In Our Best Interests

[Vestille Thumahra]

Vestille Thumahra​

---

---

​

---

Harper's Respite, Bastion​

Objective: Meet with [member="Darth Maliphant"]​

​

It hadn't been long since the news was sent out regarding the recent promotion that his duties started; more or less the moment he left the ceremony.

An invitation had been sent by a member of the Sith, a Darth no less; a rarity that Vestille felt that would become only more common with his new position, sitting as one of a select few that oversaw entire operations with thousands of men under their command. It had been a long and bloody journey, the time spent within the Galactic Empire and Sovereignty and what the past had shaped him into should have seemed like a distant memory but every night it came back to haunt him; Dagobah, Zenith Prime, Dubrllion, Cadomai Prime, Skor II, Nathema, Florn-- It was these that had given birth to the monster that resided within and shaped it into the manifestation that released when shrouded in darkness. Vestille was his own worst enemy, seeking to keep himself pushing forward and dedicated to his work and keeping himself amidst the blood and fire of war and yet never said a word when it came to his personal life or difficulties he was facing; the beast taking hold more and more every day.

He needed help, even if he didn't acknowledge it. A day would come where he would snap and the beast would consume him whole.

Such thoughts were quickly dismissed as his transport took him to a canyon, the coordinates as to where this meeting would take place. At first, there seemed to be nothing other than the red rocks and the domain of nature that surrounded them but as the transport took a dive and intended to go deeper into the canyon; the rounded architecture came to view; the estate was flashy, showing that a good amount of wealth had been poured into it but Vestille could also see the appeal in the location and the fact that in such a confined space and the elevation any potential large scale force would find little to no room to gain access to the estate grounds and even then, there was no doubt the in-house security to deal with. As the General's dropship took to the designated landing zone in the public hangar and had herself secured by the automated docking crew, the General stepped off the Ph-Class Transport and into the hangar, awaiting whatever greeting that was to be given.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

_____________________________

The beauty of connections.

Maliphant watched with a cup of oolong like tea in hand, it's almost musical notes of flavor wafting through the air to his nose. The beauty was it was that it awakened the user, helped sharpen their senses and bring them to an alertness, though the effects were moderately meager compared to many’s preferred method of Stims. Still, Maliphant had the mental block that forbid such drug use, so he simply drank tea to compensate; unknowing that much of that influence was the result of mental manipulation.

As General Thumahra stepped from his ship, allowing the automated docking feature to soon store his transport, Maliphant made his move to walk out of the airlock towards him, offering nothing more than a smile. He was dressed in a relatively tight fitting fitness outfit the likes of a professional athlete might utilize during training, matte black in nature with straight geometric lines of a different shade helping to accent his form. Each step showed some confidence in this, as each step finally brought them together.

With a hand quickly outstretched, Maliphant quickly moved to greet the General of the Imperial Military;

“A pleasure to meet you, General Thumahra. My name is Darth Maliphant, as I’m sure you’ve heard through my invitation.”, The Sith said with what seemed to be an amiable smile.


[member="Vestille Thumahra"]

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Vestille Thumahra​

---

---

​

---

Harper's Respite, Bastion​

Objective: Meet with [member="Darth Maliphant"]​

​

The outstretched hand was met with the General's own, a firm shake followed.

"The feeling is mutual." the General stated, his voice carrying the usual air of authority that one could expect from a figure of significant standing but added atop such was a manner of zeal. Vestille was no man but a machine housing a beast of war and misery; a living, breathing example of how experimental programs and indoctrination could remove the impurities of human conditioning and replace it with merciless programming designed to put the needs and loyalties to order and doctrine above all else. In truth, hidden behind it all was the internal struggle for change; a blazing inferno of East meets West on the alignment of sanity, order and due process holding the line against the chittering, rabid chaos and desire for endless bloodshed and war to sate the primal urges for eternity. Cordial existence was a fruitless dream but, at least for now, mild cooperation was at least held together with duct tape and glue. It wouldn't last and the General understood this but finding the right help? It was difficult, especially as the rumors of the General being possessed by some sort of demon had spread like wildfire since the operation on Florn; the men followed him nevertheless but it was clear that they were scared by him, worried that one false move would irk the beast that lay within.

