Private An Unexpected Meeting

[Glar Ulchtar]

Tag: Darth Malum of House Marr

As Glar and Malum walked, Malum asked about how the Syndicate forces would respond to the “elimination” of Xoj Camond. In response to this, Glar said “I believe that some of Xoj’s forces may side with us if he were to be taken out of the picture. However, many of his followers will probably side with his brother, Halko Camond, instead. If both of them were to be disposed of though, that would not be an issue. If we time a precision strike to take place during a meeting between the two of them, a long and drawn out siege would be avoidable.”

Not much later, Glar and Malum arrived at the cliffside area where they had agreed to duel. After doing a brief check with both his eyes and The Force, Glar was satisfied that nobody was around to watch them except for a few non-sentient tropical birds roosted in a nearby tree.

“So, here we are.” Glar said, and removed the crimson hilt of his lightsaber from the sleeve of his shirt once again. This time, he ignited its blade with a mechanical hissing sound that he knew Malum would be familiar with. Like most sabers wielded by those in-tune with the Dark Side, Glar’s blade was a shade of red. Unlike many though, his blade’s appearance did not convey “blazing and fiery rage”. Rather, it was more on the side of “cold and artificial neon”.

Glar gracefully moved into a starting position similar to one commonly associated with users of Form II of lightsaber combat. Though naturally, Glar’s stance was modified to account for his unusual Pyke physiology, and mostly self-taught ways. “Shall we begin?” he asked, ready for Malum’s first move.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

"So a speartip attack aimed at eliminating two targets, much easier than a long drawn out battle against an army, much easier than a siege," Malum spoke with a ghost of a smile, memorising the new name, Halko Camond, having native allies would be essential, history knew all too well the path of conquerors, no matter their strength.

If they were unable to maintain the support of the vanquished, then they themselves would be vanquished when the balance of power shifted.

And in this galaxy, the balance of power shifted always.

The area around them was curious enough, any other time he might have had the opportunity to enjoy its beauty, however, today, well, considering how secluded the area was, there was the paranoid part of him, considering his new rather tall ally, and all that he might be willing to do... what he might do... if any of his story was true at all.

But those were easily banished, Glar Ulchtar 's tale was far too elaborate to be forged, and there was nothing in his voice or predisposition to indicate deceit.

And... well, it did not help that Malum was somewhat biased in this regard, he did want to trust his new ally.

Reaching the cliffside, the sound of waves crashing against the sandbank and rockery, along with the chirps and shrieks of tropical birds were the only sounds.

It truly was a beautiful locale.

They would mark it with their duel today.

"Indeed so," Malum responded, turning his attention back to the Pyke, the hilt of the lightsabre revealed again, and with a hiss, the blade was revealed. A most curious colour, unique, beautiful, in its own way, though not the colour he would wield. An artificial crystal perhaps? No... that would not be right.

He could feel the crystal.

But neither was it something corrupted.

Most interesting.

Watching the man get into what seemed a self-made replica of Makashi, Malum offered a ghost of a smile, getting into it himself. It seemed they were both Makashi users, the question would be then, who was superior?

He reached into his robes, pulling out his lightsabre, nothing as intricate or embellished as his opposite's, a simple hilt, and a simple hiss as the standard red hue presented itself.

"We shall," Malum smiled, suddenly extending out his free hand, feeling the Force bend to his will, feeling it coil around his fingers.

As with a spark, and a roar.

Light made manifest, lightning shot out of his hand, toward the Pyke.

 

[Glar Ulchtar]

Tag: Darth Malum of House Marr

Glar observed as Malum ignited his own red-bladed lightsaber, and assumed a stance not dissimilar to his own. His stance though, was clearly a more rigid and planned exercise, ingrained by years—or perhaps even decades—of intense drill. More dependable, but perhaps less flexible. The “perhaps” would be answered soon enough.

