Chandrila

[Xentar Kentam]

Xentar gave a slight smile at Moric's sadism. "It's not your problem, Moric Thian," he responded. "It is my own. And it's a problem I would like to remedy.

 

"I am under the impression that among the Serpents there is a tending towards unity and against internal disagreements," he said observantly. "Simply put, I wish no longer to be your enemy, but I wish to learn from you. I wish to learn from you how to manipulate the Force as you did to defeat me all that time ago.

 

"Teach me to manipulate flame as only a Serpent can. I am a willing student and would gladly put aside our differences."

[Moric Thian]

The apparent meekness exhibited by the Sith seemed only an act to the Serpent Lord. It was funny how Xentar only wanted to put aside their differences when he wanted something. Moric was however, still unconvinced not only in Xentar's seeming conversion into the Serpent ways, but also his intent with using the new power he so desires. The art of battle was was just that. It was the same as music to a musicion and building to an architect. Moric was a fighter, he lived for improvement. Not just for the damage he caused or the pain he inflicted, put for the exhibition of a science so beautiful that only a keen eye was even aware of its value. And Moric knew Xentar held no such eye. Battle for him, was only a mechnizim to cause damage and pain, like it was for all Sith.

 

"Tell me why I teach it to you. What do you plan to do with it?"

[Xentar Kentam]

OOC: Dang...Xentar was really progressing as a character a few months ago, and I sort of undid a bit of it in my last two posts. Let's see if I can get back in the spirit of things.

 

IC:

Xentar studied Moric. He did not know if Moric's own perception of the Force mirrored that of Garet Jax or Archserpent Rocketblaze, but the views of those two had been impressed upon Xentar, and now he believe what they had to say were true. So the answer he needed to give was the most honest.

 

"I wish to learn about your abilities in order to give myself perspective in combat, a means through which I can provide a decisive movement when it is the most required. One with a weapon that can never be disarmed is one that can fight with confidence, but arrogance leads only to defeat," he said. "The most overconfident are also the most certain to be humbled.

 

"Furthermore, I wish to learn from you in order to advance myself in discipline and skill. I have been learning from Masters Rocketblaze and Jax that combat is not about simply receiving the upper hand, but fighting a battle that allows the Force to appear at the most dire moments to maximum effect, not to be squandered on many useless movements but put to use in only the most effective.

 

"Being able to summon a blade of fire or otherwise manipulate flame greatly expands my ability to use the Force in such ways, and with practice I will find the ways best to use it. I cannot truly tell you what I will do with it, but I can tell you that I will begin the process of discovering that when you reveal to me the technique," he finished, his eyes thoughtful.

 

Listen to me--I'm becoming a philosopher rather than an agent of chaos, he thought with mixed feelings. If this was where his destiny would lead him, then he would not fight the current. The secrets of the Dark Side were vast and numerous, and only through wisdom could power be achieved. And, conversely, power served only to achieve further wisdom.

[Moric Thian]

I know you can't tell me what you plan to do with it, but you can show me..

 

The difference between control beliefs and that of professed were quite simple. Professed were what you one, control; how one acted. That was the problem with so many Sith. They profess a love for battle yet they swing the blades and use the Force to soley aim for the kill which leads to rushing of the technique and poor fluidity. That was the difference between going for the fight and for the kill. It was time to see which Xentar would strive for.

 

Moric's silver lightsaber shot to life accopanied by the snap-hiss filling the empy silence of the training room. "You want to truely learn the Serpent ways? Show me you derserve it."

 

Moric kept himself standing back, waiting for whatever improvements Xentar might have made.

 

((I'll let you post first. Three posts and modded ruling. Lets do dis ))

[Xentar Kentam]

Xentar Kentam allowed a brief smile to flicker over his face just as the first ray of silver light touched his countenance. It disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, however, and it was replaced by a look of one that was in such concentration that he knew that his fate was in his hands. It was somewhat spontaneous, just as this battle was. I like the way you think, Moric Thian, the tall man thought as he shrugged off his outer cloak.

 

The key to any victory was in doing the unexpected and conceiving the inconceivable. So that's what Xentar did. Rather than drawing his lightsaber, he just raised his hands in a martial artist's guard and closed the distance between him and his opponent at an unimpressive, unstealthy, uncovert way. But when he approached, he feinted bodily, then ducked backwards as a silver lightsaber blade cut through the air over his head. He wasn't physically fast enough to get a punch in before the blade was back, coming from the sky, and he sidestepped, then spun and struck with the back of his right hand on Moric's shoulder. The other human was tough and somewhat large, but Xentar was 6'7" and basically huge. The blow was adequate to check Moric's next attack.

 

Xentar took a step back and grabbed his lightsaber, as if satisfied that he had been able to land a blow with his fist before having to clash lightsaber blades. He ignited his own weapon, and the distinctive humming sound added to Moric's, complementing and adding discordance to it at the same time. It was much like the match of wits here--Xentar and Moric were growing towards idealogical unity, but they considered each other rivals and challenges due to a more subliminal aspect of their existance, even one that was partially unwilling.

