[SKIRMISH] Encounter on Ossus: Thaed VS Ebberla

[GABA]

As Ebberla brought her saber down upon his, Thaed acted swiftly. He quickly swiped his saber in a vertical clockwise motion. With both hands on the hilt, it would shift her saber far off to her side. Using this opportunity, Thaed used the energy he had been gathering to blast lightning at Ebberla. However, this was launched just in time for her to let off a force push. The effect shoved Thaed back a few feet, but the lightning still escaped in a stream. The idea was for Ebberla's saber to have been too shifted to block the incoming lightning. The push no doubt would dull the lightning damage.

Without waiting to see if the lightning struck home, Thaed dashed forth for another attack, bringing a horizontal swing across her body. However, at the last moment he applied speed to suddenly shift to her left and aim a slice along her waist. He had his saber up diagonally to keep guard.

There was something distant in the Force, a flicker, but the moment wouldn't allow the Jedi to focus on it.

She swung her blade away from Thaed's as he pushed her's to the side. Ebberla's push had entangled with the Sith's lightning, but effective in creating the distance she wanted, but it wasn't without consequence. Her hand caught the sparks as they danced through the air at the Jedi. She gritted her teeth from the sharp pain that overtook her hand and up through her elbow. She lacked the time to absorb it effectively, but concluded she wouldn't let that happen again. She shook her arm, pushing the pain and tingle of numbness out her mind for the moment being.

The Zabrak had recovered quickly as she predicted and was making his dash, the Sage Master gave a sudden burst of speed meeting the Sith and his offense. She swung her blade to block the Sith as he tempted his feint, twisting it awkwardly to keep from cutting open her side. The Jedi quickly broke the block, regaining her footing, facing Thaed once more, her blade cutting diagonally from his hip to collar bone.

 

[Sreeya]

As soon as Ebberla met Thaed's saber with her own, he knew his original plan needed to be reworked. He specialized in saber and melee combat, and close range fighting was his expertise. As she locked his saber with hers, twisting hers downwards and leveling her hilt up, Thaed acted that very instant. He applied trakata as soon as he felt her pushing back against his saber, before she broke the block. The momentum would cause her saber to shift further away from her, as the resistance of his own saber would abruptly be gone.

Thaed wasted no time, moving along in his original motion and pivoting with the aid of speed towards the direction he had intended, flashing Ebberla a grin in the process. His left hand jut out abruptly and grasped a hold of Ebb's wrist, the one holding her saber, freezing it in that awkward angle. Since applying the trakata, he had swiftly moved his saber just lightly to his right and reignited it again. This was at a slight angle, the point made to pierce right into her left shoulder, near the armpit. If allowed to go as aimed, it would shoot through her axial artery. The goal was to stab the saber into her upper body to the left in order to prevent her from using her left arm for an attack, and at the same time bring his saber up to guard from any attacks from her left.

He would not remain in that position, however. If his attacks succeeded, he would then abruptly flip backwards, running his feet up the front of her body to do a sort of bicycle kick to knock her backwards before landing on his feet to prepare another attack.

 

[GABA]

The grin.

Ebberla knew them quite well, she had a track record of flashing a few herself before she would do something devious. Mostly when she has done something clever, and her opponent wouldn't expect. Thaed was quick, her weapon wrist in his grip, she wasn't helpless though, her first reaction was to break his grip. The extinguishing of his blade lead her to brace for a Force related attack, she drew the Force, coursing it through her ready to absorb impact, but no Force attack came.

There was a glint of the silver hilt and its crimson beam shot out. Ebberla gasped, jerking backwards and away. She wasn't nearly quick enough as the hot plasma ripped through the muscle across part of her chest and her left arm. She screamed, her vision blurred slightly, she couldn't recall the last time she had received a cut with a blade, if ever.

But she needed to get free or she would be a carving post for the Sith.

The Jedi felt a shift in weight from her opponent, he was getting ready to move again. She placed her weight on her left foot, only to be met with his own foot to her jaw, releasing his grip on her wrist, she stumbled back, feeling the wind from his second foot coming around, brushing pass her nose.

Ebberla regained her poise, glaring at Thaed and released a breath; her body stung, her left arm protested as she flexed her arm, squeezing her fingers into a fist. A calm flushed through her, she touched the ripples of the Force. She spun her blade with her wrist, taking a step forward and another, but on her second step, her body seemed to shift and then there were two Ebberlas. The one that stood behind the other stepped so they stood side by side, their movements synchronized, every flaw, every perfection, exactly the same.

