Ask Yavin IV Practice Makes Perfect

[Samara Draven]

The Jungles of Yavin IV

The Jedi Grandmaster's call to arms had and continued to be a controversial issue within the Order, even amongst some of its eldest members. Essentially, she had declared war and had decided to take the fight to the Sith Empire rather than waiting to fall back on the defensive as they had in the past. War would always be a dirty word, but so long as the Grandmaster stood for the light, Samara would stand with her. This war was never going to be won on the defensive, always two steps behind the Empire, not so long as the Sith were larger and stronger, and they were. To protect the worlds that remained free, the Jedi would need to start liberating, not just defending.

Ever since, training had ramped up. Practically overnight. Padawans were being prepared for war, for the battles that laid ahead of each and every one of them. They were expected to fight and train like Knights instead of Padawans. Admittedly, there were moments when the Chalactan resented her instructors for the grueling hours and for their dogmatic methods, but she couldn't deny the necessity that drove it all, and perhaps even the concern they harbored for the future and safety of each and every student.

There was nothing like an early morning workout to clear your head and focus your mind for the day that laid ahead. This was Samara's favorite time of the day, when she felt most in tune with herself and at one with the Force and with the nature that surrounded her. The sun was beginning to peak over the eastern horizon, its warm rays filtering through the trees as birds welcomed the new day with song. Students were just now getting up and milling about the temple, the majority of them still too groggy to wander out into the jungle until they'd eaten breakfast.

Beads of sweat lined the Chalactan's forehead as she reached for her water bottle, tossed carelessly to one side of the clearing along with her dataphone and portable music player. @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan wasn't always a morning person, but his body had woken up early, and eventually restlessness had encouraged him to get up and moving for the day. With his friends either trekking towards the smells of breakfast, or else still in bed, the Togruta had decided to go on a walk to try and clear his mind and help him focus for the day ahead. He was finally back to 100% after recovering from his most recent mission to Nar Shadda, so he knew it was only a matter of time before he was sent into the field again.

The thought of going back into the galaxy was almost too much some days. He already had a lot of scars- injuries from Tatooine, Felucia, Jakku, Yavin IV, and Nar Shadda; far too many for one his age, and a grim reminder of the dangers that the Jedi faced; seemingly all of his friends bore similar scars, and some had not survived their injuries. With that looming on his mind, Ruzaan endeavored to train as much as he could in preparation for whatever the galaxy might throw at him next.

He hadn't expected it to be a girl.

Having made the trek through the cool morning air to one of the less-used clearings near the temple, Ruzaan hotly debated whether or not to interrupt and ask if she was still going to be using the clearing. On one hand, it was as good a time as any; the girl appeared to be at a breaking point, or at least a break of some sort. The problem was that he couldn't remember her name.

Samantha? That couldn't be it. I don't know any Samanthas. She wasn't new to the Order- he'd seen her around- but now he was regretting not getting to know her better. She'd always seemed so peaceful, but Ruzaan had noticed that it wasn't a peace born out of ignorance; she was very aware of her surroundings.

She probably already knows that I'm here Ruzaan convinced himself, eventually swallowing the first-introduction jitters and stepping through the foliage and fully into the clearing. Whether or not that was the case, as his bare feet walked evenly across the clearing towards the girl, Ruzaan would wave his hand in a friendly manner in order to get her attention before greeting her. "Good morning!"

@llamallove

 

[Samara Draven]

Even in the jungle, with thickets and ferns on every side, the fronds of which were large enough to camouflage even the head and montrals of a large Togruta, it was difficult to sneak up on someone. Nature itself gave you away—the rustling of low hanging vines as you brushed against them, and the crunch of dead leaves beneath your feet as you walked. The Force, the life giving energy that flowed through them all and bound them together, was often its own alarm bell. The Force was strong on Yavin IV, made stronger by the Jedi Masters that resided within the walls of the temple, and Samara could sense the Padawan, could sense his indecision.

