Duel Renegade

[Kallous]

Elise of House Marr
Koto Demascón of House Marr

---

Kallous was a marked man. No renegade such as he was let go very easily. Many Sith had dogged his steps since the incident, and since the incident his affliction only got worse. The light had gotten its hooks in him and it wasn’t letting him go, no matter how much he tried to be rid of it. He hadn’t been able to make himself kill anyone since the incident, not even those Sith that had chased him down with the intent to kill him.

And the downside to that particular point, other Sith that wanted to try their hand at claiming his meager but growing bounty had a good and reliable trail to follow. And the ones he’d bested were all to eager to give information away, spiteful not only that they’d lost, but that Kallous had been so arrogant as to let them live.

So now Kallous found himself in a precarious situation. And he had two options, he could try to leave Sith space, which would mean that people still tried to get him but then it would have to be the more skilled people he wasn’t ready for. Or he could about-face and go deeper into Sith space, where he would be surrounded by more Sith, but he would be going the way that they wouldn’t expect him to go, which might just throw them off his trail.

In the end this was the choice he made. And he was now approaching a lesser known world under Sith control in the Istvaan system. Approaching the second planet in the system he brought his ship into atmosphere, a dense forest beneath him as he looked for a place to land.

This place would be his shelter for now.

He had not yet caught on to the fact that one of the Sith he’d fought previously had placed a tracker beacon on his ship, and was able to provide his exact location to anyone who wanted it.

 

[Koto Demascón of House Marr]

The HUNT, yes, this was how it should be. Some sith had been authorized to be hunted, to be taken down. It didn't matter to Koto why. Technically, it barely even mattered that it was authorized. It just meant there was no need to be quiet about any of it. The Korun sat at the helm of his ship, tapping his finger against the seat at each 1 second interval as he landed.

Fortunately, someone had done far far more than just announce that this man was a target. But had even provided them a way of tracking him down. For this, Koto was very appreciative. Naturally, he would not land right on top of his target. He chose to lower his ship to barely above the forest to keep the approach hidden, then touch down a good distance away before disembarking.

He brought with him his two 2x KS-8 Kenetite Slugthrowers, a Fellwind, and 2 steel short swords. Normally, taking standard swords with you was a terrible idea against a sith. But Koto would simply temporarily imbue his weapons during combat, making them as resilient and destructive as any phrik vibro-weapon. He'd figured out how to do similar to his own limbs, but the range the sword provided was far superior.

And so, began the hunt. Koto kept to the shadows, he knew how to hunt from back on Korun, how to hide and watch, and track. But he didn't have only those skills anymore, he could hear through the force. Every pin drop, every engines rumble, and he could hear the hum of the force from others, the hum, or scream, or clattering sound as though their force presence was tumbling across the stairs. And so he listened, and searched for this one. He planned to use the Fellwind to down him from a distance, but really, truly, he hoped he'd be stopped before then. So there was more than just one life in danger. Which was not unrealistic, Koto, as skilled as he may be in many things in combat, and as powerful as his force sense was, had yet to learn how to mask his presence in the force. An attentive and trained user, may very well potentially realize they were being followed.

Kallous

Spoiler: Equipment

Fellwind
2x KS-8 Kenetite Slugthrowers
2 steel short swords
Thranta Spawn

 

[Kallous]

Kallous was not exactly the most attentive man in the universe at the moment. But what he was doing was meditating, putting his thoughts aside and focusing entirely inward on the force and the tempestuous feelings in his gut. So as it was, he was in a perfect position to feel the approach of the not-so-subtle beast headed his way. He could feel the bloodlust in his chest, and he could even tell where it was coming from it was so potent.

He opened his eyes from his meditation and stood up. He should have known. He hadn’t yet found a single planet where he could have a moment to sort through his confusion. And it was beginning to irritate him.

Irked, he took out both his lightsabers, and prepared to face whomever was coming his way.

---

Koto Demascón of House Marr

 

[Koto Demascón of House Marr]

As he crept along, he began to hear the sounds of a humanoid. Ahhh, the ping of a force user. His finger stopped quietly tapping the side of his weapon as he heard the saber ignite. So, his hope had come true. Setting the Fellwind to suppression, a more mid-range configuration to fire a consistent spray. He let loose three quick bursts of the x16 ammo, a toxic, radioactive, and burning chemical fired rapidly in succession.

