Private The Reaving of Felix Aquila | Invite Only

[Gerwald Lechner]

​

It was rare that a name slipped past the lips of so many and Gerwald did not notice. One such name was Felix Aquila . He had not had an opportunity to meet the young Knight until recently, but his reputation preceded him by and large. Stories of his prowess in battle, and his capability as a duelist were being told among the knights who had witnessed his feats. If anything it had made Gerwald curious. One Knight did not often gain so much recognition as quickly as this one, and Gerwald wanted to know why.

After having met the man during an impromptu meeting of an unofficial council of sorts, the Lord Commander began his own investigation into separating truth from rumor where the stories were concerned. They seemed impressive enough, but Gerwald had heard stories before. There was only one true way to test his worth and come to an answer on the one question which sat on Gerwald’s mind.

Was he ready to advance?

There were few capable of carrying the mantle of master and lord, yet for the Knights to move forward and to rebuild, leadership would need to be conferred upon a new generation. It was a frightening prospect, but one each generation faced. Gerwald was young for his position. Voph had set the example early, and it was time for others to advance as well.

The young Aquila had been left a summons. Rather than face Gerwald in the antechamber, they would meet in the open courtyard of the Arx Obsidia. There was only one test, one trial, before Feliz could advance. Had he mastered the force? How long before he would break? A smile tugged at Gerwald’s lips as he thought about all the way he could find the answers to that question.

This was another formal event, but this time Gerwald left his armor alone. Today he wore simple training robes. He had no intention of fighting with Felix directly, simply testing the man’s endurance. The wolf was confident there was nothing the young knight could throw at him which he could not handle in some way that would require the use of armor. They were not fighting with blasters after all.

Gerwald took in a deep breath, the cool morning air was invigorating as he pulled it into his lungs. Felix would arrive soon to find the grounds open to those who wished to watch. The lupine stood in the middle of the courtyard with his arms crossed similar to the same position he took up for the last Reckoning he performed. This was decidedly not going to be the same. He would not pass off the tests to other knights or masters. As the Lord Commander this was his duty. Perhaps as their numbers grew once more the other Lord Marshalls would be tasked to help, but today, this was Gerwald’s task.

“Are you ready,” he said as the man had finally arrived.

Would he be when Gerwald had not given a reason for the summons.

“Your reaving is about to begin. That is, if you accept?”

 

[Felix Aquila]

S U R V I V E​

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
Equipment:

• - Light-saber
• - Personal Shield

It seemed the noble had made the impression, who'd have thought that his appearance at a meeting and a reckoning alone would have spurred the powers that be into believing he was ready for this, a Meeting with the Lord Commander. Finally, he was being recognized for his achievements, whether they be saving hundreds of civilians on foreign worlds, triumphing against denizens of the dark side or his projects involving his families' house. The Scion of the Aquila name cared little for what had led to the inevitable recognition that he had received. Wearing little more than a pair of black heavy military digital camo Gi and the tight bodysuit that was worn underneath the standard Knights obsidian armour. Felix's only weapons would appear to be his light-foil, the beautiful artifact of Shaela Nuur which hung off his hip, and the Thunderbird talon on his left hand, a parrying gauntlet that allowed him use of the kite shield which completed his duelist Makashi and Djem-so heavy fighting style... and covered for some of his weaknesses.

People could be seen coming and going in the courtyard, it was nice to be outside for once, the soft breeze wafting through the air buffeted at the boy's long chestnut hair as he'd take a deep meditative sigh. Stepping forward into the sight of Gerwald, smiling softly with serene grace. He was the Lord Commander of the Knights Obsidian, there were few higher or more accomplished than he could have hoped to oversee his growth and experience. Felix had, since his time at the Reckoning, heard stories of Gerwald letting loose on battlefields, a force of nature tempered with the intelligence of man. A sapient bloodstained hurricane of a beast who some considered unstoppable.

Felix couldn't help but take that as a challenge.

