Ask Penny for your Punch?

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

He didn’t remember when they dragged him out of the ring, or when he was thrown into the bacta tank. The remembered the fight– the punches he’d thrown, the blows they’d exchanged. He’d remembered the pain– the screaming, the tears, the lacerations and cracks all over his body.

He woke with a start as the tank began to empty, aquamarines widening and darting around, searching for her. He began to process his surroundings as his panic began wearing down, sighing before the tank slipped open. A medical droid clanked its way over to him, dropping a towel over his shoulders as the diodes, wraps and other contraptions were removed from his body.

He idly listened as it explained the severity of his wounds, how he’d be left with several scars across his back, and how he needed at least two to three weeks rest. He was too busy replaying the fight in his head– every blow they exchanged, every cut of her tail– every block, or evasion, or block, or counter, or block.

He remembered as his fists collided with her gauntlets. He’d thrown punches like those before– they were the kind that shattered jaws, cracked ribs, the kind that drove the air from the bodies of men and left them gasping and grasping. Her guard was impressive– but it should have broken. Maybe not after the first or second punch, but the fifth? The sixth?

And the way his fists… bounced off. Like they hadn’t even connected with her gauntlets. All of it was wrong… no, not all of it. Whatever she’d done to block him so effectively was besides the point– he’d been beaten fairly. How much of a difference would it have made for her block to break? Nothing? Everything?

“Godsdamnit, quit yer bitching already.” He muttered to himself, clenching his fists before he let out a groan. Still, he couldn’t put the thoughts from his mind. Whatever difference her gauntlets had made, negligible or game changing– he wanted to know. “Droid,” he called, causing the medical droid to turn and face him. “D'ya know where mae opponent is?” He asked, voice horse, the bacta not having done much for his vocal chords after he’d screamed for so long.

“Miss Nyxia is having her own wounds treated, just down the h– sir? You aren’t to leave until your wounds heal.” The droid protested, as Laeonas, covered in a hospital smack, began limping out the door to wherever she was.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia wanted more than anything to go home to her family, but it seemed her time here wasn't yet over. She had changed out of her fighting fatigues and let the med-droids tend to her wounds; the most major being the cut on her head from the collision with Laeonas' head. She sat on a cushioned bench in a sort of daze, Laeo's ear-splitting screams weighing heavily on her mind.

Almost as if she had summoned him, she heard someone stumbling down the hall, and when she got to her feet and opened the door, tucking the heavy purse of credits into her jacket pocket, she saw Laeonas in nothing but a smock, looking partially deranged and still in a little bit of pain.

Nyxia's chest constricted and her immediate thought was that he was coming back to finish the job, taking his money back from the 'devil girl' who beat him unfairly. She hadn't broken any rules, had she? "I'm sorry," she got out, backing into the door frame behind her.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Laeo had been glancing around the hallways, eyes wandering around until a nearby door swished open, revealing his opponent the “Devil Girl,” or Nyxia, according to the droid.. His eyes widened as they fixed on hers, aquamarines staring into obsidian as he froze. She wore a frightened expression, and she seemed to stumble back as Laeo took a step forward.

He stood like a statue, blankly staring at the girl who had beaten him. Nyxia would be left wondering what her former opponent was thinking, until, slowly, deliberately, he let out a sigh.

The man seemed to visibly deflate as he exhaled, and, gradually, he walked across the room. Finding a nearby chair, he grasped both the bars on its side and slowly lowered himself down, visibly wincing as he did so. His breathing was ragged, and he seemed to collapse into the chair as he finally sat. Just walking down the hallway had completely exhausted him.

It was a stark contrast to the man she had fought several hours ago. Then, his stamina and endurance seemed endless, reflexes quick and precise, strength in each of his hits far stronger than anything one might expect from a man with his build. Now, exhausted and in pain, he was just… a man.

“...why?” He asked, after what seemed like an eternity. “What’ve ya got ta’pologize for?” The man croaked, his voice hoarse, not even trying to modulate his accent as the words escaped from his throat.

