Secrets of the Dark Side I [Darth Veles]

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

Vupua thumbed the ignition of her Lightsaber. As the coil of red light sprung forth into a crimson beam, the Sith launched her hand towards Veles. Fingers balling into a fist, she swung it through the air as if to punch it, and come forth from the movement came a Force Punch. Knocking the plinth that held the Holocron over, the punch was aimed towards the Mon Calamari's stomach. She wanted to wind him, and knock the sails of confidence out of him.

 

[Darth Veles]

Finally.

Adding to Vupua’s blood red illumination washing over the chamber, the assassin mimicked the intimately familiar motion and allowed his own plasma blade spring to life. When the first strike hit, coming through the Force rather than their superheated blades, Veles braced himself for the inevitable and remained standing, booted feet sliding a few inches back over the ground under the attack’s powerful push. He did not give into the blunt pain erupting in his gut; it became a weapon in its own right, utilized to strengthen the amphibious man’s control over the Dark Side, which manifested in a delicate dance of his fingers knitting a telekinetic coil around the woman’s legs.

Clenched into a fist, his hand yanked the invisible rope back to pull her legs from under her, just to keep her occupied for a second or two while several elegant, yet purposeful strides brought Veles closer. Forth came another attack, destined to seize the woman and violently toss her across the room, once again followed by the Sith Lord’s subtle advance towards her, indicated by the menacing hiss of his lightsaber growing in strength.

[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

//OOC: Sorry for the late reply. Laptop had problems recently, so I couldn't get online to reply.\\

Vupua dropped underneath the pull of the Force, falling backwards onto her back. She flipped back onto her feet the moment she felt the back of her neck impact the unforgiving polished durasteel floor, embracing the pain that was creeping along the back of her head and spine. Before she could react, another powerful knock sent her hurdling backwards into the frame of her bed. Before she completely bent herself over the edge of the frame, Vupua resisted the effects of the Force, rising back upright. Teeth gritting themselves together, the Sith made her way forwards to confront Veles before he closed in her, raising her Lightsaber to perform the intricate maneuvers of Soresu.

 

[Darth Veles]

A quick observation looked into the woman’s stance, silently comparing it to each form’s characteristic motions. The striking similarities to Soresu did not escape him, thus Veles branded Vupua an experienced practitioner of the third form of lightsaber combat. Whether she had more in her arsenal or not remained to be seen, though the Mon Cal remained wary, realizing this initial revelation could be just a lie to trick him into choosing a specific tactic she could exploit by switching into another form.

Fluid and elegant, Veles’ blade cut through the air in an upwards motion, the tip now pointing at Vupua’s chest. Even with the Sith Lord’s superior reach that Makashi offered, penetrating the female Sith’s defences gifted to her by Soresu would pose a challenge. Mastery over their respective techniques meant little now, the duel reduced into a battle of minds, both combatants trying to outsmart the other. Makashi was all about exploiting the opponent’s weakness – and if Vupua’s impenetrable defences showed none, he’d have to create an opening himself.

One long step closer and Veles’ arm fully extended in a lunge forward, the blood-red tip of his weapon going for her neck in two successive stabs; the first unexpectedly stopped and swiftly retracted before the plasma had a chance to pose any danger to the woman, the second fluently changed with a mere flick of his wrist, the stab transformed into a downwards cut going for Vupua’s hilt.


[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

Thousands of drills on Serenno, against holographic representations of countless duelists and their respective forms, had prepared Vupua for combat. Coupled with the sparring sessions she had shared with Darth Ayra, Darth Vupua was no slouch. But this was the first opponent- the first time- that she had fought someone that was neither droid or her former Master. She was green when it came to Lightsaber dueling other people, and so the twenty-years of experience that Veles had on her proved invaluable to the Mon Calamari who called himself Dark Lord.

Already, he had figured her maneuvers, and Vupua could tell. The subtle feint of the first lunge, instead diverting into a second stab towards her weapon hand caught Veles' opponent off guard. Instead of diverting the blade, Vupua was forced to outright parry with an intricate maneuver of her Lightsaber hilt. The black caused a spasm to travel up the woman's arm, and involuntary, her instincts forced her to move backwards. The dark side of the Force was a weapon, she had been taught. For those who wielded it's power, retreat was never an option. Instead, Vupua was trained to become an unmovable object, designed to stand her ground until her opponents tired whilst she remained fresh. But this was impossible when another already had the foresight to begin undoing her supposedly impenetrable defence. Whilst Veles had not given an outright blow, Vupua was slowly being undone by her latest ally.

