Street Sweeper Social Club (Wide Open)

[Rusty]

All street brawls are not created equal.

On Coruscant, for instance, you can be pretty sure that you'll be fighting in the shade. The upper levels of the city are usually pretty well policed, so things don't get really hairy until you get down to the undercity.

On Tatooine, it's too damned hot during the day to duke it out in the streets, so the really heavy action doesn't go down until nightfall.

On Nar Shaddaa, you just have to step outside at the wrong time in the wrong place.

Since the closest thing to law enforcement was the roving gangs and bands of mercenaries hired by the crimelords, there wasn't much to stop a slight altercation from turning into a full blown battle. So long as no serious shooting broke out, the Hutts usually wouldn't step in, so chances are, there was at least one street clearing brawl going down on the Smuggler's Moon at any given point.

Rusty had been sitting in a bar, a rather nice one at that, enjoying a good drink after a successful weapons deal with a fairly large cartel. If you knew where to look, there were some rather impressive establishments that catered to the wealthier criminal elements. They were few and far between, and membership was more exclusive than some of the swankier nightclubs in the core, but they were there if you knew where to look.

Imagine the Shard's surprise when, mere moments after stepping out the door, he caught a flying double knee to the chest from a little Rodian that couldn't have weighed more than fifty kilograms. His HRD chassis absorbed the blow nicely; there wouldn't even be a bruise. That wouldn't save the little bastard from a bit of humiliation. The arms dealer picked the tiny fighter off the ground with one hand wrapped up in his collar and lifted him up to eye level.

He'd give the Rodian credit. The sucker was flailing about like a windmill in a tornado, trying desperately to land a blow on the behemoth.

"No. Bad."

The Rodians eyes widened, but he didn't stop swinging. It was then that the Shard noticed that the street was clogged with fighters of all shapes and sizes, duking it out with fists and batons and clubs. There were no knives or blasters, which led him to suspect that this was one of those "all in good fun" sorts of deals, rather than a serious turf war.

Rusty tossed the little Rodian to the side, then stuck his head back in the door of the bar for a moment. He passed his weapons off to the bouncer, along with a generous tip. The Wookiee nodded in understanding, and set them behind his podium. He'd return them when asked, so long as there was another tip on collection.

The Shard didn't want to be tempted to shoot anyone in what should prove to be a spot of fun. He stepped outside once more and looked up and down the street for a potential opponent.

"WHO WANTS SOME?" he bellowed, his artificial lungs providing enough oomph to rattle nearby windows.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua the Shark considered Nar Shaddaa home. He worked at a bar not too far from here, and his apartment was but a few buildings away. The Shark didn't often wear too many weapons when he went out, but he didn't need to. He was a weapon. Ghorua figured he was one of the only beings on Nar Shaddaa that didn't have to worry about muggers. The Herglic stood well over three meters tall, his genetically-modified muscles bulging as he walked along the street.

Suddenly, the black-skinned monstrosity heard the nearby sound of a scuffle. A large scuffle. Ghorua had heard of the far and in-between occurrences of open brawls. He'd actually witnessed one once. It was hilarious, to say the least. Young men, barely older than boys, getting their butts handed to them by more experienced gladiators of the streets. The beast that was Ghorua hadn't participated. His punches could kill regular young and experienced alike.

As he turned the corner, he saw the brawl, and smiled, showing off rows of wicked opaline teeth. Plenty of races, bound together in combat. The sight was almost inspirational. As he walked forward, a few of the fighters edged back. One large Zabrak stalked forward, intent on taking on the challenge of a ten-foot-tall colossus. Before he could get close, Ghorua put up his hand. "No thanks, horny-head. Just watching today." The Shark's voice, although quiet, resonated along the crowd, a dark undertone to the sound of combat. The Zabrak spat on the ground, and turned around.

Ghorua leaned against a building, and watched the scene in amusement. Perhaps he'd join. Perhaps not.

- [member="Rusty"] -

 

[Roshki Belawiiks]

[member="Rusty"] [member="Ghorua the Shark"]

"WHO WANTS SOME?" he bellowed, his artificial lungs providing enough oomph to rattle nearby windows.

"Me ."

I stepped up as the immediate onlookers stepped back, most likely feeling disbelief that somebody built like me was stupid enough to take on a tank like the fellow before me. And perhaps I was stupid. The challenger was almost an entire foot taller than me, and stronger-looking to boot. The winner was almost guaranteed, and it seemed those around us could sense it.

