Rivals Clash! (Complete)

[Zereth Lancer]

The sky of Corascant was black with clouds, Water rained down from the sky onto the dark figure of Zereth. He had been moving almost all day following someone

After following the person using his abilities to hide his force signature as he made his way through the shadows. his prey was soon on a roodtop alone

Zereth landed on the roof behind the person "Hello Je'gan." He said as the boy turned around "You've been a thorn in my side for too long and its time to pluck you our"

He was wearing his black robes with his hood covering his face in complete darkness. Je'gan could see his blood red eyes in the dark hood "Are you ready Boy?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

The Sith Knight flicked back his own hood, even though the cloth was waterproof and things were now going to get very wet, very fast. A predatory smirk and dead-black eyes were revealed, each focused on the other Sith.

"I'm amused that I didn't sense you, Lancer. You know why?" Je'gan dropped his robe to the ground, and drops of water plink-ed off his signature weapons: an eighteen-inch dirk and a rapier. Azubah was there as well, but unless Lancer had a lightsaber of his own, it wouldn't be used. Both combatants were better with solid blades, after all.

The two weapons rasped as they came free of their sheathes. Je'gan assumed a neutral Form II stance, dagger back as a guard and rapier unextended.

"Because my danger sense is acute, very acute...and that means that you.

"Are.

"No.

"Threat."

The rapier tip flicked up and down again into a salute.

"Bring it on, Apprentice."

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth removed his own robe to the ground to reveal his leather ninja outfit. He removed his Katana from its sheath with his right hand but that wasnt his only weapon. beside his Katana he had several throwing weapons a dagger and a shord sword

He would have matched Je'gan by using two weapons but the Katana required both hands to wield it properly "Are you read Boy?" He said holding his Katana in both hands with it's point lowerd toward the ground.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He laughed grimly. He'd gotten his butt handed to him enough times by a first-strike policy that he'd let Lancer move first. It would let him guage within a certain tolerance just how hard this would be.

Judging by that array of weapons, this could indeed get tricky. Teaching Zereth Lancer his place wouldn't be a walk in the park by any means.

Je'gan commenced to cast a subtle version of Confusion, planning to slow and to confuse Lancer. At the same time, a minor mental attack began, an attack aimed at dampening mental control - and thus impeding all but the most instinctive of Force techniques. Neither of the maneuvers should be detectable to any but another skilled mental-warfare practitioner.

"I'm more than ready for anything you can throw at me."

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth moved forward a few steps. His left hand moved like lightning toward his throwing knife belt on his leg and came back holding a knife which was soon on its way toward Je'gan

Zereth used the force to boost his speed as he followed the knife toward Je'gan with the plan of using a downward vertical slash after Je'gan moved to avoid the throwing knife.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Completely calm, burning with anger but not distracted by it, Je'gan flipped his dirk up into the air, caught the throwing knife with his free hand, flicked the point of his rapier across that of Lancer's katana to knock it far enough off-course so that it was no longer a threat, and for the split second that his rapier was inside Lancer's guard, drew a line of blood down the centre of the other Sith's chest. The throwing knife found place in his own belt as he backed off, and he caught the dirk again to resume his stance.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth back up with his sword held in front of him. His ninja sences seemed a little off for some reason. The anger inside of him was getting stronger.

He used the force around him to boost himself into the air high above Je'gan, when he reached the top of his jumped he threw down a wave of ninja stars aimed at Je'gan, He followed the stars on their way down with his sword pointed toward Je'gan's head.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He followed the older Sith's arc dispassionately both visually and through his mind's eye. As Lancer released the shuriken, Je'gan stepped lazily into a Force-enhanced half-metre dash to the side. The throwing stars hit the deck and abruptly accelerated straight up at Lancer's legs and groin.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth sommoned the force around him and threw it at the stars,They where knocked away from him and he landed on the roof and charged at Je'gan with his katana in one hand. He pulled the force in again and threw the force blast at Je'gan's chest, He griped his sword in both hands and slashed horizontaly at Je'gan chest.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Although countering a Force-push at these levels wasn't a terribly difficult thing, Je'gan opted out, instead throwing himself backwards to lessen the shock of impact. He brought up his dirk in mid-fall and stopped the katana blow, and then he was out of the other Sith's range and had a few moments' grace.

