Another Day

[Tzeentch]

If he were completely honest with himself, Sajer would say that while he fared well, or at least better than his previous expectations, against the droid, even if it was utilizing the lowest level of Shii-Cho. Still, the brief session allowed him to spot some flaws in his own performance with the assistance of the Sage Master when she began to describe and display the moves that the First Form had to offer. Like Reland, Sajer knew of the techniques displayed, albeit not firsthand, though he listened closely to the lesson Ashara provided and followed her movements the best his body would allow.

An hour passed, and the Sage Master told the padawans to attempt to strike her with their blades. Obviously, it was a task easier said than done if one didn't regard it as impossible. For individuals of lesser talent to so much as budge someone of great capabilities, they would have to cooperate with one another.

He slowed his breathing, calming his heart and easing his ever-aching lungs.

With Reland moving right, the bandaged padawan circled left to Ashara's right side. With Reland making the first move with the downward slash, Sajer stepped forward with an upward slash aimed for the Master's thigh before striking toward her right bicep.

 

[Master Maverick]

This reminded her of an exercise she did a few months ago with a certain pair of individuals who happened to be twins. It was nice to try this again. Combat had been something she had stayed away from for quite some time now and she would be needed soon. She could feel it. Indeed, she saw it at times.

SNAP!

The skirt of her robes and end of her cloak sounded out, giving the final indication that she had moved. It was quite obviously assisted by the life energies that surrounded them, taking place much faster than they should have. With the spin, she also moved towards Reland. His upward sweep was redirected, but at this point she was on the other side of his blade. Indeed, her shoulder was almost touching his while she guided his blade upward, ending with an unusual strong flick in order to push his blade away from her. His spin and attempted strike at the back of her legs would be met with a simple tap with her blade, teaching him a lesson to turn his back on his opponent when she was so close, but would still strafe away, using the same motion to bash the blade safely away from her body.

Not quite the ideal position, but it had effectively allowed her to dodge Sajer's strike. At least his first strike. The strike at her right bicep - a good choice given that was the one opposite Reland - would be blocked in the same motion. A surge of power to push him back was tested against the bandaged Jedi. Should he be unprepared he would find himself almost running backwards in a "deadly" lock of blades with the Sage. After only several steps she'd push again to move his blade back and away so she might touch him with her blade as well before sweeping her blade around, as she spun her body, where Reland might be coming from an dissuade him from approaching too closely to attack.

Spinning out, she gathered some distance between herself and the pair so they might regroup and try again.

Spoiler: Lesson #1

Because you listed two attacks, I have to assume they performed them unless circumstances disallowed for it (such as being paralyzed, or being put in a lock in the first strike). This is because of the verbiage of your posts - you stated that the second attack was a definite, so it was. If there was any difference in opinion as to the timing of the attacks, then that's on the both of you to work out between yourselves. If you want to change it, then that gives me the right to amend my post to reflect the reality that has been clarified.

As far as her strikes are concerned, again I could have been mistaken in my interpretation of the posts, so the attacks could have happened differently. Again, the wordings of the post indicated to me that Reland struck first with his first strike, then Sajer with his first, then Reland then Sajer. If this is incorrect then you need to specify in your post when they moved.

 

[Raydo]

It wasn't that Reland was slow but the Jedi Master made look slow as she spun around and they stood side by side for a moment. Both his and Sajer's attacks had been deflected with ease as she finished with a push in the direction of Sajer. Reland had read of a form the used force moves in conjunction with attacks. He knew he couldn't match the force skills of the Sage Master but thought maybe he cause enough of a distraction to get through her defense and she did not forbid the use of the Force during the training session.

Without seeing if the blow caught Sajer, He lunged back towards the Jedi Master with the training saber in his right hand. Just before he began his swing he reached out with his left hand and pulled as hard as could with the force on her leg as he swung towards the same leg with his saber. The pull wasn't incredibly strong or precise but he was getting better with his use of the Force.

 

[Tzeentch]

Sajer narrowed his eye as both his and Reland's strikes were dealt with one way or the other, trying to grasp Ashara's combat methods. That is, until he was forced to focus on the sudden onslaught that pushed him back swiftly, nearly causing him to stumble over his own feet numerous times as his blade clashed with hers, only to have his blade pushed aside. However, as she reached out to touch him with her lightsaber, Sajer allowed himself to follow the force that knocked his own weapon back - he put all of his weight on his back leg, bringing his center closer to the ground, in order to avoid the Master's strike as he knew he wouldn't be fast enough to bring his lightsaber back to meet hers. Despite his efforts, he felt the impact on his left shoulder. He winced behind his mask and bandages, due to both the strain that his body went through as he forced it to go beyond its usual limits and the slight burning sensation coming from his shoulder.

