a way. Grawn was about to cut loose and it would be the end of one of them. That was, he was going to, until in the middle of combat, Irad disengaged and Force Jumped backwards.

"WHAT!" Grawn roared in anger as his blades no longer struck another pair of lightsabers. He looked up just in time to get the full brunt of the Force Push Irad launched at him. It slammed into him like a rancor fist and sent him flying backwards, launching him above the ground for a few moments then collided with ground. He bounced a few times and rolled; the world spinning violently until he was stopped by the trunk of the tree he had broke in half.

He laid there for a moment as everything spun and pain racked his entire body. Forgetting entirely about Enrage, Grawn looked up dizzily to see a form rushing at him, lightsabers ignited. Except, it wasn't Irad, at least not to him.

"Ibapo...", the Sith whispered as he clearly recognized the black robes and face of his uncle. His former master was rushing at him now and Grawn's anger rose tenfold. The pain in his body numbed as the dark side allowed him that minor comfort. The Sith rose, his eyes wide in a mix of rage and confusion. Looking around, his lightsabers were no where in sight, leaving him almost defenseless.

Almost.

Madness let beings think outside the box. Do things one would think near, well, crazy. Ibapo came at him now and the Sith had no lightsabers. This meant no blocking. Giving him one option. Raising to a knee, Grawn watched as the old man lunged, the twin lightsaber blades going over his head to hit the Sith. Getting quickly up to a knee, Grawn managed to grab ahold of both of Ibapo/Irad's wrists.

His strength was unwaivering in his right hand, his left was definitely the weaker. The cybernetic right hands sharp tipped fingers dug into his former masters wrists, drawing blood as the left hand struggled to keep the blade away. Gritting through his teeth as he strained against both glowing plasma beams of instant death, Grawn gave one final burst of strength and jolted upwards onto his feet. Now he had the old man in a favorable position.

Without his lightsabers, he had to reduce himself to rather "unorthodox" fighting methods. This was clear as Grawn threw his head back and lurched it forward into Ibapo/Irad's forehead. A loud crack and a explosion of pain followed in his head as the Sith let go and stumbled backwards.

His vision began to blur again as he backed up, his footing unbalanced as he half attempted to find his lightsabers. However, since everything continued to spin and blood was now entering into his eye from the wound on his forehead, this was rather difficult as Grawn accidentally tripped over a upraised root and into a pool of cold water.

The water helping him get his head straight, Grawn looked to see that Ibapo had disappeared and was replaced by Irad. Not giving what had just transpired a second though, the Sith rose unstabily. As he propped himself up, he felt his left hand graze a solid shaft underneath the water. Gripping it, he pulled it from the water and found that it was his one lightsabers. Still dizzy from the headbutt, Grawn shook his head and ignited his lightsaber, the red blade a welcomed sight as he made his way slowly toward Irad, stumbling from time to time as the fight began to take its toll on the Sith.

[Hand Soler]

Irad's assault was halted when Grawn leaped up at him, and then stopped completely at the feeling of both his wrists being captured. He jerked and pulled, his face twisting into a wince at the feeling of claws digging into his left wrist. The pain that seemed to spark and dance up his arms caused his hands to spasm open, dropping his sabers to the ground as they both shut down the instant they left his hand.

When Grawn reached his feet, Irad swore mentally, losing the grip he had on the Force, made tenuous already by his shock at the Sith's tactic. Then the world seemed to explode before him as Grawn headbutted him, sending him staggering back and dropping to one knee as he shook his head, trying to blink away the lights flashing in front of them.

Looking up, he swore, and frantically reached out for the Force. He felt it, but there was a slight chill to it. He knew this meant that some of what he was pulling was a door to the Dark Side. Steeling himself, he gathered the Force, using it to launch himself straight up and back, landing on a branch just out of the Sith's reach, his right hand snapping out to catch the saber that was flying toward it, the shoto flipping up alongside and clipping back at his hip.