I am the one who is supposed to be on top, Vupua thought as she stepped away to create room between the two. Angered by her opponents audacity, and her lack of experience, Vupua lashed out with the dark side, to Force Crush Veles' weapon hand. For the Mon Calamari, it would feel as if the Human had latched her hand around his own, and begun to squeeze with strength enough to break bones and reduce his hand to nothing more than a bloody mess.

 

[Darth Veles]

Currently on the offensive, Veles advanced while his opponent retreated, lightsaber always pointed in Vupua’s direction. He could not allow her to gain a moment to breathe and recuperate, putting constant pressure on the woman. Victory seemed to approach rapidly, yet the Sith Lady rejected the very idea, opting to call upon the darkness corrupting the Force and summon its destructive power upon her rival. Subtle at first, her telekinetic hold quickly grew into a prefect display of dominance over the Dark Side’s might, the insane pressure painfully squished the amphibian’s hand until the bones started to give in, bending as Vupua’s commanded and screaming they were about to crack. Not a nice sight. Only Veles’ iron will that ordered the Force to ease the attack to some degree prevented his hand from being outright destroyed and reduced into a bloody paste to spill onto the floor.

Crushing pain eliciting from his weapon hand almost overwhelmed the Sith Lord’s ability to hold a lightsaber and certainly impacted his ability to fight. A hateful glare shot the woman’s way, an angry promise of a swift and merciless revenge mirrored in his large amber eyes. Pain made an excellent ally, after all, standing right next to hatred – and so the cyborg focused on it, let it resonate throughout his entire being before channelling that very sensation into a telekinetic grip of his own, strengthened by the Dark Side’s raw power. Like a machine, the assassin raised his right hand, slowly and deliberately curling it into a fist that gestured for the Force to do the same with Vupua’s throat, cut off her supply of oxygen.

Still keeping her at bay with his lightsaber’s reach, yet fully devoted to bending the mysterious energy to his will, the Sith Lord made another switch, unwilling to let his dance partner adapt to his pace.

No more telekinesis for Vupua to defend against; all that invisible pressure to resist was gone, replaced by red strands flying her way as they left the man’s fingertips. It tingled. Suddenly, the Dark Side’s presence in the room became overwhelming, evidenced by the Mon Cal’s eyes gaining a sickly yellow hue that replaced the natural warmth of amber. A veteran of Sith arts, Veles intended to suck Vupua dry through the technique known as Force drain. Stealing both the Force and life running through her body, only to replenish his own – a nasty thing, one he had started to apply more and more often lately.

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

Lifted into the air, feet hovering inches off the floor, Vupua felt the invisible coil of Veles' grip her by the throat and begin strangling her. She spluttered, spit rising from in between her lips and down onto the floor as she instinctively raised her free hand to her neck as if to pry away the invisible hand that was latched on it. But it did not budge. As the seconds went by, Vupua felt her eyes beginning to roll back, urging her to fall unconscious. She resisted the urge, and with it, the Force Choke went away.

Then she felt it. The very essence of life draining from her. She shuddered, feeling herself growing older with every passing second. Vupua looked up at Veles. Her eyes glared back into the Sith's malevolent yellow. She did not hate this Mon Calamari. At least, not yet. There would come a time where Vupua was truly hate Veles for everything he was, if it had been true that he too followed the Rule of Two. The Galaxy was only big enough for one Sith to call themselves the Master. Still, Vupua managed to gather up her inner hate to fuel herself for another drive. She would not allow this mere amphibian drain her life from her!

Spreading her free hand, Darth Vupua summoned a Force Breach from her mind and through her finger tips towards Veles. Aiming to cut the active Force Drain off with the power, Vupua would leave Veles with a temporary affliction of being unable to call upon the Force, and with it, stop the Mon Calamari from taking away her precious years.

 

[Darth Veles]

Vupua’s life had turned into a tasty refreshment for the Sith Lord’s hunger, adding to his own strength while the victim grew weaker. The assassin wouldn’t go as far as to kill the woman, just enough to leave her without energy to continue the duel for superiority and dominance over the other. The crimson lightning continued to flicker and paint shadowy ornaments over the walls, Veles felt Vupua’s strength pulsing through his veins – and then nothing. It stopped when the Sith Lady ordered it to, unwilling to respond to the Mon Cal’s will. Wide eyed, the amphibious Sith Lord glared at his webbed hand in disbelief, marking this as his first experience with the unknown power. Definitely an excellent way to disrupt an ongoing onslaught, giving Veles this sudden notion he could not use the Force at all.

