Ask All in the Hips

[Leon Baudelaire]

BRIGHTHOME
Jedi Space Station || Training Room

The smell of char and duracrete dust woke him with a start. Leon was disoriented, his head hurt. He reached up and winced as his fingers grazed a wound. Instinctively he pulled back and was shocked to find his hand covered in blood. Frantically he looked around, his surroundings felt familiar to him, but they looked wrong somehow. He could feel the force urging him to get up to move to do anything.

SNAP-HISS

Leon’s throbbing head whipped toward the sound at the same time he began scutting backward. A figure clad in all black holding a crimson lightsaber sauntered toward him. Their face was shrouded in shadow, but they wore a malicious sneer. Leon, with an effort, pushed himself up and reached for Lionheart, but his Blastsword wasn’t there. He moved for his training saber, but it was gone too.

What the hell Baudelaire? He chastised himself as he stared his death in the face. His chest heaved as his mortality stood prominent in his mind. The cloaked figure lifted their weapon and lunged forward. Leon lifted his hands to cover his face in a final feeble attempt to survive. The blade passed through his body without resistance… and then he woke up.

“NO!” he cried sitting up frantically while making sure all of his limbs were still attached. The pale fluorescent light made his eyes close as the throbbing in his head seemed to have followed him out of his nightmare. He touched his head and yelped as, once again, his fingers came back bloody. That’s when the metallic steps caught his attention. A training droid was trotting back to its station and finally, everything started to make sense.

He’d lost to the fucking droid. Embarrassed and frustrated he rose to his feet, wiped the blood from his brow and picked up his deactivated lightsaber. He was starting to think he’d never get a hand of the weapon. His eyes flicked to Lionheart and then back to the lightsaber. With a sigh, he ignited the dull blue blade and began walking through the steps of Shi-Cho.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera passed her lightsaber hilt back and forth between her hands. The crude, ancient hilt still felt far too familiar in her hands, as though it were designed for her. As though a message was sent to her a thousand years ago. How powerful she knew was with this blade. Oh, how untouchable she felt when it was ignited in her hands. How useless she was on Yavin

Shaking her head, she forced the dark thoughts from her mind. Focusing on the past would only bring more pain. The Justicar would need to let go, she did the best she could have done. Suddenly, Hera stopped walking outside of a small training room. A single blue lightsaber flash attracted her eye. A young man, no more than six or seven years her junior, practiced the basic movements of Shii-Cho

Unable to keep herself from smiling as she looked in the room, Hera stepped inside and started speaking. "No no no, what are you doing? Moving through the basics of Shii-Cho can only do so much alone! In addition, what will you do when a real opponent steps into the ring? Hold your blade in both hands and hope they don't swing at you?" Snapping her fingers, two training sticks flew from the nearby wall towards Hera and the young man.

Catching one stick, she introduced herself, "Hera Albion, Jedi Knight."

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Leon’s mind began to drift as he followed the kata step by step. Strike. Step. Parry. Step. Strike, sweep, parry, step, strike, stri— “No no no, what are you doing?” — Leon nearly jumped out of his skin. He twisted suddenly eyes wide. The woman didn’t seem to mind as she continued lecturing him about his training tactic. Which was confusing considering the head wound and training droids, but Leon was so thrown off by her appearance he found himself obeying her commands.

She called two training swords over and Leon fumbled one out of the air, managing to clip his training saber to his belt at the same time. With a little flourish, Hera introduced herself. Leon bobbed his head twirling the wooden blade in his hand. It felt good in his hand, natural, utterly different than his saber.

“Uh- hi, I’m Leon, are we going to spar?” an excited little smirk started to tug at his lip, finally, someone he could test himself against! Without waiting he adopted his usual stance. Not Shii-Cho, not Soresu, not the stiff old styles he'd been forced to practice in the temples, no he was falling back on his bread and butter.

The practice sword was lowered, tip up, his legs widened to shoulder width and his body turned perpendicular to her. He was ready.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera laughed as the Padawan asked his question. Without skipping a beat, she straightened her stance. Right foot forward, left foot back, right hand holding the training stick, point held slightly down. She watched the man shift himself out of the Jedi forms, into something more akin to pit fighting. Smiling, she decided to test his movement.

Quick as a flash, she snapped the blade up in an arc. The movement aimed to flick the point across Leon's side, slashing from the left of the side exposed to her to the right of his exposed side. It was a simple movement, easily parryable from his current stance. This was, of course, Hera's intention for him to do. She was not yet attacking with full force, seeking only to see how experienced this Padawan was.

"Don't hold back on me now!"

