For Honor

[The Doctor]

Inhale....Exhale....Inhale....Exhale

Those thoughts had been washing over The Doctor's head for several minutes now, working hard as they tried to induce calm, relaxation, focus, openness. She had woken up earlier than was usual for her, and after having poured over the passages Jareth had given her, she figured it would be prudent to prepare for her first training session. She had dressed in simple black and red training robes before coming here and attempting to meditate, a task far more difficult when you've forsaken peace and embraced raw undiluted emotion. That was what the Jedi said anyway, in truth, it was just as easy to meditate either way, it just required a different perspective.

Inhale....Exhale....Inhale....Exhale

Whereas the Jedi meditated to clear their thoughts, temper emotion, and focus their minds, The Doctor believed exile meditation was something more...elegantly violent. Every event creates emotion, be it happiness or sadness or hatred or love, the Dark Side uses these emotions and the raw energy they produce, so her form of meditation and fighting style is something along the lines of an Emotional Recall. Every inhale soaked up the immediate, the pain of seeing her charges ripped apart on battlefields and patched up to get ripped apart again, the helplessness of being unable to save those that lived a little while longer, the fear and sadness at being ripped away from her love. Every exhale takes it into the bigger picture, the anger at their killers, the rage against the jedi for taking her love from her, the fear of failing before the unification comes to light.

Inhale....Exhale....Inhale....Exhale

She sat there, calm and serene in the middle of the maelstrom of emotion she had released into the room, using it all as the forge, whilst her acted as the hammer tempering it into two words: Never Again. The thought of taking control and preventing those kinds of things from happening again forged a kind of emotional lens in her mind that let her focus using those feelings, giving her the same heightened instinct and awareness everyone else had whilst keeping her from devolving into a frothy mess screaming for blood...she really hoped Jareth wouldn't be caught off guard by all the negative energy in the room.

Inhale....Exhale....Inhale....Exhale

@Adobi-Wan Kenobi

 

[Jareth Sharl]

The evening hadn't been idle for Jareth either. He had left the doctor with a bit of homework to do before the following morning when their lessons would commence for the first time. But while he had given her some things to study, he too had taken up some research about his guest. Knowing her by the name she had once gone by allowed him to dig into her past with the Jedi order; and though he found some delightful reading in there about her, there was little that truly changed his mind about her in any way. It did give him a clearer picture of his student though; which was valuable information to say the least. There were subtle differences in their philosophies he perceived, but nothing that he felt was dangerous or made them incompatible; and thus he felt as though the training to come and the possible partnership to follow were a good match for them. He was definitely looking forward to teaching her what he knew.

She was here on Sereeno to learn from him about the sword, Makashi; and this was fitting he supposed. The two of them were already getting along well, and had such a similar philosophy that he wondered if there was anything he could actually teach her about the force that she didn't know for herself already. Besides that, there was plenty that they would learn to master together he was sure of it, and he could already feel that the journey they were about to embark on was going to be a long and enlightening one for the both of them; and he was sure he would learn as much from her as she did from him.

It was no surprise then that he was eager to get the day started the following morning. Jareth was up early as always, and started his morning with his own exercises and breakfast; an offer that one of the droids would surely make to his guest as Jareth was certain to take care of the needs of his guests thoroughly when he did have them. At some point today no doubt; some of the things the Doctor had requested would be delivered to her room, along with a simple but elegant dress as a sort of joke connected to her opening comments she had made when arriving through his front door. That early on he had wondered how well they would get along, but it had taken no time at all for there first impressions to be made of each other.

Once he had dressed in a sleek but simple tunic suit of a dark grey color; Jareth was finally venturing out of his personal chambers to take care of the events that filled his day. First and foremost was his personal studies, meditations, training, practice, and exercises that he had completed in the privacy of his own chambers before breakfast. But after that, would come the lessons that he had promised to share with The Doctor who no doubt was already beginning her own day by this time. Anything else he had to deal with throughout the day would come in due course; and only after he had paid the promised time devoted to his guest. She had become one of his higher priorities while she was under his roof and protection, and he made sure she was aware of it.