But I didn't care. I'd had a pretty rotten week, and I sorely needed to get in a fight. To take my frustration out on something real. By that criteria, I had ruled out Gray (though I couldn't conjure her up at will anyway) and Maxi, because there was no way I'd lay a hand on my baby. Similarly, it ruled out a lot of other folks because not only did I want a challenge, I'd also been ruined enough by the Jedi to not just go around and beat up punks...Well, not all the time, anyway.

To make it even harder on myself, I unclipped my lightsaber and set it by Maxi, who immediately used the appendage at the end of his tail to pick it up and hold it. "Anybody takes my lightsaber or my Blarth, and I'll beat the chit outta them, too." I gave a cocky grin to the man in front, hoping he'd catch onto my little dig. Cracking my knuckles, I assumed a ready stance.

"Well come on, Twinkle Toes. We gonna dance or what?"

 

[Rusty]

"Twinkle...toes?"

The little Togruta in front of him needed a step ladder just to reach his toes.

"I've been called a lot of things, but that's a first."

A more chivalrous being might have hesitated before attacking a female roughly a quarter of their mass. Rusty was not chivalrous. He had read most of the common chivalric codes, and they had far more to do with weapons selection than how to treat the fairer sex anyway. Besides, if you wanted to get technical, he was asexual. Hitting a girl presented no real moral issues.

Mind, if Tiny here was up for a fight, it was possible, probable even, that she had something up her sleeve. Probably the Force. Maybe a holdout blaster. Only one way to find out.

He cocked back his right fist, a sure sign a haymaker was on the way. Big guys like him always seemed to lead with a right that could put a dent in durasteel, and little folks knew it. They expected it. A hit like that could tip a starfighter if it landed. Only they never seemed to land, probably because even a blind person could sense it coming. The fist cocked back as the body tilted backwards, all the weight going onto the supporting, in this case right, foot.

It was a move so textbook and obvious for someone of his size that, most of the time, the other guy didn't even think about watching out for subterfuge. Which is why, instead of sending the Fist of Heaven screaming towards the minuscule fighter at a noticeable portion of the speed of sound, Rusty lashed out with his left foot, aiming a lightning-quick kick at her leading shin. There wasn't much power behind the blow, all things considered, but a size 16 boot with a durasteel toe cap had a lot of mass behind it. If the blow were to land, it wouldn't break anything, but it would hurt like hell, and would make walking something of a chore for a few minutes.

[member="Roshki Belawiiks"]

 

[Roshki Belawiiks]

[member="Rusty"]

I winked at the giant, grinning. "Let's hope that's not the only first for today."

The Hell does that even mean?

"That you're an idiot, duh."

Ugh. "Now isn't the time," I murmured, my body tensing as Twinkle Toes shifted his body for the first blow. "Can't you see I'm busy?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the hallucination crouch down to mirror my stance, though hers was more mocking.

"You shoulda picked on something smaller, like a mountain. Or a planet. I mean, look at his legs! They're tree trunks!"

"I said, shut up." I hissed, just as my opponent's left foot came swinging at me. With a yelp, I jumped back, feeling an impact right above my own left foot. The surprise landing caused me to twist awkwardly, landing on my side.

Scrambling to recuperate, I leapt to my feet and shook the offending leg. "Hey now, Twinkle Toes, I thought we were getting along so well."

"Told you to look at his legs."

I ignored her, limping around a bit. It didn't seem like anything was broken, but I wasn't gonna be walking normal anytime soon. At the very least, I'd have a nice bruise.

My eyes narrowed at the man as I considered my retaliation. I'd have to rely on my admirable speed and cunning wits if I wanted to make this tree go "Timber!" And I didn't have a lot of time to stall, either, before I'd miss my opportunity.

Stopping in front of the giant again (but far out of his reach), I sent him a dazzling smile. "So what brings you to this part of the wee galaxy, Twinkle Toes?" I asked....then immediately began to run at him, doing my best to ignore the pain (let's face it, I've had worse). I hoped it would catch him off guard, though it probably wouldn't. But a girl can dream, couldn't she?

Seconds before I was within arms reach of Twinkle Toes, I summoned the Force about me and propelled myself into the air, executing a perfect (in my opinion, anyway) twist above him. Continuing with the Force, I used it to steady myself as I swung a foot at his head, hoping to konk him a little. "By the way, lemme knock some sense into ya!" I shrieked through it all.

