Ask Ziost Just Sell-este Your Soul

[Varyn Atrix]

Through a great deal of convincing, Varyn had obtained a new chance to shoot for Blademaster at one of the academies. This time, it was at Ziost where the First Blade didn't really like the Kaas First Blade, and Varyn at least had some friends in the Ziost academy.

He'd been set to trial a larger number of students, but one of those assignments in particular was an unusual one. Imagine Varyn's surprise when he'd been told he would be working directly with the woman he had once met in her home on Rattatak. The woman who had sworn she was no longer Sith and that she had put it all behind her.

He found himself curious about what had pushed her over the edge or if this was just who she had always been. But if it had all been a lie, he assumed that she wouldn't have been forced to restart her training. It seemed that her pride she took in not using a saber had brought her back to him.

He'd become quite acquainted with the sparring pits of Ziost, and that was where he waited for his newest student. in one of the private training rooms, he sat on the floor and meditated.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste had been enthusiastic about her relocation. On Ziost, she was supposed to continue her lightsaber retraining and this meant that for a few days, she was not being forced to fulfill any more degrading tasks on Raxus. To be fair, her life had already improved when she had been assigned to Vahliri, but while this had still been on Raxus, she now welcomed this change of scenery.

Once she arrived, her heartbeat was slightly faster than usual, but it was definitely positive excitement. They had told her that she was supposed to meet Champion Atrix down in the sparring pits, and one instructor had already told her that this was supposed to be a private session, which made it even better. It seemed like she slowly worked her way up from the gutter and so she was in a really good mood.

She had gotten oddly used to the acolyte uniform, but it was a good thing she was finally allowed to use her crimson bladed lightsaber again as well. While she had put it aside for quite some time as she had been focusing on diplomacy only before those fateful days on Ruusan and her escalated hiking trip had hit her, she was confident that her skills weren't too rusty. In general, Celeste had always prefered the use of the Force over her lightsaber, but she knew that lightsaber combat was an important skill anyway.

She approached the meditating champion with strong, confident steps, however she immediately respectfully declined her head before she stopped a few meters across him. "Champion Atrix, it's a honor to meet you" she politely greeted him, a soft smile crossing her lips. Of course she had heard of his most recent triumph on Mustafar and how he had valiantly fought off the invaders and she knew she would be able to learn a lot from him.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn opened his eyes, looking up as Celeste approached. There was something different in the way she carried herself, but he wondered if it would stick. He wondered if she knew what she was doing or what she was committed to doing. He wondered if she was still lost in her path.

How far each of their paths had brought them on this journey. How far still they had yet to go.

She greeted him, and he motioned to the ground across from him for her to have a seat.

You were a full Sith once as I understand it. Tell me about your experience with a lightsaber, he said. He honestly had no idea if he'd be having to start all over from the ground up or if she still remembered some of her older days.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Even though she didn't quite know what to expect, she was happy to get started with actual training instead of stupid tasks like ordering clothes and wiping the corridors...After she had stopped in front of Champion Atrix, he immediately opened his eyes and asked her to sit, and so she did without hesitation.

His question was quite direct and it only proved that this was nothing but functional. She was here for lightsaber retraining and this would be exactly what she would get. "I was a champion not to long ago, yes. I have always been decent with a lightsaber, yet I always prefered not to rely on my lightsaber only". In fact, Celeste had developed her powers before her actual 'fall', but she had learnt how much she had held back.

Ultra aggressive lightsaber combat had never been her thing, but she definitely knew how to defend herself with it, but now after that break, some more training was definitely helpful anyway. "I might be a bit rusty, but I can definitely still handle myself".

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Another person who didn't like lightsabers. Why were all of his students so saber-averse? Didn't they understand the potential in the weapons. At least she had actually used a lightsaber before.

Okay, then tell me about your combat style, he said. His job was to hone her from a rusty knife into a scalpel, but to do that required him to understand how she already fought.

What is your mindset when you fight? And what brought you back to the Sith? he asked. They were all pointed questions, and he didn't shy away from them. His gaze never seemed to leave hers.

He was a firm believer that lightsaber combat was about more than simply two people swinging a plasma beam. It was about an entire state of being and one's connection not only to the Force, but by extension to the other combatant and to those one fought alongside. It was almost intimate in its own way, and upheaval within oneself was a sure way to defeat. One needed to look no further than Kylo Ren and the stories of his failed lightsaber duels.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

She couldn't quite grasp him, but despite him being direct, it seemed like he was truly someone who understood the deeper nature of lightsaber combat. Her uncle had always failed to explain that and her instructors back than at the academy had unfortunately been the same. For that, she was already grateful...He was definitely different.

