Private Salvaging Whatever Is Left

[PERSENUS]

In spite of everything, much of Persenus remained the same. In the face of pain and adversity, he believes he's the same man he had always been. Perhaps he's a little smarter now, a little stronger, a little angrier, and generally more unhappy, but he still truly believes that this is true self. Unbroken, steadfast, a warrior of glorious proportions, all things that Persenus prides himself to be. Yet, like all his adventures, that pride was hurt. Digging through the trash of Belgaroth wasn't befitting of him. Nor was pick-pocketing on Nar Shadda, and especially not the fight pits on Frego. Still, Persenus knew better than to let the opportunity of scavenging new material for whatever he can make with the scientific knowledge passed onto him to pass by, no matter how much it pained him to be grooming the lands with beasts.

Beasts like these worthless peasants by his side, squabbling over the scraps of metal and whatever looked like it could catch a pretty penny as their children looked on, not caring for the troubles of adults even in these levels. Beasts like the Swamphulks eating up the plasteel. Madmen, all of them. He was not like them. No, he was a warrior. He was a Sith! He didn't belong here. He ripped out a magnification attachment of a DC-15x Sniper Rifle from the ground with a furious grasp, crushing the transparisteel of the scopee in anger, though it followed with regret as he saw the blaster inside the mound. He quickly dug down, pulling the sniper out of the ground. This weapon would prove fruitful. He could - he could cannibalize it for parts, sell the scrap! Turn it into his new vambraces!

"Hey! That's mine!" A drunkard scavenger pounced on him from behind, attempting to take the blaster from his hands. He squirmed atop him, struggling to snatch the rifle from Persenus' longer limbs. Persenus himself was not pleased. Livid was an understatement. He would grab the man by the hair and begin to pry him off him with inhuman strength. The man immediately let go, screaming in slurs for him to let go. "Don't touch me, Hutt-spawn!" He shook his head violently as he started to lift him off the ground by his hair. Then the man kicked up him in his genitals.

Persenus collapsed to his one knee as he dropped the man who had face-planted back into the trash. He recovered from the pain relatively quickly, if only because of his rage. As the intoxicated heathen began to rise from the junkpile, he would feel a sudden pressure around his neck. The compression of his blood-vessel came first, blocking oxygen from reaching his brain. His airway was then blocked, shut so tight that he couldn't gasp for an inch of breath. Once again, the little man began to squirm and struggle as he was lifted into the air. Persenus with his hand in the air, uttered shaking with anger and irritation, "Die, scum. Chaos will not be kind to you..." He let him suffer for just moments longer, letting him sober up to realize what is happening and who he was dealing with.

Then he let him down. Hard. His Force Choke still tight on his neck, he dragged his body across the junkpile, letting him acquire all sorts of aches, bruises, scratches and impalements from the rather unsafe discards. He rolled him about for several seconds and by the end of it, found that his body was covered in nails, black and blue spots. His cheek was punched through by a sharp piece of pipe metal. Then snap. Persenus watched as his lights went out.

He wanted to revel in his death. He wanted to spit on his dead body. Then he realized what he was doing, what he was giving into. He was going mad again, he was letting it take over. He could feel the pressure of his own choke around his neck, though his hands would only caress it gently. Then he looked around and saw that the other scavengers were staring at him in fear. Kark. Now they know what he is. These scavengers were a good source of information - information for Bounty Hunters. They'll sell his whereabouts by the time they reach a cantina for a good price.

He should slaughter them. No witnesses. No mercy. He was just about to reach for his saber, then he saw the trembling forms of the children watching on. He found himself grounded once more, the weight of the Dark Side piling on him. He dropped the DC-15x, and ran off into the sewers, wanting to hide his own shame, and try to stop himself from spiraling out of control again.

Raya Krayt

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[Raya Krayt]

New information on a bounty had come to light and Raya was not about to waste an opportunity to prove to her sceptical clan that she was worthy of being their Alor. In other circumstances, being a deserter of the Sith Empire might have been grounds to be spared the wrath of Mandalorians but Raya had something to prove and this bounty would allow her to do so or die trying. While a part of her blared alarm bells, fearing she may have been out of her depth, she chose to ignore them and instead focused on how securing such a prestigious bounty could command more respect from her clan.

The target: A Sith deserter and a skilled warrior no doubt. Working for the Sith Empire was not her idea of an ideal bounty but it gave her some comfort to know that upon completion of the mission she would take money from them and it wasn't so bad as she was hunting one of their own and not someone who had the potential to be an ally, such as a Jedi. After what the Jedi had done for the Mandalorians, any Sith would struggle to find a Mandalorian to take down their Force-using enemies - at least not a Mandalorian with any self-respect - but when it came down to hiring a Mandalorian, their enemy, to pursue one of their own, Raya saw no qualms in participating.

Not being Force sensitive was somewhat a detriment to the Mandalorian who relied on weapons and technology in a battle but having the natural extension of the Force seemed like it would give her opponent an advantage, though Raya severely lacked knowledge of the Force and what it entailed. Unbeknownst to her, she would essentially be entering the hunt blind as she could not sense the target's Force presence but he could sense hers. Although she had the functions in her helmet to enhance vision, she could only see what was in front of her and did not have the advantage of having eyes in the form of the Force.

