Bladework



Scenario: a visitor stops by Whiplash's guard post, where she just happens to be displaying her bladed weaponry....

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Wastelands <North>

The Wastelands are a lesser version of the great abandoned zones that stretch over parts of Cybertron. Immediately, you notice how desolate and devoid of life this area seems. Looking back up the mountain range towards Darkmount, you can truly come to appreciate what a formidable fortress the Decepticon Headquarters is as you stare up at the 20,000' cliff.
When you finally tear your gaze away from the mountain to look at the uneven and broken surface of Cybertron that makes up the Wastelands, you can't help but wonder if anything can survive out here. The area is massive and seems to go on forever in darkness, so you are only able to see a small part of it at a time. An entire army could take refuge here in the broken landscape and you might never see them. Consequently, the area is also useful for more realistic training in the ways of war.
As you ponder the immensity of your devastated surroundings, you hear the little noises of unidentified creatures around you.
Obvious exits:
    -N- North leads to Iron Glacier.
    -S- South leads to Wastelands .
    -U- Up leads to Sky Above Wastelands.

Whiplash is still at her guard post with the two blades laid out next to her.

Sliver moves closer. "Where did you get those blades lash?

Whiplash brushes a fingertip against the double-bladed one, bypassing her battle blade which Sliver surely recognizes. "What, this one?"

Sliver nods.

Sliver says, "Yeah, that one."

Whiplash picks up the weapon at its center handle. "Found it on Pompeii a couple years ago. They had a whole arsenal. This was the one I liked."

Whiplash tilts the blade back and forth a bit. "Good balance, nice edge, even though I never could get all the rust spots out of it. Something an opponent wouldn't expect to get nailed with. Takes some practice to figure out how to do damage with the thing, but after you've got the trick figured out, you got a nice advantage of surprise."

Sliver says, "Would you show me sometimes?"

Whiplash shrugs. "Sure. I did say I'd show you a move or two with a blade, didn't I? But I'd suggest starting with something a little simpler first."

Sliver nods. "Well, how about a little lesson when you get off duty tonite?

Whiplash looks around. "I guess I'm about off duty now. As much as I ever get off duty."

Whiplash smirks faintly.

Sliver smirks with her looking around also.

Sliver says, "Yeah. Doesn't seem to be anything happening tonite."

Whiplash says, "That's cause I took care of the problem last night." She grins, showing her serrated fangs. "I'll show you that another time."

Whiplash stands, stashing her blades in storage again, and hovers upward a bit above the ground, waiting for Sliver to join her.

Sliver follows.

Sliver enters the Sky Above Wastelands <-U- Up>.

***[Travel Spam]***

Darkmount - Tunnel

This underground tunnel is still very rough, seemingly left as it was carved out, not important enough to finish off. The blast marks of the plasma torches used to dig this place are still evident all around you on the bare surfaces of the metal heart of this dark mountain.
There's a walkway leading up to the lift which looks like it's been cut out by the original workers, but the smoothed over path on the floor leading towards the Arena has been worn into the mountain by the legions of past and present Decepticons who have come and continue to come test their skills in the vast proving grounds as they have done for millennia.
Off towards a darkened corner, there appears to be a small crack in the wall towards the cavern of the Arena. If you examine it more closely, you'll almost feel a draft coming from the opening, but it's impossible to see where the crack may lead and if you venture in, you might get stuck.
    Sliver
Obvious exits:
    -N- North leads to Darkmount - Elevator.
    -S- South leads to Tunnel.
    -E- East leads to Darkmount - Arena.

Sliver lets you enter the arena first.

Whiplash gives Sliver an almost wary look as he stands aside to let her go first, but then moves quickly ahead and into the cavern.

You enter the Darkmount - Arena.