He was soon coming into the training chamber to find her, already partly into her exercises for the morning; beginning with a solid meditation... deep from what he could tell. He found it curious that she was radiating with a cold darkness; and cocked his eyebrow in thought, but said nothing as he began to stalk the room quietly. He didn't want to stir her from her meditation prematurely, so he spent his time looking over the texts she had been turned to in her books, and the weapon she had chosen for herself, until she came out of it on her own; checking over the practice dummy to inspect it for possible damage. He wondered what parts of her past she was meditating on that drove her so violently... and then admired for a moment that what he was sensing was not the same story his eyes told. He could sense the darkness behind her; yes. But it wasn't a deep seeded anger either... on the surface she was so peaceful... the eyes can be deceiving, don't trust them...

While she was still deep in meditation, Jareth decided to collect two Bokkens off of the display case for the training that was to come. Being as she did not have a lightsaber of her own; Jareth had decided it would be best not to use a live blade at all, and as such had left his own lightsaber in his chambers; deciding he only needed these for the purposes of today's lessons...

 

[The Doctor]

As the eye of the storm, The Doctor saw everything, heard everything, the events of her life assaulting her senses all at once like a sea of black, enveloping and almost choking her in it's depths. However, The Doctor was the Oceanmaster, and all that pain and sufferings was hers to use, it held no control over her, quite the opposite. There was always that one final memory though, it always took her by surprise despite her best attempts to rein it in like all the others, because as much as she wished it would submit, this was the one memory whose emotions could never be tamed, for it was the memory that spawned the fuel that drove her now.

********

Faestus' eyes had always seemed cold and distant to the Jedi Consular, but it was only now, with a Saber pike permeating his chest and the wall behind it, that Aleera truly understood the meaning behind them. He wasn't cold or dead inside, far from it...he was probably the most caring of all the Shadows she knew, all the others she had met willingly walked the line between Light and Dark, soaking up the bad as well as the good and becoming the worse for it, but Faestus...he never took in the Dark Side, he always stayed pure for the sake of all those near him and those he saved. Unfortunately for him, it left him at a disadvantage when Aleera finally figured out why he had really come to see her in the Medical Bay, he didn't understand the love she and Teyhana had, he would think it evil and unnatural, but he was wrong!!

As he dropped to the floor, Aleera turned back toward the table, where Teyhana lay, strapped down and glaring at her, unable to scream or call out though the Muzzle placed on her. She regretted having to do it this way, but she knew full well this was the only way to bring out the love that bloomed inside the poor soul's heart, locked away by Jedi Ideals and Philosophy dictating one of the most beautiful things in life was forbidden. Aleera took hold of the Surgical Laser and quickly drew the small target beside her right eye to help her aim, her surgeon's touch was pretty shook after the adrenaline rush there.

It was only now, as the laser powered up, that Teyhana began to scream and struggle wildly, most likely her inner self trying to break free so this wasn't necessary, but it was too late unfortunately. Still, the fear that overcame her in this moment was delicious to her, palpable in a way that only made her love grow...Aleera and Tey, together forever.

In the back of her mind, some small part of Aleera stirred restlessly, that little bit of Jedi left that told her this was wrong, that choice was important...perhaps it was this fleeting moment of 'conscience' that made her hesitate a few seconds longer, plenty of time for the Temple Guard to cave in the doors and ignite their saberstaves. Hers already in her hand, Aleera turned and began her melee, her pike like a whirlwind in the healer's hands, effortlessly moving from one saber to the other, deflecting and directing and countering until, with the full might of the dark side behind her, she lashed out with the force, it's writhing tendrils holding them in place as she cleaved them.

Unfortunately for her, one Guard put the victim over the criminal, and in his final moments, he had loosened one of Tey's bonds. After having frozen two guards that dwarfed her power, Aleera was exhausted, and so she had no defense when the force enveloped her and threw her against the wall headfirst, a purple lightsaber drawn at her chin. Aleera Dusfraine's final moments were spent staring at the one she loved, standing over her with only fire and contempt in her eyes, uncaring for the hearts that broke inside the woman she held at swordpoint...she broke the connection.

*********

The Doctor's eyes snapped open as she drew in deeply, far too deeply, causing her to erupt in a small coughing fit. That memory always ended her meditation, always with a raw scathing intensity that made her, for a small moment, actually envy the Jedi and their ways. Looking around, she spotted Jareth standing nearby with their weapons for today, and she stood up slowly, rubbing her temples between two fingers each. "How long have you been standing there?" She asked softly

 

[Jareth Sharl]

Jareth had been in the room for several long moments as he went about various menial tasks. First was checking on her homework, then on the dummy, taking more time with each task than was strictly necessary; but considering she didn't seem to be stirring any time soon Jareth had the time to kill. When she did eventually come to; an event announced by a fit of sudden and unannounced coughing, Jareth had been standing over by the weapons rack still. He had been giving the two Bokken's a once over, making sure they were well balanced and of even length with each other; idly testing the weight of one in his hand before he set them down on one of the desks and looked to the Doctor with a believable amount of concern and a tilt to his head before she quickly recovered herself from the fit of coughing.