Gathering himself, he reignited the hand-and-a-half saber, dropping back down to the ground. His thumb pushed sideways on the handle, and there was a click, as the blade gained half its length again, and he shook his head. "Grawn, let us stop this nonsense. We are an even match. I don't know about you, but I for one don't wish it to end like this. Both of us are at a disadvantage here." At least, you are. You aren't that familiar with this terrain, whereas I have some knowledge of it he thought to himself. In reality, this was NOT a fair fight. The Sith was now bleeding from his forehead, whereas Irad only had the small cuts on his left wrist. Granted, they were causing his left arm to tingle slightly, but he was able to force himself past that.

Shaking his head, he brought the saber up. "It's clear to me that neither of us is going to give in to the other's views. Why don't we just call it quits and go our separate ways?" he said. "I know that with us being on opposite sides of this war, we WILL meet each other in a fight again sooner or later, as long as someone doesn't kill one or the other first," he said.

Inwardly, there were several reasons he didn't want to continue this fight if given the option. One, it was not in a place of his choosing. That put him at a slight disadvantage. Two, there was the matter of his body threatening to give out on him. This fight had gone on for who only knew how long now, and he was beginning to lose his edge. Three, he would need to inform the Council of the fact that this one had claimed to be a Sith. If it were true, this would not be good at all.

He didn't charge at the other male, instead backing away, keeping the distance between them relatively the same. At the same time, he was focusing the Force inwardly, attempting to at least close the abrasions on his wrist if not heal them completely. He wasn't much of a Healer, he would be the first to admit that.

[Rugs]

Jackal
Effort: 5/5 It's been your best post thus far
Fairness: 4/5 Now, generally, I prefer to not say things hit without the other person's permission, though what you did was relatively minor, and I think Grawn came out worse from it than Irad did, so it balances out, I suppose
Detail:4/5
Coolness: 4/5
Bonus: /2
Comments: Great touch with the hallucination. You continue to do an excellent job of showing Grawn's crazy.

Drake
Effort: 4/5
Fairness: 5/5
Detail: 4/5
Coolness: 4/5
Bonus: 1/2 Now, I think I can say that this is the first practice duel I've seen where someone actually made an effort with their character to end things peacefully once the fight began. I couldn't think of another category to put this, so I'll stick it here. Way to stay true to your character
Comments: Like I said, I really like the way you're trying to stay true to what (I'm assuming) your character would do in a real IC confrontation, rather than going "ARGH MUST FIGHT!MUST KILL!" which can be an easy thing to fall into with these practice duels. Good work.

Jackal: 67
Drake: 65

The gap has narrowed a bit. And, unless an extension is requested, the next round will be the last, sans a final post for whoever the victor is. To Jackal, now is not the time to get lax, and Drake, you gotta bring the good stuff. Your last post was good, but give everything you've got in this one. You may win this yet.


Round five, go

[Grawn]

<<An extension thou shall have. Two more rounds, lets make em count, Drake!>>

The Sith continued to walk forward, every step bringing back his strength. The dizziness was gone and was once again replaced with a sharp focus. This focus was entirely on the Jedi who was trying to avoid him. Trying to talk him down. Trying ever so hard to reach a peace between two people that held titles that ensured they would forever be destined to fight and kill one another.

While his body was just regaining strength, his insane mind was as clear as insanity let him and it let him in on the secrets of Irad's thoughts as the Jedi didn't even attempt to protect them.

"You believe," Grawn rasped as he continued to advance towards Irad at a slow pace, "This wound on my head is the worst thing I have had to deal with while in battle?"He gave a short laugh but his face returned to grim seriousness as he took his left hand and wiped away the blood that leaked from the wound across his face.

"This? This is nothing!" he roared as he threw his hand to the side, the blood flecking into a pool of water, tainting it with his red essence. The Sith pointed his crimson blade at Irad for a moment, the constant humming the only noise as he brought the side of the blade before his wound. Grawn hissed through gritted teeth as he applied the blade lightly to the wound, cauterizing it and stopping the bleeding.

