Duel Anything You Can Do I Can't

[Alina Tremiru]

Spoiler: Theme

This was a long time coming. Ever since Taeli Raaf introduced her acolytes to one another Alina knew that she'd have to fight Quinn Varanin . She had not been looking forward to it, but she had been preparing. They were Sith, they had to be prepared. For anything. Though since they'd first met both knew Alina was the one afraid of the other. If they were ever going to fight, it'd be because Quinn decided it. That was the reality Alina hoped her fellow acolyte believed as she strode through the halls, head held high. The air of confidence about her had all manner of other acolytes moving aside.

No fancy clothing adorned her. Just the simple robes of a Sith acolyte, though she'd torn the sleeves off of it. She was never a fan of sleeves. She stopped before her rival, her yellow gaze devoid of any surface emotion save for the confidence that was bordering on cockiness. Alina kept her arms crossed over her chest as the faintest smirk spread across her features. "You and I are going to fight. Right now. I'll show you I'm the better."

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Academy Training Room //:
//: Alina Tremiru //:

​

Quinn refused to wear the clothing of the acolytes. Being a girl born of privilege, she made sure others knew of it. Wearing a simple dress stopping at her thigh, she shrugged, seeing the other apprentice walk into the training room. Slender fingers played with the thin lace collar as Quinn watched the girl move. The duel had started when she entered the room; having Ashin Varanin as a parent and trainer only made the Echani deadlier than she looked. ​

​

Black lipstick-stained lips curled into a devilish smirk as she pushed off the wall and sauntered to the center of the training room. “You’re quite confident. More confident than the first time we met.” The girl glanced at her black, painted short nails as she could care less about her opponent. “I’m surprised you didn’t wet yourself the moment I walked in.” Amber eyes moved to examine the full frame of Alina Tremiru. Quinn knew that she wouldn’t physically overpower her, so instead, she needed to play quick and with the girl’s weak mind. ​

​

“You wish you were better than me; I’m going to show you how much of a dog you are.” Not waiting to see if Alina was ready, Quinn let the Force surge through her body, drawing upon everything and launching an invisible wave towards the blonde. She needed to gauge her power to properly know the course of action. “I’ll put you on your knees, Alina Tremiru.”​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina's only actual training had come from their master, Taeli. Everything else she'd learned elsewise was from the abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother and brother. Battered by spells, thrown about through the Force, near fried by lightning. Where it sapped any sense of confidence from the young woman, it'd made her hardy. Resistant. Or, perhaps, that was because of her abnormal connection to the Force. Their master had given her the confidence she'd been lacking.

And war had prepared her.

Sith yellow eyes stayed on Quinn Varanin as she stepped to the center of the room. She was fine with waiting for her opponent to be ready. When Quinn was eating the floor, she wanted there to be no excuse Quinn could think up to save her wounded pride. Alina was hit with the blast, sending her back. But not off her feet. She'd learned how to use her power and used the disruption to dissipate the wave as it hit her. Her grin widened as the energy faded.

"Odd. Not kneeling." She was playing to Quinn's arrogance now. Bating her. Trying to anger the other acolyte and have her act in that instead of with a clear mind. When was the last time she'd even felt a challenge? When was the last time someone told her no? Alina had been planning. Learning. She wasn't as powerful, but she could fight smarter.

Alina lifted her hands into a brawler stance. She wasn't trying to maim her fellow acolyte. And it'd be more of a punch to her pride if she was, well, punched. She'd wait. She'd anger Quinn and bate her out, then take her down.

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Academy Training Room //:
//: Alina Tremiru //:

​

For just a moment, Quinn’s face showed confusion. Alina had done something against the Force push. The power that Quinn possessed was on another level compared to the other acolytes. Especially when she had put everything into the blast. Arrogance told her that Alina would have collapsed and brought to her knees with just one blow. It was apparent there was something special about the other girl. The Princess’s jaw tightened as she dug her feet into where she stood.​

The fighter didn’t retaliate, which meant Quinn had no idea the fighting style beyond simple brute strength. If Alina got close, Quinn could only do so much to fend her off. She needed to keep the distance they had as much as possible. Stepping back, Quinn frowned, her confusion gone from her face. “You’re a stubborn one.” A hand reached towards the weapon racks as she twisted her small frame to command the force to launch the heavy metal rack towards the other acolyte’s flank.​

“I don’t like stubborn.” Quinn stopped the rest of her words. Something inside of her wanted Alina to worship her. The young Princess wanted to be what the soldier put on a pedestal or something of the sort. Loyalty, she missed that from Vesta - either way, her sole desire for this moment was to see the brute of a woman on her knees praising the Echani Princess.​

“Fight back!”​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Quinn Varanin took a step back and Alina took a step forward. The smug expression the acolyte had only grew as she started to believe in her own power. The confusion of her opponent was just the type of expression to truly give Alina confidence. "I hear it's one of my better qualities." She reached out a hand to mirror Quinn, pointing her palm at the heavy rack. It shook. It lifted. But it didn't fly. The acolyte ripped apart the Force that was supposed to send it flying.

