Tython Clash - Round 1 - Fight 5

[Oreus]

One hundred years after the fall of the Sith Empire, the Jedi Knights became aware of the growing unrest in the northern Republic territories. The northern worlds had discovered that the Sith were once again growing in number, now under the banner of the Sith Brotherhood. The Galactic Senate was unwilling to get involved in a new war, so the northern worlds banded together and formed the Border Alliance. The Jedi Knights, acting on their own accord without a formal relationship with the Border Alliance, rallied under the banner of an army led by the Jedi Lord.

Hardened by war and the cautionary tales of their mentors, the new generation of Jedi Knights produced a cultural shift in the Jedi Order and sought a proactive approach to dealing with the Sith Brotherhood. The Jedi Council was not willing to commit the full Jedi Order to war, but they tacitly allowed the Jedi Lord to lead the army of Jedi Knights eager to destroy the Sith once and for all.

Now, for the first time in history, the Jedi Order is based on a foundation of strength, active intervention, and martial might, becoming a bold, eager, and willing organization on the march to war with the Sith Brotherhood.

These brave knights have come together on Tython by the call of ex-councilman Bau Zo, the Jedi Lord. A challenge has been presented for the Knights to determine who has what it takes to fight our ancient enemy. The clash is a tournament set up to take some of the best Jedi available and show the rest what it takes to be part of the crusade. In the dojo within the Tython Temple the first few rounds would begin without much audience. Two Jedi Knights entered to begin their match.

​

@prairiedog @Aodán Sidal

 

[Aodán Sidal]

Aodán's footsteps echoed out as he made his way into the training room within the Tython Temple. This was the moment he had been waiting for all week, and training for even longer. For an Echani Aodán could have asked for no better way to show case his skills in an attempt to find a master. It had consumed his thoughts and every day since he had been accepted into the Clash was spent constantly training to keep himself ready. He knew the risks going in, the challenges he would end up facing as he went against more experienced members of the order. But combat was an Echani way of life and even in loss there was always something to learn. Walking into the rather empty arena the young man with the snow white hair and silver colored eyes held no delusions of grandeur. He did not see himself as a prodigy, or the next generation battle master, or really any such silly notion. No it could be seen in the way he calmly carried himself from the moment that Aodán had entered into the room. When he walked he moved with purpose, his eyes set only on the task at hand with the steady stoicism not often seen in young men his age. His style of dress was light and specialized for freedom of movement. With a sleeveless off gray shirt that was basically two shades away from being white; and a contrasting darker gray pants that were loose enough to not be constricting while not being too lose as to trip him up. He had even taken the time to bind his wrists and hands with a white cloth for a thin layer of protection. Aodán's personal shield was removed from its usual place resting upon his wrist where he might normally have it for a mission. After all combat to an Echani was a near sacred event and he would not spoil something so intimate with gadgets and such. All he needed was his blade, his fists, and his feet the rest would come as a means of skill.

With one final breath Aodán steeled himself for the fight to come against his opponent. Taking his blade from his belt Aodán paused for but a moment to collect himself and take comfort in the all to familiar weight within his hand. This blade, his mother's sword, today it would face its first true test within his hand. Meeting his opponent's gaze before things truly got under way Aodán gave a quick little nod to the knight set against him. "I look forward to our duel. As a fellow warrior I will give this my all." He stated calmly as he wasn't often one for eloquence in the wake of practicality. Besides Echani spoke more through combat than any thing they could possibly say. Words were wind but combat, fighting was pure and Aodán expected to have a brilliant time communicating in true Echani fashion with the knight before him. Even on the training setting there was something just inherently satisfying about hearing his blade being ignited. The sound of the hum was literally a familiar song he had learned in his youth before being taken to the temple. Shifting his left foot back and angling it to form a T shape with his front foot Aodán made a quick sweep up to set the silver blade before his face. Its light casting a dim glow upon the chalky white skin of the Echani youth's features while accentuating his silver colored eyes. Shifting his chest and hips to the side so they pointed in the same direction as his back foot to minimize open points Aodán quickly slashed his blade downward before him to preform the second half of the typical Makashi salute. Leaving his blade in a low one handed guard by the end, while also displaying his respect to the warrior he would soon be testing himself against.

Edit: Typo fixing for late night post

 

[prairiedog]

"Feel free to hold back," Coryn replied, grinning, "I've trained alongside echani before. Can't say I'm overly thrilled at the prospect of fighting one."