The Bounty Hunter stepped over some scraps in the street, the sound of metal creaking under her feet. Those who hadn't noticed her before did now as a few pairs of eyes fell on her and they stopped their scavenging, likely eyeing up her beskar. On a planet as reliant on scraps as this one, it would be no wonder if she became a target for her beskar but it seemed unlikely that many people, or at least the ones she was faced with currently, had the capacity to challenge a Mandalorian so they simply watched as the woman walked past them and went out of sight before returning to their work.

Upon reaching a less populated area of the scrapyard, she activated her HUD and looked at the ground for marks left by footprints that her helmet's tracking function would be able to identify. It soon highlighted the footprints of a humanoid who appeared to have been running based on the gaps in between the footprints, indicating a larger stride than if they had been walking. While it wasn't a certainty that this was who she was searching for, it was a lead and she could see no reason to need to run away from such an uneventful scene as the one behind her.

She followed the footsteps to a large pipe that appeared to be the entrance to a sewer. While she was pleased that her lead was giving her further confirmation that she had been correct, she was not thrilled with the prospect of entering a sewer. With a sigh, she ducked down and entered the narrow tube and switched on night-vision in her helmet. While she had a light, she didn't want to alert anyone to her presence prematurely. Upon reaching the end, she dropped down a few feet into a tunnel with a walkway either side and sewage flowing in between them.

The Mandalorian continued walking the way the footprints were leading her but upon seeing a figure in the distance she immediately drew both blasters and aimed towards the person but upon closer inspection realised it was just one of the down and out locals so she relaxed her blasters. Though the encounter made her wonder if this had been the person whose footprints she had been pursuing. Still, she remained hopeful and with no other leads she continued into the sewer.

PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

Persenus found himself rather lost on the sewer systems. They weren't much in the way of actual sewage, only the dried up residue only being lubricated by rain water when the storms come. The litter bunched up here, drawn from city waterways down towards these more remote areas. When rain came, the place easily flooded with all of the pieces of discarded items that took up the space. Not many people lived here as a result unlike what one would assume given it is good shelter disregarding the sanitation problems.

The parts of the sewers he had entered looked dilapidated with holes that were obviously not caused by natural erosion spewed about. He could tell that they were made by some kind of violent force, the investigative skills given to him by his master now coming back to him after all these years. From what he could guess? Methane explosion. He kicked away some scraps as he walked, eventually running into a pile of broken apart skeletons that have been blown to smithereens with signs of harsh burning all about them, confirming his suspicions. They likely tried to start a camp here, with the fire causing the chain reaction.

He could tell that the place had been destroyed quite a while ago. The methane in these parts of the sewers likely escaped into the atmosphere around it. He ignited his lightsaber, thoughtlessly, sure, but it confirmed that theory as well. The three blades would slither back into his hilt as he hung the saber back on his scarf belt as he began to wander.

He wasn't sensing the Hunter coming for him, contrary to the belief of Raya. He was in a rather distracted mental state to catch the intent and that far of a future from her. His mind itself was in a rather poor state, trying to fend off the influence of the dark side on his psyche. Sith, he was, but his pride would not let the Dark Side control him. It was his tool, and it will not change him into a beast like he was in the pits, addicted to stims and booster drugs. He needed to be better, even if it meant meditating in this dirty rathole.

He sat down on one of the inclines up to a door that leaded outside to nowhere in particular, just more junkyard. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. He was no Jedi, he wasn't trained for this kind of meditation. Persenus, luckily, is an intuitive learner. All he needed to do was not think, keep nerves cool, and let the Force flow through him rather than be swayed by it. Not thinking was easy enough - He wasn't much of a thinker anyhow. Nerves cool on the other hand was something that came to Persenus and his high-blood pressure with great difficulty. Though, it wasn't as much his own incapability to relax, but the Force slowly gaining the ability to reach out to his calming mind to tell him about the coming threat.

Raya Krayt

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[Raya Krayt]

The Mandalorian was conscious of the fact her footsteps gave away her location but with any luck her target would mistake her for a common scavenger. Though from what she knew about the deserter, it seemed unlikely for that to be the case. To attract such an expensive bounty on your head must require a degree of intelligence, or stupidity, but she was willing to bet the former as his reputation as a skilled fighter preceded him. She relied on her helmet's functions to get a grip of her surroundings as the light level was low and her helmet could provide her with more information than her eyes could alone.

Over the years, due to the on-and-off relationship between the Mandalorians and the Jedi, the nomadic warriors had adapted their weapons to best combat the attacks of Force Users. Raya herself was equipped with a grappling line which was lightsaber resistant and like many Mandalorians her vambrace included a repulsor which simulated a Force push. The Sith however, they didn't fight like the Jedi and while the Jedi and Mandalorians had a strained past, it could be regarded as the two groups having a begrudging respect for each other. Raya didn't respect anyone trained in the ways of the Sith. They did not fight with the honour that their light side counterparts did.