A backwards roll finished the fall and brought him up to his feet, facing the charging Lancer with weapons held in a solid defensive posture. He increased the mental attack, driving streams of intangible blades into motor control and consciousness. Flickers of darkness would begin to show around the edges of Lancer's vision, and his movements would become clumsier. Je'gan had to ease up on the Confusion to accomplish this, but what worked, worked.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth could feel the effects of the Mind attack and his vision started getting dark. He steped back a few steps I must remember my training He thought closing his eyes and letting his anger leave him.

He opened his eyes and spotted Je'gan. He slowly backed up to where he had left his robe. He reached inside and pulled out another sheath. It was black and had a strange writing on it

He pulled the blade out of the sheath. It was another Katana but much different from the one Zereth had already. the blade seemd to have a slight blue glow to it.

Zereth faced Je'gan "Maybe this blade will give me the edge I need" He said placing the first Katana back in its sheath on his back. He walked toward Je'gan Keeping the Sword in a defencive position "You move boy."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

The mental attack ended, and Je'gan found himself eyeing that katana with apprehension. Several possibilities presented themselves...none of them boding well.

Behind Lancer, four of the shuriken rose and hurled themselves at the ninja.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth could sence the shuriken nearing him. He turned with force aided speed with his sword slashing through the air. It knocked all the shurikens away, He kept spinning until he was facing Je'gan again

He took a few steps toward Je'gan before he stoped. He used the force to pull Je'gan's legs out from under him and then dash forward slashing at the boy

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan's eyes flashed, and Lancer found himself blasted off his feet by a focused strike - only as powerful as a normal Force-push, but concentrated within a space the size of a pinpoint. If all went well, at the very least it would break ribs.

OOC/ I'm leaving Monday, just so you know. I'll be back in a week or two.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth fell to the ground and rolled backwards and sprung forward at Je'gan. He kept low to the ground as he slashed at Je'gan's knees.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

An expert upward kick to the flat of the blade knocked Zereth's katana into a harmless course, creating an opening. Rather than attack, however, Je'gan used the split second to roll back and regain his footing as well as his stance.

Belatedly, he realized that the wall behind him was getting too close for comfort; he leapt up and planted a foot in the duracrete about eight feet up, sending him sailing over Lancer's head and far past the other Sith, landing with a skid across the slippery rooftop.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth turned on his heel to face Je'gan "You are very resourceful Je'gan" He said moving his blade through the air as he took a few steps toward his oppenent "I guess you never noticed that bomb behind you" He charged forward hoping Je'gan would be fooled and look behind himself at the "bomb" that didn't exist

He did'y have time to see how Je'gan had reacted as he sped toward the Boy using the force to speed his legs as he prepared to slash at Je'gan's waist.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Not a bad bluff...

Unfortunately, Zereth hadn't reckoned with Je'gan's danger-sense, possibly his greatest gift. If there had been a bomb there, it would have been sensed.

And Zereth wasn't the only one who could do physical enhancement. The juncture of the rapier's blade and bell hilt caught the katana neatly. Je'gan took the opportunity to simultaneously stab at the older man's chest with his dirk and to perform a sweep with his left foot.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth droped to rolled to the side avoiding Je'gan's attacks. He rolled to his feet and held his Katana infront of himself "I must say you are as great a swordsman as me" He waited for Je'gan's next move.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

On the edge of a sarcastic comeback, Je'gan merely shrugged...

...and stepped up his physical enhancement.

He blurred, stabbing with his rapier in precise, deft moves while remaining on guard with the dirk, and keeping his balance as perfect as he could.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth's hands became a blur aswell as He blocked Je'gan's attacks but he had to back up and lose ground as He deflected the attacks away. When Je'gan's onslaught had ended Zereth brought his blade forward but wasz blocked by his oppenents Dirk

With lightning speed he drew a throwing knife with his left hand while holding the Dirk with his sword in his right hand. Zereth knew he had to act fast or the rapier would get him. He through the knife through the small distance to je'gan's chest.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Zereth wielded his katana two-handed; removing a hand had given Je'gan all the hint he needed. He wasn't entirely ready for the elder Sith's speed with a throwing knife, and to his shock he found a deep furrow had appeared along his ribs as he finished his dodge.

