Man of the soil (open challenge to a Darksider, any rank)

[Ezekiel Frost]

The plasma scythe hums as it arcs cleanly through the tall grass. Ezekiel Frost has been clearing the tall grass for the last half hour, preparing for camp. Cutting the grass isn't necessary for making camp, but he does so anyway. He had been a farmer most of his life, the plasma scythe his tool from years gone by. The magnetic field covering the handle and blade had protected the tool for several years now, and the weight is comforting to Ezekiel. For some reason, whenever he would clear the wheat and grasses with his scythe, he was at peace. The steady movements bring him into an easy rhythm. After a few more minutes, his task is complete. He leans on the staff of his scythe as he examines his work.

"Nothin' better than a freshly mowed lawn. Well... might as well pack it in for the night..."

[SashaKovalev]

Sasha had been watching the man for some time now. He understood the man's desire to manually cut the grass, for even as a force user, he too, liked to do some things by hand. Logs placed on a fire, the chopping of wood - all things that most now took forgranted that a machine would do it for them. Things that most men had almost forgotten how to do in the more modern societies.

Sasha travelled often, and today his travels had brought him here, to where the scenery was peaceful. But there was no peace within him.

He had recently visited with his girlfriend, and when she had left to return to her secret group of dark jedi, he'd found the anger and pain within him surfacing again.

Anger at her for returning. Anger at her for leaving. Pain as being without her. All feelings that only served to make him more angry. Feelings that he inherently thought to be signs of weakness.

And so to balance this, he sought destruction. He sought a way to prove that he was neither weak or soft.

"Nothing better.....?" He asked, his voice almost mocking as he stood from where he'd been sitting and approached the gentleman.

[Jae Pylache]

EDIT

[Ezekiel Frost]

The man's voice stops Ezekiel mid-stride as he heads toward his bedroll. The plasma scythe drops into his hands from its previously upright position, just in case.

"Well, I'm sure a few things are better, but at the moment, they don't concern me none. I don't believe we've met. Name's Ezekiel Frost. You?"

[SashaKovalev]

"We havent met." Sasha confirmed, though there was nothing in his voice to indicate he was exactly sorry about that fact. His tone rather carried that of a cocky kid who didnt give a care in the world what anyone thought of him.

"It's Sasha." He replied, his violet eyes staring at Ezekiel as he rather casually closed the distance between them. He noticed that the scythe had returned to the man's hands, and an expression of satisfaction crossed his features.

Satisfaction that the man was wary of him, at the very least.

[Ezekiel Frost]

Ezekiel eyes the kid as he enters his camp. Something about him isn't quite right. Too much pent up aggression, it seems.

"Well, son, now that the formalities are outta the way, mind if I ask what you're doin' in my camp?"

[SashaKovalev]

For a moment he paused. Although the man's response was anything but warm, the word son was one that he had not heard often in his life.

In fact, he had only heard it once when he'd encountered the ghost of his father.

The authority of it stopped him in his tracks, and then he brushed it off as best he could.

Sasha shrugged, his hand coming to rest on his saber, perhaps in a threat, perhaps just out of habit.

"Does it matter what Im doing here?" He finally replied, pulling his saber from his belt and turning it over idly in his left hand.

[Ezekiel Frost]

His eyes narrow at this new display of agression.

"You've got no manners, boy. Don't you know better than to walk up on someone's camp with a weapon in yer hand?"

He laces his voice with the Force, using his specialized form of Force Persuasion. His voice seems to echo within inself, resonating in the young man's brain.

"That saber's real heavy. Put it down."

[SashaKovalev]

He didnt like the force persuasion being used on him. He could feel it echoing in his brain, and had he been of weaker mind, he likely would have given in. But he'd used the trick himself on occasion to get the things he wanted, and easily recognized it as such.

This angered him perhaps a bit more that anyone would think him weak enough for the trick to work.

"I didnt walk here with it in my hand." He replied, his violet eyes flickering to the scythe and then back to Ezekiel.