Darkmount - Arena

You believed the barracks to be the largest cavern until you pass into the Decepticon Empire's training arena. The platform stretches before you for only a few more meters before dropping off into the seemingly bottomless cavern. Intensely lighted, the cavern stretches for miles and has been unaltered in appearance. There are numerous natural formations of rock and outcroppings, ideal for practicing both ground and aerial combat maneuvers.
The bare earth and rock of the native planetscape is interspaced with recognizable Cybertronian cityscapes and even an incomplete mockup of the Autobot fortress of Iacon. The city streets show brief, furtive movements as combat drones marked as Autobots shift their locations to more tactically sound positions or lurk in wait to ambush unwary Decepticons. Other types of terrain provide other types of experience.
Aerial training is provided as well. An entire section of the grounds is devoted to a high-altitude combination of disposable towers, holographic projection, and real weaponry to produce an aerial obstacle course that tests the skill and resolve of the Decepticons to the utmost. Air-to-air combat training takes place in the sky above, Decepticons engaging in dogfights with each other and their instructors until they know these maneuvers intimately, maneuvers that may one day save their lives.
    Health Restorer
Obvious exits:
    -W- West leads to Darkmount - Tunnel.

Sliver arrives from the Darkmount - Tunnel.

Whiplash scowls faintly as she steps out into the totally barren arena, with all the holographic displays turned off. "Kinda barren, isn't it?"

Sliver nods. "I like it like this. It's easier to train in. No distractions.

Sliver says, "Well, if you are my teacher, than there will always be a distraction, but nevermind." he smirks.

Whiplash gives Sliver a mock-glare. "You find pain distracting, do you?"

Sliver shakes his head. "I don't feel pain readily. That wasn't what i was talking about, but we won't go there. Ever."

Whiplash narrows her optics and growls a soft warning as she draws her battle blade (the usual one) and holds it at a relaxed angle.

Sliver does the same with his optics, and growls playfully.

Sliver says, "What shall we do first?""

Whiplash looks around. "Might want to program us some nice scenery. You can do that, I take it? Amazing how we get spoiled, isn't it? Back in the Games we used to spar on any old patch of dirt."

Sliver nods. "Fine, since you are the teacher, its up to you now isn't it.

Sliver says, "I like the any old dirt routine, but whatever you pick is good."

Whiplash considers. "Well, let's make it easy to start with. Can you whip up a plain old generic gladiatorial arena, complete with stands and spectators?"

Sliver nods and walks over to the computer terminal. He jacks in and in a moment, a hussiling crowd is in a large arena surrounding the two (oocly: add lovealbe, funny, idiotic, flyboy hungry: here) cons.

Sliver walks back over to lash.

Sliver says, "Is that good enough?"

Whiplash looks up over the simulated stands, and smiles faintly. "That's not half bad."

Whiplash seems to consider something, and then with a sudden motion tosses her blade toward Sliver. "Catch!"

Sliver skillfully brings his left arm up, going reflexively into a defensive stance, so if prompted, he could easily counter-attack if the throw was a distraction for a blow. He looks up.

Whiplash follows up the toss with the drawing of that odd double-bladed scimitar. "Want to start you on something simple. Simpler, anyway. Let's see how you handle that blade."

Whiplash says, "If it's awkward for you at first, we'll find something else for you to use. Swing it around a few times and get a sense of the balance."

Whiplash demonstrates by twirling the double-bladed thing several times around its own axis as she goes into a circling motion. The action looks effortless, but without a great deal of practice, the blade would already have landed clumsily on the ground.

Sliver nods, "Yeah, that'd probably be a good idea." He swings the blade back and forth getting a feel for it. He tries to steady it in one hand, but it is rather heavy for him. He holds it with two. "It should be okay, but i'll have to strengthen up my wrists if i want to be able to be flexible with it.

Sliver says, "I know how to use blades, I can use my scalpel skillfuly in battle; however, its the strength and knowledge of where and how to strike that does the most damage, that i need to work on with these large blades."

Whiplash notes the smoothness of movement, or lack thereof, and says, "You can make a double handed strike with that, but that's an attack where you put all your power behind it. If you don't have the agility with the blade, you can get caught by your opponent real easy on your way back out of the strike range.

Sliver nods and hmfs a bit acknowldging the truths...

Whiplash says, "You got access to a sword, by chance? That's a thinner blade, lighter, and gives you a chance to play with the moves you can make with a long blade."

Whiplash says, "Not the same as a battle blade, but you can move from one to the other without much trouble."