"My combat style had never been too aggressive. I had rather used my opponent's ruthless aggressions against themselves. I've studied the Form V for while..." she replied, her gaze not leaving his. She recalled all those training fights and how way too many students had always just hacked and slashed like maniacs...

His second question was even of a deeper nature and her lips slightly curled into a smile, because it just seemed like they would be getting along well."Combat is never something rushed for me. It's somehow a bit calculated, like a studied dance. I focus on details, I study my opponent and I'm trying to take advantage of weak spots or even let them wear themselves out while clearly averting their attacks".

After she had explained, she wondered whether this had still stayed the same after everything that had changed for her within the last few months. Was she still able to stay level-headed in combat? She was surely fiery and assertive when she had to, and she had gotten more emotional, more unrestrained in a way, so since she hadn't had a lightsaber in a hand for quite a while, she wondered whether her combat style hadn't even changed...

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn listened closely to her answer, wondering to himself whether she had intentionally not answered his final question or if he was supposed to be drawing metaphors from what she said to extrapolate about her allegiances. Probably not the latter because that was just his tendency to over-blow everything.

Good, your brain is a powerful tool in a fight. Nearly as important as your body, he said. He could see that she was clearly in shape, which was important. There weren't many overweight or out of shape Sith simply because it was a great and quick way to get killed.

Let's see what you've got, then, he said, pushing himself to his feet and pulling one of the saber hilts from his belt. He activated it and ensured it was set to its stun setting, waiting for her to either do the same or take a training saber off of the wall.

He stood with his saber in his right hand, hanging down to his side and pointed in the direction of the ground. He waited for her to make the first move as she was the one being trained and critiqued. And more than just her physical moves, he reached out to sense her mind. What she thought and felt, how she focused it, and all the internal workings of her fight.

Don't think I'll hold back because you're a woman, he warned because on the battlefield, no one else would. Train the way you fight or die in the fight.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

She wondered whether the Champion had expected a different answer, but he definitely agreed with her in terms of how the brain was just as vital as the body, which was just another good sign. If he saw it similarly, he would probably be the right person for honing her skills.

She nodded at his comment, gaze still not leaving his, before she added a further detail:"Even though I train a lot, I'm more agile than strong and I'm usually using that too". Had he even required more information? One way or another, he was about to find out anyway, as he was already urging her to get up.

She pushed herself to her feet and took the lightsaber from her belt, before she made sure the stun setting was activated as well. She rolled her shoulders and positioned herself approximately 6 feet across from him, her light blue eyes immediately flicking back up to him.

"I wasn't expecting that" she explained, directing her blade to the ground, "Gender doesn't matter at all". No one had ever held back. No instructor back then, not a single warlord on Rattatak or other men on her missions, so why would he? She didn't even want him to hold back, because she was here to learn, not to be handled with kid gloves.

Since she hadn't met Varyn before, she knew nothing about her sparring opponent. He was tall and athletically built and she expected that he would be rather agile. The way he expectantly looked at her already told her that he wanted her to begin, even though Celeste was usually never the aggressor. She had no choice now though and so with eyes analytically narrowed, she stepped forward.

Her first impulse was to use the Force, but this was not why she had come here. This was lightsaber training and so she would refrain from using any trick for now. While she stepped forward she grabbed the lightsaber's hilt with two hands before she feinted her first maneuver.

With wild determination in her eyes but a sweet smile on her lips, she made it seem like her first attempt was to slash at him in a slightly horizontal arc, from his right shoulder to his hip, but while she reached back forcefully, she stopped with her footwork and didn't step into reach yet. Instead, she released her left hand while the blade was right over her own left shoulder, swiftly moving her right arm back forward while she quickly flicked the wrist in a clockwise motion.

With that, she took a step forward with her right foot to put even more force and speed behind that swiftly executed stabbing attempt. The blade would come right at him from the front, aiming at the pit of his stomach, hopefully catching him off guard. She had tried not to let her plan be reflected in her gaze, but she was confident the Champion knew how to help himself.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn's saber came up in a clockwise motion, sweeping up to meet the downward slash with a block of his own. When it turned into a thrust rather than a slash, it only required a small adjustment as her wrists came back.

