Azula vs. Galen Marek - the Battle!

AN: This is split up into five sections: battle, post battle, kill score, my edges, and vote tally.

        It was over in a flash. One moment Galen Marek stood in a pit next to the Portal master, glaring at his rival Azula-

       The next he was in a place entirely different, teleported to what was presumably the battlefield. His head ached for a moment but other than that the transition was near flawless. Starkiller’s eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light, taking note of the small metal room. It appeared to be a small janitorial closet, complete with old fashioned brooms, buckets and an antique slugthrower.  The list taped to the door seemed to indicate that the janitor wasn’t happy with the people on this ship, and the slugthrower made it clear what he intended to do about it.

       He pushed the door open, only to discover that the path blocked. He glanced down at the source. A body prevented the door from properly opening, blood oozing from its forehead. More curious then intimidated Galen squeezed through the door and knelt by the familiar body; it was a stormtrooper, and Galen had seen such corpses thousands of times before. Though never one that had a self-inflicted head wound. Galen took a deep breath and meditated, trying to use the force to ascertain exactly why this man committed suicide.

                Galen’s hands reached for the gun, using psychometry to pick up the sights, feelings, sounds and actions that the object had been recently associated with. This power would allow him to experience flashbacks based on those factors. As the visions overcame him regret followed with them; his was far from his best decision.  

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  …..Tense Anticipation. The wielder of the gun was grasping his gun nervously, his breath held . An escape pod with no life signs or oxygen was docking, though its controls were still being piloted from the inside. The escape pod had the insignia of “Vector “on it…..

 ….Adrenaline rushed through the soldier’s veins as he opened fire, terror in his heart. For he had just seen his captain get torn open by one of the three ….creatures that had come sprinting from the pod when opened. One of them went down, but the others two were absorbing shots like it didn’t even affect them. …..

 ….Galen felt more terror than ever before, and the soldier who was carrying the rifle was running for his life through blood stained corridors. The soldier looked back, as another soldier running slightly behind him was tripped via an object thrown from the horde traveling in the rear. He was swiftly set upon and torn apart….

….The Stormtrooper made it through the steel door in the very last second he could possibly do so, both sides slamming shut fast. On the other side of the door fists pounded, trying fanatically to get through. A cool robot voice said aloud “Quarantine successful”….

….Determination. The plague stops here. With purpose he reprogrammed the station’s controls to crash directly into the gas giant of Yavin, its harsh storms surely capable of ripping the craft to shreds. Power was low, so he delegated to the A.I. to make the destruction of the station a Priority Alpha, which would result in the redirection of power to the thrusters regardless of what it was used for. To make sure the monsters couldn’t use the station he unloaded most of his magazine into it, before heading off towards the janitorial ward.

 ….Resignation.The man’s gun was pointed right at his forehead, his grip trembling.  He knew that power would turn off before the ship crashed into the gas giant, turning off the Quarantine protocols. He wouldn’t let himself turn into one of those monsters, he wouldn’t-

  And just like that, the fatal deed was done.

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           For a moment Galen felt panic in his system, the much hated emotion threatening to paralyze him. However he suppressed it as he had many times and ran, ran through the bloodstained halls, ran past the bodies of soldiers killed, some with blaster bolts or torn asunder, ran past a window which revealed the ever encroaching gas giant…. Ran until he found what he was looking for, the terminal with two screens up.

     System Stats filled the screen, it alone not being touched by the Stormtrooper’s blaster fire (he had deliberately done it so that the infected could understand how screwed they were).

·         LIFE SIGNATURES: 2

·         INFECTED DELTA WAVE SIGNATURES: 251

·         ETA TO YAVIN : 60 minutes.

·         PRIORITY: THRUSTERS

·         *WARNING*  POWER FAILURE EXPECTED IN 20 MINUTES

·         *WARNING* LIFE SUPPORT BEGINS TO SHUTDOWN IN 40 MINUTES.

 Galen Marek breathed a sigh of relief; he had an hour to finish this battle. He just had to find her first…

            The second screen was particularly illuminating in this regard, as it showed a map of both the quarantined and “clean zones”. To his relief, 90 percent of the ship was under quarantine-an area which included the living quarters, security station, lab, cafeteria and med bay. The “clean” section contained merely three sections; the janitorial quarters (Galen guessed that they were in the cafeteria when whatever attacked this station hit, as he sensed no movement nearby), the captain’s room and the “Biosphere”, a massive dome like structure which contained a mini-forest. Though there was no fauna, the forest was roughly 3 kilometers in diameter, with exits leading to the captain’s and janitorial quarters. There were also stations set up for a nice picnic.

    If the Portal Master had chosen to teleport him here….then Azula would have been teleported in the small captain’s quarters, with the biosphere as their battleground (its circular shape was in classical arena style, after all). For an enigmatic alien the Portal Master was starting to seem really predictable.

    Starkiller headed to the biosphere, intent on finding and dealing with his foe before the power went out. He raced through a corridor…only to stop when he almost ran headfirst into a droid. He cocked his head curiously as he regarded the creation, which in all honesty was probably the weirdest thing he had ever seen.

     It wore a wig, powdered, with a waxed face and a missing left eye. The clothes looked like something out of an archaeological dig site while two colorful flags stuck out of its back, their colors have eroded with some clear wear and tear, but it was easy to make out the blue and red. It was also carried a giant slugthrower type weapon, one that had to be wielded by two hands rather than one. Luckily it was deactivated, or else Marek might have had a fight on his hands.

     Cautiously he backed up away from the machine, going around it and finding the door to the Biosphere.

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     Fire Nation royalty was not supposed to show surprise, as it was a sign of weakness. That was what her father Ozai had said, and while the fire nation princess had been shocked before she had always tried to suppress the emotion when it came up. Now she was having difficulty doing even that. 

         The reason for her surprise and excitement was simple; she was in outer space! The endless void which houses the sun and moon spirits as well as countless others! Fire Nation astronomers had long since probed the skies, scientists had dreamed of exploring it, but she was now the first person in her nation, no, her world to actually set foot off her planet. It was only the second day of the tournament and already she had surpassed all other mortals in her realm(yes, even the Avatar!).

That’s one small step for the Fire Nation, one giant leap for her.

 The captain’s window’s view was glorious! The number of stars was beyond number, the great vastness of this realm taking her breath away.  Could this be even larger than the spirit realm that her fool uncle was supposed to have traveled to?

       It was then that the more practical, pragmatic spoke up, reminding her that she was here to fight, and that this spacecraft may house perils of its own. Like whatever had drilled the giant hole in the head of the captain that lay perched comfortably on the bed.   The door was slightly ajar; it looked like the captain had rushed in here, wrote whatever was on that paper (she couldn’t read the strange writing) and then his life was ended. She did not know who or why the deed was done.  It could have been a self-inflicted wound, though unless it directly affected her Azula couldn’t care either way. It didn’t matter. What mattered was Marek and only Marek; once she beat him she could then move on to someone more worthy of her time.

 She pushed the door open, marveling in the jungle scenery that stood apart from the great void of space, whose stars shined through a series of glass windows above. Who would have thought that such an out of place environment could exist here? Clearly her own people had far to go in terms of technology.

 When I am in charge, the Fire Nation will advance far past even this she mentally vowed to herself.

  Recognizing that a first strike could be advantageous to her she slowly crept into the forest, softening her steps as much as possible. Stealth operations were not her normal type of warfare, but she was certainly capable of it. After all, who was the one who infiltrated and took down the Earth Kingdom from the inside? Who was the one who snuck up on the Kyoshi warriors? Her.

  She just had to avoid the spots where some sort of mechanical fire was put up, which illuminated her when she got close. However once she found her spot Azula patiently waited in the between a couple of trees, her eyes scanning the horizon for her foe. A lightning bolt to the chest should put him down as it would any man, and then she could enjoy the delicious fruits of her victory…

 And now-

 A strange whirling sound interrupted her thoughts, causing Azula to instinctively duck. A wise move, as Marek’s trademark lightsaber cut through the spot which her head had recently occupied, shredding completely through the trunk of a thin tree. With no support left the top half of the tree collapsed. Azula back flipped, dodging both the tree and the returning saber though only narrowly; the blade scorched through part of her right shoulder pauldron, luckily not deep enough to penetrate flesh.