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

The years he’d spent fencing with Fearless on Adumar rushed back to him like two old friends reuniting for the first time in years. His smirk widened into a smile as The Knight moved. Leon’s eyes widened with feral excitement as he stepped back with his left foot, slipping just out of the way of her slash, then countered with a quick step forward aiming a stab at her center mass.

His moves were quick and precise. He was assessing her the same way she was his. Not over-committed and not in full force. He wasn’t foolish enough to respond to Hera’s goading jibe, but he couldn’t help to mutter, “I’ll try!” as he moved in.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera's blade rotated back as quickly as the slash had missed her opponent. Leon had opted for a simple dodge, stepping back out of her range as she slashed, an adequate movement for her attack. Her aim had been shallow, and a step put more than enough distance between them for her to miss. However, it also made it incredibly easy for her to swing the blade back in the opposite direction.

As Leon stepped forward, Hera brought her blade swinging back, this time coming down. She aimed to slash Leon down from the right of his exposed side to the left of his exposed side. Her movement would naturally bring her blade in contact with Leon's jab mid-thrust, pushing the blade of the stick slightly aside as her tip came in contact with his body should her slash connect true. Leon had, unfortunately for him, only slipped just out of her first attack's way. To step forward now to thrust was to bring his body within easy range of the return angle.

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

The tip of his wooden blade kissed the air as Hera slipped past his stab. The same attack that had raised her hand, set her up to strike again and seeing that he couldn’t land a touch from this position Leon shifted his weight toward the incoming blow and brought his weapon up to parry the attack, but he was too late. The tip of the blade thudded against his exposed ribs and sent a stab of pain through his abdomen.

Teeth bared in a wolfish grin he danced away bowing slightly and taking his fighting stance.

“1- Love,” he said with more than a little wounded pride in his voice. She may have taken the first point, but he wouldn’t give up without a fight.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera stepped back after striking her opponent. The hit was small, a wounding blow had it been a real blade. Tossing aside the stick, she snapped with the Force to bring a longer staff over. It mimicked the dual-sided blade she was more accustomed to utilizing. Smiling, she turned to face Leon while holding the staff. "The hit was small, don't feel bad. Keep track of your opponent's blade at all times when fighting."

Stepping back once more, giving the pair a good four feet of distance from each other now, Hera took up a fighting stance with the blade. Feet squared, hips turned to the side, the staff held by the middle and close to the body. Either side of the 'blades' held perpendicular to Leon, one facing toward him and another going in the opposite direction. "We fight with lightsabers, not swords. A glancing blow can prove lethal, even if your opponent has little weight behind his swing, if the blow hits a vital area. Now, come at me."

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Fuck me, was the first thought inspired by Hera taking up the staff. The second was a surge of excitement. This might have been the only fun thing he’d done since joining the Jedi. He drew in a deep breath. Leon could feel the force swirl—no— coalesce between them. He bobbed his head in acceptance of her call and he shot forward.

Leon knew he needed to close the distance between them. His blade was poised at the ready held out in front. Reaching out with the force he snatched the stick she’d discarded and slung it toward Hera aimed for center mass. If he had to contend with a new weapon it was only fair that she did the same.

As he threw the weapon Leon closed the distance using the same probing stab he had before. Controlled, swift, and precisely aimed at Hera’s torso.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera's eyes flicked to the side as Leon reached out with the Force. Just as Leon should be able to sense as Hera imbued her body with strength, she could sense as he reached for the discarded stick. It flew in her direction with surprising speed, thankfully Hera had prepared herself for something like this with her previously established stance.

Flicking her wrists to the side, she twisted her body towards the stick flung in her direction and snapped the right end of her staff up into the flying stick. Right end up, left end down, the block of the stick left Hera only a split second to bring her right blade into Leon's controlled jab. Snapping the right end of her blade into Leon's blade, making sure the swing moved the same direction as the block of the stick in order to minimize unnecessary movements, Hera already knew where she messed up.

The thrown stick was now between Hera's right end and Leon's stick, providing more danger if it was to be treated as a real lightsaber. With so much thought and focus on defense, Hera did not have time to counter-attack yet, this was perhaps Leon's best chance to find an angle on the Knight.

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Leon felt the right tip of Hera’s double-bladed weapon connect with his baiting thrust. The Adumari Duelist slipped to her exposed side performing a moulinet, or rotating thrust, aimed at center mass. As he moved he channeled the force through his free hand, this time with less focus, and flung the stick in her direction hoping to keep Hera distracted long enough to land the stab.

