Rendili Bladework Tournament, Round 1: Droid Destruction! [Open to Spectators]

[HK-36]

[member="Jeff Solaris"],


With scrape and cranking of the gears the heavy metal door begun to lift up and so the light started to flood into the dark corridor where HK awaited for the match to begin. His grip tightened around the lightsaber hilt he held in his right hand.

As the gate opened the gust of wind hit him, the air was dry and dusty, the arena featureless outside of the hard sandy ground. The droid stepped forward into the light and so the roar of the cheering crowds erupted as HK came into sight, he looked up, watching the gathered people and saw his image on the large monitors on the sides, his dull red photoreceptors contrasting his grey metal body.

He wore no additional armor during the tournament, it was forbidden, nothing outside of his own metal body, simple grey cloak, and the gallery of prepared weapons he brought with himself, during this fight, however, he brought only twin practice swords which hanged off of his back and his white-blade lightsaber.

The Sliver of Light, his favored weapon which he used only as a training lightsaber, he swore an oath it will never be anything more, never shall the lightsaber burn through another being, always it will be in training setting.


His cloak fluttered as he looked across the field at his opponent, a being called Jeff Solaris, HK's scanners penetrated the being's body, scanned the structure.
He knew an HRD droid when he saw one, after all HK used many of those models, and constructed even more.

So it was a test who was the better droid then, HK raised the hilt of his saber in a battlestance of Djem-So as he still moved forward towards the middle of the arena.

He knew HRD's and he knew that they had greater physical limitations than conventional droid bodies, their bodies were not designed for combat but for blending-in, their mechanical muscles were smaller, to make the bodies appear more natural. In physique HK had advantage, it was a question whether his combat knowledge would be greater as well.


HK waited in the middle of the arena, the cheers and roars of spectators echoing around the arena, he waited for his opponent to join him in the arena and for the match to begin.

 

[Warren Century]

At first Jeff had to admit he was hesitant. But Suvian could use the publicity. Plus this droid probably needed an adjustment to his logic circuits in the shape of a powerful beat down. Skill was a problem though. Grabbing a lightsaber from where they kept the ones that were permanently on stun, Jeff made sure that it was not on any stronger a setting. His disadvantages would come in the matter of strength and speed. His droid muscles were not up to snuff, and the opponent obviously new it. What form was he using? Jeff had never studied lightsaber combat.

This fight was going to be one where he was at a severe disadvantage. Not only was he physically weaker than the droid, but his body was older as well which led to all sorts of problems. A new body would have been a good idea to transfer into before this. But now he had no choice but to battle it out without any sort of upgrade or enhancement to his body. Later he'd see about building some devices of Suvian into himself. Relentlessly Jeff rushed forward, slashing furiously with the training lightsabers he had picked up one per hand. His style was wild, uncontrolled and somewhat undisciplined, not that of a skilled swordsman but someone who was new to wielding light-sabers.

Suvian needed the publicity and win or lose it would have it. Jeff was not in any armor, but wearing clothes. Clothes that he had spent a good deal of credits on. Clothes he would later have to replace. It was something he wished he had not done. As he got close to the HK-36 unit he feinted with a slash at the mid section with one hand, and then slashed at the head with the other hand. Hopefully this would catch him off guard, and allow him to get some of the points.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Jeff Solaris"]

And so his opponent rushed at him and begun to swing the lightsabers wildly, more like a child with a stick than a duelist. HK wondered the wisdom behind joining a tournament like this without any skill in sword or lightsaber combat as he switched from Djem So style to more compact and protective Soresu stance.

He flicked a switch of his lightsaber and it erupted with its wide blade, light side emanating from the defensive tool as he gripped it with both of his hands.

In quick, calculated movements, and the iconic zaps and whooshes of lightsaber, Jeff's attacks were blocked aside, the droid's eyes cold and dull as ever, in his vision Jeff moved slowly, the trajectory of his sabers and limbs tracked with the advanced droid components and programs, one slash was blocked aside, so was the other, third, with the fourth HK leaned back, letting the lightsaber swoosh through the empty air, soon enough blocked by lightsaber once more.

Finally, seeing an opening in the wild furry, HK moved his saber in a quick flick, a precise Makashi disarming technique, aimed at one of Jeff's lightsabers, with one of them done HK would have much easier job of completely disarming his opponent, he would be halfway there after all!


Meanwhile the crowds roared and cheered wildly at Jeff's wild display and HK's quick and precise display of defensive techniques and swift blocks. The duel was turning out to be an entertaining one at least, that's for sure.