The strain of it was visible in her body, but Alina refused to show it in her face. No, she wanted her opponent to think she could easily negate the power that made Quinn feel so superior. Then she ran forward. Springing from where she stood in a full on sprint to close the distance. Once more she reached out with her chaotic connection, putting everything into temporarily shattering Quinn's connection to the Force. Every ounce of hate, anger. Desire. Alina would prove herself to her fellow. Humble her if she had to.

"Best get your hands up!" A bit of a warning as she closed the gap completely and brought a fist around to slam into Quinn's jaw. No augmentation from the Force, no superior speed or special trick. Just the strength Alina had built over the years. Everything she'd done to try and stay on the same level as her fellow Sith.

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Academy Training Room //:
//: Alina Tremiru //:

​

Quinn blinked, seeing that the shelving didn’t move from its place; something had happened that had interrupted her ability to use the Force to throw it at the brute of an acolyte. The confusion was evident on the young Princess’s face, and she looked back at Alina, who didn’t seem to have done anything special. Who was she? Was there something more about her? Quinn felt foolish for not thinking about the possibilities that would have made Taeli Raaf interested in a girl like Alina. ​

Alina was fast and had come upon Quinn faster than the girl could have reacted. Instantly she tried to summon the power of the Force to protect her, but something was terribly wrong. The Force didn’t bend at her command, and Quinn was left exposed. Taking the suggestion, Quinn put her arms up to guard her face against being struck. The blow was decisive, and Quinn felt her footing shake. Stepping back, she found her stability and looked at Alina.​

“What did you do?” She spat quickly, confusion still clouding her mind. Nothing made sense with what had happened, and as sudden as her surprise, Quinn felt nauseous. Quinn kept her hands raised defensively; she needed to wait for whatever Alina did to her pass. The nausea was something she had never felt before, especially during a fight. Was it some force power that Alina knows? ​

“Tell me.” She demanded quickly as perspiration started to collect against her delicate forehead.​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"I learned." Alina had every single intention to press on and keep Quinn Varanin reeling from her punches. But she couldn't bring herself to. There was something vastly off about the Echani. Like she was getting sick. Alina could see it in her face. The tell tale paleness on the already pale face. The Jedi she'd used this on in training for this moment never had this look about them. What was different? In her time as an Acolyte of the Sith she'd faced many different challenges. But always with the assistance of her fellows.

The Empire Protects.

It was a belief she'd formed early on and only saw it reinforced. She wasn't a selfish Sith trying to claw her way to the top. She wanted to strengthen her fellows. Strengthen their Empire and protect. The ruse to keep the civilian's in line was something she wholeheartedly believed in. So Alina stopped. She couldn't keep it up for much longer as it was, but she hated seeing Quinn seem so frail. Not pity. Quinn was the obstacle Alina was to rise above and prove herself with. To win so easily seemed like cheating. And she hated cheating.

"I can disrupt the Force in others and around me. Pretty useful, huh? Not even those force light wielding Jedi would stand a chance against this." Still, she took pride in the power she did have. A smirk formed as she nodded to Quinn's stance. "You're Echani right? You're helpless if something like this happens. Lets get you fighting properly."

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Academy Training Room //:
//: Alina Tremiru //:

​

Force disruption.​

Quinn's mind ran a mile a minute as she tried to search through her memories of lessons with Ashin. Her mother had a similar weakness when the Force was cut from her or disrupted. Quinn, for the first time, cursed her lineage; how did she inherit such a disadvantage. Both of her parents were strong with the Force, but here she was gaining her mother's pathetic weakness. Anger grew in her as she didn't know how to overcome it. ​

She would have to figure it out as she remembered never hearing that her mother had done so. ​

Alina didn't continue the attack. Instead, she explained herself, and Quinn kept her hands up, remembering the Echani Combat Ashin had trained her in. She wanted to fight, but her stomach was twisting in ways she had never felt before. ​

"Yes, I'm Echani - why?" Quinn asked as she winced at Alina's words. The frustration grew; the woman before her was someone that could use her weakness against her. "Helpless? Don't ever say that to me." Quinn stepped forward; she wasn't all mystical powers; she had training in hand to hand. A fist jabbed quickly, aiming to strike at Alina's face. The form was correct, but the Echani girl was better suited for staying away from contact fighting.​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina truly did idolize Quinn Varanin , not that she'd admit it. Quinn was the perfect example of what Lady Tremiru wanted. Of how Alina's sister was before her untimely demise. Of what Alina wished she could be like. She'd come here with the intention to show she was greater than that idolization. Had every intention to. Yet as she stepped to the side of the jab and reached up to try and take Quinn to the ground by yanking her forward in a classic takedown all she could feel was conflicted.