 Her eyes tracked the lightsaber’s trajectory and she was quickly able to discern where the Secret Apprentice was hiding. She punched the air, sending a ball of fire towards the tree. The tree instantly exploded into flames, causing the man hiding in the top to jump down to escape the fire. Giving him time to rest was foolishness, and she quickly kicked up a second ball of flame. Simultaneously her hands formed a disk of fire, one of her more powerful techniques, hurling it at Marek just as he evaded the fire kick.

 Marek’s force push met the disk head on, dispersing it only moments before it would have collided with him. Azula was a bit impressed at his quick movements; however the beginning of the fight had not gone the way she had planned. The Fire princess spoke up as Marek finally seized his lightsaber from the air.

 “Well that was not bad, though I kind of expected a better assassination attempt from someone who supposedly spent much of his training preparing for one. I could probably find someone in the fire nation slums who is a better assassin then you. “

Galen regarded her coldly before replying

“Had I willed it, I would have easily given wrung your neck. I foresaw your survival to my lightsaber throw. This is your last chance to surrender, Azula, or else the fire nation will need a new crown princess. “

 “Hah! You are the one who should be groveling down before me, it’s what you are used to doing, isn’t it? Groveling before Vader, hoping he’ll give a share of power? Well let me enlighten you to one of his lies; you shall never have that power, and even if you were to somehow beat me there is no chance of you becoming the victor of the tournament.  You’re out of your league, assassin. “

“ You grovel before your father in the same way I used to grovel before Vader, Azula. And I am far more powerful then you, you who can’t even kill the Avatar. “

Azula playfully replied

“Galen, Galen are you really that slow?  True, I may not possess the force but I have something that you don’t; brains.  Seeing as you probably don’t know what a brain in, it means that I am smart. I would have never fallen for not one, but two betrayals by Vader-“

 Azula was interrupted here, not by Marek but by a cool feminine voice whose location she could not determine.

 “Power Failure imminent. Ten Minutes  until generators go offline. “

 Azula understood the terms, but not the meaning behind them. However she had no chance to dwell on them, as Marek had went on the offensive.

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Time was very, very limited. He had lost track of it while searching for her and now it would only be five minutes until the power systems went offline. Five minutes until the Quarantine protocols failed.

 He charged at her with his lightsaber in hand, using the force to propel his speed. While he could only do this briefly the speed boost was immense, and unfathomable to most ordinary humans. Unfortunately Azula was not one of them.  Her jet propulsion immediately activated, pushing her backwards as she simultaneously fired a long stream of firebending at her. However this he had foreseen via farsight, and the newly minted Jedi raised his hand to block the blast of fire with the force, slowly pushing it back.

      The flames promptly shut off, though the smoke caused by the splatter of fire helped obscure his vision, shielding her from his telekinesis. With another force push he brushed aside the smoke, only to be surprised as a lightning bolt rushed towards him. Marek only just managed to block with his lightsaber, the electricity making his fingers tingle.  He smirked as he used the technique known as force protection to transfer the electricity from the blade to its hilt and finally into him. With Azula only 20 feet away he let her have a taste of her own medicine; force lightning! Not enough energy would be put in to kill, rather to knock her out and win this match! It was then Azula did something wholly surprising.

 Instead of turning and trying to doge as Marek expected her to do Azula merely positioned her finger in front of the oncoming lightning. The electricity hit, and for a moment it looked like she was done for as her face registered pain (this prompting Marek to press the attack, to put more of his lightning into it). However it then quickly switched to an evil smile that lit up her face, making her seem wild, feral almost…

  Azula pointed her other finger at Marek and fired, the lightning that exited her palms strengthened by Marek’s own. Galen quickly blocked with his lightsaber, making sure to transfer the lightning that hit the blade into his palm, fueling his own electricity.

 It was like a circuit in a way, a giant twisted circuit. And it showed no signs of fizzing out, as both warriors painfully held the connection.  

 This isn’t going to work, Marek thought to himself, remembering the duel with Palpatine which he had viewed in the library of Babel I need to end this before the circuit grows beyond sustainable levels.

 Unfortunately for Marek, his opponent was one the same train of thought. Azula took advantage of Marek’s slightest distraction and used her feet to kick up some fire just as Marek reached out and pushed Azula back with the force.

 Galen felt searing pain as the fire, which he had mostly blocked, scorched his left leg. Off in the distance he heard Azula give a cry as her back slammed against a tree, meaning he didn’t need to worry about another attack for a bit.  His eyes fell to his leg, angry to find that flesh was badly burned in many places.

      Marek silently cursed to himself, before breathing deep and entering a trance like state. Though only taught very recently by Kota, he had managed to acquaint himself with force healing. Didn’t hurt that he had plenty of practice the last couple of days, given that multiple injuries Proxy had inflicted on him in training.

 The force smiled upon him, as the burns didn’t penetrate far, meaning it wouldn’t take long to heal. A cool relaxing sensation came over his leg as he rubbed his hand over it the cells regenerating at a greater rate than normally possible. It was no bacta tank but it was far better than a bacta tank.

Suddenly his mind reeled into a vision; that of Azula, a grin on her face, suddenly stepping out from behind a tree and blasting a ring of fire at him….

     His farsight was far from being mastered, but nevertheless it served him well here. Just as he predicted Azula stepped out of the jungle, a grin on her face, flames already forming in her hands. However the grin was instantly wiped off her face as Marek sent three nearby boulders her way.

      In a way Marek couldn’t help but be impressed with her agility, which rivaled even those who possessed the force (did she? Marek hadn’t looked up the nature of bending but he knew the force could be used to manipulate flames).

   The first boulder she dodged outright, while the second she split vertically in half, each side splitting off diagonally and allowing her to maneuver. The third rock she kicked, the powerful combustive flames breaking the rock into uncountable pieces. With a smirk back on her face she used her propulsion to dodge another thrown lightsaber before kicking another burst of fire at Marek. The secret apprentice blocked it with the force while simultaneously recalling the lightsaber back towards him.

 Azula dodged the returning blade, manipulating the fire in her hands to-

  For the first time in the battle Marek felt true rage as Master Kota’s lightsaber was cut in half at the hilt to the sound of Azula’s triumphant laughter.

 “Hah! Your greatest strength, your only weapon of any real worth destroyed by your own stupidity! This is turning out to be easier then I –“

 The familiar hiss of the activation of a lightsaber was heard, and Azula stopped in the middle of her rant; there was a reason why he had brought two lightsabers, taken from Proxy before battle. Channeling energy once again he force pulled her forward, his lightsaber already directly pointed at her heart-

        Unfortunately the Fire Nation Princess resisted the pull, pointing all four limbs at Marek and blasting out fire. Marek met it head on with the force; however the pure amount of power behind the fire pushed him back. He manipulated the energy into his legs, using it to force leap over the flames.

 The lightsaber hissed and he directed himself towards Azula’s position who wisely decided propelled herself out of the way. To Galen, it appeared that she wanted to avoid a close quarter’s duel.

 No matter he thought to himself the Force is far superior then some tricks with fire.

 Suddenly the ambient lighting around him switched off as the cool computerized voice spoke (save for a few, clearly for emergency purposes)

“Quarantine protocols disengaged, power is now offline.”

  From the bowels of the ship came terrifying, desperate cries that filled the air of the Biome, scaring both of them.


Galen was sure he spoke for both of them when he said aloud

“FUCK!”.

  Azula had no clue what had been just unleashed, but she didn’t need her enhanced perception to tell another fight was on her hands. Desperately she fired several more blasts of fire at Marek, only for the quick Jedi to evade them fairly easily.

 To match her in aggression the Jedi sent another blast of force lightning at her, which was likewise dodged. A second attempt to pull her closer to him was met with a fire wall, while he caught a small fireball with his lightsaber.

    Any further action was interrupted, however, by the gradually increasing crescendo fast approaching. Azula had to resist gasping in horror, for a more ghastly collection of souls would have been difficult to find. Their faces were etched into a perpetual grin, bearing menacing teeth and motley skin. A few were even missing limbs or possessed wounds that would be life-threatening to most other beings, however they seemed not to notice them.  They were dressed in all manner of garb, varying from simple rags to white armor, but all shambled the same.

 The Fire Nation Princess had heard tales of such monsters before; heard them when the troops that served under her gathered around the fires to tell ghost tales. She had thought those tales idiotic of course but now it looks like there may have been some truth in them.  In unison the creatures shrieked, and charged towards the two child prodigies. Azula fell back into the forest, not caring what Marek did at the moment.