Seeing Gerwald however, in training Gi, no armour and little sign of other weapons on his person put Felix immediately on edge. His grateful shimmering blue eyes like a seaside cave, glimmering lines of white along the edges would begin to transition to a yellow, then to a deep gold before finally a cautious marmalade as his pace would slow. Felix would approach, and bow low in such a manner that was befitting of meeting the Lord Commander. But then Gerwald would drop the bomb of his Reaving on his lap, and surprise would see the lords' eyes flit to a pastel yellow... combined with the subtle scent of fear on the wind.

Was he prepared for this? He had asked Metus for the honor to take on his Reckoning again... but the thought of taking on a Reaving... It was an honour and a privilege to even be considered. Saying no would effectively shoot his credibility in the foot, plunging Felix down multiple strata of the social ladder... Felix had poured far too much blood, sweat, tears and frustrated cries to get as far as he had to find himself back at the starting line. Besides, simply surviving would likely give him points.

He'd find his bow sink a little deeper. "I'm deeply honored that you believe I'm ready for such a prestigious trial. I'd be a fool to deny such an offer from my Lord Commander. I'll be glad to show you the extent of the efforts of my training." Felix would find his Saber in his hand quickly, parted with the faux scabbard which usually attempted to masque the blade as an ornate vibro weapon with its basket hand-guard of the ancient huntress. From now, it was time to take the lead of the master in the open air, if something were to start here, there was bound to be an audience... that thought made Felix smile a little, the young man always did enjoy a performance.

But... a Reaving was different. There was talk about those who failed.

Was this a performance he could live through?​

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

​

Ready? That was what The Reaving itself was designed to determine. Whether Felix was ready or not that was not the reason he stood before the Lord Commander. The need to rebuild was the driving force behind everything, and whether his predecessor wanted to admit it or not, it laid at his feet. Whether the previous Lord Commander wanted to admit it or not, his decisions had led to Gerwald’s current reality. His job now meant he had to vet every person which had potential to teach. He was not just trying to rebuild, but also in such a way which would prevent the hubris of those he followed.

“That is exactly what we are here to assess,” Gerwald smiled.

He pointed to the lightsaber the man carried and chuckled.

“You are not going to need that. I am not here to test your combat, but rather your mastery in the force. Before I do however, tell me… where do you feel you are strongest?

It was a short question, and while Gerwald did not take time to elaborate yet, it would soon become apparent. The test had already begun whether Felix knew it or not.

Felix Aquila

 

[Felix Aquila]

S U R V I V E​

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
Equipment:

• - Light-saber
• - Personal Shield

Felix would nod, the challenge seemed straight forward enough, looking to Gerwald he'd be told that he didn't need to worry about his saber. Sheathing it yet again to his belt he would fold his arms across his chest guardedly, not quite able to anticipate what was going to come next. But, he was afforded a question, what did he believe his strongest skill was? The question had a number of merits, and Felix was forced to think, there were a number of things that he was excellent at, and he was fantastic at picking battlefields in which he always had the upper hand in some way. He was a brilliant budding duelist, even he had to surmise as much, he was being taught the ways of the sword from masters across the galaxy before he had ever been picked up in the ranks of the knights...

There was such a combination of factors... but where did his talent in the force lay?

Felix would open his hand, coalescing an orb of sunlight into it, bending the light into a mobius band that it would circle indefinitely so long as he were able to keep his concentration on it. More rays of light would flow into it as they made contact, building up the density of the wave until it was little more than a resonating white figure eight band, heat pluming off it as it would get brighter and brighter and brighter seemingly endlessly.

"This is my greatest talent, but like all talents it's multifaceted. I've always been a little bit of a one trick pony. But whether it be controlling this sunlight for offensive potential..." He'd say as he turned his focused band downward into the ground like a laser, hot enough to cause the stone beneath their feet to glow red, exciting the particles enough to leave a scorch mark like a blaster weapon but not enough to put a hole through the earth. To follow up his point he would twirl his hands, making them invisible to the naked eye, bending the sunlight around them so that no sun touched his hands. "Or for utility... This is where I'm my best. I don't know If i have mastered them, because there 'is' no living master of the Disciples of Twilight to teach me... I've gotten as far as I have from dusty books and little more."