“Ya won. Ai lost. Fair’s fair.” He declared. Defeat was a wound to his pride, but he wasn’t about to let it spoil his attitude. The only thing more embarrassing than losing to a girl a decade younger than him would be to throw a tantrum over it. His shame was dulled somewhat by the fact that he had, partially, enjoyed the fight. Nyxia had managed to push him further than anyone had in years. That had to count for something.

“Siddown. Ai ain’t mad.” He rasped, gesturing with a crane of his neck to any of the chairs or hospital beds in the room. “Ya did good. Really good.” He spoke, less as a compliment, and more as a statement of fact.

“Ya’v got some trainin’, Ai bet. Th’at, or yer childhood’s as kriffed up as maine.” He went on, trying to sit up in his chair, letting out a gasp as the stitches along his back brushed against it. When he was done chewing on his lip, the man relaxed. “If Ai didn’t know better, Ai’d say yer touched by tha force. Goin’ further, Ai’d say it’s got somethin’ ta do with th’at block ya did back in tha ring.”

It was all speculation on his part, and honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised if he’d simply been imagining what he’d felt. Adrenaline and the force had a way of screwing with his senses as much as they boosted them.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia was surprised when he very nearly collapsed on a bench in the room. She walked in after him, slowly lowering herself into a chair across from him. She gave him a nervous smile when he complimented her, and she could hear the bitterness in his voice, however genuine his words were. When he mentioned the Force, she stiffened in her seat, perhaps giving herself away if Laeonas was watching her. She fidgeted with the zipper on her jacket when he mentioned her block, and she could suddenly feel her Matukai gauntlets in an inside pocket in her jacket, pressing into her side.

"You mean my gauntlets?" she said softly, subconsciously putting her hand over her jacket pocket. "Why do you care?"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

The purple girl was persistently nervous in spite of his reassurances, to the point where the man audibly sighed. What was she even afraid of? Even if he was mad enough to try and take “revenge,” he was hardly in a state to fight. And even if he was, the girl had been skilled enough to defeat him already. Ofcourse, he had been holding back– he wasn’t trying to kill her after all– but how could she know that? For whatever reason, Nyxia was far less confident in her abilities than she ought to have been.

His eyes darted towards her jacket pocket as she fidgeted, narrowing as he immediately recognized where the girl must have been keeping her gloves. She’d decided to keep them on her despite having a locker available. These were important to her, he realized– very important. When she asked why he cared, his expression shifted, almost as if to ask if she was being serious or not.

“‘Cause ya beat me, and Ai don’t laike bein’ beaten.” Laeo answered. “If Ai’m fighting some other prick and ‘e’s got gloves– gauntlets laike those, Ai don’t wanna wind up gettin’ my shit kicked in laike Ai did tonight.” He crudely explained. “Ai wanna learn about yer trainin’, about yer gear. ‘Onestly, if Ai could learn ‘ow ta shrug off blows laike Ai gave ya t’night ‘alf as well as you did, Ai’d never lose a fight again.”

With that, Laeo let out a long, raggedy breath. He took a moment to regard the girl again– nervous, fidgeting. It was so different from how she’d behaved in the ring– calm, collected and determined to win. “D’you… fight often?”

@Reylo4evr

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia was unsure what to make of this man. He was strange, that's for sure, and his accent made her wonder where he come from. He had been ferocious in the ring, and now he just looked... defeated. She was suddenly aware of how restless she was and she stilled, her hands falling into her lap. This was why she was so easy to take advantage of- she was easy to read.

"I- Only when I need to," she replied vaguely to Laeonas' question. It wasn't a total lie- she only fought in rings and pits like this one rarely, saving the rest for real world experience. Which there was a lot of, especially when one worked for a crime syndicate. "For the credits," she added. The pile of credits and her gauntlets rested heavily against her torso. She was not one to trust people easily, and even as Laeo explained everything about why he was interested in her, she found herself wishing to return home. She made no move to get up.

