Private Wrong Or Right Foot?

[Alina Tremiru]

It'd been a long, long time since she bothered with a friendly spar, or duel, or anything short of her full on trying to kill her opponent. It'd left her violent, in truth. Recreational combat was something she used to enjoy, especially in her years as a human. Her youth, throwing down in the fight clubs to improve her skill because her power in the Force was lacking. That'd changed now, of course. With her nature as a Sangnir these past years, she hadn't felt the need to go into a fight club to let of steam and improve. She could control the blood. Blood made her strong. She idly flexed her hands, glancing over her fingers. She used to properly bind them before a fight.

No need now.

"You know, I used to beat people up to make friends. Throwing hands was honest in the academy. Every punch, every kick, they were truth where words were lies. Not sure about friendship, but I am curious what you can do, especially after everything on Shadaa." Alina looked up, across to the chosen foe as she flashed a fanged smile. Bane Kaohal certainly interested her. In what he could do, what that sword was.

"Don't feel you need to hold back, either. I'm a pretty tough girl."

 

[Bane Kaohal]

Alina Tremiru
​

This encounter was inevitable, a clash that Bane had long anticipated with a mix of eagerness and cold calculation. He had been itching for a reason to test her, to see if she truly possessed the strength he had heard whispered about.

Standing in front of Alina, his cold molten gaze rested upon her with an intensity that would seem as if trying to pierce through her very being. An amused smirk curled onto his lips as he spoke, his voice a deep, resonant growl. "Holding back isn't in my nature... let's just see if you have what it takes for me to call you equal."

As he let out a slow breath, the air around him seemed to chill rapidly, his breath visible in the cold. His eyes gleamed with a malevolent light, reflecting the dark thoughts that churned within him. To some, the sight would be horrifying—a mask, known as the Darkmantel, moving as if possessed by an unseen force, settling over his face. His eyes, now lit with burning hatred and malevolent desire, stared out from behind the mask. His voice, now darker and more menacing, clawed forth and rent the air with its sheer malice.

"Growl, Shadowrend..."

With deliberate slowness, he unsheathed his sword. The black obsidian blade glinted violently in the light, a soft, ominous humming emanating from it. His grip tightened on the hilt, testing his own flexibility as he took a swing towards his right side. The Force amplified the motion, causing the ground to violently kick up dust as the slash marred the earth with its destructive power.

Bane's mind was a labyrinth of strategic thoughts and ruthless intentions. He relished this moment, not just as a test of strength, but as a demonstration of his dominance. Each move was calculated, each action intended to unsettle and overpower. The ground, scarred by his strike, was a testament to his relentless pursuit of power and the dark path he willingly walked.

His gaze never wavered from Alina, watching her reaction, measuring her response. In his mind, he weighed the potential outcomes, the possible weaknesses she might reveal to have -- so many unknowns. As he observed her, he couldn't help but feel a dark satisfaction. This was what he thrived on—the thrill of the challenge, the anticipation of victory, and the cold, calculated dismantling of his opponents... and, the feeling of once again, having camaraderie.

Bane's presence was overwhelming, a blend of physical menace and psychological terror. His words, his actions, even the very air around him seemed to vibrate with the promise of violence. As he stood there, sword in hand, he was the embodiment of controlled chaos, a master of the game of power who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Others often viewed him as a monster, but in his mind, Bane, was simply fulfilling his destiny.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"That's a lot of fear you give off, you know." There was a pause as Alina tightened her fists. A chill down her spine, a memory tugging through her mind. It took her a moment to realize it wasn't her own but something his very presence seemed to give off. The memory faded instantly as she reached a hand out to her side. A red mist formed, thickening into a flow of what looked like blood. It gave off a strong presence in the Force itself, raw and pure, before it shifted to something dark under her seeming command.

A blade formed, red as blood before she flicked it up towards Bane as she smiled her fanged smile.

"Strength begets strength, no?" Then she dove forward. A rush of movement, a blur he'd likely be able to pick up on, brought a thrust straight for his chest. Probing of course, testing the waters to see how he could keep up.

Bane Kaohal

 

[Bane Kaohal]

Alina Tremiru
​

Bane's smirk widened, eyes narrowing as he watched Alina's movements with keen interest. The red mist forming into a blade was a sight to behold, but it didn't faze him. He thrived on such displays of power—welcomed them, even.

"Strength begets strength," he echoed, his voice a gravelly murmur laced with anticipation.

As Alina lunged forward, Bane's grip on Shadowrend tightened, the obsidian blade thrumming with dark energy. He moved with calculated precision, a fluid motion that spoke of both power and control. The thrust aimed for his chest met the unforgiving resistance of his sword, the clash of blades resonating through the air.

