Brat Pack Battle Royale! [Open to Brat Pack members]

[Laura Na'Varro]

Yavin IV​

​

And now, outside the Jedi Academy's praxeum, the eponymous group of children and teenagers that had been terrorising the galaxy had banded together to put into practice what they had learned. It was the focus of their training, some of which had been quite exhaustive, but for others like Laura, it was only really beginning in earnest. The point, Laura had insisted in a rare display of assertiveness, of their training was to survive in a rough galaxy full of pirates and Sith Lords. In order to survive, you had to win fights. And what better way was there than to practice?

They had drawn straws to decide who would face who. Laura had drawn the short one, so to speak. [member="Aela Talith"] was probably the oldest of the brat pack, and definitely the most experienced and strongest. The young Na'Varro was three years her junior and a fair bit less experienced. All she had to hold onto was a natural affinity with the blade and the ability to Sense, though powerful allies those were.

Powering down her versatile blade to stun, she eyed Aela off and let the golden light erupt in her hands. Today she was going to prove herself the older girl's equal.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Laura Na'Varro"]

She liked Yavin, it was pretty.

The world was a forest, filled with verdant greens and dark browns and beige. It reminded her of the jungles of Onderon, the place that she had first discovered many of her gifts with Oma Quietus. She smiled slightly as she remembered those memories, her eyes shifting slightly around the forests until she heard the snap and hiss of a lightsaber.

Aela's lips turned into a smile as her eyes fell on young Laura Na'Varro. The girl was the same age as Micah and Maleah, but she carried a fierceness that made her seem older than she actually was. Aela liked that, if only because she was practically incapable of displaying such emotion.

She pulled her lightsaber from the messenger bag slung around her shoulder, then tossed the bag off to the side. She thumbed the activation switch, a bright pink blade springing to life in an instant. She smiled as a sense of peace came over her, the power dial slowly spinning as she set the blade to its training level.

Fluidly Aela moved into a defensive stance, her lightsaber pointing ahead of her and her eyes locking on the young Na'Varro.

 

[Hylocereus]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

Contrary to popular belief Hylo was the oldest of the brat pack at twenty four years old. Now when taking his species into account his maturity level was probably somewhere in the middle of the group. A frown came over his face. as he stared down Mara.

Yes. A fight. Sure. Hylo stretched out a little bit taking off his shirt out of instinct. He needed to photosynthesize after all…. At least he kept his pants on this time. With a sigh he planted his feet. Everything above his knees started to weave back and forth. “Rooted like the oak,” he said shaking a little in preparation for the fight. He lifted his hands in a defensive posture for a moment before shifting his feet into a wider stance. Keeping the motion above his knees he began to sway at his hips with his arms gently moving like waves on the ocean. “Sway like a willow.”

His feet started moving, flat footed from side to side. “There I’m limber, I’m ready to go…” he said with confidence. This was the wardance of his people… kinda...

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Hylocereus"]

I hate when I draw the short straw.

She'd wanted to spar Laura, whose last name returned interesting search results on the HoloNet. Or Aela, the undisputed leader so far as proximity-to-Knighthood went, if only by a year or two and an inch or three. Or Micah, who would at least be fun to toss around. But Hylo? The dance-y, hippie, milquetoast shirtless plant surge freak who'd kissed her?

Uncool.

"Dance all you want, weedy, I'm not taking my shirt off too." She wanted her lightsabre, frankly. Between Chloe and Fable and Mom and Dad, she knew how to throw a punch, but Hylo radiated well-meaning innocence so hard that making that punch connect might be an issue. It would be, as she'd noted before, like decking a puppy. With a grimace, she set her weight on the balls of her feet, a light and non committal stance, left side forward. She brought her fists up and danced a little -- nothing like Hylo's dance.

 

[Hylocereus]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

Hylo had the moves. He approached with a constant swaying at his feet, back and forth like a pendulum. His hands were up in the guard position, but they didn’t mater. First step was simple as he approached he unleashed some pheromones to keep his opponent off balanced. It wouldn’t have as much of an affect on Mara, at least by Hylo’s estimation, as it would others. After all she did produce pheromones of her own. Still any little bit helped…. The boy mentally prepared and came up with a game plan. It was a well practiced maneuver with plenty of potential for a redirect.

