Private Chance Meeting

[Raz Asai'il]

Raz Asai’il was, if nothing else, a patient man. It had been three days since he had hired the impetuous and harried looking Echani thief, but as he continued to hold himself in a handstand, one arm behind his back, all he felt was calm. Raz had seen in his eyes a disquiet and pride that would never allow for failure, especially in a task as simple as petty theft of machinery parts. And yet, a small part of Raz hoped the young man would fail. He had felt the agony in the man, the anger and the pain. Perhaps, if he felt failure, Raz would be able to open him up just enough to get him talking, perhaps help him in even a very small way. But, as Raz continued his rigorous exercises he knew it would not happen. He was not ready to fail, to heal. But perhaps he would be some day. For now Raz was content to give him some money to run from his pursuers, and perhaps share a few words if possible. But first, the echani had to return...

Tags: PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

Nostalgia wasn't something Perseus often liked. To remember the past was more painful than joyful for Persenus. Even the happy times were shrouded with filters of blues and reds, turned into bittersweet stings that nagged at his conscience or enraging bites that gnawed at his ego. Nary was any comfort in memories but having been sent on a mission to steal targeting chips did fulfill him with a homely feeling reminiscent of his time as an acolyte under Festrous with his first mission under him being in a rather similar vein. It wasn't by any means easy nor devoid of stress but the familiarity and neutrality of the situation provided him a state of calmness towards a task at hand that did not damage his pride nor forced him to associate with any disreputable individuals. No, no one disreputable. The associate he had, however, was one that he was quite the opposite, and all the worse for it.

Persenus was not trusting of other Force-Users. Most of those around him with sensitivity like him turned out to be enemies fated for him to clash with. Jedi, more so, even with all their talk of peace and persuasion. Young Jedi knights with their blinded devotion and naivety towards the more complex parts of the Force were worse than him in his zealotry. It the very least, he sticks by whatever code and belief he has in the codes that he devoted himself to. The Jedi climb up so high on their towers that toppling them made their fall to the abyss all the more violent, and the younger ones are still only finding their balance but have the newly formed but drilled arrogance to look down up those below. He was at least gifted with a level of mercy that he was not chanced upon by someone of such juvenile senses. He would've been quicker to his saber than to the credits if that were the case.

He procured the chips, successful in his missions, and found himself out of the complex without a trace. He was bigger and older than he was when he last crawled through vents, when he last went through a mission like this. It was like putting on an old shoes that barely fit you then but were more than snug now. Nevertheless, he had what he came for, with the only piece of history he had left being the empty space where the chips once were. Afterwards, he made his way back towards his client.

He could feel that arrogance, the holier-than-thou reasonings of a Jedi's gaze upon him. He could hide that presence all he wants but there was no mistaking that look, even from a Sith Pureblood. Pity, remorse; things that you show a dying animal that needs to be put down. The looks that Jedi would receive would be a cold stare that harbored ill-intent that was only barely restrained behind the learnings of Persenus of self-control and moderation. Even then, all barely, it was.

"Myj Nu, Jidaiad...." He spoke in Ur-Kittat, the venom still rolling from his tongue, echoing throught the abandoned factory where the Pureblood resided. "I have succeeded."

Raz Asai'il

 

[Raz Asai'il]

From his darkened corner, Raz smiles and exits his handstand, approaching the volatile thief with an open and genuine smile.

“Excellent. You may set them wherever you wish, I am going to destroy them regardless. Your pay is here.” He pulls from his sash a credit chip worth almost double what he originally offered. “Consider the extra bonus for a job well done.”

The leanly muscled jedi uses the force to pour himself a cup of tea from a pot boiling over a barrel fire, his golden tattoos depicting the Jedi’s greatest act of cruelty glinting in the flickering light.

“If you wish, you are welcome to stay the night here before continuing your journey. I have concealed the presence of all who enter here from detection. I sense you have a great many eyes looking for you, not all of them friendly.”

He takes a drink of his tea, his other hand still holding out the chip.

“If not, then I wish you fair travels, and thank you for your assistance.”

While he does talk like a jedi, his tone is strikingly devoid of the put on airs of mysticism or detachment many of his kind carry, instead sounding simply like a man who wishes to do a kindness for a kindness done in turn.