Bane's eyes, molten amber and filled with malevolent intent, locked onto Alina's. He pushed back against her blade, testing her strength and resolve. The cold, calculating part of his mind assessed every detail—the angle of her attack, the force behind it, the determination in her gaze.

Without a word, he shifted his weight, using the momentum to twist and counter with a swift, powerful slash aimed at her side. His movements were both graceful and brutal, a dance of death that he had mastered long ago.

The air around him seemed to crackle with dark energy, the intensity of his presence almost palpable. This was no mere sparring match—it was a test, a demonstration of dominance, and Bane was intent on proving that he was the superior force.

The thrill of the battle surged through him, a cold, dark satisfaction that fueled his every move. This was his arena, and he would show no mercy.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Her blade was like a wall.

Even just the point pressed against Bane's own was unmoving, unrelenting against his push. An unholy might that wasn't born from the Dark but simply born from what she'd become. The fanged smile remained s her unnaturally glowing eyes focused further onto Bane's own. The red, glowing with the fuel of Anima her species was known for, on the black where white should be.

The mark of Sith who've returned from death, Alina had learned.

Bane turned, slipping his blade down to cleave right for her exposed side, but a flick of her wrist spun her own blade around to catch it, deflect. Parry. The Duelist form seemed to be her default as she slipped forward more, twirling on a heel as her blade bit out in a series of quick cuts. Makashi was about refinement and quick, light cuts to overwhelm a foe. Death by a thousand cuts, or the like.

Her cuts were anything but light, however.

"Show me more. More!"

Bane Kaohal

 

[Bane Kaohal]

Alina Tremiru
​

Bane felt the resistance as his blade met hers. Her defense was unyielding, a testament to her strength. The air between them crackled with raw energy, the red glow of her eyes meeting the molten amber of his own. Her power was palpable, and Bane acknowledged it with a grudging respect.

Bane's voice, low and filled with a dark intensity, echoed through the chaos. "More? You'll see more than you bargained for." He growled, his eyes beginning to illuminate as if set ablaze. A chilling cackle, almost a maniacal giggle, escaped from behind his mask, filled with a sick, sadistic enjoyment.

In response to her demand, Bane's Force presence swelled, amplifying to a massive dark weight that seemed to crash down on the area. The oppressive energy was like a storm cloud, thick and suffocating. His movements became faster, stronger, more unyielding. He was a force of nature, a hurricane of darkness.

He shifted his stance, grounding himself, and with a powerful thrust, he aimed to disrupt her rhythm. His blade moved with a deadly grace, slicing through the air with a sinister hum. The force behind his strikes was immense, each one a calculated effort to overpower her defenses.

Bane's movements were a dance of destruction, his blade an extension of his will. He spun, using the momentum to bring his sword down in a devastating arc, aiming for her shoulder. Without pausing, he followed with a quick horizontal slash, seeking to catch her off guard.

His eyes never left hers, the intensity in his gaze unwavering. He could sense the raw potential within her, the latent power that had been awakened. This was no ordinary duel; it was a clash of titans, a battle that would test the very limits of their abilities.

With a swift step, Bane closed the distance between them, his blade a blur of motion. He aimed a series of rapid thrusts at her torso, each one precise and relentless. The force of his attacks caused the very air around them to tremble, the ground beneath their feet to quake.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Ohh? Will I?"

Alina smirked ever so playfully as she brought her blade around. Madness was a common thing with the darker side of the Force. A manic enjoyment, a thrill. It was one she had for herself. She kept up for the most part with his renewed assault, his power and strength. Her blade flashed with light as she kept it strong with the pure Anima flowing through it.

There was a limit, though.

Parry, riposte, shift. It was a rhythm she was good at forcing, no matter her opponent. Most of the time. There was a flash of steel she didn't expect as she spun, bringing her blade up for a full defense. Only for it to shatter. And her arm to go flying from her body. There was a thud as it hit the ground some distance away as she slipped back, a blur to make space.

".. Okay maybe I will."

Despite loosing an arm she seemed pretty calm. As if the pain didn't hurt in the slightest. It absolutely did, but pain was something she'd gotten beyond. A second blade formed in her off hand as she brought it up for another parry, flashing a grin. She didn't think he'd stop. He shouldn't. Considering the fact her severed arm suddenly rose to strike him from behind, he absolutely shouldn't.

"But don't stop now!"

Bane Kaohal

 

[Bane Kaohal]

Alina Tremiru
​

Bane watched with a dark satisfaction as Alina's blade shattered and her arm was severed, the limb hitting the ground with a thud. Her calm demeanor, despite the pain, only fueled his thrill. Pain was something he understood all too well, and seeing her push past it spoke volumes about her resilience.