Samara spotted him shortly after that, standing at the edge of the clearing beside one of the largest Massassi trees that grew near the temple. She'd seen him before, in passing in the dining hall and in classes, but she didn't recall a shared conversation. Unless he was the Togruta that had spilled hot caf all over her brand new pair of jeans in first period mindfullness and meditation. Not that she particularly cared. The caf had come out in the wash, and it had been an excellent excuse to escape another one of Master Oola's boring lectures.

The first thing the Chalactan noticed was his bare feet. A little odd, unless he was grounding. That was something she'd practiced often, particularly during her time at the Temple of Illumination. At least he was friendly, which was more than could be said for the majority of Padawans first thing in the morning.

"Good morning!" she answered with just as much enthusiasm, taking a single step forward. Her forearm wiped away the sweat that had gathered on her forehead. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to join me or just stand there gawking." The Chalactan was teasing, naturally, and the smile she wore made that very obvious. He hadn't actually been gawking. Just a little joke to break the ice.
Jerking her head toward the clearing behind them, she asked, "Am I in your way?" Samara wasn't the only Jedi that frequented this spot, as indicated by the well worn paths in the dirt. @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

For a brief moment, Ruzaan was worried that he'd made the Chalactan self-conscious. He wasn't one to stare at people, even attractive ones, and in this case he was zoning out while frantically trying to remember her name; no dice. However, her quick smile banished that fear while bringing forth a new one; he remembered her voice from a while back when she'd assured him that the hot drink he'd spilled all over her in M&M was not a big problem. If she was one to hold a grudge...

"Caf girl."

Ruzaan didn't realize that he'd said the words out loud until it was too late; what kind of an answer was that to her question? "I mean, uh, no, it looks like, if anything, I'm in your way" he said, face flushing with embarrassment from his previous faux pas. "Sorry." The Togruta blinked twice, absently wondering if he was powerful enough with the Force to create a hole underneath his feet to crawl into.

Instead, Ruzaan decided to put the conversation back in her court, which not only would take the focus off of him, but might also give him more time to remember her name. "I honestly didn't expect anyone else to be out here this early" he admitted, finally dragging his eyes up off the ground to briefly glance at the Chalactan. "What brings you out here?"

@llamallove

 

[Samara Draven]

Of all the responses Samara expected, from introducing himself to come cliché remark about the weather, "caf girl" was not at the top of the list. Nowhere close. It took her by surprise, and it showed. She stood there, eyebrows squished together as the two of them stared at each other in silence. This had gotten awkward real fast. At least she didn't have to wonder anymore—he was the same Togruta. No wonder he acted like he wanted nothing more than to turn and run headfirst into the jungle. He probably still felt guilty, as if his profuse apologies hadn't been enough, but she'd put those concerns to bed.

"Caf girl?" Samara repeated, lips tugging into a lopsided grin. "Is that what they're calling me these days? I suppose it could be worse." Once the distance between them had been closed, she extended a hand in introduction. "The name's Samara, in case you were wondering." She shrugged, wiggling her eyebrows. "But 'caf girl' has a nice ring to it, too. I like to think that sums me up pretty well."

She smiled at him, observing the color in his cheeks. He really had taken the incident to heart, hadn't he? "If anything, I ought to be thanking you. You spared me the embarrassment of falling asleep in one of Oola's boring lectures." Again. How that man could take a fascinating and integral subject like mindfulness and meditation and make it boring, she'd never know. But somehow, he did. "Although—decaf? Your taste in coffee leaves a lot to be desired." Another joke.

The Chalactan looked around, as if allowing the Togruta a chance to observe nature in the still of the morning was itself the answer to his question. "I like to come here to train. This is my favorite time of day." Her gaze returned to her fellow Padawan, as if gauging his reaction. "It's quiet. And peaceful." The calm before the storm—unruly Padawans and peremptory instructors.

A strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail was tucked behind her ear before she spoke again. "Care to join me?" She could always use a sparring partner. @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Samara. As soon as the girl said her name, it came rushing back to Ruzaan. Samara he repeated to himself, trying to commit the name to memory. Memories came rushing back, too, including the girl's nonchalant attitude- bordering on gratitude- in the wake of the caf accident. As before, her demeanor was light and mischievous, and Ruzaan began to realize that Samara was, based off of first impressions, pleasant to be around... so long as you kept your wits about you for her playful zingers.

A smile tugged at the Togruta's lips as he relaxed, now more confident that Samara wasn't angry at him or his presence. "If you could tell that it was decaf just from it being spilled on you, perhaps 'caf girl' is an appropriate nickname for you" he replied, amusement sparkling in his eyes, before the Chalactan's comments turned his attention to the scenery around them. It was another beautiful- if humid- morning on Yavin IV, with morning fog still lurking amongst the foliage and the sun providing light but little warmth. Rather than break the silence that Samara enjoyed, Ruzaan simply nodded in affirmation.

The Togruta figured that they'd probably each go their own ways now, with Samara expressing her preference for peace- not something typically associated with him, he had to admit- but her offer of training together was tempting. He didn't mind running through cadences and such alone, but being able to work with someone else was always preferable to practicing alone. "Sure! What do you want to work on?"

@llamallove

 

[Samara Draven]

The moment Samara had introduced herself and assured him that there were no hard feelings over that opportune caf incident, the Trogruta visibly began to relax. Even the color started to drain from his cheeks, replaced with an expression of pure amusement. That was progress, but she still didn't know his name. She stood there, a dumb look on her face as she waited for him to introduce himself, but he never did. Silently, she wondered if it had just slipped his mind or if he didn't want her to know his name. She eventually pulled her hand away, eyes never straying from his as she said, "So do I win some sort of prize if I guess your name? Or is it a secret?"
One eyebrow shot up in mock surprise. "You're not one of those Jedi Shadows, are you?" Violet eyes wandered the length of his slender frame, as if inspecting him. "Nah. You're too young." The Chalactan leaned down and picked up the set of cotton wraps she'd brought with her, stretching the dark fabric out as she began to wrap both of her hands. "How would you feel about a little hand to hand?" she asked, searching his face for an answer.

Some Jedi weren't in to hand-to-hand combat and preferred to rely solely on the Force and their blade, and Samara wouldn't pressure the Padawan into anything he wasn't comfortable with. "We're always taught how to use our lightsabers, but never our hands." The Chalactan had listened to plenty of Knights recount stories, of losing their lightsaber or watching a Sith damage it beyond repair. Should that ever happen to her, she didn't want to be defenseless. A Padawan crippled without a blade. She winked at him. "Should be a snap for a Shadow like you."

If the Togruta agreed, Samara would walk away, taking her position at the center of the clearing. Her dataphone, connected wirelessly to the portable music player, would sail into the Togruta's hands. "Want to pick out some music for us?" There was nothing like a good playlist to get your blood pumping. "But I warn you," she grinned, "I will judge your choice in music." @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan didn't even realize that he'd forgotten to introduce himself until Samara mentioned it, and by then it was too late; Samara was already teasing him about being a one of the mysterious Jedi Shadows. Her comment about his age, which normally would've rankled the Togruta, didn't carry the same bite as if someone older than him had made the same observation.

"Well, we Shadows like to be as mysterious possible" he shot back, amusement sparkling in his eyes. Samara certainly was gregarious; the kind of person he already felt comfortable bantering with. An idea popped into his head, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth; their practice bout could use some harmless stakes. "So I won't tell you my name unless you're able to beat me, caf girl." He knew he was probably going to pay for that comment- he had, after all, just opened himself up to being nicknamed something equally ridiculous by Samara- but he didn't mind. Following Samara's example and wrapping his hands, the Togruta caught the dataphone. He hadn't been exposed to much of the galaxy's music, but his choice- "Hit me With your Best Shot" (by St0rmTr00per) seemed appropriate.