The first thing she asked was how long he had been in the room, and Jareth shrugged slightly. "Not very long, don't worry." He reassured, offering his hand to help her up off the floor. "Are you alright?" He asked, wondering what it was that had caused the outburst; not seeing any visible or apparent reasoning for it. He smirked a bit and pointed back over his shoulder towards the weapons he had just selected for the two of them. "I didn't mean to interrupt your meditation, but I came to see if you were ready for your first lesson." Jareth explained himself, wondering just how concerned she was about his sudden appearance in the training room.

As unannounced as it had been, she had to have been expecting him to arrive sooner or later; so he wasn't too deeply concerned about having surprised her or shocked her. Rather, he suspected that her meditation was so deep that she had been violently shook from it before exiting it. He had to wonder if she had been the one in control of the meditation, or if it had been vice versa. Regardless he said nothing of it; not being here to lecture her on how she chose to meditate, or what she chose to meditate about. Taking a step back from her once she was back to her feet, he folded his arms and leaned back casually; waiting for her to continue the conversation. Jareth was by no means all business... and though he was very professional, he also encouraged a sort of bond with those he taught; as it made it easier for him to teach and explain things to them when there was some sort of relationship between himself and his student. As such, he was not quick to rush into the matter of training or the first lesson... But he was ready to give it when she was ready to receive it.

 

[The Doctor]

It was a written rule of the universe that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, every pro has a con, every up, a down. Jedi Meditation came at the cost of your emotions, The Doctor's Meditation came at the cost of briefly unbalancing her and sending her into a slight emotional dip. She groaned softly as the last memory pulsed through her head like her brain was pressed against her skull, her head dropping into her hands. It was always now, the little moments inbetween, when she questioned everything she was doing, and everything she had done.
"Sorry, I...I'm fine, I didn't mean to snap" She croaked weakly, walking over to her new teacher with a goofy grin, trying to hide the conflict that was obviously on her face.

In her mind, though she never admitted it, Aleera often felt a lot of conflict regarding the Unification and the reasons as to why she was trying to make it happen. Every time she meditated, those conflicts arose stronger than before, always testing her mettle before she was able to force them into slumber again and moving on as if they never happened. As always, in the moments following the aftermath, her grin slowly returned and her aura balanced itself out once more, The Doctor breaking out into a slight giddiness at the sight of the Bokken. "Ooooh we're actually doing this...I've only ever dreamed of walking this path, I admit I never really expected to break ground." Her eyes met Jareth's as she wrapped her fingers around one Bokken, both of which he held, and she could see the concern in his eyes, the skepticism.

It was with a heavy sigh that she gazed right back and said "I'm fine Master, really," her tone genuine, but also somewhat happy. It was the first time since the Jedi that she had someone whom looked out for, or was at least concerned for, her well-being. She'd forgotten how good it felt...

 

[Jareth Sharl]

The Doctor apologized for her briefest moment of confusion; and he had to admit he was slightly surprised for the apology. He hadn't seen any reason for her to apologize; it was after all he who had walked in on her during what was typically considered a private moment for personal reflection. She had hardly done anything that he thought warranted an apology, but he decided it was best not to concern himself over who needed to apologize more. Instead he let hist arms unfold, and reached back to where he had lay the Bokkens, grabbing one for himself and spinning the other around so that the hilt was extended out towards her. They were just wooden sticks, but the principle was that you never handed someone the "live" end of the weapon. Jareth; even with practice weapons, honored such practices; without even thinking twice about it. He was a true swordsman, through and through.

She perked up quite a lot when she received the Bokken and he had to admit it was fairly amusing. It reminded him of days long past when a youngling, or new student of the force might have been handed their lightsaber for the first time; the excitement that would have radiated from them at the opportunity to learn about a lightsaber after hearing about them for so long. The expression on her face was the same as he would have imagined on one of them. Jareth smiled slightly, letting her take her 'blade' so she could get a feel for it. They were by no means dangerous; but they were designed to be some of the best practice weapons you could get. They were weighted artificially, so as to allow the user to feel as though they were wielding the real thing; and thus the looks of the weapon was deceiving to some degree, requiring the user to get used to it for a moment upon their first receiving the weapon.