Master Ashara possessed immense maneuverability and agility, something that Sajer was unable to come close to matching, and it showed.

Nevertheless, he pushed himself forward to close the distance quickly after a moment to collect himself. Just as Reland himself used the Force in an attempt to pull Ashara's leg, Sajer, forgoing power in exchange for speed in order to try and coincide with Reland's attack, lashed out at her other leg.

 

[Master Maverick]

At least Reland wasn't afraid of taking advantage of the lack of rules like some others had been. This exercise was mostly to work their knowledge and ability with a saber, but more than that it was the real application of the tool in combat. Such use of the Force would only become second nature, so there was no impatience about the pull.

Well, that is if he still chose to even perform the trick.

She still swung her blade mostly towards the ground in his general direction. He, however, was not that close yet, so it was more a flashy show and flourish of her blade. Reland hadn't given Ashara enough time to back up and had, in effect, gotten rather close to the elder Togruta. It had been some time since the montrals that crowned her head were used in such a manner, but they did not fail. His movements were felt through the air before her eyes even registered the sight. Rather than letting his hand reach out and actualize whatever it was he was trying to do, quite obviously something with the Force out of the simple deduction that a reach with the arm in such a way indicated little else. The downward arc she had only just performed turned into a diagonal slash at his body after two quick steps forward in the moments he brought his arm up. It wasn't meant to simply hit him, rather distract him, force him to use his blade and break that concentration. Her blade came down to his left shoulder down to his right hip with a touch of power to allow for continued movement after in order to deal with the other Padawan.

Spoiler: Lesson #2

Raydo, you indicated that he was close enough, when he performed the pull, to strike at her in the same movement. As such, I have exploited that. Interrupting sequences of events is allowed in PvP.

The arc turned with her body. In a moment her back was facing Reland, but her blade crossed over her legs to bash away Sajer's blade. She continued to spin, not about to keep her back to either for any real amount of time. Keeping with the momentum of the rotation, she once again struck out at Reland on the return as her feet seemingly barely touched the floor. This, however, was another defensive maneuver - the blade wasn't even meant to touch the blue eyed human, but very well might were he careless or overzealous. It was merely a motion to keep Reland away as she stepped backwards, once again allowing them time to regroup if they so chose.

 

[Raydo]

Reland abandoned the idea of using the force as moved to deflect blow coming at his left shoulder. He had lost his concentration on the attacked and dodge around to the back of Ashara. She spun away from him as she again blocked Sajer's attack.

Reland almost began another attack when she was turned around as she spun around in another unexpected attack. Reland jumped back to dodge the attack. If she had wanted to hit him she could have easily done so but it seem the move was to only make him think twice about coming in close. As she backed away Reland didn't rush in again instead he stood still as he took in a deep breath. He gave a quick look over to Sajer as he pushed hair out of his eyes. He was covered in sweat from the previous training session and was beginning to feel the onset of fatigue.

He stood facing the Togruta just to her right. He lunged with a upward diagonal slash that would go from her left hip up to her right shoulder. This attack was not meant to hit and would easily be battered away. He gathered his concentration in attempt to use the Force to pull on her saber arm when Sajer attacked in attempt to throw her off balance enough for him to land a strike.

Spoiler: Question

I don't know if you can "prepare a move" like that but my goal is announce would I am doing when ever my partner does a certain action. I assume if he doesn't fulfill the required action then I would not preform my prepared move

 

[Tzeentch]

With another attack nullified, Sajer backed away from Ashara as she spun around, deterring Reland from attacking her at the moment. Breathing heavily, Sajer's eye never left the Jedi Master as he stood to her left, but he could see the other padawan behind her form - he seemed to be preparing for something, waiting for Sajer to make his own move.

His eye narrowed as he held his training saber close with both hands, his feet spreading slightly. He exhaled loudly as he moved forward. He drew his blade back before swinging it almost horizontally towards his opponent's center in a wide arc - the attack lacked precision, but it had power and speed behind it. It was meant to draw the Togruta's attention towards him and away from Reland, if only for a brief moment

Although, if the attack was stopped, then Sajer would then try to overpower her. On the other hand, if she avoided the sweeping slash entirely, then he would bring his blade back to try and hit her again, though lacked the strength the last strike possessed.

