Private The Echani Noble and the Mandalorian Sith.

[Leon Nerrac]

The Count walked through the city, it's Stormtrooper Corp presence was minor, a couple of squadrons spread about following a path according to Leon's. There was a local military and law enforcement, but even though he welcomed combat he was aware he needed to take precautions. Besides their presence shouldn't interfere any with daily business. A few of them stayed somewhat nearby, mostly lagging a ways behind him so he had full view of things and people didn't attribute him too strongly too military presence. His suit was made of Shell_spider_silk, something that was perfect for discretion, and fit with his displeasure with wearing legitimate armor. Even armor-weave was something he was only mildly happy with. He understood that method didn't work for everyone, and of course environmental factors could be involved. But to him, wearing an armor would only weigh him down and slow him down, and he had no interest in decreasing his abilities.

He wasn't carrying any weapons on him personally, but a soldier who stayed closer did keep a Songsteel Echani Ritual Brand to give him should the situation arise that he might need or, more likely, want it. The youth watched people, certainly he was recognized, but he was new, and opinions on him had not yet formed yet. He'd certainly not proven himself in any capacity, but he'd also not failed them yet. His father was the one who had done all the work. Now he just needed to not screw it up, which might sound fine, but it was still a planet's worth of potential problems. And for someone with no interest in power, it was a host of unpleasantness.

Still, he could afford some time for engagements of his own such as this. Essentially just a stroll. He liked to watch the way people acted and reacted, their bodies telling the story when their mouths wouldn't. Interest, neutrality, concern. It varied. There was only so much that could be understood still. The force sometimes filled in the in between, though he'd received no formal training it brought inherent advantages to him.

Dired Mieflow

 

[Dired Mieflow]

Dired walked through the city, almost admiring the beauty of it. It was as if a tranquil river was interrupted by the mass howling and running of wolves prying for sheep. The city was almost on fire, and he loved it.

Many groups of people were protesting the rise of a new count, most likely a youngster who never seen battle once in his life. Dired imagined a sikly boy on a throne that was too big for him.

In his distraction he bumped into a person wearing some very lavish clothes and a sword. Most likely nobility. Dired wasn’t as lavish, he only had his beaker armor and a great black cloak that hid his lightsaber.

Dired nodded to the man, his mandalorian armor giving no sign of any emotion "Sorry about that."

He then turned to leave the scene.

Leon Nerrac

 

[Leon Nerrac]

(OOC: Forgot to add this bit)
The planet was an odd one, it's atmosphere was dangerous for the ships entering and exiting, screwing up sensor equipment and forcing one to rely far more on what they could see or experience they had. It had another odd effect though, while traveling through the atmosphere there was no ability to use the force. A certainly unusual trait, and one that did not persist once on the ground. The reasons for why this occurred never really was understood, but it was there. Leon had noticed it personally. Certainly having made a few trips it became more noticeable, even without knowing exactly how the force worked, he knew something happened along the way. Even on the land however it remained clouded often, the sky hidden from view. And it was moist, another reason Leon didn't want to bother much with armor. Storms were a threat but structures had certainly gotten better made since so long ago. And there was more traffic thanks to more ships being hardened to the ion dangers of the atmosphere. Still, it was hardly what one would call a tourist attraction.


Dired Mieflow

Leon felt a change a moment before something heavier ran into him, he instinctively steadied himself and adjusted his position, holding a hand out discreetly so that the soldiers didn't interfere. Stopping before they moved any further. He tilted his head at the man, a mandalorian. He knew that much, their armor was distinct and he'd yet to meet one. He smiled slightly with an interest, they had a reputation. One far more well known than the Echani. Mandalorians were warriors, killers, hunters, if it had to do with violence chances are they'd at some point be brought up. Short of the Sith and the Jedi, there were few that were referred in the same light of danger, perhaps the Byrn'adul and the Yuzhaang Vong, but they were more monsters.

It was something that Leon hooked onto. "No worries." he said, but before the mandalorian stepped away, Leon took a step forwards, "But I would have thought a mandalorian might have a little more awareness of where they were going huh?"

There was a mixture of taunting and amusement in his voice. Hardly something he was saying with utter seriousness. But still, it was how Leon was to seek out a fight. And on top of the armor, there was something more to this story. "I heard about mandalorians, stories on their skill. But that's all I've heard. Stories." he looked at the armor, the angles, the range of motion, the cloak, it was all a part of a person. To Leon the person was the weapon, the weapon was simply the final touch to who a person was. He assumed armor should be taken in the same vein. "My father is an Echani, we've got our own culture and interest in combat. I've had my fights but I've been missing out on some, Jedi, Sith, Mandalorians, Witches, and those beasts called the Byrn'adul. Been a few I wanted to test out for awhile. Come on, you crashed into me, why don't you enlighten me on what you can do. Here or somewhere less open where more precautions can be taken. I want to see if you can actually live up to all you get called."

