The Rebel Faction

Mira, a bit rested now, watched as her oppenent scanned the room. He was having a bit of trouble finding her. Hm. Perhaps later she'd have to teach him a few things. For now, though, she simply watched and waited.

Then he began to Force Push into the air randomly. Darn him, she thought. I wanted to sit some more. Oh well. He'll tire himself out, not to mention distract himself. She knew that if he kept this up, he would eventually find her, but she wasn't going to let that happen. So she waited.

Just as he was sending out another push (with his back turned towards her), her lightsaber flashed. Immediately it was scintillating out towards him, thrown with as much force as Mira could muster. Ithron turned, alerted through the Force, and batted it aside. But the lightsaber was just a diversion.

Ithron was focused on the immediate threat. Already tired from his use of the Force, he didn't even see Mira following the blade. As he swung, there was that one split second when he was off-balance, and it was at that point that Mira slammed into him.

As she had thrown the blade, she had sprinted after it, leaping into the air as Ithron knocked it aside. Her feet hit him first, connecting hard with his chest and sending him flying back towards the opposite wall. Mira landed on her feet, calling the lightsaber back to her hand as she did so, then charged after him, intent on finishing this fight quickly while he was disoriented.

Mira realized what was happening when she felt the pressure on her wrists and saw Ithron stand, but she was powerless to stop him. He was much stronger in the Force than she, and he was using his strength to his advantage. In the process, he was gaining control over her movements. She didn't like that.

As he stepped towards his saber, Mira used what remaining mobility she had to move between the apprentice and his weapon. The growl that escaped Ithron's throat reminded her of the noise a rancor made when it was injured, and despite the pain in her arms she barely contained a chuckle. Then the pressure got worse as Ithron focused his concentration on getting her to drop her saber.

Mira felt the grip begin to loosen in her hands and knew she had to act fast. If she dropped her weapon now, the fight would be over, for he would be able to do with her as he pleased. Her eyes narrowed at the thought, and she released a bit more of her anger - just enough to hold while she thought of a plan.

Then a smile came to her face. She stared directly into Ithron's eyes for a moment, her look of confidence perhaps giving him pause. Then she stopped resisting.

The Force grip that Ithron was using was simple, one designed simply to hurt one's opponent. However, in doing so, the Force had to press both upwards and downwards on the wrists. Were the Force grip on her neck, what Mira did next would have failed miserably, but it wasn't. Mira simply ceased giving any resistance to the upward pressure on her wrists. While this dramatically increased the pain, it lasted but a moment longer. Using the energy that had just been freed for use, Mira Force jumped upwards. The upward pressure on her wrists flipped her backwards, breaking Ithron's grip and allowing her to land on her feet, saber in the ready position. Her move, though, had allowed Ithron time to recall his saber, so she waited for his advance, eyes once again emotionless and cold.

Skygge took advantage of her opponent's temporary confusion to strike out, her low-powered saber slicing through his arm, leaving a painful burn. Her assault never slowed, coming fast and hard, beating back his defenses. She knew this battle would have to end soon, for Ithron seemed only to be getting stronger while she tired.

Ithron was not the only one who felt the voice, but he had less experience with such things. While she was a Jedi, she had heard this same voice many times; however, her Masters had taught her how to control it and why she must. Release me, it said. It was the darkness speaking to her, that consuming darkness that if released would destroy her.

But then she thought, What if that is another Jedi lie? What if the darkness will give me power without destruction? Or if it can be controlled if released?

As the voice spoke, she began releasing small bits of that dark energy. Strength returned to her weary limbs, and her assault achieved a new level of intensity and agressiveness. Her saber whirled in unpredicatble green circles, taking full advantage of her limited knowledge of Form I. Since Ithron had spent less time under a Master, his knowledge of combat was inferior to hers, but his knowledge and power in the Force made up the difference. The two were, for the moment, evenly matched.

Then something happened, something for which Mira was unprepared. The sabers locked. Green and red energy met in a blinding, energy filled display. The dance of sabers interrupted, Mira's eyes met Ithron's and saw only hate. They saw anger. They saw victory.

So she disengaged. Sweeping her saber in a circle, she spun his as well and backed away before he had a chance to respond. He lunged forward, and she ducked out of the way, frustrating him further. He swung again and she flipped over the blade, heading for the exit. It was time to cool off.

