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THE SET-UP: Our Jedi heroes have come to Ord Coridari to pursue the wanted Nume Rand, a former Jedi Master who has fallen to the Dark Side and is performing numerous crimes to meet his own ends... whatever they may be. After a string of tragedies has befallen Rianna and Vera-Kin- including the destruction of Ord Coridari's command structure and a massive riot throughout the city, they have finally met up with their Dark Jedi targets in the mines situated in the Great Rift, where the Sith once detonated a horrible weapon...

HOW THIS WORKS: Rianna has a very firm understanding of how this works, since there have only been minor changes from the old ways... but Vera-Kin is new to this!

Each turn, duellists exchange lightsaber blows, trying to beat their opponent's guard and score a points until that final blow is struck to win the duel. One player is made the attacker, though who the attacker is changes each round.

There are three moves you can make, based upon the three physical stats of Strength, Agility, and Dexterity. You add your rating in chosen stat and apply it to your Lightsaber score, which makes for the final score of your attack.

There are two complications- first, some moves are better than others. Strength gets a bonus against Dexterity, Dexterity against Agility, and Agility against Strength. Said bonus is worth two points. Second, your chosen move has an inbuilt extra power of +0 (Weak), +1 (Normal), or +2 (Strong).

At the start of each duel, each combatant chooses six moves, choosing no more than three of each type. The strength of each hand is randomly determined; there are more weak moves than normal, more normal than strong.

Highest score wins each turn. In the event of a draw, attacker gets the point. First to five wins, so long as they are winning by two clear points. If not, duel continues until that gap is made. Winning by more points can have worse consequences for your opponents.

ANALYSIS:

Team Jedi has skill! Rianna being a Swordsman (for now) and Vera-Kin being a Solitaire Master puts them at high marks for lightsaber. However, Vera-Kin's softened physicality works against her, as Vash and especially Arneth are in excellent shape. Vash himself is no slacker with a blade, but Arneth's style is less refined. Worst of all, Rand is not far off...


Arneth and Vash have initiated things, so Arneth goes first, moving for Rianna!


Rianna, Vera-Kin- choose your first six moves, please.

For my six, I'll go with three agility, two dexterity, one strength.

Three Agility and three Dexterity for Vera-Kin.

Few things -

I know that Arneth is the equivalent of the Athlete template (I can't recall the name). My guess, considering the fact that he likes to use guns, is that he favors Dexterity, and his Agility is likely equally high thanks to his template bonus. This fact will potentially make him a difficult opponent, since Rianna and Vera-Kin both favor Agility. So we'll have to fight smart with him.

Vash is a Corsair. No idea what his favored physical stat would be, though. We haven't really seen him fight much, though at the very start he didn't seem to be able to handle a gun well. So he's either Agility or Strength, most likely. Hopefully Strength, because then we'll have a large edge. He's definitely going to be dangerous, though, since saber fighting is as much his thing as it is Rianna's.

The first draw is a great one for Rianna, less so Vera-Kin but still good. Rianna must have more of a knack for this than poor old Vera...

Rianna

Strength (Normal)
Agility (Strong)
Agility (Weak)
Agility (Strong)
Dexterity (Strong)
Dexterity (Normal)

Vera-Kin

Agility (Strong)
Agility (Strong)
Agility (Weak)
Dexterity (Normal)
Dexterity (Weak)
Dexterity (Weak)

-

Current Score:

Rianna/Vera-Kin: 0

Arneth/Vash: 0


Arneth is attacker. Rianna is defender.

-

Arneth goes for you, Rianna, twirling his lightsaber idly before jumping in with a vicious slash.

"Let's see if you're really as good as you say," Arneth snarls.

"It's been quite a few years since the last time someone thought to test me in a duel," Rianna says, with a bit of a grim smile. She lightly sidesteps his slash, bringing up her lightsaber to catch his and angle it towards the floor and away from her.