She continued along the path laid out before her, her footsteps lightly echoing against the rounded walls of the sewers. Using the infrared setting on her HUD, she scanned the area for anything of interest. Her eyes settled on what looked like bodies from the distance but they were not giving off any heat and as she approached it was confirmed what she already knew - they were skeletons. The revelation made her ponder on what had happened to this planet for so much of the population to be living in such desperate conditions. Respectfully stepping over some of the skeletons that were in her way, she continued on.

A small warning appeared in the corner of her visor, alerting her to the presence of methane in the atmosphere but disappeared a moment after as not to obstruct her view. It meant her flamethrower was out of the question and left her uncertain on where she should stand in regards to use of her blasters. Still, she was equipped with plenty of other weapons which would aid her in battle if she could locate the target. Using the tracking function again, she was relieved to the outline of footprints on the ground again and followed where they led.

As she turned a corner, she was aware she was near the end of the section of sewers, meaning whoever she was following was likely nearby or had escaped but she knew she needed to implore caution. She peered around the corner and the tracking system in her helmet matched the figure with the person was searching for. Raya approached slowly, careful not to make a sound while she got a little closer to be within range of her darts and once close enough she fired a poison dart in the direction of a figure near the exit, hoping to catch him off guard though she expected that with Force Users it wouldn't be quite as simple as that.

PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

Persenus let himself calm, the Force now penetrating him rather than edging him along. It was something he's trained ever since he was still in the earlier years of escaping the Sith Empire, trying to keep calm, though then, it was only to help him cope, but now it was to keep himself in check whenever he was starting to lose control. After the rush of battle where hate and passion was still pulsing inside him, sending out waves of Dark Side energies and alerting those sensitive to his call, meditation came into use. Though it was only on rare occasions that he would be able to find himself in such a trance. The last time he had been so absorbed was back on Lothal...

The physical world drowned out for him, the footsteps of the Mandalorian being little more than footnotes to his senses. He remained still and calm, the Force giving him another vision. Though unlike last time, he wasn't addressed with the voice of his master reaching out to him to mock him in his exile. Instead, the Cosmic Force twirled favor for him, giving him a glimpse of what the future may hold. It held poison.

His fingers caught the dart, the needle between his middle and index finger just inches away from his cheek. His face showed an evident sign of surprise and distress but that expression quickly faded as he came to. He launched himself off his feet, his saber extending from the hilt as his mind started to melt back into the physical world. To him, if only for the briefest moment, he world looked as if there were two, with everything around him melding into one larger picture, though the clarity of his Force Sight seemed to be heightened in that sparing moment of mental liquidity.

"Glory or money," He said as he brandished his saber, a rather unique and unconventional shape, though the dossier of the Bounty on him did mention that Persenus does indeed have a uniquely made saber. It was longer than most sabers, somewhat bulkier looking too, though it still fit well in his hands. There were two protrusions from the side, vents that released two more beams of energy that looked similarly to crossguards, angled diagonally from the hilt up the blade, like to catch weapons like other lightsabers. Characteristic of a character that has been described to be quite the duelist.

"Whatever you seek, you will only find aaray in its place, Mando" He remarked, pulling her allegiance with his senses, still heightened, to deliver a threat. "I implore that you look elsewhere for either of the two." The dart was still held between his two fingers.


Raya Krayt

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[Raya Krayt]

The Mandalorian had never fought a Force User before and all the information she knew of them was from the source of stories from others. Her clan had no interest in engaging with Force Users as they viewed their ability to fall to the Dark Side, as it seemed her target had, too threatening to the integrity of the clan. While it had protected the clan for generations, it also left an entire clan of Mandalorians almost clueless to the Force. Raya had learned a few things from her veteran mother and her growing curiosity in the Force meant she had been willing to learn more. While she knew some of the abilities they possessed, she did not know to what extent their powers could go.

However, she was not expecting what came next. She watched in shock as the man she fired the dart at caught it with unnatural precision. His following sudden movement caused her to draw both blasters and train them on the man, expecting an impending attack. She said nothing as she eyed up her opponent, noting the peculiar design of his blade. The blade was a cause for concern as even though her armour and whipcord was lightsaber resistant, she was not impervious against it and getting within melee range of such a weapon could be a fatal error.

Raya was not concerned with the prospect of her death but instead her focus was on the passion she would put into winning. Any reputation she could gain as a result of her actions here today was enough to motivate her. She remained confident and unafraid.

The Mandalorian's brows furrowed together when she heard him address her in her native tongue and she wondered if he was trying to play some sort of trick but remained steadfast in her stance. "I don't think I will." She replied to his threat and moments later released a flurry of blaster bolts towards the man, wary that she ought to keep her distance so if he advanced towards her then she would take the appropriate amount of steps back to remain at a comfortable distance of the lightsaber.

PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

He took a breath, his chest rising and pausing before deflating with a low but audible sigh. A slight smile pulled at one side of his lips but was gone as quickly as it came. "Very well then. Die nicely, Mandalorian. He began pace almost leisurely towards her as with one-hand, began to almost effortlessly deflect her blaster bolts, even though his physical sight was still on the blurry side, the Force guiding his actions. He was, after all, an extensive practitioner in Shien. They would bounce back at her with varying levels of accuracy, though they likely would not show any harm on her armor. Still, as durable as Beskar is, the pain would still be there, and the pain is his key to this battle.

He'd begin his true offense, beginning to bound towards her with preternatural speed, though not under direct use of the Force. With his frightening pace, the space between them would easily be met if Raya would not employ more advanced evasive maneuvers. The sewers were rather advantageous for Persenus in that regard; Mandalorians and their pesky jetboosters were annoying to combat. Here, there was a limit to the height she could reach, and he could reach that height with a single leap.

Still, he wasn't going to be focusing on brute forcing her. That Beskar Armor would prove to be a hassle in combat, and he would much rather prefer if he had the chance to better strike with precision in spots where only armorweave would be able to defend. Luckily, he was, in fact, a Sith, with the use of Affect Mind. Now, Mandalorians are rather hard to scare, but the heat of battle will indeed take a toll on the nerves. Upon her psyche, Raya would beset with a sudden stress. The glow of the lightsaber would suddenly overtake much of the lightning as the feeling of ghost burns would take over her body.

Still, this was only just an illusion, and a minor one at that and resisting the fear of injuries would likely be instinctual for her. He was not forcing fear upon her, just the inching manipulation of ideas, and feelings. Persenus knew what it felt like to be hit with a saber and was projecting that pain upon her in the form of phantasms. The excruciating feeling of burnt flesh, bubbling wounds from heat pressure, and lingering pains that would last for years. He was making sure that she knew what was coming for her, the sting of his blade.

While whether the Mandalorian would be able to set aside such projections would be out of Persenus' grasp, he knew that the slight image of such events, the flashes of ghastly wounds spraying upon one's form, the screams from a possible future that was howling relentlessly in pain, would have the combatant acquire some level of nervousness. Nervousness that will build up, and up, and up, as the battle intensified. This was something characteristic of most Sith that followed his path, the fear, the anxiety of battle, things that all warriors feel but take upon themselves to discard, things that a Sith uses to Force to have them crawl back into light.

The more that pressure builds up, the more her mind lingers upon such possibilities, the more likely she is to be compromised. He will apply pressure until she explodes. He will keep hammering until she breaks off. Then he'll find his moment to truly strike but for now, he will settle with less devoted cuts. He would deflect a blaster bolt towards her visor, attempting to cause some level of visual distraction from the light or even perhaps pierce through the transparisteel all the while he converted the same stroke he had used to deflect into a sweeping slash as he would suddenly swerve right, aiming for the exposed part on her sides.

Raya Krayt

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[Raya Krayt]

Being blind to the Force meant the Mandalorian could not feel the ebb and flow of the Light and Dark side which likely would have otherwise unsettled her. With her confidence, even upon seeing the target's unnatural reflexes, she didn't feel out of her depth as she had a range of weapons and strategies to attempt before her options were exhausted. She hadn't expected the blasters to work in an offensive manner but rather provide a defence that kept him at bay. However, it seemed they had no effect on their intended target and were sent shooting back in her direction. The bolts pinged off of her armour and into the wall, the kinetic impact jolting her back a little.

The Mandalorian holstered one of her blasters to allow her to utilise other weapons with her free hand. Upon seeing her opponent bound towards her, she activated her jetpack, to provide her with speed she wouldn't otherwise have and flew in the opposite direction in attempt to stay out of his reach. She imagined his unnatural speed was as a result of the Force, although she didn't understand the logistics, which she hadn't known Force Users could do prior to meeting the Sith.

Despite being blind to the Force, inexplicably Raya began to feel a stress which she believed was her body's way of warning her about what was about to happen but she remained determined that she would see this bounty through. Slowly, a feeling crept in that her commitment to the bounty was an act of foolishness rather than bravery. She hoped her clan wouldn't see it the same way and would respect her for daring to face such an adversary.

Suddenly, she felt overcome with a sense of dread and anxiety as she began to fear the prospect of being hit by a lightsaber, something she had never been concerned with before, which she believed to be her fight or flight response telling her to flee as she was unaware Sith possessed the kind of power to manipulate a mind in such a way. However, she became suspicious of the fact she had never felt this way in battle before which was her first encounter with a Sith. She had heard tales of the Jedi mind trick so she began to suspect it was possible for Sith to achieve a similar power but with a more sinister twist. The unsettling feeling was hard to shake but the Mandalorian was a hardened warrior whose confidence began to creep back in, though there was still a feeling of unease.

Upon seeing bolt flying in her direction, she turned her head to the side to allow to deflect off of the side of the helmet but immediately whipped her head round to face her opponent, drawing her cortosis-woven vibroblade as she did now that the Sith was too close for comfort and she expected she would need to engage with him in a melee battle, at least until she could gain distance. She caught the blade aimed at her side with her own and used all her might to push back. It was now she knew she would be at a disadvantage and needed to get away from the lightsaber. While she did not have the same level of saber training as a Sith had, she had limited areas in which she could be effectively struck which gave her a small comfort.

PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

He matched her pace in spite of her jetbooster, keen to keep the pressure on her. In battle, he was relentless, yet conservative in overall abilities. He relied on his saber skills most of the time, rather than expressive utilizations of the Force like Force Lightning, and now seeing the Mandalorian draw her own melee arms, he sought to dispatch such capabilities, or at the very least, destroy any hopes of her matching him in such regard. Even from the initial strike alone, though lacking his full-strength behind it, she would see that his strength with one arm alone without active use of the Force to enhance him was was incredibly strong, pushing it back would prove to be a task that really would require all of her might.

Yet, pushing back, she would find, was something Persenus capitalized on. His blade slid across hers, the crossguard reaching and then with a twist his wrist, snapped onto the blade as well. The cortosis-weaved vibroblade was now caught in between two beams of energy, subject to Persenus inhuman strength and skill. Now, he actively augmented himself with the Force, gifting him more strength than before and pulled upwards as he twisted further, attempting to pry the vibroblade out of her hand forcefully.

All the while, his other free-hand would take aim, the vambraces on his forearms revealing their use. Blaster bolts would be fired from underneath the stolen Jedi Robes, aimed from below her arm towards her armpit which would have been forcefully raised by Persenus to reveal the the cloth beneath, which he assumed to be armorweave. His precognitive sense given to him by his training with the Force and the cultural combat sense gifted to him by his Echani lineage would keep sharp, knowing her other hand still hand a blaster, and the rest of her body may be similarly armed. Those damned whistling birds were a pain to deal with.

Still, his mind kept on prodding hers, attempting to fill her with fear an anxiety. Now, he would have transitioned to using Force Fear, knowing that the attempted disarm, if successful, would lower her morale further. However, he was keeping his focus sparing. He was already using the Force to enhance his strength and was preparing to use another application depending on her counter. Adding Force Fear to it wouldn't be out of his power, but he was a man that valued quality over quantity, and brevity is the soul of wit.

"Mandalorian, tell me," He asked with a venomous hiss in his voice. The amber eyes characteristic of the Sith almost glowed in the dark tunnels, somehow not overtaken by the light of the saber. "Where would you like to be buried? I reckon you'd bring great dishonor to your tribe to die here and be washed out by the filth and litter. If they ever find you body in the trash, that is."

Raya Krayt

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[Raya Krayt]

Raya knew she could not match her opponent in swordsmanship despite receiving training in melee combat. The Jedi and Sith had mastered the use of lightsabers and there were few Mandalorians who could contest with such expertise. However, she had received extensive training in other areas of combat; namely marksmanship and how to effectively use the other plethora of weapons she was equipped with. Training was a lifeline but the heat of battle could cause you to act out of place and that was when fatal errors were made.

She needed a way to escape from his reach as there was only so long she could hold him off for, evident by his strength over her. Her opponent took advantage of the fact she was not wielding a lightsaber and so their blades couldn't lock by sliding his blade across hers while the Mandalorian could do nothing to prevent it. She saw movement and watched as the man's arm raised to take aim but was still fighting to keep hold of her blade. Raya knew she needed to act quickly to avoid getting killed so she opted to sacrifice her blade.

The Mandalorian pushed her blade forwards and released it, not intending to inflict any real damage but as a distraction which would allow her to lower her arm that had been holding the blade so her shoulder armour would protect her if he shot at her and hopefully give her a few precious seconds to put some space between them as she hurriedly took steps back and placed her hand over a button on her vambraces as a warning. Her opponent knew not what weapon she intended to use but she hoped the threat would be enough to make him think twice about his next move.

Unusually, she hesitated. After their brief duel she felt nervousness slipping into her mind again and in that moment of calm she considered fleeing again. She wondered what was wrong with her for thinking that. She couldn't flee the battle and she had never fled before. Still, she had never felt the way she currently felt before. Battles were not easy on the psyche but this one felt particularly demanding. The Mandalorian began to doubt her ability to subdue the attacker and she grew more unsettled which wasn't helped by the Sith's comment which provoked further doubts. "I'm not going to be the one who dies here." She replied in a steady tone, knowing she could not let her opponent see her lack of confidence, unaware that it could be felt through the Force.

PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

"Your thoughts betray you, Mandalorian." As she pushed back, Persesnus pushed forward. Though out of range, he swiped with his sword even while hers was still entangled. His blade left a trail of itself this time from the tip and said trail was propelled forward towards her as a glowing arc of lightsaber energy. He was hoping he would use this crystal more, honestly, but it seems like he had to adapt to its use in moments like these, channeling the crystal within the saber to create ranged saber strikes.

Her blade would clatter to the ground after the strike. Promptly, Persenus crushed it under foot, finding it easier as it had cortosis in it, meaning its structural integrity weakened for it. Then, he began to pace around her like a shark in the water. He held his lightsaber offensively all throughout, prodding her, apparently. But he would not let up, he would remain relentless, even if only in the mind.

