Ask Stupid Title

[Wodan]

Maybe, well yes she had shot him first, but he had snapped pretty quickly and was a few short seconds away from killing her. She had just grazed his leg, Wodan still thought an apology was warranted, but he wouldn’t push the Firrerrian was slowly starting to understand that Arla’s principles and beliefs were very different to his own.

“I agree.” He replied, pulling himself up to his feet. His leg still throbed, even with his advanced physiology he wouldn’t be able to use it to its fullest till at the least the next day. The best he could hope for was a stable platform to stand on. “You will have to take the lead though.”

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla was angry but kept her attention focused as she turned her attention back to the Duke. She wasn't playing this time, but she was still wary of what he might have in store for them. She wasn't foolish enough to underestimate him.

Yeah, that's fine, she said, double checking that his leg was fine and taking a deep breath that caused a wince as a small amount of pain shot through her lightning-scorched side.

Still, she headed back to the house, opting for quiet and stealth once again over a loud approach. Now, however, their target was the Duke - preferably alive - and if his student got in their way, she'd have no qualms with seeing him dead.

She returned through the mists to the outskirts of the manor before hoisting herself over the wall and dropping down the other side. She looked back to see if Wodan was okay, pausing once he made it over to ask that question that he wasn't going to like.

Should you go back to the speeder? I can go on alone if need be, she said. There seemed to be no judgment in the question, but she was going to press on regardless.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Wodan stumbled behind the Dathmorian as she made her way back towards the main house. He would be able to keep up just, his leg a source of pain and motivation to get some sort of revenge against the Duke and his little games. As the manor came into view Wodan tried to crouch lower and limit the sightlines from the house towards the pair. He had taken something from the time he had spent with Arla in the wilderness.

He was less than impressed when he realised they would have to mount the wall to get back into the compound. Gritting his teeth, Wodan holstered his blaster and tried to heave himself over the wall, without a good kick off from his legs it was a struggle. One he would need to rely on The Force to solve, pulling the mystic energy through his body to make sure he could crest the wall and land the other side without making too much of a racket.

“Probably, but we saw how dangerous the student was on his own. You may need my help when it comes to the Duke.” He replied, redrawing his blaster along with the lightsaber at his hip. “So how do you want to deal with them? I ideally would like to question the Duke first. The Student I don’t have much love for.”

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla gave a long moment's pause at his question. She knew what she had already seen and she knew what she had read before they came. She thought on what they were trying to accomplish and what they had yet to do. Something stuck in her mind.

I don't want to kill the Duke, and something tells me he won't fight us, she said. While she was no Anzati, there were plenty of parallels between their cultures.

The student we kill if he gets in the way, she said. I read that Anzati instructors historically only took one student at a time. I don't know if that still holds true. It might be that he expects us to fight his current student, she explained. She had a nagging feeling that if the Duke had really wanted them both dead, they'd have been dead.

She started moving through the outer courtyard once again, but before they had made it more than a few steps, the Duke appeared.

Excellent work, you figured that out much more quickly than I anticipated, he said, as nonchalantly as if he hadn't just tried to have them both kill each other.

The last test then as I think you've surmised is that one of you will hunt my student, and if you're victorious, not only will I bring my people under the Empire, but I will offer his position of training to the one who slays him, he said.

The other will come with me while we await the results. No trickery this time, he assured. I'll give you both a few moments to decide among yourselves, he said.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Wodan wasn’t pleased by the trickery the Duke had brought on them, nor the nonchalant nature of the death of his student or one of them. But they had little choice but to agree. They also had little choice on who would fight the student. “Good luck.” He said with a smile. He was too injured to fight now and even if he was fully fit, Arla was probably the better pick anyway. Both in a straight up fight and the whole sneaking around the mansion looking to kill each other thing.

With those parting words he would head inside with the Duke whilst Arla went about dispatching her prey.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

She looked back to Wodan and nodded. Stay safe, she said with a nod. She didn't trust the Duke, but she trusted him enough that he wasn't going to kill Wodan right now.

On the other hand, she wasn't so sure she wasn't going to be killed herself.

She headed out into the mist, blending with the fog and letting her senses sweep out over the area. She listened with her ears, she tried to feel him, but all she could hear was the voices.

She felt someone drop down behind her and spun in a hurry, narrowly ducking a swipe from the clawed menace. There was an exchange of blows before one of her concussive bolts slammed into the man's chest.

He got knocked backwards and nearly smeared across the courtyard as Arla leapt at him again. Green lightning leapt out, slamming into the Anzati as her saber swept around and plunged into the man's chest.

And like that, it was done.

She headed inside, saber still in hand where she found the Duke and Wodan unharmed.

Anzat will join your cause, he said after a moment. And perhaps you'd stay with me to train for a time, the man said. Arla had her hesitations, but it was done. She'd work out the details during her "stay."

//Thread