He'd say with a disappointed frown, the texts were hard to come by, but he stressed the fact he had gotten here on his own. This was his own power, cultivated by no-one but himself learning the ways of the force.
​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

​

Gerwald watched as Felix demonstrated his talent. The question of his skill had been intentional because the test was not about settling on his strengths, no, Gerwald wanted to know how the man would handle a situation in which he could not use the things which were best at his disposal.

“Then you are forbidden to use your saber and that skill for the duration of these tests,” Gerwald said with a smile.

He waited for a response from Felix, wondering what it might be, before closing his eyes. A low growl could be heard moving closer, and getting louder, as a tusk-cat came into view. It stopped next to Gerwald. Licking its paws, the creature paused to look at Felix, then back up at Gerwald as though he was looking for permission to attack.

“When I release this cat, it will try to kill you. You must stop it before it can, without killing it, and without using the skills I have forbidden. Should you use them at any time, you will fail. Is this understood?”

Without warning, or waiting for an answer, Gerwald released his hold on the beast. It was soon that the beast began to circle the Knight.

Felix Aquila​

 

[Felix Aquila]

S U R V I V E​

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
Equipment:

• - Light-saber
• - Personal Shield

And with little more than a flick of the wrist of the Knight Commander, Felix Aquila had been neutered worse than a member of Gerwalds' litter. But as the two meter tall cat came prowling out of the work, Felix began to feel a little less nervous. It wasn't an Acklay, or other predator which typically would give a person trained in the force a particularly horrifying run for their money, it seemed as though it were the kind of trial one would give a youngling.

"Very well, though honestly I expected a Barghest, a giant Massiff or a Loth Wolf." Felix would crack a smile, holding one hand behind his back and focusing on the force. Cats were a predictable creature, their bodies were springloaded to gain a preternatural sum of forward momentum with veritably no warning. Felix knew little about this creature it not being native to his world of Ryloth. However Ryloth too had its own dangers. Felix would begin to hone his raptor like focus on the creature, noticing permanently prominent, non retractable claw like hoof structures, tusked mouth, slender body and powerful hind legs. It was big, but it had a lithe gait and slender legs. However it was its tail which drew his attention most of all, strong and malleable.

Outstretched paws and non-retractable claws meant that this creature was used to using those claws and hoofs to balance itself, its tall legs seemed almost disproportionate, giving it an insane amount of forward momentum, but turning was going to be a challenge for it. There would be no outrunning this creature, even with force enhanced speed. Felix was going to need to fight in place... Then he released the cat.

There was no more time for thought, Felix had simply thought to use telekinesis to levitate the cat off the ground, immobilizing it in the air and ending the challenge there. However, that was the nuclear option. There was an argument to be made for ruthless efficiency, but Felix was here to prove his skill, not his judgement on a battlefield. Endurance had been mentioned. So, he would employ a different tact. His goal, was to make the cat give up.

Standing directly in front of the cat, felix would take a side on stance, making direct eye contact with the creature so to issue a challenge. one hand behind his back with the other held palm out before him. This cat likely had three methods of attack, a strike from its tail, a pounce, or a stomp. And all three of them would be dealt with in exactly the same manner.

In case of the stomp, using the same tenants as his Trakata, before the hoofs would slam into his chest, likely breaking every bone in whatever they hit beyond repair, Felix would swipe his leading hand to a side, using tekelinesis to swipe one of its supporting hind legs to a side at the ankle. The momentum and the gait of the creature would cause the creature to twist and fall... hard into the earth. The same basic thought would translate to the other two, but felix would aim for a front leg. The Cat would need to pivot for a tail swing, putting its weight on its front legs which one would be swept away as Felix would side-step around the beast. And with a pounce he would sidestep the creature and swipe away one of its fore-paws moments before it landed, likely causing it to slam face first into the earth with some speed and force.

All the while Felix would circle the creature, not breaking eye contact for a moment as he'd await its second attack.
​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

​

The wolf clapped his hands as he closed his eyes. It was time for the cat to run off as the lupine gave it a nod. Telekinesis was one tactic Gerwald expected from the duelist. It made sense. It was logical. He needed an opponent which would require more than logical tactics.

A smirk tugged at his lip. He had just the thing.