Once in striking distance his moves became fluid and fast. He feigned a punch from his right hand and used the momentum to trigger a back spin sending his heel for his opponent's midsection. As the spin reached its zenith along the axis his body lowered and he planted his hand onto the ground acting as a lever for the blow.

When a grown man performs this action they could hit for eighteen hundred pounds of pressure, even halving that for Hylo would see Mara falling to the ground if she managed to block. Although confidence was never Hylo’s strong suit.. and he didn’t want to hurt the girl….

 

[The End Narrator]

Being relatively new to the group, Mira sat on a ledge up above the training area, observing the ongoings of those below her with mild curiosity. Of course, she didn't know anyone beyond [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] and it didn't help that for the moment - her social butterfly wings had retracted in light of news and rumors spreading about the true absence of her father. None the less, she sidelined the issue to participate in the event - perhaps for sport. Garnet colored eyes blinked through the HUD of her helmet as she watched each person either continue, begin or start to size on and another up.

How was this worked out? Someone mentioned names being drawn from a satchel? A hat? Straws?

"Meh." She muttered under her breath as she swung a leg idly from the ledge of the rafter which she sat up in. Who would she be paired with? It was almost a matter of time before someone called her out...maybe.

 

[Micah Talith]

"You know being antisocial never made one any friends."

The voice would come from [member="Mira Gyndar"] 's right, just above her actually. There sat a boy, well no more of this lanky fellow all legs and arms and bright orange eyes under an unruly mop of dirty blonde hair.

Amusement and a wry smirk would grace his lips, his fingers working and adjusting the alchemized leather gloves and bracers he wore. His right leg would freely and lazily swing back and forth, as if he had all the time in the 'verse and currently, that time was devoted to picking on the one decked out in armor and a HUD.

"Doesn't that tin can of yours get hot?" he'd point at her, almost in mild bewilderment at her attire. Comparatively, he wore comfortable dark gray and green leathers and a cloak, a slightly furred lined hood resting over his shoulders. A bit tribal one would say, and he certainly would blend into the jungle were it not for those oddly predatory eyes.

"I hear that one needs to get a can opener to pry one of those things off... along with enough soap and water for the stink that follows."

Oh did the devil dance in those eyes.

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira glared underneath her helmet as she rose to her feet and looked up at the boy above her, but then the color of his eyes caught her attention and even his cute looks? She shook her head for a moment as the sensation of frustration overcame her teenage confusion between adoring someone who looked cute and someone who just flat out insulted her - in an adorable way until he said she probably stunk beneath her bodysuit and armor.

She examined the colorful armor and looked down towards the arena and then back to the boy. Words seeming to fail to come to her lips as she merely turned away and looked down. Words didn't find her lips - she had been caught off guard in so many ways. No, she couldn't be bested in such a way - [member="Aton Gyndar"] would be mocking her if he ever found out. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she stared ahead of her own little perch. He would never find out about this...never ever.

"I'm quite comfortable in this - body temp is regulated to prevent me from sweating like a Yagorian Pig in the summer heat." She gestured. "I am not being anti-social either...I just..." She quickly pointed to the group below. "Haven't been around this many kids my age before so it's all a bit new to me."

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

Oh he was quite amused by [member="Mira Gyndar"]'s reaction. It was as if she was this rather interesting bug and he was currently spending the next few idle minutes determining what made it tick.

Oh it wasn't with any malice; Micah just had this knack of being greatly entertained by others reactions. Laid back and a bit smug with that permanent smirk, the Talith youth would give a throaty chuckle.

"That so? he'd quip back, drawing his hands behind his head, interlocking his fingers there as he would lean against the tree.

"You're age huh?" he'd add, a half snerk on his face.

"I guess it must be hard being a teenage tin can -- the worst!"

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Hylocereus"]

Mara turned and half-crouched, blocking with the meaty part of her forearm by the elbow. Hylo's kick sent her reeling off-balance, pain blossoming through her arm and back. She hit the ground, eyes wide. They narrowed as she picked herself up again, scrambling for a little distance. "All right...let's see what we got here."

She didn't take it personally; she'd sparred many, many people. None of them fought like Hylo, granted, but a good hit she'd never seen before was as much an opportunity as anything. She might not be able to hit like a grownup, but by heck she could think like one. Even if that meant noticing...things.

Her eyes narrowed again. Pheromones. She thought about reciprocating, but that wasn't the kind of escalation she had in mind. Combat shouldn't be icky.

