Like Father, Like Son

[Anuberis]

From here (http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?threadid=24394)

He burst from one of the huts in the center of the village, leaving a trail of dust and broken shingles behind hiim. His sword trailed blood, and from the door of the house a head rolled. It was the head of a young child, newly born. He looked familiar, an almost exact copy of a man the villagers knew well...

"IT'S INU-AKU!"

The cry spread through the village. Inu-Aku, the Jackel, was attacking them, killing the women and children indiscriminantly, destroying houses and crops.

"Do I LOOK like my weakling father?"

He decapitated five more with a single pass of his sword.

"You'll see...I'm FAR worse..."

[Inu]

Inu sat up and handed Kalia to Sorr, taking his katana from where it leaned near the door.

"Stay here. I'll see what's going on."

He slung the weapon over his shoulder and walked out into the village. The masses panicked like cattle, it made Inu's berserk blood boil. He fought it down, and faced the attacker.

"Ho there! What do you think..."

Inu paused in mid sentence, suddenly at a loss for words. He faced himself.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr was too curious to stay still though, she could hear screams. She set Kalia down in her pen and went to look. She could see Inu a little bit away by a cloaked figure then a few bodies. Obasan then appeared in front of her.

"I'll watch the child, I think Inu will need help."

Sorr nodded and reached for a weapon she had picked up a few days ago. Obasan shut the door behind her and Sorr walked over but threw out her weapon before she reached the spot. A chain sickle cut in the ground in front of the intruder before she pulled it back.

"Who arrre you?!"

[Anuberis]

"Dull-witted and slow on the uptake...you must be my mother..."

The berserker looked over slowly at Inu.

"And you...you are my father. It's as he said...both of you are weak."

[Inu]

Inu's eyes narrowed, and his face took an angered quality that was unmatched in the galaxy.

"That makes you my son, PUP..."

Inu drew his katana and flicked his wrist, it instantly became a match for their antagonist's.

"And no father would allow his children to behave so foolishly without a fitting PUNISHMENT!"

Inu disappeared from Sorr's side and was behind Anuberis in an instant. His son buckled as Inu drove a fist into his back.

"And what vile name did he give YOU, pup?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorreessa eyes widened, so it was finally here and a son. She watched her mate and wondered how bad Armaiil had made him. In her hands, her sickle remained, ready to strike when it was needed and her eyes stayed narrowed on her son.

[Anuberis]

Anuberis sagged over backward, looking his father in the eye with a cold, unfeeling stare.

"From Cerberus, a mythical beast, and Anubis, guardian of the dead, he derived Anuberis. It may not be the greatest name, but it beats the hell out of..." Anuberis smirked. "...'Inu-Aku'..."

With that he swung for his father's neck.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr was quicker though as she threw out her sickle. The blunt inner edge caught Anuberis in the neck and threw him a bit backward.

"jI don't carrre jif you arrre my son, you wjill not harrrm yourrr fatherrr whjile jI stjill ljive!"

[Anuberis]

"Then I'll just kill you first..."

Anuberis hauled on the chain and his mother was at his side in an instant.

"Are you ready?" he asked, raising his claws to strike...

[Inu]

"You don't DARE!"

Inu tackled Anuberis from the side, sending him sprawling. So far it seemed the boy was no match...

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr took the opportunity to pull back in her sickle, watching Inu closely for when he needed help, she sensed there was more to Anuberis than how he seemed.

[Anuberis]

Anuberis skidded across the ground, landing face up. He stood slowly, bending straight up to snap to upright.

"How...quaint..."

He advanced slowly.

"Father, you lack power. Drive. Focus. I know how to use my anger...it is properly used like this..."

Anuberis vanished, Sorr cried out, suddenly bearind a deep cut across her back. When next Inu looked, his son was diving on him from the sky, sword positioned to skewer his father.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

But he could finish his move, Sorr slammed into him after ignoring the pain of her wound. She pushed him up against a wall and held her blade to his neck, growling lowly.

