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THE SET-UP: As the Second Battle for Meja'tsid rages in the near distance, Wraith and Ker'Raos have been fighting to take control of an artillery train coming to the support of the same Royal forces that Dak is trying to dispose of. If that train reaches Meja'Tsid under Royal control, it seriously endangers Dak and his men. But Wraith and Ker are doing well! However, Wraith hits a snag when his ally is incapacitated by the Princess Ditari and then engaged in a lightsaber duel...

HOW THIS WORKS: It has been some time since Wraith participated in a duel... so here is a reminder of how it works in the new system!

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:

Wraith is not a dedicated swordsman, but he certainly has skill for it. He knows nothing of Princess Ditari's style, unfortunately, so he will have to learn mid-duel what she is capable of.

Wraith- pick your first six moves.

Oh geez.

Wraith will take three Dexterity, three Agility.

What is Ker'Raos doing?

He is trying to free himself from the ice.

Not too shabby, for Wraith:

Weak Agility
Weak Agility
Normal Agility
Strong Dexterity
Strong Dexterity
Weak Dexterity

-

Ditari immediately steps back after your initial strike against her and her valiant statement. This fight makes you nervous; it has been awhile, possibly since Zeiton, since you were engaged in a lightsaber duel. Additionally, Ditari is heir to the title of Queen-Mother. She is likely no slouch with the Force. But something about that lightsaber...

No time. The opportunity is now.

-

Score:

Wraith- 0

Ditari- 0

Wraith to attack.

Wraith brings his lightsaber back up after his first attack, realizing that his opponent is more deadly than he first realized.

"Ah, Royalty," Wraith says, his voice filtering through the cybernetic box. "This is not the first time I have gone up against you. I imprisoned your brother, and you will be next."

He starts off things by jumping up and kicking off a console at the front of the train, giving him speed and power as he comes down on Ditari from above.

(Normal Agility)

She plays a Strong Agility for a score of 14, evenly meeting your own 14.

Wraith lunges again, as he just did in his first attempt to kill Ditari outright. The Arnian leaps backyard and kicks off of a handrail herself, which you slice straight through (the metal emitting a loud crack as it heats and warps in the cold train). She lands behind you, but you quickly turn and fend off her blow.

It is a draw, and the point goes to attacker.

-

Score:

Wraith- 1

Ditari- 0

Ditari to attack.


The Princess does not let the bad opening worry her, and performs another attack as she flips forward into you with her blade.

Wraith will play Weak Dexterity in response to Princess Ditari's acrobatics.

"Ah, I can see already that I have the greater skill," Wraith says as he performs a one-handed parry of the incoming strike, slipping to one side and adopting a classical defense- something he picked up from Kuylen, a long time ago.

He then presses home with a jab to put her on the defensive.

Update my duel!

A smart decision on Wraith's part to play a Weak Dexterity- it beats her Strong Agility by a fair margin. His mildly superior technique allows Wraith to catch the whirling blows that she throws herself into, before shooting a response back her way. She breaks off her attack to flip to one side herself, giving way to a brief moment of tense circling...

-

Score:

Wraith- 2

Ditari- 0

Wraith to attack.

"Arrogance will be your undoing," Ditari spits.

Wraith breaks the circling by coming forward with a series of one-handed slashes meant to test her defenses, snapping to the left and to the right. He aims a slash at her face before actually going for a true attack, trying to skewer her on his blade.

(Strong Dexterity!)

Ditari and Wraith clash as they both play Strong Dexterity... which Wraith takes by a point (15 to 16) due to more experience with a lightsaber. She manages to keep up with his slashes then fails to realize that Wraith is merely testing her when he goes for the killer blow. She snaps your blade aside only barely and pushes you back with the Force to give her some room.

-

Score:

Wraith- 3

Ditari- 0

Ditari to attack.

Not wanting to challenge Wraith's classical stance, she tries to work around his guard by maneuvering around him, hopping nimbly over obstacles before snapping a slash at his side.

Wraith gives her no reason to believe that his classical stance can be challenged. When she goes for his side, he whirls around with a well-timed block, spending almost no effort in doing so. Another Kuylen trick- conserve energy by using little and wasting none in defense. He keeps this going, though he dares to be a little flashy, catching some of her attacks behind his back or over his head by ducking.

(Strong Dexterity)

It is her misfortune to play a Weak Agility against Wraith's sturdy defensive stance. She tries her best to sneak around your guard with blows similar to the first, but nothing gets through and she is wearing herself out...

-

Score:

Wraith- 4

Ditari- 0

Wraith to attack. Match point.

Wraith grows confident as his opponent starts to use up her energy reserves and goes after with attacks mirroring her own, flipping around to catch her sides.

"Your technique is sloppy!" Wraith says. "Not to say my style is refined, it is not, but I have experience in this sort of thing. You never should have come against me."

(Agility Weak)

"I should say the some of you!" Ditari shouts as she then mimicks the defense you put up against her snappy slash to your side. She loses no ground as you come at her from the sides, getting the upper hand with a Dextrous play. Your lightsaber whirls and hums as you whisk it at her; she merely blocks and stands firm. Your lightsabers clash in a lock, and she throws you back with the Force once again.