Left side forward, she hopped in with a foreleg side-kick to the shin, the kind that could turn into a stomp for the foot. Warden martial arts integrated low-grade telekinesis seamlessly; she lashed out with a straight left jab, attempting to drag his face onto her fist. Simple little combo, nothing especially crippling; she just wanted to score a hit.

 

[Hylocereus]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

The moves…. that is what Hylo had. He hardly had time to even smirk as he continued his spin. The Wardance required it. Every motion led to another, it was fluid and unpredictable when done properly and yet as hylo moved for another spin he felt his face being pulled toward the girls fist…

At first it wasn’t much but then like a magnet the attraction started to get more forceful as he got closer. Luckily his body was flexible and he was able to counter, after a fashion in air. Spinning his body he brought his right foot to rest on Mara’s hip as her fist intercepted his face. He winced as he took the blow and grabbed onto the girls arm applying pressure with his foot to bring her to the ground.

His opposite leg wrapped around her arm capturing it. Flying armbar, he really wanted to yell the name of the move out loud but refrained. That would be childish. “No fair Mara,” Hylo yelled as he pulled the grip tighter on the arm bar. “You used the force….”

 

[The End Narrator]

Tin can?

Was he confusing her with some sort've Sith Trooper or something?

She would have thought the bright pink and array of colors would have given it away something else. Is this what an insult to a Mandalorian warrior was? Maybe she was ignorant? Just maybe.

She quickly jumped from her ledge and up to where Micah was positioned and produced a grafiti gun from her side and jiggled it around a bit, her thumb adjusting the settings as she took a few steps closer to him. "That cloak of yours is looking a little bland, I think you need to add some life to it, ya know?" She said and without warning - she'd pull the trigger and arc the array of colors upwards in a 45 degree splash.

No true harm, more like a blatant way of slapping him in the face without slapping him. As luring as his eyes were - he needed to be taught a lesson, even if he managed to move - he'd find himself with little choice but to exit the perch above where she declared her domain.

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Ellifain Eden]

[member="Micah Talith"] [member="Mira Gyndar"]

A snort sounded from higher up in the tree above Micah and Mira. "That paint's the color of my Hutt n' Botts every flavor jellie bellie." Lime-green eyes crinkled as she popped a bright purple candy in her mouth, dark green-streaked hair hanging past her head as she continued to dangle from a branch upside-down.

The Nagai-firrerreo waved the candy-pack at them both.

"You want some? I wouldn't recommend the yellow ones. Last time I had one it tasted like hutt boogies."

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Hylocereus"]

And just like that, she'd been flying-armbarred. Flat on her back, sore about six ways, she twisted her hand and slipped it out of his grip before her elbow could get into serious jeopardy -- not that Hylo would actually hurt her, but she wanted out before her elbow got even more sore. She flailed a punch at him with her other hand; it didn't even come close. "Daaaagnabbit," she grunted, still pretty much pinned. "And you're telling me you did all that spinny crap without the Force? I thought I was just givin' it back in kind. Plus you pheromoned me." Still a guess, but he was always pheromoning people.

"Come on, lemme up. I want to go again. No Force this time, I promise."

 

[Hylocereus]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

But Hylo didn’t get off her. Instead he rolled over releasing his hold until he was ontop of her and past her guard. After he mounted Mara he realised something… if someone was narrating his life they would have just said he mounted her. His face blushed green and a little former formed at the top of his head releasing pheromones into the air. “I’m uh.. not so great at the force thing. Normally I just grow trees….”

A weak smile followed as he looked down at Mara, “You managed to get a good hit in,” he added quickly. He let his guard down and lifted up one of his hands to hold his cheek. Already a greenish bruise was starting to appear. “A real good hit…”

“Hey Mara, we’re friends right?” Hylo started sitting him, his legs still straddling the girl and his body still in a semi guarded state maybe ready for an attack. That was for a brief few seconds before he slowly descended to her face, “Can you do me a favor?” he leaned down next to her head and started whispering in her ear...

 

[Laura Na'Varro]

[member="Aela Talith"]

Laura circled her opponent like a jungle cat, drawing closer to the older girl while assessing her strengths and weaknesses. Aela was taller, longer and almost definitely had a reach advantage. She had a clear advantage in Force powers, and actual power. Laura's power level for the amount of training she had received was sort of like her Dad's, middle of the road. Where she thrived was technique. She was not bad with a lightsaber, nowhere close to a Master at it but she definitely had talent. She also had an affinity for Force Sense and similar powers, so it followed that ... No, she'd keep her plan to win this thing close to her chest.