"They say that when you are about to die you see glimpses of from all throughout your life." The image of dying mother would come across her mind, flashing the horrid emotions once more and resurfacing what has kept inside then. "I'm seeing nothing. Nothing but a dead woman. What about you?" Then came the image of her being named Alor, the anxiety that came with the title, the fear of disappointment pulling itself out of the depths of her mind.

Then it came then, fear. The fears and insecurities within her would be magnified. The emotions would take up her headspace, and consume her if she could not resist. He was no master at Force Fear, but as a practitioner of Djem So, the domination of the opponent's emotional state is something he had practiced extensively on. Voices inside her head would scream at her, calling her a disappointment, a failure of an Alor. A cold dead stare from her mother from inside her casket would flash in between them. Then came the fears from Persenus, showing the possible gruesome ends of this battle for her, her head rolling off her body, her armor stripped and taken from her like a trophy, to having painful injuries, a death from a thousand cuts in just one fight.

In failure of resistance, she would find that the ghastly pains that she had experience would feel ever more real. The sensations danced across her skin, flaring up in pain and agony momentarily before fading away, the pains appearing elsewhere at random. Even in her bones, it reached down towards her organs, burnt and destroyed by a saber's heat with each wound receiving boils and further deformities around them from the pressurized blood.

Raya Krayt

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[Raya Krayt]

Despite his threats, the Mandalorian remained steadfast and did not react to his swipes emotionally, though she dodged them out of instinct and any attacks that were close enough she ensured would only contact with her armour. His comment didn't concern her as she only took it as a threat, so woefully unaware of the abilities of Force Users that she did not know how psychologically invasive they could be, though her suspicions were growing as the battle progressed.

The Mandalorian kept her vambrace trained on the Sith wherever he was in the room, intending to attack him if he got too close. She realised that her method of fighting had changed from offence to defence which could be attributed to her underestimation of her opponent. However, she was a quick learner and as the battle progressed she felt she was beginning to understand the man's fighting style more and was continuously thinking of ways to counter them.

His following comment came as a shock to her. She put the dots together and concluded he must have been talking about her mother which concerned her. It seemed the power of Force Users was beyond that which she had imagined so the stress that was already residing within her increased as she felt nervous about how exposed she was. "I see nothing because today isn't the day I die." She replied, angry at the invasion of her privacy. As she was becoming familiar with him, she was getting a better understanding of what he was capable of.

She felt a cold sense of dread wash over her as fear penetrated her mind and a sense of dread washed over her. Although she was suspicious such emotions were a product of her opponent, she struggled to push them aside and they clouded her mind. She knew her clan already regarded her as ill-prepared to be Alor and she had hoped a bounty as prestigious as this would gain her some credit from her clan but the urge to flee grew stronger, as did the fear of being an unworthy Alor.

The images in her mind were disturbingly vivid and caused the Mandalorian's fear and resentment to grow. She had been passionate about collecting the bounty before but now she was passionate about getting revenge too. The fear being projected onto her, including ways in which he could kill her, caused her to grow more passionate and angry with her opponent and to prevent him from continuing, the finger that hovered over the button of her vambrace pressed down, releasing a burst of fire in her opponent's direction.

PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

Fire. A classic deterrent against his kind and something he's been well-acquainted with throughout his time on the run. Normally, he would opt to crush the flamethrower with the Force, preventing any further use. Unfortunately, the flamethrower was made of Mandalorian Iron, Beskar. Due to this, he had to resort to goading such foes to waste their uses, much like this one. Luckily, hers was separate from any external fuel source, meaning it had limited use, most only firing once.

He foresaw her attack in the Force and knew her aim true with his instincts. He evaded, rolling right and duck under the fire. He wasn't going to be facing the flames with the Force. While it was in his powers to do so, certainly, it took great focus to block flames, focus he would rather use to further degrade her ability in a fight. As he evaded, he began to use another Force Technique now that he had her taking risks, and it would prove especially useful since it seemed that she was now focused on bringing out as much firepower, mentally and physically.

With his free-hand, he would attempt to afflict Force Slow upon he now zealous psyche. She likely would not feel its effects instantly as Persenus was still drawing out the battle and witling her down to work around her Beskar, but if she was so keen on finding retribution for her compromised mental faculties, she'd find it becoming more and more apparent as her mind would begin to feel clouded and heavy. Mental and physical energy would be stripped from her if she could not fend off his advances quicker than normally, slowing her warrior reflexes, weakening her body, and to allow him a chance to find purchase on that armor of hers.

"Your people do not find you a fit leader, Mandalorian." He would remark as he keep his distance from the fire, always in the middle of the widening arc and steadier stream, a golden zone where fire reshaped every time it moved, giving him more time to elude it. "Your life would only be a smudge on their history. You'd be lucky to be a footnote in the list of clan leaders, if they include you in it at all. I wouldn't be surprised if someone more capable of a warrior and leader would usurp your position."