They both flashed a wry grin at Thaed before bolting forward. Their movements synchronized, the Ebberla to his left sent her orange blade slicing across his chest while the other took his right flank jabbing her blade into his side.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed simply grinned, his black robes ruffling as he paced back and forth before her. His silver skin gleamed with beads of sweat, the sun beating down upon them both. His hood had long since dropped, his piercing golden eyes gazing into those of the Jedi councilor's. He could feel her pain through the Force, and it revitalized him, as he relished the slight hints of agony emanating from her. However, she abruptly quelled it, calming herself with the Force.

The Zabrak knew it was time to resume the fight, and he lowered his torso, preparing for another dash. He prepared a dash of his own, ready to attack her. However, before him she abruptly split into two copies. Thaed was thrown off guard, not used to the art of illusion. There were those among the Sith that practiced it, but he was not knowledgeable enough to be able to see through it. He attempted to desperately detect with the Force, but it was far too late.

The two copies rushed at him at once, and he scrambled to make a choice on which to defend. At once, he chose to defend against the one aiming for his chest, believing that to be the true Ebberla, as she was aiming for a vital part of his body. Thaed rushed in and diagonally sliced his saber down towards his right to slam her saber down to expose her upper body for attack.

He chose wrong.

Thaed felt a sharp pain shoot through his side as the true Ebberla's saber cut into his waist. His pivot from the diagonal swing had him in motion and barely prevented her from simply impaling right through him. Thaed winced from the pain, as the saber cut into his flesh, grazing across his back.

However, Thaed did not stop his motion, and sped it up instead. He kept his saber coming in at a downward angle. Ebberla's saber grazing his back meant that her forward momentum would push her closer, as it had been a jab and not a slice. This timed with Thaed's pivot allowed him to continue his initial motion, slicing his saber down in a vertical swing. Her saber arm would then be perpendicular to his saber. Using this opportunity, he made an attempt to slice through her arm. If she attempted to retract her arm back, it would slice through the arm at the wrist instead of the elbow.

As Thaed did this saber attack, he abruptly released a flash of light from his free hand to blind her. This was aided with the Force and was intended not only to physically blind her, but for just a fraction of a second throw her off mentally as well. This would allow him the time he needed to attempt his attack.

 

[GABA]

The Sith went for her illusion self. She could feel her blade cut through his flesh as he was distracted, but he twisted, forcing the Jedi's blade to plunge further forward than what she intended.

Ebberla pulled her arm back, a sheering hot pain erupted in her wrist and radiated through her body, she couldn't even gasp. A soft thud as the severed hand still gripping the lightsaber landed on the forest floor. Her illusion faded away and it was replaced by the scream of the Sage Master.

Her world seemed to slow down to a crawl, her hearing became narrow, the smell of flesh lingered, teasing her nostrils, her eyes watering from the pain that now over took her body. She pulled her stumped arm close to her, cradling it as the pain pulsed.

The young woman stumbled back, creating distance from being finished by his blade, he released a blinding flash of light and she shut her eyes tightly, but the light shown through her eyelids. But this wasn't the first time she was blinded by a mean force flash, she relied on the Force to be her sight. Ebberla breathed in deeply and released a very heavy exhale. She pulled on the Force for comfort, to ease her pain.

The Sage Master could feel him preparing for another attack, the Force twisting and turning in his demand. She reached out into the Force, giving herself to it, feeling her surroundings, she found her blade still gripped in her detached hand and gripped in the Force. She sent it shooting at the Zabrak's chest, its orange blade ignited.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed felt his saber slice through flesh like a hot knife through butter. He completed the circle, spinning around as Ebberla shrieked and jumped back from the pain. As Thaed spun, a grin graced his features once again, realization that he had done significant damage to the Jedi. The cry of pain was music to his ears, her agony refreshingly flooding his senses. It was intoxicating, and he drank from it, letting it add to the dark aura that emanated from him. The Zabrak finished his spin, every movement practiced and dexterous. He came to face her in time to catch her cradling the stump of her arm, collecting the Force to herself.

The Sith Lord did not dash forward, simply gazing at the woman. The grin did not leave his face. The pain from his back was throbbing, but he was empowered by the agony he was drawing in from her. He was focused, also drawing the Force to himself. The wound on his back would heal, but he had to draw attention away from it. He knew Ebberla wouldn't give up just yet. This Jedi had quite a bit of fire to her, and she was no doubt gathering energy for another attack.

