Observe and learn

[Lycanthorph]

Xan-Dar hummed a familiar tune as he walked the halls of the Light of the Force, heading towards the training room he reserved for training. He gave himself and his Padawan a reasonable amount of time to rest, for today they will both need it. He greeted fellow Knights and Master, but couldn`t resist chuckling when a Padawan or two bowed at him. While it is a welcoming change, the gesture is still something he is getting used to.

As he arrived into the #4 training room, he noticed that he was well over half an hour early. " Well, it`s better to be early than late. ", he said to himself as he removed his cloak and placed it on one of the hangers. He observed the room as he walked off to the weapons rack. " Very few furnature, pretty spacious. Perfect. ", he thought to himself as he approached the weapons rack and looked over the various vibroblades and training lightsabers. He moved his left hand over one of the training sabers and smiled as he remembered his first experience with a training lightsaber, ten years ago.

Snapping himself back to reality, he glances at the wall clock and sees that he still has little under half an hour until his Padawan arrives. Might as well use it to practice a bit with his own lightsaber. After all, it`s been a while.

 

[AshCloud]

Ashley took a deep breath as she ventured down the halls toward the training room in which her first lesson would take place. She wondered about the different lightsaber forms, saber types, force abilities, all of the training she would go through. She reached the door of the training room and exhaled before entering.

"Good morning Master." She gave a shallow bow, and smiled. "What will we begin learning today?" She looked at the training sabers on the walls, as well as the elder Jedi with his lightsaber drawn, her mind quickly put two and two together. "A lightsaber form?" Thinking for a moment, Ash realized she hadn't ever thought about the form she'd choose, or the lightsaber type she'd prefer using. Double bladed, single, dual sabers, shorter sabers, longer ones, all of them had different advantages and weaknesses.

She decided to take a seat and wait for Xan-Dar to speak before letting her mind get too carried away.

 

[Lycanthorph]

Xan-Dar was still practicing a few lightsaber moves, often switching hands he held the lightsaber with for some reason, as Ashley had entered the room. As he notices her, Xan-Dar smiles while he switches off his lightsaber and attaches it to his belt. " Good morning, Ashley. Glad you showed up . ", says Xan as he returns the bow, brushing the hair off his face which fell down as he bowed.

" Today ... today, we will be studying the first lightsaber form known as Shii-Cho or ' The Way of the Sarlacc ' . It is the most basic and ancient lightsaber form, originating from the time the Jedi transitioned from more traditional forms to a more advanced weapon that would later become the lightsaber. " He then walks a bit closer to the weapons rack, saying : " Before I continue, you should pick a weapon. " He then pointed towards the rack, which held various vibroweapons, 'dead' blades and training lightsabers. " Don`t worry, all of these are designed to deliver minimal damage, a slight burn at best. After all, not many of us would survive even the basic training if we would use live weapons, eh ? " He chuckles as he walks away from the rack, waiting for Ashley to select her weapon of choice.

 

[Lady Eona]

Mia had just left the #4 training room to get several bottles of water. Her large eyes took in the two that had occupied the room in her absence. She didn't mind it was what these training rooms where for after all. She decided that she would stay and watch maybe even learn from them. The Nautolan crossed the room to where one of the few chairs was located. She sat down her bag of bottled waters, as she moved she spoke in Twi'leki.

" Leave to replenish my water and others take the room. Wished to train my light saber form alone for a time, but if you are willing I will stay and learn from you Knight Xan. Perhaps even have a spar with your padawan I promise to go easy on her if we do spar."

She turned from the chair the 14 tendrils of her Head-tresse swirling around her head slightly as she did. She stepped over to the weapons wrack and began to ponder which she should use. As she lifted up a training lightstaff, her robe moved enough to show three light sabers hanging from her belt. She was tempted to learn how to use another weapon besides what she was comfortable with. But she relented and picked up two training sabers before walking back over to where the other two stood. She spoke again but this time in basic.