"I keep my words... You're taking your first steps, but I warn you it is a long path ahead of you." Jareth explained, almost as if he was trying to dissuade her from it. In reality all he was doing was asking her if she was truly ready to commit to the practice that was required of someone who was about to undertake a commitment like the study of Makashi. Many weapon wielders believed that you could just learn all of the forms in a short period of time... but someone who truly studied Makashi realized that the reality was much different. To learn the form; any of the forms, was one thing. To master them, was something totally different. This is why Jareth devoted himself to only one style of lightsaber combat, instead of dividing his attention across multiple forms. A Jack of all Trades, was by default a master of none.

She called him 'master' which warranted a bit of a chuckle and a grin from Jareth. "Oh no, I am more of a teacher than a master. You're capable in your own right, you don't need a master, only a guide." Jareth explained; though he nodded at her attempt to reassure him that she was indeed alright. Whatever she had been dealing with before he had entered the room was of little concern to him unless she felt she needed to bring it up, and he treated it as such. Jareth gestured to the center of the room where a series of three circles; each one larger than the one in it's own center, marked out the floor. This was the training circle, and each circle represented different striking distances. He began to step over to it, but guided her towards the center of it all while he laid his own Bokken down on the floor again, not yet needing it for this part of the lesson. "Shall we?" He asked, grinning slightly.

 

[The Doctor]

What normally would have come as foreboding, dissuading, or insulting to others, The Doctor found oddly reassuring. Despite the many, many steps she would have to take before she reached the place she wished to go, some part of her was glad of how long it would take. In a way, this training could be seen as a transitional phase for her, letting her cast away any doubts, rediscover her identity, maybe even finally come to terms with her new role in things. In any case, training was long, hard, and very painful, so she was under no illusions about this being easy or simple. Jareth would be there to give her a good kick if she ever strayed or faltered anyway, he seemed the type that truly invested in his students.

With the Bokken in hand, The Doctor took a moment to weigh it in her hand, noting the balance being rather good for a wooden blade, though considering it's purpose, maybe she shouldn't have been too shocked. Before following Jareth, she took a few cautionary swings with it, although due to not being used to the blade, she almost hit one or two things, after which she romptly stopped. Despite his rebuke of her address, The Doctor just smirked and gave him a 'not gonna happen' look.
"You have your traditions, I have mine" She said respectfully, moving to the center of the circle and nodding, ready to begin.

 

[Jareth Sharl]

The Doctor have her own curt reply to his comment about being called master, and he smirked a bit. "Fair enough." He admitted, deciding he wouldn't make an issue out of it. If it made her comfortable after all, who was he to tell her otherwise? On the contrary the only reason he would tell such students not to call him by such a title was because he wanted some semblance of casual friendship between them; a element that titles often prevented from forming. If she didn't see it that way; he wouldn't deny it to her. He shouldn't have really been surprised that she didn't view titles the same way he did; after all, she lived her whole life as a title... the embodiment of the term 'The Doctor.'

Either way, she was soon in position at the center of the training spheres he had insinuated she move to. He would explain everything to her in due course, and before ever even raising a blade he would make sure she had a thorough understanding of the form he was explaining to her. Only if she truly understood the philosophy would she be able to wield a blade of Makashi correctly. It was his job as her instructor, teacher, and evidently as her master to make sure she walked away from all of this with a thorough understanding of the philosophy, move set, skills, and experience that were required of a wielder. Her success was as dependent on Jareth as it was on her. He only hoped that he proved to be a good instructor to her. To shape the skills she possessed into a swordsman.