 

The former Sith moved forward, not even thinking about the Dark Side of the Force. He attacked from the side, feeling the tension as the blades collided and measuring Moric's resistance. He didn't put a lot of strength into it, not looking for the brutal approach that he had slain three Jedi Knights with. No, this was a little more complicated and a little more complimented by what was a truthfully intelligent brain in Xentar's bald, uncovered head.

 

Taking a step towards Moric even as their lightsabers continue to tangle, Xentar loosened his grip on his weapon. Abruptly, he ducked forward, moving his lightsaber over his head and maintaining its location in relation to Moric's silver blade. His blade flashed with sudden speed as the new Serpent allowed the Dark Side to enhance his movements. The series of attacks was brilliant, the red blade Xentar carried a blur. It was a simple strategy, but this was early in the battle. When things got more intense, Xentar would be ready.

 

((1))

[Moric Thian]

Xentar came towards the Serpent Lord with no lightsaber, but limitless opportunities. One of the essential teachings of the Serpents was that of overdependence on weapons. Xentar at least seemed to harness that much information as he approached Moric. Looking to test the man's abilities, the Serpent Lord produced an easily avoidable slash towards the midsection of Xentar's neck. Not only was his rival able to avoid such a blow, but also countered to impede Moric's next strike. The strategy worked with success as Xentar was able to free himself from any danger.

 

"I see you've improved slightly."

 

 

Only when the crimson lightsaber sparked to life did the primordial urge within the Serpent Lord activate. It was finally time to engage in the timeless art of battle. The power to end life was now in the palm of each combatant's hand. The question wasn't who would get the win, but who would earn it. To simply swing a lightsaber was not doing justice to the Force, or even the art of battle itself. Each parry and strike with the lightsaber was a carefully practiced and predicted skill; a carefully placed crescendo in an acclaimed symphony or the steady brush stroke of a timeless painting. In battle, there were no accidents. Even in practice, the plasma beam of a lightsaber was deadly. Even though neither Serpent looked to die in this fight, that opportunity still presented itself.

 

Finally Xentar attacked drawing on the Force to propel and add that extra spurt of needed speed and precision to his strikes. Moric followed his lead, moving his lightsaber in a silver blur that weaved a pattern of defense around the man. The two blades were moving so fast that the illusion of a crimson sword poking into a silver wall began to form. The Serpent Lord started give ground, letting Xentar drive him towards the south end of the chamber. Letting the Force be his window, a small alert flashed in his mind. Suddenly, a high attack shot toward's Moric's head with plenty of power attached, too much for Moric to match.

 

The Serpent Lord immediately ducked, sending his lean muscular body to the floor. Due to the speed honed into him sense training, Moric transferred his kenotic energy into a roll. Using the solid metal floor as a makeshift springboard, Moric tumbled his way behind Xentar. The former Sith Lord's unmistakably huge stature unwillingly set limitations on Xentar that Moric did not posess. Moric shot himself to his feet using the Force to propel him into the air. Upon his connection with the ground, he sent a knee into the backside of former Sith Lord. Even without the Force, the knee provided plenty of leverage considering his entire leg was made of alchemic durosteel. The result sent Xentar crashing against the wall now only a foot away from the two combatants.

 

"Harnessing speed with a blade and speed all together are two very different things Xentar."

 

((1))

[Xentar Kentam]

Xentar beared his teeth in pain as Moric's metal leg slammed into his vertebrae, nearly knocking them out of alignment. The blow could easily have paralyzed him below the impact point, but as he recovered from the force of the impact, he found himself able to stay standing and rotate his upper body normally (though not without pain). He was a user of the Dark Side of the Force, and therefore it was this pain that fueled him, made him stronger.

 

Even as the pain shot through him, his perceptions heightened, as though a previously unnoticable but dense mist had suddenly cleared from the room. Suddenly, everything was in sharp contrast, and the most minute detail became as important as the very floor. But this perception extended beyond the physical world, for the Force was not limited by how it affected things one could see. No, the Force was a current, and etched into it was the past, the present, and the future. Perceiving the current was perceiving everything that ever had and ever would happen.

 

Xentar's view of the current was temporarily beyond anything it could have been were he not in pain, though it was hardly strong enough to show him precisely what move Moric would make, say, thirty seconds later. The future never stayed the same, he had noticed, but it changed as every instance developed. Amusingly, it was usually the Force that developed such instances, so its prophecy remained far more intact than one of the uninformed observer.

 

Using this venture into the previously unperceived, Xentar strode forward, impossibly light on his feet for a man of over 250 pounds of weight. As he neared Moric, he spun, funneling the force of the maneuver into a single devestating strike. But at the last second, after Moric had begun his parry and braced for the intense impact but before the blades actually met, Xentar reversed direction. The reversal was of such speed that Xentar felt the inertia he had created slam his brain against the inside of his skull. The effects were desirable.