Suffice to say, it needed to be addressed. Now was not the time, however.

Having dispensed with the pleasantries, the hand that had shaken that of Darth Maliphant's returned to his side; "I doubt you summoned me here for a mere handshake and idle chat. What was it you wished to discuss?" the question was ever direct but the attire that the Darth had chosen to don for this meeting did raise some suspicions; it could have been simply that the Darth had been training prior to his arrival but with how quickly the Darth had been to see to his arrival in addition to the fact that the Darth didn't seem to show any signs of physical exertion did suggest that his visit was to involve some form of physical venture. Regardless than saying anything, the General simply awaited the response; any questions he had would no doubt be answered soon enough.

Or so he would assume.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

_____________________________

“A man with focus, just as I expected from our military’s newest General.”, Maliphant said with a small laugh, only to curb it somewhat quickly and continuing;

“Infact, I wanted to discuss with you something my company made; a training droid I’d like your permission to sell to the Sith Empire’s upper command, though I’d hardly bring you all the way here for just a business parlay. No, I want you to see the droid in action, for yourself, and if you’re up to it; see what it can do through me, its number one pupil.”, he said with a smile before motioning the general to follow.

As the two walked, they didn’t take the usual route most went, through the home itself, instead veering off to a second stairwell and moving to a small cut out in the cliffside, giving way to a second internal fighting arena meant for when the storms on Bastion kicked up. Within, there were series of lockers, showers, even a distant armory and gun range all within sight; though Maliphant seemed to ignore more of these as he moved to a side room with softer floors and easily identifiable training tools along the wall, from busts to wooden pegged dummies.

Maliphant quietly tapped on the wall’s nearest computer, forcing two doors to open, within each a relatively human like droid stood, only to step out in a very fluid, life like motion; a sign that it carried very advanced servo motors. It looked very human like, though instead of skin it simply carried metallic fibres that moved with its motions, as though they simulated muscle; likely an intentional design.

“These are the TD-21 ‘Misini’ Class Training Droid, General. They know every form of lightsaber combat, every training method, and more unarmed combat techniques you can shake a stick at; including Tera Kasi, Echani, and even Prismatic Self Defense, all for the sake of training our empire’s elite.”

The Sith quietly turned to face the general once more, giving him a proud smile.

“Would you like to give them a shot?”

[member="Vestille Thumahra"]

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Vestille Thumahra​

---

---

​

---

Harper's Respite, Bastion​

Objective: Meet with [member="Darth Maliphant"]​

​

Certainly an offer that caught the General's interest.

He had followed along and listened carefully, each step holding a purposeful stride and his hands had remained firmly behind his back as the Darth escorted him through the various hallways and stairwells that made up Maliphant's home; giving everything a casual inspection-- It was no doubt clear that this estate was the Darth's pride a joy, a lot of care put into the decoration and the wealth contained within but the General was not a man of fine tastes and living a life of luxury; it was a life that he couldn't afford to slip into but not for the fact of the restraints of wealth but rather his mental psyche. Nevertheless, it wasn't until the pair had made it to the fighting area and the supporting facilities that his attention and interest finally picked up. The Darth's array of facilities and training equipment was both ample and impressive; giving Vestille a different view to the Darth as opposed to the first impressions that lay upstairs. Maliphant appeared to have every base covered when it came to personal training of both himself, his apprentices and beyond.

And the crowning piece? The droid that stepped from beyond the two doors that opened.