Raya Krayt

 

[Raya Krayt]

By now, she was pretty certain that whatever she was feeling was a result of the mixture of the influence the Sith had over her and her own doubts and insecurities, though it was difficult to determine where one began and one ended. It gradually became increasingly difficult for her to make a decision as her mind could not quite consolidate the information it had received quickly enough. The mental toll of the battle, which was like nothing she had ever experienced before, strained her and made her feel weaker - slowly eroding her confidence.

Despite all the tools Mandalorians had adapted to combat Force Users, nothing had been given to combat the attack on the mental faculties that they could produce. The defence for that was up to the individual and the lack of knowledge of Force Users provided by her clan's stance on such people left her underprepared for an attack she had no education on.

While she was considering what weapon to use next, her hand on her blaster hilt, her attention was drawn back to the Sith who addressed her in a way that suggested he had invaded her mind. She frowned and felt anger rising within her. Hearing him say one of her largest insecurities was upsetting but it also made her more passionate to beat her opponent. If she had a good outcome from their encounter then she hoped it would gain the respect of her clan who, as her fears confirmed, did not find her a fit leader.

Still, with her sense of purpose renewed and her focus again not purely on survival, she was determined to best him in the fight. She reached into her pocked and wrapped her fingers around a proton grenade. "Not yet they don't." She replied before launching the grenade behind her opponent and using her jetpack to allow her the speed she needed to clear the area before landing again. His second comment had been more upsetting but she offered no reaction to it, trying to keep hold of what little confidence she had left.

PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

Grenades, if in enclosed spaces where launching it back would not mitigate the harm, were great for dealing with Force-Users, though dangerous to oneself as well if one is also in said enclosed space. However, they were in a sewer, tunnels that stretched vast distances. Plenty of space to put them somewhere else, back at their user perhaps. Though an overused choice, he believed it would be the best choice he could make. The moment he saw her reveal it, his Echani training kicked in. The near precognitive battle sense rivaled that of the Jedi, and he knew by instinct the distance she could throw it, perhaps knew better than her.

Having fought in the military quite often, he's encountered such grenades from time to time. With his hand, he would express the Force through his first bout of Telekinesis in the fight. Holding grenades were rather tricky for most Force-Users, especially those that are timed very quickly. However, proton grenades exploded on contact, so having to keep it from exploding was not a problem. It stopped in the air after a small time, slowing it down just enough to not trigger its explosive nature. It would float in the air as Persenus would calculate his offense.

Once more, Echani training and the Force worked in tandem, predicting where she would stop. Then, with just a pause to build up strength with a reeled back arm, he would launch it at great speeds at the floor where she would land. Beskar could protect your from shrapnel, but not the explosion. Force still carried through the armor, and Proton Grenades were particularly powerful. "I sense that unfamiliarity, Mandalorian. Am I your first? If I am, I truly apologize for being too rough." The cocksure smile spread on his face, feeling his victory coming ever closer.

Raya Krayt

 

[Raya Krayt]

The Mandalorian glanced over her shoulder as she neared the end of her short flight and upon seeing the grenade being launched back towards her, she twisted her upper body around enough for her right arm to face the man where she would then activate the repulsor and sent the grenade in the direction it had come from, though her return had not been as powerful as his and only protected her from the centre of the explosion when the grenade landed. Caught on the edge of the explosion, the force of the blast knocked her forwards out of the air and she landed in a roll on the floor before swiftly clambering to her feet, a single blaster drawn.

For a moment, before the smoke cleared, she glanced around to identify any exits she could use as it was becoming increasingly apparent that what she had chosen not to believe, that she was out of her depth, was true. It seemed his defences were impenetrable yet she was an open book and his knowledge of Mando'a suggested he knew far more about her than she knew about him and he confirmed it with his taunting. "Don't worry about it." She replied flippantly, her blaster aimed at the man.

Someone who knew about the Sith might have had an easier time fighting them but she had no expertise and was relying on general training on this hunt. Training that was intended for warriors and mercenaries. She would have had a better chance against a Jedi who at least fought honourably and would not use her own fears against her. She had been retreating further back into the sewer since the fight began and now she needed a distraction to find the nearest exit. Though it was seemingly increasingly difficult as grenades were difficult to use.

She activated her shield emitter and began firing at her opponent while walking backwards, holding out her left arm with the shield emitter on to deflect any bolts that she thought might get in the gaps of her beskar'gam when they were ultimately deflected. She had little hope this would do any damage but hopefully it would provide enough of a distraction to aid in her escape.

PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

He shielded himself from the explosion, turning his eyes away momentarily to prevent any debris from catching him. The explosion had sent cracks all across the walls, weakening the integrity more so from the years of wear it had gone through. He kept tabs upon her with the Force, keeping his senses clear for any follow-ups, which helped him deflect the blaster bolts back at her. Though, from the ear rending noise of diffusing energy, he realized he had an energy shield. However, he could grasp that fear had finally taken hold of her now that she set off for an escape.

Truly a shame he couldn't pierce her with his saber. That armor would fetch him quite a price. He would've worn it himself but he wasn't so sure if it could fit him. It could set him for life, for his travels. It would be worth it, to pull the feat out one more time. That greed took over him as he sheathed his saber to let it hang on his belt, converting to the second Force Form, Force Potency.

