Vodo half-smiled slightly, allowing the durasteel to begin to wrap around him. After a moment, he focused on the Force again, and three rocks the size of a human fist lifted themselves off of the ground, all three were intended to hit Silus in the head, but only one was sucessful in actually striking the Sith.

For a moment, the other's contol slackened, allowing Vodo to jump away from the durasteel plate. After a moment, using his stick, he rushed Silus, this time not letting back as he slashed at him from multiple angles, the stick's light weight allowing him to strike with incredible quickness.

Silus had sensed something coming towards him, quickly dispatching two of the rocks. His lightsaber only scraped the third, causing it to slash across his face like a dagger. With his attention directed elsewhere, he was unable to finish his work on the Jedi. The durasteel plating closed up, crushing nothing but air.

He brought his lightsaber up, defending the Jedi's attack. His blade was a blur as he defended himself. The lightweight stick allowed Vodo to attack with enough speed as a lightsaber. Silus found a chance to attack, holding his lightsaber in place. He knew it would be defended, the Jedi had some skill.

"How about a use a little trick of my own, hm?"

He dropped one of his hands from his waist, drawing a small dagger. It's edge was laced with a poison, something Silus had used in his assassin days. He thrust the blade forward, aiming for the insects middle.

Vodo felt confident that he was driving the Sith Apprentice before him. He knew he had the upper hand, and intended to make sure Silus knew it. His stick flashed down to the left, but was blocked. He reversed direction, but it was again blocked. As he stabbed upward and was deflected by Silus, he heard. the Sith speak.

"How about a use a little trick of my own, hm?"

Vodo felt the warning prickle of the Force too late. The blade of the dagger hit him directly in the gut where it was intended. He felt the pain arc through him as the blade penetrated. He reflexively stepped back, away form the blade, allowing it to be withdrawn.

He fell, his large frame hitting the ground with a dull thud. He saw Silus hovering over him. He felt an unusual pain begin to lance through him, and in an instant he knew what it was.

Poison.

His connection in the Force began to fade, but his concentration and determination also began to prevail. He retreated inside himself for a half of a second, using the Force to slow the poison within his body. His body and anatomy were complex, and he felt his own internal immune system fighting back.

He then became aware again of Silus, who stood a few feet away. Subtly concentrating on the Force, a few bricks on the wall behind Silus began to loosen as the Sith stood over the stricken apprentice...

post

((ooc: There, thanks.))

"What, having trouble staying awake?" Silus said, laughing ically. "So I see you can feel it. I find it very useful. And so you sit here, slowly losing your consciousness, your connection to the force, and your life as well." His lips curved into a cruel smile, focusing on the Jedi's wound. He opened it up, causing a sharp pain to go through the Jedi. Silus laughed again.

He placed the heel of his boot on the creatures wind-pipe, or what he guessed it was. He applied pressure slowly, crushing the Jedi's neck. Silus leaned on his knee, looking into Vodo's eyes as his life slowly faded. His mind shouted a warning, something he hadn't paid attention to.

He fell back, a brick striking the top of his head. Silus' head was filled with pain. "That wasn't very nice." He opened his eyes, seeing the large shadow over him.

That wasn't very nice at all.

His harms flew up, covering his face as the wall tumbled down.

Vodo relaxed, allowing the Force to take control of his body. As Silus stepped down on his throat, Vodo used the Force to force air into his lungs.

Still concentrating on the bricks and wall behind Silus, he watched a brick tumbled off the top of the wall, crashing into Silus's head. He watched as the Sith looked around.


"That wasn't very nice." The Sith Apprentice said.

His vision and strength fading, he reached out with the Force with his last tendrils of power. He grabbed a portion of the wall, and pulled. It crashed down on top pf Silus and himself.

Vodo was able to erect a weak Force barrier around himself, pushing most of the large chunks away from him, and onto Silus, but there were a few peices that hit him. The bulk of it fell onto Silus, crushing the Sith as he threw his arms up in an attempt to protect himself.

With a loud crash, the broken wall settled upon the two. He dug himself out of the debris, and stood up on shaky feet. He retrieved his walking stick from the ground nearby, and used it to balance himself.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the knife wound that had tore into his insect-like abdomen. He mentally forced the poison out, which came as droplets out of the wound. After successfully removing the slow-acting poison, he fell to his knees, the pain becoming overwhelming.