She circled, and her closing in ceased briefly as she reached the extent of Aela's reach. From there, she enacted her strategy onto the fight. Moving decisively, she made a sharp move forward into the "pocket", well inside Aela's lightsaber range, and made a balanced attack. Weight evenly distributed, wrists rotating as her father had taught her to increase the torque on the strike, she stepped forward with hilt held at chest height and rotated the blade down, from right to left, smashing towards the older girl's left thigh.

All it was was a strike aimed at making the other girl react. From there, she could map how she fought and create conditions that would make victory possible.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Laura Na'Varro"]

Her eyes slowly followed along with Laura.

Aela's body was relaxed, her stance easy and her muscles loose. She appeared not a cat ready to strike, but a calm ocean, still water gently flowing, ready to be redirected at any moment. Indeed when the young Na'Varro struck, thats exactly what happened.

As soon as the lightsaber blade flicked out towards her Aela began to spin. Like liquid she flowed back, her foot dragging slightly, her thigh pulling away and out of the path of Laura's lightsaber, Aela's own flicking down, but never touching Laura's. Instead her off hand twitched, her fingers pushing out slightly, almost minutely, the force giving a slight shove onto Laura's now outstretched leg.

Aela never lashed out, instead she retreated and pushed Laura off balance with the force, hopefully causing her to fall to the floor.

 

[Laura Na'Varro]

Nice move, Laura thought as Aela's Force Push came towards her left leg. In her balanced stance, almost completely to Aela's front, she was better protected against what the older girl hoped to achieve. Not having the skills or power required to block the attack, she nevertheless had an unintelligible instinct that made her act. As the push struck her forward-most leg and push it backwards against her will, she stepped onto her right and pirouetted on her heel as the Force Push blasted her around. Her balance, coupled with the weighting of her footing prior to the strike, kept her mostly upright. Taken to one knee, she was unable to compensate for the power in Aela's push, and as such her pirouette over-rotated, her knee scraping against the ground, drawing meagre blood. Now she found herself just outside of the other girl's range, with her right side towards her. Knowing the key to victory, she pushed off from her right to her left and dove into the pocket once again.

This time, she didn't attack, she merely feinted. Her eyes locked with Aela's, she stepped onto her right foot in a southpaw stance, her shoulders and hips rotating powerfully towards the eldest of the Talith children, her blade coming through at hip level from left to right-

Only, her blade never rotated enough to follow through. Instead, she stepped around to Aela's right flank, pushing her left foot slightly forward. Her golden blade came round to protect her body rather than strike her enemy.

Effectively, Laura was trying to force Aela into moving with a feint rather than a strike. How she reacted would tell her more about her opponent than anything else.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Laura Na'Varro"]

Again Aela moved fluidly. There was no hesitation or even thought of action she simply reacted.

As Laura dove towards her bright Orange eyes followed every move, her feet dancing across the floor in a reactionary means, not a proactive one. As the girl feinted her attack Aela's lightsaber once again came up as if to block the incoming attack, only to stay put as that attack never came. Aela herself slid to the side and back, rounding slightly on Laura and sliding her feet close together.

When Laura made no other move to strike Aela's back foot slid back and her lightsaber quickly repositioned itself with a whirl, sliding back towards the same defensive stance she had held before. Her lightsaber stuck out above her chest, her free hand hanging low and ready at her side.

 

[Laura Na'Varro]

[member="Aela Talith"]

Interesting. Laura was beginning to build a version of Aela's own plan to defeat her in her head. She didn't know enough about dueling to predict what the other girl was going to do next, but Dad had taught her a lot of theory. Thinking back on these lessons, this created a couple of questions for her in her mind. 1) How much could she get away with without being engaged? and 2) What would it take to shake Aela from her disciplined approach? She had no doubt that her father would have a plan of action in about five seconds, but Laura? She needed more time, and more data.

Her next move was unorthodox. She was not going to play rancor to Aela's matador.

Instead she merely walked towards the girl, golden blade held low, horizontal to the ground. She made no sudden moves. If Aela tried to move around to her left or right, Laura would move to the side in order to block her movements. This was a large, open area, and there was little to no hope of actually cutting the girl off or putting her in a corner. That, however, was not Laura's modus operandi. She had other things in mind.