Ask Knowledge and Defense [Ajan Kloss]

[Fiach Dubh]

It wasn’t that Fiach thought Soresu was the best Form – she didn’t believe any of the seven could claim that. It was, to her, all about individual circumstances and context. But it did feel strange going up against someone that was using the very tactics that she held dear. And if you threw in the fact that she was expected to go on the offensive – against all her natural instincts – and you had someone that was clearly not committed to the duel. Which was, as any combatant would tell you, a very poor place to be.

Her ubiquitous smile remained – which was often a strangely useful tactic when sparring. Looking relaxed and as if you were enjoying yourself could be unsettling. A kind of inverse Dun Möch. Throw in her propensity to chat as if out for a morning stroll, and it could really get under the skin of an opponent.

On the plus side, she was physically set-up for constant motion – lithe and not muscular – stamina her greatest physical weapon. But regardless, as she pressed and found Izel’s defence more than adequate, she found herself being moved around – and therefore losing control of the bout. And as her fellow Padawan circled, it exposed gaps in Fiach’s relatively non-existent defence.

It would have been very easy to switch back to Soresu, but that was not the aim of the exercise and so Fiach was now picking up more and more small burns. With a training saber, they were little more than irritations – in a real duel they would be significantly draining.

But she was not about to give in, and had a few tricks up her proverbial sleeve to use and decided to use one now. She presented a short combination that ended with an overhead strike. She presumed Izel would block or parry and – at the precise moment their blades would touch – she deactivated and reactivated her blade. This would allow her saber to effectively pass through her opponent’s and continue its path unhindered.

If it worked of course…

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

As the match continued Izel found herself quite pleased with the results. Even if her Makashi still needed work it was clear her skills with Soresu had improved greatly. She still hadn't managed to score any definitive hits against Fiach, but then it was called the Resilience Form for a reason. In a real duel whittling down her opponent like this would serve her well, and could force an opponent into yielding before she had to take more drastic action.

Even so, through the Force she could feel the discontent despite her outward appearance. That could be from the fact that she was losing the current round, but Izel had the distinct sense it was more than that. Her heart didn't seem to be in it, which somewhat lessened the Vratix's feelings of success.

Even so she kept focused on the battle, intent on not making any more mistakes. When Fiach tried her little maneuver the Vratix managed to catch it in time and leap back. Fiach's blade still managed to graze her leg though, causing the Vratix to hiss in pain and stumble a bit before regaining her balance. She raised her lightsaber again, standing at a distance outside the human's attack range.

"It seems we're a bit more evenly matched now." She observed as she caught her breath. "You shouldn't let your feelings muddle your focus though. When you go into a duel you should go into in wholeheartedly, even when practicing. Anything else is begging for failure." Fiach had been quick to offer her own advice so Izel though it only right to return the favor, even if it may have sounded a bit harsh. But if Fiach didn't intend to commit to the offense then they may as well switch rolls now.

@Corbeau

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach’s move had some success, her blade passed Izel’s defence although her fellow Padawan was nimble enough to avoid a significant hit – albeit the blow would definitely have stung.

As ever, Fiach felt no pleasure in scoring the hit. Some – no, many – of her fellow Padawans and even the Knights that had trained her, gained pleasure from sparring. They received a buzz from winning. Not so Fiach. She saw duelling as inevitable – but to be avoided at all costs. Yes, an alive Padawan (and one that was Fiach shaped) was better than a dead one. But by the same token, an alive opponent was better than a dead one. Every life was precious and she saw a duel ending with a death as a failure – however you tried to justify it.

But she also knew she was here not only for her own development but for Izel’s too – and so gave herself more and more as the bout continued.

“You’re right,” she said, not entirely surprised that Izel could sense her misgivings about being on the offensive. “It is less that I am not giving it my all, but that I do not want to win. Not that I want to lose of course, but see any fighting as a loss in a sense.”

She stepped back and took a deep breath. “Here’s a suggestion. Let’s look to ignore the textbook. No commitment to any given Form but rather a free-for-all. Attack, defend, use the Force…whatever feels natural. Agreed?”

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel nodded at Fiach's explanation. She could understand where her fellow Padawan was coming from. It wasn't in a Jedi's nature to fight, or at least it wasn't supposed to be. Thinking back to her ordeal on Ontotho though the Vratix had something of a different perspective on fighting than the human. Her view was in her opinion much more pragmatic.

