Faction A Show of Strength

[Darth Strosius]

Iasha Rha / Marcis Sorr

With a swift knee to the acolyte's head, Alisteri had ended his little scuffle with his newest opponent in no time at all. The other acolyte had come in rushing when he was distracted; the other wasn't exactly prepared for an actual duel, so it didn't take much to put him on the ground. Yet again he decided to spare this one, mostly due to the fact that he felt as if he had much larger problems.

Although he was a step ahead of a decent number of the other acolytes here, mostly due to the fact that he carried a lightsabre, he wasn't exactly having a walk in the park. The chaos of the battlefield was difficult to keep up with, and his lack of combat experience didn't do him any favors against any enemy that wanted a proper fight. That was one of the reasons he had decided to participate today. Of course, he wasn't blind nor arrogant enough to believe that he could beat every opponent on the field. Some of them seemed very skilled and trained, two things that he lacked as of this moment. Still, ultimately he was holding his own.

For now at the very least.

A sigh left him at the brief moment of respite, his gaze shifting back up to glance around the battles around him. Said moment would prove to be even briefer than he had originally thought.

His gaze snapped to attention on another acolyte as he approached, flipping his sabre around to a reverse grip in his left hand in response. He watched as Lark lifted the rubble into the air, his muscles tensing as he adopted a slightly crouched stance. His suspicions and preparations were quickly confirmed as a good bit of said rubble came flying at him.

Instinctively he leapt back, bringing up his weapon to bisect one of the larger pieces that came too close. A very quick duck prevented his head from being taken off by another piece, but a smaller bunch of rock then his him square in the stomach. A wounded gasp of air left him as the rocks took his breath from him momentarily, falling to one knee in reaction.

That one had slipped by him.

A growl quickly took the place of his pain as he hopped back up, slicing another piece of rubble in two as he did so. Well, he had forgotten about the whole lifting objects thing if he was honest. Shame on him for forgetting something so major. He didn't intend to make that mistake a second time. A good thing that not all of them had gone at him though, he saw the rest of the rubble head towards Lunasi Triyin before he was winded.

This was certainly going to be an interesting clash.

He leveled his lightsaber at the other acolyte and rolled his shoulders to hear a satisfying crack. "That the best you got?" With that said and a smirk hidden by his mask, he lunged towards the other man with a yell of rage.

 

[Lunasi Triyin]

Lunasi didn't want to fight others around herself. She did not even know how to fight to begin with. She knew throw, punches and kicks. Basically be mean. Though luckily she knew one thing, how to survive as long as possible.. Her back being protected by the walls of the bowl of an arena and her eyes on the most mighty of acolyte's and apprentice's. These were acolytes with weapons in their hands, protecting themselves against the weapons or killing those around her.

Lark had his eye on her though, as rubble of broken statues and cracked rocks in combination with other rubble would levitate before it would be send towards her.

She had to think on her feet and used the body of an injured person to cover herself. She heard the screaming noise that had left the mouth of the injured acolyte as it dropped a knife on the ground. She was slammed after that against the wall as the body caught a heavy rock. Luckily other than a headache she wasn't injured. "You brat.."

She had something to protect herself with, after the rubble had stopped and looked at the other guy that was attacked. She was more nervous as she could feel the rage of the man moving through her veins. Her left hand held the knife, while the right hand kept the fist on the back of the guide, holding his back in place so she had a human meat shield.


Darth Strosius

 

[Iasha Rha]

Her push sent the other acolyte back, yet the dark smoke surrounded Iasha.

She waved her sabre through it ineffectively and turned defensively, merely illuminating the edges with her bloodshine blade. It whispered to her, like every bad thought, every doubt she had ever had bubble up in her mind. Her jaw set hard as she snarled at the darkness, turning, stepping around in her enclosed and slowly closing circle as it spoke to her.

<Submit, insect. Submit and live out your fleeting existence in what passes for meaning among your kind.>

"No!" She lashed out against the smoke "Get out!"

She would not submit, she wouldn't! They were all relying her, believing in her. This was her one and only chance at carving out her place in the galaxy, not just for herself, but for the rest of her family as well. They had left everything behind when they came to the Empire, when they sought to work their way up the ladder. Hutts, republics, alliances, they had all closed the door on their fingers and shunned them for their political beliefs, but here? Here they belonged. Iasha's powers were proof of this, or so they had told her.

She had to, had to.

"Get out of my head you freak!"

Her words made the sand beneath her feet ripple like water.

Marcis Sorr

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"You've been nothing short of a disappointment since you were born. If not for your sister's untimely death, we would have disowned you the moment we learned you couldn't even cast the most basic of spells. You will go to this 'Show of Strength', where you will fight well and die with some honor. Then, at least, your younger brother will be able to lead this family."

Alina stood in complete silence as the woman she called 'mother' reminded her of the failure she was born as. The Tremiru family were a notable group of Sith Sorcerers. Her elder sister was likely to be the strongest in generations until she was slain by some Jedi. All at once Alina went from being the black sheep on her own to the eldest and heir to the family's honor. Her mother couldn't of been more disappointed.