 

Moric managed to evade with a quick jump, but Xentar called then again directly on the Dark Side of the Force. As Moric's jump ended, Xentar swept his legs out from under him, channeling his power with a broad stroke from his left arm. This incorporeal attack was executed in the exact fraction of a second that Xentar made further use of to take a swing with his shining red blade in his right hand, the energy sword chosing as if of its own will the pefect intercept course for the temporarily compromised Moric Thian.

 

Art, indeed.

 

((2))

[Moric Thian]

Through the haze of falling to the floor, the environment around the Serpent Master cruzed passed his field of vision in a comfortable speed of confusion. Yet the Force had a funny way of trumping even the most desperate situations. It was amazing how finite those beings that used the Force actually were. If not for its helping hand, Moric would have been cleaved in two by Xentar's shimmering red blade. Xentar's attack provided a nice window to critic Moric's skill as of now. He landed himself in a compromising position having no balance to provide a desired dodge of any kind. Through this however, the Force still operated despite the Serpent's imperfections. The key to any warrior was not the attempt at sheer domination that Sith exercised, but the wisdom in knowing one's ignorance. Only through the admittance of imperfection could anyone get even remotely close to achieving the opposite. That was why Moric fought, not to gain perfection, for that was impossible. He fought to become a true embodiment of the Force, letting its power and reverence exist through the soul of a mortal being. This was true mastery of the Force.

 

Moric however would have to rely on the faultless perfection of the Force one more time. The mystical energy field did its part to remind the man of the impending attack. Thian's blade almost moved with the very premonition that attuned his perceptions to the danger. The two blades made connection only an instant as Kentam's blade was diverted. Unfortunately for Moric, his off-balance parry left no foundation of strength to stand up to the power of the former Sith's slash. The result left a silver streak heading towards the corner of the room, falling uselessly from its master's hand.

 

The occurrence of such a disadvantage didn't even weigh in the Serpent Lord's mind. Only Jedi and Sith held such devoted attention to weapons. Moric's true skill only came from himself. Using such skill, Moric found himself landing on his back and immediately rolling not away, but towards his enemy. The physically versatile Serpent Lord slashed his legs forward using the gathering momentum to fling himself to his knees, similar to that of a break dancer. The slinging of his legs did not go without consequence however. The Serpent's metal shin slammed into the same appendage of the other Serpent. Despite steeped in muscle, even brawn could not stand to the might of durosteel.

 

Moric centered himself on his knees and delivered a painful elbow into the Sith's gut, raining a mixture of saliva and blood onto the floor below. Using the impact to his fullest advantage, Thian proceeded to flip backwards, rolling out of the range of any counter attack. He took his lightsaber back into his hands and ignited the silver blade once more. Its constant thrumming of light energy provided a direct dichotomy to the heavy breathing of each combatant.

 

"Be wary when you knock someone to floor Kentam. By doing so you minimalize your target while leaving your entire lower half defenseless. Don't worry, you'll get it eventually." A slick smile emerged on the Serpent's face as his words echoed into the oblivion of silence. His arrogant tone was placed quite intentionally hoping to entice that very same attitude lying dormant in the man standing across the room.

 

((2))

[Xentar Kentam]

As Xentar had known would be inevitable, pain was the follow-up to the well-executed and Force-aided attack he had engineered. The Force warned him of this, but he wasn't physically fast enough--even with the aid of the Force that also fought against him--to avoid the durasteel-plated leg as it slammed into his shin, again coming close to cracking the bone. Quite naturally, the pain was intense. But it was not debilitating.

 

No, the infliction of pain and damage was of no consequence here. Not to a Sith, not to a Serpent, not to any wielder of the Dark Side of the Force. Xentar specifically had spent three months in constant pain, teaching himself to remember it and live by it. He all but worshipped it, and he loved the anger it easily created, loved how it gave him focus and increased his physical and mental performance to unforseen highs. Most hated pain. Xentar reveled in it. And this was to his benefit.

 

Another blow from the opposing Serpent made Xentar cough up blood, but he noticed that as if observing it rather than experiencing it, for he didn't really notice the attack. Physical limitations just didn't matter at this point. With only a lightsaber and the Force, the former Sith Lord held his ground, sweat glistening on his face and bald head and his dark robes stained with it. It was as much a part of him as his lightsaber was, which was as much a part of him as his mind, which was empowered by the most important element of his current existance--the Dark Side.

 

Xentar was aware of Moric's taunting, and a part of his mind was temporarily amused. Last time the two had fought, it was Xentar that had taunted, and Moric had scolded him for it. Now things had changed. Xentar was different, and it seemed that Moric was, too.

 

The new Serpent Lord raised his crimson blade once again before his eyes, staring at Moric and breathing in short, controlled breaths. Eyebrows knitting in concentration, he advanced again, rotating his lightsaber around a full circle twice in his right-handed grip as he closed the distance. When he neared Moric, his blade came up and pointed towards the other Serpent's eyes and plunged forward.