  As she ran she could hear the screeches behind her, as well as the familiar slashing noise of a lightsaber. She pressed on, eventually coming to a stop in front of a rock formation with rocks too narrow for climbing. However in between them lay a narrow path only wide enough for two skinny people to fit through at a time. Azula saw her trap perfectly. Climbing through the tracks she found a clearing large enough to conduct even her lightning bending-perfect. She smiled widely.

 Like the dumb animals that they were at heart the zombies were onto her position only a moment after she turned around, the first one already trying to squeeze through the crevice. Its bulky armor only served to clog the chasm further; its movement seemed to be solely tied to the pushing hands behind it.

      When it was about halfway in Azula let loose her first batch of lightning-bending. The electricity was powerful enough to blow a hole straight not only the white armored fellow but the next four other bodies behind him. Not letting up a second she let loose a large stream of flame, the fire inside hotter than most standard flamethrowers and much more combustive.  In a sense it was a mixture of the opposing elements of a water cannon and the good old flamethrower.

  The flames spread quickly, setting a fire that which was not immediately blasted however the bodies still pushed their way through, the force of the mob behind them ensuring that the permanent dead were used as shields to cover their still undead comrades, up until they were finally burnt to cinders. Nevertheless they were closing in on her space fast, however Azula had a plan.

     She set to work superheating the air around her, ensuring that all but that in her most intimate personal space was scorching, the air pressure rising and-

KABOOM!

   The entire rock formation exploded all sorts of debris whether they are bodies or rocks being sent many meters high. From the rubble emerged Azula with a smirk on her face; she had also used the Library to find out new powers available to her such as combustion. However the red mist that settled over the field scared here; could she get infected from inhaling that stuff? Not willing to find out she summoned energy to her feet, vaulting over the red mist. Rest came not for however as bright red lights shone through the air.

 Azula immediately went flat on the floor, dodging one volley but then having to jump up to evade another. She glanced her head backwards; the ‘zombies” now had strange weapons in their hands and were firing freely. Using propulsion she quickly blasted herself over to the tree line, using the trees as cover from the oncoming blows.

 They are getting smarter she realized. Another brilliant thought came to her

 But why should I have to deal with them?

 She grinned, a plan already in her mind. Glancing backwards to make sure they were on her tail she propelled herself back, back to where she first fled…

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 Imperial Bioweapons Project 171A: The Empire’s greatest investment in terror and the occult. A means to literally bring the dead back to life. Well it seems that means had gotten loose.

        Marek had glanced over a file named “Blackwing” however even he did not expect it to be more than a hoax.  Only powerful Jedi/Sith were supposed to come back to life, not ordinary men and women. Yet here the virus was staring him literally in the face; well, it was  until Marek decapitated the head of the Zombified Wookie growling at him.  Another charging group of Stormtrooper zombies were electrocuted by his force lightning, while someone trying to sneak up on him took a lightsaber through the eye.

     He was not going to get snuck up on easily, that much was for sure. He had already hacked down at least 80 of them in the last 10 minutes (he would have hacked down more however the only problem was the zombies were becoming smarter; they no longer charged straight into him for instance), and reckoned that Azula must have taken down a fair amount herself, so he doubted that there would be much more.

   Suddenly he felt that he was in danger, an unexplained warning from the Force that made him feel wary, and he looked up just in time to see the face of Azula grin back down at him. Instinctively his lightsaber hand raised itself on its own towards the direction that Azula just came from, blocking the various laser bolts sent his way and even sending more than a few back at the zombified storm troopers. The ones that took blaster bolts to the head died however most of them were left standing.

      His farsight allowed himself a glimpse of the future and this time he turned the opposite direction just in time for him to dodge a concentrated beam of fire from Azula; this one cut in half two stormtroopers on the other side.  He force pushed her back into 3 sneaking zombies before hastily turning around again. Marek made a motion via telekinesis and caught no less than three thermal detonators thrown in the air above him. It was child’s play to toss them back and watch in satisfaction as no less than 20 of his foes were utterly disintegrated.  Hesitantly he turned to Azula, pleased to see that she was occupied with an infected Imperial Shadow Guardsman.

 Then rather abruptly he heard the tell-tale sign of a slugthrower going off, the bullet hitting the lightsaber that Marek had instinctively raised to his defense. His attention now focused on whatever was attacking him, trepidation filled him as that strange droid that he had first encountered into the janitor quarters. It had now been reactivated by the Janitor that currently stood behind it, its mini-turret now spinning full throttle.

           Azula had had no problem vanquishing the three zombies Marek had pushed her into, hell she had done it without her firebending. The first one, the one she had landed on, had quickly had its neck broken while his friend who was leaning down for a nibble of her leg had gotten more of that limb then he could handle; namely his nose being kicked in. The third had been dispatched by a shuriken-knife to the eye.

  Now she was dealing with a zombie version of another one of Palpatine’s servants; too easy. Unlike the other this one hadn’t been training up on her for two days, meaning he didn’t even have a chance against her! 

       In the background she heard an odd grinding noise but she paid it no heed; only focusing on the creature before her who was slowly advancing.  A lightning bolt was quickly blocked by his lightsaber but Azula had only been testing the waters with that attack.

  The creature picked up his speed as Azula responded with another blast of fire, this one overpowering the creature and knocking him down. Azula would have finished him off had not another fist reached out and grabbed her  right shoulder, causing Azula to instinctively kick backwards; knocking back the sneaky infected as well as burned a hole through his chest with point blank propulsion. Azula finished him off with a fireball that annihilated his face.  

 The creature with the lightsaber had jumped up; his blade rose and rushed forward in an arc that Azula only narrowly evaded. However the move left him open to a kick to a fire enhanced kick to the crotch by Azula, something that should have sent him writhing to the ground. What she did not know was that the dead were immune to such crotch kicks, even one that could be fatal like hers.  The undead merely locked his legs, trapping hers between his and nearly causing the Fire Princess to lose balance.  His rough hands dropped the lightsaber and grabbed her back, forcing him to her as the macabre creature attempted to dig into her neck…Azula was having none of that. She inhaled deep, and then exhaled the breath of fire right in his face.

       Kicking the body off she caught another zombie attempting to sneak up on her and quickly dispatched it and as the cool feminine voice above said “Life support offline. Oxygen will no longer be recycled”.

   She didn’t hear it as her attention was focused on Marek who, after evading fire from that odd automaton was now being swarmed by a huge hoard of zombies. Azula expected him to cut every one of them down with that sabre of his but instead he levitated himself in the air, gathered an immense amount of energy and practically blew himself up. The shockwave of energy was truly impressive, utterly disintegrating the nearest ones while sending the others flying backs, many of them not to get up again. 

However it did not deal damage to the robot or the infected using the robot as cover. The robot promptly resumed fire, the barrels rotating faster than Azula’s eyes could fully tack. She decided to take advantage of the distraction by charging up a massive jet of fire, striking just as he moved to dodge from the machine gun.

       The fire hit him dead on, the blast knocking him to the ground and briefly taking his breath away. Azula’s eyes widened in shock, he wasn’t expecting to hit him that hard. Not that she cared about hurting him  but she didn’t put that much power in it….and that is when she instinctively looked up to the sky. Through  the transparent glass above was a shower of comets passed by, its power radiating in the fire princess. Firebenders were always drawn to cosmic energy, and these dozens of small meteors were having the same effect that Sozin’s comet did; boosting her firebending greatly.

 She grinned; now she was going to have some fun.

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       Marek  groaned. While he might not be knocked out that hit had done a great deal of damage, more than he was used to taking. His body ached all over; he’d need to spend some time in the Bacta Tank after this. However the will to fight on was ever there, the desire to win for Juno and the destruction of the Empire just as alive as in the early stage of the fight. He realized now that the comet shower (the biome was arched so that it faced the planet in a particular way, something Marek found suspicious) was granting Azula immense power, boosting her firebending exponentially. Luckily the remaining zombies had started shooting at her with their blasters, giving Marek a bit of a break. However not everything did.

 The turret of the droid began rotating again, however this time Marek was prepared. Seizing control of it via the Force, he slowly forced away from him and towards…Azula!  The bullets still spitting out it carved completely through two zombies in the path and would have carved through Azula too had fate been kinder. The Fire Nation Princess unfortunately caught onto what he was doing and to Marek’s amazement blew the robot up with a bolt of lightning cast with only a brief movement. Then she sent another ball of fire his way.