The General took a moment to admire the craftsmanship of the droid as well as the moments that it seemed to demonstrate. Some models of droids were janky and slow but this one seemed to carry itself with a sense of reality to its movements; replicated from organic life to an exceptional standard. As the Darth presented the overview, Vestille listened carefully and gave a firm nod; "Impressive." came the first verdict as the General took a few steps closer and started to circle the droid, taking a very thorough and analytical approach to viewing the product that the Darth was now showcasing. Eventually, however, Vestille's head turned towards Maliphant; "Talk me over the specifications, if you will. I'm sure you can understand that I am not the sort to buy and happily have things break within a week; I want it to last."

He would fight soon enough, at the suggestion of the Darth no less; allowing himself to indulge and get his fix of the adrenaline that his body craved with limitless desire; business however came first.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

_____________________________

“If you wish…”, Maliphant said as he felt a bit more comfortable in the General’s hopeful attention.

His moves were quick as he seemed to glide across the room to the droid, tapping away at its internal computer before closing the hatch to its back place; letting it move freely once more. As the droid lowered itself into a Teras Kasi form, Maliphant began to speak;

“The droid is made of durasteel in its frame, making it lightweight and affordable for general production and use, and can certainly take the strikes of all but the strongest fighters.”, he said with some joy.

The droid followed in suit, not in joy so much as a sudden, lightning fast strike the likes of all but a master could perform. It ripped through the air and came to a sudden stop at nothing, a dry strike as it began to move through one of the hardest cadences known to Teras Kasi as a form; the result of motion capturing all but the most secretive of masters. After the first strike, it began to move through the room, strike after strike, pose after pose, all amplified by Maliphant’s words;

“It contains a heuristic processor to adapt to any situation, a gabonna memory crystal to hold the extreme levels of detail found in each form, and a state of the art tutor program made by Blackwell Industries with the advisement of some of the largest and most renowned universities in the galaxy.”, he said as the droid ripped through another set of strikes and kicks before seeming to settle in a one footed balanced form, only to begin to twist on its ankle throw its airborne heel around in a series of strikes that would have easily broken the skull of a normal man;

“Its muscle fibers are designed to mimic that of a human being, its flexibility on par with that of a master acrobat. Each of the fibers are made up of composite carbons that allow for an extreme tensile strength for strikes, and enough flexibility to be realistic; with as few true servo motors as are possible.”

As Maliphant finished, the droid too quit, coming back to its original position and simply bowing to the General, a noble form of respect, even for a droid.

“What do you think?”, Maliphant said with a wide grin.

[member="Vestille Thumahra"]

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Vestille Thumahra​

---

---

​

---

Harper's Respite, Bastion​

Objective: Meet with [member="Darth Maliphant"]​

​

The display of the droid's fluidity and flexibility sure enough provided the selling point it needed.

With a nod, the General took a moment to gaze at the droid that had performed the elegant dance that its master had ordered at the request to present a insightful demonstration before looking back to Darth Maliphant; "You've proved your point." he began, gesturing to the droid with a hand that came from his back; "I can see ample possibilities of utilizing this thing to train the Legion's Special Operations Forces, at least to start off with--" the hand that gestured to the droid soon returned to his back once more as the ever-present professionalism shifted into a question directed at the Darth; "I have a few other questions regarding the capabilities of this droid, call it scoping out potential utilities. You said the droid is capable of demonstrating and utilizing every lightsaber form as well as 'countless' hand-to-hand techniques and systems--" he paused for a moment as he'd look to the droid expectantly before he continued; "What about other forms of combat? Can this thing handle other weapons? If this droid is a potential tool to train the Empire's elite, it'll need to do more than just train them how to handle a lightsaber user or proficient hand-to-hand enemy."

Vestille hoped that this set of questions would lead to the explanation of the other functions of the droid, specifically for the potential use as opponents in simulations and war-games for not only his men but for the greater Legion itself. In the General's mind, he saw a great number of uses for this droid, provided it fit the specifications that he had in mind. It'd certainly keep the elite on their toes, provide them with not only a capable opponent but also a device to aid them in their ceaseless drive to learn new skills and techniques that would no doubt become useful in the situations they would find themselves thrown into in the name of the Sith Empire. Yet, if this droid had the capacity to operate ballistic weaponry and be uploaded with varying doctrines and directives; the narrow field of usefulness would expand ten-fold and beyond. The countless simulations, facilities and scenarios that could be powered by these droids would no doubt give new recruits and veterans alike a run for their money.