Pain radiated from his head to the rest of his body in waves; but all he did was laugh as the blade dropped down to his side."Unfortunately", Grawn said as smoke roiled from his forehead, disappearing to reveal a scar, "ending this fight now is impossible. At one point in my life, I may have let you go. However, THAT Grawn died on Korriban with the battered corpse of my beliefs in the Light."

Then he smirked, letting out a insane giggle as his yellow eyes went directly into Irad's. "Believe me when I say I wish this fight would end to. But, you JUST WON'T DIE!"

Placing his activated blade into his cybernetic hand, Grawn thrust his left hand to his left side. The dark side shot out and sought out his missing lightsaber. After a moment, his echo in the Force on the blade was sensed and the lightsaber shot from some bushes into its owners grip. "I missed you!", he proclaimed then Force ran his way toward Irad.

His inactive blade igniting into existence as he ran, Grawn jumped into the air. "I SENSE IT!" the Sith yelled as he engaged the Jedi. "You're wavering! Don't you think I can tell when the dark side is being used other then from me! I want to see it!". His strikes were with a vigor that seemed wrong coming from a man who had previously been stumbling and tripping over things not but a minute ago.

"It's in there, Irad! I can feel him inside you and he wants release. Eventually the Light will dim and DARKNESS will be their to take its place! Only the dark side can give you the power to defeat me now! DO IT!" Grawn continued to provoke as his red blades once again clashed with Irads. His swings were unorthodox and fast, random and near unguessable. Both combatants were feeling the strain of one another's assaults; eventually Grawn himself would have to think of another method to destroy the Jedi.

The four blades locked together and Grawn pushed, his face leaning in with a insane grin. "You call yourself a Jedi. You are WEAK! Did you truly believe I would let you leave? You know far to much now. Only one of us will leave here, Irad, stop lying to yourself!" While Grawn did wish to see the so called "darkness" Irad had apparently embraced in a past life, he knew this would maybe demoralize the Jedi in a way as well. And a demoralized foe was fodder for his blades.

Breaking the lock by pushing the blades to the right, Grawn went with the momentum and attempted to roundhouse kick the Jedi in the side. Jumping backwards out of the reach of Irad's blade; he turn and clenched toward the tree he had earlier broken clear in half. It levitated upwards slowly, then aligned toward Irad. With a roar of power, Grawn threw his hand toward the Jedi and the tree followed to its intended target.

[Hand Soler]

<<You got it, Jackal. Let's give Rugs a show the likes of which he's never seen before!>>

Irad shook his head, sighing softly, the other saber twitching on his belt as he contemplated snatching it off. He listened to everything the Sith said, smiling. He had left his thoughts unguarded for a reason, and Grawn had gone right into his mind like he had hoped he would. Smiling, he shook his head. "Grawn, I know that likely as not, with this war being the way it is, this is not the worst you've ever dealt with. Likely as not, seeing your caliber," he said, shaking his head. "Likely as not, that's the LEAST of the injuries you've ever felt. However, I have no wish to kill someone who can match me toe to toe in saber combat."

He watched as the Sith pressed the saber to his forehead, wincing slightly at the sight, knowing what that had to smell like to Grawn, having done it himself on two occasions that he could remember. He sighed, and shook his head. "You're right. I won't die. It is not my time to become one with the Force, Grawn. But neither is it yours," he said. "And I will not kill you before your time, just as I will not allow myself to be killed before MY time."

When the Sith's other saber flipped out of the bushes into his hand, Irad side, sliding his thumb again, the blade on the saber in his hand shortening back to normal, as his other saber flipped into his off hand in a reversed hold, the blade igniting with the characteristic snap-hiss once more. "If you will not allow this fight to end, then I must give it my all," he muttered, shaking his head.