 

His blade was parried to the outside and Xentar swiftly brought his hilt upwards, his hand switching into an inverse grip, his weapon inverted with Moric's own on the far side. He took a step at a forty-five degree angle past Moric and brought his lightsaber hilt down, putting its blade along the back of his arm, Moric's still caught on the far side. With an aggressive movement, Xentar flicked his wrist and forced Moric's lightsaber out wide, then darted with Force-enhanced speed towards the momentarily compromised opponent.

 

As he approached, the Force warned him that Moric's blade would get to him first. But Moric's swing was somewhat uncontrolled for the urgency of its arrival, and rather than parrying, Xentar reached up with his right hand, his own weapon traversing the gap to his left. He caught Moric's weapon at the top of its hilt. Bam! the Dark Side of the Force, at Xentar's bidding, ejected Moric from his present location through a Force push, leaving behind his lightsaber, still in Xentar's hand.

 

Now dual-wielding, Xentar looked darkly at Moric as he continue to fly, caught by an unending current. This current the former Sith maintained, intending to slam Moric into the far wall.

 

At this point, Moric would have little choice but to employ the flame blade that had caught Xentar offguard before. It wouldn't this time. It was possible that Moric would try to fight without any sort of weapon, and it was also possible that he would attempt to reobtain his silver lightsaber, now in Xentar's possession, but with Xentar dual-wielding, it would make more sense to use the flame.

 

Of course, all of this was in Xentar's mind. He couldn't truly predict what Moric would do. Only the Force would warn him when the time came.

 

((3))

[Moric Thian]

He was making such progress too..., Moric thought as his back slammed against the wall. Xentar had been able to make use of pain and even resist Moric's tauntings. But in the end the foolish pride of the Sith could not break its hold on the fleeting Serpent Lord. Moric's parry was weak and easily traversable. Xentar could have struck a second time and Moric would have no chance at stopping it with his balance and blade thrown into confusion. Yet Kentam decided to steel the silver lightsaber instead, its visage of power too consuming and attractive for the proticle Sith to resist.

 

"What makes you think possessing two weapons rather than one will make you fare any better Kentam?" Thian's head cocked to the ceiling as his patience began to run thin. In his mind, failure was much worse than not doing what one was told. Duel wielding would never grace Moric's arsenal of combat. Mobility was far too limited, a weakness Xentar just subjected himself to. It was breaking the art form, belittling it to nothing but a flashy trick. It was like Xentar took a handful of mud and threw it into a spotless and pure stream, contaminating it forever.

 

Moric shot towards his opponent as he dived into the Force for the first time on the offensive since the fight began. He let the flow of the power surround him as its reassuring glaze pushed his physical capabilities even further. He could feel the Dark Side rushing in as Moric's anger began to surface, his eyes boring into the two activated blades resting in the Sith's hands. The Serpent Lord knew he possessed the power of fifty lightsabers as he neared his opponent. It was time for Xentar to figure that out.

 

Kentam was probably expecting Moric to unleash his flame abilities; that notion being the probable driving force behind stealing the silver blade. If a listener could follow a symphony note by note however, there would be no purpose in picking up the instrument. The Serpent Lord leaped into the air taking advantage of Kentam's momentary defensive stance. Calculating his actions several seconds in advance, Moric found himself landing, throwing his position out of the line of physical site, and already manipulating the Force, its will at his disposal. An invisible wave similar to what Kentam conjured only moments ago slammed into his arm, knocking the silver blade forward out of the Kentam's grasp. It was like water streaming down a cliff as Moric poured into his next action. He spun to his left landing himself level with his opponent's side. His speed was so great it looked as if Xentar could do nothing but stand and receive the punishment Moric was about to unleash, like a child too afraid to move in fear of his father's rebuke.

 

Thian ripped a slash of his fist, streaking towards the chiseled arm of the Sith Lord. Muscle could do nothing against the raw power of the Force as Moric's fist ripped into Kentam's arm. A sickening crack resounded through the room as Xentar's arm fell to his side motionless. The Serpent Lord then attached his grasp to that very same arm almost tearing the joint out completely. He then lunged with all of his might, letting the anger accumulating through the last few seconds fuel the power and strength mounting within him. The sadistic pleasure of the moment was expressed through a smile illuminating that very idea. Xentar then found himself slamming into the nearby durosteel wall, his large stature and visible muscles leaving quite an impressive indentation that would last quite sometime. Through the taint of the Dark Side, the will of the Serpent slashed through as Moric backed away, fighting the urge to finish the fight. He would not be killing Xentar yet.

 

"You must understand Xentar, the Force equalizes all." Garet Jax's words continued to stick with Moric all these years. He constantly fought by them everyday. Even though Moric could not mach Xentar's physical strength, the Force more than made up for the gap. "By taking away my physical weapon, you've opened the door for something far worse." Moric remembered back to his days in the forest, leveling himself to something much more primitive then a man. He used no weapons, only the Force and his bare hands to remain alive. It was for a moment like this that justified that entire endeavor.