All he needed was an answer. It would make or break this deal.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

_____________________________

Pondering the question, Maliphant’s finger tapped gently against his chin in thought before coming to an answer;

“Yes, I suppose they could.”, he said as the schematics ran back through his own mind.

“The programming within their Soresu programing should allow it to compete against regular forces in terms of fighting force users, though it should have the secondary ability of allowing it to hold weaponry outside of its customary training lightsaber or even stun blaster.”, he continued.

“Add in its heuristic processor, which allows active learning protocol, and the gabonna memory crystal. Yes, it should be able to compensate for any tactical situation you’d require.”, he said with a proud grin.

The droids were the first, and arguably best, droid that did what it was meant to do; and the first product of Jaeger Solutions. This meant that the droid was capable of far more than the traditional market equivalent, which made for a certainly sought after product; and as Maliphant considered to what ends it was actually capable of, he realized that so long as it was in a controlled short term environment, it could do almost anything required of it with a very human nature to it.

With that now cemented in both their minds, Maliphant turned to face the General, waiting for his next question or answer; knowing full and well the droid would sell itself no matter what was required.


[member="Vestille Thumahra"]

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Vestille Thumahra​

---

---

​

---

Harper's Respite, Bastion​

Objective: Meet with [member="Darth Maliphant"]​

​

It was a start, at least.

Following Darth Maliphant's answer, General Thumahra nodded his head as he gave a few moments to ponder over what could only be guessed as the offer that he was about to make. It would no doubt take time to distribute the droids to training facilities within Sith Empire space and even yet, he wouldn't want to start pushing upon this idea without trials first. The product may tick all the boxes on the factory floor but Vestille wasn't about to take the plunge by going all-in straight away. Selective testing with various units was the first step and it was a simple task of simply building upon it from there. There was also the other Generals to consider and then the very top of the brass itself, the General of the Legion. To bring this to his attention and get approval for widespread deployment would no doubt rely on the data collected from the testing phase. If the Darth's droids were as capable as he said they were, there would be little doubt to be put in the way of the results and soon enough the droids would find themselves commonplace in training facilities across Sith Empire territory.

There were simply just a few hoops to jump through first.

It didn't take very long for the General to begin speaking once more; "We'll start small, my lord. I'll take a hundred of these droids with varying programming and spread them among training facilities for testing. Should things go well--" the General paused as he brought up his wrist, starting to tap into his wrist-mounted tacpad to process the information and send it along to the required recipients; "--I'm sure the General of the Legion will have no qualms with implementing them as standard training equipment." with the information sent along, the arm was lowered as the General's attention was placed back onto the Darth once more; "I ask only your price and how long it'll take for you to deliver the droids."

Businessman was soon to be added to Vestille's ever-growing portfolio.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

_____________________________

Maliphant crossed his arms, offering a soft hum as he considered a valid asking price. Truth was, he already knew, but to make it seem like he was considering what might be a valid option gave at least some respectable bargaining platform to begin upon. All in the days work of the savant suave, it seemed. Only then did Maliphant turn to Thumahra, his smile overshadowed by the harshness of his corrupted golden gaze, which seemed to bear down on the general with an ever expanding influence;

“Being a limited production model, heavily in part because of the research and development…”, he began to say.

“I’d say a fair pricing point for The Sith Empire would be about eighteen five, a piece. That should recuperate production losses, and allow for healthy room to produce more.”, he said with a smile.

Maliphant too, turned to type on a computer with a few touches of the finger, bringing up some unknown menu before closing it all down, now turning to Vestille once more;

“As far as delivery, I have all the infrastructure in place to provide a hundred of the droids in less than a week. How does this sound?”