Persenus wasn't thinking of the consequences. This would leave him quite winded but the chance at that armor was not a chance he would pass up. He used Tutaminis to absorb her blaster bolts into his reserves as he called upon to Force for one last push. It didn't take shatterpoint to know the weakpoints in a structure this compromised. The power that he had been conserving throughout the fight would be summoned to replicate what he had done on Nar Shadda, how he killed hundreds of people with a nudge and a push on that building.

The sewers would begin to cave in, crumbling down and finally giving in from thousands of years of neglect and grime. Rocks came down upon her, more than that energy shield could take. The entire ceiling came soon after and whatever door she sought would find itself enclosed simultaneously. While this happened, Persenus would flee outside the now blocked exit, smashing through the debris that shielded it to leave Raya to be entombed in those sewers.

Of course, if she somehow survived and came back for him, he'd hope that there'd be a moment of respite for him to recover for doing such a feat again.

Raya Krayt

 

[Raya Krayt]

It was almost within reach. A glance over her shoulder confirmed an exit at the end of the dark tunnel which she continued backing towards while concentrating her blaster fire on her opponent. He had been the most difficult adversary she had ever faced and she imagined he would be for a long time to come. She had entered the bounty hunt in the hopes of winning, thinking of the glory it could bring her but had been blindsided by such a thought which had left her in deep water and now the situation was beginning to look bleak.

Once he deactivated his weapon, Raya took the opportunity to escape by using her jetpack to flee at a greater speed. A low rumbling from above prompted her to look up and to her horror the ceiling was trembling. She knew she needed to get to cover so she dropped down and abandoned her jetpack to crawl into a narrow metal tube that connected the sewers. Behind her, there was an almighty crash as the ceiling collapsed and cut off the entrance she had used into the tube and the complete darkness confirmed she was sealed in on the other side of the tube too.

Raya switched on the commlink in her helmet to send out a distress signal to her clan. ::I need help on Belgaroth. Please Hurry.:: She informed her allies who would have her coordinates, sounding breathless. She rolled over onto her back to get into a more comfortable position and sighed. She knew she needed to relax to conserve oxygen.

PERSENUS

 

[PERSENUS]

The brief yet refreshing silence that came after the battle was welcomed by Persenus. It was always these moments that he slowly came to realize his heart was beating. He felt each breath heavy in his lungs, his body recuperating quickly from the sudden stress of using the Force in such a manner. He had only used the Force in a similar capacity once before, and he was too caught up in the middle of the battle to realize how much it wound out of him. If he had gone further then, there would have been repercussions. Now, however, was different. It was easier, sure, but he felt the progress that he has made in the Force finally start to pay that empty debt.

"Where are you, Mandalorian?" He said between deep breaths, letting air circulate within him, not minding the horrid stench of this world. He clambered upon the rubble and destruction. His mind was unfocused as of now. The stress he had caused upon himself would not favor him in finding the girl. With his powers muddled, sensing her was a task on its own.

He began to overturn rocks, his physical strength still well-preserved. He dug deeper and deeper to where he last saw the Mandalorian. He wanted that armor. He needed that armor. The credits wound keep him safe, it would allow him to escape this life of digging through trash just to find ways to enhance his shoddy equipment. "Let's hope you died a quick death." He muttered.

One overturned rock would hit the ground hard on the way back down, sending vibrations down towards the metal tube Raya hid within. He was resolute to find her, it seems. By now, she should know that fear would only bring her presence out more to him.

Raya Krayt

 

[Raya Krayt]

Within the rubble, Raya could hear the sound of rubble tossed around above her. She knew he was getting closer. But in the rubble, her mind was at peace. There was only one way towards her and she would be ready. Anymore mind tricks would prove useless against the hardened Mandalorian who finally figured out what he was getting at. Persenus would sense nothing but her life presence in her current mental state. No fear or panic to give her away, no plans to project. Just a life force... if he could feel it at all in his exhausted state.

When the last rock was overturned, he would be blasted back down the sewer by the shockwave of a repulsor on her right vambrace. With his diminished abilities and lack of preparation, there was little to no chance of suspecting such an attack or defending against it at all. Accompanying the blast was a torrent of several blaster bolts from the blaster in her left hand. Raya pushed herself up from her prone position and kept firing with several more blaster bolts leaving her pistol as fast as she could reciprocate the trigger.

With a growl under her breath her right vambrace came to life with another stream of fire, using the second of three charges in its fuel supply. With the reduced space around them, the flames quickly grew to threaten the Sith if he stayed where he was. To make matters worse for him, the flames sucked up any oxygen in the area, threatening to suffocate him if he kept on trying to take her down. Thankfully her helmet's built in rebreather kept her safe from such a pathetic end. Raya didn't give him the chance to try and come at her again, though.

With the flames still spewing from her vambrace and bolts leaving her blaster to keep up the assault on him, she stumbled over the rubble and ran down the sewer, throwing her last plasma grenade among the rubble to bring the sewer down between them. She might not have gotten her bounty, but she managed to escape with her life...

/Exit thread PERSENUS