At the same time, he projected his own desires all around him like an aura of the jungle. He eminated the feeling of an animal, not quite hunting anymore, but almost play-fighting. This was a fight, bloody and brutal and true to him. Simply with lethality as an option. Well, perhaps less bloody if the x16 hit it's mark. With the extreme heat it was not likely there'd be much left if it made contact.

He didn't bother to stay in one place anymore, if he'd been noticed already, he wouldn't be letting those shots somehow get flung back at him. He was sure a lightsaber couldn't reflect it, but the force might. And he had no interest in seeing that happen. Keeping behind trees and vegetation both to obscure sight of him, and to avoid any possible direct hits. Relying on his force sense to know where any attack may come from and how.

Kallous

Spoiler: Equipment

Fellwind
2x KS-8 Kenetite Slugthrowers
2 steel short swords.
Thranta Spawn.

 

[Kallous]

Koto Demascón of House Marr

---

So it began. No prelude, no demands for surrender, no monologue about how he had made a mistake betraying the empire and how he would suffer for it. It was refreshingly straightforward and far less tedious than the last several encounters he’d had.

The spray of the hot acid sent his was was repelled by a force push, sending the stuff onto the trees around Kallous, and beginning to burn through their trunks. Kallous was unable to track the man who went through the canopy, and projected his aura so that he was everywhere as far as the force was concerned. He would have to wait, his gut told him patience.

He had started to listen to that part of him more, as much as it irked him. Patience was not the Sith way, and yet he knew to be patient. He could tell that this foe would not be. So all he had to do was wait, and his bloodlust would force him to reveal himself soon enough.

 

[Koto Demascón of House Marr]

Sure enough, a force push. Though not directed back at Koto...not yet. He imagined that was due to not knowing his precise location yet. He could work with that...no, better, he could exploit that. He bent low, one of the few outwards force skills he did have was pyrokinesis. He set his hand to the ground, quietly setting flame to it, then spreading that flame to either side for several meters. The flames would soon rise up, helping further to grant Koto cover, as well as hopefully distract the rogue sith.

Then he went on the offensive again, firing 4 quick bursts this time. The last one, at a slightly longer delay. Hoping to catch him off guard. Though he was quickly considering that he'd have to close the distance. If he could just reflect such attacks with the force, there weren't a lot of variations Koto could think of to truly catch him off guard. He'd have to get in closer where skill and power could take precedence over surprise, which he clearly no longer had. But he wanted to close in, keep his own options hidden from his opposition until he actually used them.

Kallous

Spoiler: Equipment

Fellwind
2x KS-8 Kenetite Slugthrowers
2 short swords
Thranta Spawn

 

[Kallous]

Once again Kallous would feel his gut pull him in a direction, willing him to move in a certain way. And he obeyed the instinct, evading the first three shots, and again pushing the fourth one off course, to again melt more of the area around him.

His attacker had set the forest ablaze. He had an idea of why, but he knew better than to be distracted by the fire. He’d been in enough burning cities as a Sith Apprentice to have grown out of that. Ultimately all his foe was doing was guaranteeing that his cover would not conceal him safely for much longer. Kallous could remain still as long as he was alert. Eventually the fire would eat away at Koto’s hiding places and would force him to either withdraw or come out into the open to fight him.

Patience. The time would come. Why waste his energy hunting someone who would come to him if he just waited a little bit longer?

---

Koto Demascón of House Marr

 

[Koto Demascón of House Marr]

No progress. Not yet. But maybe...he focused on the fire now. Encouraging it's blaze, it would burn the nearby forests, but he also kept it up high enough near him that it obscured him just as well. Then he tried to adjust. He was not good at telekinesis, he understood it, but it was far from his specialty. Right now though, he didn't need to be good. He reached out, setting a log on fire that was behind the rest of the blaze, hidden he hoped. Then, with an effort, he hurled it towards the sith. Immediately after it went soaring, Koto sent a burst of flame from his end at him, following the blaze towards his target while firing 4 shots each from two KS-8 Kenetite Slugthrowers.