A furrow which threw off his timing just enough that the neck-snapping backhand blow which the dodge had disguised missed totally, catching Zereth on the collarbone and bowling him over. Je'gan withdrew to catch his breath and examine the wound.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth got back on his feet while rubbing his collar bone while keeping an eye on Je'gan. He knew that Je'gan might just be pretending to check the would but really be waiting for Zereth to attack

He decided to stay back and wait for Je'gan to move again with his sword held defencivly in both hands.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He was bleeding but not seriously. His range of motion wasn't impaired very much, either, most movements involving the torso producing what amounted to a minor twinge.

Very well, then.

The throwing knife flew to Je'gan's belt beside it's partner. He let it dip a little on the way, and when he moved it was a bit slower than he really could have. The plan, naturally, was to take advantage of that wound. The throwing knife was pretty bloody, on top of which the rain had washed a lot of it off. There was no way for Zereth to tell how much damage he'd sustained.

Although it would weaken his physical enhancement, he decided to cast a pain-suppression technique, and sighed as the wound left off screaming at him. Lancer would undoubtedly catch the edges of the technique, enough to tell that Je'gan was in pain enough that he couldn't focus - the knife's erratic flight going towards that belief. It would have been nice to cast a true duplicity-cloak, but with his Force powers going to physical enhancement and pain-suppression, the best Je'gan could do to hide his true intentions was to school both face and mind into a state of simple, untainted anger in synch with the pain reducer.

The total picture was one of Je'gan, injured enough to need the pain suppressed, distracted enough to lose control of his Force abilities. His physical enhancement had gone down a notch to fuel the suppression, making him slower than Zereth.

He advanced, making little feints with his weapons, until his killzone overlapped with Lancer's.

And as the fight began, he cut the pain-suppressor and diverted everything to physical enhancement. A jigsawing strike erupted from his rapier, multiple disengages making it easy to meet any attempt at blocking. Certainly he was moving fast enough that Zereth couldn't simply jump back out of the way; if he did so, Je'gan would follow, and would be on him before he regained the tiny bit of balance lost in the step. If Zereth ducked otherwise, then Je'gan would move in with the dirk, his thumb on the tiny, flush-set and seamless button that would turn the weapon into a miniature neuronic whip. If Zereth went low, Je'gan would go high, leaping above the strike and blasting down with Teras Kasi kicks, weapons and focused Force strikes.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth saw his oppenent closing in. He sighted his other Katana laying on the ground behind Je'gan. Force assisted the blade shot forward toward Je'gan but Zereth had no time to aim it at anything other then towards Je'gan's body

As Je'gan's blades moved in Zereth used the force to boost himself into the air and above Je'gan's head. He pulled out the last of his throwing knifes and threw it strait down at the boys head then he held his sword low and ready to block whatever Je'gan was going to do next.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Unerring, his danger-sense flared; Je'gan threw himself onto his back as the katana whistled overhead. A flick of the rapier's blade sent the throwing knife zinging off into the darkness. A second, backhanded, knocked the blue katana off to the side.

Zereth landed on top of him a moment later, even as Je'gan empowered the dirk-

And stabbed his rival with maximum Force-enhancement in the hamstrings, just above the top of Zereth's boot. Even if he'd missed that tendon, contact alone sent an unending, debilitating pain throughout the older Sith's nervous system.

And as the pain shattered the last of Zereth's shields, Je'gan wrapped his mental influence around the other man's pain centres and hit him with everything - everything - he possibly could.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth clenched his teeth as the blade cut through his flesh. The pain cuased him to fall to his knees ontop of Je'gan but then the pain increased. He grabed his head in his hands and screamed as the pain burned through out his body causing him to drop his Katana

He managed to gain control again for a moment as his hand reached down and pulled out his short sword. He Brought the blade down toward the falled form of his Oppenent.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan held the dirk in place grimly, but dropped the rapier; at these ranges it was useless. He used his freed right hand to catch Zereth's as the shortsword began to enter his body. The pain was bad, but for someone who was used to catastrophic events - getting struck by Masters' lightning, getting half his body crushed, et cetera - it was nothing special. The sword stopped with barely an inch of blade inside his body, and then Je'gan forced it back out with Zereth's fist in a bone-crushing grip.

