Clash of the Titans

[Akhilleus]

Taking his first steps into the courtyard of the Sanctum’s, Voss temple Akhilleus took the sight in. These had been the training grounds of Nikias when he had still lived, and now Akhilleus walked the same circles. Partially to understand more about the galaxy as a whole, and what better place than the one that had been responsible for teaching his sibling? The other reason was that the young Hellyni needed to test his skills in combat and he had heard rumors about many of the jedi apart of the Silver Sanctum. How they were so powerful that nearly no one dare attack their territory. They were also in possession of Sith worlds which would aid in Akhilleus’ further study into both sides of the force. The wind blew causing the black and crimson locks of Akhilleus’ hair to billow for a few seconds before resting back around his shoulders.

Closing his eyes Akhilleus took in a deep breath centering himself in the force as he waited for the one he had issued the challenge to too arrive. The man’s name was Jericho, Akhilleus only knew rumors about the force user. When the Crimson Lotus had been alive Jericho had been named Grandmaster of the order. While it had been short lived the fact that he had been named Grandmaster when there were many other Dark Jedi Masters spoke magnitudes too Jericho’s skill. Akhilleus probably had no business challenging the man, but if anything it would be a great way to test himself and learn where his skills were lacking. A singular devotion to nothing but telekinesis had left Nikias with the skill to combat Master force users… Will it be the same for me? Akhilleus thought not too sure in his own abilities.

The temple grounds that Akhilleus had picked for them to fight in was instead more akin to a field instead of an arena. The grass was freshly grown still wet with dew. It was better to fight here, if the rumors about what Jericho could do where true Akhilleus believed there would be a lot of collateral damage. On his hip sat his lightsaber and on his wrist sat the Makrosian shield. The two main weapons he would use, the ball bearings and throwing spikes he had inherited from Nikias had no place here due to their lethal nature when used.

[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

All he could hear was his own breathing, heavy and slow, the warrior's mind was clear now after the battle in the netherworld and peaceful. He felt the cool Voss air seeped slowly and calmly through the wool of his robes and under the small openings in his armor. Outside the cool and relaxed he could feel the warmth of the force around him, with the force he could feel everything around him. His four sabers hovering around him each elegantly swaying to the first four saber forms a testament to his memory in the art of battle and the blade. As the blade went in the own little play stones floated around his being constantly hovering around as if to protect the master the remained in his quiet meditation. Even at, where he considers, his home planet, the man was still a walking arsenal. On his personal armor had integrated shields made for all kinds of battling on the front lines from explosions, blaster fire and light sabers. To put some light ion the size of the mutated Lorrdian, slept two mammoth sized akk wolves laid cozy resting like the floating stones around him, protecting their master. Not too long after the force compelled someone close to him. The wolves reacted first to the smells coming from the man and moved up with a growl, but in an instant they stopped after a wave of the man's hand. Jericho turned and faced @Akhilleus looking at the young knight from head to toe, the warrior adjusted his mask and lowered his feet to the ground, though as large as he was now, there was only silence in his step towards the knight. The rocks dropped and his sabers disengaged when they did the reclipped to his belt. Jericho was much more large than his foe in the matter of reach and size. He could feel the doubt, the uncertainty, and the confusion within the young man as well as the need to test himself, maybe even prove himself, the force told Jericho many things but more could always be seen in the way one walks and one's eyes. After analyzing him the warrior began to dis arm, his shields, his extra gear and weapons leaving only his sabers on his belt, his mask, his armored robes and his leg armor. "One who decrees a match should be more focused." Jericho calmly stated. "Whatever is on your mind, clear it or use it to fuel your need for the fight."

 

[Akhilleus]

Head tilting to the side Akhilleus took in not only his opponents wide gate but the unusual appearance of four sabers. He had never known anybody too use such a large magnitude of sabers, mainly due to the focus it took to use and be aware of them at all times and how it could separate them from combat. Jericho was easily close to a foot taller than Akhilleus and far larger with a wider gait. Already building up a strategy to combat this man with Akhilleus reached out with his right hand and up from his belt snapped his saber into his waiting palm. The hilt felt cool in his hands and with a thought Akhilleus activated the saber using telekinesis. With the signature snap-hiss an orange blade extended from the hilt. “The match has not yet started. My thoughts before it are my own to deal with.” Akhilleus said extending out his left leg forward and to the side.

