Lucine Vasano vs. Dr. Rhylance

Lucine Vasano

Equite 4, Equite tier, Clan Arcona
Female Human, Sith, Seeker
vs.

Dr. Rhylance, Headmaster

Elder 2, Elder tier, The Council
Male Chiss, Loyalist, The Doctor
Hall Let's Get Down To Business 2024
Messages 1 out of 4
Time Limit 3 Days
Battle Style Singular Ending
Battle Status Dr. Rhylance's turn
Combatants Lucine Vasano, Dr. Rhylance
Force Setting Standard
Weapon Setting Standard
Lucine Vasano's Character Snapshot Snapshot
Dr. Rhylance's Character Snapshot Snapshot
Venue Arx: Combat Training Center
Last Post 11 December, 2024 5:42 AM UTC
Time Since Last Post 8 days
Next Post Due
20 December, 2024 5:42 AM UTC
about 19 hours remaining
Posts

Combat Training Center

Two towering, tinted, transparisteel doors slide open to grant you access to the central chamber of the Combat Training Halls. The main room is wide and open and as large as as a holoball field. Tall walls stretch towards a domed ceiling that is made up of rows of ambient lights that spread out and fill the room with soft even lighting that eliminates any shades or shadows. Those same walls are lined around the perimeter with racks and stacks of varied weaponry: everything from swords and polearms to rifles and flamethrowers.

There are two signs that hover over each weapon rack to create an alternating motif in the Combat Training Hall: “No Explosions” and “Accorded Neutral Territory”. While the first is fairly obvious, the second speaks to the single law of the Training Halls: all members of the Brotherhood are welcome, and no member is to be killed or maimed without incurring the wrath of the Grand Master and the Inquisitorius.

Combat Training Center

A trio of training dummies are statically set up and spread out in a line, each made out of a blend of alloys and padding that can withstand blows from any standard weaponry with the exception of lightsaber blades. To the side of the dummies, a large sparring mat has been stretched out to create a larger footprint than the typical shockboxing ring. The padding is good for helping teach new combat students how to take a fall without injury and offers firm footing, but the hard rubber mat is hardly forgiving.

Behind the sparring area is a door that leads to a small archives that combat students can use to view holorecordings of fights and duels from the past as well as relevant information on combat tactics, techniques, and forms. On the opposite side of the archives at the far end of central room is the locker room that members can safely store their equipment.

The final and probably most important element of the Combat Training Hall is the onsite Med Ward. The maglock door is sealed off and can only be opened by an attending Medic. The Medical facilities feature state of the art bacta tanks for recovery and aftercare. A combination of observation and waiting room rests adjacent to the recovery center and features two large monitors that display a live feed of the central room.

The Combat Halls are staffed around the clock, allowing combat students and mentors alike to come and go as they please at odd or regular hours. It also available for members looking to prove their worth to compete in the Antei Combat Center.

[Venue Note: Weapons incorporated into your match are allowed to be used, even if not listed on your Loadout for the match itself. Skill usage and all other ACC rules and guidelines still applies.]

Lucine arrived at the combat training center at the appointed time to find Rhylance already waiting for her. Though there were a few others making use of the space, her eyes immediately found him, as if drawn to him by some invisible force. She felt a familiar flutter in her chest at the sight of him, a pleasant warmth that showed itself in her smile as she drew nearer to him.

He glanced up as if feeling the weight of her gaze, and the barest hint of a returning smile tugged at his lips. It was the closest thing to an actual facial expression he would actually show in public. After all, he had a reputation for being an emotionless cynic that he had to maintain.

“Hello, my love,” Lucine said by way of greeting as she wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace and stood on her tiptoes to brush her lips against his cheek. The feeling of his arms encircling her brought another wash of warmth and happiness. She enjoyed them for a moment, before ruthlessly squashing them down. He was the love of her life, but tonight he was another opponent to be swept aside in order to achieve her goals. “I do hope I have not kept you waiting long.”

“Not at all,” he said as he took a step back and surveyed her armor with a critical eye. “I see your armor is finally repaired.”

