A Duel of Steel

[Inigo Madine]

"Sir, please relinquish your weapon" the NRSF agent said.

The man with dark locks and a striking smile simply shook his head.

"Mister, you do not understand my intent. I wish to use this weapon."

The guard looked at the strange-accented man with a blank stare.

"Thats exactly what I figured your intent was, and it won't be allowed. Hand it over."

Inigo simply shook his head again.

"I must not. I have traveled many parsecs to come here, and I must seek these merrywishers and embrace them in a chivalrous duel of steel. I would rather it not come to a matter of death, but I cannot make guarantees on a razor's edge."

[Morgan Evanar]

"You what?"

Morgan blinked, looking down at the smaller man after he waved his ID and forced his eyes to a more nocturnal configuration for a moment.

"Weapons aren't allowed in unless your last intent is to use one. So you can either hand the sword to Chase, or you can enjoy the air."

[Inigo Madine]

Inigo paused, looking at the newcomer incredulously.

"You...have the eyes of a cat."

He nearly stammered, then gathered his resolve.

"I beg of you, sir...let me see your hand."

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan sort of shrugged for a moment before removing a black glove.

Three five inch claws layed flat against the back of his hand, curved wickedly.

"I'm not exactly human." he explained.

[Inigo Madine]

Inigo's dark eyes stared fierily at Morgan's hand, his bottom lip nearly quivering.

"At last, I have found you. By Haldeggar's Sword, I have found you."

He paused, noting no familiar response from Morgan.

"You do not remember me? I was much younger then, yet you have not changed. Perhaps you will remember this?"

Inigo removed the glove from his left hand, showing a nearly-convincing droid prosthesis.

"You took my hand, when I was barely old enough to heft a blade."

He nodded.

"That...I can forgive. But you took something else from me that day, much greater! Since that villainous day, I have longed for our paths to cross again.

I've waited my entire life to say these words to thee."

Inigo slowly drew his blade from the scabbard with his left hand. As the thin, exquisite blade cleared its sheath, it vibrated and sang in the air, gleaming in the pale light. Inigo took two steps back, holding his right hand away, as he leveled the rapier at Morgan.

"My name is Inigo Madine. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

[Morgan Evanar]

He stared at the young swordsman: he was maybe 10 years younger than himself.

"Lad, I think I woulda remembered something such as that. I've killed very few sentients, and I don't recall choppin' anyone's hand off."

Inigo looked entirely unconvinced, and Morgan sighed.

"Look, I know the evidence is pretty damning, but it wasn't me."

[Inigo Madine]

"I've long sought you, cat-eyed man. I can never forget.

I did not come here for idle prattle, nor to make amends. Stay thy tongue, or it shall be my vendetta's first blood."

WA-WHOOSH!

The swift blade separated a strand of Morgan's hair, causing it to flutter to the ground.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan was a blur -- he put two meters between himself and the squashbuckler in well under a second.

"Attacking me isn't going to do you a bit of good." With the Force, he yanked the sword from his hand and let it clatter to the ground behind him.

"I'd bet it seems unlikely, but have you considered that its a big galaxy, and might not be me?"

[Inigo Madine]

Inigo backed off in suprise. His blade had been wrenched out of his hand, seemingly by thin air.

"What manner of Devil's pact have you signed, villain?"

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan sighed.

"Look. I'm a Jedi. A Jedi Master. I didn't need to sign a pact with anything to do that." He pointed at the sword.

"Look lad, I've never even seen ya before. Would ya mind telling me when and where I supposedly ended your old man's life?"

[Inigo Madine]

Inigo paused. It must be true. If this cat-eyed man were the same cat-eyed man who had slain his father, he would have killed him the moment he'd taken his blade. He dropped to his knee, bowing reverently.

"The humblest of apologies, Master Jedi. My quarry and yourself share a disturbing likeness, it seems."

He rose to his feet.

"My name, as you now know, is Inigo Madine. I come from the planet Castilla."

He pointed to a particular star, squinting his eyes skyward.

"Many parsecs away..."

Slowly, Inigo retrieved his blade, sheathing it back into the scabbard.