Jareth stood on the line of the outermost circle; having placed his Bokken behind him on the floor. He had given her the texts she needed to study, and after looking at them a moment before he could tell she had been reading up on it and taking notes. Which meant what h taught her now would not just be a rehashing of what she had read... but he had to teach her how it all applied to the world. To the blade. Jareth began to walk around her, every footfall landing on the line of the circle as he began to orbit his way around the Doctor who stood at the centermost circle. "Your title... Doctor...." Jareth began, giving her a sidelong glance as he continued to walk slow and deliberate steps in a circle. "It isn't just for show... you practice it. So you must appreciate many of the same things that are important to a Makashi wielder." He observed, his hands speaking as much as his words did. Targeting her position as a physician sounded like a good way for him to teach her some of the fundamentals of Makashi combat. A true illustration that he thought would reach her heart. "Precision... Balance... Leverage... Timing... Those are all important to a physician. But they are skills that a true blade master; especially someone wanting to use Makashi should hone. A master of Makashi doesn't waste his energy, doesn't make needless moves... For him, Combat is a surgery. Two masters of Makashi may not even strike each other's blades before they realize just how the match will end. They size each other up... gauge the other for weaknesses, and only then do they strike." By this point Jareth had traveled full circle around The Doctor; stopped pivoted on his heels, and began to walk the circle again; this time traveling in the opposite direction as he continued his lecture. "Like a surgery, a wielder of Makashi searches for a weakness, then efficiently strikes to exploit it. You do not waste time looking for it with mindless blows... you find it first, and only then do you make your move. Do not waste your power. If you see mindless spinning, powering blows, swinging at the air... flourishes... foolishness... you are not looking at Makashi. You are looking at a novice." Jareth explained, finally he had stepped back to the position he had started at, where he had left his blade.

The blade; seemingly of it's own accord, lifted up off of the ground and floated up to his right-hand side; resting in the air at an arm's length away from himself. "Ready?" He asked finally, reaching up to grab the blade from the air, then lowering it down to an idle but ready position, the blade pointing in front of himself but to the side; his stance already naturally poised to the elegant stance one would expect of Makashi. It seemed as though he was always standing at ready.

 

[The Doctor]

It was good to know the title thing wasn't going to be a big issue, that may have caused some small grievances down the line. The Doctor began to observe Jareth as he spoke and moved, the slow, deliberate way he walked across the circle like a balancing act, without missing a single step. As he began to speak, he made it known, without himself even realizing, why she called him Master. With each word, he molded his teaching around her, taking what he knew and extrapolating it to better teach her, to establish that connection which served to improve on her training.

He spoke of her work, and how it's qualities could also be applied to the blade, a concept which she found somewhat ironic - that which helps saves lives also can be used to take them without mercy. Despite this irony though, The Doctor couldn't help but latch on to some words more than others, her own mind making the logical conclusion that began to set fear and worry into her mind.
"It sounds like Makashi requires a sense of complete confidence in the methodology to utilize it effectively" She said softly, the smile falling from her face once more. What he said stirred something deep inside Aleera, something she had fought to hide and lock away, which festered inside like virus. She could practically smell it, taste it, see it in the reflection of the window standing beside her...doubt.

Doubt in her motives, doubt in the Unification, doubt in the circumstances leading to her Exile. Once again, she found herself confronted with her 'better' half, the part of her that regrets everything, that knows the wrong she did. If this form requires this kind of confidence, this level of self belief, how could she pull it off? Her head snapped back to reality as Jareth readied his blade, despite not having changed stance much. Raising her own blade, The Doctor forced a smile back to her face.

"Let's find out"

 

[Jareth Sharl]

Much to Jareth's delight, it seemed to him that the Doctor understood the information he was giving her without any issue at all; summing up in few words what Jareth had said. Indeed it did take personal dedication and confidence in the combat style to be ready and able to wield the form adequately; and more so of course to master it. The fact she understood that pleased him; and Jareth was confident that she would no doubt in due course master this form. She certainly had the mind and dedication for it if she was willing to apply herself to it as she certainly seemed willing to do. She was here taking the first steps with him, and he was going to see her training through to the end if she would allow it.

She accepted his challenge and took up her own blade, Jareth nodding in agreement before he held his blade again; his stance and grip so casual and yet so equally demanding and a presence so controlling that it was eerie to think he had already readied himself. One might question if he had been in the ready stance this whole time. His head was held high and back, allowing his chest to billow forth while he spoke."At the ready position your stance must be tall and narrow... you are making yourself a thin and unassuming target... all the less space for your opponent to hit, and the less ground for you to be required to defend. You do not let your opponent strike at a location you are not able to defend. They strike, only because you want them to... you allow it." Jareth explained, giving her one last piece of information to dwell on before he continued on to explain the posture. "Your feet should be angled away from each other, but remain close to each other, lead with your dominant side. Step with your dominant foot forward, and drag the opposite into position when advancing. Your grip should be loose, so as to allow your blade to move naturally, but firm so as not to release it." Jareth continued, making sure he demonstrated everything as he spoke it; all the while keeping his eyes on her.