Placing both hands upon the saber hilt and holding it to his right side in a parry stance Akhilleus entered the brace stance of Soresu. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to rush Jericho without knowing exactly what the man was capable of, and considering the Master’s size the strength he put out would most likely outclass Akhilleus easily handing the larger man the victory. Having skipped the opening stance Akhilleus simply prepared his mind and body for the task at hand. Casting all his doubts away the Hellyni began focusing on centering himself in the currents of the force and allowing them to flow through him. Letting his peoples’ natural mental immunity do the work of sealing his mind Akhilleus cast one more glance over Jericho. Hand leaving his saber for an instant Akhilleus bent his fingers forward in a “bring it on” gesture a smile crossing his face.

[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

The monster sized human had only a calm look to him and let out a relax sigh when the young Hellyni engaged his blade, its orange light flickered on and he like the blade snapped into action. As first impressions go he was like the rest, wary and cautious against Jericho more focused on the man's size and his strength, for good reason of course. Due to his serum and gravity training his physical force was to be reckon'd with. But the boy, like many others were not so tuned with the force as they thought focused more on themselves, he could not feel as Jericho felt not sense what Jericho could sense and that would see his downfall. But in this matter, this challenge, was he test his skills in the force as well as his skill in the blade? No matter the case his Lorrdian eye would read it all. [member="Akhilleus"] assumed the soreau stance with his left foot foreword and out to the side, a wide stance meant for limited movement and maximize defense, well more to hold one's ground against an attacker in hopes for use the foe momentum and parry an attack. In doing this, [member="Akhilleus"] left him with many options for attack. Jericho could charge full on and take his bait showing an easy parry, allowing him to get cocky and end this quickly with hardy blow to his ribs or swift kick to is left knee, No, too quick, Akhilleus would only learn the taste of bitter defeat and dislike for the master; he was not an enemy to be taken down quickly after all. This match was for both to learn and train with a breath, Jericho went into his own fighting stance unique to him with his right foot foreword instead of the traditional left. Two hands opened palmed with his fingers crooked but relaxed, in this subtle movement and relax stance opened more options for attack almost like a dance. As his arm circled elegantly following each other, the flow of the force followed with a strong pressure of air around him. With blinding speed Jericho charged at the young man baiting him to strike and react out of muscle memory; Jericho predicted his reach with the length of the young man's arm and his blade. Backed from the Soreau stance it would take seconds for him to react and strike out would be, if he chose to remained centered, three feet. At that mark, the Hellyni would find Jericho lightly skip back and launch a telekinetic blast aimed for his left to throw off his defensive stance and with his back foot propel him foreword dropping his back and aiming a spinning kick aimed for his back leg, more so his thigh.

 

[Akhilleus]

Akhilleus much like his brother Nikias lacked talents in many other aspects of the force. Control being one of those which left him high and dry when facing many other force users that augmented their bodies with the force. At least it did till they learned a better way to use their telekinetic skills to fight such individuals. That usually involved gripping them in the force and thrashing them around like ragdolls but Akhilleus didn’t expect to be able to penetrate Jericho’s defenses. At least not directly or while he was paying attention. So as Jericho rapidly closed the distance in what seemed to have been less than a second Akhilleus simply stretched out with the force letting it appear as though he was still focused on saber combat.

Many times people had to use hand motions and direct eye contact to influence objects or beings with telekinesis, however Akhilleus only did it for show to hide how far down the path he truly was. Without even raising his hand or any indication those very same rocks Jericho had been levitating earlier launched from their places on the ground. Each one propelled through the force as though rounds from a slugthrower. They were nearly soundless as they shot through the air aimed for Jericho’s back. Still having to deal with the fact Jericho was upon him Akhilleus brought his blade down from the parry position to a mid-guard then lashed out with a bilateral slash aimed to cut Jericho through the midriff. This action was simply a distraction to draw the Master’s attention from the real attack that was coming their way. So with the short miscalculation Akhilleus took the brunt of the force push not even budging as he used his own telekinetic prowess to keep himself pinned in place.