And now that her younger brother was born with a natural affinity that even their late sister didn't have, she was being sent to die. The family wouldn't be blamed if she was lost to her Sith training. But Alina had no intention of dying. Her golden eyes glared at her mother before she turned and left. She could say nothing now, but soon. When she was a true Sith she would take this family from that woman.

"BEGIN!"​

The chaos that erupted around her caught her by complete surprise. She'd seen these sort of trials before, where acolytes were pitted in one on one battles to better show their strengths. Well, at least of those with straightforward strength. But in this? She stared around the playing field with worry wide in her eyes. She hadn't been preparing herself for a free for all.

She was one of the few with her own lightsaber. Well, not her own. Her sisters. Alina brought it with her as it was the one thing she'd been able to train more effectively with, but now it was a mark. Take her down early on and the acolytes without a saber could steal hers. A pair of acolytes had already assumed this and closed in on her. One held a vibroblade in a loose grip while the other was empty handed. A Zabrak who's hands instead crackled with lightning.

"Well, this seems fitting." The acolyte flicked on the switch to her saber and let the red blade hiss to life. Not a second too soon as the Zabrak unleashed a blast of that same lightning, and the other Trandoshan charged forward. Alina's blade ripped through the air to catch the lightning in it's edge. A sustained blast she'd never be able to defend against. A quick blast like this?

With her fellow student's lightning rippling through her saber the Alderaanian woman brought it up to catch the vibroblade being brought down. She was strong, far stronger than most humans her size, but the lizard being would always be a much heavy hitter. Thankfully that was the goal. Stepping out from under the heavy slash and angling her blade so it'd head to the side she let the Trandoshan bring her blade down with his. Her saber blade was pinned, which brought a twisted grin to the lizard's face.

One of his powerful hands reached out to grasp her throat, ready to crush it. He'd never get the chance. Assuming that her lightsaber was still pinned was a foolish thought. The blade had an off switch after all. Another loud hiss would echo as the last sounds in his ears as her blade removed his arm, then his head in a quick flourish.

The Zabrak had been waiting, watching. Pooling his energy. This was a free for all, and he'd let his convenient ally go in first because he could take them both down at the same time. A bit of panic formed as he watched the human calmly dispatch the lizard, but it was too late for her. Lightning surged from his fingertips, blackening them from the raw power he'd summoned up. Alina could barely get her saber up in time to catch the initial blast, but she couldn't hold against this.

The whine of the vibroblade beside her was music to her ears. The initial block had taken the lightning she'd caught from the earlier blast and sent it into the thrumming sword. Alina had planned this out, and as she dropped a hand to grip the blade and send it flying towards the Zabrak it'd all fall into place. Though not without harm. She had to drop her guard to throw the blade, which promptly sent her to the ground as blinding pain ripped through her body.

An explosion and a scream cut that pain short however. Alina took a moment on the ground to catch her breath. Her clothing was burnt and singed, but she'd won this fight. Getting to her feet she could see the remains of the Zabrak, his face twisted in pain and horror as the vibroengine overloaded right by the back of his head.

Who needed Sith magic when a clear mind could work just as well. Flicking her sword up Alina looked around, holding steady for the next foe to come her way.

Iasha Rha | Lunasi Triyin | Lark | Marcis Sorr ​

 

[Marcis Sorr]

Her weapon was nothing, worse than useless, the superheated plasma passing through the smoky tendrils that would extinguish her flame as if it was nought but empty air. Her will, however, burned brighter than most, cascading outward, shifting the sands beneath her feet...

... and proving to be as solid as any brick wall to the being she faced.

Pushed backwards, a sense of frustration radiated from the amber-streaked smoke as it hung in the air for a long moment before slithering back into her downed opponent, the Changeling lurching to his feet in a motion that seemed decidedly inhuman... eyes glowing a sullen amber.

"So be it."

A flicker of those same eyes was the only warning she would get before the knife he had flung at the initial stages of their confrontation, now lying in the sand somewhere behind her current position, shot into the air, spinning on its axis as it sought to hamstring his foe.

Iasha Rha​

 

[Iasha Rha]

Marcis Sorr

She knew her blade was useless, but waved it through the smoke none the less.

It felt like she was fighting a torrent of water, pressing in from every side. If she let up, it would smother her sanity and perhaps her life. She could not allow it, she wouldn't. So she pushed back, she held firm, she fought and it suddenly dissipated. The lingering confusion pounded her head as she turned, looking for some sort of attack, something to react to.

She saw nothing, only the other acolyte far away.

With another sneer she gripped her sabre firmly and set off in his direction. She took one whole step before the pain shot through her leg and a spray of blood hit the ash behind her. Her leg buckled under her as she clutched her thigh. Her breath came out as a hiss as she whipped her sabre through the blade, seeking to hear it in two and deprive her opponent of a weapon. It was a clever move he had pulled.

She should have seen it coming.