Finally he turned to face her fully, pointing his Bokken at his side away from himself, then executing the Makashi Salute; a swirl brought the blade of his weapon up between his eyes, and then the reverse of the same swirl brought it back down to point where it had begun. "Makashi is a noble and honorable form... Your duels start with a salute to the other, you carry yourself with grace, fight with honor, and close with respect." Jareth explained; being a traditionalist in matters such as these. It was a bit of an enigma really, how much honor was devoted to a style such as this, which utilized so much deception... He allowed her to return the salute; which was the ready signal to begin the duel.

 

[The Doctor]

As Jareth explained the intricacies of stance and form in Makashi, seemingly just as vitally important as it's every other aspect, The Doctor found herself starting to mimic him. With each demonstration, her back lifted and straightened, her body pivoted away from him a little, now leading with her right side as the Bokken came down and she practised her grip. Soon enough, the Doctor was actually a mirror of Jareth in posture, only with her right side as dominant. As he did, she brought the Bokken up to her face, mimicing the salute before bringing it back down again. "A little ironic, in my opinion, an honorable form using so much feinting and misdirection"

 

[Jareth Sharl]

It seemed as though the Doctor was reading his mind as she too was commenting on one of the very same aspects he had just been thinking about in that very same moment. With a smirk on his features, Jareth shrugged slightly. "At the end of the day, no matter how much respect you have for your opponent; you're still there to win the fight." Jareth admitted coolly and quietly, shifting his weight slightly so as to circle the Doctor before him as if he were a bird of prey with eyes on a future meal. It was quiet and eerie, but calm at the same time. "Your goal should be to control the central line of combat... that means you steer the fighting in the direction you want it to go. Do not be afraid to hold your ground and wait your opponent out until they move to engage you on your own terms." Jareth explained, even now as he was the one moving around her; forcing her to turn to face him if she wanted to keep him in her line of sight.

Casually, but without warning, Jareth cleanly dragged his Bokken blade through the air, aiming at the Doctor's knees to see if she was still paying attention and was ready to duel with him. The salute had been made; which was the silent reminder that both parties were ready to fight, even if Jareth was still giving her lessons verbally...

 

[The Doctor]

The Doctor couldn't help but return the smirk, only to feel her whole body tense up as his foot moved. For a moment, her mind and body froze as confusion fogged her mind - why had she tensed up so much like that? It wasn't like he was intending to kill her, this was just a training session, no more, no less, so why act like your life was in danger? Perhaps it was just the feeling of her hair standing on end as he started to move, like an instinct that he was going to do something...or maybe she was just afraid. In the back of her mind, she could hear the acid rain of Nar Shadda, smell the Wookie as it grabbed her saber after running her through. She started to unknowingly thumb the scar his sword left...before a sharp pain brought her to her knees.

Like an idiot, her thoughts had consumed her and she had left herself unfocused, allowing Jareth to easily cave in her knees with the Bokken. Coming as such a surprise to The Doctor, she couldn't suppress a hard puppy-like yelp of pain as her knees hit the floor. Just as quickly as she was down, she was up again though, her mind firmly back in the room instead of dwelling on irrelevant questions. Now her eye started to properly follow Jareth, her gaze every bit as predatory as his own, ears and eyes taking in as many details as she could. "The price of letting yourself getting distracted" She muttered softly, grimacing at her own lack of attentiveness.

 

[Jareth Sharl]

Jareth watched as the well placed blow crippled the Doctor without doing any serious harm. Oh no doubt it would leave some seriously nasty bruises before the day was over; but he had no intention to leave her with any lasting damage that might cause a fracture or broken bone. This in itself was a testament to his skill; having so much control over the battlefield and his own blade that he could prevent himself from actually inflicting damage... even stopping mere centimeters from his opponents skin if he were using a live blade. In this instance he didn't need such self control, as the Bokken wouldn't cause any kind of irreversible damage; but he still preferred to hone every skill he had, including his control.

As quickly as his saber had left his side to strike it's target, Jareth was recoiling the blade back to it's ready position. He let the Doctor regain her balance and stand at her feet again, a kind smile on his face with a nod to remind her to be on her game. "Your focus needs to be on the here and now, not on the past for future." Jareth reminded; it being a fact he was sure she was already aware of. Personally he had no issue with emotions, knowing they could be a strong motivator when applied properly. He also knew that if a user relied upon them as greatly as many Exiles did; that it could cause distraction, over confidence, and a sharp mind was always better than one riddled with emotional holes. Once again, Jareth saw the line that neither the Jedi nor Exiles would cross. Two extremes, both with benefits and flaws. Both of them were easy paths compared to trying to find a balance between the two. Taking the time to weed out your weaknesses and play to your strengths. Jareth had to reign in his own thoughts though, if he was to continue this lesson; but he had some valid points to share with her.