“Oh, it was ready ages ago,” Lucine replied breezing. “I just usually have it hidden under an illusion. But since you have such an irritating habit of seeing through my illusions, I decided not to bother.”

She slipped out of his embrace and looked him up and down, taking in his attire. “Meanwhile, your new armor looks amazing on you,” she said, with genuine appreciation in her voice. She walked in a slow circle around him as she examined closely. The tunic and trousers were well-tailored and perfectly cut to hang perfectly on him. Red piping along the trousers and the sides of the tunic stood starkly against the black material, providing a nice contrast. She was gratified to see he had taken her advice about using silver accents rather than gold.

“It definitely suits you well,” she said at last as she circled around to face him once more. “Will you be using your helmet?”

“That depends on whether or not you agree to surrender your blinding dust,” the Headmaster replied.

“Blinding dust?” Lucine echoed in a tone that dripped with innocence as she looked up at him with wide, guileless eyes.

Rhylance returned her gaze with a flat expression. “The blinding dust that you keep on the front left portion of your belt.”

“Ah. That blinding dust.” Lucine plucked the packet of powder from one of the bags that hung on her belt. “Well, I suppose it would not be much of a surprise if you already know about it. It seems you know me too well.”

She held the blinding dust up, and Tabriss plucked it out of her hand without comment. As her butler, he was her constant shadow, and was so efficient at his job that she occasionally forgot he was there. As he waited patiently, she unclipped her lightsaber and handed it to him as well.

Lucine strode along the weapon racks until she found the practice lightsabers. Retrieving one, she pressed the ignition switch and the weapon flared to life, revealing that it had a yellow blade. She frowned with annoyance and tried the next one. This one was purple. “This might take a moment,” she said at last. “Shall we review the terms of our match while I find a weapon that suits me?”

“Very well,” Rhylance said. He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her, but he did not seem to be annoyed by the delay. “If I win, then our wedding will be a small civil service, with no more than two guests.” In truth, he would have been fine with no guests, but the law required a minimum of two witnesses for the wedding to be legal.

“That is not nearly enough people,” Lucine replied. “Twelve.”

“Four.”

“Ten.”

“Six. No more, no less.”

“Fine, six. But I insist that we go to brunch afterward.” The lightsaber in her hands flared to life to punctuate her point, the plasma casting a blue glow. She sighed as she deactivated it and returned it to the rack.

“Very well. But I choose the place.”

Lucine tsked under her breath. “Really, my love, I think you are underestimating the potential political opportunities here. So, when I win, we will have a wedding that is befitting a man of your political station. Of course, I agree that it should be small, only about a hundred guests or so.”

“You have a bizarre definition of small,” Rhylance said dryly.

“Trust me, on Coruscant that is a small wedding,” Lucine said with a toss of her hair. “Do not worry. I know how valuable your time is. I will handle all of the planning, except for the things that absolutely require your input.”

“Oh, you mean I will not have to spend hours considering seating arrangements and prospective menus?” The Headmaster's ascerbic tone was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. But there was a teasing note beneath that layer of sarcasm, one that few would notice. “That sounds like a ridiculous amount of time and effort for a group of people that neither of us care about.”

“So you've said. But to be fair, you do not really like people in general.”

“Untrue. There is exactly one person that I care about.” Rhylance regarded her for a moment with a flash of humor in his crimson eyes. “I know you have better things to do than deal with that nonsense, so I will spare you the effort. You can thank me later.”

“You are too generous, really. But I think it will be fun,” Lucine said as she gave him a brilliant smile. “It seems we remain at an impasse.”

“So it seems. I still say there are more civilized ways of settling this though.” Rhylance cast a disdainful glance at the sparring mat.

She gave him a rueful look. “If you are talking about holochess, you can forget it. I have lost count of the number of times you have humiliated me at that blasted game. And it does not help that you are incorrigible when you win.”

“And you are adorable when you lose. To be fair, you are demonstrating significant improvement. You lost in twelve moves last time, while most people lose in four. With hard work and careful study, you might actually be a challenging opponent in a few years.”