We'll start with a bang (and hopefully not waste a great move), Agility - Strong.

(and of course Rianna has more of a knack - this is her specialty! )

He plays a Weak Dexterity. His lightsaber clashes against yours as it comes down in a refined chop, but you let it slide off your blade and into the stone floor. He grunts and withdraws as Vash moves in, but Vera-Kin is prepared for him.

-

Current Score:

Rianna/Vera-Kin: 1

Arneth/Vash: 0


Vera-Kin is attacker. Vash is defender.

Vera-Kin plays a Strong Agility.

While Arneth and Rianna clash, the diminutive Jedi Master leaps into action against Vash, flipping toward him and landing at his feet, making a slash to take out his kneecap from behind.

Vash plays a Normal Agility! Responding to your attack, Vash spins to one side and brings his lightsaber around in a tight downward arc to quickly parry your aggressive slash. He doesn't quite pull it off, only just preventing you from removing his leg, but he steps back...

-

Current Score:

Rianna/Vera-Kin: 2

Arneth/Vash: 0

Vash is attacker. Rianna is defender.


...right into Rianna, whom he swipes at with a wide swing, arms extended at full length to give himself full reach as he tries to cut Rianna in twain.

Rianna will play her other Strong Agility, leaping up over the blade and flipping over Vash entirely, landing behind him and safely away from his attack.

You leap nimbly over the blade, maybe throwing Vash a pithy line as his lightsaber comes nowhere near you. You land and spin around just as Vash does the same, but his full-turn as put him off-balance and swordplay goes in your favor...

-

Current Score:

Rianna/Vera-Kin: 3

Arneth/Vash: 0

Vera-Kin is attacker. Arneth is defender.


Seeing Vash in trouble, Arneth is attempting to lunge for Rianna and turn the duel back in Vash's favor, leaving Vera-Kin free to attack!

Taking a Strong Agility move and the opportunity to stop Arneth, Vera-Kin launches herself through the air and lands on his back, grabbing onto his shirt from behind and bringing her lightsaber down repeatedly at his head.

Originally posted by Vera21
Taking a Strong Agility move and the opportunity to stop Arneth, Vera-Kin launches herself through the air and lands on his back, grabbing onto his shirt from behind and bringing her lightsaber down repeatedly at his head.

...this is the point where Rianna loses her reputation as a humorless b!tch because that is just too hard to not laugh at.

That certainly does it! Vera-Kin latches onto Arneth's back like a leech and brings her blade down on his skull, but he snaps up a hand and intervenes by stopping her arm, then throws her off with a tumble. It is a display of Agility (he played an Agility Strong as well) as Arneth flips around and Vera-Kin follows him. But without Arneth's assistance, Vash's power blows are not hitting anything as Rianna dances around him and fends him off.

-

Current Score:

Rianna/Vera-Kin: 4

Arneth/Vash: 0

Arneth is attacker. Rianna is defender. Match point.


Despite her agility, Vera-Kin falls for a feint at fleeing by Arneth, who then backflips over and past her (clashing blades with her in midair for dramatic effect) before breaking for Rianna, poised to run her through.

Rianna will play Strong Dexterity, as she whirls around and lightly catches Arneth's blade with her own lightsaber, twirling hers in such a way as to attempt to disarm him.

Where Arneth has bested Rianna before with gunplay and brutish violence, he shows that he lacks the vision required for straight swordplay. As he goes for Rianna, she sidesteps and responds with a blow that is decidedly more lethal than intended. He is still going forward when she tries to remove his arms, and she ends up cutting him nearly in half through the chest instead.

He drops his lightsaber before stumbling into the lava river and vanishing beneath its molten waves.

-

Current Score:

Rianna/Vera-Kin: 5

Arneth/Vash: 0

Match to Rianna/Vera-Kin.