Masking the raging fury within behind the calm expression he wore, the Darth did his best not to panic, realizing the urgency of the situation. No time to meditate and discover a way to regain his touch; he launched a series of jabs at the woman’s form, no other goal than to keep her occupied while his mind desperately tried to figure out this new power’s workings. Logically, Veles knew she could not have cut him from the Force – such process required time and several powerful Force users trained in the ability. This had to be a temporary effect, a short-timed block, therefore he needed to give her trouble with his lightsaber until his connection to the Dark Side returned. Driven by anger and aided by his cybernetic enhancements, Veles delivered blows with renewed vigor. Not much else he could do!


[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

Veles' rage did him well. Closing the space between himself and his opponent, the Mon Calamari unleashed his fury upon the girl that stood before him. The initial battering of crimson, as Lightsaber met one another in the heat of the duel, forced Vupua to stagger into a cabinet behind and subsequently knock it out. A stabbing pain etched itself across her left side torso, forcing her to further grit her teeth. She would not satisfy Veles with a momentary lapse, such as a whimper or a sharp cry out.

Regathering herself, Vupua diverted the next blows with her practiced Soresu. Without the aide of the Force, Veles was far slower and less refined that he had been a minute ago. Other than the first swipe he had taken, Vupua was the one with a steady upper hand. As Veles fed his pain into assaulting his opponent, Vupua focused her own into a methodological defence. She did not outright parry, or block Veles attacks, instead focusing on divert the blade away with the tip of her own. As the Mon Calamari expended his energy, Vupua kept herself fresh and in the game. She had survived Veles initial onslaught, and now they were playing into her strengths.

A smile crept along the face of Darth Vupua as she diverted another blow into the wall. She moved behind Veles, as in if to indicate that she was creating an opening to slash his back open. Instead, Vupua kept her Lightsaber ahead of herself, ready to divert again. The movement behind Veles was another practiced move, so as to force the Mon Calamari to quickly turn and face his opponent. Perhaps panic would settle into Veles, as he noticed the girl moving behind him.

As Veles slowly begun to find the Force once again, Darth Vupua took a momentary step backwards, so that her opponent could not cut off her hand. With a flick of a wrist, she summoned a Force Stun and through the intricate movement of her free hand, Vupua aimed the technique at Darth Veles. Deadening ones senses, coupled by the loss of the Force, made for a deadly combination.

 

[Darth Veles]

The sudden reversal in their dancing roles hardly came as a surprise. Vupua’s solid connection to the Force and Soresu’s defensive capabilities swiftly turned the tides and now Veles happened to be the one to retreat, one step back at a time. Without the ability to effectively counter Vupua’s advance – mainly due to the inability to predict her future manoeuvres and react accordingly with enough swiftness – he could only slow her down as much as possible, throwing well-aimed strikes her way to keep her occupied until the Force listened to him once more. Only the instinctive motions positively present in his blood after so many years of sole focus on Makashi spared him a swift defeat at the Sith Lady’s hands. Maybe if he pressed the attack, he’d score a win, provided the woman received no chance to summon the Force to her aid.

To counter Vupua’s saber lock and her subsequent move behind his back, the amphibian swiftly took a few jogs forward to get out of her lightsaber’s range and free his own blade, spinning on his heel while doing so to face the woman again, lightsaber turning around with him to force the woman to defend herself. A simple tactic to abuse the Sith’s survival instinct in his favour – she could forego going through with her attack and block, or both would plunge each other right into the Void’s depths. Even without the Force to heed his calls, Veles remained full of cheap moves. It did not occur to the Mon Calamari that her anticipated attack, too, was just a feint to trick him.

Her hand’s gesture did not escape him. A subtle motion, not commonly associated with telekinesis and similar powers. Soon enough, the Mon Cal understood its dark meaning. He could practically feel the vile power crawl over his body, its deadening touch kissing his entire being in a frosty embrace that froze him mid-motion. Shock and surprise crawled down his spine like ice-cold daggers. Did this mark the end? A red flash of light to kiss his body and infinite darkness? His form refused to budge, stiff like a good erection – and so the amphibious Sith Lord tried harder, breaking the chains that had turned him into a living statue.

One.