"Watch your opponents eyes... a man's motive is in his eyes." Jareth said, giving her a pointer and a smile as he watched her for a moment more to observe her form, then stepped forward just as he had shown her before. His lead foot going forward and his other foot sliding back into position behind him as he brought himself back up to his full height. The lunging step forward allowed him to bring his blade in for a regular strike; that she should easily be able to defend against over her shoulder. "Remember, the strike zones are the same as with Shii-cho... you're not learning anything new other than simple philosophy and basic positioning." Jareth explained, hoping to remind her not to over think what she had to learn from him.

 

[The Doctor]

No kriffing duh Jareth She thought, her mind growing frustrated now at the lack of focus and progress being made. This was supposed to be a good day, she begins her training and tarts to learn, a good time is had by all, bing bang boom! Done! Instead, her Meditations seem to have completely offset her instead of focused her, whereas beforehand, they always served to make her stronger. It boggled The Doctor's mind trying to figure out why she was so utterly useless today, but unfortunately she did not have the time to give it any in depth thought.

As her mind raced with these thoughts, Jareth began to move again, this time, her eyes followed his and she kept a good eye on his entire body, a relatively easy task given the short distance. That grin of his was now actually starting to get on er nerves, not helped by the fact that his next words were to always watch the eyes (which, in hindsight, was a good look into how he operated with people). His next strike seemed slower than the last, more sluggish, amateurish even, almost as if he was patronizing her. Of course, he wouldn't do that since he promised to train her right...right? The bokken, both hands flicking to it out of instinct, came over her shoulder and blocked it easily, with The Doctor next attempting to drag and leverage Jareth's Bokken overhead and down to the ground in front of her, despite the disadvantage of it being directly over her head registering with her. "Too slow" She blurted out, smirking.

 

[Jareth Sharl]

As was expected, the Doctor quickly caught on and reached up to catch his blade with her own. He was keeping it simple, not to toy with her, but simply to give her ample time to adjust to the new set of philosophy he had been bestowing upon her. The idea being that once she had the fundamentals down, he could gradually increase his own intensity and she would be forced to match it. Ideally; if he could increase it in small enough portions at a time, she would never even realize he was slowly and slowly going more and more hard on her. This would; in Jareth's opinion, lead her naturally and almost perfectly into the Makashi element. And to Jareth's pleasant surprise, the Doctor was already trying right from the start, to manipulate his lightsaber to go where she wanted it; attempting to pivot and direct it into a downward position. He was quite proud that she had already started to pay more attention to the central line of combat; and was endeavoring to control it... whether she realized that was what she was doing or not. Still it was forceful, unnatural, obvious. A master of Makashi would manipulate someone into lowering their guard without them even knowing it.

For example.

While the Doctor's blade was busy engaging his own, Jareth twisted slightly; allowing his leg to swing out between her own legs, hook, and then pull away in an attempt to yet again trip her up and send her to the floor. The point, whether he succeeded or not, was to show her that there was more than one way to control how the combat went.

 

[The Doctor]

Once again, when it comes to combat, Jareth makes her look like a child in comparison, a little D'nik who had never held a saber before. Almost as soon as she had his Bokken in a lock, she felt her legs come out from under her, flying to the side as she hit hit the floor with a yelp, rolling onto her back and looking up at her Master. She could feel the rage start to kindle against him now, a little spark that only grew when she looked at his grinning face, but for now, she pushed it down and forced herself to move on. It wasn't her to get angry for no reason.

She jumped back to her feet and took position again quickly, her Bokken coming back up and aiming straight for his wrists. She knew he'd block it easily, but she had hoped that the looseness employed by Makashi could be used to her advantage. If he blocked the strike, she would immediately withdraw and pull it back before quickly moving her Bokken up and striking down as hard as she could get with the little to no momentum, she had, hoping that she could wrench the Bokken from his hands with these two strikes from opposite directions.