Thaed's eyes abruptly flashed to the side as he saw a bright orange light headed his way. His attention had been on Ebberla, meaning he hadn't looked initially. However, Ebberla did not know that he was the former Blademaster of the Imperium. His entire life had been devoted to saber combat. The noise of a saber heading in his direction was unmistakable. The Zabrak did not move for a moment, remaining firmly where he was and reaching out with the Force.

As the saber was a mere few inches from impaling him, the emitter was abruptly switched off by a gentle nudge of the Force. The hilt thudded harmlessly against his chest, bouncing off. Thaed snatched the hilt out of the air after it did so, twirling it in his hand before casting Ebberla an amused look. He began to circle around her slowly, toying with her saber by tossing it up into the air and catching it again.

"Jedi Master...how much weight do those words hold to you?"

He did not look at her as he spoke, continuing to circle her. His words were smooth, his voice calm.

"Is this Order of yours worth dying for? Worth giving up everything for? Does this Order of yours allow you...freedom? Or will you find freedom if I grant you death here and now?"

Thaed made no move to attack, completing the circle around her.

"Will you find salvation in dying for your Order? The one you no doubt devoted your life to? Will it bring you joy? Will it be an honor?"

 

[GABA]

Ebberla watched the blade as it cut through the air at Thaed, but something stirred in the Force and Ebb felt her heart sink. Thaed had stopped it, just inches away. Her eyes kept on him, the Force continued to whisper in her ears, preparing her for what could come next. The blade extinguished and he caught it in his hand, a grin complemented the dark side as it grew around him.

She could feel him feeding off her own anguish. Ebberla pulled on the Force to ease her suffering, she wouldn't allow herself to fuel the Sith. The Light begun sooth her protesting muscles, slowing her racing heart, and it drew away the pain that radiated from her injuries. The Jedi felt its calm, she felt herself stand straighter, her mind cleared, the Sith begun circling her.

Thaed begun circling around her, his face still expressed amusement, Ebberla hated it.

She watched him toy with her blade, flipping it in the air and catching it as he spoke. She felt his footsteps in the Force, like muddy prints in the Light that diffused from her, but she didn't move, only her eyes when he stayed in her line of vision. He completed his circle, though the Sage Master could not feel a threat for attack from her opponent, she didn't lower her guard.

“Death would be an honor knowing I have fought for the values in which I believe in, but I do not believe any order or organization is worth dying for. It is the principles in which we fight for, for what I fight for, is what is worth dying for." she spoke after a brief second of silence.

"Though I follow a will greater than my own, I have my freedom in the choices I make, the freedom to choose the consequences that come, you nor anyone else cannot take that away from me." Ebberla smiled slyly back to the Sith, "And today I chose life, death will come at another time Sith."

 

[Sreeya]

"Alas, there shouldn't be a will greater than your own."

The words were odd, especially considering how he served the Imperium. Regardless, he thought nothing of them. He was especially amused by her resilience, her blatant refusal to submit. He knew she was in immense pain, knew that she had lost her dominant hand. Yet, despite it all, she refused to give in. It was a quality he couldn't help but admire. He twirled her lightsaber in his hand, abruptly pausing to clench his fingers around it. Within an instant, it shattered under pressure.

"Very well, Jedi."

Without offering further explanation, he tossed her a hilt from his waist. It would be a slap in the face for her. She could accept the saber, with its crimson hue, and everything it symbolized. Or she could fight him without a saber. The choice was hers. Thaed did not wait to see if she would accept the saber or refuse it.

The Sith Lord sprung into action at once, extending out with the Force to abruptly yank her legs out from underneath her. If she went with the motion, it would cause her to topple backwards. Thaed darted to her right, sweeping his saber along horizontally. If both attempts succeeded, he would cleave right through her in a horizontal fashion.

 

[GABA]

His words reached her ears, but she didn't contemplate on them, coming from the Sith they seemed hallow. She watched him twirl her lightsaber, obviously thinking. She subtly begun to gather the Force around her watching Thaed carefully. He stopped, clenched it and the lightsaber shattered. Ebberla's eyes narrowed in annoyance and she turned her body, left foot forward in defense.

"I just built that one too!" she snapped, disappointed in losing yet another lightsaber. Her mental count added another tally to her aggravating habit. What was she up to now? Seven? Eight? She scoffed at her own thought. However, Thaed then did something unexpected towards the Jedi, he tossed her a hilt of one of his lightsabers. She let it fall to the ground before her, a look of confusion in her face, but it wouldn't stay long.