 

[Master Maverick]

Spoiler: answer

Yes, of course you can do that.
However, I would suggest keeping that to yourself. What that does is allow me to prepare something that wouldn't get me into that positions. Of course that's meta-gaming, but I'll just let you know right now that's what people do. Keep it to yourself and if they fall into your trap you can do it in your next post. Then, depending on what they did, it might even be an auto hit because of what they posted they already did, because you would be posting what you did WHILE they were doing something, rather than reacting to it after the fact and giving them a chance to respond.

However, keep in mind that using the Force isn't going to happen while you're actively swinging your lightsaber at them in any way. Or, at least it shouldn't. As you'll see in all the movies and stuff, it's always during a pause of a lock. Not in the middle of a flurry of swings. Not saying that either of you have done that, but your post Reland would be the strike, then a moment later that concentration would be gathered, then a moment later the pull taking place. That's perfectly find, though, because she has to contend with Sajer during that."

"Hm," she sounded. Her blade, indeed, met Reland's with relative ease, batted away while she readied for Sajer's strike which she, again, felt by the grace of her montrals. It was a messy sweep, a crude application of the lightsaber. However, it was merely a distraction. Just as the two blades met, her arms were yanked away, in the opposite direction she needed to push in order to keep Sajer's blade away. She spun with it, but it was in vein, her robe on her right side was burned as she released a short pulse of energy towards Reland which was followed by one towards Sajer as she spun away.

Her eyes found the burn and she was now of a demeanor that suggested the test was over. A few moments later her lightsaber disengaged and found its way to her left hip. "Very good," she admitted with an inflection indicating she was rather impressed with their display. They learned quickly, and her eyes rested on Reland, pleased with his application of the Force and willingness to utilize everything at his disposal to succeed in a task.

"Feel free to use my training room any time you wish while here. Unfortunately I must return to my duties. It seems I am needed elsewhere." The pair wouldn't know what she was on about, but she had just received a message from Lumyn pertaining to a message from Coruscant. She nodded to each and began to leave. Were either to move to follow she would urge them to stay and practice. Force knew they needed it, after all.

A small smirk touched her lips when she left the room, humored by the pair but elated that they were such capable examples of Jedi.

 

[Raydo]

He saw the burn on her robe. He smiled as she put away her lightsaber and he did the same. There was no doubt in his mind that she could easily dispatch both of them with ease, but it felt good to succeed, even if it was touching her robe. He knew he couldn't by himself, even with her going easy on him. She was pleasant when saying she needed to leave, but there was something else to her tone. Perhaps it was just the normal stress of being on the Jedi Council or maybe it was something else. It was very likely he would never know.

As the Jedi Master turned to leave Reland gave a short bow. The tone in her voice indicated she did not want to be followed this time. He took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He looked about at Sajer and gave a smile. "Hey, Good job back there! I guess I haven't introduce myself. My name is Reland Gil." He sat down on the ground for a moment to rest but, in reality, he didn't know what to do.

Everything he did seemed to have such little importance compared to the Jedi Master. "They never let us get bored here at the temple do they?" He said as he gave a short laugh.

 

[Tzeentch]

Of the countless different scenarios that could have played out in a single moment, Sajer was not expecting to actually land a blow upon the Sage's robes. He slowly rose, his eye lingering on the burn for a moment, before disengaging his own saber after seeing Ashara do so herself, putting an end to the test. A weary breath escaped his mask - the test hadn't lasted long at all, but it had required him to push himself past his limitations, if only for a short while. He offered a respectful bow to Ashara, thankful that she had taken the time to teach both Reland and himself before she departed.

Readjusting his mask again, he noticed that his hood wasn't raised - more than likely, it had fallen during his last attack. He left it as it was as he ran a hand through his hair. He turned his attention toward the seated padawan as he introduced himself. Sajer gave a respectful nod, "And I am Sajer Carolus Ar'kan. A pleasure." He shifted the training saber into his left hand as he crossed his arms, "I suppose I could say the same to you, Reland, for it was your use of the Force that allowed us to succeed after all."

Looking at Reland, he nodded, "It is best if they keep us busy, especially since we have much to learn."

"If you do not mind my asking..." He paused as he slowly seated himself not too far from Reland, groaning slightly, "... How long have you been a member of the Order?"

 

[Raydo]

He looked up at the other Padawan I have been here for a couple of months. I was at the Jedi Temple in Coruscant for a few days before coming here to train. It was....good to get off of Coruscant." His eyes showed that his mind temporarily was somewhere distant before suddenly snapping back to the present. "My first day at the temple I actually had the nerve to ask Master Ashara if I could be her Padawan." He barked out a short laugh. "If I would have known she was one of the Council members..." he smiled "That seems like it a life time ago."