"If I recall correctly, I just a moment ago decided it might be worth holding."

He did not ignite it just yet.

"Who gave you the authority to try to tell me what I should or shouldnt do?" He demanded, rather than asked.

He was being hotheaded and rude. This wasnt characteristic of him for the most part, but on occasion, when the dark side got a good grasp in him, he was unable to react otherwise. He was a slave to the darkness, doing its bidding as a Sith should.

[Ezekiel Frost]

"And who gave you the right to wander into my camp uninvited? There is such a thing as common courtesy, ya know. Now, state yer business in my camp. As it stands, yer in my camp with a weapon. I don't care how it got there, but I don't take to kindly to it."

The first barrage of his augmented voice didn't seem to hold. No matter... with enough blasts of it, it may start having an effect. And if not, there's always the scythe in his hand to fall back on.

[SashaKovalev]

And who gave you the right to wander into my camp uninvited? There is such a thing as common courtesy, ya know. Now, state yer business in my camp. As it stands, yer in my camp with a weapon. I don't care how it got there, but I don't take to kindly to it.

At this, Sasha might have actually smiled. He didn’t bother to answer with words, but instead used the force to give Ezekiel a good shove. It was strong enough that it could have knocked someone who hadnt been expecting it from his feet.

“And I don’t take kindly to being told what to do or how to do it.” He replied, violet eyes staring steadily at Ezekiel.

[Ezekiel Frost]

He stumbles back from the attack, and regains his footing. He moves forward slowly, advancing on the young antagonist. He uses his Force augmented voice again, redoubling his efforts. Ezekiel was unlike a typical Jedi. Instead of having some ability in all aspects of the Force, almost all of his powers rested in his Force persuasion. He lashes out with his voice, attempting to at least affect the Dark Sider.

"Close yer eyes... yer gettin' tired..."

[SashaKovalev]

He felt a sense of satisfaction as Ezekiel stumbled back. And as the man advanced slowly upon him, he felt his grip tighten out of instinct upon the hilt of his saber.

Close yer eyes... yer gettin' tired...

Sasha felt it again. And for a moment, he did want to close his eyes. It was enough to make him pause, and his head might have dropped slightly. But anger brought him back.

Anger because he realized, despite the fact that he was being affected by the persuasion, that this was a tactic being used on him. It was, though defensive, still an attack in his mind.

As the anger built and had no where to go, he released it with low, gutteral growl. Between the two of them, a low wall of flames sprang up. This was the use of the elements, a trick taught to him by a master in the Sith order. And then they began to creep around, working to encircle Ezekiel.

[Ezekiel Frost]

Ezekiel sees the man's head droop momentarily, but it is too quickly shaken off to be useful. The man must be too strong to succumb to the suggestions. In that case, he must resort to other measures.

As he flames begin to encircle him, he quickly jumps for the nearest opening, scorching the ends of his coat in the process. He retaliates quickly, attempting to throw dirt at him with the Force. Since almost all of his Force abilities must be verbalized, his control over physical manipulations is rather low. All he can do is command objects to move in straight lines.

"Dirt, fly to his eyes!"

[SashaKovalev]

It wasn’t so much that Sasha was unusually strong, it was rather that Ezekiel had been trying too persuade him of something that did not come naturally to him. He was a kid full of energy and to persuade him to be tired would have been difficult.

Had Ezekiel tried to persuade him of something else, perhaps that confrontation wasn’t worth it, Sasha might have given in. Likely would have. Except now he had sand in his eyes, and it stung so badly that there wasn’t a chance of him calming down just yet.

Out of a natural reaction, he rubbed them, only making the situation worse, it seemed. He cursed under his breath, the words gutteral and filled with rage.

He stumbled back a few steps, his lightsaber still held tightly in his other hand.

His violet eyes blinked, tears forming in them as they, too, tried to resolve the pain. He could feel the power of the dark side building within him, fueled by anger.