When Grawn charged, Irad simply struck without thinking. But rather than striking out, he struck DOWN, severing the branch he was standing on. He crouched, waiting, body tense. The instant before the limb struck the ground, he gather the Force and heaved, his body flying upward, straight at the Sith. The man wanted an airborne fight, an airborne fight he would have.

The sabers clashed in a blaze of sparks and sounds, as his own sabers began to dance, a furious look in his eye. He drew on the Force, and felt again that ever-so-familiar, inviting cold that spoke volumes to one that has touched it before. Then, listening to Grawn's words, something inside him shifted, and he opened himself FULLY to BOTH sides.

Power flowed through his limbs, and his eyes flickered slightly, his muscles suddenly loosening from the stress this fight had put them under. Whirling, he lunged just away from the tree, but still let out a grunt as a random branch gouged into his back. He barely felt the pain, though, so completely was he now in the grip of the Force. His eyes blazed as he lunged forward, sabers coming across in a scissor motion, shaving the last bit of the tree off. He halted suddenly, one hand extending out, saber still ignited, three fingers pointing right at Grawn.

An eerie blue light encased his hand for a moment as the severed portion of the tree hung there, then a blast of lightning lashed out, launching the shattered remnants right back at Grawn. Once again, Irad was right behind the Force Push propelled debris, knowing that if he could score one good blow, this fight would end here, and he could walk away with no loss of life. Inwardly, his very essence was screaming in rebellion at the taint of the Dark Side threatening to overwhelm him once more, the sheer weight of the light within him holding the darkness at bay... for the moment.

But who could say what would happen if this fight went on for too long? He might very well lose himself again, and then he'd begin the killing spree again. NO! his mind roared. I will NOT fall as I did before. I HAVE to prove that the Dark Side can be used without extreme cost. This may well prove my case. Then and ONLY then can I accept the Master position the Council wishes me to take.

[Rugs]

I dunno, gentlemen, I've seen some crazy shows. Wow me

Jackal
Effort: 5/5
Fairness: 5/5
Detail:4/5
Coolness: 4/5
Bonus: 1/2 Self mutilation, eh? Interesting add
Comments: Alright then... Crazy guy is crazy. Another good post, sir.

Drake
Effort: 5/5 Good post, good post
Fairness: 5/5
Detail: 4/5
Coolness: 4/5
Bonus: 1/2 He's slipping. Oh dear!
Comments: Good post. Keep up the hard work


Jackal: 86
Drake: 84

Alright, gentlemen, here's your extension. Bring the epic!

[Grawn]

Grawn's eyes went wide as Irad sent the tree back at him. Growling a sound of bestial irritation, the Sith drew the dark side to him like a beacon and as always it flowed to him like a river. Its power surge made his reflexes go on edge as his blood red blades were drawn back. As the tree closed in, Grawn brought him down with a overhead chop. The tree was sliced with ease and the pieces flew behind him with a resounding crash into the jungle behind him.

His eyes snapped but quickly to see Irad had been concealed by the Force propelled projectile. Grawn brought his blades up quickly into a X and just in time to clash with Irad's. Both men struggled against one another for what seemed like eternity, Grawn's face twisted in a snarl, enraged animal visage. With another surge, the Sith pushed the Jedi back.

"There you are," the Sith muttered darkly as he felt the shift in the Force. So the Jedi spoke truth. The darkness he felt like a tiny pulse coming from the man had a cold taint to it and it confirmed Irad had once been under the influence of the dark side. "Its a shame," he continued as he prepared for the assault that was to come, "if you found control, you could be a powerful addition to the Order. But we have no use of mindless murderers. I can sense the deeds you committed. Even I disapprove".

The words carried a weight of feigned disgust. In all seriousness, Grawn could care less what this man had done. Murder a city or murder a planet, he didn't give a damn. The Jedi had opened himself to the dark side and brought a realization to the Sith that was like the dawn. It brightened his misconceptions and brought a smug sense of knowledge. Jedi weren't perfect.