[member="Vestille Thumahra"]

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Vestille Thumahra​

---

---

​

---

Harper's Respite, Bastion​

Objective: Meet with [member="Darth Maliphant"]​

​

It all took now was a handshake.

"You have an agreement, my Lord. I'll have the credits requested and sent to your account as soon as possible. I'll send you the drop-off point and handle distribution from there on in. Should all go well," the General nodded his head to affirm the statement; "I'm sure you'll be hearing from me much more frequently." the tone of Vestille's voice was never one to shift to a pleasant tone unless it was absolutely vital; this was not one of those times. The man appeared more of a machine of war than a person clad in armor; political and martial doctrines drilled so far deep into his mind that all resemblance of knowledge of social interaction could be visualized as a set of protocols rather than a natural flow of human speech. Nevertheless, the deal had been struck and the start of what would potentially be a fruitful partnership between Darth Maliphant and the Sith Empire.

However, the General felt an itch, a curiosity that needed to be sated. There was a significant amount of wealth that had been poured into the training facilities here and he wasn't the type to go intruding without invitation. Something about the Darth himself actually led Vestille to believe that the Darth had something more to suggest or comment on, perhaps even provide something to give his visit to the Darth's estate longevity. From his demeanor, Darth Maliphant appeared the type to make friends out of those that he conducted dealings with; whilst Vestille wasn't one for kinship and friendly relations, associates and allies when it came to avenues of difficulty and assistance was not to go amiss. With the talks concluded, the General awaited what was to happen next.

The beast gave a snarl, a gentle budge against its restraints. Maybe the Darth picked up on the ominous presence emanating from the General himself. It was, after all, not a subtle creature. Perhaps he had heard the rumors? It gave something Vestille to be wary about, at the very least.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

_____________________________

1.8 million credits, just like that. Wasn’t the government wonderful?

Maliphant couldn’t help but break a smile as he looked towards Vestille, filled with a joy that originated in his ever expanding bank account more than anything else; but that didn’t stop him from shaking the general’s hand, though there was certainly more to be said about their meeting. As the Sith let go, he quickly began to speak to hold the General’s attention;

“Another thing, General. I didn’t bring you here just for the sake of the droids…”, he said as he moved to the droid and pressed a few buttons before it wandered off to recharge it batteries.

“I actually wished to come to a mutual respect with you in combat. An Echani tradition, perhaps, but I think men such as us could learn a lesson or two from such…”, Maliphant continued as he wandered across the training room, only to turn back to the commander.

“General, I’d like to ask your permission to test what I’ve heard in whispers, of your combat prowess. It's not often a conventional soldier can hold up against a Sith in melee combat, but… I’d still like to see what you can do.”, Maliphant said with a wink.

“Are you game, General? Winner gets their choice of bottle from my liquor cabinet, and it has many choices…”

[member="Vestille Thumahra"]

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Vestille Thumahra​

---

---

​

---

Harper's Respite, Bastion​

Objective: Meet with [member="Darth Maliphant"]​

A challenge it was to be, then.

The General silently thought over the proposition for a moment; the reward of alcohol was completely useless on the man, any enticement that might have ensnared an individual was simply deflected by Thumahra's professional demeanor that acted as much as armor and a monument to willpower than any physical set of protection could provide. Akin to a dog raising its ear at something worthwhile to eavesdrop upon, the beast stirred and preyed upon the decisions that the General sought to make. In truth, it was to be a beneficial agreement for all parties; the Sith would get his verification of Vestille's talent and in return, the drug that could only be produced by means of conflict would sate the hungers of man and beast alike, that desire to fight and bleed not only the enemy or opponent but themselves, too. Pain was a driving motivator and with the ceaseless torment of mental anguish, it was a sensation that the General had become accustomed to on a level that most would reason or equal to insanity. A test to prove his worth, a chance to utilize Darth Maliphant's training facilities-- The answer was decided within a matter of moments.