The tree branch above Ezekiel creaked under the weight of the unseen power of the dark side, and then split from the tree, plummeting towards the ground below.

[Ezekiel Frost]

Ezekiel begins advancing on the Dark Sider, attempting to take advantage of his momentary blindness. So intent on pressing his advantage, he almost fails to hear the loud splitting of the wood above him. He looks up just in time to see the branch dropping toward him. He attempts to sidestep it, but is struck on the right shoulder none the less. The weight of the branch and speed of its fall knocks him to his knees, but he is able to hold onto his scythe.

He slowly rises to his feet, dropping into a defensive position. The blow stopped any chance he would have had at launching an offensive, so he waits on the next attack instead.

[SashaKovalev]

As the tears formed in his eyes he found some relief from the pain of the sand that had lodged itself there. His teeth were clenched in a mixture of anger and irritation. Pain was a feeling that the Sith fed upon, finding power in the anger that pain could provide. He felt foolish that such a simple trick had bested him and this only served to fuel his anger as well.

And so it was that the two men stood a few meters from one another, one on the defensive, the other nearly trembling with blind and foolish rage. He was young, and like most young men of his age, had not yet learned the ultimate lesson of control. He too often let his emotions get the best of him. And despite repeated lessons that taught him this was not the best approach, and despite the fact that he was usually very quick to learn, he had not yet mastered this art.

He was too hot tempered. It was a trait that had been bestowed upon him by a man he would never know – his grandfather on his mother’s side of the family.

As he blinked once again, hating the grating feeling of the sand against his eyeballs, he straightened his frame and then finally stared over at his opponent.

“You learn that trick from another kid in the sandbox?” He asked, sarcasm heavy in his voice.

[Ezekiel Frost]

The older man smirks a bit at his opponent's irritation.

"Whatsamatter, boy? Havin' trouble seein'?"

He quickly moves in, swinging his scythe in an upward arc, attempting to catch him in the stomach. It would be a killing blow if it hits, but he should be able to control the movement of the weapon to prevent that.

[SashaKovalev]

Whatsamatter, boy? Havin' trouble seein'?

Sasha not only heard, but felt the aggression of Ezekiel. This put him on the alert and prepared him for the imminent attack. As the blade of the scythe swung in an upward arc aimed at his stomach, he pulled away in a backward dive for the ground, dropping and rolling before he came to his feet.

This attack was enough to enrage him and without a second thought he summoned the darkness within him and released it in the form of force lightning. This wasn’t something he did often, nor would be able to do for long or repeatedly. He grew stronger in the force each day, but force lighting was something that would take years and years to be able to do for extended periods of time. At this point, one or two rounds would tire him out. But if it hit the intended target, it would perhaps do enough damage to give Sasha the chance to advance. And he was too angry to have controlled his reaction.

[Ezekiel Frost]

His eyes widen as the blue sparks begin arcing from the man's fingers. Ezekiel lacks the speed to dodge, so there's only one option. Throwing all the power he can muster into his voice, he yells out...

"MISS!"
With luck, there will be enough power to cause the bolts to go wide...

[SashaKovalev]

MISS!

And miss, it did, though a few straggling sparks might have caught Ezekiel. Had Sasha not been so angry, the man’s way of fighting with the force might have been amusing to him. He might have just stood there and laughed out loud. Never before had he heard someone who commanded everything he did by speaking what he was going to do out loud.

After the release of the lightning, Sasha felt the strength drain from his body. Not enough that he would slump to a heap on the ground, but enough that his reflexes would not be as quick as he might have desired.

And he needed a few moments to regroup. So he resorted to the life he had known before the force and drew his blaster and aimed it at the man.

“You’re crazy, old man.” He stated, his voice carrying anger and contempt.

“And you’ve picked a fight with the wrong kid. Im going to give you ten seconds to explain to me why I shouldn’t blow a hole through your thick skull…and if the answer isnt the one Im looking for, you can say goodbye to retirement, cuz you arent going to live that long....”