He could see now that his fathers words hadn't been correct. Erfies had always praised the Jedi as the thing that kept back the darkness from engulfing the Republic as a whole. He claimed the Jedi were normally beyond corruption. But here before Grawn, Irad was a shining example of how even a Jedi could fall and still exist within the Order. The Jedi Order allowed corruption in their own ranks.

This only bolstered his beliefs. They were unfit to protect. They needed to be cast down and let the strong destroy what they were to weak to destroy. The Sith was the fire that was to combat the fire of corruption that flowed through the Republic and the galaxy. The Jedi needed to be eradicated!

"How amusing you are to me, Irad" the Sith chuckled as he spun his blades around his body to dispel the weariness that had begun to build within him. While physically, he was on the point of exhaustion, but mentally he was far from done. His mind, while unknowingly cracked and distorted, was sharp and unbendable and his focus was on the Jedi wholly.

"But the time for fun is over. Let's finish this!" the Sith growled as he stood tall. Deactivating his lightsabers, he held onto them as he brought his arms up and stretched them as far as they went to both sides. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head up towards the canopy. The tactic was risky, but if done correctly, Grawn would be rejuvenated enough to wipe this filth from the planet. Another growl came from the Sith, Sampsons own echoing his head as he began to siphon the very Living Force from the surrounding area.

It wasn't a large amount. It was about the same as what he had drawn from the Felucian earlier before the Jedi came. Grawns breath stopped being ragged and his muscles grew less strained as the Force came to his call. While the Jedi served the Force, the Sith made the Force serve them. And now it was doing so as Grawn dropped his arms and let out a sigh. The boost was temporary but it would make his attacks quick and his body strong for the next few minutes. If Grawn couldn't end this soon, he would be weaker then before. Ripe for the Jedi to pluck and destroy.

"Lets see how far you will let you anger take you, Jedi!" the last word came out dripping with doubt and insult as Grawn launched himself once more toward Irad. His swings had a bit more strength behind them now and they came fast, giving his opponent little time to mount an offensive. He couldn't let Irad have the attack. Grawn needed to keep pushing the Jedi to his limits or all would be lost.

Noticing a small slow down in Irads defense, he took it. Feeling the boost he had stolen starting to fade, the Sith locked blades with Irad briefly. The lock was what he needed as he pushed him back and delivered a kick toward him. Whether it hit or not wasn't his concern as Grawn zoned in on the Jedi's foot. Using the Force, he gripped it and dragged him toward his outstretched hand. Feeling his hand grasp the Jedi's ankle, the Sith used his last bit of strength and spun him around twice. What remained of the boost was used to throw the Jedi away into the air.

Falling to a knee as the boost wore off and weakness took him, Grawn let loose a ragged breath.

"This isn't good," the Sith whispered. He could barely keep the lightsabers in his hands. Sweat stinging his eyes, the yellow/orange orbs looked up to see what the Jedi would do next. Hopefully he had thrown him into something and it had done critical damage. If not, Grawn didn't know if he could regain enough strength to mount a defense.

<<I'll apologize for the throw because I know I didn't ask previously. I offer to let you have Grawn as a rag doll for your round if you so wish.>>

[Hand Soler]

But then that chill changed into a blast of heat, as Irad's eyes seemed to blaze back to life, even as he spoke with his voice going completely dead emotionless. "Grawn, you don't understand," he said, his hands lowering to his sides. "This fight is not about win or lose. It's about making sure that both of us survive this fight to fight on another day. And if I have to take an arm or a leg from you to stop you from killing me, then so be it. The saber will cauterize the wounds, so I needn't worry about you bleeding out," he said.