Coryn drew the sparring lightsaber she had been given to duel Aodán with, thumbing the ignition switch with a loud snap-hiss, an eerie green light illuminating her corner of the room. In truth, signing up to the tournament had been a last minute decision - and, despite working on some of her basic sets with the quartermasters at the temple, Coryn suspected that she hadn't entirely prepared for this fight. She faced a Padawan, and had surely tested her own blade against far more opponents than him - but he had a lineage to uphold, and everyone recognized the martial prowess of echani warriors. It was a wonder he hadn't been snatched up by a Jedi Knight for training; most combat-minded Jedi would jump at the chance.

"Regardless, good luck," she offered, saluting the young man with her blade before assuming a very typical defensive posture, both hands upon the hilt of her blade, elbows tucked into her chest. Coryn wasn't one for traditional robes by any stretch of the imagination, but for today she had donned a practical, sleeveless tunic, loose pants, and tight boots to increase her range of motion. If she was going to win a fight against Aodán, who had nearly a foot and at least twenty pounds on her, she would have to rely on her agility, and hope to slip beneath his guard.

Coryn stepped to the right, slowly, initiating a common circling tactic to gauge Aodán's defenses for just a moment. "Let's begin, then," she called, advancing towards the echani with alarming speed and grace; without warning, Coryn drove her blade forward in a low, powerful jab, twisting to the side and peppering Aodán's guard with light, probing strikes, hoping to locate a weakness. After several moments of sustained battering, Coryn leaped back, clear of her opponent's weapon for the moment.

"You're very talented," she mused, "but, truth be told, you're a little rigid. You strike me as somebody that hasn't seen a lot of actual combat... it forces you to adapt, and to adopt a far more fluid approach to combat."

 

[Aodán Sidal]

If Coryn was trying to loosen the mood before they got started it seemed her efforts fell on deaf ears. The light humor whether truth or fiction didn't seem to phase Aodán at all as he already assumed his opponent had more experience than he did. His will was resolute then in not giving her any unneeded advantages to take with her into the match. After all Coryn might have had more varied encounters through combat than he had. But the Echani were truly a warrior culture and he had likely been fighting long before she ever decided to try and pick up a blade. He learned to speak with his fists just shortly after gaining his first words. The only real difference was that his view of combat was narrowly focused before coming to the temple. Yes he had his mother's training which added some variant to the normal Echani martial routine. But his main training from his youth to adolescence was in the Echani art and combating against Thyrisians and Madalorians. This wasn't to say it left him inexperienced as those were the two most dominant warrior cultures in the near by sectors besides the Echani themselves. Some could very well argue their peerless fghting prowess on a galactic scale, which was no small feat to be sure. Still it left little to variation which he had only a few years of receiving after arriving at the temple to begin a new and altogether different style of training. All of which seemed to lead up to this point, the match that would test his mettle and determine how much further he needed to go before gaining a master and seeing the galaxy at large.

"Regardless, good luck," Three short words and the only ones that really got a response from him. The silver eyed youth made sure to give a small nod of his head towards his opponent in response to her remark. Good luck, it was a factor often given credit by those who couldn't feel the force as they could. Yet Aodán knew that he would need the force's guiding hand if he were to come out on top in this battle. This was a simple truth and as Coryn slipped into her defensive stance Aodán found himself slipping into that calm quiet place his mind went to when he was about to fight. Other thoughts, needless details were pushed aside so the young Echani could embrace their combat in its purest form. His silver gaze never once leaving his opponent as his mind began to memorize her stance from where she kept her weight, which hand she favored, when she began the circling motion which foot she stepped with first. Subconsciously he picked up on as much as he could while changing his own stance to move with her. The only constant was his blade being kept in the low angled single handed guard with his thumb positioned down the length of his blade to give him balance and control. In this way his body almost seemed to have too many open points to attack at while they made their gauge. But one need only look in his eyes to see how serious he was taking things. "Let's begin, then," She offered and as those words echoed out Aodán couldn't help but smile.