 

[Warren Century]

As the opponent went into a technique likely meant to disarm that Jeff had never seen before, Jeff did what any smart individual in his position would do. He took a step back, simple as that allowing him to avoid the move entirely. Yet he knew this battle was not over. Explosives and other weapons were not allowed and neither was armor. It was then however that one of the problems of having an older droid body activated. Namely the servos in his legs locked up, preventing movement. Great. This droid body was old. Even oil wouldn't help the servos. This fight would be an epic fail for him, but at least he'd get some free publicity for Suvian out of it anyway. Still he had to admit this droid was very skilled. He might hire him to try and train up droids he'd make soon to mimic the guy's capabilities to some degree anyway.

Jeff had to admit his skills needed polishing, by a long shot. Light-saber training would be needed by him as would blaster training and a whole host of other types of training. What that meant was that he had a LOT to learn. Sadly enough he might not have time to learn it, what with the galactic war going on, and all the responsibilities he had to Suvian. The payloads of paperwork was a problem that he had to deal with. There were also supply runs he had to arrange, and many other problems he had to solve for his company.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Jeff Solaris"]

One thing with stepping back to dodge an attack, it was valid defense if you knew the proper parry techniques to stop your opponent from altering the course of their blade as you stepped back, your opponent did not recognized the opening soon enough to use it to their advantage, and you had working legs.

Jeff currently had none of those things.

And so, as Jeff moved to step back, HK utilized a Makashi Fencing Fleshe attack, running into the space Jeff surrendered by stepping back, his arm extending first in proper technique to run the dull tip of the training saber at high speed into Jeff's chest like a knight would run his lance into an opponent.

With that HK opened a sequence of attacks to finish the duel, normally Jeff would have a chance to dodge, or avoid second attacks, or maybe even the first one somehow, but neither did he had knowledge, nor working legs for that, so HK spun after delivering the initial blunt stab to the chest, in his pirouette he would his attempt at disarming Jeff, this time in wider Ataru spinning slash which aimed to intersect the other droid's arm in its trajectory, throwing the limb aside and hopefully forcing the hilt of his saber with it.

His other hand, meanwhile in quick reflex grabbed his own cloak, swiftly unclasping it as he was finishing his turn with the momentum he gathered he would throw the fluttering material at Jeff's face, aiming to wrap the cloak around his head and blind him temporarily.

Hopefully this has succeeded for to finish the sequence HK snapped his cloak-hand then to grasp Jeff's other hand by the wrist, clutching his own into a metal iron clamp fist and using the momentum and innate droid strength of his cortosis-woven body to rip Jeff's other saber from his hand as he falcon-punched him both with the metal HK fist and Jeff's own fist.

In summary, if this sequence succeeded HK would successfully deliver the initial saber stab and close the distance with Fleche lunge, in Ataru spin he would begin to gather momentum and disarm Jeff's first saber, finishing the spin he would throw his cloak at Jeff's face to blind him, and grabbed Jeff's other saber hand, to use the momentum gathered, to both finish the disarming procedure as well as deliver double falcon-punch sending Jeff flying back on his droid butt.

The crowd was roaring, exciting for the violence, yadda-yadda.

 

[Warren Century]

The cloak when tossed wrapped around the head of Jeff, covering his optic sensors. This in turn disabled his sight which prevented him from seeing the other attacks coming, which prevented him from blocking the other attacks. This was what cost him the entire duel, because of an antiquated body. Later he'd try to re-enter perhaps. No. He would not. His body was not something he'd put in this duel again. However at a later date he would once he had the required training, challenge HK to a rematch. Granted, it was only because he did not like to lose. The duel was lost.

"I yield..." said Jeff, as the blows struck him.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Jeff Solaris"]

With few movements of his hand the droid disassembled the training lightsaber Jeff wielded, letting the weapon drop to the ground with its parts clattering every which way, its crystals rolling over the dusty ground.

HK would raise his lightsaber triumphantly in the air then, calling out,

"He yields!"

The crowd roared and cheered as the droid turned on his heel,

"Keep the cloak, I have more."

He quipped to defeated Jeff before strutting away back into the dark corridor he has entered the arena from, concluding the swift duel.

 

[Warren Century]

At that moment though his servos ached Jeff forced his body to push move one of his arms, to push a button on a recognition arm band he wore. One of the EE Battle Droids, stripped of all it's weapons activated nearby. It walked into where he was, picked him up and walked off the field. It was a good thing he had the presence of mind to bring one of those should his servos malfunction. This droid had been made to serve as an emergency evacuation droid temporarily, but it still did as it was told carrying him all the way to his ship and lying him down on a cot.

 

[Warren Century]

At that moment though his servos ached Jeff forced his body to push move one of his arms, to push a button on a recognition arm band he wore. One of the EE Battle Droids, stripped of all it's weapons activated nearby. It walked into where he was, picked him up and walked off the field. It was a good thing he had the presence of mind to bring one of those should his servos malfunction. This droid had been made to serve as an emergency evacuation droid temporarily, but it still did as it was told carrying him all the way to his ship and lying him down on a cot.