However, Malum’s opening attack came not from his lightsaber, but from his fingertips. As the mass of electrical bolts approached Glar at a speed faster than he was capable of truly processing, he acted on pure instinct (and perhaps some guidance from The Force) and raised his lightsaber to block the attack. While the saber managed to absorb a majority of the attack’s energy, it did push back the saber’s wielder a decent distance. Just as he was about to collide with a large palm tree, Glar firmly planted his right foot in the ground to stabilize himself. Even if it had not actually managed to hit him, the attack’s power was obvious. He was going to need a few tricks of his own to keep up.

Keeping his saber ready to defend against any sudden force lightning, Glar took a moment to stop and say “An impressive display. Now, how are your defense skills?” As he spoke, Glar telekinetically levitated several nearby stones. While fairly large, he fairly confident that none of them would outright kill his sparring partner if they made contact. Once he had a suitable number, he began throwing the stones one by one in Malum’s direction. Most of the stones he sent in straightforward trajectories, but he also snuck in a few moving at more arched pathways, and few even travelled in a “curveball” motion.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Malum smirked, as the lightning struck the target, he had no sadistic joy out of causing harm toward his opponent, even if there was something to be said of how such feelings may be somewhat inherent in the darkside, but rather than that, there was a certain joy in simply... achieving your objective, as minor as it was.

And in this case, even though he had certainly aimed for the lightning to hit, there was far more importance in the fact that Glar Ulchtar had not fallen from the first strike. Indeed, whether he had planned for it not, or it had been instinct, and he did have an exact theory of which exactly it was, he had been able to raise his lightsabre enough to block the first attack, even though the large and extremely tall Pyke had been pushed back, almost slamming back into the large palm.

To not fall to the first strike.

Well, one could argue it was the most important skill in the world.

After all, to survive the first strike.

Meant you could launch yours.

His smirk widened, as the Pyke did exactly that, taking a step forward, dodging the first stone, as he prepared his counterattack, "I find defence to be rather obtuse," Malum began, slicing one stone directly in half as it went past him, the plasma turning its insides into a magma hulk, "After all, what better defence than offence?" Malum raised his hands to the air, and as more stones were flung against him, from all angles, he breathed in softly.

Bending.

Breaking the Force about him.

Commanding it to his, demanding it obey.

As he pushed, two opposing forces acting against the stones, stalling them in place, as sweat trailed his brow, aiming to overpower him and send all the stones back towards their master.

Alas, he was not done.

Raising his other hand, he felt the heat approach, pyrokinesis heading his call, as without warning, a wall of flames burst out of his fingers, instantly incinerating the stones into magma melt, as they were thrown directly towards the Pyke.

Could he survive this?

 

[Glar Ulchtar]

Tag: Darth Malum of House Marr

As Malum managed to hold every stone that was thrown at him in place with telekinesis, Glar looked on with mild surprise. This feat required visible effort for his sparring partner, but its efficacy was hard to dispute. The sudden burst of cyan flames Malum used to melt the stones was an interesting move, and not one that he was familiar with. He would have to study that after this sparring session was over. Thinking fast in response to the flames, Glar called upon The Force to draw a sizable amount of seawater (along with an unfortunate fish which happened to be in the way) from the ocean below the cliffs.

Just as Malum set his liquidifed rocks on a collision course with him, Glar used his mass of seawater to create a protective barrier a good distance in front of himself. A fairly simple trick, but a useful one in this situation. Many of the liquid rocks failed to get through the barrier. The ones that did were mostly solidified and significantly slowed down, which made them quite easy for Glar to dodge. Once all of the stones had fallen to the ground, Glar released his hold on the water barrier, causing it to lose its cohesion and collapse.

Taking a look at the steaming stones scattered across the ground, Glar said “I think that our mutual skill in the elements is proven.” He paused and raised his red-bladed weapon into his dueling stance. “But in saber skills, we remain untested.” At this, Glar approached Malum, seemingly about to lunge forward with his saber. However, he actually planned to do a feint move and shift to the right side, which if successful would give Glar an opening to graze Malum’s saber arm. If Malum managed to anticipate the feint, Glar could pull back easily enough, thanks to his relatively long reach.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Malum raised an eyebrow at the move, it was rather unexpected to use the Force to flow the water into a wall to block the magmafied rocks and stones, yet, frankly, as he witnessed his fling falter, and break upon the wall, whatever minutia able to push through, he had to give credit for where credit was due.