"Look, how do I know I can trust you?" she asked.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Only when I need to.

It was an answer the Brentaalan could respect, and it added a new context as to why the girl with the horns was in the ring in the first place. For Laeo, it had been for sport– he wanted to test himself, to show off his strength, and to win some extra credits. He wasn’t fighting because he had to– she was. He determined that that was part of why she’d beaten him.

Still, she hadn’t really answered his question– not in the way he’d asked at least. Nyxia had gone right to the core of his question– was she a fighter, or not? Nyxia was insisting that she wasn’t. It wasn’t a precise answer, but it satisfied his curiosity.

“Well, yer good. Only one Ai can remember fightin’ th’at good at yer age was… well, me.” He declared, before he chuckled. “Deus, ‘your age.’ Ai sound laike mae ma.” He’d add, grinning before he shook his head. Her mention of the credits prompted a nod. “Ayy, and ya made quite a few tonight Ai bet. ‘Onestly, Ai’m surprised tha bloodmongers ‘aven’t slit yer throat– or maine, fer losin’ tha fight.”

He spoke of murderous reprisals as casually as he spoke of how old he was getting. He didn’t blame her for asking why she should trust him– most people wouldn’t.

He took a moment to compose himself, pressing his lips together, taking a few deep breaths. He was still in pain, and he was still exhausted, but this next part ought to have been delivered in a tone she would find more intelligible.

“Look, for as long as I can remember, I’ve been fighting people. You beat me– and one of these days I’ll probably ask for a rematch, but until then, I’ve got no reason to hurt you, or screw you over, or take your credits or do whatever else you’re afraid I’ll get up to.”

“You say you’re not much of a fighter, but I am– and I want to learn what you know so that I can get better.” He stated firmly, before letting out a long, drawn out sigh, along with a few coughs. “Kriff, Ai’ll pay ya if yer so freaked out about it.”

@Reylo4evr

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia was silent for a minute as she listened to Laeonas speak. He seemed to be telling the truth, and he also seemed to be getting increasingly exasperated with her for her rebuttals. "Matukai gauntlets," she said after a brief pause. She pulled them out of her jacket pocket and pulled one on, pressing the button on the inside of the wrist. The palms flashed a brief blue before returning to their normal black hue. To the uneducated eye, they looked like simple black fighting gloves. "They're what helped me hold my guard up so well," she confessed. Perhaps she was just a cheater but in a galaxy full of cheaters it was the only way to survive.

She pressed the button again and removed the gloves, tucking them back into her pocket. She would keep her Force sensitivity a secret for as long as she could- it would attract unwanted attention even if Laeo didn't take advantage of it. Nyxia wanted neither to join the Jedi or the Sith, and they would be the first to try and recruit her for their eternal war.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

The Brentaalan waited for the horned girl’s answer, the only signs of movement from him being the rising and falling of his chest. He wasn’t sure what else he ought to say to convince her of his intentions; either she trusted him, or she didn’t. A younger, more impatient Laeo would’ve started cursing, threatening, or bribing to get an answer out of her. What he would learn wouldn’t have even concerned him; the very act of denying him anything would’ve been enough to send him into a rage.

But the man who sat in the med bay had long since grown out of pointlessly threatening teenage girls. If she refused him, there were other ways he could learn about her techniques and equipment. Eph had taught him the value of a library long ago, and while he’d be hard pressed to find a center of knowledge more comprehensive than the library on Yavin, with enough time he would find what he was looking for. It would’ve taken time– time and money, but these days he found he had plenty of both.

Before his search could even begin, however, it ended as the girl reached into her jacket. She pulled out a pair of gauntlets, and aquamarines would light up in recognition. He had seen these once before, years ago when he still carried a saber and wore the robes of a Padawan. The memories of Lothal were filled with pain, humiliation and rage, but he could still remember every one of his comrades in vivid detail.