"Now what was jI just telljing you? Trrry to harrrm yourrr fatherrr and you have me to deal wjith! And you really should ljisten to yourrrr motherrr or I may have to grrround you...Never mjind, I mjight as well now!"

She said sarcastically before she removed her blade, grabbed him by the neck and slammed him in the ground before leaping clear. It wasn't like her to get this angry but she was wounded, her mate was in danger and she had a cub to protect, all of which pushed her more than she would be normally.

[Anuberis]

Anuberis rose, seemingly unfazed, and staggered a bit.

"Father...you must rely on mother to protect you? Shame...you were Professor Armaiil's greatest...I refuse to believe it now."

He beckoned his father forward.

"Fight me honorably, old man..."

[Inu]

Inu's rage grew, and with a wave of his hand he threw Sorr back, away from the fight.

"I need no protection, whelp. By the end it will be you who requires a mother's protection!"

He lunged again, making a giant horizontal cut.

[Anuberis]

This Anuberis parried with fair ease, and returned it with a speed not unlike his father's.

"Weak..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr watched from where she had landed, knowing that for now Inu didn't want her help, still she would if he needed her. She just hoped Inu wouldn't let his rage cloud his judgement too much. So for now she watched intently, her blade ready if the need arose.

[Inu]

Inu's eyes widened at the speed of Anuberis' counterattack. He managed a block and staggered, falling back to a ready position.

"Strength is not the only factor, whelp..."

[Anuberis]

"But in this case, it's all I need..."

He was upon his father in seconds, almost nose to nose with him.

"Too slow..."

He stabbed with a clawed hand.

[Inu]

Inu dodged, almost too late. His son cut him across the shoulder, and he drew a hissing breath. He retaliated with his own claws, scoring Anuberis' side with five deep gouges.

"What was that about speed?"

[Kalia]

Kalia didn't pay much attention to her babysitter, the sounds outside were drawing her. Where had mommy and daddy gone? And what was this new sound? Her ears went back as she heard her mother make that sound as well. What was happening to her mother? She mewled in confusion before Obasan could shush her.

[Anuberis]

Anuberis clashed with his father, glaring at him across their swords. He sniffed, and his ears twitched. Slowly the berserker turned his head to look at Inu's house.

"Hm. Another child."

He was halfway to the house before anyone could stop him.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

But in front of the door stood Sorreessa, blocking the way in. Her sickle was held in front of her, ready to strike at a moment's notice. She growled lowly, her ears flattened back to her head and her tail lashed back and forth.

"The only way you wjill get jin therrre jis overrr my dead body."

[Anuberis]

"If I must..."

The giant katana flashed, a strike that cleaved the walls of the hut.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr growled as she threw her sickle at his head causing him to step back a few feet but Sorr hadn't let the full length of the chain out. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she bared her teeth.

"jI would hate to have to kjill my own son but jI wjill jif you harrrm herrr or jInu."

She said with a growl in her voice, not leaving the doorway, she would guard it until Inu could get over to them and after that.

[Inu]

Inu dealy his son a fierce blow, using his fist rather than his blade.

"Do not DREAM of ignoring me!"

[Anuberis]

Anuberis staggered backward, then lurched forward as his parents struck him.

"Then..."

Anuberis disappeared in another flash of speed. It was as Armaiil had told him. They attacked him, they didn't love him, care for his life. He could smell their blood within this house...the back wall exploded inward, and Anuberis stepped inside, approaching the baby and old woman who hid in the back room. The old woman had been hit with shrapnel, and seemed to be unconcious. The baby lay unhurt nearby.

"What are you then...mm?"

He held his blade out flat and lifted Kalia by the back of her clothes. The baby sat easily on the wide blade.

"You must be my sister...do you have a name?"

[Kalia]

Kalia growled and put back her ears, this one looked like daddy but he felt bad in a way she didn't understand. Something told her to stay still so she made no move at him.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"That jis none of yourrr concerrrn!"