Gerwald had a pet of sorts which he had obtained when he helped his squire Palm-Imer collect something of herself which she had left on her home planet. Much had transpired on that trip, and Gerwald still had fond memories of the moments the two of them had shared. The creature had been one of many unexpected things to come from the excursion.

Reaching out with his mind, Gerwald called for the Skelmorn. It was playful at first, though not tame in the slightest. The relationship Gerwald had with the beast was unique as it had been curious about the lupine upon their first meeting. It had been the one thing which saved him and Palm when they encountered it. Felix would not find it easy to deal with this beast.

“The cat… you think too logical with it. You need to think on your feet, oh and this one is special to me, so you can’t kill it.”

Looking to the beast, Gerwald communicated a similar message to the Skelmorn. There seemed to be a look of disappointment on its face, but it seemed to understand the point of the exercise. Then as though it understood what Gerwald had not said a grin seemed to form on the creature’s face.

“You will find this one to be significantly more nimble, and a greater challenge. Now, show me what you can really do with the force.”

It did not take long for the beast to charge Felix. It would wait for the man to make his first move before changing its tactic at the last minute. It would not leap or pounce, simple misdirection would be the first step.

It was testing Felix.

Felix Aquila​

 

[Felix Aquila]

S U R V I V E​

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
Equipment:

• - Light-saber
• - Personal Shield

As Felix disposed of the cat, slamming it into the earth a little disappointed in the trial, as though yet again he had been underestimated. No wonder why his former master had managed to accrue the rank he really was, until something else began to skulk out from the shadows, and Felix began to feel his blood run cold with something tantamount to fear, and deja vu. After his experience at the end of a world before the last wall he had been in the midst of an aquarium that had shattered, allowing the many species of creature within it to spill out into the open terraces and rampage among those who had dared to use the location for shelter.

There they had been attacked by almost everything, sharks, fish, cepholapods. But among them all there was a single predator that had actually risked the lives of himself and the gangster that he had that clandestine meeting with. And it was one of these damnable creatures. It seemed that this one was smaller, but he remembered the taste of salt and copper on the air as rooms were literally caked in the blood of the gangsters that had put up a pitiful fight against a bull Skelemorn. And since that encounter, Felix had deigned to know everything there was about the critters before he encountered another one.

"Use the force!? You've clipped my ability to use the force! Thats a Karking Skelemorn! I could turn this arena up to a hundred degrees, dry out its skin with the temperature of a midday desert until its wrenching on the cold hard earth. But You've restricted my ability to use any weapon and not just one ability but my entire array of force potential!"

Bitching aside however, the Pale yellow eyes were draining their colour by the second as he would turn to face it, with his power in the force it was likely he was able to push this thing around. But he knew how tough one of these monsters were, short of cutting it in two with a lightsaber, and even then, there was a high probability that it would not be a lethal wound to the creature... they lacked most of the vital locations that other organics would consider standard. Felix was little more than a lamb...

But he succumbed, Welling up the force within itself he would make a move, Dashing for Gerwald and the creature as quickly as he could, Gerwald was Very Specific... he was not to use his saber or that skill for the duration of his tests, that left him karking defenseless when it came to fighting the colossal blender that was one of these creatures. With force enhanced speed he would seek to charge the beast head on. Throwing a force push towards its front legs as a projectile test, to see if it was capable of registering his use of the force.

There had been rumors after all...

and if this beast was one of Those,
even Felix was unsure about his chance of success...​

Even he might succumb to a Siren's call.​

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

​

“This exercise is not about what you are good at. It is about your mastery of the force in general. How am I to determine your readiness for the rank of master if you rely on the skill set you are good at? I understand that everyone has abilities which come to them more naturally, but success in those areas do not show true mastery.”

Gerwald may have come across a little more stern than what he intended, but he was certainly annoyed by the insinuation that Gerwald had crippled him. Perhaps there was more to say that would help the young Knight understand the position he had found himself in.

His eyes watched as the man charged the beast. The wolf raised his voice once more, for both the subject of the test and the Skelmorn.

“REMEMBER, DON’T KILL IT.”