Relaxing into a ready stance, Ruzaan took up a position across from Samra in the clearing. "Fire away" he said.

@llamallove

 

[Samara Draven]

"Uh huh," she replied, lips pressing into a fine line, as if she were taking his suggestion into consideration and would get back to him within two to five business days. "You do strike me as the dark and mysterious type." More sarcasm. "And if I lose? Which, you know, isn't likely, but if I do, what do you get out of this?"
The Chalactan wasn't that cocky. Not yet, anyway. "So is this gonna be a thing now?" she asked, rolling her eyes as she gestured between them, but even to a stranger it would have been obvious that she didn't mind the nickname in the least. "Caf girl?" Now she had to bide her time and come up with something just as clever to call him.

"If you turn out to be a Boris or a Birch or something, I'm going to be severely disappointed." She rolled her shoulders, stretching both arms as she waited for the Togruta to join her at the center of the clearing. His choice of music was, admittedly, fitting, so she decided not to say anything. She hadn't given him a break since he'd arrived.

As soon as he joined her, Samara reeled back and threw her first punch. Aimed directly at the Togruta's jaw, it was a simple jab—nothing fancy—and he'd probably be able to easily deflect its trajectory, but she had to start somewhere.

Dice Roll: First attack 15/20 @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Fortunately for Ruzaan, Samara's face was engaged and easy to read; the Chalactan could lay down sarcasm thicker than a Tatooine sandstorm, but she was also intentional to signal when she was just teasing him. Given that she'd been teasing him almost nonstop since he'd arrived, the Togruta was caught off guard by her question; assuming he won- no guarantee, given his track record- what would he ask of Samara?

"I don't know" he admitted, truthfully. "Got any suggestions?" He had, after all, provided an idea for her- maybe she could do the same for him. "And yes, it's a thing" he cheerfully agreed, grateful to have at least some leverage over her in their battle of wits; if it wasn't for that nickname, he'd be seriously outgunned.

Ruzaan quickly learned that when it came to fighting, Samara wasn't one to mess around. A solid punch sailed in his direction, and the Togruta felt it whistle uncomfortably close to his jaw as he managed to evade it by pivoting on his right foot and jerking his head back slightly. His counterattack came almost as quickly; his hands reaching up for Samara's outstretched arm as he tried to judo-flip her down to the ground.

Dice roll: Defense 18/20, offense 13/20
@llamallove

 

[Samara Draven]

"Me?" she asked with a bark of laughter, not sure why he would want her to choose his prize. "Indecisive, are we? And here I thought you Shadows were the take charge type." Not that she was complaining. If his tentative spirit extended to his hand-to-hand combat technique, she could use it to her advantage. "Excellent," she teased. "Now I know I'll win."
Perhaps she had spoken too soon. The Togurta dodged her punch, which she had anticipated, but she couldn't deny the speed with which he pivoted and pulled away. Apparently his indecisiveness did not include his fighting, because in the blink of an eye he'd grabbed ahold of her outstretched arm and flipped her.

The Chalactan stared up at him from the ground, blinking. Her surprise read on her face like an open book. She hadn't given the Togruta enough credit, and she'd underestimated him, simply because he was shorter and looked like he weighed less than her. But she couldn't give up now, not when her pride was on the line. She swung her foot out in attempt to sweep both legs out from under him.

Dice Roll: Defense 14/20, Offense 7/20 @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

((OOC: 14 would've been a successful defense on Samara's part, but we just went with the post as-is and still had her roll offense))

Ruzaan remembered at the last moment to jerk his head to the left as he tossed Samara to the ground over his right shoulder; experience had taught him that his montrals sometimes got in the way of flailing limbs and bodies, although to her credit Samara had neither. Instead, she blinked up at him in surprise with wide, violet-blue eyes before sweeping at his legs with her foot. (Samara offense roll: 7)

Only the moment of hesitation afforded by her surprise allowed him to hop over her leg sweep; the Chalactan was fast, and Ruzaan wasn't able to capitalize on her prone position as quickly as he'd have liked (Ruzaan leg sweep defense roll: 12). She'd probably have time to scramble to her feet before he was able to step forward and aim a punch at her abdomen area (Ruzaan attack roll: 9).