 

[Dired Mieflow]

Dired made a show of not paying any attention, before he turned back. He cocked his head as if asking a question.

"I’m sorry, can you repeat that? I missed the part where I care." He turned and started to walk again "If I wanted to fight, I would have gone to the arena and entered in as a gladiator."

He fully turned to him "And who the hell do you think you are? Asking a random person on the street to battle you, when all they did was bump into you."

His anger was flaring, and he took a couple of steps towards the man. The comment of his spacial awareness was the most angering. Because it was what his master told him before they fought to the death.

"And I knew exactly where I was going. You bumped into me. So I suggest you apologize before I end up bruising that pretty face of yours. Brat."

Leon Nerrac

 

[Leon Nerrac]

Leon chuckled at Dired's reaction to him, and comment on going to the arena if he wanted to. But he turned around again, this time his aggression clearly building, and Leon growing a smile of glee on his face as things progressed. The steps Dired took were responded with a readied stance, but one that still let Leon look casual about the situation.

"You are so welcome to try." He challenged entering a more fully ready stance, his eyes might be staring at the visor, but he was watching every minute movement that Dired was making. Leon looked more like a kid waiting to get on a rollercoaster than a Count, that or someone shining a magnifying glass over an insect, "Come on now, because I'm not apologizing unless you can back it up tin-head. Armor's as much a hinderance as an ally in a straight fight. Let's see if you need it or if you can actually use it."

The soldiers were tensed, certainly they wanted to intervene but Leon had made it clear that he enjoyed this kind of thing. He might have preferred it somewhere else, but he'd take what he could get. If Dired drew a weapon, he'd get his sword, but he was just fine with doing this hand to hand.

Dired Mieflow

 

[Dired Mieflow]

Dired noticed the soldiers, and noticed the rioting crowd forming a perfect ring around the two. Their battle field. Then, it finally clicked. Dired couldn’t help but laugh.

He began to laugh hysterically as he said "Oh damn, you’re that new count aren’t you? The one everyone is rioting about?" He began to full on laugh at the count. He held his stomach as the laughter continued.

He was nearly crying under his helmet "The amount of people who are going to love me for this is outstanding." In a swift motion he pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it. It was a crimson red that came from a bleeding kyber crystal.

The soldiers tensed in fear, and the crowd’s screams dulled in confusion.

Leon Nerrac

 

[Leon Nerrac]

Leon shrugged at his response, unfortunate that his position was discovered. But he didn't care too much, a fight was a fight, whatever the reason. He saw Dired's move for a weapon and reached out a hand, his Songsteel Echani Ritual Brand was thrown to him as he chuckled.

"I'll be one of them." He joked. The presence of the lightsaber only strengthened his feeling of excitement for the fight, the soldiers were closing in, but waited for orders. He didn't want them interfering. And he was the first to make a move, his body seemed to flow through the air around him and the blade did with him, quickly accellerating towards the Mandalorian, intent on cutting at any opening he'd already looked to. Neck, inn arm, hands, stomach. For a weapon that was known to be imprecise its heated blade was clearly being proficiently used. The bladework appearing like an everchanging dance of speed, grace, but also aggression. With any second there almost always being something headed towards Dired. The blade was made of songsteel, a metal ressistant to lightsabers. Something that was definitely important at the moment.

Dired Mieflow

 

[Dired Mieflow]

The noble fought with impecible speed. But as the two danced around each other Dired made gravity heavier for the man. He smiled as as his steps and movements grew slower and slower. The trick was to impact the person’s spinal cord. It’s take too much effort in the heat of battle to just snap it, but it was easier to slow it’s movements down.

As the man made another attack, Dired blocked the song blade with his mechanical arm. It made a creaking slice sound as it scrapped against his arm. He then used the arm to punch the man square in the stomach, a punch slightly enhanced by the force. He then quickly sliced at the man’s thigh. It left a good burn. But it wasn’t enough to impact him.

Dired was knocked back, and let go of the grip he had on the man’s back. He stood, feeling blood in his mouth. When or where did the man hit him?

Leon Nerrac

 

[Leon Nerrac]

The count knew his body, he knew when it was being effected. But he had tricks of his own in the force, reaching out almost by instinct to alter the course of his opponents mind ever so slightly, to distort things ever so gently, so little that one might not notice it but enough for Leon to take advantage of. It was possible without it, but it was enhanced by the way he fought. His aggressive and graceful method. When Dired changed his methods, so did Leon. He was a fit man and he saw Dired attack coming, the punch was taken in stride. Not avoided, but moved with, his body had started the process before the punch did. And even as that was happening his leg came up aimed towards the mandalorians own stomach.

