Whisper of the Night. (Dark Jedi/Jedi Open Challenge)

[Jared Mriad]

The moon slowly rose into the blackening sky, casting it's white glow abound. A lone figure, nearly invisible in the dark if not for the moon reflecting off a large blade resting on its shoulder, slowly walked with each step clacking metallicly in the silence.

Jedi, Dark Jedi, Sith. They were all the same, not differnet in style nor passage. Each took their own path; Good for the Jedi, A seemingly neutrality for the Dark Jedi's, and the patch of Evil for the Sith. They all lived, fought, contemplated, and served. Served whom? Who they choose.

Each fought well, nearly all of the three's members fought. Some with honor, some without, same with mercy. Although the Sith were not known to submit to this trait often.

"Who cared?" A voice finished it's train of thoughts, deep and sparkled with a sence of fear. Fear of what none could tell, for it was never shown. Each day, the warrior known as Jared Mriad slowly fell from humanity and entered monstrosity, consuming the flesh of his slain. Fighting without care of pain, wounds, or life itself.

Eventually, his life would end as did all. Would the darkness welcome him? Would it shun him? Questions, all asked over and over and yet again over. "Not at all.." Was the reply, most of the time, although there was times where the answer was beyond him. Where the answer could not be grasped, So he searched for it.

The duster covered figure entered an brightly lit stadium. Standing on the 'playing feild' and glancing around above dark tinted sunglasses. Searching, requesting, and offering a challenge...

[Salemn Lysce]

The pale moonlight shone on the Jedi's figure as she idly walked without a destination. Salemn didn't know what it was about the night, but she was drawn to it. Maybe it was the feeling of peace and solitude that overcame one, or maybe it was the thrill as your senses heighten. After all, the dark concealed many secrets.

But tonight, it couldn't deny a presence. A presence of evil.

Slightly curious to know who it was, Salemn began to follow it through the Force. It led her into a stadium, and she blinked several times to get her eyes adjusted to the light. When they did, she saw a lone figure staring at her. Immediately her hand strayed to her hip, where the hilt of her lightsabre was.

Who's there ?

She called out through the Force.

[Jared Mriad]

A sliver of movement from the loner showed reconsition of Salemn's presence, as well as her question.

And who questions? Jared mentally returned, his golden eyes staring with their own inner light. the Questioneer had a lightsaber, betraying her status as either of the Three, most likly and indeed a Jedi.

The blade on his shoulder moved off and bit into the soft turf infront of Jared, not signaling any sort of offencive motion. The tip buried itself into the soft ground as if it was made of a liquid and not solid.

[Salemn Lysce]

Her muscles tensed as the Sith threw his weapon into the ground. It probably wasn't the only one he had, she figured. One wasn't enough when it came to Darksiders. Her fingers began to wrap themselves around the hilt as the air hung heavily between them. She had a feeling that he wanted a fight - Well, let this be one fight he wouldn't forget.

[Jared Mriad]

You have the first move, or rather should I set the battle? The Sith asked, hand grasping tightly over the swords' hilt ready to 'draw'.

Without waiting for an answer, Jared glanced to his left were a stack of crates rested. The crates lifted into the air and flew without paths between the two, cashing into each other as they sailed through the air making a unique mess.

"You have the first move." Jared's voice eccoed over the stadium..

[Salemn Lysce]

If Salemn had a voice, she would laugh. He, of all people, should know that Jedi didn't start a fight. The mute smirked a bit as she unclipped her lightsabre and ignited it, a white beam spurting furth.

Thanks for offering, but I think I'll pass.

[Jared Mriad]

Jared chuckled quite loudly, of course he had forgotten it was against the 'jedi code' to strike first.

"Oh well, Your loss." He grinned, brining the long blade of the sword in his hands up and ready to strike. Before, he had not tested it's strength against a lightsaber, more questions went through the sith's mind as he hesitated. Will it be cut? Ah blast! Next stratagy. he thought, dropping the blade off to his left and clenching his fists.

Dashing forward with the force aided speed technique, Jared seemed to be runing into a deathtrap. As he neared the Jedi, He struck his right hand forward and within the top of his palm, three crimson saber blades shot out.



{OOC: With the weapon now, just think of X-Men Wolverine with meter long claws ^.^ }

[Salemn Lysce]

Suddenly, remnants of the crates began to rise into the air and swirled around the Sith, cutting into his skin and into his eyes. As he was momentarily distracted, Salemn swung her saber at his feet. Surely he could do better.