 

[Grace Darkson]

Grace sat on a park bench nearby. What a bench was doing on Nar Shaddaa was anyone's guess, but Grace seemed to have a knack for finding the few that were there. Maybe the republic had installed them. She didn't know. She did know that if you were inconspicous enough, you could get away with sitting on the edge of things and watching. Most people would enjoy running in and joining. She preferred keeping the fight going in other ways. A nudge here and there, a push here, and the minds of everyone would keep in the fight. Eventually a rather large man walked out of the bar, and after a blow from a frankly idiotic rodian, threw the alien towards her, where he skidded to his feet a meter or two from where she sat, content to watch the fighting. He got up, looked at her for a second, seeming to size her up. "Don't try it." she told him, acting as if she was trying to be tough. a small smile crossed her face as he swung. She took the punch to the gut, but brought a hand up from her lap, slamming it into his chin. As the man reeled, she kicked, striking his shin. Standing up, she stamped hard on his head. "Stay down, sweetie. Don't wanna embarrass you further."

She looked over to where the man who had thrown him was now fighting what appeared to be a Force User. Odd. She tried giving the man a nudge that would match the togruta's kick if it landed. With any luck, he'd think it was just the pain he was feeling.

Always work the crowd if you can.

[member="Rusty"] [member="Roshki Belawiiks"]

 

[Rusty]

Rusty was fast. Far, far faster than anyone his size had any business being.

But, against a Force user, even one with a modest talent, he was at a distinct disadvantage- so long as they stayed on the ground. Once they went airborne, which a great many seemed to like to do, they forfeited that speed advantage. Sure, they might move like a Kowakian monkey lizard with an electric probe shoved up its butt, and they could carry that into one hell of an arc, but in the air, they were subject to the same laws as everyone else. Unless, of course, they used the Force to alter their trajectory, but that took more than a modest talent.

So when the tiny little ball of fury flew up like a rocket, the Shard was reasonably confident that he could predict what came next: she would attempt to end the fight quickly with a well placed kick to the jaw. It was a smart move, and against a mundane brawler, it would catch them off guard and put them down nine times out of ten. It was her bad luck that he'd been fighting Force users since before she was a twinkle in her parents' eyes. He put a big, meaty hand up, hoping to grab her ankle before the kick landed. If all went well, she'd find herself danging at eye level, only upside down. Boy, that would be-

THWACK!

From out of nowhere, a blow landed against his cheek hard enough to turn his head a little. A normal human would be picking their teeth up off the ground. Good thing he wasn't quite normal. He tasted blood, but otherwise ignored the shot. Felt like projected fighting. Best to leave the would-be assailant in the dark on whether or not it hit. Might make them try something foolish.

[member="Roshki Belawiiks"]
[member="Grace Darkson"]

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Rusty"] | [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] | [member="Grace Darkson"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"]

The crowd seemed to sway and swivel in unison, various eruptions of random violence arcing themselves into surprisingly orderly shapes as people pushed and shoved one another. To someone watching from the skies, the event might have appeared to be a strange parade, or even a concert of some manner. To those within the crowd, the true vision was far fiercer; roving gangsters and wannabe thugs cracking one another with batons, and clubs, and fists. The Arue'tii watched for a brief moment as a lone Toydarian drove it's way through the crowd; wings fluttering like those of an insect, before slamming a hefty stone into a nearby Arkanian's skull. The injured party slammed harshly into the ground, a thin line of blood leaking out of his wound and pooling lightly around his zone of impact.

It may have started in good fun, but Abelain recognized that these were weapons being used, and they all held the potential for permanent damage. Despite that inherent risk, he had decided to partake in the activity for a number of logical, and illogical reasons. First and foremost among these was the wish to test his physical capabilities against multiple combatants, and he assumed that the batons that many carried would be capable of harming him enough to ensure that it was not a walk in the park. The second reason was simply a desire to engage in combat for the sake of combat. It had been sometime since he had engaged in any true battles beyond various duels, and he relished the chance to once more enter the fray.

His olfactory senses were running wild, the blood of dozens of lives flooding into him and showing their respective positions. A large and powerful Zabrak seemed to stalk around the combat, slamming a boot into the jaw of a rushing Rodian and sending him sprawling onto the ground in a heap of pain. Abelain identified it as a worthy opponent, and began to creep into the battle, his mind forgetting the initial reasons that he had come to Nar Shaddaa. The Zabrak noticed him, roaring outwards in a sign of defiance before charging forward, his body shielded behind his left shoulder, all the force set into it to provide for a satisfying shoulder charge.

Abelain had spent many years fighting wars upon Ghul. Throughout those wars, the only people he fought were those of his size, and he had become proficient at assaulting them, and defending against them. His left foot shifted in front of his right, the right twisting sideways in a horizontal fashion. His arms propped themselves upwards, holding in the air ahead of him as though he were preparing to catch a ball or other object. The charge struck, his hands sliding through the air and grasping onto the Zabrak's clothing, his right elbow dipped downwards, jabbing a chitinous blade into his gut about a centimeter. He twirled in a well-practiced circle, sending the horned being into a nearby pole with a loud clang that echoed out for a brief moment before dying in the scream of the crowd.