"I would offer you tea, but you do not seem the type to trust drinks from strangers so easily." The jedi awaits a response as his hand stays outstretched.

Tags: PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

The extra credits rolled into his hand but he did not seemed pleased. A flash of steely anger was roused within the Exiled Sith. "Spare me the sickening pity and pleasantry, Jidaiad." In spite of everything he has gone through, he wouldn't take more than what he was promised. Perhaps he would but at the least he would not take it from a Jedi. He's stolen money, he's killed just to get atop, but in those cases he's fought and worked for the rewards he has had. As a Sith, and a common troupe in Persenus' life, nothing is given, and everything is earned. It is characteristic of a Jedi like Raz to not realize that even a mere gift is an insult to Persenus when he bears such alignment in the Force. "Give me what we had agreed upon. I will accept no more."

What was worse of it was that Persenus naturally wasn't keen to being rewarded and praised, even though praise and reward was perhaps something he had fought for when he was in the Sith Empire's military during the Jen'Ari War. The homeliness of whatever front the Jedi wanted to uphold was, too, of great annoyance and irritation. Mysticism, overt kindness, the facades that lead to the stagnation and the rotting of the galaxy at large as adversity is stripped under their gaze. "What of you to garner from oversaturating me, the antithesis to your kind, with your flimsy acts of misguided charity? Dzwol j'us tash....."

Upon the mention of tea, his aggression turned into a more so disgusted expression of distaste with an up-turned lip. "No, I just don't like tea. Its flavorless, bland, and its pervasive smell gets everywhere." Though, there was some truth to Raz's words. Tea, often was, a tsoborbdzon.

Raz Asai'il

 

[Raz Asai'il]

The jedi once again just smiles, seemingly un phased by PERSENUS 's continued hostility.

“The extra is not charity, it is simply payment for completing the job more quickly than expected. This sort of thing, believe it or not, is common in mercenary work.”

Raz takes a sip of his tea.

“As for what I have to gain...well, perhaps I would just like some company. I do not have the luxury of talking openly with many people, so your company would be a welcome respite from solitude. But, as I said, if you wish to depart you are welcome to.”

He sets his drink down on the floor and throws himself effortlessly into a handstand, returning to his regimen of one armed pushups. In this position, it is easy to see: For someone so blatantly opposed to conflict, he certainly has the body of a warrior, lean and powerful muscle coiled under scar pocked skin. When he speaks once more, his voice shows no hint of the physical strain he has placed himself under.

“I do not see the value in only speaking with those you agree with. In my experience, hearing your opposite’s point of view can lead to greater wisdom than only staying within an echo chamber. As for tea,” He gives a genuine chuckle, “I’m afraid that may be our most passionate disagreement, but one for another time certainly. Did you encounter any difficulties on your mission?”

 

[PERSENUS]

"It is common that such bonuses are agreed upon. I do not agree to it. I did not agree to it." He said as with his characteristic monotone aggression. Perhaps if Persenus stopped stressing over his philosophies, he'd look younger than he did, perhaps younger than his actual age, but his hardiness in such qualities resolved in thick lines on his forehead and crows feet on his eyes, making him look much older than he was, especially when such folds are being stressed like in the expression he was currently making. Perhaps it would've been better for him to just accept it, it was easier and more lucrative. However, it is in Persenus' fashion to be a contrarian, even if there was nothing really to fight for. Once his pride was latched on it, there was little use in arguing him out of the ring.

Talking to him as such prodded at his pride more so. It reminded him of talking to Festrous while he was meditating. How can one possibly reason when half absorbed in their own minds and actions? It insulted his intelligence even more, and pushed Persenus to disregard more so of whatever wisdom Raz had. "So you buy me with credits to alleviate your own self-imposed loneliness? Oxymoronic for a Jedi." There was some level of amusement growing on his face, though derogatory. "Kwant itsujontû j'us tu'saen..... but then you seek freedom? Hazatul j'us Jidaiad...." A chuckle followed after.

"No, I did not." He said, referring to his question. "It went splendidly. Perhaps even a Jidaiad like yourself could've handled it." He continued to prod and poke, still combining his words with Ur-Kittat to perhaps convey the double meanings to his the Sith blood inside Raz, even if it has gone deaf.