Her smirk and playful challenge brought a twisted grin to his lips. Madness and the dark side of the Force went hand in hand, and he reveled in the chaotic energy that emanated from their duel. He admired her for not backing down, for not giving in to the pain. It was a dance of destruction, and she was proving to be a worthy partner.

As her severed arm rose to strike him from behind, Bane felt a surge of exhilaration. This was no ordinary duel—this was a true test of their limits. He could feel the raw power of the dark side flowing through him, amplifying his every move, sharpening his every sense.

With a swift, fluid motion, he turned to intercept the incoming strike, his blade humming with deadly intent. The air around them seemed to crackle with tension, the sheer force of their wills clashing in a symphony of violence.

Bane's eyes locked onto Alina's, the molten amber burning with unyielding resolve. "You want more?" he growled, his voice low and filled with dark intensity. "Then let me show you the true depths of despair."

He lunged forward, his movements a blur of lethal precision. Each strike was calculated, each parry designed to test her defenses, to push her to her breaking point. The thrill of the fight, the anticipation of victory—it was intoxicating, a chilling and violence induced cackle escaping his lips, echoing out from behind the mask.

The clash of their blades was a symphony of destruction, each note resonating with the promise of death. Bane's grin widened as he pressed the attack, his mind a whirlwind of ruthless intentions and strategic thoughts.

This was what he lived for—the chaos, the power, the dance of life and death. And Alina, with her resilience and strength, was proving to be a challenge worth savoring. He would not stop, he would not relent, until he had pushed her to her very limits and beyond.

"Come on, Alina," he taunted, his voice a dark whisper. "Show me what you're truly capable of." The battle was far from over, and Bane was determined to emerge victorious, no matter the cost.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"It won't be as fun if I do!" It was half a taunt, half a truth. Alina danced with his strikes, slipping to and fro in the typical Makashi form. Midswing her arm reattached, a flash of red around the cut seeming to seal the wound as she wielded both blades. One after the other, swapping between blades to keep up her defense as his own intensity increased. The Dark itself felt heavier on her shoulders.

In truth, not giving her all was going to have her cut to pieces. So, she took a breath. As a Sangnir, she had control over Anima. The living portion of the Force that her species fed on, used to strengthen themselves, manipulate the world around them. It was what let Alina finally have control over some facet of the Force so she could feel like a proper Sith. What her actual strength in the Force was?

Alina caught his blade between her pair, smiling faintly. Softer now. Then the Force itself died around them. She slipped back as her blades faded as she cut the Force's flow from around them, outright suppression that her weapons couldn't exist in. "But I can't beat you if I don't." A hilt of a saber slipped from her sleeve as she ignited a cross bladed weapon, the red of it burning now in the void.

"You'll have to forgive."

Bane Kaohal

 

[Bane Kaohal]

Alina Tremiru

​

Bane's orange eyes glinted with a dangerous light as he faced Alina, his blade slicing through the air with lethal precision. Her taunt, a mixture of truth and bravado, only served to fuel his intensity. Each of his strikes was met with her deft movements, the elegance of Makashi weaving through their deadly dance.

He noted the way her arm reattached mid-swing, a flash of red sealing the wound as she wielded both blades. Impressive, he thought, acknowledging her control over Anima and the living Force. Yet, it only pushed him to increase the ferocity of his attacks, testing her limits and his own.

As Alina caught his blade between her pair, Bane's expression remained impassive, but internally, he was intrigued by the faint smile that graced her lips. The shift in her demeanor, the sudden suppression of the Force around them, caught him off guard for a moment. He felt the absence of the Force keenly, a void that left the air thick with tension.

Bane's grip tightened on his blade as he watched Alina slip back, her sabers fading from existence. The red light of her newly ignited cross-bladed weapon burned brightly in the void, casting eerie shadows around them. Her words, "But I can't beat you if I don't," hung in the air, a challenge and an acknowledgment of the stakes.

His lips curled into a predatory smile, a mixture of admiration and ruthless determination. "Forgiveness is not in my nature," he replied, his voice low and menacing. "Only victory."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Then victory will have to be forgiveness."

Then she lunged forward. The Force itself seemed to be gone, but the movements she still had, the raw strength, it hadn't lessened in the slightest. Her nature as a Sangnir was what made her super human where another Sith might use the Force to do the same. There was no hesitation, no mercy or holding back. Every strike and thrust was filled with the pure intent to kill.

It would be disrespectful otherwise.

Bane Kaohal