@llamallove

 

[Samara Draven]

Samara was unable to sweep the Togruta's legs out from under him, but she tried not to let the disappointment show on her face. She simply rolled to her left and sprung to her feet, taking the time to wipe the dirt from her hands onto her pants. The Togruta's sudden silence was not lost on her, and she wondered if her incessant teasing had finally beaten him down, if he was beginning to regret ever agreeing to this spontaneous sparring match with a stranger. She hoped not, because she was having fun.

"How about this?" she began, panting as beads of sweat began to run down her temples. Hopefully her suggestion would cheer him up. "If you win, I've got to buy you a fresh cup of coffee. Real coffee this time." None of that decaffeinated junk he'd probably purchased on a whim from one of the vending machines in the hallway.
The Chalactan caught the punch he threw her way, twisting his wrist to try and pin the arm behind his back.

Dice Rolls: Defense 12, Offense 14 @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan mentally kicked himself; he'd let himself lapse into a sort of combat autopilot, and he was taking things too seriously for what was supposed to be a friendly training bout. It wasn't easy to shift out of the mindset that told him that he was fighting for his life-- the result of several life-or-death moments during missions, he supposed-- but he managed a small smile for Samara's sake as she offered to buy him caf if we won, gradually returning to the idea of easy banter while they sparred. "You want to see me caffeinated?" he asked, moving with the momentum of her arm twist and spinning out of it almost like he was her dance partner (Defense roll: 19).

Coming out of the spin he quickly planted a heel behind behind hers, and a sudden shove against her shoulder with the heel of his palm threatened to knock Samara to the ground again (Offense roll: 4). "Are you sure you can handle that?"

@llamallove

 

[Samara Draven]

That had done the trick, just as she had hoped it would. She still wasn't sure if he was a compartmentalizer, singling his mind on the sparring match and nothing else, or if she truly had crossed a line with all that teasing of hers, but his next comment led her to believe it was the former. A good thing, too, because the Togruta was beginning to grow on her. Even if he was proving to be a lot more of a challenge than she had anticipated.

"I'm not sure of anything," she chuckled. "Yet." He spun out of her grasp like her hands were covered in grease instead of actively trying to hold on to him. "But isn't that the point?" She tripped over his foot, stumbling backwards but somehow managing to catch herself before she could fall for the second time that day. That would've been embarrassing.
In response to the sneaky maneuver, Samara grabbed ahold of the Togruta's shoulders, trying to hold him in place as she raised her knee to connect with his stomach.

Dice Roll: Defense 7/20, Offense 16/20 @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

"But isn't that the point?" An unexpected question, from Ruzaan's perspective; especially as Samara seemed so confident about, well, everything. His momentary distraction as he considered her query was enough for her to capitalize, and the air whooshed out of Ruzaan's lungs as a well-placed knee was driven into it. (Defense roll: 3)

Suddenly, Ruzaan was very certain about one thing; Samara had scored a solid hit, and the Togruta was left gasping for air as he stumbled back and away from Samara, trying to keep his defense up as best he could while knowing that the initiative was firmly in her corner.

@llamallove

 

[Samara Draven]

The moment Samara's extended knee connected with the Togruta's stomach, and he stumbled backwards with a sharp intake of breath, Samara's hands shot up to cup her mouth and cover her own gasp. It hadn't been her intention to actually hurt him. This was meant to be a simple and friendly sparring match between two Padawans eager to improve their hand-to-hand combat. Clearly, she had allowed herself to get caught up in the moment.