They both knew Alina would win in a fist fight. Even without the Echani training Quinn had, Alina was just stronger. More suited for close combat than the sorceress. Come what may the acolyte would skitter backwards to make space between them. Putting herself at the disadvantage. She needed to be close to use her own power and disrupt the Force. But she wanted to try and talk to Quinn. Sure, the literal princess was certainly spoiled. But maybe that didn't have to be the extent of their rivalry.

"You are helpless. Imagine a Jedi with this ability. How would you be able to combat them without your connection to the Force? You look like you're about to hurl. And I'm horrible at a range. Even from this distance I wouldn't be able to keep up with you if you unleashed everything you could at me. We can cover each other's weaknesses."

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Academy Training Room //:
//: Alina Tremiru //:

​

Alina was quick on her feet, and Quinn felt her weight forward, unbalanced. The other Acolyte had the advantage, and despite Quinn not wanting to admit it, she knew it. She hated it. Strong fingers wrapped around her slender wrist and pulled her down. There was nothing the Princess could do; her weight had been off balance because of her emotional outburst. A cold chill and a twist in her stomach shocked the girl as she fell onto the training mat. Yet, at the last moment, she was able to twist her frame so she could land safely on her back. ​

Quinn should have probably tried to scramble forward to avoid the rest of the other Acolyte’s body coming down to pin her. Flat on her back and Alina’s weight upon her slender frame. The sudden weight caused Quinn to gasp slightly as she felt as helpless as Alina was telling her she was. Looking up at the blonde, she was embarrassed for falling victim to something so simple. ​

Laying there, Quinn struggled slightly but soon gave up. She turned her head to look up at the blonde girl, her hair accenting her face as it draped around her features. Quinn wasn’t sure if her face was warm, because for the first time she really looked at Alina or because she was out of breath. Listening to the girl, her chest moved up and down as she huffed, not really wanting to hear what the other Acolyte had to say. ​

“I hate that you’re right, but I’m not helpless, so stop saying that.” Quinn quickly turned her slightly red face from Alina. She stared hard at the wall of the training room. She wiggled her hips somewhat under Alina, trying to see if she could try and flip the woman, but she was securely pinned. Quinn remained quiet as she looked up from the corner of her eye up at Alina. “What are you proposing?” ​

Might as well hear her out, but Quinn won’t admit to being curious.​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

It worked. Quinn was pinned. She'd originally planned to rush away, but having the Echani pinned under her only proved her point better. Any struggle was met with a firmer hold. Alina would keep her rival's hands pinned by the wrist on either side of Quinn Varanin 's head. Without the force, there was little reason for her to worry about her opponent throwing her off, but it wasn't an infallible ability. It would fade, and when it did Alina was certain she'd be thrown off mercilessly.

And yet that wasn't at all what the young woman was thinking about. Her yellow eyes just stared blankly. It was startling to see Quinn like this. She didn't look like the imposing rival Alina used to fear. Just another girl. No, no where close to just another girl. She didn't dare look away, in case that undermined the whole point of what she was saying. The most she could do was hope her cheeks weren't even the slightest shade of red. She chanced closing her eyes once the Echani girl looked away, trying to calm her mind before it got too obvious, and barely had them open in time for when Quinn looked back.

"I.." She swallowed to clear her throat. Back to business. Stop being distracted. "Our master wants us to compete and try to kill one another. We don't give her the satisfaction. We work together. Make each other stronger. She wouldn't expect it, and it would make it that much easier to get the knowledge we need to surpass her."