"I agree that a fight isn't something one should seek out when traveling the galaxy, nor something one should relish when it occurs." She explained during their second brief respite. "But realistically, there are people you will encounter who will want a fight. And whom wont take no for an answer. As Jedi we must not only help others through healing and good will, but physical defense as well. Why do you think we carry a lightsaber? It's not for negotiating. It's for stopping those who wish to harm us or others. Never go looking for a fight, but always be prepared for one. That's what I believe anyway."

As Fiach suggested a free-for-all the Vratix nodded once more. That was fair enough, it seemed their sparring session would be reaching it's climax soon. Now was the time for Izel to go all out. It would be her last chance to score a definitive victory. "Agreed." She responded to her opponent's offer, and immediately leapt forwards to gain the advantage.

In her opening attack her pike would lunge ahead of her, going right for the center of Fiach's torso. As the round started in earnest Izel would not take a measured approach as she did at the beginning. Having gotten a feel for Fiach's style she wanted to be aggressive and wear her down quickly this time. She would open with a series of fast alternating jabs and small swipes aimed at limbs, trying to overwhelm the human. As she continued her assault Izel would employ a new tactic to try and throw her opponent off balance. Stomping one foot on the mat she would send a Force shockwave through the ground, hoping to make her fellow Padawan lose her balance and open a gap in her defense.

@Corbeau

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach surmised their views on combat were similar. It was a necessary part of being a Jedi, without being one that should be embraced and certainly not enjoyed. Which was a very interesting theoretical viewpoint – but the purpose of today was to practice saber skills and not debate Jedi philosophy.

As the spar recommenced, Fiach had an idea. But it would take a little concentration to pull off, and for now, she was on the back-foot and unable to put her plan into immediate action. But talking helped her concentration, so she added to the conversation. “The act of carrying a saber is – of itself – a symbol. To many it is a sign of hope and for others a deterrent. It does not have to be activated to be of use.”

Practicing against the pike was certainly of benefit for Fiach. An unusual weapon that – if she came up against again – she would have an edge versus the typical combatant who would have no idea of how to approach it. And against the user, she would represent someone that knew a lot more than their average foe.

But she brought her mind back to the here and now. She fell naturally into Soresu and allowed Izel to lead, but subtly, where possible, she stepped this way and that, looking to manoeuvre the duel into the stop she wanted. She hoped her efforts were subtle enough – and given the area was empty, save for Fiach’s cloak – she presumed no threat would be implied by her movements.

Of course, she’d reckoned without Izel’s efforts to unbalance her – which were effective and caused her to stumble once or twice, allowing the pike through to make contact once with her thigh and a second time with her upper arm. But, if anything, Fiach used the trips to her advantage, righting her footing closer to where she wanted to stand each time.

 

[Izel Thral]

"Yes of course," Izel agreed with Fiach between breaths, keeping up a steady and unrelenting offensive. "The lightsaber is so widely recognized that merely displaying one on your person commands a certain level of respect. But we must also remember that while some see the lightsaber as a symbol of justice and order, others see it as a target. In some cases it's just as likely to instigate conflict as deter it."

As their exchange continued Izel kept a close eye on Fiach's movements. There was certainly something deliberate to them, more than just going through the evolutions of Soresu. She was adjusting her position for some reason, though the Vratix hadn't figured out just what that reason was yet. She made a mental note to stay on high alert and remain closely aware of the environment around them. But for the time being something else she noticed took priority.

Her unbalancing attempts had borne some fruit, allowing her to score two more hits. One on Fiach's arm, and another on her thigh. The same thigh she had scored a hit on earlier. A new strategy quickly formed in Izel's head. Perhaps it was a bit devious, but she did say to ignore the textbook didn't she? As the match continued Izel would reorient her offensive to focus on Fiach's leg, trying to score repeated hits solely on that appendage. If she could weaken her enough in that one spot, Fiach's entire defense would collapse as she became unable to stand. And considering her fellow Padawan had so rigidly kept to Soresu throughout this sparring session, the Vratix was finding it easier and easier with each passing moment to identify the imperfections in her form.

@Corbeau

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach, as ever, agreed with Izel – the sight of a saber could easily prompt combat as quell it. But the time for debate was past and now her entire focus was on doing the spar, and her opponent, justice.

As the duel wore on, the weakness of Soresu – and from Fiach’s perspective, her application, was becoming more apparent. Unless she developed an ability to lead a fight, she would as likely be worn down by her opponent as the other way around.

Sure she was at least close to where she wanted to be, her left hand dropped from the saber hilt as she was unsteadied by Izel and took a few steps back to re-balance.

