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THE SET-UP: Dragged out to the forgotten and dangerous world of Zrik by the notorious pirate Frost, also known as the former Jedi Friste Tem, Xavier has witnessed the beginning of horrible events with the raising of the Army of Mortez, a legion of undead soldiers bound to Friste's will. There is only one way that a lone Jedi can stop the Army entirely, and that is to destroy the Key of Mortez that hangs around Friste's neck. On top of that, Friste has revealed that he is responsible for the raging voice inside of Xavier's head, using some Sith trickery to give his negative emotions voice. All of these things, Xavier intends to make Friste pay for with blood...

ANALYSIS: As far as pure skill goes, Xavier and Friste, being rivals, are on par with each other! However, despite Xavier's physical prowess, Friste matches him and goes a bit further with his show-off acrobatics.

Xavier is being driven by his rage and so acts first...

SCORE:

Friste- 0. Xavier- 0.

Xavier to attack, Friste to defend.

whistle

I thought I'd raise the suspence by not posting for a week. Did it work?

Yes it did

Xavier takes a step forward.

His death is ours

Xavier lunges with a steady thrust for Friste's abdomen.

A steady thrust does not seem to worry Friste terribly much, as instead of deflecting it he lunges towards you himself. At the last moment, before he skewers himself on your sword, he steps to the side so that he is perpendicular to you and powerfully deflects your attack with both swords, then lifts one foot up to smash you in the chest with. Once knocked back, you find yourself on the defensive as he throws out power blows, using one saber and then the other to keep up the string of strikes.

SCORE:

Xavier- 0, Friste- 1.

Friste to attack, Xavier to defend.

Friste feints an overhead attack with his blue lightsaber, then comes at you with what appears to be a clumsy strike towards your center, his hold on his lightsaber hilt slipping.

Xavier will try a new strategy. He will step in towards Friste's attack. Throwing his left hand up to block the over head attack, and his lightsaber hand to to overpower the clumsy looking attack to the side. Using that momentum he will throw Friste backwards.

Xavier pushes forward to throw Friste off-balance, but falls prey to the Dark Jedi's trickery. When your lightsaber connects with his red blade, the one that he has a seemingly faulty grip on, he uses the Force to send the lightsaber hilt spinning from his hand, around your blade. The pommel smashes across your temple unexpected before completing its twist back into his hand, and Xavier finds himself driven back, desperate to strike back.

SCORE:

Xavier- 0, Friste- 2.

Xavier to attack, Friste to defend.

"You cannot defeat me unless you embrace the Dark Side!" Friste cackles. "And even then, the Force is on my side, this day! Not yours!"

Xavier staggers a bit from the blow losing just enough of his own concentration for his other half to take over.

"NO FRISTE TEM ON THIS DAY YOU WILL BE ONE WITH THE FORCE"

Then suddenly Xavier brings the saber back over his for a clean downward strike.

Letting the more twisted half of his personality take him, Xavier suddenly feels very keenly the motions his old rival and how best to stop them. Friste brings his blue lightsaber to bear upon Xavier, the one that he used as a Jedi Knight, his grip high on the hilt with the rest of it protruding from below his palm. Without thinking, Xavier parries the swing Friste has tried, then swings and cuts cleanly through the lower half of the hilt. It sparks and splits, the blade flickering out and the charred scrap falling from Friste's hand.

The duel is now joined with hateful passion...

Draw, to attacker.

SCORE:

Xavier- 1, Friste- 2.

Friste to attack, Xavier to defend.

Friste at first seems shocked by your sudden precision, then angered at the loss of his original lightsaber, then gleeful as he senses your anger binding itself to your power.

"YES!" Friste croons. "USE the emotions you have for so long neglected! Strike me down, you mockery of a Jedi!"

He places both hands on the hilt of his curved lightsaber, whisking the red blade rapidly towards Xavier's side with great force.

Xavier pauses for a moment while gaining his own mind back. He looks at the Friste then the machinary running around him. He decides to dodge Friste's attack jumping over him and pushing off his his back landing on the nearest part of the machine.

"Friste our battle in our head will not determine yours and mine conflict. And you are more of a mockery as a Jedi then I ever was."

Xavier surprises Friste by leaping directly over him, but Friste is not caught entirely off-guard. He allows the momentum of his swing to carry him around, spinning on the heel of his boot, and nearly slashes through Xavier when he lands. Then Xavier leaps up and launches a kick at Friste that carries him away from the Dark Jedi and up onto the machinery.

Friste had the edge that round, but he seems rather perturbed by you jumping up on the machinery.

SCORE:

Xavier- 1, Friste- 3.

Xavier to attack, Friste to defend.

Xavier senses are focused. He knows that he has not yet the advantage needed to defeat Friste. Knowing this will be their last duel Xavier makes an attempt to to find something to his advantage.

"You know what your problem was Friste. You always always relied on other things to carry you through. You never trusted yourself they way we did. Whether it was your Master, Svid, or now this contraption you've never been by yourself. And just like everything else this machine will die as well."

Xavier begins to push up the machine, while using his lightsaber to slash at it.