[Ezekiel Frost]

The elder man breathes a sigh of relief as the bolt goes wide. He had avoided that attack by the barest of margins, his long coat bearing witness to the closeness of the attack.

But the counter did not come without a price. He would be unable to use any more Force commands for the next while. Hopefully the young man wouldn't have another blast of Force Lightning within him.

As the man draws his blaster, Ezekiel almost laughs. He readies his scythe, choking up on the staff slightly.

"Put down yer pop gun, boy. Any Padawan in the Order can block a blaster bolt without breakin' a sweat. Drop it and fight me like a man."

[SashaKovalev]

Sasha raised an eyebrow.

“Fight like a man? This is coming from the one that chose to throw sand in my eyes?” He countered, rolling his still slightly irritated violet eyes.

“<smallfont color={hovercolor}>-Censored-</smallfont> that.” He added, scowling. And then he followed through with his promise and fired.

He was a good shot. He’d carried a blaster from the age of eight, and with the help of the force, he rarely missed his target. Of course, this target wasn’t a typical one.

[Ezekiel Frost]

The bolt's aim is true, heading straight to Ezekiel's heart. The Force flows through Ezekiel, aiding his movements and speeding his reflexes. The scythe blade flashes up as the weapon spins in his hands. Though he lacks the skill to direct the reflected bolt back at his opponent, he is successful in blocking it none the less. It is deflected down into the dirt, making a scorch mark in the ground.

"Well, ya had yer fun. Feel better?"

Ezekiel begins moving in again, attempting to get in range to use his scythe.

[SashaKovalev]

The bolt was deflected, though he had suspected it would be. He’d considered firing off one after the other, but had refrained only because something told him it would be more fun to toy with this one.

Well, ya had yer fun. Feel better?

“You’re a little aggressive for a [I}jedi[/I] arent you?” He stated more than questioned, the word jedi sounding more like a disease than a normal word.

As Ezekiel began to advance on him, the Sith knight stood his ground. He was well trained and had earned his title. And while Ezekiel was creative in his defenses and his attacks, the Sith intended to show the man the power of the dark side – and the mistake he had made in messing with it.

With complete disregard and perhaps an intent to insult, he spit upon the ground between them as he calmly watched Ezekiel advance.

[Draken Chakara]

edit

[Ezekiel Frost]

Agressive? These Sith were odd... they pick a fight, then get upset when you defend yourself.

He watches as the man spits on the ground in contempt. Just after he does, Ezekiel goes into motion, twirling his scythe. He creates a perimeter around himself. It is not impenetrable by any stretch. But, it would make attacking difficult. To stab in would open oneself up for a counter attack. The saber may hit him, but the attacker would not escape without a counter. He moves in quickly, continuing his spin.

[SashaKovalev]

As Ezekiel began his spin, Sasha fired once more with his blaster and then began to back away, continuously moving out of range. As he did, he sought to do one of the darker things that he ad ever done – inflicting pain through the force.

He didn’t do it often. It was something he saved for when he needed it, or on occasion when the mood suited him and he wanted to intimidate.

He used it now partially in defense and partially out of anger. He did not care so much for Ezekiel.

He concentrated on Ezekiel’s heart, and with the force sought to apply pressure to it. As if he were holding it tightly with his fist, making every beat more difficult, and allowing less oxygen to pass to the blood.

He was not an expert at this yet, as he did not use it often enough to perfect it, but it was impossible that his efforts would have gone unnoticed, even if the victim wasn’t exactly sure what was causing his distress.

[Ezekiel Frost]

He deflects the incoming bolt just as he had the first one, and moves on in. Suddenly, a pain shoots through his chest as his heart is constricted. He drops to one knee immediately, right hand clutching his chest. His vision begins to darken as the blood slows throughout his veins. He knows that his opponent must be responsible for this attack. He attempts to stop him, using his Force Augmented voice. He rasps out...

"Stop..."

... but his voice lacks power, as he is still drained from his last attack. He can only hope it will be enough, but he fears it may not be.

