Ask Duel on Raxus

[Grace Zann]

Raxus | 1400 Hours
​

Raxus was a sprawling city work in sith space, one not so different from the Alderaan of old. Not that Grace had ever seen it. She had come to the world for a single reason only, a pretty reliable scout report. She, along with a band of 7 mercenaries made their way out of hyperspace in a skipray blast boat. They hovered above the planet for a moment before making a quick scan to see if their contact had been correct... And they had been.

A couple weeks ago, a small pirate band flying a Crusader-Class Corvette had been boarded by imperial forces and arrested. The ship was being held at an impound lot south of the planet's capital city. Getting in close would be dangerous, and the impound yard would be guarded, but the woman figured she and her band could pull it off if they moved stealthily.

Grace would give her crew of armored mercenaries a briefing. "Alright. When we land, our cover story is we are a band of imperial mercenaries looking for jobs... Fan out across the city and blend in. Once I have secured the ship, we'll all meet up and take off with it." She would then look to Havvs, her personal bodyguard and long-time friend. "Havvs, watch over the ship for me..."

The skipray would land at a public spaceport, several miles away from the lot she was looking for. The rest of her mercenary crew would disband to differing parts of the city, Grace however would begin a long walk across the busy town...

By the time she actually managed to spot the lot, it was mid-day. The impound yard was gated off by a chain-link fence, with the only entrance being a toll booth of sorts. Inside the yard was mostly clear, aside from a small security detail. The woman would decide to make her way up to the booth, to see an overweight rodian in a security outfit running the place. He would ask her, "Here to pick up a ship? We only accept raw credits. No layaway!"

She would then wave her hand and speak, "You don't need my credits. She can enter." The man would in turn respond, "I-I don't need your credits, you may enter..." Before pressing a button which opened the front gates to the impound yard. That was easy enough, hopefully she could slip past the security detail.\

@Nevermourn

 

[Krinn Nelthar]

The afternoon is warm, pleasant perhaps, the shimmering light of a golden day showering Raxus with fiery rays. Krinn keeps to himself as he moves through the crowds, his dark hood pulled over his head, his maroon eyes searching for anything that might be of interest. He's here to meet a contact, and so far, they had failed to show. It's an annoyance, to be sure, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. He would find a place to rest for the night, because his ship was still being refueled at the port, and he had to admit that the city had a certain, enchanting allure that only serves to draw him further in.

He's passing by a towering chain-link fence when he spots another nearby, prowling toward the front gate with a clear purpose to her steps. Krinn might have been inclined to ignore the sighting, but that was until he witnessed the daring use of force persuasion upon one of the guards. Suspicion ignites within his thoughts almost immediately, and the nautolan changes course to follow silently after her. He's keeping his distance, but she remains within his line of sight as he pursues. All it takes is a wave of his own hand to pacify the rodian, because he had no desire to cause a panic within the impound yard just yet. Krinn slides through the front gate before it can shut once more, a ghost wrapped in black robes with dark eyes narrowed harshly upon the retreating frame of Grace. The Sith would continue to follow, until he either figured out why she was there, or she realized that she had a shadow.

@Where

 

[Grace Zann]

Grace would smirk as she managed to get inside, and was surprised that went off without a hitch. The impound lot was huge by all perspectives, it was filled with dozens of starfighters, freighters, and gunships that once belonged to criminals. The crusader-class ship however was easily the largest vessel in the yard, as it was over 100 meters long and the oy corvette around. The woman's plan was to take care of the guards, then call in her mercenary friends to fly off with the ship... It was a simple job, all things considered.

As she quietly made her way across the yard, a guard would be quick to confront her. "HEY! You there. This is a restricted area. No one told us anything about someone stopping by a--" His words would be quiclk haulted by a yellow blade impaling his chest. Grace had ignited half of her lightsaber against the man's abdomen, causing him to slump to the ground lifeless. One guard down, only a few more to go.

She would continue openly walking toward the corvette when another pair would confront her. "Woah! Stop right there!" They would command, only tobe met by the woman's annoyed look. She would then activate her lightsaber yet again, causing the two guards to begin panicing! Before they could run or even scream however, each of their heads would be cleaved from their bodies... Grace stood alone, or so she thought. The ship had a large object strapped to it's engines, a device to prevent it from lifting off no doubt. She would have to remove it before she could secure the vessel...