      He dodged, though the combustive force of where the fireball landed threw him through the air. He landed hard, breath once again knocked out of him as he realized just how powerful she had grown. Should he consider dabbing in the dark side, in the hope that his power will be boosted enough to deal with her?

   Wouldn’t that be against everything he has strived to achieve these last couple of months? Meanwhile Azula, having finished off the last of the Zombies, turned her full attention to Marek, only to find that he was no longer in sight.  She laughed and spoke up

“Hiding are we? No wonder you were always in the shadow of your master and the Emperor. You are weak.”

    Marek was at a crossroads here, torn for perhaps one final time between light and dark. Time slowed to almost a standstill to the former Sith apprentice as the seriousness and ramifications of his potential decision dawned on him.

 This entire match the former Sith apprentice had been holding back, fearing what would happen if he would go full out dark side. Sure he’d get a lot of power but he had spent the last couple of months gradually pulling away from the dark side, gradually morphing himself into the Jedi he currently.

        Was it really worth it? Sure the Dark side had its drawbacks; its members were more subject to betrayal for one. But it had brought Galen self-assuredness, confidence- it had motivated him more than anything else ever had. Weren’t those brutal days under Darth Vader’s training survivable solely because the Dark Side gave him strength to overcome all obstacles? Wasn’t he more powerful under the Dark Side then he was under the light? Besides it was with the Dark Side that he could overpower Palpatine and Vader and finally enact the revenge he so desired. It was with the Dark Side that he would rule the galaxy, with Juno and Proxy by his side.

NOOOO!

 A different part of him spoke up; a part that he didn’t realize existed until a couple of months ago. He recognized this part of him as having always been there; the part of him that cared for Proxy as a friend, the part of him that reached for Shaak Ti as she fell to her doom. Until recently it had been suppressed by Vader and his harsh training but now it awoke brighter than ever. He had come too far from the Dark Side, this part of him reasoned, to turn back now.

 The power offered by the Dark Side was merely an illusion; in reality they were more insecure and paranoid than ever, and unable to master death as true Jedi could. Didn’t the Emperor himself say, in the vision of himself he had witnessed, that he had become “more powerful than ever” from dying while in the light side?

       A blast of comet enhanced fire was only just narrowly evaded by Marek’s force enhanced reflexes-Azula had found his hiding place. He used the force to put up a protective bubble of nearby debris, only for this makeshift defense to be smashed aside.

  Marek could hear Azula taunting him, laughing at his inability to counter her at all. Anger, which he had been suppressing most of the fight, stirred in him; why shouldn’t he show this bitch how much power he really has? Once he stood triumphant over her broken body he would win this tournament, have vengeance on the empire and guarantee himself ultimate power!

      Once again the light side part of him spoke up, just as he dodged another one of Azula’s fireballs. He had gone too far now to ever go back into darkness and oblivion; even losing to Azula was preferable to losing his true self like his master did. Sure he could gain vengeance on the emperor but would it really be justice? Would not the empire collapse without its command structure, causing more deaths then Palpatine did? Or would it become another tyranny, this time under “Lord Starkiller”? No this side of him argued, if Palpatine is to brought down it is to be done correctly and with justice not vengeance. And more importantly Juno would never accept the Dark Side; she regretted the genocide on Callos more than any other event in her life. They would find themselves at opposite ends of the spectrum, forced inevitably into conflict, and that was something he could not allow to happen.

He had made up his mind.

  Azula’s fire stream, now the size of a small house, loomed over him but he was prepared; farsight had warned him. The force was his escape, and he utilized the energy to sprint to safety. Calling out to her he spoke

“Azula! Why do you continue to tread this path, giving into all of your father’s demands? You can be so much more!”

  There was a longer than average gap in Azula’s response as Marek dodged another fire stream, leaping over it. He guessed she was a little unsure of his angle, not used to opponent’s doing much more than threatening.  With the energy of the force summoned to his arms he raised a shroud of dust to cover his retreat. Then her voice reached his ears

  “More? I am already so much more then you, assassin! You are nothing more than a tool used by the strong and mighty to carry out their deeds, an anonymous figure history would care to forget.  I will be remembered as the greatest ruler of my unified planet, the victor over the Avatar and the conqueror of Ba Sing Se! While you are a coward who runs from your betters.”

  Marek forced himself to remain calm, focusing on what Kota had taught him of Jedi Training.

 “It’s true that history will remember you before me. Even among the long history of my galaxy your genius would have been noted. “

Azula was silent now, obviously still trying to work out his angle. Then Marek continued

“However you are just as much a tool to your father as I was to Vader. He was the one who taught you to be cruel, taught you to be a monster. I was also a monster once but since turning from Vader I have realized how wrong I was. I hope one day you realize your folly. Until then I can’t hate you, only pity, for your cruelty forced you to betray your closest friends Mai and Ty Lee."

 The force then alerted him to a coming attack causing him to duck. Which turned out to be wise as a powerful fire blade cut through the air above him, cutting straight through a tree line behind him. The air around him was starting to make him feel lightheaded. Azula’s voice, now with an edge to it and feeling more forced than usual, responded

“LIAR! They betrayed me for Zuko! And you’re a hypocrite for lecturing me on cruelty; how many stormtroopers did you kill on the way to Vader? How many families grieved because of your actions huh Marek? Say what you want about me but at least I took prisoners. “

  Her breathing was heavy, something Marek absent-mindedly noted. His thoughts were with Azula’s words, and for the first time he felt complete and utter remorse torment him. Sure he had let a couple of people go since turning into Jedi but for the most part he slaughtered without thought. He couldn’t even honestly say that they were evil and the enemy; after all wasn’t he a repentant Imperial? Wasn’t Juno, the senators that were just now starting the rebellion, hell even Youngster, Juno’s friend who he probably killed on Kashyyyk?

  From the dark void of his past Vader’s most infamous command came back to haunt him; Leave no witnesses.

 Then a startling thought hit him, one that was completely unrelated to the thought at hand. He realized now why he was feeling light-headed, why breath was starting to become more labored! The vast amount of flames she had produced was eating up all the air, and with life support systems offline the air was no longer being replaced. What this meant was that the oxygen level in this room would not sustain itself until crash time.

 This was how he would win! She had no counter to losing oxygen but he did! Marek concentrated, using the force to still his breathing in a movement called Breath Control. This power, used by Jedi to evade toxic gas, would still his breathing enough to where he could go without oxygen for hours! Though he wouldn’t be able to exert himself as much.

However the power did allow him to continue

“ No Azula you betrayed them by not taking into account your friend’s feelings. Mai just wanted to protect the man she loved, your brother Zuko who you were going to kill out of an insane sibling rivalry. Ty Lee wanted to protect her friend. Neither wanted to hurt you. If they did Ty Lee would have snapped your neck after she immobilized you, or Mai utilize that moment to put a knife in your eye. “
 

   Azula began a series of assaults, each one would destructive then the last. For the first time since the beginning of the fight Marek’s words were truly affecting her whereas for much of the fight hers were like poison to his ears. She was visibly panting now, and Marek could tell Azula was starting to feel light-headed too. This may have been why she was not abstaining from speaking, as it required the intake of more air.

“However the very fact you took prisoners when you didn’t have to shows you do have some good in you. You just got to realize it, and free yourself from the dark side. Your father doesn’t care about your fate; he’s solely interested in you for his own selfish gains.”

   Azula’s attacks further increased in intensity, now registering some sloppiness but still with a great deal of fire. In fact Marek felt elated at choosing to try to solve this via talking and evading; he’d never be able to take this on directly with the Dark Side. Besides such bloodlust was no longer in his character, he had evolved beyond that. 

      As the next fire blast came to him he dived into the smoke, before quickly moving into another smoke field.  Another wise move, as fire burst through that smoke field. At the same time he reached out with telepathy and applied light but no less substantial attempts at trying to influence her mentally. Had she been at her fittest she would have just laughed the attack off but now; with the lack of oxygen making her light-headed, with the battle itself having exhausted her mentally and physically, she was no longer as capable as she could be. Marek felt the connection made, and immediately attempted to induce sleep as his speech continued

 “ You can change all that. I know you want friends, I know you would secretly rather have love then fear, hell I know you want your mother’s lov-“

    A hoarse scream of rage filled the air, and Galen knew he had succeeded in pissing her off.