He hoped the tri-fold attack may catch his target off guard, failing that, he'd probably have to switch to melee. Against a sith he knew that was their area of expertise, but it was his too. He had a significant size advantage, and grew up on a world full of lethal creatures and disease, where many weapons and systems failed as the world corrupted modern technology. Whether that would be enough though, that was the real excitement. Whatever his belief in his chance of victory, this was the whole point. The point was that he could die. Either of them could die. That was the way of things.

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

A log? That seemed unusually overt for someone who seemed to prefer hiding. Yes he’d set the forest around him on fire, but that had been to hide, and all of his other attacks had been significantly subtler.

He caught the log with his own telekinetic grasp, the fire and bullets sent after it being caught by the large mass of debris, and dealing no harm to the man behind it. Kallous took a moment before hurling the log back the way it came. Hoping to destroy more foliage and perhaps force his foe to move into the open so he could attack him.

He was being patient, but he was sure that this attacker expected to be the one on the offensive, so if he could force him out and bring the fight to him first he could force him onto the back foot, and bring this duel of theirs to a quicker conclusion.

He didn’t know this person, but he was willing to bet that this would be an unexpected maneuver by him.

---

Koto Demascón of House Marr

 

[Koto Demascón of House Marr]

Koto didn't audible cursed, but his irritation was practically shouted in the force at Kallous. Koto reached out, sending out a projected image, as though a thought, of Kallous spotting something behind the fire and following after it. It was not, of course, where Koto actually was. Koto had taken up a position a ways to the left of it, and had switched to his two short swords instead. Both now being imbued with his power in the force.

He waited to see what the man would do, whether he'd fall for it or not. If he actually went forwards, Koto would run, not emerge through the fire, but go along it from within, protecting himself from it, while empowering all of the flames to try and hide himself among them. Then charge at Kallous, attempting to strike from the side or behind. The blades wouldn't fall to a lightsaber, at least so long as he kept hold of them.

If, however, Kallous didn't make a move. He'd have to reconsider his route. He had a ship didn't he? Maybe he could target that.

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

There. Kallous spotted him. But something was off… he didn’t appear to be moving. And his gut was again telling him to be patient. The frustration in the air was something that he could practically touch. His opponent was getting more irritated, and soon he would begin to make mistakes.

Kallous hadn’t even swung his weapon at him and he was already on the path to win. And his gut told him not to waste that by making a hasty move. If he did so he would give up his advantage, and waste energy by doing so. The force hadn’t failed him so far in keeping him alive against the hidden foe. He had no reason to believe it would fail him now.

Kallous stayed put, and even closed his eyes as he concentrated. Letting his thoughts and his plots melt away. His conversation with that Jedi a while back came to mind.

Don’t think. Feel.

---

Koto Demascón of House Marr

 

[Koto Demascón of House Marr]

Koto seethed at first at the delay. Then a hint of amusement rippled around him. He stopped focusing on attacking Kallous directly. Instead, he started spreading the fire in the direction of his ship. Koto didn't posses the power to destroy it outright that way. But leaving a ship near flames was hardly healthy for it either. In his mind, he'd force Kallous to take an action, one way or another. He was too good on using the force for defense of himself, so maybe if he put him on a timer, he could pull some teeth out of the man. Get him to try and pass through the flames.

He was growing tired of this however, he wanted action, and he was being denied it.

Kallous

Spoiler: Equipment

Fellwind

2x KS-8 Kenetite Slugthrowers

2 short swords

 

[Kallous]

Kallous saw the fire begin to spread toward the ship he’d stolen from his dead master. He wasn’t particularly attached to the vessel, and it wasn’t fragile by any means. But perhaps easiest of all was the fact that his hunter had to get on the planet somehow. Even if his ship did get destroyed, all he had to do was win, and then take his ship. And it would be little different in the long run.

Kallous did not move, even as the inferno threatened his vessel. He stood stoic and ready. The ball was in Koto’s court, and he was running out of options. Which is exactly what Kallous wanted.

---

Koto Demascón of House Marr

 

[Koto Demascón of House Marr]

Koto strongly considered leaving, and then coming back to blow the ship and the sith to pieces. But this was exhausting. He let out a sigh. There was no surprising his target. So he just went simple. He just started walking up to him, blades raised. His face was blank, but he was clearly moving in to go for an attack. Along the way he started swinging in advance, but with each swing, a surge of fire erupted from him aiming towards Kallous . There was no point trying to hide methods anymore. The only way he was getting a win here, was by the blade. By just full on overpowering and outskilling his opponent.