The eyes of the Skelmorn looked ahead at the target. A force push seemed to make it trip on top of itself. In a matter of seconds the tails on its head split, catching the mass of the creature’s body before it landed on its feet once more. A screech echoed in the makeshift arena as it charged ahead to meet its assailant point blank.

It was fast, faster than what it appeared to be.

For a moment the lupine wondered if this was a fair assessment, but there was part of him which felt Felix was up for it. Gerwald did not care if the man seemed to fail on whatever measure the Knight had built up in his own mind. The wolf was testing more than his potential in the force. If Felix was to be a leader among the Knights Obsidian, Gerwald also had to determine how he handled pressure.

The predator relaxed and set his eyes on the scene unfolding in front of him. Both opponents were running toward each other, and Gerwald wondered which would move first.

It was the Skelmorn.

Leaping into the air the beast twisted, it’s tail spinning, the blade at the end moving to slice across the Knight. It would force him to do something.

Gerwald watched in awe at the way the beast moved. He appreciated the way it moved, agile, full of grace. It was a marvel that something so deadly could be so alluring.

What would the knight do?

Felix Aquila​

 

[Felix Aquila]

S U R V I V E​

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
Equipment:

• - Light-saber
• - Personal Shield

Closer! Closer! Felix would charge the creature head first as the yelling of master Gerwald echoed behind him, coiling his fists as he would do so, for a moment it almost looked as though Felix's plan was to simply punch the Skelemorn in the face as hard as he possibly could, with every ounce of force potential he had in hopes that it would knock the creature out. Felix, almost found the prospect humorous, if he could he certainly would have if not just for the bragging rights. Skelemorn were, however, not the kind of creature that physical concussion could put down.

As the two of them were almost nose to nose the Skelemorn would leap, lashing out its tail in hopes to connect with the chest of Felix Aquila, who, in turn at the last possible moment would allow his frame to drop with his force empowered speed, moving into a base-ball slide as he would hope to push himself under the strike of the blade. Too slow! The tail spike would catch Felix in the side, cleaving through part of his upper shoulder, tearing through a portion of his collarbone. Felix would let out a cry of pain as he would spiral out into a roll, his right arm dangling at his side uselessly as blood from the open would would begin to drip down his arm.

"The hell is Gerwald thinking!?"

Felix had moments to think as the creature would land no more than a couple of meters from him. Aquila was about ready to cut and run, use the structure of the base to his advantage in order to lose the thing. Run, Hide, Survive! However the gutless though of that weighted his feet to the ground. There was no honor in survival gained from cowardice, he was panicking, not thinking. In short moments Felix had learned that this was no siren, unable to resist his power in the force, but more than able to soak the blows with its unnatural anatomy, and Felix being unable to kill it was something that meant that any standoff in the force would only set a timer to his defeat as he would slowly be drained of his stamina.

But the words of Gerwald Repeated in his mind, he wasn't able to use his saber... or any of the powers that used his control over light. No invisibility, no blinding, no flashes, no burning, no darkness. It was a crippling debilitation... But again the thought circled in his mind, his focus key on that it was outside those skills that he could find victory. Can't use his saber, or light. That left him with speed, telekinesis, mind tricks and the ability to enhance his body with the force, stilling his breathing and a grab bag of some of the smaller force powers typically at the disposal of most force users. If only he could use his damned saber, he'd damned near mastered Trakata for this purpose!

Then it clicked...

Felix, in pain would move to something desperate, and probably stupid. Kneeling before the creature and holding out his left hand toward it, as though he was attempting to calm a wild animal. Shrinking his posture as his other hand would turn about slowly in the direction for Gerwald as it hung beside him, barely able to move his fingers. The implications to an outsider were myriad. Deflecting the beast to another target with a mind trick? Some other power or talent to turn the tides?

Felix focused on his breathing, feeling the blood drip form his wounded arm to the ground as he would wait for the creature to get closer, Felix almost seeming to surrender to it as he called upon the force to help him just one last time, and calling upon his arm to fight through the pain a moment longer. He had to make this motion explosive, as it wasn't just the Skelemorn he was trying to fool... there were two interested parties here who may hope to prevent his actions.