"My name is Mia Talen, did I hear you correct Knight Xan that you are going to be teaching Form I Shii-cho, it is the form that numbers the body target zones as 1 - head, 2 - right arm and side, 3 - left arm and side, 4 - back, 5 - right leg, 6 - left leg correct. I do not have a master yet so I have been mostly seeking knowledge myself I do hope you will allow me to stay for the training."

She sat down in the meditation sitting position. Xan should find the name sounding familiar, because it was widely known that she was a vacuum for any knowledge she could find. She had also made it known that she wished to become the battle master someday.

 

[AshCloud]

Ashley nodded at her Master before pondering the wall, but was startled when she heard a familiar language. She turned to face the Natoulan padawan, Mia was her name.

"Hello." She bowed to her fellow student, "My name is Ashley Narris, Master Xan's padawan." She smiled before returning to the Weapon wall.

The Nar Shaddaa native picked up a shorter training blade, and gave it a few sings to get a feel for it, "it feels... off balance..." she tossed it between her hands, and finally came to a decision.

The shorter blade suited her best, but held behind her as opposed to holding it forward. "I'm ready, she smiled to her Master, "is it odd to use the shorter Blade?" She swung it away from the others, giving her muscles a quick warm up. She was careful not to get the blade anyway near herself or the others, after all, light burns could still be rather painful.

 

[Lycanthorph]

Xan looked at the Nautolan Padawan as she spoke in Twi`leki. He recognised the language, but could not understand it. He always wanted to learn it, but ... other things got in the way. He then glanced at Ashley as she grabbed a shoto training lightsaber while Mia grabbed a lightstaff. He looked at her weapon of choice with a questioning look, being a bit unfamiliar with such a weapon.

After the two picked their weapons, Xan uses the Force to grab a standard training lightsaber off the rack instead of using his own to keep things even. He takes a step forward as he speaks : " Yes, that`s correct, Padawan Talen. As you`ve said, Shii-Cho is used to target the six zones of the opponent`s body: the head, right arm and side, left arm and side, back, right leg, left leg. However, the purpose of the Shii-Cho form is to disarm your opponent, not to severely wound and/or kill him. " He then takes another step forward as he turns towards Ashley, saying : " Well, when I was taught the Shii-Cho form by my Master, she took a standard training lightsaber even though she used a short lightsaber. However, if a short training lightsaber helps you achieve an optimal performance, then you may use it. "

He then takes a few steps backwards, speaking to Mia : " Padawan Talen, I shall begin the training with Padawan Narris while you observe. Afterwards, I will train with you and after that ... we might try a few combinations . " He smiled, thinking of a similar situation that occured during his own Shii-Cho training. He then looks at Ashley, saying : " Ashley, if you are ready ... I want you to try and hit me in every target zone. Do not worry about harming me. " There was not a smile, a smirk or any hint that he was joking. He was serious.

 

[AshCloud]

With the training saber poised behind her, in her right hand, Ashley felt confident. She didn't question her Master's request but felt Xan's stern exterior, he was taking it serious, as it was a serious matter. She exhaled slowly, "yes Master." Her control of the force was not nearly as strong as a fully trained Jedi, and her strength was a weakness of hers; but she was fast, and that's what she counted on. Her speed and momentum might be able to counter any brute force she'd encounter.

Poised in an offensive stance, Ash spun clockwise, attempting to strike Xan-Dar's right arm. Without hesitation, she attempted to make the same movement again, but lower, going for his leg.

Striking at someone who she'd began to trust felt uncomfortable to Ashley, but if it was how training was done, then she could move past it. She was grateful for the training sabers, knowing they wouldn't send her or anyone to the infirmary, and glad that her Master had confidence in both himself and his padawan to forgo his kind exterior for a more serious person Ash didn't see in their previous meeting.

