I Disappear (Open challenge to a padawan)

[Salem Ave]

The absence of Razielle and the Coven from his life seemed to have done nothing but hinder his own confidence. Each step Salem took still seemed hesistant, and though he tried desperately to rid himself of it his hunch and stutter remained. Never the less, in combat he had developed much. From his duels with Jeseth Cloak, to his sessions with Laran Katern, and hence forth to his missions with the Knight Jehova, he was becoming more learnéd in the ways of the Force and primarily the darkside.

The darkside. The darkness. The shadows. It didn't seem any different from normal, not being in the light, that is. It had been a good six months now since his turning, and he was no different - aside from the whole fact of his needing blood. Which was the sole reason for his spending this evening on Coruscant. It was the most densely populated of all planets, and allowed him much to feed upon.

He was cautious in step, though not in bite.

The young Sith apprentice plunged two pin-point fangs into a young woman's neck and took what he needed from her in a deep draught. She would remember little of it in the morning, and all that would remain of the experience would be the marks on her neck, though her mind would lull her into belief that it had been an insect, or a dog. Not a post-teen with a dental problem.

With the invigorating rush of power given by the blood, he had stalked away from the sparse area to the nucleus of a sub-town within the city suburbs. Sooth coursed to life within his cloven gripe and hooked out left and right as he slew a young couple before moving on, in search of others.

[Gurney Devries]

"Ya dinna kill her? Strange, for one who values life so little."

Stepping around the corner of a nearby building with a measured pace, the speaker kept his head bowed. The hood of his heavy, blue robes made it impossible to see his face - as was intended. He approached the vampyre without fear, and just a hint of recognition.

"Why is that? Ye afraid of having a wee bit too much ta drink tonight?"

[Salem Ave]

His saber shut down abruptly as Salem canted his head, looking back over his shoulder at the figure who had spoken. As his head moved, so his body followed and slipped into its familiar hunched stoop. Dark eyes fixed upon the hooded man.

"I have no interrressst in killing herrr. I do not slaughter my food beforrre eating it, unlike you human-sss."

[Gurney Devries]

"A vegetarian vamp, issit? Heh. That's a laugh."

The man raised his head just a little, allowing just a little light to creep across his face. His eyes, however, glew with a faint blue light of their own. It was clear that he spoke with a thick accent of some kind.

"Are you trying ta tell me that you're any different from the rest of your kind? Didja ask her permission before you decided ta steal her lifeblood from her?"

He made a condescending sounding grunt, as if in reply to his own rhetoric.

"You're just making excuses ta justify your crimes."

[Salem Ave]

"The wound ssshe barrres is minorrrr and will heal overrr. From the experrrience she will gain momentary ecstacy and essscape from herrr no doubt drab life, for a sssmall prrrice."

The Sith shifted his weight from one foot to another as his hands slipped behind his back.

"A worrrthy trrrade I believe."

[Gurney Devries]

"Hmph. Why don't you ask her what she thinks is a fair trade, eh? Because you know she wouldn't agree?"

The cloaked man spun around, turning his back to the creature while still addressing him.

"I must admit: You're the first bloodsucker I've met that tries to rationalize their assault on innocent people." He turned his head around just enough to look at Salem, then continued. "The name's Gurney, by the way. And I'm going to be keeping an eye on ya."

And with that, he began to walk away.

[Salem Ave]

For the first time, the residue of the lightside that the man bore became apparent to Salem. It appeared that the bait he had set in his attacks had been taken, and much quicker than he'd expected.

"Jedi."

The saber he held firmly in his left hand snapped to life as he began to stalk towards 'Gurney'.

[Gurney Devries]

The was that weird twinge in the back of his skull again. He knew by now that it was the Force, warning him of something. While the warning itself was pretty non-specific, it didn't take a great deal of brain power to figure out what was going down.

Still, Gurney didn't so much as break pace. His hand, however, fell easily to the cold shaft of the lightsaber tucked away inside his robes. It was a loaner: no way in heck could he build one of these things on his own. The only reason he could weild them worth a snot was because they were pretty similar in design to the Mistryl bladed weapons... well, minus the blade, of course.

"Whatever you're planning, I'd advise 'gainst it. I'd make a rather unappetizing meal."

[Salem Ave]

"I have no intention of dinning on you, Jedi. Yourrr blood isss too impurrre for my tassstes. However, though I may not drink it, I have no qualms with splattering it across the pavement."

Without waiting for a show of defense - or any response for that matter - the Sithling advanced forwards and cut his saber down through the air in a swipe at Gurney.

[Gurney Devries]

Perfectly timed, Gurney fainted to his right. In one fluid motion he ignited his own saber and brought it up to meet with the Sith's. There was tearing sound as the blades met.

"Good.", he intoned. "I was hopin' ya would give me the excuse ta wipe the floor with your sorry hide."

Half-crouched in front of him, Gurney was in the perfect position to deliver a knee to the side. The creature only recoiled slightly, but it gave him enough room to follow it up with a headbutt, knocking him back a few steps.

Even as he stood back up, the Jedi Padawan made a slight grunt of pain. He looked over at his left sleeve to see it still smoking where Salem's blade had cut through it. The wound felt light, however, and was nothing a few hours of bacta treatment wouldn't fix.

Quickly, taking advantage of the brief respite, Gurney pulled of his robes and flung them to the ground. Underneath, he wore a skin-tight black leotard, marred only by the opening in the left sleeve.

With a charge that was only slightly faster than that of a normal person's, Gurney lunged forward, bring his saber across in a horizontal arc at the last second.

[Salem Ave]

Recovering from the head-on impact was simple, as the lightsiders own recuperation gave him a window of time in which he was able to regain his footing.

Barely a second had passed since he brought up his guard when the Jedi's blade hummed in towards him. In response, he jerked his saber up from its loose position at his side and drove it, broadside, against his opponents, batting both weapons away to the side.

The beams were bound together whilst the two, of apparent nigh-on equal strength, strained to gain distance over one another. In the lock, Salem took full advantage and pushed in forward to barge the enemy, elbow driving hard into his chest.

[Gurney Devries]

The blow made a rather audible thud, which resonated through most of Gurney's upper body. Still, it was a blow straight to his sternum and, as such, did little more than knock him back a few paces.

His right arm was still crossed over his chest from missed slash, and he decided to put it to good use. He pulled back hard, slamming the hilt of the lightsaber into the side of Salem's head.

[Salem Ave]

The butt hit Salem's temple with a dull crack - causing the instant reaction to duck away from the Sith apprentice. Once dipped, he drove moved out in a side step, which was partially induced by the ill-focus caused by the headstrike. Never the less, it gave him an oppertunity to swing in another saber strike, aimed at cleaving the Jedi in two at his midsection.