Spoiler: Equipment

Fellwind

2x KS-8 Kenetite Slugthrowers

2 short swords

 

[Kallous]

He showed himself. Perfect.

He began throwing fire. Not ideal, but not insurmountable. Once he began throwing fire was the moment Kallous swapped his stance from defense to offense. Another log was hurled at speed to Koto, followed immediately after by Kallous himself. His second saber igniting so he could properly offend his opponent.

He would close the distance using the log for cover, and immediately go on the offensive. Using the force to boost his speed and make him more mobile. Things were beginning in earnest.

---

Koto Demascón of House Marr

 

[Koto Demascón of House Marr]

Koto ducked the log with a face as blank as before, also enhancing his physical abilities, especially durability. His presence in the force grew excited and focused. He refused to back down to a lightsaber, instead, Koto struck back at the weapon full force. Taking advantage of his size and enhanced strength to try and stun Kallous's wrists with the impact so he could slide the weapon down the blades and into Kallous's wrists.

Time to really see what this rogue sith could do.

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

So the two of them were on the same page it seemed. Maybe this would be fun after all. Kallous didn’t wait for the bind to get out of his favor. He had a smaller size than the man in front of him, but he was undisturbed by this. There were a lot of ways to get around that.

Kallous began to put in less force behind his blows in favor of speed. If he could force the man to block instead of meeting him blow for blow, the he could begin to pressure him into a position advantageous to Kallous.

---

Koto Demascón of House Marr

 

[Koto Demascón of House Marr]

Koto stared on at the man as they began their engagement, projecting outwards occasional false impressions of what moves Koto may make, or what moves Kallous should make. These weren't nearly as strong as proper force suggestions, though that did also mean they had a little more subtlety. Unfortunately, someone who was relying, and accurately connected, to the force to guide their actions, or who simply knew better, could also simply ignore such suggestions. Whether or not they knew what they were.

He could adapt to the mans speed well enough, even if he wasn't sure he could surprass it. He had to react and act more effeciently, occasionally, he couldn't even block it outright with the blade. And had to dodge. At one moment, he heard a movement coming he wouldn't be able to get a blade to intime, he instead imbued his hand, rapidly trying to bat the weapon away, then shoving forwards sending a burst of flame at Kallous at short range.

This was invigorating. It was dangerous, and lively, and lethal he felt. He was so glad he hadn't stayed decided to use the ship instead.

 

[Kallous]

Kallous fell into a sort of rhythm, his sabers blazing as he swung them and occasionally stabbed at his foe. But he wasn’t able to breaks his guard or sneak past it with his speed. He would need to change things up.

And his opportunity came when his foe shot fire at him at short range. Immediately he knew what was going to come. He would leap back, his foe would leap after him to take the initiative. So he prepared something while he did the backward leap, he prepared to plant a particularly powerful force push directly into the wild man’s chest as he tried to pounce on him. And he would follow that up with a saber strike meant to break through his defense by utilizing both hands on his saber in a singular powerful downward chop, with all of his weight, strength and force enhancement behind it. If it worked, the man in front of him would be off balance, block without sufficient force to stop the blow, and Kallous would then deliver a fatal blow in an instant while the man’s guard was down.

Don’t kill him. His annoying half urged. Telling him that taking this man’s life was not the right answer. That he shouldn’t kill him. He didn’t want to listen, but that little voice had gotten so damn insistent. That his hands had been bloodied enough.

---

Koto Demascón of House Marr

 

[Koto Demascón of House Marr]

His opponent leapt back, Koto tried to pursue, but that was a mistake. Already in motion himself and mid stride, he was hurled backwards forcing the air out of him. He gasped in surprise but was back up quickly, probably bruised somewhere, he could handle bruises. But he didn't have time to go back on the offensive again, nor were his feet stable enough to dodge yet as he heard the blow incoming. Koto raised both blades quickly managing to block the chop, but as a result being forced backwards with his blades pushed out of order, one of them even falling from his grasp to his surprise.

Koto's heart raced with the battle, he tried to prepare the other blade still for another inevitable attack, doubting he could mount an offense that would be worth anything until he could regain his balance, still off guard and off balance from the two back to back attacks.

Kallous