-

"No!" Vash shouts as Arneth is cut down in a ruthless Jedi victory. He waves his lightsaber jerkily at you both, trying to appear threatening despite his compromised position. He starts to back up onto the bridge spanning the gap between your side of the lava flow and where Rand is.

Speaking of Rand, the plasma drill has powered down, and Rand has disappeared into the hole beyond...

Rianna is slightly thrown off by Arneth's sudden death - she hadn't meant to use quite that powerful an attack - but doesn't let it distract her.

"He had no chance," she says, continuing after Vash. "Now. What are you and Rand doing here?"

"I'm going after my old Padawan," Vera-Kin tells Rianna. "Do not let him join up with his Master, understood?"

She is going to jump past Vash before he gets too far onto the bridge and then race ahead to the other side, wanting to hunt down Rand and stop him from whatever he is doing.

"Preparing for our final plan," Vash says, "but I'm not telling you anything more than that. Rand can tell you if he likes, but I won't."

Vash tries to swipe at Vera-Kin as she moves past him, but the small target flips overhead without difficulty and he needs to stay mindful of Rianna's presence.

"You won't make it so easily," Vash says. "You and I both know that I am no slouch with a lightsaber as Arneth was."

-

Vera-Kin, you race down the bridge as fast as your little old feet will carry you, leaving Rianna to fight Vash. Ahead, the plasma driller is steaming just inside the tunnel. Rocks have exploded and fallen to the side of the drill, having been drilled out of what appears to be a very solid rock wall and nothing more.

But Rand has vanished into the tunnel.

"Oh, I noticed," Rianna replies to Vash, angling her lightsaber towards him. "I've also noticed how I can use your strengths against you, as well as your weaknesses..."

Vera-Kin does not stop to observe the plasma drill, moving around it to enter the new tunnel that Rand used it to create. She has her lightsaber active in hand, not wanting the Dark Side Master to catch her off-guard.

"I know you're in here, Rand," Vera-Kin says. "My old Padawan, how could you have fallen so far?"

"That is true of anyone," Vash says. "We all have inherent weaknesses in every aspect of our persons. This makes you no better than I. It is all a matter of who is the better swordsman, is it not?"

-

The tunnel is dark, only lit by the glow of the lava flow behind you and the headlights of the plasma driller.

Rand laughs, somewhere ahead of you in the dark.

"Hello, my old friend," Rand snickers. "Have you come to teach me a lesson? Has your apprentice been bad? I can tell you that I, for one, am not going to listen to any preaching today. I am more powerful than you, Master Vera-Kin."

"You lack confidence, I've seen that clearly. I'm willing to bet that you haven't had much in the way of formal training, if any at all," Rianna replies. "I am young but already among the best in the Temple. And I've seen nothing from you that shows you can match my speed."

Rianna pauses for a moment and smiles, bringing her lightsaber back up into an offensive position.

"So come, then. Let's see who's better."

"Not so, Nume," Vera-Kin says, using his first name. "I believe we may be equals in power and skill, but it will be I who prevails today. Whatever you're planning, it won't work. I won't let it."

Vash's face remains cold with concentration, and he steps forward to engage you... and at the same time, as Vera-Kin stumbles into a cylindrical chamber lit dimly by torches, Rand steps out of the shadows and swipes at her with his own lightsaber!

New move sets, please!

Three Agility and three Dexterity, please!

Three Agility, two Dexterity, one Strength.

Rianna

Agility (Weak)
Agility (Strong)
Agility (Normal)
Dexterity (Normal)
Dexterity (Strong)
Dexterity (Normal)

Vera-Kin

Strength (Normal)
Agility (Normal)
Agility (Weak)
Agility (Strong)
Dexterity (Strong)
Dexterity (Normal)

-

Current Score:

Rianna: 0

Vash: 0

Vash is attacker.

Vash cautiously steps forward to test Rianna's defenses, lightly jabbing with his lightsaber to probe her. Then the real attack comes when Vash makes a horizontal slash to your left.