If the Beast were to look as though it were to strike, the boys plan would leap into action, his mind call to Wolfsbane with enough force to tear it from its holster. Using his trakata the blade would ignite with its black blade, crackling with white lightning as Felix would grip it in one hand and springing from his legs to perform a single rapid Mou-Kei, hoping to claim several tentacles and the creature's front two legs if it wasn't fast enough to evade them.

He wasn't allowed to use his weapon.

But this one would do nicely to turn the tables.

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

​

Felix was too focused on what he could not do that he was not thinking about the options that were still available. Just because Gerwald told him he could not use the skills he had mastered, did not mean he was limited. Things could be done with telekinesis that went beyond throwing a simple object. A mind could be manipulated beyond that of a simple mind trick. He was too busy questioning the test rather than understanding the purpose for it. It was why the Skelmorn was able to slice his shoulder.

“You hesitated,” Gerwald shouted out.

Whether Felix wanted to agree that he had or not, it was the wolf’s assessment. The boy needed to learn to act more on instinct. Was his connection to the force so natural that it could guide him out of the predicament Gerwald had created? That was what the lupine needed to see, and so far what he witnessed was a duelist that was desperate for a weapon.

That was when he felt the tug at his waist. Gerwald smirked as he looked to Felix. He could have easily stopped the attempt, but he allowed it. For now. He wanted to see how this was going to play out, and yet he was determined to see his friend avoid the injury the blade could cause.

His connection to the beast was unique. It was not likely that any other Skelmorn had bonded with anyone in the way that this one had with the lupine. Gerwald was simply fortunate it had not killed him that night Geminade. It could have, had its curiosity not gotten the better of it. A thought was all it took to convince the beast to back off. It would avoid the attack, and in a rush return to Gerwald’s side.

The wolf took a few steps forward offering a slight applause, though the look on his face was one of disappointment.

“You were right… I did not say you could not take my weapon, but I would have hoped you would have figured out how to handle this without one.”

Eyes studied the young man.

“Can you tell me why I hindered you so much?”

Was Gerwald still testing him? Absolutely. Until Felix left the courtyard, everything was a test.

Felix Aquila​

 

[Felix Aquila]

S U R V I V E​

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
Equipment:

• - Light-saber
• - Personal Shield

The Cutting words of Gerwald called out over the horizon fell short of his ears as he was struck by the creature, but it seemed that at the apex of the struggle, the weapon of Gerwald would leap from his belt and into the boy's waiting hands, extending the ebony blade and rushing to use it upon the tendrils of the creature. He wasn't allowed to kill it, but he'd be damned if he was going to allow it to hit him again. Panting, he would stop as the creature would disengage, moving to Gerwalds' side with a heedless call. It seemed that he had bested the creature, in the way that mattered at the very least.

And without a word from himself , Gerwald would begin the lecture. "I didn't Just, use your weapon, I used the environment around me. Sadly this is a flat plane, I couldn't lure it into another area, the space is populated. Your weapon could have been anything, but it was what was available and most effective." Felix would speak with confidence, beginning to treat the wound, using the light-saber in his hand to cut the sleeve from his shirt and bind the cut. Tying it off with his teeth as he would toss the weapon back to Gerwald, turning the blade off with the use of Trakata mid flight as he would listen to his response.

Why he had crippled him so badly? There were hundreds of reasons... simply to test his weaknesses and see if they could be overcome, to see how he handled under pressure, throwing a creature at him that he was known to be afraid of to overcome fear but the most likely one was... "My best reasoning would be to see how quickly I can adapt, I've probably gained some reputation as a one trick pony, it was tomes of the Disciples that got me this far in my training, so it was a touch limited. I'd be concerned if a person like that crumbled if their crutch was taken away. But as you can see, its no crutch." He would announce with his hands referring to himself, in the fact that he was still standing.

Felix was beginning to feel that bubbling confidence well up within him once again, he was confident with his answers, speaking was always something he'd be good at. Gerwald was always considered to be a little bit of a blunt instrument and a straight shooter. Felix respected the guy with everything he was worth, however, while Gerwald was a wolf, Felix was a Fox. Quick witted and silver tongued he was sure he'd ace the questionnaire...