Lucine pressed her lips together, but did not honor his comment with a response. She picked up another practice lightsaber and pressed the ignition switch. The green plasma blade glowed brightly, the hue matching her jewelry. “Perfect. This one will do.”

Rhylance lifted a single eyebrow at her selection, though he did not seem surprised.

“While I am willing to accept a lesser weapon, I will not surrender my fashion sense,” Lucine said by way of explanation. “The practice lightsaber will sting just as much as the real one, but is much less likely to remove any limbs.”

“I am thrilled that you have your priorities straight,” Rhylance replied dryly. He glanced around, making sure that there was no one listening, before taking a step closer. When he spoke, his voice was pitched lower, and in his native Cheunh. “Are you certain you wish to do this, my love? This will be the first time you have been in combat since the tournament.”

At his words, Lucine's hand instinctively went to her hair. The whole tournament had been both physically and mentally challenging, but her two toughest matches had been against Selika. Those fights had taken place primarily in the battlefield of the mind. It had almost been a foregone conclusion that the older and more experienced Sith would have won. Selika had marked her victory by shearing off Lucine's hair while she had lain unconscious.

Her hair had grown back, but some of the scars of her psyche remained. Few knew that better than Rhylance. He was always there for her, holding her tightly when her mind dredged up old shadows to terrorize her.

Her smile lost a bit of its luster as she glanced once more at the sparring mat. “Thank you. But I am certain.” Her reply also came in Cheunh, but lacked her usual airy bravado. She could feel her anxiety beginning to rise already. Even now, when the fighting was low stakes and the combat was against the man she trusted most in the world.

Lucine hated being afraid, and she would not let her fear rule her. In truth, she did not care about the size of their wedding. This was simply an excellent opportunity to work through some of her anxieties.

Rhylance straightened up, the concern in his eyes expertly hidden behind his usual, cool demeanor. He reverted to Basic as he said, “Well then. Shall we begin?”

His sudden change in behavior immediately raised her suspicions. Despite his earlier complaints about their match, he now seemed… almost eager to get started. He only acted this way in a few specific situations. “Oh dear. Let me guess. You have a new poison you want to test out.”

“Technically, it is a variation of one of my current concoctions,” Rhylance corrected.

Lucine sighed and shook her head in an outward display of chagrin. But in truth, she had expected him to use his poisons. So much of his fighting style relied on it, and they had agreed beforehand that they would use every tool at their disposal. She still felt she had an advantage with her Force powers, even if Rhylance was observant enough that her illusions were unlikely to have much effect on him.

“It is nothing fatal, I assure you. But it seems to me that this is the perfect opportunity to field test it.” As he spoke, he turned and headed toward the sparring mat.

“I am gratified to hear that, at least,” Lucine replied with a wry smile. “But I thought you said you had already found a test group for that,”

“It turns out that the rest of the Council frowns on experimenting on Praetors and Magistrates,” Rhylance said in an aggrieved voice as he turned to face her.

“Such a shame that your art is so underappreciated.”

If Rhylance noticed the sarcastic lilt in her voice, he did not acknowledge it. “Precisely!”

“Now I see why you agreed to this so readily.” Lucine said as she stopped a few paces away from her lover, still holding the practice lightsaber in her hands. “So, just to reiterate. This match will go until one of us surrenders. The only rule is no blows to the head or face.”

She glanced over, in time to see Tabriss assume his place at the edge of the mat. “We shall begin on Tabriss's signal.”

“Agreed,” Rhylance said as he fell into a combat stance.

As Tabriss raised his hand to give the signal, Lucine ignited her lightsaber and fell into a defensive stance. Rhylance's eyebrows lifted at that.

She knew that Rhylance approached combat with the same rigor and thoroughness that he applied to all of his other scientific pursuits. She knew that he had studied her past matches and noted her talents. No doubt he had expected her to take a more aggressive stance, to try to neutralize him with her Force powers before he could have a chance to use his weapons. One might argue that by immediately going on the defensive, she was creating a tactical error. She could almost see the wheels of his mind turning about the potential implications of her combat stance.

He knew her so well. Just as well as she knew him.

This was going to be interesting.