His Mistress, Darth Ophidia , had always spoken of how one's means in the Force was only limited not by ability or skill.

But creativity.

He was certainly showing that off.

Showing him up.

That certainly would not do.

Malum felt the Force swirl about him, simply offering a smile at the Pyke's words, feeling power and strength well up within him, he felt himself stand on the balls of his feet, drawing the hissing red plasma of the lightsabre in front of him, guarded and ready, as the water which was used as a wall, fell apart as by design.

The Pyke seeming to believe that he held the advantage, or at the very least the momentum.

The telltale signs of a lunge forward...

...But too, that he had not entirely committed...

Unfortunate for him.

Malum welled the Force within, and then in a great burst of speed, he sought to break across from his opponent's guarded attack and disposition, deep into the Pyke's own field of view, lightsabre swinging, to make a deep gash through the chest, but to be as ever, unrelenting. If he pushed, dodged, blocked, or parried, it was as his Mistress had taught him, the attack must never end until the foe was vanquished.

The only way to have victory, was by attack.

Ever still, the Pyke remained the one at risk of the cliff.

If that fate could be threatened...

...It would all be over.

"My test is made every day, can you say the same?" Malum spoke mid-swing, his entire body barrelling forward into the first strike.

Glar Ulchtar

 

[Glar Ulchtar]

Tag: Darth Malum of House Marr

Evidently, Glar had made a wise choice in leaving enough room for himself to evade a counterstrike during his feint. Not only did Malum anticipate his move, he managed to seize the initiative for a rapid flurry of force-enhanced jabs with his own lightsaber. Glar was primarily used to fighting bounty hunters and Syndicate enforcers, and he had never seen any of them do something that even remotely resembled what Malum was doing now. If he wanted any chance of not tasting the superheated sting of his adversary’s red blade, he had no choice but to give ground.

Glar edged closer to the end of the cliff while keeping the endless swarm of jabs from Malum’s lightsaber at bay. While he could not dedicate an enormous amount of attention to anything but the immediate task of not getting turned into an extra-crispy Filet-O-Pyke, he did happen to notice what looked like a hive of flying insects hanging from the leaf of a nearby palm tree. He also noticed that the hive was hanging more or less directly above Malum’s head. It did not seem like he had noticed it in his singleminded attack, or at least not considered it important.

In a single moment, Glar flicked his wrist, severing the connection between the large leaf holding the insect hive, and the rest of the tree. The leaf did not fall instantly, so Glar was left distracted for an instant. In this instant, he rather inexpertly parried an incoming strike, and it painfully grazed his forearm. If his ploy with the insects went according to plan though, he would have more than enough time to switch to wielding with his other hand.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

He held the advantage, as much as was expected, such was the fact of duels, if you were able to not only seize the momentum, but too, maintain it, suffice a horrid mistake, a great oversight, or some other unexpected calamity, the victory was near guaranteed to be yours. Such was the lesson that he had not only been taught by his Mistress.

But a lesson that his tutors had long hammered into his head since his youth.

He intended to follow through on all those teachings.

For after all, though the Pyke was far taller and larger than him.

Malum did hold the speed advantage.

And he too simply held the skill advantage.

The difference between a novice Darksider, and a Sith.

Still, best to not count one victorious until it was had, and the Pyke, even if being pushed back, was still very much in the fight.

And seemingly, was all the willing to play beyond the rules he had set out.

Malum smirked as he heard the snap from above, he had noticed the hive's presence but had certainly not expected the Pyke to use them in that way, after stealing a glancing blow to Glar Ulchtar 's arm, Malum ended his advance, leaping back, bringing his hand to his chest, and gripping down firmly.

The Force pulsed out from his body.

A field of death surrounded him.

A pity that the bugs had become unwilling participants to the duel between them, yet Malum would not shed a tear, as the area around him, had its life sucked out of him, greenery turning yellow, and then growing even darker.