-

Current Score:

Vera-Kin: 0

Rand: 0

Rand is attacker.

Rand opens his attack with his lightsaber held high, bringing it down in an overhead blow that sweeps down to your height, intending to split you in half as he steps forward from the shadows and strikes.

"You have already failed, Vera!" Rand cackles. "You fell for every distraction I placed in your way. I have what I came for. Leaving Ord Coridari in shambles was just the fun part!"

Rianna quickly brings her lightsaber to her side, catching his blade on hers and forcing it up and away from her.

Strong Dexterity.

Vera-Kin will play her sole Strength move, standing her ground against Rand's slash with her lightsaber raised up to intercept before shunting him back to give her some space.

"I cannot have been only the Box," Vera-Kin says, "or you wouldn't be down here. Whatever was in it, there's something ELSE in this room."

She does not pause to look about, though, for fear of losing a limb.

Vash's blade flies in and Rianna is ready for it... but it was a feint! Vash played a Normal Agility for a score of 15. He suddenly spins on the spot and reverses his grip on his lightsaber with a stylish twirl, bringing it around to your right! But you are ready again- snapping Myraline's saber to your hand, you block his attack and deflect it upward and away, as you had planned.

-

Current Score:

Rianna: 1

Vash: 0

Rianna is attacker.


A quick exchange of blows pushes Vash back down the bridge after his failed attack.

"Impressive," Vash comments, giving some ground.

-

Rand plays a Strong Strength! His red lightsaber slams into your green one and they crackle vibrantly in this strange room of smoothed rock, deep within the mines. The sound of grinding swords echoes hauntingly down the tunnel as you try to twist your way out of the pause. The saber lock is brief, though, as Rand uses his height to weigh down onto his blade and push you back!

-

Current Score:

Vera-Kin: 0

Rand: 1

Vera-Kin is attacker.


You roll clear as his blade sinks into the cool stone where you just were.

"Clever, Vera-Kin. Yes, the Box was only part of what I wanted."

"You think that was impressive? That was nothing," Rianna responds, twirling her saber around in a butterfly move, before spinning and lashing out at Vash with a whirl of purple. Strong Agility.

"What was the rest?" Vera-Kin asks.

Vera-Kin recovers by rolling backward onto her feet, then springing up into the air to bring down her lightsaber on Rand's head.

Agility Strong!

Vash, despite being quite agile himself, made the mistake of pouring his strength into his blow with a Strong Strength. His lightsaber flickers lightly against Rianna's as she parries and presses her attack home, causing him to backstep...

-

Current Score:

Rianna: 2

Vash: 0

Vash is attacker.


...but he quickly retreats and kicks off of the bridge's railing about halfway through, carrying him toward Rianna in an overhead attack.

-

Vera-Kin jumps into the air to make up for her small size, trying to get over Rand in order to get a better shot at his head. However, Rand displays some expert swordplay that he leaned toward in his training- he prefers more of a classical style to your showy jumps and spins. He keeps his lightsaber interposed between yourself and him, disallowing you from getting your blow in and causing you to land awkwardly behind him.

-

Current Score:

Vera-Kin: 0

Rand: 2

Rand is attacker.


"Allow me to run you through and I will tell you all about my little plan," Rand says, back to you, before he turns with a lightning quick jab to your center.

Rianna ducks down under his blade, rolling away from him before hopping back to her feet. Normal Dexterity.

Vera-Kin decides to meet Rand on his own turf, swatting the jab aside and wielding her lightsaber like a rapier as they parry and jab to and fro in the moves of classical swordplay.

"I... think... NOT!" Vera-Kin says as she keeps up with his jabs and parries.

Dexterity Strong!

Rianna ducks and rolls! Which means that Vash overshoots his target and lands behind her, putting her between him and Rand's uncovered cavern. He turns to attack but she is already upon him, pressing him to go on the defensive in order to not lose ground and move away from his Master.