The blade got much closer. It was a light weapon, and one that on contact did damage rather than by its force. And the Shell spider silk only could do so much. He felt the burn, but he simply stepped back a smile still on his face as he breathed in deeply. "The force is a funny thing isn't it? So is the body. They each tell a story about a persons past, their present, and their future. What one lacks, the other fills in." He said, the heat of the battle had hardly slowed him anymore, his stamina lasted far longer than a few mere minutes. He spent too much of his life in conflict for that. "Every move we make exemplifies who we are. Armor that slows and inhibits ones movements yet offers more protection from one thing or another, weapons that extend the reach of death and destruction, and the body, the source of it all that has its own dangers and weaknesses. It's own language."

He twirled the weapon in his hands, "And a smile. For those who love this." He again moved forwards, but this time his reach out to Dired's mind was stronger than before, to distort his view of Leon and to try to distort Dired's own movements further to keep them off track. With Dired's release of his effort on Leon, he was immediately back to the speed he'd begun at. But he was adapting just how he moved. Dired had but one blade to use, Leon had two and far more range of motion to take advantage of. But there was more too it, if ever he saw the chance, he'd attempt to make contact with his hand to Leon's shoulder, the one connected to the cybernetic arm. His intent was to find out the reason for it through Psychometry, and exploit it.

He was certainly talkative, and showed no fear. Not perhaps an ideal trait to have. But one a part of him regardless.

Dired Mieflow

 

[Dired Mieflow]

The man was trying to use Psychometry on him. Most likely to distort his mind and his surroundings. In a quick motion, he compacted the force and made a second blade. One from pure plasma. Now the two were even. The fight continued as the two clashed together in beautiful motions.

He fought two battles, the obvious one was the physical one, and the other was a mental one. What this man most likely did not understand is that he was born in the force, molded by the dark side since birth. He was taught tactics and their defenses. If anything the psychometry made things a little wobbly in the corners. But corners didn’t matter when the fight was true and center.

When he saw a beautiful opening, he took it. In an attempt to disarm the man, he went for an open blade, and sandwiched it between his one blades.

Leon Nerrac

 

[Leon Nerrac]

This was what he lived for, he watched with interest at the blade emerged, evening the playing field in regards to the range of options Dired now had. Though Leon maintained the mobility advantage, and Dired maintained the defense advantage.

Leon was indeed not aware of the depths the sith mandalorian might have in the force, but he saw how he fought, and Leon knew how he himself fought very well. His own strengths and weaknesses, his speed, maneuverability, and considerable boost to awareness of what an opponent might do and act. Surprise attacks were not on the side of Dired, especially in a melee fight.

When Dired went to sandwhich the blade, Leon could have turned it aside. But it was far thinner than a lightsaber was and could have been slipped out of need be. Instead her brought his foot forwards in a swift and first step aimed to break Direds knee to one side. Not backwards, as that would require far more force due to the armor, but right at an angle from the inside to the outside so that he had to put the minimal amount of effort into it. If Dired wanted to sandwich the blade so be it for a time, but if he wasn't careful it could cost him his leg.

 

[Dired Mieflow]

Dired saw the leg attack and jumped out of the way. He landed near the edge of the ring, where excited crowds folk cheered him on. He spun his blades in a beautiful motion. He raised his mechanical arm (the one with the plasma blade) and-

Bzzzt, crk, crk, crk, crk

Oh no…the plasma blade dissapaited as his arm slumped to his side. No no no no NO! TW messed up the arm again.

Dired put out his good hand and said "Hold on! My arms malfunctioning, give me a moment."

He then put away his lightsaber and began to methodically and quickly inspect his arm for any damages. There was the scrape yes but, oh no. It cut through a couple of wires. Damn bastard!

Leon Nerrac

 

[Leon Nerrac]

Things had kept going on longer and longer. On the one hand, that brought an advantage to Leon. Without armor there was far more stamina to work with. But without armor he was also having to move far more. So even he was beginning to tire down. And over time injuries were obtained, even someone as used to fighting as Leon had to be hit now and then.

He chuckled at the plasma blade dissipating asking for a pause, if Leon had been afraid, or angry, he'd likely not have stopped. But tried to end it right away with a blade to the neck. But the fight was taking its toll. And while continuing the fight would be enjoyable, it was steadily growing into a matter of predicting the enemies opponents being mundane, as things seemed to get slower. And with Dired's arm malfunctioning, things were either going to be desperate, or more tiring than fun.