Coryn would find in her initial lunge that her speed seemed to have been anticipated for her initial burst found a waiting Aodán ready to parry the first thrust. From the moment of her lunge Aodán's body halted and his back foot shifted to the side to brace himself for what was to come. The first jab, low and fast was swept up as he brought his blade into a sweeping upward cross to bat it aside. Although there was power to his parry the strike was only dealt with one hand and would hardly through Coryn off balance in terms of her attack. But it was enough for Aodán to ward off the initial blow with as little energy needed and it gave him the opportunity to adjust his hold reply in kind. That back foot having braced suddenly pushed forward and Aodán made for a thrust of his own. The quick thrust which was timed for the deflection and aimed at her more dominant leg, the one she had started her assault with. Aodán wasn't fully committed to the attack though and should he manage to hit she would only feel a light burn. No the point of the thrust was to throw her off her own attack before she could build up momentum. He fully expected to be parried as no fighter focused on speed would allow themselves to take a blow to their legs if they could help it. What's more there was an aggression to the way she moved that didn't seem the kind to allow his initial deflection to go unanswered. So Aodán had prepared himself and assuming that she did in fact parry Aodán's body would follow as he stepped in to the knight's space and brought his extra weight to bare upon her blade. Turning what would be a block into a saberlock if she wasn't expecting the matching quickness and ferocity from Aodán in kind. Bringing his other hand up to the blade Aodán then pushed off to try and throw her off balance, something she seemed wholly prepared for as her own body spun to the side and her attack renewed. None of these peppering shots had the same intensity as the original thrust, and though he couldn't drop his guard down Aodán felt himself expecting...more.

This ultimately lead to her disengaging as she leapt back to be clear of his reach. Giving herself a chance to breath and to make her musings known. The compliment was well received even if he didn't answer it out loud. But her approach was flawed as she was giving Aodán time to recover as well and building upon the force within him he would be sure to silence her before she could finish. Not with a push, or a pull, or any such tricks. But by enhancing his speed and striking by the time she had just said "... it forces you to adapt" The padawan was already closing the small gap they had with an enhanced rush guided by the force. This time he would move to match her original lunge almost down to the exact placement of each step she took. His intent seemed clear, to strike fast and low with a powerful thrust. Although this was all misdirection and as he began to move his blade out he immediately stopped short expecting her reaction. Using that faltering moment when she would hopefully try to block to then thrust with his true strike aimed at her weak shoulder.

 

[prairiedog]

Throughout her barrage, Coryn had kept her eyes focused on the echani's instinctive responses; she recognized that he favored an exceedingly tactical method of combat, no doubt honed over the years by his parents. It was a respectable defense, but focusing on a measured, tactical response often kept one from anticipating the wildest of blows. Coryn's footwork was impressive, her speed almost unmatched, and she had memorized the basic and advanced steps of a lightsaber duel - but her greatest asset was thinking on her feet and taking her enemy by surprise.

So when the echani lunged for her - mimicking her own movements, she noticed - Coryn, rather than taking basic defensive measures, opted for a more outlandish response to his attack. As Aodán came up short, Coryn tucked and rolled with alarming speed, imbued by the Force, beneath his non-dominant arm. She skirted his blade by perhaps two or three inches, and raised her own lightsaber for a glancing strike at his lower abdomen. Should she strike true, Aodán wouldn't be seriously wounded; more-so it was a passing blow, not unlike two ships strafing each other's shields, jousting in the void. It might disrupt his stance and cause a bit of bruising, but it wouldn't put him out of the fight.

Meanwhile, Coryn followed through on her dive, springing back to her feet a meter or two behind Aodán, blade raised defensively. She grinned, but her joy quickly turned to annoyance as she noted the singed corner of her tunic and the mild burn on her upper bicep. It wasn't damage worth fretting over, but... well, she certainly wouldn't underestimate the echani's speed from now on.

 

[Aodán Sidal]

Aodán certainly made use of the more practical mindset often shown in many who favored Makashi as their rooted form. But there was a critical flaw in Coryn's assessment of Aodán before he made his attack. She was assuming that Aodán was acting as a more tactical fighter and thinking out his next moves ahead of time. This couldn't have been further from the truth for the young Echani man that she was facing down. From the moment he had made his salute Aodán mentally had cleared his thoughts for the confrontation. Taking nothing into the fight and carrying nothing but his own skills honed after over a decade of teaching and training. His battle empathy, which the Echani were famed for, was certainly up there like a gem that was in the process of being polished. It may have had some rough edges to it, but in the right light it shined with the best of them. Right now the light was adjusting and already a glimmer was beginning to show as the combat progressed.