Current Score:

Rianna: 3

Vash: 0

Rianna is attacker.


"Was that what you were talking about?" Vash asks.

-

Clash clash clash! Each time one of you stabs in, it is solidly forced away. This exchange continues until Rand decides to cheat. You both send in a jab at the same time, causing you to both awkwardly try to deflect the other's attack, resulting in a loose lock...

A burning hot fragment of the tunnel behind you strikes you squarely in the back, as does a flurry of others. You disengage from Rand to deal with the stones that he is flinging into you with the Force, giving him the round.

-

Current Score:

Vera-Kin: 0

Rand: 3

Vera-Kin is attacker.

Rianna does not reply but instead leaps after him, making a feint towards his chest with Myraline's saber while her purple one swipes at his legs. Normal Agility.

Vera-Kin steps back and tries slashing at some of the stones with her lightsaber, but when this proves ineffectual she uses the Force to throw the stones back at Rand, redirecting them to a new target.

"You always were a sly one, Rand," Vera-Kin says as the stones whip past and head for Rand. "Even in your training, you exploited weaknesses in a way no-one dared. I trained you too well."

Vera-Kin hurls one particularly large stone at Rand, then strides in to jab her lightsaber through his leg while he is distracted with evading the stone. Dexterity Normal.

Vash does not fall for your feint; you go for his legs but he nimbly leaps over you and lands behind you, back on course to his Master. However, despite being equally agile, you simply have more experience with this sort of thing. This turn is a draw... but it goes to you as he press him further, keeping him on edge despite meeting you blow for blow.

Current Score:

Rianna: 4

Vash: 0

Vash is attacker.


"I'm better than this," Vash protests, swinging his lightsaber in a wide arc to give him some space. It is ineffectual; you are outsmarting his swordplay with every move. He aggressively strikes forward to push you back, aiming for one of your lightsaber.

-

Rand plays a Normal Agility for a score of 14, sidestepping the flung stones and cutting them out of the air. Hitting him from the front with the stones is not as effective as his sneak attack had been, but when you hurl the larger stone his way, he meets you head on. You sense a surge of dark power as he stops the stone mid-air, closes his hand into a tight fist, then opens it. The stone explodes into dozens of pieces... but his concentration has given you an opening! He backsteps into the center of the room, tripping over the crater there as he deflects your jab...

-

Current Score:

Vera-Kin: 1

Rand: 3

Rand is attacker.

"My power is no thanks to your training, Master," Rand says. "I have discovered for myself what the Sith saw in the Dark Side; far greater power than you ever showed me."

Rand nimbly steps out of the crater and tries to quickly make it around you, slashing for your side.

"I'm seeing no evidence of that," Rianna replies, twirling the lightsaber that he goes for as she hops up on the railing of the bridge and flips over Vash, blocking his way on again. Weak Agility (since it looks like he's using strength to me).

Vera-Kin decides to thwart Rand's tactic by simply showing him up in terms of agility, playing a Normal Agility and leaping over one of his swipes and over the Dark Jedi himself, doing so each time Rand tries to flank her or confront her.

"Such power is only an illusion," Vera-Kin says. "Those who choose the Dark Side are doomed from the beginning. Did I not teach you such in your days as my student?"

Rianna- with an almost casual air- takes her lightsaber out of the path of Vash's and performs a spinning jump into the air that carries her out of his immediate striking range and onto the railing. Instead of pursuing, Vash tries to take advantage of her distance to keep running down the bridge... but she leaps after him with lightsabers outstretched. He nearly gets to the end of the bridge and out of her reach before he finds that Rianna's lightsabers have pierced one of his legs, taking him down...

-

Current Score:

Rianna: 5

Vash: 0

With Rianna victorious, Vash can only crawl along the ground, her final stab coming just as he reached the end of the bridge. He claws at the dirt, his lightsaber still in hand and lit.