The insects, having their home disturbed, growing rabid, had little more chance to think.

As made ash, they blew away out into the wind, as the hive struck with an ugly thud across the ground.

Made husk of the lively home it once used to be.

As Malum only gazed knowingly at the Pyke, "I thought we were keeping to only our lightsabres." Malum teased, drawing freely his blade, and as the wraith, advancing forward for the next strike.

 

[Glar Ulchtar]

Tag: Darth Malum of House Marr

Glar clenched his fist tightly at his side. Partly out of anger for how ineffective his improvised bug-bomb had been, and partly out of the searing pain from the glancing blow he had just sustained. It seemed that there would be no easy way-out for this predicament. He would win or lose by the blade of his lightsaber. But also by how he chose to use it. Throughout the duel he had become vaguely aware that his human opponent was carefully working around the natural reach and height advantages that Glar held. Perhaps he could capitalize on them more consciously?

Glar took the brief pause in Malum’s barrage of attacks as an opportunity to switch up his form. He grasped the hilt of his lightsaber with both of his hands, and adopted a wider stance with his feet. While it had a few alterations for his Pyke physiology, the stance Glar was now in greatly resembled that of a user of Form V.

Using his variant of Form V was a bit of a gamble for Glar. While he was certainly good with it, it was not his preferred option over Form II. But if he could leverage his reach and height advantage over his opponent, then he could turn the tables and push the fight back from the precarious position he was currently in. If not though, he could easily end up being outmaneuvered by Malum’s precise bladework. No matter what happened, he would be making his stand here. His fate would not rest at the bottom of the cliff.

“Forgive my momentary breach of terms...” Glar said with a tone of faux-politeness, as he fended off Malum’s next attack. “…but I cannot stand it when a trick of mine fails!” he snarled while blocking another incoming strike. He then quickly turned this block into an aggressive series of overhand blows, designed to disrupt the momentum of Malum’s advance.

At this point, Glar was conscious of his anger, and was making an effort to channel it into his rush. This was a rarity for him, as he usually approached duels with a relatively clinical dispassion to pick apart his opponents piece by piece. But something about that logic-fueled approach just was not working here.

In the back of Glar’s mind, he recalled the second line of the Sith Code.

Through Passion, I gain Strength.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Djem So, at the middle of the pack when it came to the forms he preferred, but he could not deny that considering the Pyke's purpose and position, it was a good move. It was obvious that Glar Ulchtar had far from appreciated having touched the hot seat, with how he gripped his own fist so tightly, if Malum had been swifter, less cautious, the duel could have ended right there.

However, the hive had unfortunately complicated things, a risk that was not worth taking while he still possessed the advantage.

To be repaid as the Pyke was allowed to rebuild his defences.

There was a reason that even as he accepted the decision he made, some part of him faulted it still.

No matter, a duel ended moments ago, versus a duel that would end in the next few moments would mean little difference.

Still, the Pyke did not make that easy, Malum advancing forward with wraith-like speed and efficiency encountered in his path a veritable wall, his first strike deflected aside, and then his second the very same, and thus the magic of Djem So played itself out in front of them. Makashi was the duelists' form, but precision strikes could do little if they did not find a weakness to exploit.

It was a crushing strike that came down upon him, Malum grunting as he raised his own lightsabre in contest, pulling back from the Pyke's immense size, as he hammered again, and again down upon him. Quickly the momentum and the tempo of battle had shifted, and Malum found himself on the backfoot, technique and skill meant little in circumstances like this.

Unless he could turn it around on him.

Hmm, it would be far from conventional, but it could just work.

Another swing down, and as time slowed, Malum's foot ran through the sand, flicking up a great heave to cover the Pyke's eyes, all the while Malum slid to the left, leveraging a superior speed, and agility to sidestep the next attack and aim a strike directly toward his newfound ally's heart.

Aiming to stop, right before contact made skin.

"It is rather disappointing, is it not?" Malum mused, a smile plastering itself on his face.