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Academy Training Room //:
//: Alina Tremiru //:

​

Quinn felt the warmth of the Force slowly begin to return to her. The edges of her presence within it calmed and came alive as she laid under Alina. Her arms and body stopped struggling as she listened to what the blonde had to say. It made sense to do the opposite of what Taeli wanted, the plan fed into Quinn's rebellious streak. The Echani not only felt the Force again, but she felt something different from the other girl.​

Interesting... the princess through quietly to herself as she mused over the small tendrils of the Force. Quinn turned her head to look Alina in the eye. Their eye color mirrored, except for the flecks of red signaling the Dark Side heavily residing in the other Acolyte. Quinn took after her mother, who had amber eyes with a subtle green hue.​

"Are you saying this because you're scared?" Quinn shifted, lips twisting into a smirk, and slowly, she bit her lower lip as she now adjusted her hips subtly under Alina. As she moved, Quinn would rock her hips slightly into the other girl, and her voice lowered, soft as she raised an eyebrow.​

"Or because you see something you like?" Quinn couldn't help but smirk as she teased the girl above her. Fingers curled and caressed lightly against Alina's hands that held her down tightly in the pin. Quinn's curiosity was more than piqued with the proposition and Alina.​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

That was the end of her power. She could feel it fading. The hold she had on Quinn Varanin had only become the physical one. If Quinn didn't like the idea, this was where the conversation would end. There was no doubt in Alina's mind that by not taking advantage of the current situation to end the duel she'd lost completely. Likely being thrown. Maybe electrocuted. .. The seconds ticked by. Nothing. It should of been immediate. Alina's brow lowered as she studied Quinn.

Her Sith yellow eyes betrayed no hint of emotion. She better prepared herself to fight off any.. Distracting thoughts. Well, she tried. Unfortunately for Alina the thoughts she had prior were picked up by Quinn. Every subtle move might as well of been a jab to her stomach. The grip on Quinn's wrist twitched and tightened. The only betrayal of her thoughts, but one that spoke volumes. She closed her eyes to take a breath. There was no hiding now, not this close. But she didn't have to stay at Quinn's pace.

A soft smile took over Alina's features as she opened her eyes again. "You horrify me, Quinn." Her grip shifted on the girl's wrists, sliding them above Quinn's head as she leaned down just a tag closer.

"But I'm starting to think I rather enjoy it."

Then she was gone. Alina let go of Quinn and pushed herself to her feet, stepping back. In the back of her mind this felt like a trap. A trick. Her gaze traveled around the room, as if looking for anything that might suggest it.

And yet, Alina wanted nothing more than for it to actually mean something.

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Academy Training Room //:
//: Alina Tremiru //:

​

Quinn inhaled quickly as she felt her arms moving above her head, and Alina had moved closer to her. It was a reaction she hadn’t expected, but she wanted to know what was going through the girl’s mind. “Oh?” Quinn responded, surprised, then Alina got up. With much disappointment, Quinn laid there for a few seconds and stared up at the ceiling. Why did Alina not continue? What typically happened after was what Quinn had been anticipating, but to have it not happen - the girl felt a bit deflated. ​

​

Sitting up, Quinn fixed her hair, brushing it from her face. Her knees bent inward as her hands rested on the mat behind her. She waited and watched Alina. There was an urge to throw the Force at the girl, force her to her knees, and to give the Echani what she rightfully deserved or what she felt like she deserved. Yet, Quinn decided against it and sat in place. ​

​

“You should indulge in the things you enjoy, Alina.” Saying the girl’s name felt odd, the Princess typically addressed the other acolyte as ‘you’ or other degrading nicknames, but the name felt nice to say. Quinn still wouldn’t make a habit of it, though. She didn’t want someone to get comfortable. ​

​

Still sitting, Quinn cleared her throat and held out a hand. “You’re not going to help me up after you pinned me down?” Her voice was playful as she waited for the girl to turn back around. “I want to hear more about the things you enjoy.”​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Still she wasn't thrown around the room. Alina seemed slightly more surprised by this than she would of thought. She glanced to Quinn Varanin as the girl sat up. She didn't need the Force to tell the other was disappointed. Truth be told, she was a little too. Giving into suspicion over desire. Since she'd gotten her power and strength she'd told herself she wouldn't let her fear control her actions. Her gaze fell back to her hands, flexing her fingers slightly.

Quinn made her feel far too nervous. She wasn't just another acolyte, but someone who was supposed to be a rival. Alina wanted nothing more than to be done with this idea of needing to stomp out one another to get ahead. But did Quinn feel the same?

She turned fully to the Echani when her actual name was used. Brow raised. Quinn was right, ish. Alina already did indulge in quite a few things she enjoyed. A smile slowly returned as she took Quinn's hand and pulled her to her feet. "I don't think you'd be able to handle everything I enjoy doing, Quinn. It's certainly not fit for a princess." A playful smile spread across her lips as she nodded to the door.

"Though I wouldn't mind showing you, if you're up for tossing aside any notion of nobility."