He just had to make sure to avoid the jaws.
​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

​

“But it is a crutch,” Gerwald retorted without any hesitation or apology. “I said you could not use your weapon nor your best skill, and the entire time you fought the skelmorn you acted as if I had cut off your right hand.”

Gerwald had wanted him to adapt, but so far the Knight had not shown him that he could.

“I command this creature with the right amount of respect, but also one thought in the force. Certainly you could have used your mind to trick it? I am not just looking to see if you can adapt, but how you handle yourself under pressure. Your drive and desire is admirable, but they can get you and your squires killed if you are focused on what you cannot do rather than what you CAN do.”

Gerwald hoped he was making his point.

Reaching through the Force, Gerwald locked on the wound Felix had received. If the young warrior would not fight him on it, the wolf would heal the wound. Something that would bring a small amount of pain. Nothing was said as the lupine finished. He simply looked at the boy and drew his weapon.

He rest in the opening stance of his preferred form of Djem so.

His eyes bore into those of the younger warrior.

“You have one final test, and for this, you may use whatever skill or weapon you deem useful.”

Felix Aquila​

 

[Felix Aquila]

~ C H A L L E N G E ~​

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
Equipment:

• - Light-saber
• - Personal Shield

Felix couldn't help himself, he felt the interjection as the assumptions of Gerwald came piling on, Felix attempted to hold it in at least until Gerwald had finished his criticism. Some of it was founded, Felix had tunnel visioned on the restriction and in a sense attempted to weasel his way out of it. But such was combat, such was war, inevitably, he had found something in his environment he could use to his advantage. Had there been a cargo net, a structure or something else he could have used he would have. But he didn't have those, he had a Gerwald, who had a light-saber. He was beginning to feel like he should have just pulled Gerwald into the way of the beast and used him as a shield...

"With all due respect Sir, I took this trial assuming the capabilities of the enemy you had thrown against me. The last one of these creatures I faced terrified all those who were in range of looking at it with unnatural power. It could recover from its wounds, move at unnatural speeds and even control other creatures. I had attempted to trick, and push and trap, but it resisted or adapted to so quickly attempts barely slowed it down. If I'm in that situation, and I'm so crippled I not only don't have a light-saber... but my connection to the force is so crippled i can't hide, deceive, blind, blast, heat up, cool down, weld or burn. Yes... people are going to die when one of those monsters tears through us all unless I use everything at my disposal."

Felix would note that his arm would begin to heal, the muscles that had been snapped and severed reknitting with one another as the wound would close painfully into that of yet another white scar that would cut across his body. It was fine. But as Gerwald assumed a fighting stance, Felix felt a world of excitement well up within him. Now this is what he was here for. The boy loved his duels, the Honor Duels on Ryloth had long since gotten stale of late, cut throat mercenaries, pirates and disgraced mandalorians were thrown into the blender that was House Aquilas Swordsman. With little more than a flick of his wrist his saber was in his hands, extended to a length only a little longer than a shoto-saber.

Felix would slide his left hand behind his back, limiting his profile as he took a slightly side on stance to the wolf, bringing the saber before his face in a fencers salute before allowing the weapon to fall to his side at the ready. He was told he was able to use anything at his disposal, but he was still under the watchful eyes of the Great Wolf of the CIS. What was the next test? Simply Combat? Or something more?

So, Felix wouldn't begin, no official confirmation on the test had been given, attacking now would be tantamount to unwarranted escalation. If Gerwald wanted a fight, he would have to make the first move, as once again the colour saturation of the world around them would begin to increase, colours popping as Felix's eyes glimmered with electric golden hues. He could see the spectrum of light bouncing off Gerwald, being reflected, warped by his personal gravity and painting the world in boundless patterns like coloured wind.

But if the wolf did make a move, Felix hoped he didn't need his eyes to do so.

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

​

“Yet, again… you were not crippled from using the force, only the skills I said you could not use. If the minimal skills which I prohibited you from using hindered you so much then what makes you think you are ready for the rank of master?”

The question was rhetorical. Was it meant to sting and wound, perhaps. Gerwald had to test every bit of the man he intended to promote. The only thing which would stop him from receiving it at this point was himself. There was something about Felix however, his confidence perhaps, which Gerwald was drawn to. Aquila had something to offer the Knights Obsidian, and there were squires who needed training.