This was, in truth, a ruse. Her now free hand raised slightly and as it did, behind Izel, Fiach’s cloak did the same. Fiach pulled her hand towards her and then on to the hilt of her saber as her cloak would now most likely drop onto Izel’s head. If successful, she would take the opportunity to pounce on her temporarily blinded opponent.

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

It turned out Izel's hunch was correct. Keeping a close eye on her opponent now benefitted her, as she noticed that as Fiach stumbled back from her latest offensive she used the action to try and hide a subtle hand wave. She was using the Force, but for what purpose? The Vratix's antennae twitched as she reached out with her Force sense. Something was coming at her from behind. Fiach's cloak! Of course, a distraction to keep Izel occupied and prevent her from fighting back. Simultaneously the human Padawan was moving forward to make a counterattack.

Seeing an opportunity Izel allowed the cloak to fall over her head, baiting Fiach to attack. As her opponent pounced however she would release a Force repulse, blowing the cloak off of her head and hopefully knocking her enemy down as well. If such an opening presented itself she would go in for the kill. Well, not the kill, this was still just a sparring session after all. But she certainly intended to finish this in her favor if she could.

@Corbeau

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach had learned a great deal since she’d arrived at the Order – but she was still a Padawan and there was a limit as to how much she could do with the Force simultaneously. Moving the cloak and maintaining a level of concentration on defence was her limit and she was obliged to simply ‘dump’ her outer garment on Izel, as opposed to position it with any great control.

But her plan worked and the cloak dropped sufficiently over Izel’s head to both distract her and limit her vision. And there was no point in creating a plan if you weren’t prepared to act on it, so the moment the cloak landed, Fiach stepped in closer and swung her saber at Izel’s left knee – assuming a low blow might be more likely to get through any defence Izel would present.

Maybe she’d telegraphed the move, but regardless of the reason, as Fiach moved in, Izel sent out a wave of the Force that not only surprised Fiach, but also knocked her off her feet and she landed heavily on her back and her saber skittered from her hand and rolled a few feet away.

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

As the cloak flew off of Izel's head her sight was returned just in time to watch her opponent fall to the ground. The Vratix felt a surge of triumph as her gambit succeeded. Wasting no time she leapt forward so she was standing over Fiach and held the blade of her pike to the human's throat. She stood there for a moment, looking down at her fellow Padawan as she tried to catch her breath. She had used the Force quite a bit throughout their session, and that last Force repulse had been quite exhausting. With a light laugh she retracted her blade and reached down to offer Fiach a hand up.

"Excellent work," She praised her opponent. "That was quite exciting. We should do this again some time." She meant it. Usually Izel didn't care too much for lightsaber training but this had turned out to be most exhilarating, and she felt that she had made significant progress as well. Of course she still had a lot of work ahead of her, but it felt more within reach now. With a sparring partner like Fiach she felt she could make leaps and bounds as a duelist in the future.

@Corbeau

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach had always been a pragmatist – and wasn’t about to change now. This was a spar. An opportunity to learn. So…what had she learned? That she was not at all comfortable taking the lead on any saber combat – and that she needed to continue to work on her Soresu Form. Nothing more and nothing less.

So, when the blade of Izel’s pike was inches from her throat, her ubiquitous smile never faltered. “Well done,” she said. “You fought well and the weapon is definitely suited to you. A very wise choice. As is your preferred Form. You should definitely seek out Jedi who use the fourth and fifth Forms for practice, as they will be better able to test your ability to keep opponents at bay who wish to be aggressive and fight you in close.”

“And I’d be delighted to spar again whenever you have the time. I have learned a lot, and trust you have too.”

She allowed Izel to help her to her feet and gave a formal bow when standing. “May the Force be with you, always.”

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

"Oh, thank you." Izel said as she helped Fiach to her feet. The compliments meant a lot coming from the human Padawan, given how candid she often was. It meant she could be asked her opinion without having to worry about criticisms being held back out of a desire not to be hurtful.

"I shall have to seek out other sparring partners as well. Perhaps Nara or Master Tallis? And for yourself, I suggest you continue to practice new combinations and improvisations, to keep your Soresu from becoming predictable." She returned Fiach's bow respectfully. "And with you as well Padawan Dubh. It was a pleasure as always."

And with that Izel would turn to make her way to her quarters. She would meditate on what she learned and try to employ new techniques the next time she took up the saber. Hopefully the next time she met with real enemies she would be able to show the true strength of the Jedi. But first she believed a long shower was in order...

/End Thread
@Corbeau