  A massive fireball, this one twice the size of the Rogue Shadow, penetrated the smoke. Marek’s eyes went wide in fear as for the first time in the match he contemplated the premature end of his life.

NO! I cannot, I will not fail. Juno, Proxy and countless others are depending on me. I MUST do this!

  He gathered every last bit of force energy to him that he possessed, every last scrap of physical energy left- and allowed the fireball to hit him straight on. His nerves were on fire with pain, his skin radiated, his very blood boiled. Yet Marek, driven by concern for his friends more than himself, embraced the Force completely, utterly, and was rewarded with strength far beyond any he had known  as a Sith.

  For a moment it looked like the fire had done him in but then from within the middle of the giant fireball came movement. Without warning it exploded, sending massive shockwaves that made the biome quake and knocked Azula through the air.

 From out of the inferno emerged a now radiant Marek, literally glowing with energy. For a second even his eyes shown with light. Then he dropped back down, eying the fire curiously coming out of his hand but not affecting him. His thoughts eyes it not in fear but in puzzlement

Curious, I wonder if-

 And at his command a stream of fire scorched a nearby picnic table, one miraculously not burned already from the firefight. He smiled slightly to himself before remembering there was unfinished business to attend to-

 He found her a couple yards away- still alive but only just. Tears were in her eyes as they found Marek’s, her body too exhausted to make anything more than a tactile attempt to rise, her lungs struggling to intake  air that they desperately needed. Nevertheless her eyes showed no fear, and glared at him defiantly

Marek’s lightsaber lit up, the blade pointed directly at her heart. However instead of impaling her  he spoke

“Remember what I said, Azula. Give up your insane quench for power, or be consumed by it. ”

  Marek wasn’t sure she heard him as she was fading in and out of consciousness. Mercifully he applied additional pressure on her mind, putting her to sleep.

 With a flash a new scene appeared before him, that of Portal Master standing before him, a table between them. The alien was actually clapping for him!


“WELL DONE! You have done well this day, foiling the plots of an intricate plotmaker, dealing with both the seen and unforeseen.  Not only that but you applied psychology warfare on the mind of someone normally more skilled at it then you, and you did it without killing her. You used your superb knowledge of your surroundings to literally get a firebender to burn herself out. Fear not, for your trials and hardships will soon be rewarded, the first of which is four hours of additional prep time for not killing your foe. “

  A hologram sprang up from the table, that of himself shooting forth blue-fire flames from his hands.

 “For your defeat of a firebender prodigy, you will receive the ability of pyrokinesis, or the very control of fire. With this you can both spawn and control fire, with the spawned variety being of blue-flames. You will also have access to most of the basic firebending moves, with the option to improve slowly as time goes on. Other than the pure offensive moves, you will be able to utilize fire to both speed up your movement for a brief period of time and the ability form a temporary fire shield that surrounds you in flame yet preserves your mobility. “

 The video changed as he spoke, showing Marek running around with a see through fire shield and then propelling himself with fire thrust from his feet.

  “The rest of your gains, while not as significant as your first are nevertheless notable.  Your farsight is already improving, and I expect it to further improve with training. Your lightning also has increased in range.”

 The Portal Master dropped a couple of knives on the table. Galen hesitantly picked them up; he wasn’t willing to be picky, but these were fairly useless instruments in his opinion.

“Three of Azula’s shuriken knives are yours, for whatever use you may find of them.  Proxy will be able to replicate simulated modules of Ty Lee, Azula and Mai, from which you can learn new moves, whether they be chi-blocking or firebending. And finally…”

    A long shadow appeared to the Portal Master’s left, coming from a long hallway immediately behind the creature. Marek peeked over his shoulder, hoping with all his heart that it was Juno Ecl-

“Won your first fight, have you boy?”

Marek’s face twisted into a smile as he realized who it was. Rahm Kota, general of the Old Republic, a former assassination target and mentor. Joy entered his heart; it wasn’t as good as if Juno was here, but it was the next best thing!

 Unfortunately the Portal master broke the moment

 “Unfortunately time will not delay, and we must make haste to the next announcement."

And with that the familiar feeling of teleportation overcame him.
_______________________________________________________________

 The Portal Master had teleported him in front of the crowd, those of the fellow fighters of the arena. Without preamble he began

“Behold our first champion, the wielder of the Force Galen Marek! Though his power and skill at arms he destroyed a cunning and tricky foe to claim victory over the first match!”

A small smattering of applause broke out; most of it polite rather than sincere. Glancing over the crowd the smug face of the Emperor caught his eye, who smirked at him. Marek returned with a glare. Soon after the Portal master turned the attention back to himself.

  “However such a magnificent victory was not the sole reason I called you here this night. No day shall be without battle, and it has come time to choose the next contestants!”

  Once again the lights dimmed, and apprehension fell over much of the crowd, each either excited or dreading that they will be chosen next. Finally the lights settled on a tall brute of a man, someone who positively glowered at all that dared turned to look at him. Someone who was covered in ashes…

 “ Kratos! This powerful demigod took down the entire Greek Pantheon, much of the Titans and all the monsters and servants in between. A god killer and warrior spirit without par, your  arsenal contains some of the most deadly weapons in the tournament vs.!”

 The spotlight then found a man dressed in a costume alternating between black and grey, who had been previously trying to avoid attention of the crowd by hiding in the back and observing. The man’s face quickly turned to one of annoyance as the crowd turned to him

“Batman!  The Dark Knight and hero of Gotham City, your preparation and intelligence have made you a famous figure far beyond your own realm. Batman, I expect your detective skills and ingenious arsenal to serve you well.”

 Kratos snarled at Batman from across the space of 40 meters; Batman merely returned with a blank gaze, all the while his keen mind looked Kratos up and down, analyzing potential weaknesses.

 “As was before you both now have access to the Library of Babel; may you use it well. “

 And with that, the crowd was dismissed.

___________________________________________________________________

  The Portal Master, alone now, picked up a sheet one of his servants had sent him which revealed just how many battles out of a thousand each contestant had won, how they won as well as some miscellaneous comments.

(REMEMBER deaths are not required).

GALEN MAREK:

LONG RANGE: 350

MID RANGE:  55

CLOSE RANGE: 80

SURRENDER: 8

MIND TRICKS/MENTAL ATTACKS: 17

TOTAL: 510

AZULA:

LONG RANGE: 430

MID RANGE: 42

CLOSE RANGE:14

HAND TO HAND: 1

SURRENDER: 3

TOTAL: 490

CATEGORY BREAKDOWN:

LONG RANGE:  For both fighters this category ended up dominating their win/loss ratio. Azula’s firebending really took a toll, with the most kills in the match given its lethality, heavy usage and the increased power when Azula found her environmental bonus. Galen however also did well, with 350 (of which 20 or so were due to thrown lightsaber).  The myriad of  uses for  Telekinesis allowed its use in a great many situations, and it was also a potent assistor.

MID RANGE: Neither side benefited from their lightning attacks very much do to each side’s countermeasures; however Marek still outshot Azula by 13 wins.

CLOSE RANGE: Lightsaber held the day whenever Azula couldn’t run away too fast enough. Azula managed to barely get 14, mostly from pressure control, though her fire blades did score 3 and the shurikenknife nabbed an extremely lucky kill.

HAND TO HAND: The one time these two fought hand to hand, Azula’s martial arts ultimately prevailed after a beating.

SURRENDER: Neither wanted to surrender, however Marek was able to use some mental pressure when Azula was exhausted that helped influence this.

MENTAL ATTACKS: Marek has demonstrated the ability to forcibly put someone to sleep before, and he managed to do this to Azula if he succeeded in exhausting her after a long battle as she was more vulnerable then.

The various variables, defenses and of course specials all played a role in this battle, but this review only counted primary means of winning the battle.

 PHASE SEPARATION:

EARLY PHASE: This ended up being Marek’s phase to dominate. He was nearly twice as more likely to get off a stealth attack do to training and using the force to mask his movements, as well as pre-cognition to alert him to her location. Azula got some kills here but she also had yet to fully get her bearings yet, so to speak. Meaning her tactics didn’t always survive contact with the enemy, and she didn’t have time to adapt.

MID-PHASE:  Here was where the largest amount of fighting was, with the most blows struck. The most victories came out of this segment of the battle as the full effect of the pre-battle preparations were shown here. Neither really came out on top in this segment.