[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

He could feel it the essence of the force that oozed from the younger man's presence. It was light, the flow of the force, but it was being used. Rather than showing more of his style such as dodge with flair. The warrior calmly took a deep breath. As the strike came as predicted he focused energy at the palm of his hand to stop the saber in place. Though he was still a novice at this art and the saber left is heat burned into his skin at the palm. But he did not show any pain that was made, he has felt worst. As for the incoming stones, though his eyes locked with the knight. The warrior raised his other hand, with a clench of his fist the rocks turned to sand flying into the man and the hellyni. Jericho slightly move his head in hopes that it would fly into the young warriors eyes for more a distraction. Then followed up with a punch aimed directly at the young man's face.

 

[Akhilleus]

The strike with the weapon hadn’t been intended to even truly hit Jericho, but the fact it did brought a hint of satisfaction to Akhilleus. Though the second part of his plan crumbled to dust… Literally, Jericho had turned the stones to sand it hadn’t been expected yet one couldn’t expect everything to go according to plan. With the sand coming over Jericho’s shoulder and aimed at Akhilleus he didn’t even flinch the sand dispersing millimeters from contact with the Hellyni leaving him unfazed and able to see the punch coming directly for his face.

Left hand rising from the hilt of the saber Akhilleus made one swift full bodied motion. His legs shifted to shoulders width apart bending at the knees which made him duck beneath the punch of Jericho. Then his left hand would lash out open palm in not a force empowered blow, but telekinetically powered. Just about every force user from day one was taught how to prevent direct uses of the force on themselves to keep from getting ragdolled by a superior telekinetic. However, one thing they didn’t make up for was kinetic force which the strike would deal with enough force to shatter permacrete. If the blow landed it would release a telekinetic shockwave pointblank into Jericho’s body meant to either send him hurtling back or damage internal organs. Neither of them were wet behind the ears combatants and knew their way around combat and the consequences behind it. Akhilleus also expected that they’d both know when to stop when the time came. They were not Sith who would slaughter their own brethren simply for the prestige it would offer them. Or at least Akhilleus wasn’t.

[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

The young warrior was far from inexperience in the art of combat but he was still milestones from what he could truly be and more. Jericho saw the look in the young man's eyes. [member="Akhilleus"] wish to test his limits see how far he could truly go. If that was truly the case, Jericho would make him exceed those limits and push him even harder. Yes, they were allies and death was not on the menu tonight but to test ones limit is having to push oneself mentally and physically; that was exactly what Jericho was about to do. He was going to make the young man believe this was becoming a situation of life and death situation, trigger a fight or flight response, he was after all the challenger and Jericho was renown his extremely harsh training. If one treats their students harshly how would one treat their enemy or a challenger; especially from his last attack. But Jericho would hold off on the physical aspect for the mmoment

Akhilleus' first mistake he ducked down and kept close; that left his head exposed and remained in range for open attack by Jericho's other hand and knee. He was smart to keep his saber arm stagnate, too close to use could burn himself or leave himself too open and lose an arm for the remainder of the fight either by dislocation or broken means. Now his second mistake, he only focused on the defensive and level of damage it he wage on the other though it was smart of him using a non-force ability, Jericho could not sense it but he could see it coming from ducking his strike. Jericho led battle and challenges like this, positioning and footwork. Since he ducked in a wider stance like Soreau, he couldn't kick he would only be able to use his hands to retort an attack and since his saber hand was stagnate it was the most reasonable option to assume.

Jericho positioned his foot outside and behind Akhilleus' and calmly yet swiftly outward and pushed the young mans hand inward let flow outward. The blast showing its might with the flow of tearing grass and earth. That power if hit would have sent the mast flying even with his abnormal size. Now Jericho was on the outside of his foe lead hand and saber arm, his foot pinning the young man's ankle with his heel. "Sloppy." The warrior commented calmly. "Either your mind is still divided or your skill is just lacking." Instead of attacking, Jericho would merely at salt to wound with a light push on the the man to trip him up. Being the man that he was he had looking up the information on his challenge, the new king after the death of his brother. He knew little of the relationship he and Niklas has, in truth, he knew little of Niklas outside the profiling he had within the sanctum. But maybe commenting would help jump start this little challenge. "Is this the strength of the the new king?"