Two.

Two short, painfully jerky steps brought him closer, his will waging war to free him from the woman’s influence. No longer would he bend to her whims!

Currently wrestling against his left hand, the amphibious man felt the refreshing current of the Force come back and wash over him, its much needed support shattering the bounds and unleashing an open palm towards the Sith Lady before she ended it. Furniture and everything that stood between the two got swept aside by the telekinetic wave aimed to hit the young woman.

“How… long do… you wish to keep this up..., lady Vupua?” Veles mocked, tongue still in struggle with the paralysing technique that had plagued the entire body.



[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

Veles' resilience was impressive. Out of all the techniques that Vupua had mastered, before and after her seminal life, Force Stun had been the power that she could consider to be her most powerful. After all, in her days before becoming Darth Ayra's apprentice, she had always fought with the consideration of the others life. Rather than fighting to outright kill, Vupua had practiced her craft to defend, and eventually maim, knock out or immobilize her target until the point came where she could bring them to justice. These days, Vupua used Force Stun to buy enough time to prepare a more deadly technique, designed to kill or drive another to madness. There would be no sparing of another life.

Out of sheer hatred, Veles was keeping himself in the fight. Vupua granted Veles a nod of approval, as if to commend the Mon Calamari for his tenacity and unwillingness to give up. A trait that she would need later down the line. As he struggled against her machinations, Darth Vupua felt the Force returning to Veles, aware that the Force Suppression technique would not last. It was a neat trick, designed to turn defence to attack within an instant. Rather than going to the traditional Force Shield, adequate as it might have been against Force Drain, Vupua had turned the duel on it's head in an instant.

Now it was hers to decide.

Feeling the surge of Force rising through Veles, Vupua's outstretched hand maintained it's posture whilst her Lightsaber hummed ominously. A nearby seat was atomized as the Force Wave was sent her way. As it's power hit her, Darth Vupua converted the hostile energy through Tutaminis. Still, it's physical impact could not be ignored. Vupua felt the back of her head crack open as she rebound off the wall from behind. It was an odd sensation, to feel rejuvenated, and at the same time, the dizziness of what undoubtedly develop into a concussion, as the Tutaminis faded.

Managing to land on her feet, and maintaining her Lightsaber in her hand, Vupua eyed Veles as he watched her stagger back into position for another round. "When I gain your respect," Vupua blurted in response, decision made. She would not push her offensive. After all, she did not want to kill the man that would be the key to the Gatekeepers she sought to destroy.

 

[Darth Veles]

Veles used the time before Vupua recuperated productively. Not to strike, just to gather strength and ready himself for the next assault. Charging the Sith Lady unprepared certainly held a high chance to catch her off-guard, but getting close and devastated by another powerful technique seemed too great of a risk to take, thus the Mon Calamari remained still, large bulbous eyes glued to her body. She was a powerful beast, unwilling to lose. Both of them were, proud combatants testing each other’s dueling skills and taking a peek into another’s arsenal of powers. What else mattered, anyway? Veles had tasted his share of duels to the death to recognize this one refused to fall into that particular category.

“Only a fool judges by fighting abilities alone,” Veles informed his new associate about his personal views, “Cunning, vision, control – all are equally important to Sith. Pity the fools who elect a brute as their king because he is unmatched in combat.”

One swing later and his lightsaber pointed towards the floor.

“Many have earned my respect without ever meeting me in combat. It is not something you can get instantly. If you claim to be Sith, then prove it by being one.”

With that, the amphibian cast a smile, releasing his thumb from the ignition button. The crimson light illuminating the unfortunately wrecked room vanished. And the Darth did not stop there! What followed was his lightsaber getting dangerously close to his utility belt before an audible click reached Vupua’s ears and proved the weapon to finally be at rest. Just a lie to appease the woman’s eyes, for Sith did not need their swords to enslave the Force.


[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

In her peripheral vision, Vupua watched as Veles' weapon was put away. Well, at least the dangerous part. She never once took her eyes off the Mon Calamari's face, however. There was a lot you could learn from watching another. The slightest glance to his Lightsaber, for example, could prove costly. Darth Vupua would always overestimate this man. He had proven his cunning by getting her to reveal her true name and allegiances. Then, he had proven himself to be a formidable warrior. The transition from the humble amphibian known as Avreet into the killer Darth Veles had been near perfect. So, Vupua did not copy her opponent, and instead, kept the hissing crimson beam of her Lightsaber activated until Veles left. Only then would she feel content enough to relax, or, perhaps to be more accurate, recover.