"I'm so sorry! Are... are you okay?" she asked, practically cringing as she took a singular step forward. Instinctually, a hand reached out to touch him, but she pulled it back to herself at the last moment. That would probably be interpreted as an attempt to get another hit in. "Do you need to go to the infirmary?" @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Thankfully this was a practice bout, or his opponent would've been all over him. Ruzaan's respect for the Chalactan across from him went up even higher Samara didn't let her competitive nature overshadow the fact that this was a friendly sparring exercise. In fact, he'd expected plenty of teasing from her, but to his pleasant surprise her usual wit was replaced with concern for him.

"I'm... fine..." he wheezed, a smile crossing his face in between gulps of air. He was a little embarrassed that she'd suggested he go to the infirmary- he spent far too much time there as it was- and did his best to reassure her. "I'll be fine" he said again, beginning to recover. Eyebrows knit together briefly and he trilled a phrase in his native tongue, trying to translate it, before coming to a conclusion. "You just took my breath away" he reassured her, with more confidence than he felt that that was the correct phrase for what had happened.

His breathing more or less returned to normal, the Togruta looked across at his sparring partner. The humidity of Yavin IV combined with the intensity of their sparring session meant that he was definitely going to need a shower after this, but they'd each scored just one "hit" on each other; hardly enough to call the bout one way or another. "Best of five?" he offered, grinning to show that he wasn't afraid to continue while settling into a ready stance.


@llamallove

 

[Samara Draven]

Samara didn't speak a word of Togruti, so when the Togruta began rambling off words in the foreign tongue, she just stood there with a blank expression her face, staring at him and waiting for him to finish. Was he cursing her out right in front of her, too self-conscious or infuriated to do in a language she could understand? What he said next, which she could understand but perhaps not totally comprehend at first, quelled that thought.

Squinting, Samara replayed his words in her mind, tugging on her left ear, as if weighing what she ought to say next. "You're not trying to hit on me, are you?" she asked in a high voice, trying not to let her amusement show. By now, she was convinced that he'd meant to say something else entirely or just misspoke, but she was still going to have a little fun with him. "I'm not sure how I'd feel about going steady with a Shadow."
A shrug of her shoulders punctuated that thought before she continued. "I mean, it might be exciting at first, but all that mystery, all those secrets—it's got to get old eventually."

With the best of five in mind, and one point in their favor, only one more hit was needed for them to call it a day and hit the showers before classes began. Samara lunged at the Padawan to close the distance between them, intent of knocking him to the ground.

Dice Roll: 6/20 @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ruzaan knew it was the wrong figure of speech. They'd only just met, and it had not been his intention to insinuate any such thing. Thankfully Samara didn't seem to be taking it too seriously, rolling with his mistake, so he felt comfortable continuing to banter with her. Confidence returned to his tone and amusement returned to his eyes. "You've been going steady with a Shadow for a couple of rounds now, caf girl" he responded, a nod to her fighting prowess. Of course, he was not a Shadow, but she'd handled herself well in his opinion.

Their sparring resumed and Ruzaan planted his feet, expecting another punch thrown in his direction as she moved in. Instead of stopping, Samara plowed into him and knocked him cleanly to the ground; the deciding point now that his chrono beeped and reminded him that he had class soon. (Defense roll: 4).

The Togruta looked up at Samara, smiling away his feelings of disappointment that he'd lost. She'd won fair and square, and he was certain that he was due for more verbal teasing, but he didn't mind. Her remarks weren't cruel, and she wasn't insecure about being teased back. In fact, he found it rather enjoyable to match wits with the Chalactan.

"Nicely done!" he complimented her from the ground, then set about standing up and brushing himself off. "In all seriousness, this was fun. I wish I could stay longer, but I've got M&M in half an hour..." That lecture was as good a time as any to nap, but he needed to shower first or his classmates would be very mindful of his presence. "Same time tomorrow?" Good sparring partners were hard to find.

He turned away to leave, then glanced back in Samara's direction. "I know I'm forgetting something..." he said, face scrunched in concentration, whatever it was just on the tip of his tongue.

@llamallove