Sliver nods. "I realize, that's why i'm here.

Whiplash replaces the double-bladed scimitar into storage, and holds out her hand for the battle blade. "Let's find you a sword."

Sliver nods and tosses the blade towards lash.

Whiplash snakes out a hand and catches the blade by the hilt, shifting it almost automatically into attack position out of long practice. "There's gotta be a stash of practice weapons around here somewhere, right? All this fancy technology for the arena, and no toys to play with?"

Sliver smirks, "I'll ask the computer.

Whiplash says, "Oh. Well, there's a thought."

Sliver walks over to the terminals and jacks in. A flash of code comes over his optics and he smiles. A second later, a wall opens up. As the wall gives way, a whole variety of weapons opens up. A small sword's holder opens up. "Can you grab that for me?"

Sliver logs it into the computer.

Whiplash says, "So that's where they stash 'em!"

Sliver nods unjacking, "Yeah, but they keep a log of who uses them.

Whiplash goes over to the weapons cache and starts sorting through the varous swords and sword-like blades, finding one that she considers suitable, though it isn't the one that Sliver had his optic on. The blade is a little shorter and broader, though still considerably lighter of design than a battle blade.

Whiplash takes the sword in one hand and her blade in the other, holding them up in front of her for a moment as though mentally weighing them, then swings them both downward into a rotation and catches them by the hilt again, nodding to herself, satisfied. "This'll work for starters."

Sliver nods, "Yes, that'll do perfectly. Mind throwing it over here?"

Whiplash tosses the sword toward Sliver with much the same motion as earlier.

Sliver catches the sword in much the same motion also. He swings it around a bit. "Yes, this is easier than yours. Shall we start?"

Whiplash brings her own blade up in reply, and pauses for just a moment as though formulating an approach - then moves in rapidly with a slashing attack.

Whiplash strikes Sliver with her blade attack.

Sliver tries to bring his blade up to catch hers, but being completely new to the weapon, and slow with it, he misses lash's blade. He gets struck in the armor on his shoulder, growling.

Sliver notices in a split second that although he missed the blade, his is open to attack. He swings, not knowing where it would connect. or if it would.

Sliver misses Whiplash with his blade attack.

Whiplash skitters back and out of the way as soon as her attack strikes home, allowing her to dodge the hastily summoned retaliation.

Sliver grunts.

Whiplash spins the blade through a rotation, catching the overhead lights in repeated flashes as she keeps back out of range, then snaps the blade back into her grip and darts forward again without a word.

Whiplash makes as though to go for another slicing motion, but turns aside at the last moment and tries to strike Sliver in the side with the hilt of the blade, attempting to unbalance him in order to more easily follow up.

Whiplash strikes Sliver with her punch attack.

Sliver gets hit in the side, but because he saw the move coming, it just barely taps him. He spins while the hilt hits and slashes, moving his wrist upwards, which propels the tip of the blade to go from his elbow, outwards.

Sliver misses Whiplash with his blade attack.

Whiplash ducks underneath the blade and uses the same momentum to slice at Sliver's legs, apparently intent totally on the situation at hand and so saying nothing still.

Whiplash strikes Sliver with her blade attack.

Sliver uterly misses lash, and at the next second he realizes he is falling backwards. He tucks his head back, and lands on his hands, bouncing up into a flip. He puts both hands on his blade and from the air comes down, with a loud yell, that is almost like a growl. He tries to come right down onto lash.

Sliver misses Whiplash with his blade attack.

Whiplash rolls out of the way of the return strike, and moves back out of range again, going into a circling, stalking pattern.

Whiplash remains out of range, and finally breaks her silence. "See what I was doing there, Sliver?"

Sliver stops also and nods. "Yes. I think I am starting to get the hang of it. Even though i didn't hit you once.

Whiplash says, "Wanted you to get the experience first. Next time, we'll talk about what exactly you did at each move."

Sliver says, "Basically a get in and get out thing. Yes, thank you. Have a good cycle lash. Bye."

Whiplash says, "Meanwhile, you go and think about it. What you did, what you should've done. You're a bright kid, you'll get it."



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