He wasn't embarrassed and he now knew why she had declined but he was glad he took her advice on coming to the this Temple. He was receiving all of the training he needed and training with the various Jedi Sages, including Master Ashara, was giving him the specialized training in Force Combat that he wanted.

"How about you?" Whats your story?" He wasn't going to ask about the bandages that were covering his face as he felt it would be to forward of him.

 

[Tzeentch]

Behind his mask, a small smile edged its way onto his face for a moment when Reland told him about his first day. It would be truly intimidating to be in the presence of one so powerful, even if such a being was there to help, "You must have been quite nervous asking her, even when you had no idea that she was on the Council. As for myself, I've only been here a week, but today was the first time that I have actually conversed with other members of the Order. I had spent most of my time in the archives, reading over histories, beliefs, strategies and tactics. I've yet to find a master either, but I suppose I can turn my attention elsewhere until then."

Sajer became silent as he rummaged through one of the small pouches on his belt. Eventually, he pulled out a small and unfinished figure made of wood and brought it in front of him, turning it slowly and carefully. ". . . I was born on Corellia. Not in one of the cities, but in a small farming community. My family, while farmers, were also woodworkers." He let out a short chuckle, "We'd make furniture, tools, even knickknacks for the community, and we had plenty of supplies to work with thanks to the forest that lied not fifty meters from our home. Then, after. . . after an incident, I was forced to leave." If anything, one could say that he sounded weary, or at least older than he truly was. However, that moment passed quickly as he moved on.

He put the wooden figure back into the pouch he pulled it from, "It took several years, but I've managed to join the Order after that." He turned his head towards Reland, chuckling softly, "Like I've said, I have only been here for about a week, so I suppose that makes you my 'superior' in experience in terms of subjects about the Jedi."

 

[Raydo]

"I wasn't nearly nervous enough, only naive. I didn't really understand how the Jedi were trained. I had only heard the stories before actually coming to the Order. Many of today's Padawans can become a Knight without officially ever having a Master. While the one on one training is very helpful, one can learn how he or she knows in group training sessions." He knew these words were true but still longed to have a Master. He was so nervous in the group training sessions and dealt with constantly comparing himself to the others around him. He was not the most social boy and dealing with large groups of people was not his specialty.

"You seem to being doing pretty well for yourself for being here a week. I didn't do anything in my first few weeks of being in the Order. So I would say we are equals if anything." He took one last breath before jumping back up. "Well I was supposed to attend a basics of lightsaber combat training session which was supposed to last for several more hours. I obviously can't show up this late, but would you be interested in training some more?" He pulled the training lightsaber from his belt clip and held it pointing downwards in his right hand. The Padawans he had been dueling were all usually much younger than him and it would be good to duel someone who was bigger than him.

 

[Tzeentch]

"A master can assist you with matters that your peers can't, but the same can be said for them as well, so be sure to associate yourself with such individuals if you can." He slowly rose, turning his head slightly until he felt a pop, "Although, if there was anything I had learned during the years before I joined the Jedi, it's that you can do much to improve yourself, alone or not, if you make good use of the time you have." Other than the slight bend of his upper body, Sajer had risen fully as he looked over to Reland. The younger padawan was prepared to train then and there and there was no reason not to. If one couldn't participate in an activity originally planned for, there was no reason not to try and make up for the missed opportunity.

Fully facing Reland, Sajer nodded, "An fair proposal. I need practice in subjects that I am not familiar with firsthand, and this should certainly benefit us both in that regard." His left foot slid forward enough to bring him to a steady stance. The training saber, held in his right hand and pointed downward, remained dormant for the time being.

"The best of luck, Reland. May this be an educational event for us both."

 

[Raydo]

He listened as Sajer spoke. Even though he had not been hear long he still had the wisdom of someone who had real life experience. Reland occasionally gave a nod. He agreed with what Sajer was saying but until a Jedi decided to take either of them as an apprentice they needed to push themselves in their training.

Reland bowed towards Sajer and ignited his training lightsaber. A golden glow lit up Reland's face as he held the lightsaber horizontally across his face dropping into a ready position.

He relaxed his mind and opened it to his surroundings. He stood and waited for his fellow Padawan to ignite his saber.

 

[Tzeentch]

Nodding toward Reland respectfully in response to his bow, Sajer's saber came to life with a hiss. The blue blade extended toward the other padawan as he took a step forward, the training saber held in front of himself in both hands.