[Jared Mriad]

Jared halted his offencive as the wood began to rise and bite into his flesh, sheilding his eyes with a forearm Jared backed away using the force to guide him.

Once he was out of striking range for the moment, and noticing a scorch mark when he looked from under his upraised arm, Jared forced the rest of the wood away or into tiny bits which would cause no harm.

Growling, and whiping a smige of blood that flowed meekly from a slight cut on the side of his face with his thumb. Jared quickly developed a newer plan.

Hisssss... Another set of three sabers erupted from his left hand. Now weilding a total of Six single sabers, which he thought not to be impressive, Jared lashed forward with the right at Salemn's head, While stabbing for her gut with the left...

[Salemn Lysce]

Her presumptions were correct - not only did he have more than one weapon, he had six. When the three lightsabres in his right hand came towards her head, she ducked. At the same time she brought hers up diagonally to block the others from cutting her gut open. She knew that he would probably try take another stab at her, so using the Force, she pushed him back slightly.

Straightening up, Salemn swung her lightsabre at his midsection, watching as he blocked it, trying to push her off. Sparks flew into the air, showering them both. Gritting her teeth, she brought up her right foot and kicked his knee.

[Jared Mriad]

Jared's right knee bent as Salemn kicked the kneecap, using the momentum of the Jedi's kick to power a low backwards round house. The thick material of Jared's boots kept him from acknologing if the blow struck or not.

Growling audibly as his six sabers intwined with hers, his hands clasped together to keep the saber 'caught'. Sparks flew in a mad frenzy as Jared tried to wrench the blade from her hands visibly knowing that if she switched it off, the hold would break..

[Salemn Lysce]

She fell to the ground, face twisted up with pain. Not only did he attack her when she least expected it, his heavy boots worsened the blow. Vaguely she wondered if they were steel toed, but concentrated on him. He had trapped her saber with his, and the sparks were so plentiful she had trouble seeing his face. Immediately her thumb de-activated the saber and she quickly rolled to the side. Jumping to her feet, she watched him warily, knowing that somehow she would have to disarm him.

[Jared Mriad]

After Salemn's short retreat, Jared stood erect and deactivated the weapons in his hands. The Sabers deactivated then slid under the skin followed by heat resistant plates,

"Enough of this... unfairness," He spoke, turning his back to Salemn and reaching one hand out to his sword quite a far distance away. The blade trembled in the ground before dislodging itself and sailing through the air and into Jared's open palm. Gripping the hilt, Jared turned to face Salemn once more.

"Six against one, in my view, is a tad not sporting enough for my time. Although, one blade against another is quite the opposite." He grinned toothidly before hefting the blade from the air and out infront of him with one hand.

"Bring it."

[Salemn Lysce]

She raised an eyebrow questioningly at his actions but ignited her lightsabre once more. Most Sith would've gladly kept her at the disadvantage, so why didn't he ? Maybe because he wasn't like most Sith. With the flick of her wrist, the beam clashed into the blade.

[Jared Mriad]

As soon as Salmen's saber touched his weapon, Jared flicked his wrist and sent the flat of the blade under the lightsaber. Spark's flew as if a saber had replaced the blade in Jared's hands.

Within a flash, the sword flew from under the saber to over it then down which forced the opposing saber down. Jared, then, struck out a hand and set a solid force blast right into Salemn's face..

[Salemn Lysce]

The Force blast had caught her off guard, and she lost grip of her sabre. She brought one arm up to shield her face as she used the Force to levitate her weapon and caught it. Slightly irritated at herself, Salemn lowered her arm and slammed her lightsabre into his sword. At the same time, she used the Force to black out all the lights.

While Jared's eyes were quickly getting adjusted to the darkness, she swung her sabre at his knees. If he jumped, it would slice into his legs ...

[Jared Mriad]

Jared was caught off-guard as all the stadium's lights blacked out at once. Irritated at the change of playing feild, Jared had a moment of pause before he planted the tip of his sword into the ground next to his right leg.

Salemn's saber crashed into the edge keeping Jared's leg connected, but, the heat from the two's opposing forces began to heat up the bottom of his duster and pants leg.

Stepping quickly out of the meter range of the blade, Jared brought his blade back into an defencive stance before striking forward with a quick stab...

[Salemn Lysce]

She easily parried the stab with her lightsabre and then spun around, swinging it up diagonally across his chest. As he blocked with his blade, she quickly flipped the sabre to the top so she could force his weapon's tip to the ground. She smiled inwardly as she used all of her strength to make his blade sink into the ground, and then suddenly brought her lightsabre away and aimed for his other arm.