Silus had had little time to bring up a weak shield before the wall collapsed on him. It had succeded to soften the blow, and save his life. He focused, raising enough of the bricks for him to pull himself out of the way. He let them drop back down, pulling himself to his feet.

The sith stumbled to the fallen Jedi, placing his boot on the back of Vodo's head and forcing him to the ground.

"No, you would be too easy. No, I want to have a little more fun when your life eventually ends. Don't worry, I'll find you again," he plunged something into the Jedi's shoulder, leaving it there, "I'll want my dagger back."

He began to stumble away, shielding his presence once again.

Vodo saw nothing, he felt nothing. The Force swirled around him, and from somewhere deep he heard voices.

"The Force is life. You do not want to destroy a part of the Force. How noble. How foolish."

It was what Silus had said to him, not too long ago. And Vodo could not help but admit the Sith Apprentice was right. Even if Vodo had the chance, could he really kill another being? One that was living, and breathing? But then the age-old battle between good and evil came to mind.

If he killed Silus, he would be killing a life full of evil. It would save many lives, but would it be a just act? Is one life a fair trade for any number of others, who would die far into the future?

This one life you spared will lead to many being lost. Eventually, someone will destroy him, but by then, it will be too late."


And what about Simman? Could Silus be right? What if Vodo's threat was not enough to stop the smuggler/pirate/criminal?

All of these thoughts swarmed through the Jedi Apprentice's head in an instant. And in another instant, he was brought back to reality. As he became aware of his surroundings again, he felt something sharp plunge into his shoulder. Oddly, he felt no pain.

"... want my dagger back." He hear Silus say.

His vision swam and became hazy for a moment, he knew he was on the verge of unconciousness.

"Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts." Those words came back to him, and they sounded familiar. But oddly, he could not place where they had come from, or where he had heard the words.

"No." He said, struggling to his feet, with some aid from the Force.

"Silus! This is not over!" He screamed at the back of the slowly retreating Sith Apprentice.

His instincts took over and without thought, he reached out with the Force and mentally picked up a heavy brick - a piece of the wall section that had crumbled.

Using all of his strength, he flung the rock shard at the back of Silus. It hit the Sith squarely.

"We have things to finish." Vodo said, striding over to the Sith, his stick floating back into his hand as he ripped the dagger out of his shoulder and flung it like a spear, right at Silus's neck.

His mouth turned to a frown as he almost lost his balance because of the brick. The Sith turned to face the injured Jedi. Silus couldn't help but smile, the Jedi obviously was hanging onto his life by a thread.

"You know, you are rather violent for some Jedi." Silus managed to say, sensing the knife flying towards him. He dropped his shields, his force presence becoming clear again. Though he wouldn't admit it, the battle had left him weakened as well.

He focused on the knife, slowing it down. He spun to his left, extending his hand. The blade pierced it, sending a sharp pain up his arm. Silus smiled, pulling the dagger slowly from his hand. He gazed the dagger, painted red. "Well, I did want it back."

A lightsaber flew to the Sith's right hand, while he slowly healed his left, calming the pain. The black blade ignited, Silus pointing the lightsaber's blade at the Jedi. "As you wish. I'll try and make this quick."

He rushed forward, rolling while slashing at the Jedi's legs. The sith ignored his body's protests, instead letting the pain strengthen him.

Vodo held his walking stick at his side, holding it loosely at his side. Normally he leaned in the stick to fool enemies. It lulled them into a false sense of security, as it more or less had Silus.

Except now he really did need to lean on it.

The Force continued to flow through him and he felt it's healing power begin to seep into his wounds, strengthening him. Vodo also felt another completely different emotion, one that he had never let influence his fighting before.

Anger.

He was angry that he had been injured. Angry that he had allowed himself to doubt the Force. And most of all he was angry that he was allowing his anger to cloud his mind.

Silus swept at his legs and Vodo jumped swiftly, swinging viciously at Silus's face, hitting him hard. Vodo landed and swung again, again slashing across the Sith Apprentice's face.