His left leg shot out to the side in a quick step that brought his entire body to the side. His saber struck hers in the air, preventing it from launching into a new slash to bisect him while his step made sure the thrust shot past him on his own right side.

His left hand came up and around like lightning, aimed to do what would normally have been a punch to the face, but in this case was an open handed slap, still certainly not something that would feel good if it landed.

His own saber blocked hers out on the side preventing his hand from being struck while it lashed out. Regardless of whether it connected or not, he would step back and disengage.

Not bad form. I like the deception and trickery. Feints can be useful and work against many people, he said.

But you have two hands and your enemy will exploit that, he said.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

While she had been rather confident with her maneuver, the reaction came way quicker than expected. Faster than a lightning bolt, he parried her thrusting attempt and stepped to the side, while he suddenly did something she hadn't expect. He. Slapped. Her.

Her mouth went open, her expression both surprised and furious at the same time, especially because it all happened so quick. She let their blades connect, the lightsabers humming against one another while she held eye contact. Despite the praise coming out of his mouth, he had a point with what he said next.

Why had she just focused on the lightsaber anyway? He was right, she had a second hand, so why not use it. She nodded, the anger still reflected in that fiery glint in her eyes, but she was not letting her emotions get the best of her. Instead, she inhaled and stayed focused and nodded.

She pulled the lightsaber back to break the contact just as he disengaged and followed with a step backwards. Just as quickly as before, she tried again, but this time she was again trying to focus on something unexpected. Again, it seemed like she was preparing to strike, but instead jumped into a quick roll past him, diagonally to her left, therefore swiftly rolling past his right, while using the left hand on the ground to stabilize her trick.

Since he had still slighlty turned his body, she assumed he wouldn't be quick enough to follow her movement with his own lightsaber. Still in the movement of the roll, her right arm with the lightsaber was held in an outward position to her right, she was hoping to land slightly behind him, so that she could lash out horizontally and backwards with her right arm, therefore aiming at his knees. In order to prevent him from simply leaping into the air or jumping out of the way in general, she was trying to apply a Force grip to hold him down. He hadn't specifically mentioned not to use it, so she was just going for it.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

He could feel the rage boiling up in her, but that was precisely why he had warned her. It felt a bit odd, but he wasn't here to have another student who died in a saber duel when the time came for real action. He would push her and break her down if he had to in order to make sure that when it mattered most, she came out the other side alive and the victor.

Even as he disengaged, she leapt back in for another strike, this time literally. Her leapt to his right and the fact that he had turned to open his body to the right earlier in his pivoting step meant that he actually was in an even better position than he could have intended for parrying her movement.

He was going to perform a Shae-pivot to parry her blade, but he could feel his feet rooted to the floor. Instead his saber - which would have moved around anyway if he were able to pivot - continued on its path on its own, his upper body twisting as his saber swept around and caught hers.

Her attention focused on rooting him to the ground meant she wouldn't be able to defend against the Force that slammed from his other hand into her to send her sprawling across the room. It seemed two could play at that game.

Good, he said, primarily indicating that she had implemented what he had instructed.

You're angry, aren't you? he said, always one to get to the heart of the mind... yes, those words made sense.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

It didn't actually suprise her that he found a way too parry her next blow, because they wouldn't just send anyone in to train others in dueling, but it was still undeniably frustrating. She felt that he was affected by her grip that was rotting him to the ground, yet with a twist of his body he managed to block.

As soon as she had come out of her roll, she was hit by a strong push, and while being focused on both the strike and the roll, she couldn't defend herself in time and was hurled backwards. She still used this momentum to roll further and back onto her feet, because in an actual fight, her opponent would have immediately followed.

She exhaled sharply and slowly started circling, her head slightly tilted to the side before she swallowed. "A bit frustrated", she admitted, "But we have just started". With that, she reached out with her left hand, using that frustration to wrap invisible tendrils around the Champions right foot - the foot on which he had the majority of his weight on, thanks to the pivot - and forcefully attempted to yank the leg towards her.