LATE PHASE:  By this Time Azula had found her source of fire boost, and was using it to full effect. She also now knew firsthand of most of Marek’s tricks, and was fully experienced to fighting him.  She generally dominated the late game, with Marek occasionally able to score some due to her exhaustion and his mental attacks.

The Portal Master was shocked to say the least; not unpleasantly but it seems that the trickles of fate can fool even him! He reviewed his predictions one last time, shaking his head in disbelief.

MY PERSONAL EDGES

(A.N: First of all I must apologize for the delay; it was hard to get the characters down, and even now looking back at it there still appears to be some kinks. However part of the delay was research, which I can safely say I have went above the standard call. Already familiar with the Avatar series (it is one of my favorite series) I have also played the game The Force Unleashed, read the graphic novel to that game and read the actual novel to that game too).

MY CRITERIA FOR EDGES:

Even: I.E. Tie

Minor Edge: This signifies that the edge was insanely close however one or two factors ultimately swayed it towards one side.  I consider this edge debatable and could see it going the other way in many circumstances. In the grand scheme of things I don’t expect this edge to be a game winner, or hurt the other side very much.

Fair Edge:  An upgrade to minor, this is still fairly close. Though one side may have it there is still some elbow room that could allow the other side to take the edge. The Big Picture is that this will be perhaps a kink in one side’s armor, but far from overwhelming.

Solid Edge: In my view this category belongs to one side with relatively little room for argument. One side definitely benefits from having this edge. The opponent can compete but not well here.

Major Edge:  More than a solid this presents not only a substantial edge to one side but serious impediment to the other.  One fighter so strongly dominates this field that the other really doesn’t gain much out of this category.

Dominating Edge: The Rarest and hardest to achieve of the edges, this edge while not an automatic game winner plays a huge role in the battle. One side so dominates that this edge that they have little to fear from the other, their weapons/powers just so damn effective that they really don’t have much to fear here; their opponent can bring relatively little if everything to compete. It is going to be a significant factor in this fight.

Now onto my edges

PRE-BATTLE:

   In comparing Azula vs. Galen it is important to begin with what type of information each side will look up. For Azula I believe she will look into all forms of what makes Marek who he is, whether it’s his capabilities or personality, force powers or upbringing. She is truly a marvelous researcher and I do think she’d go even a bit above what most people would go, and look up info on people that Marek is or was close to like Darth Vader or Juno. Being a person able to pick out tiny details few people would notice, I expect her research to be both more expansive and yet faster than Marek.

    However that’s not to put down Starkiller; he was an assassin, and he knows what is pertinent to research for a fight, having done this before. He’ll focus on her capabilities, but he’ll also browse into her personality a bit so he won’t be completely unprepared. He’ll look for any flaws in it that he can exploit and any key factors that might affect the fight. Marek will also have Proxy review files to her fights so that he can create a training module.

              Next I expect both fighters to systematically start whittling down each other’s arsenals, starting from most potent to least. She’ll realize that no amount of training is going to completely counter the force but nevertheless she is going to try Azula will start off with his force lightning, using the Library of Babel to access archives on Zuko and Iroh to learn the technique of lightning-redirection. Given that this technique seems really simple as Zuko was able to be proficient at it within a half hour I expect Azula to master it pretty much in a half hour. Next she’ll turn to Telekinesis and there she will run into a stumbling block.

     While she has some experience with powerful, unseen forces pushing her around (airbending) the direct telekinesis is something she is not used to, and what she’ll really struggle in. She’ll never completely counter it but I ultimately believe she will spend a great deal of time looking up….Boba Fett. This bounty hunter has a lifetime of experience with Jedi and countering their methods, using his jet pack as propulsion to escape their grasps. Azula will spend a great deal of time improving on propulsion, and try to work out other counters such as breaking his line of sight with a fire wall or break his concentration with a stream of attacks (unlike most of his opponents every limb  of hers is a weapon).

       Now with that done she’ll quickly and rightly reason that she has no hope in close combat, and redouble her efforts in trying to bolster her propulsion. Acknowledging the possibility that she is caught in close combat she’ll try to research pressure control if she doesn’t know it already. It at least offers a slight chance of victory.  Farsight will be a bit of annoyance but it’s not yet reliable enough to constitute a serious change in plans. On the Psychological side of things I expect her to research as many jabs to make at Marek as possible to throw off his concentration, as well as train herself to recognize some of his moves before he launches them, to give her an additional second of preparation. Finally she’ll set to work trying to visualize some of the counters he is developing to her. Her plans aren’t very reliant on her pre-battle bonus.

       Marek on the other hand will also look up and try to counter Azula’s tactics. He’ll start off with her signature; firebending. Using Proxy to replicate her fire attacks he’ll gradually learn the exact positioning and movements for many of the subtypes in this category; disks, blades, fireballs what have you.  He’ll reason that countering it head on with the force will serve to either negate it or push it back on Azula. Marek will also practice on evasion to expend less energy on defense. However I do expect him to practice up on Force Protection; to improve it so it becomes a real factor in this match. He’ll also try and learn Breath Control to somewhat counter the smoke. 

        The Lightning bending is something I expect he’ll pay little attention to, as he is used to taking lightning with his lightsaber. However I do expect him to note that it is dangerous to interrupt her when she is “going through the motions” so to speak, and perhaps use that in battle. I expect him to be completely confident in close range-as he should be. Marek will realize that propulsion will give him headaches but nevertheless plan on countering them with copious use of telekinesis and enhancing his speed with the force. He’ll also keep a couple of notes about some “key issues” in her past and future, noting the similarities between her and him (which she’ll also note but won’t care to acknowledge).

     After coming up with all this I expect Marek to try and use the force to get some visions of the upcoming battle. He’ll be slightly successful but alas his farsight isn’t as developed as Palpatine’s  (to say nothing of Eldrad Ulthran!).

 Now before we go to an edge it’s important to look at the bonuses. These aren’t meant determine   pre-battle (as some of you took it to mean) but to complement it; I.E. boost already substantial skill slightly. Remember even a powerful, brilliantly crafted tool is only as good as its wielder!

 BONUS: Li-Lo vs. Proxy:

        I agree with the consensus; Proxy is a 100 times better than the Li or Lo. Their tips don’t mean much to Azula, who is already very proficient in planning. It’s possible that they could point out something that she missed but I am not seeing that happening too often; Azula is good at this. The best use I can see Azula getting out of them is to have the two look up some minor information about Marek (the important stuff she’d trust only herself to research). Proxy on the other hand is not only something Marek can use to research (given the amount of trust between them, I can see Marek using Proxy to look up important stuff) but an invaluable sparring partner.  The ability of the robot to replicate Azula’s moves and recreate them cannot be denied, and in my mind Proxy is undoubtedly more useful. However it’s worth noting that when Proxy replicates someone he does not replicate their personality, so Marek will be a bit unprepared there.

(*Note : Some Avatar Fans have asked why I didn’t give Azula Ty Lee and Mai. My reasoning is twofold: 1. She would have hurt them upon finding out of the Events of the Boiling Rock and 2. Knife throwing and Chi-blocking is not going to really help in this battle. Even marginally. ).

 So who gets the edge Overall?  A surprisingly difficult edge, as we have an expert planner going against superior bonus and some foresight. Ultimately I got to go with the planning. Marek is good but Azula cannot be denied here, something even many Marek fans of the voters conceded. She is going to account for more and prepare for more than her opponent. To me this is a

Solid Edge Azula

LONG RANGE: BLUE-FIRE BENDING VS. TELIKINESIS/LIGHTSABER THROW

 Let’s start with the weakest link, so to speak, so we can then get to the good stuff.  The Lightsaber throw has admittedly been underestimated a bit. While he can throw it like a boomerang I have also seen it thrown like a spear; straight, direct and with a fast route to its target. While it won’t be a surprise per say, it still can be fast enough to win a battle. However that said it’s also a tactical flaw in a way; it’s an easy opportunity for a quick Azula to destroy the lightsaber with a concentrated blast of fire. In addition some have already spoken on Azula’s experience with boomerangs and projectiles at large, and I don’t believe dodging it will be too big a problem.

          Now for the main event….