"MASTER!" he yelps, wincing and frantically eyeing the Jedi standing over him. He is so pitiful now that he cannot move...

-

Rand plays a Normal Agility as well, but he cannot keep up with Vera-Kin! Each time he tries to land a blow, she nimbly flips up and over, out of harm's way. Finally he relents on his tactic and wises up to Vera-Kin's, interposing his lightsaber in her jump path and snapping a push into her to allow him some space.

Vera-Kin is fighting back!

-

Current Score:

Vera-Kin: 2

Rand: 3

Vera-Kin is attacker.

"Your teachings were wrong," Rand says, simply.

"I think it's clear who the better duelist is..." Rianna says, looking down at Vash. She's going to call his lightsaber to her, deactivating it. He's out of the picture, but she's being cautious. "I'm not going to kill you, though. I would advise thinking about testifying against Rand once we leave Ord Coridari..."

With that, Rianna's going to run off down the tunnel that Rand and Vera-Kin had disappeared into!

It will be one round before Rianna joins in with Vera-Kin's duel with the dark being that started all of this... but once she does, Rand will be at a disadvantage.

Okay.

Playing a Weak Agility, since I have nothing left...

Vera-Kin goes with the impact of Rand's Force Push, letting it take her instead of fighting against it. She uses the momentum to hit the wall of the crater with her feet, then rebounds off and comes straight at him with a flying slash for his midsection, aiming to cut his ribcage open.

Vera-Kin performs a vicious flip forward, displaying perhaps some of her physical athleticism from her younger years... but Rand sidesteps and parries the effort, so that her slash connects with his lightsaber and not much else. He takes advantage of this as she rolls to her feet, using the Force to knock her off-balance and press home his attack, holding her pinned with the point of his lightsaber...

...but he pauses as Rianna enters the chamber- a dark room with smooth stone walls, a slightly bowled floor with a small crater in the center.

"Ah, so you have defeated my disciples," Rand says. "That is just the beginning to your greatness, Rianna. I see it already..."

"Shut up, Rand," Rianna says, looking around the strange chamber she had just entered. She quickly runs to Vera-Kin, her own lightsaber still out and ignited. "I'm not interested in listening to your poison..."

"I'm sure I have a poison just right for you, Rianna," Rand says, keeping Vera-Kin pinned with his lightsaber, but turning to face you. "If you would just listen. But that is not something you were ever very good at, was it? Not according to poor old Myraline. A by-the-book, scholarly Knight stuck with an impulsive, violent student..."

"I said, shut up," Rianna replies, interposing her lightsaber between Rand's and Vera-Kin. "What would you know? Myraline never would have told you anything. She could never stand you."

You are on the other side of the room from where Rand has Vera-Kin pinned.

"I did not need to be told directly," Rand says. "I was a Master, Rianna. I heard things. Do you know how often it was that Myraline doubted herself and her ability to train you? All too often, my dear. But it wasn't her failing... it was the Order's. They simply did not understand that you were not meant for Jedi training. You were meant for so much more."

Rand smirks, then looks at Vera-Kin.

"Shall I tell her more about you?" Rand says. "More about what you did after I fell to the Dark Side? After I stole that ancient tome of dreaded lore?"

Vera-Kin knows what Rand speaks of but dodges it. She is looking for a way to squeeze her way out of her compromising position, her lightsaber held aside but humming quietly in the darkness of the room.

"Whatever did you do with that old book, Rand?" Vera-Kin asks. "Was it worth snatching?"

"Not. Another. Word," Rianna hisses, crossing the room to where they are and trying very hard to control her emotions. "I don't want to hear it."

"Ah, stay where you are until you hear me out, or Vera-Kin dies," Rand says. He presses the tip of his lightsaber lightly against her robes, causing a brief curl of smoke to wisp up and away. "Do you know what Vera-Kin's position is, within the Jedi Order?"

Rianna stops in her tracks as he does this, glaring at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Not another word, Rand!" Vera-Kin says, echoing Rianna's previous command.