"As I said," Ditari says. "Arrogant."

-

Score:

Wraith- 4

Ditari- 1

Ditari to attack. Match point.


Having thrown you back into a handrail, she comes at you with a series of quick jabs, hoping to pin you against the rail with her sword.

Wraith fends off her attacks with one hand on his lightsaber while clasping the rail and pulling himself tumbling over it to evade her blows. When she jabs and strikes only the rail, he slams his lightsaber down on it and thrusts forward to punch her solidly in the face.

(Weak Agility)

Your leap over the handrail and responding slash go according to plan; you stay out of harm's way and then force her lightsaber down and out of position. Your fist connects solidly with her face; her nose gushes blood. However, she rolls with the hit and performs a neat flip that brings her Arnian tail smacking upward against your jaw hard. You stumble back off-balance, while she quickly regains hers.

As you stumble back, you are aware that there is someone to your left. Ker'Raos has freed himself from the ice and has his lightsaber at the ready.

-

Score:

Wraith- 4

Ditari- 2

-

Choose six new moves.

Wraith will pick a Strength, two Agility, and three Dexterity.

Not a bad haul for Wraith for this set.

Normal Strength
Normal Agility
Normal Agility
Normal Dexterity
Weak Dexterity
Strong Dexterity

-

It is now two-versus-one as Ker'Raos steps up beside you. His swordsmanship is lacking when it comes to duelling.

"I am ready, Master," he says, using the title he applies to you and Kaliero both. "I can do this!"

Still, he is hesitant to make the first move. Ditari stands upon the raised area with the rest of the train's controls, whereas you are now on the lower area after jumping over the railing.

-

Score:

Wraith/Ker'Raos- 3

Ditari- 1

Wraith to attack.

-

Since you have been joined by your reinforcements, both sides lose a point to compensate.

Wraith does not look at Ker'Raos.

"Consider this a test, student," Wraith says. "Only you can decide if you will pass or fail. You know the price of failure."

Wasting no time in rejoining the fight, Wraith bounds over the railing of the raised area to confront Ditari with Ker'Raos at his side. He comes at Ditari with his sword raised in a high guard and brings it down hard against her defending saber, trying to batter her into submission.

(Normal Strength)

The two Dark Siders leap into action with Wraith coming in swinging hard. Ditari fouls your plan to batter her by actively avoiding your blade with a Strong Agility play, instead going for Ker as you lay into a control panel that explodes in a shower of sparks. She manages to slip you up with her tail as she wedges herself between you and Ker.

-

Score:

Wraith/Ker'Raos- 3

Ditari- 2

Ditari to attack, Ker'Raos to defend.

-

Ditari follows this up by pressuring your amphibious student, making a series of jabs designed to interrupt his evasive maneuvers. It is less refined than she would like- she has to keep in mind that you are behind her now- but it does the job. Her jabs undo Ker'Raos' attempt to leap over her and get back to you, leaving the two of you divided.

Agility is Ker'Raos' strong-point rather than swordsmanship at this point in his training.

-

Score:

Wraith/Ker'Raos- 3

Ditari- 3

Ker'Raos to attack.

-

Ker'Raos, realizing that he should remain unpredictable, tries to mix things up by going with a Dexterity pitch. The standard slashes he throws at Ditari are parried in kind and they appear at a stalemate until they meet in a lock. It is not a lock that tests strength but one meant to keep their blades in check.

She breaks out of it by twisting her blade free and throwing Ker into a bank of screens with the Force, turning to deal with you...

-

Score:

Wraith/Ker'Raos- 3

Ditari- 4

Ditari to attack, Wraith to defend.

Wraith becomes aggravated with how quickly this fight turned around once his student entered it. When Ditari comes for him, Wraith is already on his feet and ready. He parries whatever she throws at him with well-timed parries, not wanting to let anything slip through.

(Strong Dexterity)

Ditari flips over at you and runs along some controls- dragging her lightsaber through them as she goes- and comes down only to find you waiting. Her blows only connect with your parries and you take the punch out of her attack.

-

Score:

Wraith/Ker'Raos- 4

Ditar- 4

Wraith to attack.

Wraith grins as he brings her charging attack to a halt, meeting her blows evenly enough to discourage her. Then, he surprises her with a move of his own, jumping backward to kick off of a handrail or computer to flip over her head and land behind her, trying to stab her cleanly in the back.

(Normal Agility)

She was not expecting such a play from you as her lightsaber thrusts forward and sinks into another computer bank. She only just barely turns to meet your stab, the tip of her lightsaber brushing the tip of yours and throwing it off. The result is her being off-balance when Ker'Raos moves to support you from the side, cornering her against the controls to the train...

-

Score:

Wraith/Ker'Raos- 5

Ditari- 4

Ker'Raos to attack. Match point.

-

And then, in an instant, it is over. In a desperate moment, Ditari tries to lunge for you while whipping at the apprentice with her tail. Ker'Raos takes the opportunity by cutting it cleanly off. She screams and stumbles, impaling herself on your lightsaber.

-

Score:

Wraith/Ker'Raos- 6

Ditari- 4

Match to Wraith/Ker'Raos.

-

"This is but one victory," she gasps before dying, dropping her lightsaber as she does so.

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