The scent of spilled blood rushed into him, exciting him with vibrant energy. His blue eyes cast a net upon the scene, taking notice of a lone Herglic sitting against a wall and observing, apparently not participating in the mosh of violence. They also identified a strange and tall being fighting against a Togruta female. He would leave them to their actions, as it would not be quite fair to interrupt their respective activities. He continued to scan the crowd for a notable opponent, and wondered at the outcome of the day. One thing was certain in his mind though, evident in his dismissal of the Zabrak.

"There shall be blood spilled, and bones cracked."

 

[Roshki Belawiiks]

[member="Rusty"] [member="Grace Darkson"]


I hadn't noticed him out his hand up, but when my foot brushed against it I instinctively thrashed my legs, hoping not to be caught like a sparrow in those big beast-traps some called hands. Instead, I sailed right over... and tumbled in a less-than-dignified fashion onto my side. "Ow..." Maxi let out a muffled yelp. I looked up to see him creep near me, but I put a finger up. "No, Maxi. Stay. Stay." The Blarth let out a whine, but grudgingly plopped his large behind back down.

Wincing, I pushed myself up, clenching my teeth at the soreness. My leg was even more tender with my fabulous landing, and to top it off I was certain in the morning I'd look like someone whacked me against a wall several times. But, thank the universe, nothing was broken. Yet. (Though my aforementioned leg certainly felt like it now.)

Turning my attention to the giant, I grimaced. I couldn't believe I'd missed my shot. That would have been such a beautiful blow.

[Cue Music]​

Sniffing, I put my hands on my hips and sassily called out, "Come on, Twinkle Toes! I'm waiting for a real fight! Or are you so big that you're in your own time zone?" Onlookers would have been confused as to the point of riling up someone who held an advantage over me in almost every category, but my plan (to put it loosely) was to get him so upset he couldn't think straight.

Ish. Ah Hell, who was I kidding? In truth I was flying by the seat of my pants here, because once again I'd rushed into something without thinking.

 

[Rusty]

"You've got heart, kid, I'll give you that."

Whether or not the diminutive Togruta was actually young enough to be called kid was not important. Rusty figured he had her by at least 9 centuries, so from his point of view, it fit. He turned to face her, keeping an eye on the rest of the brawl out of the corners of his eyes. Much like organic eyes, his peripheral vision was better equipped to detect motion. It should be noted that the Shard kept a healthy distance between the two. Like as not, if he tried to offer her a hand up, she'd go for a flying arm bar or something.

"But you're a bit out of your weight class. If you wanna keep going, we'll roll as long as you can still move, but no one would fault you for picking on someone your own size."

Almost absentmindedly, the big Shard backhanded an opportunistic human who tried to leap past him to attack the fallen woman. The man fell to the ground, his neck bent at an unnatural angle.

"Heh. Oops. Look, if you're ever on Dressel, swing by my shop. I'll build you a gun that'll suit that feisty disposition."

[member="Roshki Belawiiks"]

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Rusty"] | [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] | [member="Grace Darkson"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"]

An unfamiliar scent tickled Abelain's olfactory senses, directing them towards a species he had not yet encountered. His eyes scanned through the crowd, trying to discern which of the inferior lifeforms was emanating the strange blood. It took several moments, but he finally took notice of a large reptilian sentient clawing and brawling it's way through a pair of Twileks. It grasped at the first Twilek's head and promptly threw it into a nearby wall by it's delicate lekku, leaving the defeated brawler to scream in agony. The second Twilek noticed her friend be dispatched, and promptly spun on her feet, apparently attempting to retreat from the monstrous lizard. She only managed a couple of steps before it had caught her, sinking it's claws into her shoulder and throwing her roughly into the floor. The female tried to lessen her fall by placing an arm ahead of her, but her weight came upon it and it crumpled with a sickening crunch against her chest.

The lizard erupted in victorious roaring, spinning around to face it's next opponent with gleeful vigor present in it's snake-like eyes. The Arue'tii began to approach it, examining the various pieces of it's body for apparent strengths and weaknesses, but finding little to present itself other than the reptile's inherent strength. It noticed him, it's nostrils flaring, and vivid delight tainting it as it charged forward towards it's new challenger. Abelain readied himself in a stance similar to the one used to defeat the Zabrak. The Trandoshan neared, suddenly leaping upwards mid-charge and slamming harshly into Abelain's chest, sending him tumbling backwards in a windmill as he attempted to regain his balance. It followed through with a vicious slash of it's wicked claws across his abdomen, though the creature reacted with some surprise when the natural weapons failed to penetrate his chitin.