Raz Asai'il

 

[Raz Asai'il]

He continues his training, switching arms. Somehow, his topknot stays perfectly arranged on his head.

“I think you may find I am not like many jedi you have met, but I understand your trepidation. We do have a reputation, and unfortunately an earned one, for setting logic traps with our words. I assure you, I have no such intentions.”

Raz gets back on his feet and elegantly retrieves his cup, going into martial arts forms. Those with formal training would instantly recognize it as Soresu, lightsaber form 3, known for its emphasis on defense and non aggression. His mastery of the form is obviously to a high degree, and is full of small improvisations that can only come from applying a form to real combat.

“And I do not see it as purchasing anything. You earned the credits. Just as it would offend your pride to accept money you did not earn, it would offend my honor to underpay for a job well done.”

He takes a drink.

“And besides, I do not believe in detachment from the world. The Force is the world. One cannot deny the physical without also denying the force.”

As he speaks, his gold eyes keenly watch the Echani, though what he is looking for is not evident.

Tags: PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

"And yet ultimately, even with differing beliefs and philosophies, you end up in the same hole. You are in the same lot because in the end your results are the same." He takes out his the hilt of his saber. He remembers what he had to do to make it. It wasn't his first saber, no, his saber as a initiate was standardized, bled. This one was made from the sabers of his enemies during the Jen'Ari War. Even until now, the ritual was still upheld. After having defeated Kesran Opadal, his saber was integrated into its structure as well. The more fools that come to fight him, the more the power of his saber grows, the more he grows. That is the way of the Sith, conflict makes might. "Stagnancy, weakness, and false faiths in hopeless causes; you're like the rest of them, wasting about like a rat trying to stop the flow of the world and the flow of time to uphold the fragile peace."

"It is your status quo that you seek to fulfill, where hardships must be balanced and conflict must be softened. You seek to create hope, not knowing that there already is for those still willing to grasp it when they see it. You give it and you create weakness. It is under that same hand that gives more than is just out of uncalled for reward that corruption blooms. Where your acts of kindness make the world crawl towards an inevitable doom." He continues on, still focused on caressing the saber on his lap. He had slain many of Raz' kind with it as well but even their sabers were not taken. "To fight against the inevitable while toiling for it is what defines you, Jidaiad. What separates you and I is that I fight against it as well, but I do not let it master me like it has mastered you."

"So what is it then? Did you leave the Jedi to find solace in your own flimsy musings or do you just like having your own rathole to crawl in?"

Raz Asai'il

 

[Raz Asai'il]

As Raz responds, he continues flowing through forms.

“It might shock you to find that our thoughts are not so different on these matters, though yours are perhaps a bit more extreme. The jedi order has stagnated, so lost in its arrogant belief that it can do no wrong that it strays from its purpose and bears blades against innocents. But I do not believe showing kindness to those in need to be futile, nor do I believe accepting kindness from others to be a sign of weakness. We are all one in the Force, to deny compassion to your enemy is to deny compassion to yourself.”

The unignited hilt continues to dance in his hands as his body responds to invisible attackers.

“The status quo is indeed full of cruelty and hardship, and it must be changed by those with the ability to change it. Power is a great tool in capable hands, whether those hands are forces of good or evil, but it is not enough on its own to save the world. Compassion and understanding are forms of strength, forms the jedi have long forsaken. They can make the weak strong, end battles faster than any single warrior could hope to, and cause those who would otherwise be bitter enemies to be the closest of brothers. Giving the universe hope does not make it weak, it makes it resilient. Through hope, they find the courage to reach for greater heights, to face darkness and conquer fear, to defeat their own apathy and become truly strong.”

His forms finally finished, Raz relaxes and replaces his saber on his hip.

“As for your question, I have exiled myself from the order. I do not approve of the direction they are heading, and hope through my actions to change their minds. A lofty goal, but one I mean to achieve.”

His tone is amazingly still perfectly calm and pleasant, despite the insults being heaped upon him and his thinking.

Tags: PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

"And in the end, with all those words and ideals, you are still the same. You are unable to make a difference unless the Force lets you. You live with futile choices, futile kindness that as much as it is fulfilling, only serves to heighten yourself." His lightsaber remained firm in his, gripping the textured hilt and rubbing it over with his pale thumb. "The Force does not favor you and under it, you will never triumph. Whatever peace you wish to uphold will collapse. All of your actions, everything you do, is for nothing. Under it, you are nothing.