Zereth's other hand was free: he didn't intend to let the older man have time to use it. He headbutted the apprentice full in the face.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth fell backwards onto his back after Je'gan's head had connected with his, His vision was a little blury at the moment but he wasnt going to let his guard down

He kicked his feet toward Je'gan's body but he didn'r really aim because he could't see all to well.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

A slight gasp escaped his lips as Zereth's boot thudded solidly into his crotch, digging the edges of the armour there painfully into his skin. He too fell away, the dirk ripping nastily as it came out of Zereth's knee sideways. The neuronic whip had accompished its purpose and was no longer necessary, on top of which the handle was pulsing faintly: its charge was almost gone. He shut it off, retreated while Zereth was still on the ground, and redoubled his assault on the older Sith's pain centres. As far as pain levels went, he knew he could easily match the neuronic whip, which after all was useless if it made its target faint. Je'gan had no such scruples. At these power levels, syncope would occur in a matter of seconds. Even now, Zereth should be beginning to lose consciousness, and one or more of his pores would actually begin to bleed, so massive was the pain he was absorbing.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth clenched his teeth but let out no scream or sound of pain. the pores along his arm opened up and blood driped from them "Is thi...s the on....ly wa.....y y...ou can figh...t b..o...y" He said as the pain increased

He fell onto his side as he started to lose consciousnes. His short sword still layed in his right hand and since it was made of light metal Zereth knew it was his only chance

He threw the weapon at Je'gan hoping it would put a stop to the pain. fly true my blade he thought as the edge of his vision grew darker.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"No, it's just the most fun."

The pain ceased utterly as Je'gan snagged the sword from the air.

"Up for barehanded, apprentice? No weapons, no Force?"

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth struggled to his feet, he was slow from the lost of blood and the mind attacks. He looked around, his weapons where everywhere and he didn't have any weapons left on him

"Might aswell seeing I'm unarmed now" He raised his arms slowly infront if himself ready to block Je'gan's next attack.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan replaced his weapons at his belt and moved in with a snapping backfist feint for the head, coupled with a roundhouse kick for the hip. Either was a nasty move, the backfist because of its speed and the kick because the backfist effectively kept it out of Zereth's field of view. If both attacks were detected or avoided, Je'gan would move in with a series of nasty reverse punches to the chest and stomach.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth dodged the fist but was too slow to even see the second attack coming, the foot hit him in the chest and he fell down backwards. He blindly got to his feet and charged att Je'gan throwing Horizontal kick that would be followed by an uppercut after it hit or missed.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

The Sith Knight dodged neatly to the side, catching the edge of the kick along his abdomen and hearing the cloth of his gi tear. The uppercut shouldn't really have gotten through, but he managed to underestimate his wounded opponent's ability to overcome a debilitating knee injury and took the blow full-on.

He staggered back and spit a mist of blood in Zereth's face, then swirled into a low, spinning sweep that should take the Apprentice in his injured knee, and hopefull cripple it altogether.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth saw the kick coming and used the force to pull the leg that Je'gan was standing with out from under him, He moved backwards to regain some ground.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

At the last moment, he hyperextended the kick as he fell and hooked Zereth's injured knee out from under him. He rolled away, coming to his feet and entering a fluid, mobile stance.

"C'mon, then." His vocal chords felt rough despite the lack of use he'd put them to.

"C'mon..."

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth Painfuly got to jhis feet again. His knee would was bleeding bladly but he had nothing on him to help stop the blood flow

He faced Je'gan and took a few painful steps toward the boy. though his body was heavily injured he still had other tricks. He used the force to push at Je'gan's legs from behind which would knock him to the ground and then he used the force to pull the boy toward him

If it all worked out he was going to punch the boy as he came towards him and hopefuly gain a little ground in this fight.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Ah, ah, ah...no Force..."

Nevertheless, instead of diverting the strikes, Je'gan added his own twist to the pair of Force manipulations.

He jumped.

And as he flew towards Zereth, spinning a kick to knock him over, the shortsword came to his grasp and the ninja found himself on the ground, offered the option of taking a last swing at the Sith Knight and being decaptitated, or just surrendering.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth looked at the blade in Je'gan's hand "You never specified if we could use powers or not" He said as his left eye twitched a bit "And to think I trusted you enough for you to stick to unarmed fighting. Your even lower then I thought"

He played it cool knowing tghe Je'gan could end him anytime but in Zereth's mind surrendering was worse then losing your life. He thought quickly My wrist braclets are made of thick metal and might be enough to stop the sword and since He dosn't have enough room to swing strongly it may be enough.......but do I want to risk it

sweat beaded down his forehead he knew that if he didn't do something fast Je'gan would end him there and then "I....surrender" He said at last

Just as Je'gan might of thought it was over Zereth threw a force blast at his face throwing it backwards and he rolled away from the boy and got painfuly to his feet "I guess....y..ou win this ....round."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan turned the fall into a roll backwards, regaining his feet with ease. He resheathed the sword.