"NO!" Friste hollers. Predictably, he leaps after you as you start to climb the massive machine, all the while planting your lightsaber as deep into its workings as you can plunge it.

This becomes a chase. If Friste wins two rounds, the duel resumes. If Xavier wins two rounds, he escapes... though more likely he will use that freedom to destroy the machine rather than flee completely.

SCORE:

Xavier- 0, Friste- 0.

Xavier to attack, Friste to defend.

The other half of Xavier decides to join in on this taunting of Friste.
YES FRISTE COME TO SAVE YOUR PATHETIC MACHINE. IT WILL DO YOU NO GOOD

He turns his head while climbing and spits on Tem's head before turning his saber and making a clean cut into the machine below his feet, raining sparks on Friste.

Friste possessing a great deal more agility than Xavier, he leaps up relatively quickly. He growls at the disrespectful gesture that Evil Xavier shows, launching up to meet the Jedi with a few light slashes. But Xavier then slashes his handhold and showers him with sparks before he can catch the runaway Jedi.

SCORE:

Xavier- 1, Friste- 0.

Friste to attack, Xavier to defend.

Friste falls a short distance when you slash through his handhold. He finds solid footing, but makes no attempt to leap after Xavier right away. Instead, he thrusts a hand upwards and sends a swath of Sith lightning crackling up after Xavier.

Xavier sees the lightning coming towards him but he doesn't panic. He doesn't have the force ability to stop but he does have his saber.

"We see you are trying new tactics, but once again Friste Tem YOU ARE A BY PRODUCT and at heart you are a failure."

He thrusts his saber into the machine as the bolts are about to reach him. He hopes his lightsaber will be able to deflect the energy into the circuitry causing still more damage.

Xavier positions his lightsaber just so, and the lightning meets it with enough force to nearly push the weapon from Xavier's hand. But Xavier maintains his firm grip and guides his lightsaber towards the machine, the lightning along with it. The green blade melts into the machinery with ease, and it begins to crackle and smoke as the lightning begins coursing into it.

Friste relents and sputters angrily but cannot pursue Xavier as a series of small explosion rip through the machinery behind Xavier, and Xavier makes it to the highest point on the machinery, amidst a series of thick pipes that arch over to form a hallway. Xavier enters here.

SCORE:

Xavier- 2, Friste- 0.


Able to take stock of the situation, Xavier looks down. The machine is still pumping precious energy into the Sith zombies, albeit at a slower pace after the damage it has sustained. The warriors have formed a circle around the Jedi, some standing back and firing old blasters, others charging into the circle to meet the Jedi in combat. Master Cabas, however, is trying his best to keep them out of the circle, dancing about and cutting them apart with one-handed blows or using the Force to knock them back.

However, some slip past him and attack Stathos, who is heatedly duelling Xorn. The two both employ the use of double-sided lightsabers, blue flashing against purple in rapid succession as one or the other tries to find a weakness in their opponent's guard.

In the end, it is Xorn that finds an opening. Stathos struggles to meet Xorn's attacks as he divides his attention between the Dark Jedi and the Sith zombies, wasting precious blows to kill the latter while remaining entirely defensive in the duel. But it is no use. One of Xorn's thrusts is not met in time, and the lightsaber pierces through Stathos' chest. The Jedi falls, leaving Cabas alone with Xorn and dozens of Friste's new minions.

Speaking of which, Friste approaches... but Xavier has time to prepare, for a single round, an ambush for his foe.

Xavier waits for Friste to get to the top. Then he plunges his lightsaber into the machine causing sparks and steam to fill the area where Friste is coming in.

While Friste is blinded running through the ambush Xavier flips into the air hoping to kick Tem into the side of temple knocking him to the side.

Friste lunges blindly through the steam and sparks of Xavier's distraction, flailing his lightsaber with two-handed blows that go nowhere, while Xavier maneuvers around to his side in the darkened tunnel of pipes at the machine's peak. Fantastically, Xavier goes after Friste and smashes one booted foot directly into Friste's temple, sending the Dark Jedi sprawling on his side. Frustrated, Friste recovers and tries to strike Xavier, but is repulsed after a series of his attacks are evaded by a dodging Xavier.

SCORE:

Xavier- 2, Friste- 3.

Friste to attack, Xavier to defend.

Seeing as his power blows are not working, Friste removes a hand from his lightsaber and tries to calculate his attacks, stabbing for your sides to draw your defense out before striking at your center.

Xavier reverses the saber in his hand and gripping it with two hands begins to push into the sideways blows using his body weight to stop the blows.

When the center attack start to come Xavier pushes into it again with both fist's hoping to derail Friste's momentum.

Though Friste is able to bring to his attacks more finesse, he is not quite able to get at Xavier with them. At first, the Padawan seems to go for Friste's effort to distract him, intercepting the blows aimed for his side solidly. However, when the center thrust comes, Xavier is more than ready; his two-handed lightsaber response breaks Friste's momentum and throws the Dark Jedi back.

"Come on, Xavier, GIVE IN!" Friste wails as you follow after him, the Dark Jedi falling back into the tunnel of pipes. "Let your anger consume you! KILL ME! You are already on the brink, just take that final leap into darkness and hatred!"