@Nevermourn

 

[Krinn Nelthar]

He can only curse as the yellow blade is tossed from it's sheathe to plunge through the chest of a guard without hesitation. He should have acted sooner, because while Krinn might possess a cold mind, his protectiveness of the Empire and it's people is very much genuine. And this woman had just cut a civilian down without so much as a word, the decisive stroke of her blade betraying far too much grace for an average criminal. This was someone else entirely, someone that he should not underestimate.

The Sith bolts into action, throwing himself into a quiet sprint as the sudden wind tugs the black hood from his head. Before he can even get close enough to stop her, two more of the security forces fall to her glowing blade, and Krinn can feel the fiery burn of his rage as it flares through his fast beating hearts.

"That's quite enough." He had caught up to her, and she stands in shadow, peering upward at a ship that she no doubt had villainous intentions for. "I just watched you murder three Imperial citizens." He doesn't ask for excuses, for motive, because he doesn't care. As his anger builds like a volcanic cauldron within the confines of his gut, Krinn can only think of one thing, and that was how good it would feel to return the favor with a weapon of his own. The scaled hilt of his lightsaber slips from where it is fastened at his hip, a clawed right hand curling tight around the glinting silver before, in a sudden wash of crimson, the red blade ignites.

"You have one chance to surrender." Because a part of him knew that even in the Empire, justice was important. Not all would be so inclined to agree.

@Where

 

[Grace Zann]

Grace hadn't expected to be confronted by anyone, especially no one with any authority. The crime boss would not turn around to face the voice, but could tell from his tone and the sound of his steps. This was a loyal sith. She would only chuckle as he mentioned the citizens, "You mean the pawns in your game? At least mine are well-paid..."

He would then request that she surrender, such an enticing prospect, one the woman would have to refuse. She then turned around, now fully facing the nutolan, he had the look of a sith to be certain... If they did battle, it would be the woman's first ever bout against a sith. "Funny, I was about to make you the same offer."

The woman would grip her lightsaber with only her right arm for a moment, one of the yellow blades had already been activated, but a second would spring to life on the opposite end. She weilded a double-bladed lightsaber, something of a rarity. "I warn you Sith. I am no jedi. You will bend to my will as do the elements."

With that remark, her grip would quickly change to two-handed weilding as she charged the sith head on. She would make several slashing attempts, a downward slash across the chest, followed by an upward strike with the opposite end of the blade. Finally, she would end the combination with a horizontal slash, aiming to cleave the man's torso in two!

"Let's hope you have the strength to match me!"

@Nevermourn

 

[Krinn Nelthar]

Pawns? They were hardly pawns. They were civilians, living their lives, doing their jobs. But he's not here to debate such things with blatant criminals. Krinn himself had ties to villainy, but at the very least, he was discreet about it, and he didn't target those within his own Empire. Loyalty had tamed his greediness, if only by a little. A hiss slithers between the bared fangs of the Sith as she turned to face him, and her words were clear enough that there would be no surrender here. This was going to be a fight, and the stakes were high.

He adjusts his stance as her second blade ignites. but a double-bladed lightsaber would not be enough to save her.

"I only bend to the wills of others when I'm asked nicely." Krinn snaps back in dry response, the hint of sarcasm bold upon his olive lips. "And you've yet to buy my dinner." He's tensed, and anger glows within crimson eyes, all too eager for a fight. She moves fast, but he's just as quick, a blur to onlookers perhaps, but not to Krinn. He brings his scarlet weapon into an upward sweep to meet hers, deflecting her first strike at his chest. The second attack is one he steps back from, his lightsaber once again deflecting the golden blade of his foe. Finally, the third and last swipe at his torso is promptly batted away with his red blade, but by this point he knows well enough to be wary. She was furious in her strikes, aggressive and swift. Unfortunately for her, so was Krinn.

The nautolan suddenly tosses out a hand, gnarled fingers flexing through the warm air as he summons to his will the power of Sith, attempting to force push the woman back and away. He's never been particularly strong in that aspect, so she's not likely to go flying from any success, but all he really needed was a stumble. Darting forward a mere moment afterward, the Sith aims a downward cleave of his lightsaber, hoping to slice deeply across his opponent's shoulder.

"Strength is no issue." Krinn had responded to her words with a brooding expression. "Let us hope you do not lack in endurance."