Ebberla felt a sudden twist in the Force, her world slowed in warning, her senses snapped back to focus, the weaves pulling and twisting around the Sage Master. She didn't think, she acted.

The Jedi felt a tug at her feet, Thaed was moving. She anchored herself to the forest floor, the Sith's silver hilt snapped to her left hand and ignited. The Force pumped through her, increasing her strength for the block. She quickly snapped it up to meet Thaed's blade as he attempted to cut her in half. She yelled in pain as their blades crashed, having to direct her attention away from easing her wounds. She absorbed the vibrations from the power met between their blades then pushed off and hopped backwards.

It was awkward in her hand, not just because it wasn't her dominate hand, but the crimson blade she held tempted to pulse something wretched into her. But it was a tool, her tool for now, but it would make her stomach turn.

She eyed the Sith and winced pulling the Force away from her wounds, letting the Sith feel her pain, and it was followed by a subtle sense of defeat. The Sage Master looked curiously at the red blade then pointed it back at him inviting him to attack her again.

 

[Sreeya]

As their blades met, Thaed felt her beginning to push backwards off the connection. However, he was a very aggressive fighter that thrived on close engagement. As soon as he felt her beginning to hop backwards, Thaed sprang forth after her, keeping the connection and abruptly pushing down on the saber she held to shove it back towards her left. As he did so, while she was mid hop, Thaed kept pushing and applied a harsh force push to disbalance her and make her topple backwards into the ground.

Should the attempt work, Thaed would end up slamming her down to the ground, his right saber pushing her left one at bay. His free hand would then grasp a hold of her neck and begin to constrict it.

 

[GABA]

She couldn't break free from the Sith, he kept on her as she tried to break distance. Sweat trickled down her face, the strength she drew from easing her wounds, her body yelled in protest. Their blades crackled in the brief lock but it was that brief lock that caught the Jedi by surprise. She felt something beginning to riddle her, the whispers of the Force she was so keen to listening to seemed ominous. Ebberla's curiosity reached out, but it was enough of a distraction she couldn't prevent her fall from Thaed's pull on her legs.

The Sage Master fell flat on her back, the Sith atop of her, his hand gripping her throat, his blade still pressing against her borrowed one, smoking as they burned the brush and leaves on the ground. The sinister whispers begun growing loudly as she pulled as much of a calm she could over her body as it tried to throw itself in a panic. Ebberla gasped for breath, she felt a flicker of hopelessness, but the Corellian was bound to beat these odds.

She deactivated the blade, breaking it free from the lock beneath the Sith's and snapped it to his side. She pressed the switch and reignited the blade.

 

[Sreeya]

The moment she deactivated her blade, so did he, freeing his right hand. However, before she could readjust, Thaed slammed his hand down on her wrist, pinning it as well. The pressure was intended to force her to release the saber hilt. Meanwhile, his left hand continued to press into her neck. He hadn't missed her attempt to attack him again, the amused grin once again returning. He leaned in, his yellow eyes gleaming like burning flames.

"This fight is over, Jedi."

As he spoke, he gathered the Force and began to apply extreme pressure directly into the stump of her arm. Being such a recent cut, the pain would be excruciating and unbearable. He did not let off the pressure, his face mere inches away from hers.

"You will submit. Now."

 

[GABA]

Her hand was abruptly snapped back down, the hilt slipped out of her grip by the Force and pressure of the Sith Lord's actions. She still struggled as his grip on her neck didn't let up, her vision was beginning to become spotty leaving her with a short amount of time before she would pass out from the lack of oxygen.

She opened and closed her eyes tightly in attempt to fix the spots, her ears were ringing now. The Sith was grinning at her and leaned in to speak, telling her the fight was over. She hesitantly believed it so, she wanted to keep fighting, for once she wanted to beat the odds.

There was a sudden weight pressed against her stumped arm and if Ebberla could scream, she would have; now her vision was completely blinded as the sheering pain ripped through her body. Tears welded in her hazel eyes and faced the inevitable. Ebberla would not win today.

Her body stopped struggling against Thaed and she let out as heavy as a sigh as she could, "I surrender." she croaked weakly.

 

[Sreeya]

And then Thaed captured both Ayva and Ebberla. He made sure to also take the severed hand so no random dumbass could pick it up for their idiotic experiments.

/thread