 

 

((3. I'll PM Robbie for the ruling))

[King Kheldar vos Correlli]

Making a ruling on Moric v Xentar. Well written duel, and a tough call. I believe that despite the excellent posting by both parties, that the advantage here probably goes to Moric.

[Moric Thian]

The sliver lightsaber remined silent and domant in a corner, its destructive powers diminished by the simple pressing of a switch. The blade as if shifted completley out of its state of being shot to it master's hands. It then resided against Moric Thian's waist its job fulfilled.

 

"I believe this test if over. You have proven yourself Xentar." Despite the fact that Kentam had reached for the two blades instead of the victory, Thian could not discredit the man for his performance. Not only was he able to take pain and convert it to energy, but he was also able to control his emotions and unleash them at the right time rather than flail them wildely like a dazed Sith. The first steps into the Serpent order where never taken under perfection. Moric had learned this the hard way as well, having been punished extensively for hunting down a pair of Jedi Knights just to seem them die. "Follow me to obtain what you seek."

 

The arrogant facade lavishing Moric's face throughout the duel suddenly vanished as the man made to leave the room, having fulfilled its purpose of testing the former Sith Lord. Xentar had grown substantially into something much more dangerous than a Sith. So many Sith tried to strike fear into the hearts of their prey through tauntings and general fear related tactics. Yet this plan was generally flawed in design. Sith needed to be reassured of the supremacy by the weakened facade of their opponents. The only reminder a Serpent needed of his own superiority was through the end of his lightsaber.

 

The Serpent Lord came to a halt next to the great lake surrounding the Serpent compund. The water lightly reflected the crystal blue sky adorned with ripples flowing through the empty air. Soon this tranquil seen would change quite rapidly. Moric only needed to wait for his fellow Serpent's arrival. He sat and enjoyed the peaceful scene knowing full well what he was about to do.

[Xentar Kentam]

And that was it. No clear victor, no dramatic conclusion. Just the deactivation of a lightsaber and it was over. Xentar didn't allow himself to hesitate or show confusion, though, and he deactivated his own weapon immediately after Moric's blade had finished disappearing into its hilt. He wouldn't be put off-stride by this.

 

In forethought, he had managed to keep Moric from pulling his flame blade and surprising him with it.

 

Xentar raised his eyebrows when Moric led him to a place of beautiful scenery. He immediately let himself relax and feel the Force that was in this place. It was a different way of feeling the Force, a way that didn't offer the extremely strong connection that pain and anger allowed, but it was somewhat soothing. He knew that this was the way that Jedi touched the Force, and found it interesting that he was able to do it as well.

 

He sat down when Moric did, awaiting instruction.

[Moric Thian]

"Take in the surrounds around you Xentar, because after this moment it will be hard to appreciate such things." Moric raised is head towards the sky and closed his eyes, trying to let the complete purity of this place fill him. Unfortunately, his memories spun to the first time he had learned the ability of fire. The pain and agony of that moment destroyed any respect the Serpent Lord had for nature. It was simply a formality to shape the terrain of each planet to make it suitable for organic habitation. Once Moric understood what nature was capable of, he no longer saw it for what it truely was. This was the greatest price he paid for the ability he was about to pass to his fellow Serpent.

 

"Remove your clothing and get in the water. When I tell you, I want you to put up as many Force barriers around you as you can. Absorb as much of this as possible." Moric kept the details of his particular action vague; yet he had no doubt Xentar already knew what he ment. "Let the pain and agony become you, let it fuel you and define you. Only then will you learn what I posses.

 

Moric sat by the edge of the small lake, letting his hand move about the water. Small ripples formed and dissipated in a span of only a few seconds. His heart began to beat slightly faster as he awaited the following of his simple instructions.

[Xentar Kentam]

Xentar didn't hesitate. It seemed somehow unnatural to follow instructions without question from someone that had yet to completely command his respect. Yes, Moric had defeated him in combat--twice, now. But he was no Dark Lord of the Sith, no Master at all. Xentar viewed him more on the same level as himself, so taking orders and receiving instruction from him was difficult. The urge to be stubborn rode his subconcious.

 

But he was different from how he had been. He had not been a student for some time, but he had to step down to that role if he was to rise above a Sith Lord. He was to become something the Sith would never call a Lord, but a Master, though he would not achieve that rank formally as it was. Elemental prowess was a coveted Sith power, but the Serpents knew the secret of flame well.

 

And so he obeyed Moric as he would a Master, as he would the Dark Lord of the Sith. He stripped down and entered the water, which was neither too cold nor too warm. It felt good upon his pale skin, which had seen little of sunlight beneath his covering dark robes. Ripples extended from his thick, muscular form as he waded out to a little deeper than waist deep (which was almost four feet for him).

 

When he got there, he took a deep breath in let it out, knitting his eyebrows in concentration and erecting around him a prism of the Force made up of several invisible but very tangible shields. He also shielded himself mentally, unsure of what to expect but completely willing to learn.