She intended to knock him off balance, break his focus by forcing him to react in terms of balancing her pull out, while at same time she leaped forwards again, closing the distance between them because her next strike was already planned. While keeping her anger at bay, she was still partly drawing from it, which was reflected by the slightly increased aggression behind the attempted stab at his flank . If the Champion tried to balance out her pull, he was hopefully too distracted to parry the whole force behind her thrust and she was hoping to at least graze his skin.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

It seemed she was unrelenting in her desire to press onward, and despite his repeated attempts to stop and discuss what was happening, she attacked again. Then again, there was something to be said for being determined. Either that or she was just so filled with anger that she couldn't think.

She admitted to being "frustrated" but he sensed something more. He sensed her anger and the aggression that came with it. It showed through in her use of Form V, though it was an unorthodox display to say the least. Focused more on the Force and trickery than physicality and strength.

He could feel the Force wrapping around his leg and preparing to pull it out, but he had faced this before. It wasn't so different from what the Knight had tried to do to him on Mustafar, but that just meant he was ready for it.

He resisted the pull with physicality, his own strength preventing him from being pulled too far as his boot dug into the mat. Still, his leg was pulled out enough that he was forced to one knee. His left knee slammed into the ground as his right extended and flexed against the pull.

Meanwhile, her other attack came flying at him, looking to pierce his side. She may have cut down on his mobility, but there were other ways to deal with an attack. He gathered the Force in his left hand and let it slam out, directly into her wrists as the saber blow came through. It would knock her blade off course so that the stab passed by to his right side while his own saber returned the thrust. She was charging toward him and would quickly find her own momentum working against her as she would likely 'impale' herself on his saber, though with only a training blade it wouldn't be quite so fatal.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

She was trying to analyze the fighting style of her opponent, but it was harder to judge and to spot weaknesses when she was forced to be the aggressor, but so far he hadn't told her otherwise and so she just kept going. Normally, such an offensive style wasn't her thing, but it also felt good to get out of her comfort zone in such a safe environment.

Also, she was already convinced that she was learning. While he had only given her a few hints so far, it was good to refreshing her lightsaber skills and her opponent was more than worth, even though he was obviously holding back by doing nothing but defending himself so far.

However now, he actually returned the thrust, right after he had gotten down on one knee as a reaction to her pull, but the Champion was resourceful and so instead of just planting his counterattack, he also knocked her blade out of its planned trajectory.

She already narrowed herself as he did that, but as his own attack dame way faster than expected, she couldn't do more than to attempt to slid to a halt before reaching her final destination and retract her belly area by rounding her back. Of course it was still a bit too late for that and his blade hissed against the skin of her upper right belly area.

She hissed in return and took a step back, throwing him a slightly reproaches look. "How rude to stab a lady" she muttered sarcastically, obviously joking and even teasing as he had pointed out that he wouldn't hold back in that regard anyway. Despite the noticeable burning, a slight smirk crossed her lips.

Ambitious as she was, she wouldn't get too frustrated or lose her patience because of those failed attempts and successful counterstrikes of her opponent. "Why don't you start now?" she then suggested, expectantly glacing up at him while she ignored the pain. Attack wasn't anything, and she was eager to test her defensive skills again.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

The corner of Varyn's mouth turned up slightly at her quip and he let out a small snort.

I told you I wouldn't take it easy, he said. He pushed himself back to his feet and let his saber snap out after a moment.

First, let's recap, he said. Every fight is a learning experience and losses - so long as you're not dead - can teach you more than anything else, he said, moving over and taking a seat once again where he had been moments earlier. They could spar until they were both blue in the face, but he could let her practice against bots if she needed to practice the actual movements. What the bots couldn't provide was the mind behind the dueling.

You tell me: what did you learn? he asked. How do you evaluate your movements and mine? What worked and what didn't? And more importantly why? he asked, posing the difficult questions to her because the more she synthesized the information, the better she would perform.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

She reciprocated his smirk while she prepared herself to continue. It seemed like his initial seriousness was slowly fading and she enjoyed the slightly lighter mood. She immediately followed him back to the side and sat down as well, her light blue eyes resting on the Champion as he asked her to recapitulate. She nodded at his remark, knowing too damn well that each and every defeat was a great learning opportunity.

With her head slightly to the side and her lightsaber deactivated, she brought her thoughts into order first, because a considerate answer was more helpful for the two of them. "You know a lot about combat. You seem to be thinking three steps ahead already and you attentively spotted each and every opening. You observe blind spots effectively" she stated, before she let out a slight sigh. "I'm not only rusty, but not trained in the role of the offender. I wanted to much right now" she kept analyzing her mistakes, also admitting that the was indeed too overenthusiastic.