@Where

 

[Grace Zann]

Grace was impressed that the man had managed to match her strikes. This was no learner, he was a well trained sith warrior. As her combination of blows ended, the man would counter with a swift force push. While good to unbalance some foes, Grace had the right abilities to counter, and perhaps it would even be enough to get a slight advantage. She would allow the force to push her backward, but then bolster the force of them man's own push. As the nautolan's hand was fully extended, Grace would use her skill in aerokinesis creating a strong gust of wind beneath her feet.

As she was propelled back by the push, she would also be propelled upward, gaining further distance and landing on two feet. Of course, this was simply the start of the man's onslaught, as a mighty overhead blow came crashing downward. Thanks to her footing alone, she would manage to bring up her golden blade just in time. One end of her weapon collided with the crimson, just as the man explained this would be a contest of endurance.

"I've endured worse." She would remark, before then jumping back several meters with a gust of wind. Due to her recent training, Grace's skills with the force were much greater than her abilities with a lightsaber. Thankfully, she could always rely on the force to give her an edge in any field, provided she wasn't exhausted. "I've become adept in many abilities the sith neglect..."

She would then reach out with her right arm, as her left held the lightsaber. Her hand would glow for only a second, before a torrent of bright orange flames burst from the palm of her hand toward the sith. "Any can wield the natural elements, yet so many forget it's power."

Despite her success thus far, Grace knew that using her abilities would tire her in due time. She needed to call her mercenaries to take care of the ship while she provided a distraction.

@Nevermourn

 

[Krinn Nelthar]

Oh, wonderful. Someone who probably knew more about the force than he did. Krinn would frown, if he weren't so stoic. Watching his opponent fly through the air like some sort of bird is far from pleasant, and he instantly knows that this battle is going to be a lot more annoying than he had intended. His red saber is batted away a moment before she retreats backwards once more, out of range, for now. By that point, he's not even really interested in hearing what she has to say. Her words fall upon deaf ears, because all the Nautolan really wants to focus on is putting an end to an annoyance. Of course, who would have expected her to start shooting fire out of her palm?

Krinn is dazzled by the bright tongues of flame that sweep hungrily toward him, and he's quick to stumble back and away. Fire isn't exactly something as simple to avoid as a lightsaber, though. He knows well enough that he has been burned, that the side of his face felt so suddenly hot and stinging. It's not a severe injury, but it really didn't have to be. Even minor burns were far more painful than most other types of mild injuries. Still, he had finally backpedaled enough that he was out of range, raising his free hand and slapping away the fire that had caught hold of his black robes, blossoming into flickering tongues of orange that burned easily through dark fabric. The damage to the clothing is minimal as he's quick to snuff it out, but regardless, Krinn shoulders the robe off, letting it fall to the pavement below. He narrows his eyes with a pained glare at the woman from where he now stands, bare chested and entirely pissed off.

"Wretch." The Sith growls hatefully through his gritted teeth, his dry humor forgotten.

@Where

 

[Grace Zann]

Grace would breath deeply as the fires ceased exiting her palm. Her training on Kro Var had served her well thus far, but the sith was angry and still standing. She knew it would take time for her forces to reach the impound lot, so sending out the message now would be vital. She would reach into her pocket with her free hand, pressing a button on her commlink. It would provide a signal to her hired mercenaries to begin making their way towards the yard. With some luck, they might actually be able to pull off this caper.

When the man insulted her, Grace would simply narrow her eyes. She had a rage of her own, but it was quiet and reserved. Though she had passion of her own, it was tempered by focus. She would then bring both her arms back to her lightsaber, attempting to prepare for what the man would do next.

"Hmph. Show me." She would request aggressively. Form six had served her well thus far, but would she hold up against an enraged foe?

@Nevermourn

 

[Krinn Nelthar]

Eyes are still narrowed into that piercing red glare, his expression stony and cold, even as teeth grinded in pain. The burn upon his face seemed to sting even worse with time, but Krinn was a Sith. The hurt, the anger, it was not a weakness. It was fuel.

He doesn't even wait for her to finish her reply, he just throws himself at her, snarling with a bitter hatred that's nearly animal in nature. Propelled forth at a speed only capable with the enhancement of the force, the Nautolan sends his glowing saber careening through the heated air with a scarlet flash, aiming to stab the point of the blade into her lower right leg. It's a low blow, but it's purpose is not truly offense. It is meant as the distraction. His left hand, free from any weapon, arches suddenly as long claws tear through the tense atmosphere, and Krinn aims to slash the talons across his opponent's face, from one cheek to the other. There are no words, no sarcastic remarks. Just the sound of his pained breath, and the glow of fury within his ruthless gaze.