 

[Glar Ulchtar]

Tag: Darth Malum of House Marr

Glar’s switch in tactics was clearly having its intended effect. The unyielding power of Form V was enough to force Malum to back up and even go on the defensive. However, that hardly meant that the Human Sith was out of options. Without warning, he launched a dense cloud of sand directly at Glar’s mask. Briefly blinded by the unpleasant sensation of sand grains going through his mask’s eyeholes, Glar completely misaimed the next few swings of his lightsaber. When his vision finally cleared, Glar saw the glowing red blade of Malum’s lightsaber paused a hair’s width away from his chest.

Bowing his head slightly, Glar deactivated his own lightsaber and put it back into his shirt sleeve as a wordless concession of defeat. Once Malum’s lightsaber was no longer pointed at him, Glar relaxed. “Well done. Out of all the people I have crossed blades with, you are the most formidable.” he said in a slightly panting voice from exertion. Switching the topic back to the plan on Niamos, he continued “Between the two of us and your personal forces, I believe we will be successful in eliminating Xoj Camond.”

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

The smile upon Malum's face remained, offering a slight nod in acceptance of his victory, his red lightsabre hissing as it deactivated and fell back into his robes, "Quite the excellent bout, I will admit, for one who has not been traditionally trained in the use of a lightsabre, you put on a powerful show," Victory perhaps had not been in doubt per se.

But victory had certainly only come about due to a genuine effort to achieve a victory.

At the very least Glar Ulchtar earned his respect, even if in these days, Malum was naught but an apprentice.

To battle one of Darth Ophidia 's apprentices and live to tell the tale, even if it was due to the terms of the duel being a friendly one, was not exactly an accomplishment to scoff at, Malum thought.

He tilted his head, and quirked his eyebrow at the last of the Pyke's words, another nod confirming them to be true, "Indeed, we best be on our way, strike hard, strike fast, and we shall have victory soon enough." Malum would have to put out the word, the Guard had to assemble here, for a new mission.

 

[Glar Ulchtar]

Tag: Darth Malum of House Marr

Glar nodded his head in agreement at Malum’s suggestion of leaving soon. Zodasia had been a pleasant planet for a brief respite. But Glar was ready to claim what should have been his a long time ago, had it not been for his own errors. Errors which would receive correction this time.“Victory will be ours.” Glar agreed. “But first, I need to return to the hotel I was staying at to retrieve my possessions. After that, I will head to Landing Facility 04 to load them into my ship to depart for Niamos.” Glar explained. He imagined that Malum would need some time to call his forces here, and this would give him that.

Once Glar was back at his hotel room, packing his belongings was not a terribly exciting task, especially compared to the intense lightsaber duel he had been engaged in earlier. Soon enough, he had arrived at the open-air Landing Facility 04 with his packed suitcase. He looked around, but did not immediately see Malum. This did not immediately raise concern in him. He could easily be busy packing his own belongings, or just in another area of the large facility.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

He quickly mentally noted down the Pyke's words, returning to his hotel, and gathering his things, Landing Facility 04 was where his personal ship was. Malum offered a nod of his head, "To Victory and Niamos then," Malum spoke with a smile, allowing the Pyke to leave the cliffside for his quarters, all the while Malum gazed off to the horizon.

To the waters below.

To the void that called, as the waves struck the rocky side.

"Custos, my objectives on Zodasia have been completed, have the Guard assemble in orbit." Malum breathed out, watching the icy cold wind pick up his message through the wristcomm.

"As you command, Heir Marr." The gruff voice of Custos answered, from who knew how many systems away, remaining as ever the show of etiquette and proper command.

Malum smiled to himself softly, before turning away from the setting sun.

For all that awaited them.

---

Malum cloaked from eyes both naked and unnaked, found his sight upon the Pyke that gazed about, seemingly not too concerned, but certainly looking for a query.

It was not difficult to imagine who he was searching for.

Malum smirked under his invisibility, an opportunity for amusement difficult to pass by.

"Do you believe you have been abandoned, Glar Ulchtar ?" A voice familiar to the Pyke questioned, yet a voice seeming to belong to the air itself.