[Moric Thian]

Moric dipped his hand into the water below. The ripples shot forth, dissapating several meters before even reaching Xentar. The Serpent Lord removed his hand and watched for a moment as water droplets began to drip like sand falling from an hourglass. A few silent moments passed as Moric continued to stare at his hand as if mesmorized by a supernatural phenominom. He could sense the patience within Xentar begin to thin. As if breaking a mirror, Moric shot his hand towards the water, tearing the tranquil scene before him apart.

 

Flames poured into the clear liquid instantly heating its contents to a boil. The temperature of the water shot upward like a thermamator set to record the sun. The Serpent sent his other hand straight at Xentar and unleashed another barrage of flames. The tendrils of fire proceeded to lick all over Xentar's body, teasing him like a playful seducedtriss. A few moments passed before Moric unleashed the intensity of both his palms, letting the manifastation of the Force pour from him like water from a pitcher. The sheer heat compoused in the body of water caused the ripples to turn red as the tranquil effect burned. The air around lake began to sizzle, waves of heat almost visible to the naked eye. If it had not been for Xentar's Force preparations, he would have been dead.

 

The Serpent Lord released his anger and focus as the last of the fire shot from his hand. It continued to surround Xentar, trying to tear his skin of with its headed scorn. The situation was quite simple. If Xentar abosrbed enough heat, his state of being would simply change. The Force would work to consume the raw heat until its signature took on that identity. If Xentar failed however, he would remain nothing more than a pile of ashes hidden beneath the makeshift hell consuming him.

[Xentar Kentam]

Xentar's fists clenched so tight that the veins all but sprung through the skin. His eyes were squeezed shut with almost the same intensity and he focused on what was going on around him. He had been thrust into a raging inferno, a swirling vortex of infinite rage and power. Around him he maintained with all his concentration shields of Force, his only counter to what had been unleashed upon him.

 

The water around him boiled, but there was a clear ring around him in which it did not. The intense heat blistered his skin, threatening to break his concentration with the more sensitive parts of his body reacting the most violently. His attention was drawn to skin just beneath his eyes, his armpits and the backs of his knees, the insides of his legs as they reached his abdomen and various other places he couldn't count.

 

Although his eyes were shut, the light burned through them, their protection inadequate. The water continued to heat up, but through it all his shields only strengthened. Suddenly, abruptly, something caught his ire, some rogue, unwanted thought, and one of his shields collapsed. The fire raged through onto his skin. But there it did not ravage flesh, but instead was absorbed, assimilated into his muscles. The Force swelled within Xentar and he smiled.

 

His Force shields collapsed altogether and the inferno rushed in upon him. Had he been wearing clothes, they would have been blasted away. His blistered skin blistered no more. Fire everywhere entered him, drawn in by the power that was amplified by its presence. Such destruction there was in this flame, so furious was the power of nature, and yet how much it amplified the Force!

 

Force was a thing of nature, but it wasn't just of nature's goodness and life. It also embodied nature's fury, nature's judgement, and nature's impeccable, unending and all-seeing wrath. It was omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, and it was cruel. Cruelty was power. But even the full power of nature did not overcome Xentar Kentam. No, it made him stronger, for with the might of nature itself he absorbed it. With the might of the Force.

 

If this was hell, then Xentar was Lucifer, for he had mastered it. If nature was this cruel at heart, then Xentar loved it more than he thought possible. As Moric had suggested, he was changed by this experience. But he was changed positively, for he finally had the perception to see that the Dark Side of the Force was the True Side of the Force, and the Light Side was but an aspect that viewed a waterfall for its beauty and not its sundering force and a colorful frog for its showmanship rather than the deadly poison it undoubtedly secreted. There was cruelty everywhere, and now Xentar had seen it. He had felt it. He mastered it. He loved it.

 

Pain.

 

Fire.

 

Heat.

 

Cruelty.

 

Love.

[Moric Thian]

Moric stood up, the simple heat surrounding him was enough to almost blind his vision. If he had not been immune to its effects, that was probably what was going to happen. "I see you have survived." Moric turned his head and faced the dead grass surrounding him. "My power is yours." Thian shook his head, keeping his eyes pinned on the clear blue sky. He took heart in that fact that no matter what damage he could unleash, what carnage he could manifest, and what destruction he could cause, he could never taint the purity of that sky. The only thing he knew was the day he could, was the day he no longer derserved to live.

 

The Serpent Lord's mind turned to the current situation of the order. The organization was stricken with the disease of inactivity. There was nothing left of it. "So what is your plan now Xentar?"

[Xentar Kentam]

Xentar relaxed himself for a moment. The fire was gone. The heat was no more. His skin was blistered and burned in a few places, but not destroyed or charred. Furthermore, he was not dead. He was in pain, but not dead. In all actuality, he felt better than he had in a very long time. He felt really good.

 

Breathing deeply, he regarded Moric Thian. "My plan, Moric Thian, is to receive bacta treatment. After that, I will explore the affinity that has become mine and begin a long process of training myself in its use. If you should like to do so, you can help me in that quest.