@Where

 

[Grace Zann]

The strike aimed for her leg was quick and filed with anger. The woman barely had enough time to bring her saber down, just managing to block the attack at the last possible moment. Unfortunately, the distraction allowed the nautolan to follow up with a serious attack, talons slashed across the woman's face. The swipe was painful and caused her to start dripping with blood, one of the slashes even drove itself across her nose, making it especially deep... That would leave a scar.

With a howl of pain, she would stutter back, gripping her face with one hand, and raising her lightsaber with the other. "Gahhh... Sith scum!" She would grown angrily. She would step back a little further, removing the bloody hand from her face and toward her foe once again.

This tome she would not aim to injure him, but slow the sith down. The palm of her hand would change direction from the man's torso, and point to his legs instead. From the woman's palm, a wintery blast of freezing cold air would would be propelled, hopefully freezing the man's legs in place, or even simply disturbing his footing with an icy puddle.

Regardless of the result, she would back up a bit further before gripping her lightsaber with both hands yet again.

@Nevermourn

 

[Krinn Nelthar]

He doesn't care that his saber is deflected, batted away at the last moment. That doesn't matter. No, he is assaulted, twisted, by a sick sensation of malevolent glee that ignites the crimson of his narrowed eyes and spreads his maw with a thin and serpentine smile. Nautolan claws rip across her face and the scent of blood is like kerosene upon an uncontrolled fire. The pain in her howled reply is as delightful as his favorite meal, and he knows that the response his body gives is wicked and monstrous, and entirely wrong.

And he still doesn't care.

Grace steps back, but Krinn is in pace with her, darting toward her at the same time she's moving away, all too eager to press his attack. He sends his crimson saber swiping through the warm air again, aiming a quick, upward and vertical strike at her chest just as she removes a stained hand from her bloodied and lacerated face. He's not going to let her put distance between them again without a fight. No, he is quick, ruthless, and entirely unforgiving.

The hand that she stretches out seems to glisten with sudden frost, and the sensation of cold begins to creep along his legs like a thousand stinging needles. Krinn responds by lashing his blade through the chilling atmosphere once more, aiming to sever the offending limb from it's host, as he had been actively keeping pace with her efforts to back away.

He doesn't linger in that spot to allow his legs to simply freeze over, though. At the same time that his lightsaber is arching horizontally toward her wrist, the Nautolan is side-stepping to escape the worst of the wintry blast of air, before too much damage could be done, before he could be crippled, and trapped in place. By this point, Krinn knows well enough that his opponent prefers to put as much distance between them as she can.

He won't allow it.

The Champion throws himself at Grace once more, though he's merely closing the distance, for now.

@Where

 

[Grace Zann]

Grace was clearly on the defensive as she attempted to slow down the warrior, but he didn't seem to much care. Despite the pain he had already inflicted to her, the nutolan would press the offensive, attempting to bring the lightsaber across her chest. The strike would be met by a raised golden blade, just pushing the strike away enough for her to back away.

Then would come his reaction to her cryokinesis, a look of pain and frustration, but also determination. The would not bode well for her as the man continued marching forward, but as he did, the woman's associates drew ever closer. Eventually, she would see the red glow of the lightsaber radiate from the cloud of frost. If he go too close, then the woman's hand would be no more. Immediately, stopping her offensive, Grace would call upon the force once more. This time, a drop of sweat would run down her brow.

She would backflip into the air, and created a powerful blast of wind in the spot she previously stood. The winds would push her further into the air, allowing her to land onto the Corvette's starboard side. It was a large jump, about a dozen meters up, but her opponent could probably follow her. A voice would call over her commlink "We're almost at the stop, make sure we can lift off as soon as we get there."

With that warning, the woman would begin running across the side of the ship, heading for the impound device that was latched onto it.

 

[Krinn Nelthar]

He had her on the defensive, and that was how he liked it. Even through his rage, his burning pain where the fires had licked damp skin, he can still feel the thrill of this fight, the satisfaction of pushing her back with his quick and ruthless efforts. Her golden blade parries his own, and then she's in the air once more to avoid his second stroke. The Nautolan's legs feel stiff and chilled, and the wind that carries Grace away is enough to unsteady the alien for just a moment before he recovers, glaring at her newfound position upon the Corvette's shining hull. So this was the plan? Steal this ship and fly off into the sunset as criminal heroes?