He remembered Zerath, fighting like hell as blasterfire and flame rained down on him. That gun slinging, wrinkle faced moron who went down in a few minutes. That politician who’d taken five minutes to arrive on the field, gunned down like any other civilian. In retrospect, they never had a chance– disorganized, ill equipped, faced with an enemy with a level of fanatacism and fervor that they couldn’t have hoped to match. Zerath and Laeo were armed with sabers– close ranged weapons, while their enemies could shoot at them from across the courtyard without getting any closer.

And there was the Padawan, with the sharp cheeks, red hair, and gauntlets wrapped around his arms.

He hadn’t lasted long when the beskar clad barbarians had surrounded him. Being well trained in hand to hand wasn’t that useful when your enemies were raining blaster fire on you from ten meters away.

Laeo hadn’t thought much of that boy in the years that had followed. He’d fought as well as he could– they all had. Whenever his mind wandered back to Lothal, he was the focus. The pain that came from the blaster fire. The sight of his opponent falling when he ripped his leg from his socket. The white hot rage that coursed through his being as he had fought to the bitter end. The pain, agonizing, all consuming.

How similar it felt to their own fight, he mused.

His mind drifted back to the present, refocusing on the gloves and their owner. She explained that they had helped her hold her guard up, and his mind flashed back to the Padawan, whose own gauntlets had deflected stray shots.

“...I’ve seen these before.” He declared, sitting up in his chair. “Once, a long time ago. On a boy around your age. I’d seen him once or twice around the training yards, practicing sets and sequences.” He explained.

“When he was on the yard, he moved like nothing I’d ever seen. He and I,” Laeo went on, before casually using the force to summon a bottle of water from across the room to his hand, “We both had the gift, but he used his like it was a part of his body. The force was like a muscle to him– it helped him move quicker, hit harder. He was years younger than me, but his technique was more advanced than anything I’d practiced.” The man finished, before a frown spread across his lips.

He took a long swig of water, before setting the bottle down on a nearby tray table. “I only saw him fight once. A pair of Mandalorians came at him with blasters. He didn’t even last five minutes.” He stated, bitterness in his voice. “I never got to see how he would’ve matched up against them. I always wondered how we could’ve beaten those beskar clad pieces of shit.” He spat, before his lips slowly curled into a grin.

“If how you fought’s any indication? If he’d gotten a few hits in, we would’ve won.” He declared. Laeo hadn’t fought with all he had in the ring– but even still, decades of training in the force, honing his close quarters skills, and endless physical conditioning hadn’t been able to pull out a victory against the teenage girl with the gauntlets. A teenage girl who obviously wasn’t fully trained.

In that fiery haired Padawan’s hands, his technique couldn’t take him to victory. In this girl’s hands, it had. In his hands?

“Where did you get those?” He asked finally, slowly rising to his feet. The pain and exhaustion he felt seemed distant now– obscured by a higher purpose.

“Ai want a pair.” He said, a hint of excitement in his voice, though internally he was so giddy that he didn’t even notice that he was slipping back into his accent. “Ai want a pair, and Ai want someone ta teach me how ta use ‘em.”

@Reylo4evr

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia didn't know what to make of the man before her. He seemed mixed parts wizened sage and excited child. She listened to his story with a thoughtful expression. When he finished, he rose to his feet, his pain seemingly gone. In this moment, she could see he wanted the gloves in her jacket pocket, and would do anything to get himself a pair and learn how to use them. The craving for power was a dangerous craving, and the moral part of Nyxia wanted to walk out right now. She had already given him enough information; he could get them if he looked hard enough and wanted them bad enough, which he seemed to.

After a moment of silence, Nyxia rose as well. "I was in the Black Sun for a time, and a friend of mine, a human male under the name Crater, got the gauntlets for me through the black market. As far as I know, he's still somewhere in the Outer Rim," she paused, "They cost a lot but they were worth it." Her new money weighed heavier, and Nyxia decided it was about time to go home. "In the right hands, they can do good," she said to Laeonas before walking out of the infirmary and towards where her ship was docked.

She had had enough of Nar Shaddaa.

/END THREAD

@Tom