Sorr yelled as her sickle went out again, the blade sunk into Anuberis' shoulder before she pulled it out as she snatched Kalia away from him then leapt away. She growled at her son before making a snarl that Inu hadn't heard from her, it was a bonechilling sound at any rate as though it promised death.

[Anuberis]

"It is all of my concern, mother...after all, she is my adorable little sister..."

He looked to his shoulder, as if just realizing the deep puncture was there, and turned his head slowly back to look at Sorr.

"An eye for an eye."

In an eyeblink he was upon her, claws digging into her shoulder.

"Or rather, shoulder for shoulder..."

[Inu]

Kalia floated to her pen, and the dueling mother and son were pressed apart. Anuberis flew out, into Inu's waiting hands.

"Alone against the two of us...no chance...and you will leave your sister out of this, boy."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr winced a little before she followed, she could ignore the painful throbbing while the fight was on. Her back still remained towards Kalia, she would not leave the cub alone for her son to get. She growled lowly, he would get a more painful wound the next time she attacked.

[Anuberis]

Anuberis growled. His father was right. When they both attacked, they were winning. Alone, he could take them out. He kicked his father, staggering him, and threw his blade back at Sorr. The woman dodged closely, and the sword shrank, holding her to wall.

"I will deal with you later, mother."

And he renewed his attack on his father.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Ljike hell you wjill...."

Sorr winced and gritted her teeth but she refused to cry out. She reached towards the hilt and leaned her head back as she took the hilt. She pulled out in one swift pull and then slumped forward for moment as she tried to deal with pain. It would pain her much but she wasn't going to stand idly by and wait for him to come back to her. She looked at the blade for a moment before she threw it at a tree trunk and it embedded deep within it, even with Anuberis' strength, it would take him time to remove it.

[Anuberis]

Oh wonderful. His mother was free. Anuberis dealt Inu a solid punch and climbed into the tree. The sword vibrated, feeling its owner's passing anger, and began to slowly work its way out of the tree, pulled by the Force.

[Inu]

Into the trees? Very well. Inu followed his son up into the thick branches.

"Come out and face me!"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr was there quickly though, she jumped up and slammed into Anuberis again, knocking him away. She threw her sickle at him as he fell, the tip dug deep into the back of his shoulder. She pulled the chain and it out as she remained in the tree.

"Need that sworrrd huh? Don't tell me that you have to rrrely on jit, how weak..."

She said in a mocking tone as she looked down at him.

[Anuberis]

Anuberis fell from the tree, eyes burning with the fires of rage. He stood to his feet and turned his glare on his parents. It would be one that would haunt them in their nightmares for a long time after this battle. Rage fuels hatred. Hatred fuels the Dark Side.

"Your family weakens you father...were you not settled down in a backwater village with a family, you could fight me with fair ease...instead, you must rely on your pathetic WIFE."

His parents were flung back against the tree.

"You will see...I am invincible...You cannot win, my parents..."

They felt their bodies stretch painfully, pulled apart by the Force.

"DIE."

His sword grew, widening the cut in the tree, jerking halfway loose. Inu's own sword dislodged from his grasp and turned upon them both, cutting them across their bodies in wild, blindingly fast strokes.

[Inu]

Inu shut one eye, blocking the pain by sheer force of will. The raging blade stopped inches from Sorr's throat as Inu's own power took hold.

"And it is because of this family that I have strength enough to defeat you..."

But even as he said this, Inu knew he could not repel the sword entirely. He stared down at his son, holding back the trembling blade.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr eyed the blade, this was one of those times that she wished she could use the force to help her mate but she couldn't. She winced at the pain of her new wounds but she was still able to block out most of it. Her eyes then looked at her son's face, the face of what Inu had been, she wondered if the same was possible for her son, could he be turned? She growled Anuberis again as her ears went back again.

"He doesn't need me to help hjim, jI do so because jI want to for reasons you can't seem to underrrstand."

She then threw a broken chunk of wood at him, Anu blocked of course but that wasn't her intention. In the time that he blocked it, her son was distracted, she grabbed the blade and pulled it down then turned the edge away from herself as she held the hilt. She knew Anuberis could easily take it away again but knew Inu couldn't have stopped it forever.