SCORE:

Xavier- 3, Friste- 3.

Xavier to attack, Friste to defend.

"IS THAT WHAT YOU REALLY WANT FRISTE!"

Xavier follows with a controlled series of precise strikes before attempting to grab Friste's arm and run him through.

Xavier continues to drive Friste backwards down the tunnel of pipes, coming towards the end. Xavier's controlled precise strikes are precisely what he needs against Friste, who has taken to spinning about with one-handed blows and deflections as he dances away from the oncoming Jedi. Then, he suddenly leaps up and kicks off of a pipe, soaring over Xavier in the narrow headroom and slashing at him. Responding calmly, Xavier deflects the attack, then reaches out and grabs Friste. He yanks him down and drives his lightsaber straight for Friste's heart- but something happens.

The Key of Mortez gets in the way and the tip of Xavier's lightsaber nearly strikes it when a surge of red energy pulses from it, coursing up the lightsaber and scorching Xavier's arm. It shocks Friste as well, and the Dark Jedi stumbles back in surprise.

Round draw, to attacker.

SCORE:

Xavier- 4, Friste- 3. Match point.

Friste to attack, Xavier to defend.

Sensing that things are not going his way, Friste once more tries to mount an attack against Xavier. Gripping his lightsaber tightly, he leaps forward and brings his lightsaber down in an attack intended to flay Xavier open from shoulder ot hip.

Xavier feels the pain in his arm momentarily.

"Nothing has changed with you Friste, you must still rely on outside help to save you."

Xavier sees Friste lunge at him and suddenly looses his focus. He raises his saber in a powerful stance and meets Friste's blow.

"BUT THIS BATTLE WILL BE DECIDED UPON OUR OWN STRENGTH AND POWER FRISTE, OF WHICH WE HAVE YOUR MEASURE AND MORE!"

Xavier meets Friste evenly as the two employ physical strength in their attacks, their lightsabers cracking briefly before rebounding off one another and coming around to crack again. But for their even meetings, Friste manages to gain an edge; he pressures Xavier into a saber lock, the blades fizzling against each other, and it quickly becomes apparent that neither will break out of it on strength alone. Friste, of course, opts to cheat; he snaps a hand forward and digs his fingers into Xavier's shoulder. There is a flash as lightning sparks from his fingers and sends Xavier recoiling in pain.

Round draw, to attacker.

SCORE:

Xavier- 4, Friste- 4.

Xavier to attack, Friste to defend.

"Hah!" Friste scoffs, letting the sparks linger on his fingers. "You cannot possibly have the power that I have! You STILL have not embraced the Dark Side..."

Xavier feels the pain drive through from the shock.

He thinks to himself that Friste has no honor. His focus gone Xavier feels everything erupt from him.

He has one strand left him but suddenly he hears the voice.

Let me finish him, let loose, his honor and glory shall be ours still.

Without thought Xavier let's his mind slip from him as his hands move on there own.

IF THIS WHAT YOU WANTED FRISTE THEN IT IS WHAT YOU GOT! OURS COMES WITHIN THOUGH, AND YOU WILL NOT EXTINGUISH IT!"

What follows next is a couple of faint, distracting strikes before Xavier sees in opening and makes a quick concise strike for Friste's gut.

Instead of going after your distracting blows, Friste leaves himself wide open prepping an attack on Xavier's side... but it is trickery yet again as Friste throws up his crackling hand to block the lightsaber slash with a brief torrent of lightning strong enough to repel the attack. He follows up by slashing for Xavier's throat, but Xavier ducks in time and the two trade blows- Xavier's timed parries and accurate strikes against Friste's stylish blows and flashy blocks. But Xavier's steadfast performance fairs better than Friste's show-offish spinning and behind-the-back parries. Seeing this, Friste slams his lightsaber down into Xavier's and uses that as leverage to propel himself up through a gap in the pipes, to the very top of the machine...

SCORE:

Xavier- 5, Friste- 4. Match point.

Friste to attack, Xavier to defend.

From above, Friste quick-draws his pistol and begins lobbing high-powered bolts in Xavier's direction, hoping to keep him on the defensive. At the same time, he hurls his lightsaber with fine control, spinning with a vicious hum as it closes on Xavier...

Xavier takes a high guard as he deflects the bolts coming at him. Then when he sees the Saber he brings his own around in an arching circle attempting to redirect around his.

He bring both sabers around and attempts to hurl them into the pipping Friste is standing on hoping to cause it to collapse.

And so Friste makes the ultimate mistake of throwing his lightsaber in a duel. Despite being preoccupied by the lethal bolts zipping towards him, Xavier feels the right time to dart out his hand and catches the hilt of Friste's lightsaber just as the weapon reaches him, before it can cut him. After a brief moment of deflecting laserfire, Xavier rolls clear and hurls the lightsabers back at the piping that Friste is standing atop of. Caught offguard by the display, Friste crashes down with the pipes as the lightsabers return to Xavier's hands...

SCORE:

Xavier- 6, Friste- 4. Match to Xavier.