 To both fighters, this is perhaps the most important aspect of their arsenal. Sure the lightsaber is great but it will not win the battle on its own, its telekinesis where things need to shine. Both fighters are going to spend the majority of the time preparing for the other side of this category. To start the contest off Marek is going to try and throw objects at Azula via force throw. This Azula will effectively block with his firebending, which has proven effective in cutting right through stone buildings. Thus I am not viewing this aspect as much more than a distraction, however force push could be surprisingly dangerous to Azula, especially if she was in the middle of performing a lightning strike or a cliff/environmental hazard was behind her. Push could also be used somewhat to block the fire; an invisible fore countering that of her radiant one.  Pull will also be dangerous, especially if Marek isn’t that far away with a lightsaber.  Surprisingly I see these two uses as the most effective of Marek’s telekinesis, above even force choke.

        Force Repulse is going to see rally little use given its small radius of effect; if Azula was that close she’d probably be skewered on his lightsaber. Force grip is going to be pretty useful, particularly if he stops Azula in the middle of one of her attacks, and ram her into things. However she is going to spend the most time preparing for direct telekinesis, and I can’t see it work for two long before Azula is lost to sight either via fire shield or propelling behind a pillar or something.  Now he is very strong at grip, being able to pick up and hold TIE fighters with some regularity  however those TIE fighters aren’t able to block his line of sight like Azula can via a wall of fire. Choke is a subset of this and a dangerous one at that, one which requires fast reactions should Azula hope to survive. While he may not spam it as he did when he was a Sith apprentice Marek will still make use of it.  Force crush is undoubtedly the strongest, most lethal move here however it has a weakness: I have never encountered one instance of Marek using it on a living person. Machines yes people no. Thus it will be a rare attack at best and one Azula can somewhat but not totally counter.

    Azula’s firebending is more one dimensional then telekinesis however it is still a force to be reckoned with. However Marek has been practicing and he’ll recognize most of her moves while she is doing them, perhaps sending some force pushes/pulls to mess up some of the more powerful and complicated ones. He’ll be able to absorb it somewhat with the force too via force protection (Which he’ll be practicing on). However the after effects of fire; smoke is going to be problem.  While Breath Control will somewhat alleviate the breathing aspect of it (somewhat; the more energy he expends the more oxygen his muscles require and he’ll find this ability quickly running out) the smoke in his eyes is going to be somewhat a factor in keeping sight of Azula, something he needs for his direct telekinesis to work. In addition there is the factor that she’ll have control over ambient fire, meaning that fire patches on the ground she can use to sneak attack him.

      All in all my edge is going to surprise ALL OF YOU as so far there is not one person that agrees with me. But nevertheless as I look at it I see four factors that give this edge over to Azula. 1. She’ll put more planning into countering the other side, and more brilliant planning at that. 2.Control over  Ambient fire makes it so Galen must always be careful  3. It’s slightly used more by Azula then TK is for Marek (its her main weapon while Marek’s is the lightsaber). and 4.  Limbs. I am surprised that this hasn’t been mentioned before. Marek is mostly able to use telekinesis with his hands; Azula can utilize fire bending with both feet, both hands and even her face. You could break Azula’s hands and she could still technically win with her feet. Can’t say as much for Marek. Nevertheless this edge is so close that I can’t justify giving it to the fire princess by much.

Minor Edge Azula.

MID RANGE: LIGHTNING BENDING VS. FORCE LIGHTNING:

Whoa there. This edge is going to be unique in that both warriors will pretty much have found out to completely counter the other side, or near enough. The lightsaber can absorb electricity while Azula would have trained in lightning redirection. However this category will still see some kills. The Lightnnig bending has a much greater distance, and is actually surprisingly lethal; its two victims would have died without Nickelodeon plot devices. Force Lightning can be used lethally or non-lethally; it depends on how much energy the wielder puts into it.  While both are formidable, upon reviewing it quickly becomes apparent that force lightning is much more formidable. Interrupting Azula’s lightning bending with something like force pull/push would be very dangerous for her, and may just K.O. her right then and there. Marek doesn’t need to perform ritualized movements to shoot off bolts of electricity, and can augment thrown objects with it to make them much more lethal. In addition lightning bending is easier to dodge, though both require fast reflexes.

 Marek takes it, though given pre-battle this edge doesn’t matter that much.

Fair Edge Marek

CLOSE RANGE: SHURIKEN KNIFE/BLADES OF FIRE VS. LIGHTSABER

   Without a doubt the easiest edge here. Everyone acknowledges what a beast Marek is in close combat and I fully agree; the boy who beat Vader scores high in my books. Sure Azula is no pushover but neither of her weapons is going to do much, if at all. The Shuirken  Knife will function as distraction at best; at worst Marek sends them right back at her via Telekinesis.  Blades of Fire are somewhat more useful, however at the range that Azula creates them she is already vulnerable to a lightsaber, and will only be able to deal some slight burns maybe. Her last resort combustion attack I mentioned in the pre-battle is her only hope, but I and  I think even she would doubt in its effectiveness.

      I do want to not that I feel Azula could take Marek in a full hand to hand battle, as her martial art styles that comprise of fire bending and fluid movements will triumph over his overpowering force enhancements. But I digress. Galen takes this edge to me, and in fact so completes it that it meets my rare criteria for a dominating edge. It is so substantial a lead that it’s ultimately going to force Azula to abandon close range entirely and opt to avoid it.

DOMINATING EDGE MAREK

SPECIAL: PROPULSION VS. FARSIGHT :

   This is an interesting edge as neither can really be used to directly harm another opponent (well somewhat; Azula can transfer her propulsion into a weapon but that would fall under regular firebending. This section refers to its use as movement control and evasion). Marek’s farsight is going to be used to try and predict Azula’s movements, predict when she fights and when she runs. Though he is not good  and has little experience it is an omnipresent move- well so long as he is in the light side (more on that later).  I forsee this move saving Marek from certain death a few times, or else getting in a fast blow when it becomes apparent Azula is vulnerable.

  Propulsion is Azula’s lifeline; her best hope for avoid a devastating close range battle. In fact it factors into every single edge so far in an even greater way then farsight does. In a long range contest it’s going to be used to struggle for control when Marek uses direct Telekinesis, as well as to try and attack from any angles by propelling around the battlefield. In mid and close range I see its purpose as avoidance- using it to outrun Marek and stay out of the lightning’s range.

   In this category of assistors it becomes apparent that propulsion is of more assistance. In fact it’s nigh essential; she’d be butchered in close range without it!

Fair Edge Azula.

DEFENESE: FIRE-BENDING (FIRE SHIELD) VS.  FORCE PROTECTION, LIGHTSABER

 In my pre-battle analysis I made note that Marek was probably going to try and improve Force Protection; that factors in here, since I think it’s possible Marek could absorb some less powerful variants of Azula’s attacks. The more powerful the attack gets however the harder (but not fully impossible) it is for him to take it. The lightsaber is going to be of less use; while I can see it possibly absorbing some very narrow and light firebending attacks anything bigger risks a burned hand or worse. However It’s also possible for him to use the lightsaber, which isn’t going to melt, to  “soften up “ the blow a bit then use force protection more easily. Force Healing is only going to be effective in those rare moments that Azula does not see him, else she’d take advantage of the distraction. However at least he does have a mild form of regeneration which is a feather in his cap.

        Firebending runs into a big problem in defense; namely, that’s not the purpose of the bending art. Firebending is an aggressive fighting style whose purpose is offense not defense, and does suffer in defensive moves unlike Earth or Water (air focuses more on evasion, which Azula’s high finesse shows she is capable of). She can use it to directly destroy thrown objects but it won’t provide much defense in telekinesis attacks or force lightning. Azula does have lightning redirection now for that though. To me the most powerful single defensive move here is the Fire Shield, as it both takes away Marek’s line of sight and allows Azula to disappear into a cloud of smoke with a sneak attack possible to make, in addition to defending against 4 elemental and a physical attack at once. However the move is not used very often.

        This is an exceedingly hard edge to give, as both sides defense is nowhere near as good as many other warriors, both more offensive then defensive. However I think Marek will take this edge barely. My reasoning is that I expect Azula to focus more on evasion then defense, while Marek will bulk up on Force Protection.

Minor Edge Marek

VARIABLES:

 First of all I’d like to mention that numbers aren’t everything; some categories are worth more in the grand scheme of things than others.

PHYSICAL:

 One of my more controversial because the numbers seemed to favor Azula how about close examination of each category that does not mean a victory for Azula here. She is much more accurate in long range that much is to be acknowledged as while Marek can be guided by the force she trains/fights in the long range category nearly every battle. Marek counters with superior physicality (strength) and combat, however I mostly just consider this icing on the cake; he already dominates close range so much to where she just can’t compete.  It’s unnecessary overkill. However the next two, Damage Intake and Resistance, is a bit misleading. Not only can Marek take more damage his resistance is actually better most of the time. While I maintain that the fire shield is the most powerful defensive move here she just doesn’t use it that often, so in most conflicts these two will be higher for him.