 

[Lady Eona]

She nodded towards Ashley acknowledging her greeting. She held the two training sabers in her lap close to her stomach. When the knight Mia listened eagerly. She committed his words to her memory. Her eyes focused on both of them seeming to take everything she saw in.

"Yes please I would like that very much."

She said her eagerness filling her voice. She couldn't wait to watch him go through the training with Ashley. She knew the basics of this form and knew it never hurt to learn more about the light saber forms. She remained in the meditation sitting position her gaze never leaving the others. She watched as Ashley went on the offensive and slashed at her master. She sat quietly as she watched them.

 

[Lycanthorph]

Xan-Dar ignited the training lightsaber he took from the weapons rack, waiting for Ashley to make her move. As he raised his lightsaber up, Ashley spun clockwise and striked at his right arm. Xan quickly grabbed the hilt of his lightsaber with his free hand and moved it to block Ashley`s blade, but not before the tip of her lightsaber slash the bicep area of his right arm, burning a line through his robes. For some reason, he didn`t even flinch as he moved his lightsaber upside-down diagonally to block Ashley`s second strike aimed at his right leg. Upon closer inspection, one could see that Ashley`s lightsaber did not burn the skin under Xan-Dar`s robe, but instead ... simply scorched a metallic plate.

As he blocks her second attack, Xan-Dar breaks the lightsaber lock and steps back, saying : " Good. " He then glances at the burn on his right arm, saying : " Very good. Not many Padawans get to hit their Masters at first strike. " He then twirls his lightsaber before moving it up so the hilt is parallel with his chest, saying : " But perhaps that was just beginner`s luck. " as he winks at Ashley. He moves his right foot a step backwards as he looks at Ashley and says : " Again. "

 

[AshCloud]

Ashley noticed the flash of metal upon her master's bicep, but refocused herself upon sparring with her master. She smiled back at Xan when he mentioned beginner's luck, "I thought Jedi didn't believe in luck." She remembered the purpose of Shii-Cho, disarm, not heavily wound. She quickly devised a strategy. 'Whatever that metal is.. it must be weighing him down, maybe I can out manoeuvre him...' She moved backward, her blade poised behind her as she summoned what little command of the force she had. Her prior training in the Force was spent in large groups of other Apprentices, waiting to be assigned a master, and hadn't covered very much, basic meditation mostly, but the force was an instinct to the Jedi, the only one they should truly trust.

Ash took a deep breath before rushing her teacher, moving as fast as she could without exerting her strength. She attempted to get in low, attacking Xan's left leg from her right. The second attempted blow came quickly after the first; using the momentum of her speed from the first strike, Ashley pivoted on her right foot in an attempt to get behind Xan, and aimed her strike toward her master's dominant hand. Her final poised attack came from an attempt to slash the hilt of the training saber, a hard target to hit, but she felt almost confident about the attack. Her whole body felt more invigorated; quicker and more agile, and she wondered if the feeling was that of potential, or of her relying on the Force, but the feeling soon faded.

Out of breath and panting, Ash raised her saber in a defensive stance, A formality, since she didn't expect Xan-Dar to attack her while her body was catching up with her mind. "H-how was... that?" She looked toward Mia and her canteens of water, and gave a smile, she didn't know many other females on the Light of the Force, but it was good to see that she didn't just walk away after Ash probably just made a fool of herself in an attempt to spar with her Master.

 

[Lady Eona]

Mia had a slight smile on her lips as she leaned forward to watch the spar. Her large eyes seemingly taking in every motion and every step. She was enjoying watching this fight, perhaps more than she should have. Her hands gripped the training sabers in her hands, in eager anticipation for her turn. She wondered what the knight would think when she took her stance and launched her attack. She wanted to speak but decided to keep it to herself instead of interrupting their spar. She took a sip of water from one of the canteens as she watched, wishing she had brought a snack to eat.