His hand shot forward; empowered with the Force to increase it's speed, and grasped at the retreating right hand of the lizard. He yanked it towards him, raising his other arm and slamming the sharpened chitinous elbow into the creature's forearm. It rent through the flesh with minor difficulty, sending a splash of green blood spattering across the ground with the force of the blow, and a shriek of painful realization from the enemy combatant. It jerked against his grasp, but his grip was steady upon it's limb as he raised upwards and slammed the natural blade into the wound once more, nearly severing the limb of the predatory inferior. It shrieked once more, shouting abuse in-between it's calls of pain.

The Arue'tii released the grip of the limb, allowing the brawler to grasp at the severely damaged wound unrestricted. His hand drew back once more, gliding forward at the zenith of it's force and impacting harshly with the Trandoshan's skull. The lizard let out a gurgle as it's nose was broken, and promptly collapsed to the ground in a heap of unconsciousness. "Pitiful display." He growled, glaring downwards at the defeated opponent with apparent dissatisfaction. The reptile had managed to defeat those weaker than it, but when faced with a subject such as the Arue'tii it had quickly crumpled. His senses went alive with the scent of blood, spurning his hunger forth once more as he scanned the crowd for another challenger.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua the Shark had been viewing the battles with amusement, watching the crowd of bodies for entertainment. It appeared the hot-headed Zabrak that had wanted a piece of the Herglic had been defeated by a... a strange being. [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] had also just taken out another big target, and seemed to be looking for more. Perhaps Ghorua would join in after all.

The smell of blood was maddening. Ghorua the Shark had that name for good reason. The scent of the violence around him sharpened his mind. He could smell the adrenaline in the various fights, driving his mind to the breaking point. The monster in Ghorua was clamoring to be unleashed. It appeared he had found an opponent that he could let out some steam on; that is, if he wasn't a coward. And judging by the way the mysterious being had taken out two of the biggest fighters in the mass, he wasn't.

The ten-foot-tall behemoth pushed off of the wall, and began to wade through the bodies. They began to shy away from him as he walked, a dark obelisk of muscle and blubber. He stopped twenty feet away from the Arue'tii, smiling with savagely sharp teeth. The smell of gore was in the air, and the Blood Frenzy wanted to be unleashed. Not yet, he chastised himself.

"Hey," the Herglic said, nonchalantly, as if he were meeting someone for a night on the town. "You like fighting big guys, eh?"

He brought his fist into his palm, sending a resonant boom across the scene. The colossus prepared himself for the being to strike, feet apart, ready to move. He was excited for what was to come. Perhaps that was the Frenzy talking, but he didn't care. He wouldn't lose control. Not again.

- [member="Rusty"] - [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] - [member="Grace Darkson"] -

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="Rusty"] | [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] | [member="Grace Darkson"]

Another target suddenly revealed itself from the crowd; the Herglic who had been leaning against the wall up until now. It seemed that he now wished to relinquish his position as spectator, and instead enter the fray as a combatant. It had been a delightful experience thus far for the Arue'tii, and the promise of a stronger and more difficult foe was rapidly welcomed. The Herglic was much larger than himself, and while his experience was against fighting those of nearer his own size, he assumed that the skills would be transferable to the giant. The main worries for Abelain in combat against the creature were it's massive muscles, hidden beneath a sea of blubber, but still distinguishable to the discerning eye. There was no doubt in his mind that the opponent was capable of equaling, if not far exceeding his own strength.

The creature spoke, it's voice nonchalant and without the usual stress of combat. It's words were a statement, obviously concluded by the individual during his time as a spectator. It was enjoyable for the Arue'tii to fight larger opponents, especially since smaller ones could rarely stand up against his natural brawn. The Herglic cracked his fist into his palm, releasing an audible boom that snaked it's way across the battle and sent a couple of would-be brawlers searching for a safer venue for their fight. Abelain's eyes carefully examined his opponent, noting that he was preparing himself into a defensive stance.

The Arue'tii would not fall to the same mistakes as his own previous opponents. He would not simply rush in to face his enemy, but rather would need to defeat him using cunning and wile, instead of brute strength. "You are quite large, Herglic. This shall be an intriguing combat." He growled from behind his 'smile', mentally creating a plan of attack as he spoke. Suddenly, his hand shot backwards into the crowd, a telekinetic hand grasping against a hefty stone that had previously been used to incapacitate an Arkanian. The chunk of concrete flung into his awaiting hand, and the Arue'tii began his march towards his foe.