Limping, Iasha pushed herself on further. The bloodlust in her eyes set them aglow as she practically dragged herself toward him. The Force swelled inside her as her passions came to a boil.

A boiling rage.

 

[Lark]

Such different reactions, Lark thought appreciatively. The masked man dodged the majority of the rubble, opting to tank one hit with the added boon of letting the pain spur him into action. Pain was as much an inspiration as hope, the desire to correct any sort of indignity could motivate one to do spectacular things. Where Darth Strosius used his build to withstand the sharp pieces of rubble, Lunasi Triyin opted for a different approach. A human shield, quite clever. Quick thinking such as that is vital for navigating oneself through the unrelenting madness of battle. Lark smirked when he realized he was evaluating them when he should be focused on defeating them, but he wanted to be sure that he picked the right people to ally himself with. Assuming they survived, at least.

For the moment, Lunasi still hung back from the conflict. But Lark would keep an eye on her, when the opportunity presented itself there was always the possibility she'd strike. Alisteri did the opposite, taunting Lark and charging straight for him. With a subtle flick of his wrist, Lark sent a small cloud of dust and sand towards the assailing acolyte. The sand wouldn't do much, especially since the man was wearing a mask.

But soon after, Lark unsheathed his enchanted knife and sent it darting towards Alisteri. The sand was nothing more than a distraction, meant to shroud the dagger's approach.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed another acolyte cut down two others, though she suffered a few light burns from the encounter. Another one worth keeping an eye on, Lark would have to wait and see if Alina Tremiru launched herself into this battle, or found an opponent somewhere else.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alina Tremiru / Lunasi Triyin

Alisteri suppressed a growl as the sand came up in front of his charge. His one good eye narrowed, doing his best to skid to a stop as the sand clouded his vision. Unfortunately his attempt to stop his momentum added to the cloud of sand in the air. Thankfully, his cybernetic eye could get a bit of a clearer picture through the cloud. That was one of the few benefits of having one eye replaced,; it was usually superior to the one you lost.

He focused and tried to peer towards his opponent, only for his other eye to widen as he realized that something was barreling towards him.

A curse fell from his mouth as barely managed to dodge out of the way of the speeding dagger, a bit of the material covering his left shoulder being torn off as it flew past him.

"Flying rocks, flying knives, next he'll fly!"

He muttered in anger, his gaze snapping back towards where he had last seen Lark .

As he was about to charge at him again however, he hesitated for a brief moment. Time to plan out accordingly, he supposed. With a quick step he dashed to the side again, purposefully kicking up a cloud of dust with his movement and with his stop. Summoning what little knowledge and ability he had with the Force, he did his best to move the cloud to cover himself.

Thankfully, he could halfway see through the dust.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Holding steady was wishful thinking at best. Alina's body still burned with the pain from the earlier blast of lightning. Muscles tensed again and again, as if the shock was still there to singe her skin. The tough act fell apart after the first step, her form stumbling for just a moment. Anger burned in her mind. She shouldn't be this worse off this early into the fight. At least looking around she could see the same with the others.

They were all acolytes. Perhaps it shouldn't of been so surprising. Most were already paired off. Iasha Rha and the smoke monster Marcis Sorr . The fact his body was changing into some sort of impossible cloud to assail the Twi'lek. It didn't make sense to her mind. He was human, right? Fear crept up her spine as the grip on her saber tightened. Was this the sort of power she had to contend with? Could her sister conjure this?

Darth Strosius 's shout brought her attention out of the self doubt. Right. There were still others fighting. Him against.. Lark obviously. But wasn't there a third? Yes. Lunasi Triyin . She was off by herself though, likely waiting to strike. That was a dangerous position to be in. Yes, she wasn't being attacked now, but diving into another's duel might make her a target for both. Or put her in a position where attacking one would expose her to a strike from the other. It's what stopped Alina from charging in.

So she would do. The acolyte took a breath before looking at some of the loose rubble from the statue. Her eyes narrowed as a hand raised, reaching out with the Force. It was a struggle, it always was a struggle, but with a frustrated yell she would send a rock flying for Lunasi. She'd charge forward shortly after, blade held high. No one gets to just watch.

 

[Marcis Sorr]

Baring his teeth in satisfaction as her blood fell upon the sands, the Changeling was pleased enough that he barely noticed the destruction of his blade. It was just a tool, after all - as expendable as most of the meatbags that surrounded him.

Lightwhip coiling like a serpent, he stepped forward to meet her, left arm left empty... but another dagger waited in the sleeve.

Dishonourable? Perhaps, but honour was such a strange practice - the utterly incomprehensible ravings of fools.

Frowning in annoyance as his left leg faltered somewhat, he reasserted his control with an exertion of will, suppressing his bodily injuries once more. It should have been painful, certainly. Excruciating, perhaps. To him it was but a dull ache, an easily-managed failing of the mortal coil.

Without further ado nor any unnecessary dramatics, he rippled into motion as if to harry her with his weapon, fully expecting her to close the gap.

Iasha Rha​