"Your Dun Moch is something to be admired. Did I tire you?" Vupua replied, meeting Veles' mocking with her own. "Or perhaps you will leave, so I can convince these Knights of Ren to do our bidding?" Her tone changed, reverting back to her normal softness.

 

[Darth Veles]

She made no motion that suggested an impending attack, thus Veles had decided to reply in kind, saving the most triumphant trick up his sleeve for another time. A single word – although a very specific word – and the formidable Sith Lady would be reduced to a powerless heap of flesh and bone, a shattered image of her former self, harmless and fully dependant on others. Being a former student of a powerful and knowledgeable Sith Witch carried certain benefits concerning Sith magic, rituals and incantations; Veles had spent most of his life in constant training, clawing for perfection. When Vupua made a joke of her own, the amphibious man returned a surprised expression that soon changed into one of amusement.

“Tire me?”

A hearty giggle followed, unfit for a Sith Lord like him.

“Lady Vupua,…” He started and looked at her with the bulbous eyes of his, clearly intending to say more, only for the words to vanish and manifest as a roguish smile adorning his face. She didn’t need to know why he found it funny. Not yet, anyway – the human would undoubtedly discover that one day if the two continued to work together, although he had unintentionally revealed several clues already. Avreet’s left hand remained whole; sharp pain cut throughout the entire limb when he clenched the open palm into a fist. Not a hiss to acknowledge the discomfort left his mouth. Amber gaze washed over the destroyed surroundings before redirecting attention to the woman.

“Sorry about the mess, by the way.” Maybe they should have picked a different room for their dance – too late though.


[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

"Darth Vupua," replied Vupua, interjecting Veles' use of Lady. A statement of intent, followed by a demand for his respect.

"No matter." Vupua dismissed the mess around them, instead choosing to her eyes on him. She still did not turn her gaze from the man stood before her, always watching and waiting. Predator pitched against predator and the dark side was their jungle, as they vied for control. She suspected it would be this way for rest of their lives. A bead of sweat traveled down her forehead. Her heart was beating so fast, that it was threatening to burst. She was purposefully keeping herself from shaking, not want Veles to mistake it for fear. Adrenaline rushed throughout her body. The beast within her had risen it's snout, and it smelled blood. She longed to sate it's hunger. But Darth Vupua relented. She still needed Veles.

"It is time we parted company, Darth Veles. I will contact you when I make our next move."

 

[Darth Veles]

Richer in knowledge, stronger in power, the amphibious Sith blinked and nodded, understanding no other trick or trap awaited him. One could never be too careful around another Sith, treacherous beasts that hungered to swallow all competition.

“Of course. I will await your message then. Good evening.”

With that, he voluntarily showed his back to Vupua for the first time and vanished after passing through the doorframe. The same slow march that had brought him in now carried him back to the stealth ship he called home. Even after his webbed hands firmly held Your Deathbed in control, the Mon Cal continued thinking about the future, the gears inside his head relentlessly forging new plans that suddenly involved another Sith.


[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

When Veles finally left, Vupua thumbed the ignition button of her Lightsaber. As the red light recoiled itself into the cylindrical hilt in her hand, did Vupua finally turn to observe the devastation. The cabinet from earlier had been cracked in half. Seats were toppled over. She even spotted the remains of one, with half of it being atomized earlier in the wake of Veles' Force Wave. Surprisingly, throughout the conflict, the plinth that held Darth Revan's Sith Holocron remained upright. The Holocron itself remained center stage, as if to dare Veles or Vupua to damage it.

Picking up a table with her free hand, Vupua pulled it back upright. Debris flew off it's surface and onto the ground as she set it back up. Laying her Lightsaber down onto it, she turned to pick up the glass orb and sheet from earlier. Placing the orb back over the Holocron, Vupua shook the sheet clean of any dust or debris and then threw it on top of the orb, concealing it's contents from view. The red light which shone from the fist sized Holocron faded instantly, leaving only a light yellow hue from the artificial lights above.

For the next two hours, Vupua turned her attention to cleaning the room. She set chairs back into place, cleaned up debris into the nearby trash compacter and fix her bed, so that when she was done, she could finally enter the dreamless, empty sleep she craved. Not bothering to change out of her robes or clothes, Vupua shut down the doors to her quarters, climbed onto her bed and instantly fell asleep.

END.