 

"But you can not help me get bacta. So I will leave you," he said, walking towards the edge of the pool. The extent of his burns ended at the water line. Below his waist was a different sort of injury--that that boiling water makes, still a blistering burn but of a different consistency. He picked up his clothes and headed into the compound.

 

A moment later, the incredible healing agent called bacta was working itself into his skin, regenerating cells and restoring his nervous system.

[Moric Thian]

After a few hours of passing, Moric Thian made his way into the bacta chamber. Any soothing attempt by the other Serpent Lord was shattered as Thian made his prensece quite known with a loud voice. "Xentar! When you are ready, I need to speak with you." The simple sentence was enough to accompany Moric's exit. He knew Xentar would be at his heels momentarily. The Serpent Lord need a good conversation to follow.

 

 

((Short post I know, but I have class in five minutes))

[Xentar Kentam]

Ahhhh...

 

Xentar Kentam was sore. All over his body. Especially in his biceps, back, shoulders, neck, legs, and all the other muscles that he regularly used. And especially everywhere else, too. Basically, there was not a muscle in his body that was not sore. Even his heart was sore.

 

But he was back. He felt Chandrillan soil beneath his feet, and was glad that he was in some place he could identify. He had been through the most curious set of events--a trans-galactic and extra-dimensional Tournament of Legends, beings assembled from all times and races and worlds to do combat with each other, that one team of two would be found the greatest of them all.

 

His heart was sore because he and Moric had come in third place, and not first. Yes, they had conquered many opponents, and they had done it well. They were true warriors, the masters of the Serpent Order. They had conquered many in the name of the Dark Side.

 

And now he was back on Chandrila, back where he had been before it all began. However, although nothing seemed to have changed in his absence, he had. He was stronger, more in tune with the Force, and more confident in his abilities, while having been cautioned not to rely on the Force too heavily in a very tangible way against his last opponents.

 

Whatever way he had gotten back to Chandrila, so had Moric. The big former Sith looked at the shorter Serpent. "It's a big universe," he said. "In it, there is much to be done."

[Moric Thian]

Water was everywhere, surrounding him. He remembered a massive golemn made completely from stone morphed from an ivory tower. Suddenly now, herolded by a flash of light, he could not breathe. His instincts took over causing his muscles to spasm in a blind rush for survival. He kicked and lashed forward, desperately fighting against the currents forcing him down below.

 

With surge of the Force, the energy field coming to him as if filling his parched mouth with life giving water, he launched Force wave towards his bottum. His sense of direction was discoordinated and his vission unreliable. When it came to life and death, neither of those things mattered. What truly would determine his survival was his desire. True dependance on the Force was weakness, who could fight with a crutch large. No, the Force was a deadly weapon, yet the warrior truly formed the threat. This surly was the case as Moric Thian surfaced, droplets of water splashing forth in all directions.

 

He landed with a thud inches away from Xentar. The smaller yet more experienced Serpent got to his feat, his body ravaged by war. Yet despite all that he was home, surrounded by the lush forrest and clear air of Chandrila. Even though his love of battle and rage for war defined him, the sweet aroma of piece was certainly welcome.

 

"Work to be done indeed. How long have we been gone?"

[Xentar Kentam]

Xentar furrowed his eyebrows, sniffed the air, and stretched a few times, trying to work out some of his aches and pains. "It's difficult to say," the former Sith said in his deep voice. He gave the terrain around him a good look. It didn't take him long to notice the Serpent base some one hundred yards away. "But that shouldn't be too hard to figure out."

 

He started to walk toward the base and his muscles protested. He didn't slow, instead enjoying the staunch resistance that his body offered. The pain was invigorating, and he suddenly felt as though he had plunged his face into cold water immediately after waking up from a long sleep. His long strides seemed raw, his posture a little stiff, but he enjoyed it.

 

The Serpent crossed the hundred yards and entered the base, which, according to the Force as he stretched out his sphere of influence, was empty of life. There had once been other Serpents, but as of now, he and Moric were all that was left of the faction of Dark Siders. At least, all that were here. Without knowing how long they had been gone, it was difficult to tell anything.

 

Xentar reached a computer and logged in, quickly noting the date. It had been a while. Longer than he had thought.

 

He accessed galactic news and froze.

[Moric Thian]

Frozen was an understatement. Moric stopped breathing, devoting all his concentration to the holo-vidas he read. Corellia was now nothing but rock and dirt. Thian stretched out with the Force for a moment as if testing the wind. It didn't take long for him to realize the death permeating through the energy field. The galaxy was at war.

 

Memories and images from the tournament played through his mind, of the pain and victories and the crushing defeat. Yet here he was now, reveling in a new sense of ferocity and strength. As he improved and flourished however, the galaxy and those who lived in it deteriorated. What was to be done? It seemed both Jedi and Sith fell victim to the threat, these machine creatures. Certainly the galaxy would be a better place with those two perverted sects demolished forever. Why not just sit and wait while the Arch'tar destroyed the cancer of the galaxy.