His eyes located a nearby street pole, close to the wall, but still a few meters away from his opponent. It's bottom had notably been eaten away with time, and it hung in place only be a few strands of cord. Abelain stored the concrete slab against his back, allowing it's weight to slow him by a minuscule amount before he began his charge towards his opponent. As he neared, he would lift his right arm upwards, apparently intending to strike with his elbow blades in a feint, before rapidly jabbing his left hand forward, aiming to strike against the creature's lower right side where the kidneys would be located upon a human. It seemed unlikely that the physiology was similar between the two species, but his blows were weighty enough that even if it weren't, he might have a chance to wound his opponent.

The combat had truly began.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua kept his feet apart, shifting his weight between them, smiling savagely as [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] spoke. He had never met a person of this species before, but the Shark was good at learning on the fly. Ghorua had to learn more before he tried anything risky. Ghorua managed to gather a few tidbits of knowledge about this particular enemy.

Firstly, this guy was a Forcie. The Herglic hadn't missed the rock flying into the Arue-tii's hand. That would make this a lot more interesting. Usually, Ghorua would use his bandolier of gadgets against such an enemy, but all he had was his brain, and his muscles. He wasn't lacking in either.

Secondly, from what Ghorua had seen from spectating, Abelain relied on explosive attacks, shock-and-awing his opponents with quick, complicated strikes. That might be a little tough for the large hunter to deal with. He'd have to be resilient.

Thirdly, he was strong. Not as strong as Ghorua, but still strong enough to deal some damage. But the Hunter wasn't too concerned. He'd faced down Sith Knights and God-Kings. This would be a mighty opponent, but the genetically-modified Herglic had faced many mighty opponents. Besides, they weren't fighting to the death. Ghorua could have a bit of fun.

When Abelain rushed forward, Ghorua had already decided what he would do. With way more dexterity than a being should have, Ghorua rolled backwards, almost crushing a few combatants in the process. He saw the combat trick, and added that to his list. This guy could think. This would be less of a brawl, and more of a chess match. And Ghorua was great at Dejarik.

Rolling back to his feet, Ghorua bared his teeth in a smile, and charged forward, each footstep shaking the ground. He planned to simply tackle his opponent to the ground. A full-on assault like this would usually be unwise, but the Shark was gauging his opponent's reaction, while also keeping his facade of the big dumbo. He fully expected to miss, perhaps even get hit in the process, but he knew he could take it.

What's inside your head, Elbows?

- [member="Rusty"] - [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] - [member="Grace Darkson"] -

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="Rusty"] | [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] | [member="Grace Darkson"]

As the Arue'tii committed to his failed attack, he examined his opponent, attempting to discern his strengths and weaknesses. After the assault was deftly dodged by the Herglic, he promptly retreated backwards a couple of steps to put some distance between the two combatants, and to allow him to process his next move in the combat. He had noticed that his enemy was remarkably quick for a being of his size, and the roll that he had committed seemed to hint at prior combat experience, something common for his species. It would be difficult to combat the Herglic, but Abelain felt confident that with the right mental faculties at work, he would be capable of defeating the giant.

They were separated by only a few meters now, and Abelain watched as the Herglic allowed for a grin to creep along it's face. A flicker of understanding reached his mind as he subconsciously worked his options for defense. The alien was a berserker, someone who seeked out combat and relished in it's actions. The giant was surprisingly quick on his feet, and the charge neared closer to the Arue'tii as he thought of how best to receive the assault. Suddenly, an idea flicked into his mind, and he withdrew the hefty stone from his back. With a mighty throw, he hurled the chunk of broken concrete towards his opponent, propelling it midair with a powerful push of the Force, it's target: The Herglic's left heel.

The target location had been picked specifically for a pair of reasons. One was that it was located upon the feet, and the giant would likely suffer a major disadvantage if his ability to maneuver was removed from the combat, and it would also likely disrupt the charge if the blow served it's purpose. Second was that the location likely contained far less blubber than the remainder of the alien's body. The blubber upon the remainder of it's frame would serve as a natural deterrent to certain kinetic blows, but Abelain assumed that the heels contained far less of the whale fat than the rest of the body, as such would make movement difficult.

His assault committed, Abelain held his hands upwards, protecting his face and upper chest with his arms, and projecting his elbows outwards towards his opponent in case of collision. It would be unlikely that he would be able to dodge out of the way following his attack, and so he had assumed a defensive stance to reduce damage should the chunk of concrete fail in it's purpose.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua had seen the rock fly into Abelain's hand, so he wasn't surprised when he saw the rock rocket forward. He could've blocked it, but that would've disrupted his charge. Besides, one measly stone couldn't hurt that much, right?