 However Azula is going to be better at evading attacks as her barely superior speed and finesse shows (no Marek can’t speed blitz, everything I have found suggests force induced speed is a short thing and not prolonged like propulsion). Though Marek’s reaction time is better though and he’ll respond to new developments faster.

 Sensory and Stealth is the last two, and this surprisingly is where I see the edge determined. Though Azula is superb at observing the environment she has been ambushed before; well to be fair Marek has to. So neither get it based on that. What takes it is stealth, namely for all Azula’s feats in sneaking up on someone she wasn’t trained for the near sole duty to be an assassin like Marek. He has carried out real, true stealth assassination before and that is where I think he gets the edge.

Minor Edge Marek

MENTAL:
 Actually this category is closer than many of you indicated. Marek is going to get off the first shot most of the time via his force enhanced reflexes, though neither was trained to hesitate. His limited precognition shows that some moves he’ll be able to predict before they occur, or at least suspect something is wrong. His masterstroke here is adaptive creativity, which shows he’ll make greater use of the environment as a weapon (Jedi/Sith are usually really good at this). 

 However Azula is as one reviewer put it “a schemer” and a very good one at that. She is intelligent and a master planner, able to pinpoint and take advantage of the slightest weakness mercilessly. That is what gives her this edge.

Solid Edge Azula.

PREPARATION:

 Upon reading the novel I will concede to making a mistake; Marek is surprisingly disciplined, though not as disciplined as pre-betrayal Azula levels. However I do maintain that Azula probably got more from training then Marek, as Marek’s sole purpose taught to him was to become a better sword for his master and a sword as you know is much less dangerous without a wielder (though he later rebelled). Ozai, for all of his faults, at least was clever enough to want a smart servant, and Azula got lessons in tactics as well as fighting- and probably for a longer period too. Though it’s true that she lacks the experience of Marek who has been doing this for years while she has just been out for a couple of months.  Hmm, tough one. In fact I can’t call it really.

Even.

PSYCHOLOGICAL:

 Audacity scores counteract intimidation scores, so neither is really going to terrify the other. Killer Instinct shows that Azula is more likely to try and take an easier victory then Marek, however much that may affect her in the long run. Now there are two factors that need to be said here:

STRENGTH OF MIND/JEDI MIND TRICK:  I maintain that as long as Azula is of the right mind and not too physically exhausted (since physical exhaustion does affect mental) she should be able to repel Galen’s mind attacks like hypnosis and suggestion. However as she tires she’ll be more and more vulnerable, and that is when her high and repressed inner torment score gets to her.

LIGHT SIDE MAREK: Surprisingly while many people would think that the dark side version of Marek was better at getting in psychological blows at his enemies, it’s actually the light side version that excels here. In his battle with Vader he was really affecting the Dark Lord with his insults and remarks, to the point where Vader almost lost his cool at several points and it may have played a factor in him actually beating Anakin. Dark Side Marek is almost completely silent however the light side version I can see trading words with Azula, while not on her level slightly below it.

         With all that stated Azula’s extremely high psychological warfare score cannot be denied and she’ll be getting in more jabs at her opponent then vice versa.

 Fair Edge Azula

ENERGY POTENTIAL:

 Both can go a long time without running out of fuel, however Marek has proven time and again that his energy is near boundless; at no point in the novel could he not bring force energy to him.

 Solid Edge Marek.

COMMON FACTOR:

 Though not much of a graded comparison I do believe Azula was the better child prodigy as her training began at an earlier age then Marek. In addition see my point about Azula’s training.

Fair Edge Azula.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES:

Now to split this in two:

STRENGTHS:

 Most of these; Marek’s force talent, Azula’s cunning ect have already been mentioned elsewhere in the review, so instead I will focus on the stuff that hasn’t; environmental bonuses. Marek has the ability to pull all sorts of objects from the ground and use as weapons, however Azula can increase the potency of her firebending by almost a 100%. One is always going to be present, while another is going to affect only the late game most of the time. Looking at each other’s battle plans I actually think the firebending increase will be more useful, as Azula  is used to dealing with objects thrown at her while I don’t think Marek’s planning will stand up to comet enhanced firebending.

Fair Edge Azula.

WEAKNESSES:

        Since reading the book I have found that it will be much harder, but not impossible, to make Marek go dark side. It may also be easier for light side Marek to enrage Azula.   However neither a Dark Side Marek or crazy Azula is neutralized, and can still win. So I am taking the coward’s way out and calling this even, I can see both playing on each other’s weaknesses throughout.

Even

MOTIVATION:

  This is by far a Marek edge. The desire for power is a great motivator, and has motivated countless through the ages to do great and terrible things. However it also drove Azula to ruin, as her desire for power and the insecurities that came with helped break her mind. In Rahm Kota’s own words even when Marek was at his darkest his love for Juno was the “one bright spot on his mind, and was a clear motivator to get him to change to the light.

 For those wondering what impact motivation has it affects surrender rates somewhat; i.e. a character more motivated to win (or more motivated not to lose) is going to be more reluctant to give in.

Major Edge Marek

FINAL VOTE:

 This edge was immensely close to me, just a separation of a few points. Ultimately what tipped me to one side was just one factor, one small factor

DARK/LIGHT SIDE MAREK:

 I always knew the battle would be close but lately in my research I have come to a conclusion that may shock most of you. I believe Azula would win against Dark Side Marek-but lose against light side Marek in an extremely close battle. Sure some believe that the Dark Side Marek would be better just because he’d try to snap Azula’s neck instantly or else use massive amounts of force lightning but that runs into two flaws. 1. Character; there never truly existed a full dark side Marek and he always gave the foes he felt worthy a chance to fight, a chance to test his metal. 2. The Dark Side Version is much more predictable, his moves to be read by Azula like a book, his rage to be taken advantage of in the same way Marek later took advantage of Vader’s anger.

     It was under the light side that Marek beat Vader; it is the Light Side version that actually talked and taunted his opponent, and it is the Light Side version that stands the best chance of winning this match as well as tournament. While farsight fades in the darkness light side Marek can still use dark side powers, though perhaps not to the most lethal intent (remember lethality is not needed to win here!).

  My final vote for Azula was in recognition for her superior psychological warfare and ability to get Marek into the Dark side version that made her take a very narrow victory.

VOTING SCALE:

 Normally I am not harsh and I’d love to count you all  full point however it’s not fair to some when they put more effort into the vote. Please don’t take it personally. If you think your vote should have counted for more please message me.

0-just saying a name or a few sentences

0.5 – gave a good reasoning, not in the format. If you address every category ill bump it up

0.6- 0.9-either missed some categories, addressed some in very short sentences ect.

1.0 – addressed every category

Voting role call (message me if you want your screen names removed):

Azula:

+1 base for winning Facebook

ON Blog spot:

+1 to Scarecrowsmainfan

On deviantart

+0.5 to Zande-147

Fanfiction:

+1 to Double Swagger

+0.8 Webdragon

+0.6 D’Champ

Host:

+1 Me

TOTAL: 5.9

Galen Marek:

Blogspot:

+1 Master of the Boot

+0.9 WanderingSkull

+ 1 Mongol004

+0.8Sweetmanonade

Deviantart:

+ 1 VirMachina (if I could reward you more for the Johnny Powell impersonation I would, but alas I can’t)

+0.8 SaiyanWarrior002 (Gave a lot of good and thoughtful reviews)

Fanfiction:

+0.6 BadOrk

+0.5 PersonKiller

+0.7 LeonLink

Total: 7.3
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In the end by the will of the voters it was Galen Marek that ultimately never fear Azula fans, I have written a 6 page alternate ending which will see light of day after the third battle!
Also to clarify the robot was the "Motorized Patriot " from an upcoming Bioshock game that one of my friends requested I put in and the zombies were in part a tribute to the novel Death Troopers, in part to showcase some of Marek's and Azula's moves.

 Well I Hope you enjoyed the read and sorry it took so long! Next update will be the long awaited Batman vs. Kratos stats!  Please vote on Kerrigan vs. Magneto if you haven't. And thank you to everyone that reviewed and voted.