He winced when he felt the Force shriek out as Grawn pulled from it, ripping tendrils of life away from the surrounding wilderness. He felt, in particular, a small fortress of ants suddenly pass into the void as their life was sucked from them, and he growled. "That is UNACCEPTABLE!" he barked out, but what happened next, he did not see coming, and thus it landed without him blocking it at all aside from keeping the sabers from impacting with his body.

When he was launched, his eyes closed, and he reached out, pulling the Force to him, but not ripping it away, instead cocooning himself in it. Without slowing his fall, he flipped in midair, feet pressing back against a tree limb, which bent behind him, before his eyes snapped open and he launched straight at Grawn, the gleam of the Living Force plain in his eyes.

When he landed, it was in a whirl of motion that someone who had been fighting this long should not have been capable. He opened with a roundhouse kick that landed hard on the side of Grawn's unprotected head, followed by a second one to his chest that would send the Sith staggering back.

The one thing that Grawn would be able to sense from Irad now would be a total balance, a perfect harmony of light and darkness, no swirling at all, but a subtle blending right down the middle that showed tinges of silver. Irad's eyes were actually closed at this point, but he seemed to have no problems moving over the rough terrain, even with his eyes closed.

In his mind, he was in ecstasy. He had found the balance point! He had just proven that darkness and light could be used as one, and not cause any ill effects!

He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. A chuckle? In the middle of a life or death fight? What was wrong with this man? Was he, too, slightly cracked in the mind? No matter. His sabers flashed out three times, the first two knocking Grawn's sabers flying, the third -- immediately following the only move that had interrupted the flow, another kick to the chest -- stopping INCHES from Grawn's throat, as Irad exhaled slowly. "Grawn Ianie, I will ask you once more. Will you end this fight and walk away alive? Or will you choose this to be the day you die, and become one with the Force once more?"

[Rugs]

Jackal
Effort: 5/5
Fairness: 4/5 Now, I'm not going to dock as much as I originally planned to because a) you owned up to doing the throw without permission, and b) you gave drake permission to return the favor to Grawn a bit, but still, do be careful.
Detail:5/5
Coolness: 4/5
Bonus: /2
Comments: Interesting as always to get a look into Grawn's mind.

Drake
Effort: 4/5
Fairness: 3/5 Now, I know he did give you permission to rough Grawn up a bit, but I dunno, it seems like a bit much to me. Where he did one thing, with throwing Irad, here you've kicked him three times, gotten rid of his lightsabers, and put him in a very precarious position. Like, I said, I know he said you could beat up Grawn, but it seems a bit lopsided to me.
Detail: 4/5
Coolness: 4/5
Bonus: /2
Comments: Wasn't a bad post, though it seemed to be a bit of a step back overall.


Jackal: 104
Drake: 99

Alright, the last round is coming up, gents. Let's finish strong!

[Grawn]

Like blood, pain was flowing through his entire body. Grawn couldn't find the power to stand as he fell on his knees, his head drooped as the sound of Irad's blade humming for his blood in his ears. The Sith weakly rose his head to look into the eyes of his foe, the Jedi radiating a smug feeling of victory. As weak as he was physically, he could sense well enough and the Sith found himself in disgust as he realized the feeling of victory wasn't from beating Grawn.

No. The fool felt he could control the dark side while still being one with the Light.

"You fool," the Assassin coughed, blood spurting from his mouth as he uttered those words, "you truly believe you have won? Do you believe the darkness so weak?"

The Sith gave a short laugh as he fell back wards onto his back, his breathing heavy and ragged. He continued to chuckle in amusement even as it pained him to do so. "The dark side corrupts everything it touches. The Force, the people that control it, the area in which it is used," he continued, lifting his hand and waving it across the battlefield that the two Force wielders claimed as there own. The large mushroom that had been the home of the Felucians was gray and showed signs of wilting.

The grass and trees had a tint of weakness that Grawn could feel through the Force. Their battle had weakened the area about them, but as much as Grawn would like to say otherwise, he wasn't the only one to cause the damage.