Perhaps it is with the Sith like Sidious and Momin that the idea that the Sith serve the darkside and welcome into their being was perpetuated. Such folly is only made from the musings of untrue Sith, misled by promises of power under the name of tsis'aryi. The worship of Typhojem, the maintenance and following of Dark Side Teachings, all folly and misunderstood what it means to truly be Tsis. They do not worship the Dark Side, not like the Dark Jedi. They are not simply those that let themselves be ignorant to the push and pulls of the world. A Sith fights against such powers, a Sith is above fate, above the Force. To bend the Dark Side to their will and not let it bend them. That is what it means to be a Sith. To conquer the Force allows you to conquer the world, where the fate is determined by your will and your hand.

And in a flash, he was upon Raz. From his knelt down position to a blindingly fast opening stab with his crossguarded saber, he initiated the true discussion. "If you believe so in the Jedi fate, do you believe it will let you prevail over me?"

Raz Asai'il

 

[Raz Asai'il]

Raz reacts with a motion that neither seems incredibly fast nor tactically sound, moving his bare hand to intercept the point of the saber with an almost relaxed assurance...and catching the weapon with the palm of his hand, the energy dispersing around it.

“A well placed thrust, but you are too invested in this one strike, it made it impossible to change course.”

The jedi pushes the blade aside and takes a step away, pulling his own off his hip and igniting the emerald blade, the green light glinting off his tattoos and giving him an eerie cast. He assumes a perfect soresu stance, blade held close to his body as his amber eyes watch PERSENUS .

“If you wish to spar, I will not turn you away.”

 

[PERSENUS]

He could feel his hand rise to guard against his attack in his mind's eye. It wasn't through the Force, but simply through his instincts. He could feel it, he knew it, as any Echani would gather. He could feel that arrogance, the unfailing confidence that the Force was with them, not seeing that the Force was not infallible, and that the Force ultimately does not favor them. He knew it, Raz was like all the rest, but the arrogance was something he can take advantage of.

Absorbing a blaster bolt was something but to protect oneself against a lightsaber thrust was another. Even a Jedi Master with their decades of training would be able to dedicate so much focus and yet be completely available. As his hand began to move again, while the words still poured out of that tight mouth of his, Persenus was moving again, keen to take advantage of the moments before he unsheathed his own weapon and much of his focus and power still concentrated around blocking the saber blow.

Calling upon the Force in his off-hand, he would muster a Force Push while pushing forward in a physical sense. His Force Power against his all the while his own hand was becoming more subject to his lightsaber, dividing attention more so. To defend against the Force Push would make it more difficult to adhere against the saber still on his hand and to keep the blade from burning him would like make him more vulnerable to the push.

"You better shut your mouth before I cauterize it."

Raz Asai'il

 

[Raz Asai'il]

Raz does not resist the push, instead allowing it to throw him out of harm’s way and landing gracefully some meters away. He re-assumes his stance, purely defensive with his lightsaber held close to his body.

“You are too in love with your own power to strike me. Even the most powerful beast cannot open a blast door. You need a key, not a hammer.”

Raz could sense the young man’s turmoil, his deep seated hatred and pain, and it took much from him not to reach out. He knew such obvious offers would be rebuffed. If he was to have any chance of aiding the young PERSENUS , he would have to do so subtly. And so, he waits, perfectly poised, for the echani to make the next move.

 

[PERSENUS]

Too quick to assume he has the high-ground, Persenus thought of Raz as he advanced. The momentary unbalance caused by the Force Push would grant Persenus and his enhanced speed to easily close to gap between them before he could get into his fighting stance. Thus is the style of Persenus, to apply pressure until one bursts, to not let him have the chance to find comfort behind one's skill, and when he does, he would aim to constantly show that the comfort is withering at best. He aimed with an upwards slash, activating the dual-phasing of his saber to increase the length suddenly to cause even more unbalance in the moment, forcing Raz to consider completely reconsider distance as Persenus slashed at the hand that reached for his saber, hoping to intercept it. However, with the newfound length, Raz would have to completely reposition himself lest he were to be cut in two. What would make it worse would be his choice of readying Soresu to be his stance, then he'd have to adjust footing in his head too as Soresu is not meant for such evasive maneuvers.