"Silence, wench!" Rand hisses, poking you with his lightsaber again, causing a sharp burning sensation to occur on your chest. He withdraws, returning his gaze to Rianna.

"Rianna, my dear girl... Vera-Kin has no title since it is a secretive rank, but I have since deduced what it is she does. She started after I fell, her own personal failure. Well, that didn't sit right with her. She wanted to stop it from happening to others, and told the Council thusly... and together they came up with a position for her. The position to evaluate Padawans and Knights that were proving to show troublesome emotions or habits, and inform the Council whether or not said Padawan or Knight should be retracted from active duty or training or whatever until they were made stable again..."

Rand smiles widely, showing his sharp teeth.

"And that is why Vera-Kin is with you now. I am not the reason she is here. You are."

Rianna goes pale at that, lowering her lightsaber.

"Is that true?" she asks Vera-Kin quietly. "You said that Myraline and the Council asked you along to help keep me safe from him."

Finding no advantage in lying to Rianna- and knowing that Rianna already knows some of the truth- Vera-Kin decides to come clean.

"I can explain, Rianna," Vera-Kin says. "They unofficially call it the Assessor. It is a position that is only issued with great reluctance, and I am only here to help you, Rianna. The Council was concerned. Interaction with Rand could have made you unstable... I was here to ensure that it didn't! My position requires me not to inform the Jedi in question."

"Sugar-coating the truth, are we, Master?" Rand says. "The Assessor is to objectively observe a target assigned to her by the Council and inform them whether or not they should be removed. As she says, the Assessor is issued with reluctance... meaning this is something they have been considering for some time, Rianna. Am I lying, Master? Go on, Rianna, sense if I decieve you..."

"I wouldn't be able to sense if you were lying to me or not even if I tried, Rand," Rianna says, now refusing to look at Vera-Kin entirely, feeling absolutely miserable and overwhelmingly betrayed.

"And you know why that is?" Rand asks. "Because the Jedi failed in your training. Come, Rianna..."

He offers an outstretched hand.

"Join me. I can teach you to embrace the traits that make you who you are and use them for power!"

He clenches the fist.

"All of your impulsiveness, all of your violence, everything the Jedi Order said was a negative aspect of your personality... you can cut loose. I can teach you how, Rianna. All you need to do... is kill Vera-Kin. You have killed dozens in your career as a Knight... what is one more? It will only hold significance because it will represent the day you choose to take control of your life and tread the dark path!"

He lowers his fist.

"Otherwise you can go on being broken."

"Don't you dare listen to him, Rianna," Vera-Kin says. "I am only assigned to help you, not to remove you from your service to the Republic and the Order. You are a different case, you must understand!"

"No," Rianna says, with a very decisive tone, her voice getting louder with each sentence until she's nearly shouting. "I am not going with you, Rand. I do not want anything to do with you. I am not going to give up. And I am not broken!"

Hoping that Rand is sufficiently distracted by Rianna's yelling, Vera-Kin will use the Force to knock him backwards and away so that she can get to her feet and the duel can continue...

Rand cackles as Rianna's yelling echoes along the tunnel and out into the mines.

"Yes, that's right, get angry!" Rand chuckles, "get- gah!"

With his investment in the conversation with Rianna, Rand is caught off-guard by the telekinetic shove and Vera-Kin is able to get clear of the Dark Jedi's blade. She scampers to a safe distance...

Choose your next six, ladies.

Same as last - three each of Agility and Dexterity.

Rianna has no in-between moves this time around, so she may or may not be pleased with her results...

Agility (Strong)
Agility (Strong)
Agility (Weak)
Dexterity (Weak)
Dexterity (Strong)
Dexterity (Weak)

Vera-Kin is riding the line between good and bad as well...