 

The opportunity for battle, for war, for the taste of blood never amounted to such a time as this. War created legends, created the fierce warriors who dominated the history books. How could he pass up the chance to swing at that giant? Despite the neutrality of the Serpent in politics, the beast to never sit out when fighting was to be done.

 

”œXentar, something must be done.”

[Xentar Kentam]

Xentar allowed a slight smile to crawl onto his features. The Force was in turmoil and the galaxy in peril, but this was no time to crawl into a burrow and hide, but to emerge a conqueror in the name of the Serpent Order. Many rough times awaited them, but they were the almost-champions of an interplanar Tournament of Legends, and they were not ones to be stopped easily.

 

The former Sith nodded. "The Arach'tar may have destroyed one of the major civilizations of the galaxy, but from the smallest of orders will come two men that will not go down so easily," he said confidently. "We must find these Arach'tar, so that they may fear the Serpent Order and the Force we serve.

 

"But first there is an issue we must attend to, you and I," he said in his deep voice. "We are all that is left of the Serpent Order, the only two that bear its standard. We learned much and slew many in the great Tournament we finally left. Although no masters await us here to see us raised to that rank, I think we have earned as much."

 

Xentar gazed sternly at the shorter, powerfully-built man. Moric was his senior in the Serpent Order, though they had studied the Dark Side for a similar amount of time. It would be he that took the symbolic step that Xentar sought.

[Moric Thian]

Moric nodded as Xentar spoke, keeping his eyes focused on the distance. The larger man was correct. It would be a stretch for most Jedi or Sith Masters to accomplish what had been done by the Serpent order at the tournament. As a result, the two warriors proved to be worthy of the ranking.

 

”œFrom this day forward,”

[Xentar Kentam]

"I do, Archserpent," Xentar said with a respectful bow of his head. He would accept his place, and he knew that it was where Moric had now placed it. Immediately, with the knowledge that he was a Serpent Master, Xentar felt as though extra power flooded through his veins, though he had not in truth changed but in mind.

 

The title was just that--a title--and meant very little to his actual prowess. But it was empowering, the final goal of any Force adept. He was a Serpent Master, a Dark Lord capable of untold feats of the Dark Side. The magnitude of his achievable power was limitless, and his potential resembled infinity.

 

I will bear this title to infinity and beyond!

 

Anticlimatically, he then said, "Now what?"

[Menthu]

This had been the closest sector with in reason, after his hellish trip out of a supernova. His ship, bulk as it was, still made for a decent decent through the atmosphere as he looked for some place to refuel and get his bearings.

 

He bristled in the force, not with anger like he usually did, but instead out of resentment and resolved, perhaps understanding. Something surley had changed deep with in him, or perhaps it owuld be better to say, he had become aligned with something deep inside of him. Some old ancient purpose or idea, maybe even as old as time itself had awaken a spark deep inside of him. Channging him from the brutal merc he was back into an aspiring weapon. Seeking to master that which what he had been gifted with.

 

Pulling into an old refuling pad, he grabbed his blaster and slipped his knife in his boot before emerging outward. He had figured he would be able to get free fuel if he hit abandoned places, though chances were it would be all used up. Waving his blaster about, he hooked up an old fuel tank to his ship, after being quite suprised to find some juice in there and began to pump, leaning against his ship as most wary shapcers tended to. With his arms folded and blaster seemingly pointed at nothing but the ceiling.

[Moric Thian]

The Archserpent thought for a moment as his eyes scanned the clear blue sky sluggishly. The immanent threat of the Arach'tar certainly demanded their attention of not action. Yet at this point the Serpents, despite their power as individual warriors, held very little sway within the galaxy on a holistic scale. In order for them to truly make a dent in the legends of history, they would need to align themselves behind a much bigger creature. A symbiotic relationship in its truest sense.

 

Before Moric could ponder further, a small imprint of the Force carried through the currents of Chandrila. The planet was a lush forest word sprinkled with fresh bodies of water and a warm but not hot climate. Its location within the outer rim made it an unfortunately place to dwell given its distance from other more prominent dwellings in the galaxy. Certain tribes and villages did exist however, living peacefully outside the reach of the Empire and the Alliance and their continuous squabble for power.

 

Given that information, it was an odd happenstance for a Force adapt individual to land so close to the Serpent compound, which lay in complete isolation from the rest of Chandrila's underdeveloped civilizations.

 

”œWe have a visitor Xentar.”

[Xentar Kentam]

((I...guess I'll...post.))

 

Xentar took a deep breath and closed his eyes. There was indeed another being nearby. Someone that perhaps should not be here. He opened his eyes again and nodded slowly. "Indeed," he said at last, a single word all that was required.

 

He then set off in the direction that his senses told him was correct, taking long strides appropriate for his colossal height. It didn't take long to reach the landing pad that Procs had helped himself to, mistaking it for a public pad when it was, in fact, the property of the Serpent Order.

 

"You!" he called to the man sternly, his bald head glistening in the fading daylight and his brow lowered to give his coutenance a disturbingly dangerous appearance. "Why are you here?"