 

[Lycanthorph]

Xan waited patiently as he awaited Ashley to begin her next assault, observing her body movements. He tightened the grip on his lightsaber hilt as he looked into her and smiled faintly. He glanced at Mia, who was watching the two, before looking back at Ashley as she summoned the Force to hasten her body. As she rushed towards him, she launched a strike aimed towards his left leg. Xan reacted quickly enough by shifting his blade upside-down at a near-perfect ninety degrees angle, successfully blocking Ashley`s first strike. However, Ashley made use of the moment to get behind Xan and launch a second strike quickly after the first, this time aimed at his dominant hand. Caught off-guard, Ashley`s blade slashed across Xan`s hand, slightly burning the leather glove he was wearing. Again, he did not flinch or gave any indication of pain. Ashley then launched a third and final strike, this time aimed at Xan`s lightsaber hilt. Realizing her target this time, Xan shifted his lightsaber at a horizontal angle, catching Ashley˙s blade into a lightsaber lock. He held the lock for a few seconds before gently pushing her lightsaber away and stepping back out of the range of her lightsaber.
Xan chuckles and gives Ashley a slight bow as he says:

" Most impressive, Ashley.For someone who doesn`t have much combat experience, you are a formidable opponent. That or I really need to sharpen up my lightsaber skills. "

He winks at Ashley, taking the moment relax as he cracks his neck. He then looks at Mia and says:

" I hope you are enjoying the show, Padawan. Few more rounds and then it will be your turn. "

He smiles at Mia before looking back at Ashley as he says:

" I see that you are quite good at being on offense. Now let`s see how well you do being on defense. "

He then raises his lightsaber up, grabbing the hilt with both hands. Although Ashley`s lightsaber was not able to burn through his leather glove, it was able to burn a small hole, revealing a shiny surface underneath it.

" Ready when you are, Ashley. "

 

[AshCloud]

Ashley sighed, out of breath, "probably a bit of both." She stood up straight and Arched her back. She twirled her training saber and smiled, "although, I have been studying, well more admiring..." She brushed the back of her head, "holovids offer a much more enthralling experience than Datapads.."

Ashley poised her saber in a defensive position, " I'm ready!" Her stance was far from a steel wall, as she hadn't even scratched the surface of defense, apart from the standard remote training. She adjusted herself to be more stable, harder to push, and prepared for Xan-Dar's assault.

 

[Lycanthorph]

As Ashley gave Xan the go-ahead, his smile faded while his eye narrowed, completely focused on Ashley. He took a few moments to analyze Ashley`s stance and think about a proper way to get through her defense. After these moments passed, Xan summoned a little amount of Force and channeled it into his body as he began to run towards Ashley, the Force allowing him to acquire sprinting speed much faster. Xan did not wish to summon the Force any more than he needed as it might give him an unfair advantage over Ashley.

Approaching Ashley at sprinting speed, the distance between them getting shorter and shorter, Xan quickly moves his lightsaber downwards as he launches an upward diagonal strike, starting from her left leg to her right arm. After delivering the strike, he uses whatever momentum he has to sidestep around Ashley on her right and swing his lightsaber towards Ashley`s right arm.

He then steps away from Ashley, out of the range of her lightsaber, letting her have a moment to recover. Meanwhile, he glances at the Nautolan Padawan, who is still watching the two spar.

 

[AshCloud]

Ash felt the sting of Xan-Dar's first strike, but quickly positioned her blade to deflect the blow toward her right arm. "Blast it, that stings!" The rolled backwards to get more distance between them and looked at her Master, " you move fast for all that armor under your robes." She stood up, the burns were light and didn't hurt longer than a few seconds.

She raised her blade and gave it a few twirls. "The force should be used defensive ly, as well as enhancing my body's abilities..."

She breathed deeply, focusing on her balance and form. "I'm ready, and I won't be pushed back so easily this time."

She smiled and motioned for her Master to attack once again.