 

[Jareth Sharl]

Jareth was quick to step back once the Doctor made contact with the floor less than gracefully. Normally Jareth might have offered a hand to help her up out of respect and honor for the duel. There was no honor in striking while your opponent was helpless and rolling around on the floor. However; the Doctor had half the mind to try and swipe his own legs out from under him if he got too close to her while she was in that state, or to perhaps clock him over the back of the head with her own Bokken while she was gripping his hand. As interesting as either of those tactics would be; they were not very imaginative. So he respectfully stood aside letting her come back to her feet of her own accord; not threatening her or rushing her. She was quickly to her feet once more without him anyway... as if she was a spring board. She was quick to recover from anything nearly, and strong enough to push through most things, both were skills she could apply to her own style once it developed. In these moments, Jareth could imagine someone who pretends to be weak only to finish their opponent while their guard is down. You must appear strong when you are weak... weak when you are strong... far when you are near... near when far... few when many... many when few.

He was quite pleased that he could already see her potential so early on in her training. She may not see it quite yet, and may need to ask his guidance to see where to apply herself in such things, but it was there for a certainty. Once again her speed proved to be an asset as she was quick to swing once more, driving for his own blade... or rather his wrists; though Jareth reacted as naturally as breathing to block it. His guard raised though he narrowed his eyes; expecting something else from her. She may be a student and new to the teachings of Makashi; but she was hardly naive. She hoped to trip him up, trick him, and beat him at his own game even this early on. While such ambition was admirable... it was perhaps misplaced. It allowed for a baseline that Jareth could read. And though he may not be able to see exactly what every move she made was, he knew she was planning something a little more advanced than that. This gave him time to prepare, and retreat one leg backwards, shifting his weight onto one leg in case she surprised him and caught him off guard....

 

[The Doctor]

Ever hit was a bust, every strike a miss, every attempt a failure. The Doctor was now starting to get visibly frustrated at this patern, and it showed in how she immediately leapt back to her feet, the Force shooting her off her hands as she sprung up. Upon landing, her first move was going to be to sweep around and take his own legs out...but she stopped just short. She froze completely in her place as she began to register was she was actually doing - breathing heavy and labored, heart rate pumping out a congo beat, mind starting to burn with a full furnace. She was losing control, with each second, she kept letting her anger getting the best of her. Aleera was starting to get a little more than confused now, now she was getting agitated at her own seeming lack of restraint.

She withdrew her leg from it's sweep and rose slowly, taking a moment to breath in and out, trying to calm her mind and take some control back. She hadn't realized it, but her eyes were now slowly starting to paint themselves with flecks of yellow as her anger rose. Now she took her stance again, this time saying nothing and clearly wishing to just move on, as if she was a child after making an embarrassing mistake. "...your move Master"

 

[Jareth Sharl]

As Jareth held himself at the ready; preparing himself for the next barrage of attacks that he thought was only inevitable; something truly amazing happened. Up until now, the Doctor had allowed herself to draw on her rage and fury for strength. This was indeed the way of the dark side, Jareth couldn't argue that. But he was easily proving that a clear mind, skill and experience always triumphed over raw power and natural talent. Until now, she had failed to actually apply the philosophy of Makashi to her combat style here this morning. But it was a beautiful thing to watch her come to her senses; stand to her full height, regain her posture and composure. She had heard what he said before; but it was only now that she understood it. Realized her mistake and adjusted for it. Jareth smiled with proud approval of his current student and nodded respectfully at her.

At her recovery, Jareth stood back to his full height once more as well. She insisted on letting him make the next move; no doubt so she could attempt to control the battle for a moment. Respecting this turn, he shifted his weight on his feet so as to become the aggressor in combat. Her concentration was here and now, her focus was present on his blade, and she was now ready to apply the proper philosophies to the combat. It took her some time to get to this point; that was true, but Jareth knew she would get there. Now that she was on the right page, all she needed was to build off of this point and she would soon be a fear inspiring duelist. Jareth raised his blade to point; his intention being in his eyes as he made a step forward to strike at her. His intention wasn't to beat her or trip her up at this point... right now he wanted to simply spar with her... gradually going stronger, faster and harder on her. This acted both as a phase where they could gauge each other; but also allowed him to slowly build her up. His first few strikes were at the basic attack zones, striking attack zone 1, then 2, then 3 and so on until he had work through all six attack zones.

These six attack zones were something that anyone who learned Shii-Cho would know naturally, so she would recognize them without much thought. But now she would be applying the Makashi form to the attack zones, which would help to give her a feel for the Makashi move set.