"The cat-eyed man I seek bears an uncanny likeness to you. Twelve years ago, he came to Castilla, and proclaimed himself king. My father, Haldeggar, was the smith for the old king. The cat-eyed man bade him to craft a royal blade, one that would surpass all others in beauty and form. My father was a peaceful old muse, and he did so."

Inigo fingered the hilt at his belt, light reflecting off of its sparkling features.

"My father presented the blade to the Cat-eyed man, but he was not pleased by the gift. He used it to slay my father, while I watched, and bade me to use the blade to avenge him. I was but a boy...and no swordfighter. It only amused the cat-eyed man, and when he tired of my desperate attempts, he had my hand."

Inigo's eyes looked far away.

"Every day since, I have said the words that I said to you...knowing that one day, my revenge would be found."

[Morgan Evanar]

"Revenge is a bit of a dead end. What will ya do when you're through with him? Wait... wait." Something stuck him, and it was not good.

"You mean to say, that theres a guy who claws and eyes like mine?"

[Inigo Madine]

"If it is not you, I swear it, by my father's grave."

[Morgan Evanar]

The implications are very not good.

"I think it would be in my best interest to help you find your father's murderer. Where was your last solid lead?"

[Inigo Madine]

"Good Sir, I have had no leads, not since the day the Cat-Eyed man took my father and my hand. I became obsessed with swordplay, and worshiped it, so my blade became an extension of myself. I became a duelist, to hone my skills. On Castilla, I fought for those who could not fight, and tested my steel against the vulgar scrappers who dashed themselves against a razor's edge. Men tell me, 'Inigo, you are the greatest sword of all Castilla.'"

He shook his head, and smiled.

"But for all my bombast, I carry a pinch of humility. Even far away, tales of the Jedi Knights are told. Fast enough to split slings and arrows with their blade, and with virtue tempered beyond steel. For all the deeds I do, I am still but a mercenary. The clink of paltry credits is but a whisper of my payment. Lessons learned in swordplay I hold far dearer.

So hence, I come to seek thee. To test my mettle against the Jedi Knights. Those they say who are the best."

[Morgan Evanar]

"Silly people but words in our mouths. Those tales are likely exagerated. But there is a grain of truth to them."

Still, Morgan smiled. He had never had anyone challenge him to a duel, nor had he ever seen anyone do it. This might come in handy if the culture demanded it.

"I've never heard of Castilla. Is it in the deep Outer Rim? Still, I'd be happy to test yer skill, long as the intent is non-lethal."

[Inigo Madine]

"No, good sir. Far closer to the Core. A quaint, storied old place that most outsiders never see."

Inigo smiled, unsheathing his sword in a twang.

"Excellent! Rest assured, my hand is steady and my aim is true. My blade does not kill unless I so desire."

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan pulled his own sword free, a thin weapon with a meter long blade that was amazingly sturdy. He shifted it to his left hand, and shuffled his feet to a more proper stance.

"Ready when you are."

[Inigo Madine]

SH-SHING

Quicker than a heartbeat, Inigo struck out twice, both probing swipes blocked by the Jedi. It was to gauge his response. Inigo shifted his feet, driving a more rapid succession of attacks at him, which were in turn, blocked as well. The air sang as the blade parted it, whistling with each strike, which was answered by the clink of thin steel meeting.

[Morgan Evanar]

Cling-kting-ping-cling-cling-ting-woosh-pting-kling-woosh

The Castillian swung low: Morgan hopped up and smacked the blade into the ferrocrete. Wisely, Inigo stepped back, and managed to bring his blade up just in time to meet the Jedi's. Morgan continued his offensive, impressed by Madine's techinque and speed.

[Inigo Madine]

Inigo dropped into a backlunge, halting the momentum of the Jedi's pressing blade. Sliding away, he whipped his blade around in forceful arcs, clinking against Morgan's weapon rapidly as Inigo spun about, adding three standoffish thrusts to his assault, before changing the stance of his feet.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan jumped back during the stance switch, flipping the sword to his right hand. The Jedi pushed Madine back under the fury of several fast blows, all blocked: but he left an opening that the Castillian took, making a slash for Morgan's middle. Evanar retreated with a roll.