[Inu]

Inu dropped from the tree and clashed with his son.

"Maybe we can't win. But we won't make it easy for you..."

The two stood face to face, each holding the other back.

"So what all kinds of crap did Armaiil tell you about us?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr dropped down as well and stood near her mate, her eyes not narrowed for once since she was curious.

"Yes, what djid he say we djid?"

[Anuberis]

"Armaiil says you are both cruel and unkind. He says you abandoned me as a child, that you would want to take my life if you knew I was alive. I won't let you...I'll take your wretched heads back to him as proof!"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Abandoned you? How could jI when he took you frrrom me beforrre you werrre even borrrn? That bastard cut you out of me when you werrre stjill jin the womb!"

[Inu]

"She speaks true enough...Armaiil is the one who has deceived you."

[Anuberis]

"That I doubt, father...you are exactly as Armaiil described you. Intolerant, quick to anger, disapproving of me..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"We attacked you because you attacked ourrr vjillage, yourrr fatherrrr jis trrryjing to stop you frrrom harrrmjing me, yourrr sjisterrr and the vjillage any furrrtherrr."

She paused for a moment, trying to figure out a way to prove it to him.

"jI'll even show you the scarrr jif jI must..."

[Inu]

Inu growled low.

"This village, son, is my home. It is your home, should you ever decide to abandon Armaiil. I won't allow you to destroy it."

[Anuberis]

"Welcome, am I?" he repeated disgustedly. "You will never welcome me! And as for your scar? Ha! Scars are no proof of what you say. I myself have quite a few, but none of them mean anything!"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Haevn't you noticed that you have no memorrrjies of chjildhood?jIt's because you djidn't have one....you arrre only a few months old, Arrrmajiil sped up yourrr grrrowth to send you afterrr us. Why would jI not want you? You saw how jI defended yourrr sjisterrr."

Sorr watched Anuberis closely, wondering if anything was getting through and when he was going to break loose again.

[Anuberis]

"Yes, he did it so that I might have my vengeance upon you both!"

He kicked Inu away and grabbed his mother by the neck.

"You gave birth to me and left me for dead! Dammit, I'll KILL YOU!"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She didn't fight him for the moment since it wouldn't help her case, instead she looked into his eyes as she spoke to him.

"jI alrrready told you, you werrre neverrr borrrn! Arrrrmajiil kjidnapped me and took you frrrom my womb! jI would neverrr leave a chjild of mjine alone!"

[Anuberis]

He drew a hissing breath, tightening his grip.

"YOU LIE!"

He threw her backward, stumbling away. Though his body was that of a teenager, he was mentally and emotionally only 10 months old. His sword dislodged from the tree at last, coming to rest in his hands. Armaiil told him the truth, but why then did he think his parents' words true also? He turned and fled the field of battle, to seek the guidance of his mentor.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorreessa sat where she had fallen, rubbing her neck a bit before she punched the ground.

"Damn that bastarrrd! And he'll take hjim back and make hjim forrrget anythjing we told hjim!"

She mewed loudly but not in pain, moreso in disgust of the whole matter before she looked up at Inu.

"jI swearrr that jI wjill kjill Arrrmajil forrr thjis!"

[Inu]

Inu sheathed his sword and helped her up, holding her close.

"Kill...is not the word..."

Inu's fists tightened as he tried to release his anger. The battle was over, there was no need of it, lest it take control of him and he finish what Anuberis started.

"We will make him SUFFER."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorreessa buried her face against his chest, trying to seek comfort in his embrace.

"He wjill sufferrr grrreatly forrr thjis, jI won't allow hjim to contjinue to do what he has to ourrr son orrr rrrujin ourrr ljives any furrrrtherrr."

She shuddered hoping Armaiil wouldn't try for Kalia next.

[Inu]

"It will take time...but we will succeed..."

He lifted Sorr and carried her home. Once again he swore himself to vengeance. He would have the old doctor's head...