"You haven't seen a lot of beasts then, have you?" He chuckled darkly as he kept on his offence. In spite of both of them having sculpted bodies with levels of fitness indistinguishable from each other, Persenus' alchemical enhancements to his physical prowess would give him an edge - faster, stronger, more enduring and resilient - perhaps closing the gap of experience that they had between them. Persenus wasn't keen on letting Raz have a moment to collect himself for what is to come.

Raz Asai'il

 

[Raz Asai'il]

As Persenus rushes in, the speed catching Raz somewhat off guard, it is only his exceptional natural reflexes that save him. Dodging out of the way with a quick sidestep, he uses a small force push, focused on Persenus' right leg, to unbalance the other's fighter's stance and force him to take a moment correcting his footwork as Raz leaps back and ignites his saber. Raz, now understanding that the other bladesman would not allow him to simply evade and had the skill and combat intellect to force him to engage, solidifies his Soresu stance.

“You are quite skilled.”

His voice comes out, calm as ever, from behind his gently humming emerald blade.

“Your understanding of tactics is also quite good, you clearly have an eye for strategy, but you are only thinking a move or two ahead. Should you wish to improve your ability, this is the first thing that must change.”

He realizes he is only egging on the younger man, but it is necessary. Raz knows that in order to keep PERSENUS interested, he must provide a challenge. Because Raz’ moral code prevents him from attacking back, he must provide a mental and spiritual challenge rather than a physical one.

 

[PERSENUS]

After the strike, he'd settle find himself into an Ox Guard with his sword horizontally aligned but he would not stay static. One part of Soresu is its lacking footwork as while Raz's reflexes may be great, the natural weakness of his style would be taken advantage of. Ataru would be a natural counter to Soresu, as Ataru is used to prod at defenses, to wear them down and to find the weakspot, or make one. While those that look at a user of Ataru as flailing blades as fast as possible, it is the conditioning of an opponent through pressure and directional characteristics to sneak around defenses.

As he pivoted on his lead leg as his blade naturally transitioned from an Ox Guard to Roof Guard, which due to the blade length was an attack at Raz's head on its own as it swept into position and with his freehand once more, he'd use to defend against his advances with the Force. Unlike Raz, he wasn't so liberal with the Force to keep his defenses down. All the while, from a Roof Guard, Persenus' blade would follow that momentum to spin into a sideways sweeping strike as he began to move counter the direction of his swing, beginning to circle Raz.

Due to the extra leverage granted by his sword's length, there would be more power behind the strike. Blocking against an attack like that with strength like Persenus' would likely be stressful even for one so adept at Soresu and one as fit as Raz. As strong as his defenses are, Raz would find that it would be more tiring to himself than to Persenus to elongate the fight. "So quick to give advice and assume, Jidaiad. I wonder how many days it would've taken for the Jedi to fall if you were their battlemaster."

Raz Asai'il

 

[Raz Asai'il]

Raz parries the transitional strike as PERSENUS switches guards with calm ease, blade snapping into place to block the attack. The sweeping slash however, he would need to be clever against. If he simply blocked such powerful attacks, he would lose the war of attrition to the stronger echani. Focusing his mind, he waits until the blade is at the apex of its swing...and fires a concentrated, mid power force blast at Persenus’ lead leg, attempting to destabilize his balance and take the teeth off the strike as his blade moves to intercept the attack. Whether this tactic works or not, it will force the younger man to consider that while Raz may not be willing to strike him, he has many tricks to pull out of his bag.

 

[PERSENUS]

Just like before, the Force Push would be defended against with the focus that Persenus had in spades. They were opposites, Raz and him, in the styles. Persenus was going offensive in saber but defensive in the Force, save for the opening moments, while Raz was the opposite. Persenus opted only to use Force Abilities when he he knew that concentration of his opponent would be divided, knowing that he cannot use the Force as liberally as Raz as Persenus was trained primarily in warrior arts and Raz was a Jedi Consular. Similarly, Raz would not find Persenus weak enough to be able to use Force Powers upon him so thoughtlessly either with his physical and mental defenses far too strong and focused to be able to pierce through with the Force as of now.