 

[Lycanthorph]

Xan stays back, twirling the lightsaber in his hand as he observes Ashley, paying attention not only to her stance, but also to the minor injuries he might have inflicted. He chuckles as she makes a comment about the armor he supposedly wears under his robes. He stops for a moment, thinking whether or not he should reveal more details about his 'armor', but decides against it as he speaks:

" Why, thank you, Padawan. It was made with just that in mind. Cost me quite a lot, to be honest and it seems it was worth it. "

His smile dies out as he notices her minor wounds again.

" I hope I wasn`t too hard on you in that run, Ashley, but ... you have to learn to defend yourself for your opponent may be unforgiving and relentless. ", he says as he begins to circle around Ashley. He looks at Mia with a stern look and says with determination in his voice:

" Observe this lesson and learn it well, Padawan Talen. We are the guardians of peace and order, that alone brings us many enemies. You have to learn to defend yourself and others in dire need of your protection ... "

He pauses, bowing his head down as he remembers something from his past. He lets out a deep sigh as he continues :

" ... because if you don`t, the consequences can be grave. "

Xan then focuses back on Ashley and raises his lightsaber up, gripping his lightsaber with both hands as he speaks:

" This time, I won`t hold back. Defend yourself, Ashley. "

After warning her Padawan, Xan once summons a small fraction of the Force, just enough to give him a running start. As he sprints towards Ashley, he switches hands and focuses on using the lightsaber more with his left hand. Once Ashley is within the range of his lightsaber, he launches a swift, but strong horizontal attack towards her left bicep area. Afterwards, he once again switches hands and launches a simple swipe towards her left upper leg, followed by a swift, but weaker attacked aimed at her right hand.

 

[AshCloud]

Ash pivoted her stance, turning her body to give Xan-Dar a harder target to hit. She lifted her blade to block the incoming strike to her bicep. The two blades collided, but Ashley's grip held strong as she successfully deflected her blow. "If you weren't holding back, I'm sure I'd be on the ground unconscious." She summoned the force in an attempt to strengthen her arms against Xan's hard blows, and prepared for his next strike toward her upper leg. She pivoted her body once again, her left half forward as she moved her training saber across her body.

The blades met once again, but Ashley was strained, resting on her weaker half and not used to this amount of difficulty in facing an opponent. The attack on her right hand was a successful blow, and for a second she thought their sparring match was over. Her saber fell, but it did not reach the ground. With some aid from the force, and relying on her natural dexterity, Ashley managed to catch the blade in her left hand, and gave a light repose toward her Master's blade, striking it.

Out of breath, with a destroyed glove, Ash smiled less tired than when they had first begun training, "I saw you switch hands, and learned by example. Adaptability is a good skill to have, it seems." She bowed and let out a small laugh, "If you're repetitive with your movements, your enemy is sure to find a weakness... is that why you switched hands on me?"

 

[Lycanthorph]

Xan let out a soft chuckle at Ashley`s first comment. He cracked his neck as he smiled and said:

" Yes, that would be the most likely outcome. But you did well nonetheless. "

As Ashley made her comment about him switching hands, Xan stretched out his left arm, saying:

" That is a good point, Ashley, although it`s not just about adaptability. My right arm was ... injured some time ago and I was unable to use it properly for some time. Being right-handed, it was quite a disadvantage for me at first. So, I opted out to learn using my other hand as good as I could use my primary hand. Now, I can use both hands with equal efficiency. Besides, you never know when you might need to use both hands at the same time ... or in case your primary hand is injured and you have no choice but to switch to your other hand."

He then smiled and bowed down to Ashley, saying :

" Good work, Ashley. You may rest now while I spar with Padawan Talen. "

He then looks at the other Padawan and motions her to approach, saying:

" Your turn, Padawan. "

Spoiler: OOC

So sorry I`m late, had some RL stuff to do and a bit of a lack of writing inspiration.