"Very well, my Lord. You shall have your fight."

The beast snickered with delight, the General feeling the seething growl of hungry teeth within.

"Lead the way."

 

[Darth Empyrean]

_____________________________

“No need.”, he said with a smile as he moved to grab a roll of bandages and tape from a concealed container in the wall. He tossed the same to Vestille as he began to wrap his own hands. The purpose was to reduce fractures in the microbones in the hand, though no doubt both of the fighters had a serious amount of fractures that increased their strength, it was still best to stop any further breaks that might occur.

Just as the tape had a purpose, so too did the offer of alcohol. In truth it was simply a matter of giving a reason for the fight, dodging around the issue of testing each other and finding common ground on the battlefield. Besides, a prize never hurt the odds.

When Maliphant was done, he used the force to work the two pieces of equipment back into their small storage hole before offering the General a smile;

“Don’t worry General, I won’t use The Force.”, he said with a nod before lowering himself in a Teras Kasi position.

It was renowned for being utilized against force users, but that was only because of how deadly the martial art actually was. In truth, it was well adjusted to any situation, and Maliphant knew that, but if Thumahra knew that was still left to chance.

“Ready whenever you are.”, he said as he waited for the General to strike first.


[member="Vestille Thumahra"]

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Vestille Thumahra​

---

---

​

---

Harper's Respite, Bastion​

Objective: Meet with [member="Darth Maliphant"]​

​

So it began.

As the Darth prepared himself for the fight ahead, the General did so in kind-- The armor was stripped away, the bodysuit beneath remaining as the only piece of attire that Vestille wore as he prepared to go toe to toe with the man who seemed to favor finesse and agility over raw power. As the protective plating was stripped and revealed a figure that carried war not as a plague but as a vital component to its very being. Surgical scars and the augmentations beneath were made evident, remnants of a program and a family that had long since perished. Everything that the General had been was lost, any semblance of homeland or relatives crushed firmly under the feet of walkers and the boots of soldiers. Humanity was something that could have been, the occasional flicker of something beyond the state of being that longed for the fire and blood of conflict always found itself snuffed out. Perhaps, deep down, the General was afraid to allow such emotions and states of mind to sprout and take hold-- Perhaps it was the work of something sinister? It wasn't exactly clear. As Maliphant stated he would not use the force, the General emitted a low grumble.

"If you want to see what I am capable of. Do not hold back. Reluctance breeds reluctance."

And it was with that which threw the General at the Darth; Teras Kasi or not, the General was just as trained in hand-to-hand as his opponent, the shift from combat unit to combat unit flying different banners each time may have drawn away from some, hampered some of their ability or knowledge but to Vestille, it only proved to snowball and add to such with every move down a new path. The Galactic Empire had brought him asymmetrical warfare and the basics and from there everything else added to the collective knowledge of the man who kept himself hidden within his shell. There was a fury in his eyes, mixed in with the sense of apathy and stern professionalism, as if that even though this was to be a friendly spar, the thirst for blood and another kill to add to his name as apparent as the fact that despite everything that he had become and embraced, behind the black and red, he was still just a normal human being-- Even if he himself never saw it as such.

It was a cheetah against a dragon and he was ready to breathe fire.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

_____________________________

As Vestille launched himself outwards, Maliphant witnessed the first instance of his extreme amount of experience. Even the first movement send echoe’s through the force he couldn’t avoid, no matter how much he had promised not to utilize it in their duel; it spoke on the darkness in the heart, the hunger he felt, and how he had separated himself from mortality for the sake of war. His mortal soul was locked deep behind layers of constructed apathy, a man who hid from morality for the sake of his sanity; knowing all too well that all he had done would never sit well with a man who could sympathize with all that would await him in the Netherworld.