As his momentum propelled him forward, he felt the concrete collide with his ankle. Any lesser being would've been completely incapacitated by the blow, with nothing to show for their efforts but a broken ankle. Ghorua the Shark was not a lesser being. It still sent stabs of pain throughout his leg, and he knew it would bruise, but the Herglic's bones were the strength of durasteel, literally. They wouldn't be broken that easily.

Ghorua crashed into his opponent, sending them both to the ground. The hunter clamped his hands on the Arue-tii's forearms, careful not to slice himself on the blades. He was on top of his sparring partner, a half-ton of muscle and blubber. He vaguely felt the slashes along his chest from their initial collision, but they hadn't pierced through his blubber. Little white lines appeared, marring his dark physique.

He knew this guy was strong, but having a Herglic sit on anyone is not a good experience. He bared his teeth in front of Narv'uk's face, dangerously close. It was tough to tell if he was smiling, or snarling in concentration. The bladed warrior would probably be able to escape eventually, but how he did it would reveal more about himself. "Nice pebble, little guy! Let me show you the boulder!" Ghorua pressed himself harder into Narv'uk's abdomen.

Now, show me your thought process.

- [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] -

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

The strike had made contact, but had not had the desired effect. Abelain felt his instincts warn him to retreat from the oncoming speeder of a foe, but he held his ground, firm in his conviction that there would be no time to dodge. The Herglic hit him with excessive force, sending the both of them slamming into the floor with a thunderous thunk. The Arue'tii could scent freshly spilled blood, but it was not enough to deter the monstrous figure from pressing it's weight against him. Though he had never held back a falling tree, he had the distinct impression that it would be an appropriate metaphor for trying to resist the crushing assault of the enemy combatant.

The Herglic grasped at his forearms, restraining them and halting his ability to eviscerate using his elbow blades. They were rendered useless, and his mind rushed through potential solutions, the inevitable panic of claustrophobic pain felt in his chest as the air was gradually driven from his body. He could not move his limbs enough, or generate enough force to simply remove the threat from it's position upon him. The pole that had stood guard away from them was an option, but Abelain doubted he could muster the concentration to grasp at it, especially now that the only thing absorbing his vision was blubber and mass.

The alien smiled into his face, matching his own expression with vile pleasure evident in it's eyes. It thought it was going to win the engagement, and that prideful confidence made the Arue'tii want to snap his teeth into the creature's face, and to drain it. The only things restricting that course of action were that it would expose his mouth to potential abuse, and it did not have the same chitinous armor to protect it, and that if he bit the Herglic, it would likely bite back with exceedingly stronger force behind it's massive jaws. There was only one solution that slipped it's way into his mind, one that he had yet to try in a true combat situation, but that he had been practicing after acquiring the holocron of Master Katarn.

"Well played." He hissed from behind his 'smile' glaring daggers into his opponent's eyes before initiating his strategy. His arms were restricted, but the presence of fear within himself combined with his innate rage at being defeated by the smiling Herglic and made the distance negligible for his purpose. Blue sparks flickered off of his hands for the briefest of moments as he prepared himself for the inevitable suffering he was about to self-inflict. The sparks danced through the air, forming up into lines of brilliant arcing energy, stabbing themselves against the blubber of his opponent. The only problem with using Force Lightning while his opponent was still grasping him, was that he became a part of the electrical loop, and the energy bolted itself back into his system, causing his muscles to spasm, and to writhe in pain. That pain in turn was fed further into the Lightning in what became a proper circuit befitting the electrical discharge.

The Arue'tii knew that his chitin did nothing to stop the electricity, and it was painful enough to make his concentration begin to fade beneath the weight of it. Despite that, his prideful arrogance made him continue the assault, hoping that the whale would remove itself from atop him. He focused on arcing some of the additional lightning striking himself back into his opponent using basic Tutaminis, but he was not an expert on the subject, and he would only be capable of reverting a minuscule amount of it away from himself. The logical thought came to his mind that the Herglic was larger, and likely had a larger heart than himself that would need to do additional work to support his extra weight.

If he were trying to kill him, it would probably be a good way to do it, but Abelain intended to stop as soon as his enemy gave in.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua felt on top of the world when he fought. Something about the thrill of a battle, without the threat of death, made his heart soar. He had his opponent under him, a very bad place for anyone to be. The Herglic coud do little besides sit there, and wait for either the yield, or the counter. Abelain went with the counter.