 

[Akhilleus]

Jericho proved to be too proud and cocky of his own skills as while he had dodged Akhilleus’ open palmed strike instead of lashing out with his own blow he tried to pin down the Hellyni’s ankle. He had completely forgotten about how the sand had dispersed before it had touched Akhilleus, and that was because of his passive telekinetic defenses. Something that had been picked up from Ganner Rhysode’s holocron. Being able to craft a thin telekinetic shield that repelled attacks and other force attacks was nothing but a cakewalk for the past jedi and the two Hellyni had made it their business to do the same. The same way the sand hadn’t touched Akhilleus neither would Jericho’s foot glancing off the solid barrier.

Jericho had been the one to close the distance, Akhilleus wasn’t a martial artist. The entire reason for pulling out his saber was to draw the other jedi in from a distance and just like that Jericho had done what Akhilleus wanted getting closer to the telekinetic. The thing about line of sight when it came to telekinetics was a lot more than just looking at their targets. It was about feeling where they were, and knowing their location. The sun was high in the sky casting both their shadows on the ground giving away the position of Jericho. The saber in Akhilleus’ right hand would leap from his palm with a mind of its own aimed with a slash for where Jericho’s neck would be according to the shadow before quickly changing position turning from a slash to a thrust at the Lorridian’s chest. The barrier wasn’t a stressful technique to keep up so it wasn’t even stressful for the young Hellyni to control the saber and keep the barrier raised. It was why he wasn’t scared of taking a hit from the Master force user.

[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

A thin layer of kinetic energy constantly focused throughout the entire being? That was not only a rare ability but a formidable one as well. Jericho failed to realized the young man's extent and his light attack was easily countered. But he learning more quickly about this opponent. His strengths and his weaknesses....Also whether or not the young man was realizing it; his personality. When in the fray he did not allow idle taunts to get to him.

Was it because he wasn't close to his brother? Possibly. Was it because the stress of high responsibility? Maybe. Was it because he felt free when in battle? Probably not. Was it because the kinetic ability had? Did it limit him to focus only on the barrier and not anything else? What were those limit? Did he feel mental strain when damage would be applied? Time to test that. No matter the combatant and what they learned there was something that tweaked them, this included himself.

The young warrior once again continued his attack. Between a more straight foreword attack it was easy for jericho to spot the flying orange blades movement and quickly dodged the blades attack. In retort Jericho picked up a few pebbles and with his super human strength flicked them at the young man. The with a closed fist made them hardened as strong as steel. If hit by all three it would feel like being hit by a speeder going 50m\s.

[member="Akhilleus"]

 

[Akhilleus]

Hellyni were born for war and battle, it was nearly their entire being. They even began entering combat before they fully started entering puberty. It was a cruel way to treat ones’ people but it forged them into the warriors needed on the battlefield. Taunting was pointless to them, giving in to the taunts of an enemy simply led to working oneself up and becoming clumsy in your own efforts. It was better to just drown it all out. Akhilleus instead focused on his heartbeat, the beats creating a rhythm unique to him as the battle continued. Speaking in combat was another thing that just about all Hellyni were taught about in their youth. Never waste your time on words when you could instead spend it strategizing a better way to defeat your opponents.

Having still been turned away from Jericho, Akhilleus was going solely off the actions that he saw through their shadows to figure out how to act next. If it had been night such a strategy wouldn’t work, unless of course there was a moon. He saw the quick motion of Jericho moving to pick up the pebbles, and without a way to enhance his body like many others he had to already begin moving. Pivoting on his feet Akhilleus stretched out his left arm and with a thought the Makrosian shield that sat upon it activated smacking directly into the pebbles and disintegrating them. Nothing but a regular lightshield but with a far greater size than most, the Makrosian shield served many purposes in combat. Jericho had dodged the first strike from the saber and it continued to fly past for a few millimeters before quickly spiraling backwards aimed for the Lorridian’s back before another shift of direction brought it down at the back of his legs in an attempt to force the man into jumping. Even then this was another feint as if Jericho jumped the saber would curve upwards to stab at him.

As quickly as the shield had made its appearance it was gone once again shrinking into the wristmounted gauntlet that Akhilleus wore. A surprise tool for just such occasions to serve as a defense when no other choice was there. Or at least when one didn’t want to use what else they had at their disposal.