The anger burns like fire in the Nautolan's gut as he throws himself into the air with a force jump of his own. He's not aiming for Grace, though. While she springs toward the impound device, Krinn maneuvers his way toward one of the engines. His crimson lightsaber glows with hot brilliance for just a moment more before he plunges it through the thick siding of the craft. This ship wasn't getting off the ground any time soon, if he could help it, and he would tear the large vessel apart if he had to. One thrust or cut of his saber at a time.

@Where

 

[Grace Zann]

Grace felt she was out running her foe for a moment, confident that she could get the docking clam off the other end of the ship... Unfortunately, the man wasn't in pursuit of her, and had made his way toward the engines. The Corvette was quiet large, but it was also unshielded. While it would take him time to tear apart the engines, it would not be impossible. She would quickly grab hold of her commlink before completely changing directions, "Scratch that boys, you'll need to blast the device off, we've got company that only I can entertain."

As she ran in the direction of the Sith, her head would glance over for just a moment, seeing some of her mercenaries arriving in the distance. They would be easily cut down by the Sith, so she would have to keep his attention. As the man began his series of attacks, Grace would throw her double-bladed lightsaber toward the man's hands, hoping to hit either his lightsaber or grip. Whether the attack hit or missed, she would then hit the blade return to her grasp with the force.

"Persistent aren't we!?" She would angrily ask, lunging into the air in an attempt to strike the Sith with a downward slash. At that point she would return to the defensive, attempting to distract him from the engines.

@Nevermourn

 

[Krinn Nelthar]

He's quite focused on what he's doing, because he knows well enough that disabling a ship of this size is no easy task. The sound of that criminal's sprint across the metal hull of the vessel is far too obvious to ignore, however, and Krinn straightens, tearing his red saber free of blackened metal, where underlying circuitry sparks with evident damage. Whether or not that would be enough to actually prevent the Corvette from taking off, however, was debatable.

In nearly the exact same moment, his opponent's golden lightsaber is sent spinning through the air toward his position. He's quick to stumble back to avoid it, but the hull is slick, and Krinn is tired. Such was the cost of his frenzied, rage-filled efforts. Worse, still, is that it seemed the more his energy faded, the more he felt the burn on his skin. He could hiss, and snarl, and draw upon the anger, that hate, once more, but focus is a bit more difficult now. He hadn't slept much since Kashyyyk. No, he hadn't slept at all.

When the woman charges him again, her blade sweeping down through the air, he's already on unsteady footing. While the Nautolan had intended to side step the blow, he ends up sliding across the hull instead. He falls, and his claws dig into the ship as he slips down it's side. It's a futile gesture, though. His nails aren't going to pierce the hull of the massive Corvette. They aren't going to allow him to catch himself, to break his fall. At the very least, he had avoided her lightsaber.

The Sith plummets back to the pavement below, and if he weren't so tired, perhaps he would have landed gracefully. In this case, he hits hard, regardless of any use of the force to protect himself. Legs buckle, and Krinn rolls, his shoulder slamming roughly into concrete. Explosive breath is expelled from the Nautolan's lungs as he finally finds himself at rest in the shadow of the towering vessel. His lightsaber is still held tight in his grasp, the only real sign that he was still conscious.

And perhaps... perhaps he is too tired to get back up. The pain of his undoubtedly badly bruised shoulder, and the burn across his skin, only serves to make getting up harder.

@Where

 

[Grace Zann]

As Grace barely managed to reach the sith in time, her blade-throw would thankfully be enough to get a small edge. She had just been on the defensive for half the fight, but now she had gained the upper hand. As the man briefly hung from the side of the ship, Grace would spot her mercenary crew rushing toward the corvette. They would fire multiple blaster rifle shots at the impound device, causing a large red glow it emitted to cease. Their crew of 10 total men would make a break for the main door running inside the vessel as quickly as they could.

As the sith began his fall, Grace would use the force to create a soft gust of wind under him, before he hit the ground. Hopefully, breaking the fall to some extent. She was exhausted, but the sith had put up a real fight, and deserved some curtesy. She would look down to the man with fleeting strength and offer him, "You did very well nutolan. If you seek to challenge me again, travel to Kro Var in the Unknown Regions. There you will be on my home turf, rather than your own."

She would hold her stomach with one arm, and deactivate her lightsaber with the other. Grace would hop down to the same ramp her men had just ran up, and take a look out toward the city. She could see law enforcement vehicles in the distance, sirens coming their way... "Maybe you'll change your views on the Sith's dogma." The woman would mutter to herself.

@Nevermourn