Once more, as with the moments before the test against Ashara, Sajer slowed and steadied his breathing, allowing his muscles to relax, yet his senses remained vigilant and were ready to react to any movements that the other padawan might attempt. However, unlike the test prior to then, he did not make a move to try and attack. Instead, Sajer remained where he was, calmly looking at Reland. His mind, however, was filled with a torrent of thoughts involving the session that was to occur.

He knew that, without a doubt, Reland was more fleet of foot than he, as many beings were. He did not know what his strengths and weaknesses were exactly, but he seemed to possess an understanding of the Force during combat - whether or not he would utilize it was up to him. In terms of physical strength, Sajer believed that he might be slightly stronger, if only because of his age and dedication to improving himself. He wouldn't make any assumptions though - he would soon see where his prowess lied in combat, as well as his own.

 

[Raydo]

Real and tapped the Force he had been gathering to give him a Burt's of speed. He covered the gap in between them in a second.

He swung his saber in a quick but not powerful swing from Sajer's right shoulder down to his left hip. Reland quickly side stepped around to Sajer"s left side and swung at the front of his opponents left leg.

He was prodding Sajer's defenses for a weakness. He would rely on his speed as he would not be able to compete with the older Jedi in a match of strength.

 

[Tzeentch]

Reland used his speed to his advantage and even improved upon it through the use of the Force. That was good. To play to one's strengths and to know what one's weaknesses are was key to surviving.

With his superiority in terms of speed and agility, the younger padawan had closed the space between the two swiftly, immediately placing him in a position to strike out and maneuver away to attack from another angle. In response, Sajer batted at the opening slash before it was able to connect. However, Reland's sudden move to his left was faster than he had previously anticipated - Sajer pivoted on his right foot, sliding his left away from the other padawan, causing the second strike aimed at his leg to miss, albeit barely.

Sajer brought down his saber, still located where it had blocked the initial strike, for an overhead slash meant for his opponent's left shoulder. Bringing his left foot back to its previous position, he lashed out with a wide, horizontal sweep with his training saber in order to try and force Reland to move away from him.

 

[Raydo]

Reland raised his blade at an angle to deflect the bow to Relands left side, not daring to engage in a lock with the older Jedi. He would not be able to stand up to his raw strength. He saw the swing and was just barely able to jump out of the way.

He stepped back in range swinging down at his opponent's left leg again. He then spun swinging at Sajer's mid section. He forced himself not to use the force abilities he had learned. He wanted to improve his dueling skills.

He stepped back waiting for Sajer to initiate the next attack. He remained cautious. Even though his opponent said he had only been in the Jedi Order for a week Reland could see the talent and skill Sajer possessed. They were truly equals. "This duel should be quiet interesting." Reland though to himself waiting for the next attack.

 

[Tzeentch]

His visible eye narrowed as, once again, his attacks were either deflected away from their original course or avoided entirely. As with not moments before, Sajer brought his left foot away from the front. Instead of bringing it back however, he continued to move back to avoid both of the strikes aimed for his leg and midsection while Reland's back was turned for a single moment before the other padawan stepped away.

It was obvious to Sajer that Reland was trying to prevent any sort of lock of the sabers. The younger padawan was, after dealing with Sajer's attacks, also assaulting his defenses before creating some distance between the two. He couldn't blame him - if he were up against an opponent who might have possessed greater physical strength or training, he too would be cautious about engaging in combat for an extended period of time up close.

Under his mask and bandages, a small smile managed to find its way onto his face - Reland was utilizing what knowledge he knew and what skills he had to effectively keep himself out of Sajer's reach, allowing himself just enough time to attack then gt away. If that was to be the case, then Sajer would have to force Reland into close proximity in order to disallow him the chance to catch a breath. Sajer frowned mentally - to do so would likely mean pushing his body's limits in order to keep up with the faster individual, which would mean he might have to spend some time recuperating later on in the day. However, he supposed that such a turn of events may educate the both of them about ever-changing scenarios in a duel.

His eye closed for a moment as he calmed his heart and eased his mind before it opened once again. Then, without warning, he forced himself to close the gap swiftly. He struck out toward Reland's left arm then followed with another strike at his left leg in quick succession. Then, with a sudden increase in power, he swung horizontally - it wasn't meant to actually hit Reland, but was rather meant to try and bat his saber away.

The attacks, bar the last one, lacked the strength he had previously used so that they would be slightly faster than before, and would not expend as much energy so quickly.

Sajer winced slightly as he felt his limbs burn due to the sudden change in tactics, but ignored it - he was more interested in seeing if Reland could efficiently adapt to the alteration in combat and how he would hold up against an onslaught that could potentially force him to fight in such close proximity with his opponent.