[SashaKovalev]

As Ezekiel dropped to one knee, the young knight felt the power of the dark side surge within him. It was something uncontrollable, for most Sith were, though they would never admit to such, slaves of the darkside.

They sought to control it and often did – but in the end, the lure and desire to feel the strength of it time and time again would draw them back in. It was a drug and like an alcoholic with his booze, the Sith could not live without the rush the dark side could provide. And this was what made them slaves.

Stop... Sasha heard the rasp of the man and all that was good in him called for him to stop. The tiny part of him that remained untainted. The tiny part of him that was still a young man in search of himself began its war with the dark side.

His fist squeezed yet tighter and he stared at Ezekiel, his face devoid of emotion. He wanted power. He wanted to make a name for himself. He was quick tempered and feisty.

But he was not without compassion. He was not without humanity. Yet.

As quickly as the grip on Ezekiels heart had come, it left. Sasha took a step or two back, his violet eyes flickering to the ground. The use of the force to cause pain – not to protect himself or enhance his movements had a powerful effect. And it had overwhelmed him enough to make him realize the control that the dark side could have over him. It had, to some degree, scared him.

Scared him because he realized that slowly he was becoming one of them. Becoming devoid of compassion. And he wasn’t sure if he wanted to take that final step. If he truly wanted to cross that line and never return.

[Ezekiel Frost]

The pain passes quickly, cutting off almost instantly. He remains on one knee, trying to regain his strength. He's not down yet, but he's close. The attack took a lot out of him, and his Force strength is almost exhausted. He stands and begins to back away, hoping to make a tactical retreat.

[SashaKovalev]

Violet eyes flickered back to the man as he regained his footing. Warily, the Sith watched him, knowing that another attack was never an impossibility.

He said nothing for a moment, but instead used the force to search. He could feel the weakness of his victim and knew that he had drained him.

The tug of the dark side called for him to finish his work. He could feel it pulsing within him and a part of him wanted nothing more than the satisfaction of taking another life.

The other part of him fought valiantly.

Deep breaths sought to control the urge as his fists clenched and unclenched in indecision.

[Ezekiel Frost]

Ezekiel continues to back away.

"You've made yer point, son. Go on, and leave me in peace..."

[SashaKovalev]

His violet eyes still stared as Ezekiel continued to back away.

You've made yer point, son. Go on, and leave me in peace...

Slowly, the anger subsided and then finally, he nodded in assent and turned his back on Ezekiel and began to walk away. As he did so, he remained on guard, searching through the force for a hint of imminent attack.

After several paces, he turned back. He watched the man for a moment before he spoke up.

“You gonna to be ok?” He asked somewhat grudgingly. He was still trying to come to terms with himself. With the power and strength that he possessed, and how he should use it. The confusion lent itself, to a degree, to a hint of compassion to those who had inadvertently fallen victim to his lack of understanding of himself.

[Ezekiel Frost]

The old man chuckles slightly. This boy near kills him, now he wants to know if he'll be ok. With a half-smile, he responds.

"Yeah... I'll be fine. I'm too ornery and grizzled to go belly up so easy."

He pauses for a moment, letting the man turn to leave. He calls to the man as he leaves...

"You know... it's never too late to return to the Light. There is freedom there, boy. Think on that. I'll be here if you ever decide to..."

[SashaKovalev]

Hearing that Ezekiel would be fine, the young knight nodded and then turned once again. He had gone a few paces when he heard the old man speak again.

You know... it's never too late to return to the Light. There is freedom there, boy. Think on that. I'll be here if you ever decide to...

A part of him smiled at this. The jedi - they were always trying to turn someone. For a brief moment, Sasha was reminded of Terran - the only jedi for which he had any ounce of respect. One that was constantly trying to turn him.

He stopped and turned back.

"Thanks." He replied with a shake of his head.

"But dont hold your breath....that will definitely kill you." He added with a grin before he turned around and disappeared into the woods from where he had once emerged.