Perhaps it was time to settle it then. He'd had fun, he was ok if this was the end of it. Perhaps little blood was actually spilled, but a fight was a fight. He stuck one end of his blade into the ground leaning on one leg and letting energy come back to him as he felt the ache of muscles from the strenuous task of combat.

"Well, I've been entertained. You certainly weren't a disappointment." He said, followed yet again by another chuckle and a relaxed smile, "If you'd prefer, that can be the end of it. I've had my fun. Though I'll admit I'm still curious about a lot of things, how you might fight unarmed or unarmored being one, that and without the force."

Unpleasant thoughts did come to mind, not out of anger, but curiosity, "I guess I probably could make that happen. But I won't. Would be interesting in learning about those force powers of yours. They've always fascinated me, unfortunately, my parents lacked that knowledge. So I only ever learned what came naturally to me. If you're willing to inform me on some of that I could pay you, though, perhaps not as sizable a sum as what someone might hope from a count. I'm quite sure there are others available with possibly less hostile attitudes about me, and I'd rather not waste the money of myself, my parents, or my position, because of a personal interest." Leon showed no signs of even wanting to try and charge Dired with a crime, though if he did he certainly had the advantage with troops nearby. He looked like he'd taken it as if it really was just the two of them having a brawl, because to him, it was just for fun. He was still interested, but he wouldn't force anything further unless Dired turned again to fight.

Dired Mieflow

 

[Dired Mieflow]

Dired hadn’t even noticed the offer for the money. It took his mind a couple of moments to fully process it. Money in exchange for knowledge. He thought on it, finally, money for his own ship, money that could buy a better prothstetic, money that could-

He stopped that line of thinking, the day his master died he made a vow to never teach another soul the ways of the force. He would never continue that cycle.

"I imagined that you were a sickly boy on a throne that was too big for you. You have guts and the skill to back it up, I’m impressed. I can tell you some of my secrets. On two conditions. The first being that you never randomly fight someone in the street again, it makes you look like a weirdo. Two, I want to stay my remaining nights here at your palace. There is a transport to coruscant leaving in a couple of days and I want to spend the rest of my time here in luxury. You can forget about the money, just ensure those two things and I’ll share my secrets."

He clutched his broken arm, as if it were a baby just dropped by a doctor.

Leon Nerrac

 

[Leon Nerrac]

He waited patiently for the answer, shrugging but smiling at the compliment to his skill. He heard the possibility of being taught, but then he heard the other bit. Leon made a clicking sound with his tongue as he thought about it, but had to shake his head, "Keep in mind, I challenged you, but you threatened me. This was also all still after you somehow stumbled into me. I don't think I've ever randomly attacked someone. I even offered that it could be done elsewhere more like a sparring session. You were also the first to actually begin to go for a weapon." It was clear he believed his position was perfectly acceptable, "Don't care too much whether people find me a weirdo though. Now, aside from our potentially differing opinions on what counts as random, because I could promise that I won't randomly attack people on the street if you'd accept that. I could permit you to stay at the palace for a couple of days if you share the 'secrets'. I can fit those two conditions. But if you count our scuffle as random, then no, they are not met."

Leon waited, he still wasn't likely to call things 'his' when it came to the money or the luxury. Not even out of a sense of humility, though perhaps ever so slightly, but rather because he just did not want the position. And was perfectly happy to mentally distance himself from using the terms that would feel like it was all his, at least outside of the necessary occasions.

Dired Mieflow

 

[Dired Mieflow]

Dired shrugged and said "A scuffle is a scuffle. It’s over now." He looked to the crowd sensing their disappointment "Let’s go before we’re killed for not killing each other."

He pulled his cloak over himself and walked to the man. When he got close he whispered "The name is Dired."

He waited for the man to be escorted to the castle so he could follow. This was an interesting encounter. The lesson here was to always be prepared for a fight. And don’t get so angry when you’re a cripple.

Leon Nerrac

 

[Leon Nerrac]

He smiled, well that was good. Dired didn't hold onto it. Her let out a chuckle, "I think they'd know better than that. They may not know me yet, but they knew my father and he's still around." he commented, that was hardly the only reason. The two had already been fighting for awhile, and the soldiers were still present. Not only that, even were his father not around. The murder of a count was not something that would be taken very lightly, if they could even manage to still kill the two. The perhaps it was merely a phrase.

"Leon Nerrec, Count of Nyriaan, unfortunately." He responded giving a perhaps unnecessary introduction before the two started heading out. If there was a lesson for Leon to learn, he hadn't learned it. The force remained an advantage, armor remained both a risk and an advantage, and lightsbabers were added to the list of potential weaponry to be used. Also, mandalorians and/or sith at least lived up to their reputation. At least in this case they had.

Dired Mieflow