[Jared Mriad]

As soon as the sith caught on to the incoming blade for his arm, he quickly spun backwards in a low sweep in the same process knicking a deep cup in his sword arm from Salemn's saber. The sword in his hand drew a shallow circle as he came back up to stand.

Without falting, Jared continued with a high cleave; raising the blade above his head and bringing it down at Salemn.

[Salemn Lysce]

Sinking down to one knee, she immediately lifted her lightsabre up and blocked his blade, the two weapons crossing as they formed an X. She gritted her teeth together as she felt his strength push down.

Her arm was threatening to give way, but she refused it.

< Where is your honor ?! >

[Jared Mriad]

The downward force from Jared to Salemn suddenly lifted as the Sith backed way, leaving himself completely open.

Honor... his mind echoed. Once Salemn had regained her footing, Jared regained his defenceses and glared at her with cold blue eyes. Sith arn't suppose to be honorable, but... His shoulder's shrugged before dashing forward with a cleaved from the right..

[Salemn Lysce]

She quickly brought her lightsabre down to her side, blocking his blade.

< .. Are you the glass man ? >

She dropped to the ground with a sweeping kick to his feet. As he jumped up, she stood up, spinning, clashing her weapon into his. Her brown eyes glinted as she stared into his.

[Jared Mriad]

"Glass man?" Questioned Jared as he broke away the stale-mate and struck in with a stab which portraied the obvious; he was interested in something other than the fight.

"Who in the hell is a Glass Man?"

[Salemn Lysce]

< You let your emotions rule yourself instead of vice versa. You may be beautiful on the outside, but inside, you break easily. >

She half-heartedly brought her lightsabre to the side, pushing his blade away.

< You are a Glass Man .. Jareid. >

[Jared Mriad]

Jared willingly let his blade be pushed off to the side, a shocked look on his face.

The shocked look instantly turned to anger and rage as Jared rekindled his 'fighting flame'. Roaring a battlecry, Jared hefted Etemenatki over his head and brought it bearing down on Salemn..

"Lies!"

[Salemn Lysce]

< AT LEAST YOU HAVE A SOUL ! >

A tear rolled down Salemn's cheek as she brought her lightsabre up to keep him from slicing her open.

But his anger had fueled his strength, and her lightsabre went flying out of her hand. It landed a couple feet away, the metal hilt glinting, as she narrowed her eyes. Her outburst had been unexpected .. very unexpected.

She glared at the red-haired man who stood before her, with the battle cry of a dragon - much like his tattoo. She usually wasn't one to preach about beliefs, and she felt a slight bit of envy for Jared ... What had made him turn to the Darkside? Was it because he reveled in the fact that his hands had shed lives of many? Or was it because he seeked revenge?

If he did seek revenge, why would he come after innocents ..

< I .. apologize. It isn't my place to preach ... >

She made no effort to grab her lightsabre with the Force, even though the first lesson she was taught was to always keep hold of it.

[Jared Mriad]

A soul?

'Do I even have one?' he thought to himself, blocking his toughts from the Jedi before him. He knew, she was mostly defencless now and he could.. could.. kill her easily with one cleave. But something held him back. Reaching out with his left hand, Jared called Salemn's saber to his hand, feeling the odd texture of the hilt and studying it like a Scholar studies a book.

"You have not a soul?" The question was directed at noone, "Everyone has..." the other words came out as a inaudible whisper..

"Take.." Jared spoke, holding out the hilt end of the saber at Salemn..

[Salemn Lysce]

Automatically, she reached up and grabbed the hilt, pulling it away gently. Why didn't you kill me, she wanted to ask. Why didn't you wipe out my existence when you had the chance? But she didn't. Instead, she merely deignited the weapon.

Lowering her hand, Salemn sighed slightly. She looked away to the side, wondering if the killer inside of him was really a child wanting attention. Was he deprived of a mother's love? Was he deprived of life?

She felt his pain.

< Everybody except me ... >

[Jared Mriad]

Everyone but you.. For the first time in what seemed like centuries, Jared felt sympathy for the Jedi before him.

"Explain what you mean."

[Salemn Lysce]

< I just ... I just don't have. >

Vaguely remembering the incident back at GJO's Headquarters, Salemn continued to look away. Xazor had stopped her from being killed, but still ...

< Maybe I died in the fire, but somehow .. lived ? >

She ended the sentence as a question as she blinked, looking at Jared. If he killed her, would she "die"? Was she already dead?