Ghorua saw the sparks fly a second before they hit. "Oh sh..." That's all Ghorua got to say before the force lightning sent jolts of pain arcing through his entire body. Through the pain, he saw that the Arue-tii had hit himself with it as well. Interesting. Perhaps Ghorua could dwell on that more when he wasn't getting roasted to a crisp.

His blubber insulated him slightly against the electricity, but he knew he couldn't take a lot of this. But he might as well make a show of it. Using all of his might, he stood up, hands still clamped on his enemy's arms. With a roar, Ghorua hefted his opponent up, and threw him toward a nearby pole. Ghorua had the strength to toss speeders, so this wouldn't be too much of a challenge to attempt. It also wouldn't be difficult for Abelain to land safely. The gesture was more just for show.

Ghorua smiled, dark smoke rising off of his massive frame. Despite the sudden shock, he felt as powerful as ever. "Not too bad yourself, Blades." With an affirming nod, Ghorua motioned with his hand, daring Abelain forward again, taking another defensive posture. This time, though, he knew what to do.

- [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] -

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

The world blended into a mesh of pain and flickering blue lights as the electricity coursed through his body, and slowly fried his nervous system. His mind was having trouble remembering why he had instigated the terrible lightning to assail him, but the weight laying upon him acted as a steady reminder of his intent. It was a wonder that the Herglic had not removed itself from it's position sooner, but Abelain simply could not allow himself to relent in his assault, his prideful arrogance prevented him from admitting defeat to an inferior species, even if the easier action would have been to simply surrender to the hostile giant.

Thankfully, the Herglic proved a savior to the Arue'tii by preventing him from killing himself out of spite. The creature hefted him upwards by his forearms, presenting it's remarkable strength in it's movements before hurling the blue-skinned Sith like a projectile into the nearby street pole. The already damaged pole slumped from his weight, and clattered to the ground with a loud clank. The pain began to subside, slowly at first, but conscience demanded it's position to direct the remainder of the battle, and to view the extent that his opponent had been wounded, and gradually Abelain forced himself to arise. His muscles would spasm as the remainders of the charge finally removed themselves from his system, and his eyes examined his obstinate foe, standing apparently without severe injury except for a puff of dark smoke from where he had been burned.

The Herglic referred to him by a strange name, one apparently befitting for his chitinous elbow blades. It was an acceptable name if he intended to remain anonymous for the remainder of the battle, and depending on the outcome it might have been desirous if the general public did not know his true identity. He made a mental note to tell his true name to the Herglic after he had properly defeated him, and the battle had faded. The enemy prepared himself into a defensive stance, apparently awaiting another forward assault as he had performed previously, but Abelain had learned his lesson from that attack, and did not intend to attack using only his natural form.

The Arue'tii grasped at the nearby pole, his hands locking around one end of it and lifting it upwards to provide tension to the metal stake before slamming his feet into it, snapping it in twain for use as a baton. The item still appeared to be about half a meter, and remained solid enough to survive a couple of blows before it would break. His eyes locked with a predatory gaze upon his defensive prey, and gradually he began to approach, taking slow steps towards the enemy. The hunger for blood arose within his stomach, fueling his desire for combat further as he walked his march of war. He began to charge, his feet carrying him with renewed vigor towards the opponent. The baton curled into his hand, fingers wrapping around it, clutching it with life-taking force.

He lunged forward at his foe, his left elbow sweeping to the left with an attack reminiscent of threshing grain. That momentum helped to carry the thirsting baton into it's own attack, a solid vertical strike aimed for the left side of the Herglic's face, around the jaw. The Force amplified his blow, sending streams of energy into the assault and carrying it with bone-shattering ability towards the target.

"Whom are you?" The Sith hissed.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua seemed to somehow smile wider as Abelain armed himself. This was more in the Herglic's comfort zone. He was still knew to the Arue'tii's natural strengths, so the familiar style of a bludgeoning weapon was a happy change.

As his opponent rushed forward, Ghorua was still, almost unnaturally so. Just before they collided, the much bulkier Ghorua stepped just a foot forward. This would mess up his enemy's swing. A blur of black skin flashed between them, and the Herglic's forearm was up, blocking the pole. He felt the blow sink in, and bit back a howl of pain. It hurt like the dickens, but nothing was broken. Now for phase two.

Without a moment's hesitation, the much larger being's head crashed down, in an attempt to butt heads with his smaller opponent. He knew he had to stay away from the arm blades, and this would be an unexpected angle of attack. Whether it hit or not, Ghorua didn't necessarily mind. He would have more opportunities. This would be a battle of wits and perseverance above all else. But a few short words inbetween them couldn't hurt. "Ghorua. You?"

- [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] -