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Academy Training Room //:
//: Alina Tremiru //:

​

Hands dusted off the dress as she pretended not to pay any mind to the other girl. Alina seemed to be a lot more than just a strong brute and could nullify the force. It was a pity they were meant to fight each other, crawl, and use each other to become great. Quinn thought about the meeting with Taeli and shook her head, such a waste of two lives. She felt her nose wrinkle at the thought of having to one day put Alina down like she was nothing. ​

Fingers brushed back silver hair as she looked towards the blonde, “Oh?” Her curiosity once more piqued as Alina seemed playful. Quinn folded her hands behind her back as she moved towards the blonde and continued to muse as to what these lovely things Alina enjoyed were all about. ​

Alina might have known how Quinn’s mind worked. How curiosity typically drove the Echani girl to act and respond. Yet, Quinn didn’t want to give the woman such praise - not just, however. Standing beside her, Quinn shrugged and smirked towards the other noble. ​

“You’ll be surprised what a princess can handle, Alina.” Quinn reached out and lightly brushed her fingertips against the other girl’s tunic, slightly straightening out the fabric. “How about you lead the way then, dear. I’m sure I can toss aside any nobility and bring myself to your level.” A wink and Quinn turned her head and back towards Alina, waiting for the girl to continue.​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"If you say so." The playfulness hadn't faded from her tone as she watched Quinn Varanin closely. If it truly came to them needing to tear the other down.. Well. She didn't want to think about that now. There was no need for them to fight in Alina's mind. Not necessarily friends, though she certainly wouldn't mind that line of thought now. "It's good you don't bother with Sith attire." Her eyes traveled over the Echani, lingering for a moment. Then the human turned around and stepped over to where she'd set a pack earlier.

Unceremoniously Alina slipped off her robe and tossed it by the pack. She'd never been too find of wearing much under the classic kind of robe she had, opting only for a cloth binding to keep her chest in place. Then she pulled out a simple tank from the pack to slip on before turning her gaze back to the Echani, smirking. "Come on then. I'll show you." She turned to the door, already heading out. Knowing that Quinn was far too curious to not follow.

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Alina Tremiru //:

​

Quinn looked over her shoulder when Alina mentioned her attire. The young princess figured herself higher than the rags the acolytes typically wore for training. A small smirk curled her lips as she watched the girl slip out of the training attire. Turning her head, she had made up her mind, and she pretended like she had seen anything. A hand rested against her chin as she continued to wait and listen to the human girl. ​

It didn't' take much for her to feel the lingering gaze, and her smirk widened; it seemed the interest was mutual. Quinn played this game, and she played it well for the most part. Her heart protected, she did what she needed to do to learn about the other in the game. As she let her mind wander, the Echani chewed on the end of her thumb till Alina walked ahead. ​

"You would do well to let your sense of fashion improve; you'd look decent." The princess smirked as she caught up to Alina, hooked her arm into the taller girl's, and followed in stride. "So what is first on the list of your tasks unfit for a Princess."​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"My mother quite enjoyed putting me in her fashion. Perhaps the only good memory to have of her, if not for the fact she did so in a hopes I'd be taken off her hands by a suitor." Not the fondest memories Alina had, and even saying it aloud had an affect on the smile she wore. Just for a moment it fell to a frown before the playful edge returned to the corner of her lips as Alina felt a slender arm hook into her own. "Asides, we both know I'd show you up if I cared about fashion." A casual challenge, but she didn't think anything more of it. Dresses and such were not her thing, and they never would be.

The young blonde took the lead, as expected. In truth she hadn't been entirely sure where she was going to bring Quinn Varanin . A part of her wanted to impress her fellow acolyte after all, but impressing the princess didn't seem like a task worth trying. No, Alina was going to show Quinn the side of the world that had kept her from completely falling to despair and depression.

It wasn't a long walk to the taxi dock of the academy. Where they were going would be far too long of a walk for Alina to try and entertain her.. Rival was still the only word that came to mind. On the way she brought out a datapad to make sure there'd be a ride at least waiting for them before they got there. "You know, I like this. Not feeling like I need to fight you. In other circumstances, I think it'd be easy to be friends." It was a random thought spoken aloud and Alina seemed somewhat surprised she'd even said it. For all the flirty smiles, winks, and words, Alina did actually have a slight crush on the Echani. How could she not?

Her cheeks turned a shade of red before she could get a handle on it. Where Quinn knew how to shield her heart, Alina didn't. She was never good at that, unless she was drunk or high. Which included an adrenaline high. A lot of bad choices were made from her fights in the underground. "I am serious. That we don't need to fight. I don't want to fight you."