"With swift, agile movements, I managed to obstruct your mobility, but I hadn't paid enough attention to your other hand", she then calmly added, before she flashed him a soft smile. "You're in excellent shape and resourceful. I'm not discouraged though". It felt really good to be back to practice, that was for sure.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn nodded and listened as she spoke and evaluated. She had hit quite close to the heart of the issue and only needed a nudge further to find the heart of the matter.

You're right, I have a lot of practice. I enjoyed fighting with lightsabers. Have enjoyed it my whole life, he admitted. He had more time and practice invested than most others his age.

So how do you think you can turn offense into an advantage? Or at least not a disadvantage? he asked. You went all in on your attacks, so perhaps a more temperate offense may not put you in a position to overextend, he suggested.

I've always been partial to finding the openings others leave rather than creating my own. But that may also be variants in Forms. Form V does enjoy creating those openings itself, he said with a shrug.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

She wasn't surprised about his reply, as she had stated the obvious anyway, but it also seemed like they agreed on the analysis. As he went on by offering a suggestion, she immediately nodded. It had been the same direction she had mentioned, but he elaborated in a meaningful way.

"Yes...I'll keep that in mind. Admittedly, it wasn't even my style. I felt urged to go all in, which doesn't make sense" she agreed, exhaling in a slight sigh. Had she been nervous? Maybe slightly...it's been a while and she hadn't been fully prepared. Her last sparring sessions seemed ages ago, but that was why she enjoyed their session so far.

Prior lightsaber instructors back at the academy hadn't been as considerate and analytical and often much more on the aggressive side, so she was still confident to learn a lot here with him. "True...but I'll keep an eye on that. It seemed like your style was perfectly prepared to counter mine. But I'm eagerly learning" she confidently added, a smirk on her lips while her eyes excitedly glowed. As enthusiastic as she was, there was also something else on her mind: A question she wanted to ask, before they would go on. "What drives you, when you're fighting? And from which academy do you come from?" she was obviously curiously, however not sure, whether he was here to share personal details too.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn let her draw her own conclusions from what he said, and he knew that it would be up to her to implement them accordingly. It may never be that the woman would become a dedicated duelist, but what he taught her might at least keep her alive someday.

She shifted topics, and he didn't really mind. Ultimately, she was an adult learner and she would gain out of this session what she wanted to learn.

Little here, little there, he said. And it was true. During his days as a Jedi he had shifted around to keep himself invisible.

Mostly at Taris, though, he said. Did some follow-up work here at Ziost and at Kaas, he said. It was a little of everything for him, but never at the expensive, fancy academies.

Why do I fight? he repeated her question but didn't answer. It was a hard answer and a complicated one. One that had changed many times over the years. It wasn't that he wouldn't answer, but not yet.

Maybe the better question is what you fight for? he asked. Why pick up a lightsaber and take another life?

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Her light blue eyes rested on the admittedly attractive young man in front of her, her head still tilted to the side while she waited for his reply. It seemed like he accepted her change of topics for now and even though she didn't want to drift off too far, his answers were indeed interesting.

He kept it a but vague at first, while he started dropping names of relatively renowned, however not high-class academies afterwards. Admittedly, she didn't know much about Taris, but she had been on Dromund Kaas and Ziost before. Whatever he had done in particular, it had taken him here to train other with lightsaber, so she assumed he'd been a fairly good student. He looked a bit younger, but they couldn't have been too much apart age-wise, so she wondered whether they had ever crossed the same halls before.

When he didn't answer her second question, she slightly narrowed her eyes, but in a rather amused, playful way instead of in a reproachful manner. Of course he was returning the question first..."Clever to let me answer first" she remarked with a smirk, however she didn't mind sharing her own views. "I wouldn't say it's about taking lives. It's about overcoming obstacles that are in the way of the Empire..." she let out a soft sigh.

"My path has recently changed and I'm finally back on the right track...Not long ago I was clinging onto the desperate hope that there is always a peaceful solution" but peace was indeed a lie..."We serve the dark side...we serve the Empire. Lightsabers are a dangerous tool, but a very valuable one" If not set to stun, deadly too. But they were also a life insurance. That was also something she had repeatedly learned. Peaceful, diplomatic negotiations hadn't saved her from, for example, those warlords' lair. The Force had and so had her lightsaber.

@Phoenix