The Padawan could feel himself warming to the pace. He could feel the force flowing around them. It almost seemed as though the preternatural power was watching them.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera winced as the thrust hit her, not out of pain but from the annoyance at having set herself up into this situation. She had snapped the back of her blade up to block the stab, but Leon's choice to fling the blade meant she was moving just too slowly. Stepping back, Hera said nothing for a moment as she tossed aside the staff. Calling forth the discarded stick from before and another stick, the Jedi Knight now stood as if she held two separate blades.

Twirling them for a moment, she looked at Leon and stepped back a few feet. Smiling, she spoke, "One and one, best two out of three?" Then, she laughed. Truly, Leon landing a hit made her happier than she was annoyed. He was learning, and that was the whole point of this exercise. Standing roughly ten feet away from Leon, she called out to him once more, "Come at me, one last time!"

Her new blades, held slightly out from her body, were poised for the final engagement. Hera already couldn't wait.

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Leon grinned as the thrust landed. At least now when she stopped toying with him, he could say he landed a touch.

“Sounds good to me!” he said bouncing on the balls of his feet and shaking out his arms. Hera changed her style again, this time adopting a second blade.

“You got it!” Leon transitioned into the Soresu stance and began to edge toward her. He’d rushed in twice and it had only worked once. He was warmed up now, might as well make her work for the lump she was about to give him.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera waited as Leon edged towards her, then, once he stepped within six feet of her, she took one large step forward with her right foot and swung her right stick directly at his neck. Her left stick was kept closer to her body, ready to respond in an instant should he attempt a counterattack.

Now was the moment when the Knight became serious, the Force flowing through her form as she moved. Her speed augmented by the energies of the light side, she would attempt to gain a serious one-up on Leon. If she failed here, it would not be a clear indicator of any failure in strength, rather, it would be a clear indication of Leon's skill.

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Inch by painful inch he closed the distance between them. With each small stepped he embued himself with the force. He had no doubt that the knight would be pulling out all the stops. Duel-wielding was tricky, using two swords wasn't something most could manage which meant Hera was away better than he was letting on. He stopped giving in to his fear. He set his jaw with determination and prepared for The Knight's wrath.

Hera moved. She was fast. Very fast. Leon reacted, no thought, just action. As her blade came in, he caught it on his weapon and pushed upward, slipping under the attack and redirecting the blow across her body in front of her left arm, then from her exposed side he stabbed at her aiming at center mass.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera's blade slipped up as Leon caught it, but Hera took advantage of the greatest boon she possessed in this fight- her second blade. As Leon ducked down, maneuvering his blade to stab, Hera's second, left stick swung directly at the Padawan's center mass. Her strike aimed to, if it were a real lightsaber, cut through Leon's shoulder with its tip before coming in contact with his stabbing blade, attempting to knock it to the side.

Simultaneously, she pushed her right blade back from it's pushed-away position as well, aiming to drop it into Leon's back.

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

The Force he’d been gathering tickled in the palm of his free hand as Hera’s left blade moved in. The Padawan flicked his blade into her left attacking blade sending it just wide of him, simultaneously he moved inward aiming his free hand at The Knight’s center mass and unleashing a force push aimed to interrupt her flurry and knock her to the ground.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Leon's movements came fast and quick, but not fast enough. As his force blast hit Hera, Hera's right blade made contact with Leon's back. Her stick slid along his body as she was thrown across the room by Leon's blast. Her right blade had been far closer to Leon, having only just been knocked across her body and not away from the two of them. The strike would not have been lethal, had this been a real lightsaber, but it would've hurt nonetheless.

Landing on her back and sliding across the floor, Hera shouted, "I win! Haha!" Before slowly standing back up. Setting the sticks gently down, she held out a hand and remarked, "Stop fighting like a Jedi, fight like that, Leon. You're an excellent warrior, and you'll make an excellent Jedi Knight someday."

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Leon's outstretched hand exploded with pent-up power. The force bellowed forth, but not before he felt her right blade connect with his back. His own attack made her's hit all the harder and while she was sent backward he was topped forward onto his stomach arms out in front of him.

Leon's back stung but no pain showed on his face. He was smiling wide and laughing as Hera proclaimed herself the winner. He managed to get up to a sitting position as she complimented him. His face was burning hot from the praise, but he hoped she'd think it was the fight. She was the first person to take any kind of notice of him at all. For the first time since being dragged to the Jedi he actually felt like he was a part of the Jedi.

"Thanks," he said with earnest appreciation. He'd never admit this to her, but without her taking a few minutes to beat the crap out of him, he wasn't sure how much longer he would have lasted here. "You're amazing, I'd love to, uh, fight again sometime?"

Leon stood and brushed himself off, offering to help her up if she still needed it.

End​

@Black Noise