His confidence would also be his undoing. There was a lack of humility from the man which Gerwald noted. It was as though he seemed to have an inflated view of his own skill.

He sighed.

Gerwald wanted nothing more to show him the events which took place on Naalol. The devourer would have terrified him. There would have been nothing Felix could have done to kill the beast, even with everything he had at his disposal. Gerwald knew this was not the time for that lesson yet. They would spar first, duel. There was one way to test what the man could do.

Unfortunately he started by trying to hinder the wolf…

...with a reflection of light.

Gerwald had noted he took a formal stance. Felix was a duelist after all. It was no surprise then that he would be a practitioner of Makashi, the second lightsaber form. It would prove difficult to combat the form with Gerwald’s chosen form, but he had other tricks up his sleeve. His primary form was defensive, and the wolf would not make the first strike. Yet, perhaps he could provoke Felix to move.

The man from Ryloth was correct in his assumption, Gerwald did not need his sight in order to put a fissure in the ground. His eyes closed for a moment. The wolf would become one with the ground as each molecule was isolated. The lupine would lift his foot and stomp on the ground, cracking it, splitting it, until it would pass though his opponents legs. Everything quaked as the ground beneath their feet shifted. It would split open, threatening to swallow his opponent whole if he did not move.

Gerwald smirked. He did not know how the duelist would react, but he was certain this was not what the man anticipated.

Felix Aquila​

 

[Felix Aquila]

~ C H A L L E N G E ~​

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
Equipment:

• - Light-saber
• - Personal Shield

Half answers, omissions and points missed. The fact it wasn't said by someone he could fire back at, like Kyyrk, made it all the more frustrating. But he supposed that was one of the many benefits of authority, not that it was one that he particularly longed for. However as the two of them assumed their stances, sabers at the ready, Felix seemed to pass the test of not being the first to make a move, however, in the scope of moves that the great and powerful Gerwald Lechner could have come up with, wielding the earth itself against the Rylothian Scion wasn't the hat trick he had thought of.

It would have taken Felix a monstrous effort to achieve such a feat with his own telekinesis, The shock as hundreds of tonnes of rock and stone split apart as though they were little more than sand, the gaping more lurching for him as he spur into action. The Ground was unstable, it was difficult to catching his footing so, rather than attempting to run, Felix would all but kick off from the ground with one leg, pushing himself to tuck into a side into a snappy shoulder roll. His Light saber retracting has he did it so that it wouldn't collide with his form.

Standing up from his roll to the right, Felix would stand up, spinning inward and lashing out with his sword arm, unsheathing it from the shadow of his left hand he would focus on the force as his light-saber would expand a second time. Projecting the veritable explosion of brilliant white light endemic to that spark of life that a light-saber gave when they extended for the first. Not only that, but Felix's effect on the environment which brightened all colour amplified the spark of light further as he would project it in a wave with his left hand to wash over Gerwald as a white cloud which would blind everyone in a hundred and eighty degree cone.

Bystanders would cry out holding their eyes, those who had taken a direct hit, the light was of a high enough frequency it would overload their optic nerves and photoreceptors, not only blinding them, painfully, stunning the brain with an effect non unlike a light based brain freeze that would feel like liquid fire poured on the eye. Thankfully no-one had a seizure... while others would quickly find that the human eyelid was still too thin to to protect themselves completely from the wave, it'd save them from a blinding pain that would last an hour or so, but the sunspots would still dazzle them like they caught the end of an eclipse. And each of them were much further away than Gerwald...

Under the cloak of his attack, Felix would rush the man saber drawn as the tsunami of white would pass Felix would make his opening attack, extending his blade to its full length in time with a thrust to Gerwald's center chest. An open enough attack, but someone needed to perform the opening attack that would begin the chain that was to follow.

Felix was waiting for a counter-attack however. Gerwald was a monster of physical strength and speed, and even with Felix's force enhanced speed and reflexes, he was certain that it was his left hand, ready and waiting with his Trakata that was going to save his damned life in this duel...
​