That didn’t stop Maliphant however, from brushing the punch aside, a simple maneuver for a readied Teras Kasi adept such as himself; though he imagined Vestille was doing it for the sake of testing him. It was a quick jab surely, but testing your opponent before fully engaging in a fight was something every Sith learned, something every warrior was taught at a young age, and perhaps Vestille exuded more of The Sith than he cared to admit. He worked for them, but their traits came out in the form of his aggression.

“If you push me, then I promise I’ll use all at my disposal.”, he said during his maneuvers, a second challenge for the General. He didn’t doubt his strategic understanding, but he wandered how far he could push a trained Sith in hand to hand combat.

Afterall, it was Mandalorians that had once upon a time established the idea of beating Jedi to death in hand to hand combat rather than shooting them down.

As an almost immediate response, as Maliphant side stepped the strike towards his jaw, his hand came up with a brutal intensity. It was not force enhanced, but it was certainly a strike worth shaking a stick at, as it uppercutted not to Vestille’s face nor body, but for the inside of the bicep where the artery ran down his arm. Lightning fast, he’d strike and pull back, pushing Vestille aside as he backed up and waited again.

If it struck, Vestille would notice and almost immediate debilitation to his body as a whole. The artery served as a pressure point, and the shock of physical trauma to that position was enough to knock most dedicated soldiers to their feet in a mixture of pain and the nervous system shock; very likely to slow him down for much of the fight from this point out if bad enough. It served as a precise movement, just as Vestille had predicted;

Maliphant was orientated for speed and finesse, yet the strike didn’t lack power by any means.


[member="Vestille Thumahra"]

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Vestille Thumahra​

---

---

​

---

Harper's Respite, Bastion​

Objective: Fight with [member="Darth Maliphant"]​

​

No bars restricted their movements; good.

As predicted, the invitation to throw safety from the sparring arena had been met and accepted and, whilst the first strike had been ultimately just a test to see what the Darth was capable of, the retaliation that followed was surely a formidable one. As Darth Maliphant lashed out with his lightning fast attack, a strike aimed directly for a pressure point with the intent to knock the General down and leave him weakened for the rest of the fight, Vestille was ready. Of course, the Darth no doubt spent a lot more time honing his skills in the school of hand-to-hand more than the General ever did; the skill-gap was most likely apparent between Master and Expert but the difference in skill was more than made up in the man that held it. Although the strike had been lightning fast, Vestille had twisted himself and created an even smaller target for the directed strike, ensuring that whilst it certainly connected, the desired effect was perhaps not as extreme as the Darth had intended. The pressure point had been struck, a glancing hit rather than a full on strike and whilst even that would bring most dedicated soldiers to their knees, Vestille was no ordinary soldier-- Nor was he a simple man. As the pain rushed through his body, rather than submit to it, he welcomed it; the signs of a man who did not fear the jaws of the abyss and the pain that one had to endure to reach it flowed through him. A deep roar echoed from his core, a primal flashing of teeth suggesting that both he and whatever resided within him felt the factory of adrenaline begin to kick in.

This was no spar, anymore-- The trauma of constant warfare ensuring that combat could not be pretended or mocked, it was a simple case of life or death, victory or defeat. The Darth was no longer a sparring partner, he was an enemy... And that left only one choice.

As he was pushed to the side and Maliphant waited, he could no doubt see the shift in tone within the General's eyes; the neutral, focused demeanor twisted and mutated into a desire for bloodshed and slaughter, a primal hint possessing what was once calm and focused. The charge came again but this time, it showed tactics mixed with ferocity. Rather than a simple hit, Vestille went to grapple not just one arm but both of the Darth's extensions of his martial skill and, rather bluntly, throw him across the room into a wall with a hybrid of strength and speed. Whilst this served to cause damage, the general throw served more or less to stun the Darth and put him in a position of recovery so that the next move could be followed up without difficulty. Maliphant found himself within a room containing a chimera, something that had been friendly now turned into a demon that sought to sate its desires-- Was this intentional? Was Vestille even aware of what was happening to him? Perhaps not. One thing was for certain, however--

Something wicked this way comes.