"You're wrong,' he said calmly. "I said 'no weapons, no Force.' You used the Force, so I felt no compunction about using a weapon. An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth. It's that simple."

He took a slow breath and let it out.

"Besides which, I'm capable of a great deal more Force-wise. If we'd been using powers the whole time, you would most certainly be dead by now.

"I don't want 'this round', Zereth. A rivalry between us is divisive to TSO.

"One way or another, this ends today. Either we become the most trusted allies...or one of us gets hurt.

"And it's completely and utterly your choice."

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth looked down at his bleeding body "One of us has already gotten hurt" He said falling to one knee, blood was forming a puddle around him "As for an alliance, I don't know if there could ever be one between us."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"And I don't see why not. Let's look at this rationally. I've got my issues, you've got yours. I agree not to treat you like an inferior, and you do my best not to see me as a child."

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth didn't want anything to do with this boy but he knew in his heart he might need Je'gan's help someday and if he dosn't make this "Alliance now he might lose the help he might need. "Very well" He said at last.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan's head dipped once in a half-bow.

"Thank you," he said simply. "And for what it's worth, I don't see you as an inferior anymore."

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth held his hand against his cut chest as he tryed a to bow but could only manage half of one "Is there anything else you want?" He ask hoping there wasnt.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"No."

Je'gan picked up his cloak and donned it, pulling out a synthflesh dispenser. He held it up for a moment, checking that it was full, before tossing it to Zereth.

"I lied about my danger-sense not picking you up, by the way. This was in case one of us got hurt.

"Zereth Lancer, it would be my honour to finish your training and, as soon as possible, advance you to the rank of Sith Knight."

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth was suprised. How could this person he had just tried to kill want to be so nice ot him "That would be nice but I think there are a few things I must take care of before you take me on as you apprentice" He said hoping this would not make Je'gan angry or upset.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Like...Salem Ave?"

It was a guess only, based on what little he knew of Lancer's life, but he thought he might be right, at least partially.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth shook his head "No. I have accepted that I have no chance against the darkside unless I have proper training. what I need to do is talk with a freind of mine and then I will return."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Understandable."

He repressed the urge to try to help Zereth further. To do so would have only insulted the enigmatic ninja.

"So be it, Zereth Lancer. To the Order."

The Sith Knight raised an imaginary glass and halted raindrops in it, creating a little puddle of water to hover between his fingers. He drank the toast, smiled-

And disappeared.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth stood there for a few more seconds before laying the synthflesh dispenser down on the roof top. "I've never needed one of these before and I shouldn't need one now" He said to himself as he slowly retreived his weapons, he turned around and took the ladder on the side of the building down to the street

He walked for a short while before stoping in the middle of the street, He fell face first to the ground. He layed there for a few minutes until the sound of a vehicle could be heard approuching, it was a coty watch patrol vehincle

It stoped infront of Zereth and two city watch officers hoped and and wan over to him "This man needs emergency help right away" One of them said as they lifted Zereth up and moved him into patrol car

a few hours later the weak body off Zereth lancer was still in the emergency room being stiched back together by the trained hands of the doctors at the hospital but they where not alone. A dark figure watched through the window in the emergency room "So i've found you at last Zereth" The man said as he watched

A few days later a doctor entered the room they were keeping the mystery man in. The doctor looked the sleeping patient over for a moment before turning to go out. Zereth's eyes flew open as he jumped out of the bed and grabed the doctor's head from behind. He twisted and it until there was a cracking noice and the late doctor's body fell to the floor

After taking the medical equipment off his body he walked out of the room with the doctor white coat on. He stoped a passing nurse "Could you please tell me where they keep the thing that come in on patients?" He asked "on floor B next to the operating room" He said nicely and He went on his way

He soon had all his equipment and was heading out the door when He heard a voice over the hospital intercom saying "Attention, attention, Doctor Moniskan has been murdered, A man with long black hair has escaped from his room, please find this man and bring him back"

Zereth quickened his pace and was soon out the door and into the street. He was soon on a transport heading for a special planet where he hadn't been for a few years.