Strength (Weak)
Agility (Weak)
Agility (Strong)
Agility (Normal)
Dexterity (Weak)
Dexterity (Normal)


As Rianna has joined the duel, a point will be deducted from both scores to account for the change in situation. Additionally, Rand is going up against both Jedi at once! Not particularly designed for taking on multiple foes, Rand finds himself with a small penalty of -1 to his final score. However, he has a small lead on his opponents for the moment...

-

Current Score:

Vera-Kin/Rianna: 1

Rand: 3

As Vera-Kin was the one to push Rand, she is attacker.

Vera-Kin goes straight for aggressive swordplay, jumping after Rand and playing a Normal Dexterity, not wanting to be stuck in the rut that is Vera's high agility. She starts jabbing at Rand as he recovers from her push to press him and hopefully end him.

Rand predicted that you would not want to be predictable, it seems. He plays a Strong Strength. Even though he must contend with the both of you and with Strength being his weak point- as it is Vera's- he manages to adopt a very strong guard, smacking your jabs away with full sweeps that skim the ground, sparking against smooth stone. He snaps his blade into yours with surprisingly strength and knocks you away...

-

Current Score:

Vera-Kin/Rianna: 1

Rand: 4

Match point. Rand is attacker.

With his old mentor out of the way, Rand takes the opportunity to go after the oncoming Rianna, preemptively stopping her assault by running straight for her with lightsaber raised high.

Rianna raises her saber to catch his and push it to the side, while she sidesteps the other way. Strong Dexterity.

Rand plays... a Strong Agility. Rianna beats him by a full three points as she sidesteps his attack, their blades flashing against each other from violent impact. She then whirls around to attack, putting Rand on the defensive as he recovers his position after his foolhardy charge...

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Current Score:

Vera-Kin/Rianna: 2

Rand: 4

Match point. Rianna is attacker.

Rand is not so chatty now.

Rianna spins around, her saber flashing around her, before making a slashing attack towards his side. Strong Agility.

Rianna makes a flanking effort on Rand... but he plays a Strong Dexterity. Uh oh.

When your slashing attack goes in, Rand catches your blade lightly with the tip of his own, then performs a forceful flourish that twists your lightsaber around and out of your grip. You still have your second lightsaber, but it doesn't matter; one side of your defense is left open. Rand runs you through the stomach with his lightsaber.

"Your unfocused emotions make you sloppy," Rand hisses, withdrawing his lightsaber.

The duel carries on without Rianna- Rand carries no penalty as Vera-Kin rushes in to attack him. Both sides lose a point to account for the change in circumstance.

-

Current Score:

Vera-Kin: 1

Rand: 4

Rand is attacker.

Rand does not turn away from Rianna as the second Jedi comes in- he senses you well. Instead, he twirls his lightsaber and slides it under his armpit in a backwards stab, timing it so that it will spit you on his blade as you rush in...

Rianna- you have been stabbed. This is not good.

Vera-Kin leaps in, but anticipating Rand's attack, pushes her lightsaber out ahead of her so that when she lands, her lightsaber lands on his and forces it downward at an awkward angle, so that she can jump onto an unbalanced Rand and drag him to the ground.

Strong Agility!

Rianna stares at Rand momentarily in shock, before what just happened manages to register in her mind and her legs give out, causing her to fall to the ground. She tries to roll up part of her robe to hold against the wound even though she doesn't think it'll help much, and simply hopes that Vera-Kin will win this duel quickly...

Vera-Kin leaps in. Her blade lands as planned, smacking into Rand's lightsaber as she comes down. Her momentum pushes the lightsaber down, but Rand uses said momentum to spin himself about on one foot, maintaining the back-handed grip. He plays a Normal Dexterity... which trumps your move. He whirls around and, in one downward slash, leaves a rather nasty slash through your shoulder and removes a small-ish piece from your ear.

Vera-Kin stumbles and slumps sideways on the ground, her lightsaber falling out of her hand as her arm becomes useless...

We can return to the game thread.