"No, Irad. In time, you will overestimate the dark side. You will test the limit to far and then it will claim you just as it does everything that dares to underestimate it," the Sith spoke softly as his eyes went to the dark sky overhead. The Jedi made a mockery of the dark side and the Sith for thinking he could win. More lies for the Archives in their accursed Temple, the Jedi would have.

It hurt to move and Grawn couldn't even hear the presence of Sampson in his mind. The hound would be unable to protect him this time. It was a tragedy really, Grawn realized as he let loose another ragged breath. He had survived so much in his short life. The Tuskens, his uncle, his training, Korriban, Sundar and now all of that was to be dismissed by this one Jedi whelp.

It was unacceptable. But he would not let the Jedi hear the words of defeat leave his lips. No, he would rather eat a lightsaber then ever let that happen. Grawn dampened and cleared his dry throat as he was ready to let Irad aware of how he would never give in to him, when he heard a laugh.

A very familiar laugh. One that gripped his heart with anger and fear.

"You weak, pathetic excuse for a human", the voice spoke clearly and even though Grawn was hanging onto the edge of consciousness and death, the voice was recognized. The owner was dead though! It was impossible!

"You're father raised a kid not even worth the dung of a bantha", the voice continued as Grawn lifted his head to see once again his uncle standing over him. Thoughts of Irad left his mind and the Sith summoned a snarl to his visage.

"No," he growled to the specter that stood over him, "you're wrong"

"Am I?" it questioned, kneeling next to him as the world around him disappeared and was replaced with black. It was just him and Ibapo now.

"Look at you, boy" his uncle using the last word as a insult that stung Grawn worst then the scar on his forehead, "its near ridiculous that you defeated me. You're so weak". His uncle raised his hand and slapped him across the face, his head jerking to the right and rage began to burn in his eyes.

"No" Grawn said as his eyes began to shift from yellow to hellfire.

His uncle smiled and drew a lightsaber from his belt, pointing down at Grawn.

"Yes," Ibapo replied, igniting the blood red blade.

"No!"

"Yes," the specter said one more time as he rose the blade over his head.

"No, no, no, no!" each word that left Grawns mouth rose with anger and hate. At this moment, something unlocked in the beaten Sith.

"NO!" the Sith bellow, but not just a physical scream. The scream went into the Force and gave anyone who could hear it a clear description of Grawn's frustration, rage, and anguish. A rage so powerful that it couldn't be contained in the physical plane. Just as Ibapos blade went down, Sampson caught it in his maw, the hound's size beginning to expand as the Sith's rage grew. The specter didn't even have time to utter anything as the hound ripped the blade and his arm away, then proceeded to swallow Ibapo whole.

The Force scream blasted everything away from Grawn, the bodies of the nearby Felucians beginning to contort and be crushed under his rage. The Living Force twisted and contorted around the area as the dark side began to take everything in its grasp. The Sith opened his eyes and looked up at Irad, his eyes dancing with hellfire as the dark side rushed out from him like a unstoppable torrent and pushed the Jedi away. The world faded back from black to normal as Grawn rose from the ground, his pain replaced by power and he drew a enraged breath as he called one of his disarmed lightsabers to him.

The blade ignited and Grawn pointed it at Irad accusingly.

"Lets see how well you can 'control' the dark side then, FOOL!" his eyes wide as he rushed at the Jedi. His blade gripped in two hands, his strikes were powerful blows as he batted the Jedi's blades away. With every swing, his fury grew and it seemed near impossible to contain it all. The blades clashed, with Grawn having no trouble at all to stop Irad's twin blades from ending him. The Sith batted the Jedi's blades to the left and spun around, delivering another round house kick. That wasn't it however as Grawn sent out a Force push afterwards towards the Jedi.

Recognizing the sister blade nearby, Grawn thrust his hand out and it flew to its master and ignited as the Sith rushed toward the Jedi once more.