[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

Jericho's heart rate was irregular compare to the average near-human or human heart. It raced at almost twice the pace due to his superhuman serum, it was incredible that it was as stable as it was. The old warrior was not born into war as many others were merely raised in it and though he did not admit it to himself, the warrior thrived in it. The challenge, the thrill, it made the warrior feel so alive he has been to a great many battles and battled alongside the army of light, the silvers, the sanctum, the republic and many others. There were many times he had faced death himself and yet the ties of life still string him along like its puppet putting him through battle after grueling battle. The old warrior never complained merely adapted, became strong after match he has been in, even though he was considered a master, the old warrior was always learning something new from every one of his opponents this included [member="Akhilleus"] . As the saber continue its flight, Jericho could feel it radiating heat and did his own pivot to dodge and as the saber again rose up to stab him. The old warrior once again focused energy to form at his palm to stop the saber at the tip of its light orange blade. The young man's master over telekinesis was proving to be quite formidable and his focus was deadly in tuned but to what? Just purely on the want of defeat his foe? No he was a much more skilled than that. No matter, Jericho would just keep on turning up the pressure, With a light breath the warrior pressed his back foot into the ground even without increasing his natural speed with the force. Jericho cleared the space between the two and raise a hand to feint a wide hay maker only to aim a knee towards his torso. More to see just how much pressure the shield and the force energy could handle before crumbling his concentration. If this attack connects the younger warrior would see just how much of a gap was between two were in the matter of physical strength. WIth the super soldier serum coursing through his veins, training as the ridiculous 1000x gravity and the many hand to hand combat styles.

(sorry for taking so long tor reply 80 week last week and technical difficulties.)

 

[Akhilleus]

This battle was a lesson for Akhilleus in how to deal with opponents not only physically stronger than himself but specialized in martial arts as well other portions of the force that the young Hellyni had never used, nor probably would. By solely dedicating himself to telekinesis it offered him numerous options in combat, but also limited him in terms of the force when facing other foes. This didn’t dishearten the dark jedi, it simply made him strive to be better. Maybe one day he’d focus on one more force ability but it wasn’t today. Taking careful note of the movements of Jericho and how he once again caught the blade with the palm of his hand Akhilleus wondered what were the maximum extents of such an ability? Just how much could that person absorb before they found themselves overwhelmed? Something to perhaps test later but no reason letting it go on.

With a thought the saber was flung away deactivating orange blade withdrawing into the hilt. IF this were a play Akhilleus considered this still being act one, neither of those fighting had fully displayed all they could do or the tricks up their sleeves. Tucking in for a long fight Akhilleus began moving keeping his eye on not the fist but on Jericho’s whole body. IT was something you learned to do in lightsaber combat. What appeared to be an attack could simply be a ploy to lower your guard to the unexpected. In fact, that was a common staple in all combat forms and it was something Akhilleus had to learn without the ability to amplify his body. He also couldn’t block a blasterbolt like regular force users, no he had to look at where they would possibly shoot then block. That was why he had developed not only the barrier but used the shield.

So at the twitch that came from the leg as a knee was about to be released Akhilleus leaned reacted first bringing his right fist straight down into the knee a telekinetic bubble wrapped around the limb. The thing about the knee was that it had many different portions some that were all to easily damaged by kinetic force. On impact the bubble would pop releasing the telekinetic wave point blank into Jericho’s knee with enough force to easily shatter permacrete.

[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

Jericho let out a mental sigh as felt a kinetic blast focused and around his knee, you think he'd learned by now, well in a way he has. Though the pain was real, his cybernetics were not real as in terms of organic material such as flesh, though again, it was cybernetics it was still connected to his nerves that kept healing so he could understand the pain and address it. Once more, they were just cybernetics on the feeling of damage the warriors leg literally popped off and as the young hellyni remained focused on the blast he once again left himself open for a close ranged attack. The warrior felt the pain unlike most Jedi or other warriors really, he didn't ignore the pain he relished it; it was the only thing that made him feel human. The rush of adrenaline, the rush that the body gave to tell one that is still alive and triggered a response. In this close of range Jericho aimed for a three hit combo one hook punch aimed for the face a right uppercut to the rib cage and continued his foreword momentum with a shoulder blast. As he fell his leg to blast itself back and latch itself back into place with a foreword step he place his foot and ended his combination strike with a point blank strike attack with his elbow to the young man's sternum unleashing a blast from his elbow, showing his own unique ability nothing particularly special just something he learned to do from intense training.

[member="Akhilleus"]