If the battle went on like this, Raz might not be able to affect Persenus directly with the Force at all. Persenus' pressure lied only physically and balancing between mental defenses and physical offense was second nature for someone like Persenus, who has always opted to use the Force with strategic care. It was how he defeated Kesran Opadal on Frego, though he was significantly less experienced than Raz before him, but their advances were similar. Too quick to assume that the Force would break through his defenses, too arrogant to see that their power would be lacking without strategic tact, not stopping to think of what Persenus' was balancing against, what he was threading across his hands. The only way they'd find grasp on affecting Persenus was to meet him head on in such a style, to find imbalance and push against it, and to make imbalance is to create it the good, old-fashioned way.

The strike would continue as it was and Raz would be forced, with the time taken to unleash another Force Push right after he had tried the same tactic and failed, to take the full force of the strike in his defense, unless he be bisected. The only notion that would get across to Persenus from this little tactic would be that Raz was teetering to insanity; to try something repeatedly and to expected different results.

Raz Asai'il

 

[Raz Asai'il]

Raz nods to himself as the attack hits his blade unhindered pressing against his defenses. The tactic, as last time, failed. Being able to resist a force attack, even a relatively weak one, from someone of Raz’ skill meant that he had excellent defenses. His fundamentals were sound, and while Raz could defend for a very long time, he also knew that one did not learn much by simply throwing themselves against an impenetrable wall, and that even the strongest wall cracked eventually. He would eventually have to show PERSENUS something, or the young man would get frustrated and perhaps do something too reckless. Mind made up, he searches his consciousness and allows the force to guide him. And then, he deactivates his saber, using tutaminis so his forearm acts as a shield while he steps forward, the echani’s blade hissing as it slides against the energy absorption field coating Raz’ right arm, and fires a full body jab at the coracohumeral ligament in Persenus’ left shoulder. A perfect strike, well aimed, superb form, and with enough power to make a normal human’s shoulder unusable if it connects. This is not a strike learned in a temple or some martial art used primarily as meditation, this is a warrior’s attack meant to nullify an opponent’s ability to fight, no matter how strong the will.

 

[PERSENUS]

Persenus was well-versed in hand-to-hand combat, perhaps more so than he was with a saber, and incorporated it into his fighting style as well, but perhaps not as recklessly as Raz. Through the Force and through his Echani combat instincts, he could feel the next move and breath Raz could take. It is through this near preternatural and metaphysical guesswork that it took time off of the surprise of the sudden change in style. With his free left hand he would catch the jab on his forearm, causing Raz to hit alchemical metal underneath his robe, likely causing some measure of discomfort as Persenus, once again, took advantage of his focus on Tutaminis.

The weapons underneath his robe would be revealed. Upon his vambraces would be blasters and in an instant, a two whirring bolts of energy would be flying at Raz' face at point blank range from his blade hand. Without a saber, he would be forced to either absorb it through more Tutaminis or to evade it, both likely taking up a lot of focus and concentration from a sudden blaster bolt so close as a surprise attack. However, whatever course of action Raz would take, Persenus would execute one of his more advanced skills of Telekinesis.

He wasn't exactly a fan of Force Choke. No, too cumbersome to maintain in combat. He was much more fond of its more rudimentary form, Force Wound. Much like he did with Kesran Opadal, who used Force Lightning and Tutaminis back to back, he would attempt to use Force Wound while Raz' concentration on blocking the immense energy of the lightsaber blade and dealing with the blaster bolts to destabilize his lungs. A sudden, sharp, pain would overcome him if he failed to resist, and for most in his place right now, they would. A coughing fit, maybe even a internal bleeding, a coursing and nagging pain that would ultimately drain much stamina, endurance, and focus from him would appear. It wasn't like Force Choke where it was a continuous pressure, Force Wound was more like a sudden stab through the lungs. It was an ultimately less fatal technique but a more tactically sound one.

All the while, Persenus' saber reverted back to normal length. Knowing now that perhaps a closer combat range would be preferable. After all, in a bind, a better balanced weight is better for leverage. So far, Raz is feeling Persenus' standard fighting style, things that he has already ingrained within himself. It would take a bit more effort and provision to find something he can teach Persenus a lesson in.

Raz Asai'il