But Ithron didn't let her. Leaping in front of her, he blocked the doorway and advanced. Mira set herself for what she now believed might be the final onslaught, and she released the dark energy to give her the strength to stand. Suddenly she was flooded with power, and, to Ithron's surprise, she struck first, bringing an overhead blow down with such force that his saber was pushed back to within an inch of his face. And still Mira pressed, hoping to send both sabers through his head, ending the fight.

As Ithron continued to push her back, Mira concentrated simply on defense. Hoping he would wear down, she gave ground, allowing herself to be pressed backwards towards the wall. It wasn't until she was halfway across the room that she realized he was only getting stronger. It was time to end this fight.

Swinging as hard as she could, Mira knocked Ithron's saber to the side. Without thinking, she swung her foot up and out, smashing his nose. Ithron's head snapped back, then forward only to once again meet Mira's foot. This time he backflipped with the kick, minimizing its effects. Blood ran from his nose, though, and it seemed to anger him more.

He rushed her, his saber carving swaths of red light through the air. As he raised his weapon high to exact revenge for the pain, Mira ducked and moved forward, bringing her saber across his knees as she did so. Only a quick leap saved him from burns in his legs; the swipe caught the soles of his feet instead.

Cursing his skill, Mira twirled, bringing her saber to ready once again. What the kriff happened to him? she thought. He wasn't this good before!

Ithron attacked again, and she spun out of the way. She had seen those called matadors do this time and again - some sort of animal fight where they waited until the last moment then spun out of the way. Mira did this now with Ithron, spinning out of the way of his flashing blade at the last moment, frustrating him to no end.

Then she attacked, driving him backwards for a change. Green and red light moved so fast as to be nearly indistinguishable. The energy released could probably have heated the entire planet for a month, or so it seemed to Mira. Will he never stop?

Mira felt the air molocules around her throat constrict, and she knew before they completely choked off her airway that she would be powerless to stop them. It was the same technique Ithron had attempted on her wrist earlier, but this time no fancy moves would break the death grip that entrapped her. She gulped air quickly, taking in a lungful before her breath was cut off completely.

She barely tried to resist, knowing that he had grown very strong in his darkness. For the first time in the fight, she was terrified. Ithron, in his current state, could easily crush her windpipe, ending her life in an instant, and he would feel no remorse. She could almost visually see the darkness taking control of his body, taking his rational mind into captivity. She focused all her strength on building up a Force wall in the one portion of her throat that he had grabbed, hoping that if he attempted to kill her she would be able to resist.

"I thought you were made of sterner stuff, Mynenial," Ithron said.

Truth told, she thought she had been too. Her previous training had given her a egoist's outlook; she thought herself better than the rest of the Sith Apprentices because she had trained as a Jedi. She knew about the Force. In that moment, she realized that she had even partly ignored the Masters' teachings because she had been a Jedi, because she already knew those things about the Force that they had been trying to teach her. Perhaps that is why I have not been selected as a personal Apprentice yet, she thought. Despite the stranglehold in which Ithron held her, her mind remained detached as she considered this. Perhaps my ego has been getting in the way of my training. I must learn all I can from them, for they are both stronger and wiser than me. Only then, perhaps, will I be strong enough myself to affect the course of the galaxy.

She felt the choke hold loosen even as Ithron's fist connected with her head. Blood ran from a small cut in her temple, a small stream that was but a tickle compared to the pain in her neck. She closed her eyes and decided to try something new. Instead of trying to resist the pain and shunt it away, she opened herself to it. She gasped as the shock hit her full force, but instead of shutting it down, she embraced it.

Within moments, she was able to stand, the pain fueling her anger. Her lightsaber flew to her hand but remained deactivated for the moment. Her breath came in gasps, the pain still having somewhat of an effect on her vitals. But her strength was returning.

Nevertheless, she was not strong enough to defeat Ithron this day, and she recognized it.

Do you feel fear, Mynenial? Perhaps you should yield to me now, surrender yourself?" He offered her a chance. A way out. But at what cost? Acknowledging his strength she could handle. But surrendering herself to him she could not. She would not allow him to feel that he had any measure of control over her.

Her heart pounding, her grip tightened on the saber. "Fear, Ithron? Surrender? What planet do you live on? Not a kriffing chance." She moved as though to attack, but then, summoning everything within her, she Force pulled two torches off the wall behind him and sent them hurtling towards his back. As he whirled to face them, she backflipped and disappeared into the shadows and through the door.