So when he went for his feint he was expecting her reaction to be a block. What he was expecting and what he read of her body were two very different things but the later was not outside of the realm of possibility. After all any Echani instructor would tell their students there is no such thing as a truly random move. Even the most mindless of beasts telegraphed their intentions in the small ways their body moved before acting. In this case he understood she was an aggressive fighter which he caught in her opening salvo. He could also feel her building up and in an instant his mind grasped that she intended to go for another attack in spite of his offense. Thankfully his thrust had hardly left him overly committed to his attack which would have benefited Coryn had he gone in fully. Were he using Shii-Cho, Djem So, or even Ateru Aodán's goose would have been cooked when she made her dive. But like the Echani martial arts he had studied all his life, Makashi was defined by its balance and precision. With a key focus on footwork that left Aodán still in a very strong position to maneuver himself if needed. A need he was clearly going to need as he saw her body beginning to move mid thrust. If anything the only thing he hadn't felt out properly was just how fast she could manage to move in such a short burst. For when Coryn began her dive Aodán's back foot was already swinging out and away from her. His limber form twisting as the two moved in their enhanced speeds to the ultimate conclusion of their respective strikes. For Aodán it was a spin to take his torso out of reach of her blade using both his forward momentum and his pivoting back foot to act as a base spin away from her. His attack wouldn't have as great precision had she done what he had expected. But as his body began to twist Aodán felt a little resistance and knew he had gotten something. Unfortunately with that same resistance he had felt a slight singe along his side. His shirt was torn and the light burn could be seen upon the edge of his torso where her own blade had grazed against his flesh.

Fast, aggressive, bold, and headstrong. Interesting... Aodán's thoughts played in the back of his mind as the two finished their respective maneuvers and ended up facing each other once more. Shifting his weight the young Echani brought his blade down and pointed off to the side once more and began to walk the circle once more ready for the next bout. Beyond the little burn Aodán's controlled movements had left him hardly expending any energy beyond the force enhanced rush. But that could be recovered quickly enough with his natural stamina, and the burn was more a nuisance than anything truly debilitating. Whether the same could be said for her he was not quite sure yet. Her movements used a lot more energy then he had been employing, and although the burn was minor she would feel it more than he would feel his. Granted had Aodán not felt out her intentions the fight would already be looking grim for him as her original tag would have slowed him greatly. "This has been very informative but what say we amp it up a little more?" The padawan spoke once more, and the coolness of his voice seemed to have thawed a little. It was clear that he was starting to really enjoy himself and the conversation they were having. Besides drawing the fight out was better for him as the longer they exchanged blows the more he would be able to pick up and understand about how she moved, how she fought, and ultimately the person she was.

 

[prairiedog]

Coryn both saw and felt her blow strike true - not as firmly as she would have preferred, but a hit was a hit nonetheless. She recognized the telltale signs of exertion; heart racing, beads of sweat forming on her brow, somewhat labored breaths. Coryn took a beat to center herself, watching Aodán warily; the young echani might be surprised at the speed with which she settled, a minor sheen of sweat the only evidence that Coryn had exerted herself. Aodán was inarguably better-trained - but what Coryn lacked in preparation, she made up for in sheer endurance, and years upon years of practical combat experience. She knew how to flow and ebb with the tide of battle, jumping up the adrenaline and alternately quieting her mind and body when necessary.

Coryn flourished her lightsaber playfully, pacing a circle perhaps two meters clear of Aodán, waiting for the next sortie.

"Ah, ah," she tsked, smiling, "the brave echani warrior finds his tongue, and hopes to goad me into a reckless assault." Coryn bowed her head, acknowledging the play, but politely declining all the same.

"I hope you aren't underestimating me," Coryn said, brushing thick blonde hair out of her eyes. With a sweeping gesture Coryn indicated her slight frame - considerably shorter than Aodán, and quite a bit slimmer. "Many men have assumed too little of me and suffered for it. You're far too talented of a warrior to slip into the same trap."

Coryn set herself, dominant foot back, shoulders squared on Aodán, lightsaber raised.

"If you want me, come and get me."

 

[Aodán Sidal]

Much like Coryn in this regard Aodán also had a natural stamina that kept him going and had him in a perfectly fine shape. His placid features revealed almost nothing, and if there was a strain to be felt he certainly wasn't showing it like Coryn had however slightly it might have been. Still it was good to see that she was recovering relatively fast as Aodán was honestly enjoying himself as the fight began in earnest. He truly didn't wish for things to end just as they were really beginning to open up to each other in a level that words could never hope to reach. Sure Aodán employed a little banter as the two paced about each other. Coryn for her part took it fine, if a little on the wrong way. After all he wasn't intending to goad her into attacking him reckless or not. The young echani was genuinely eager to raise the stakes and really ramp up their bout.

"Clearly you don't know many Echani women. I'm almost insulted that you would think me so low as to underestimate a fellow warrior." The youth stated quite plainly while slowing his circular path to an eventual stop. His silver gaze watched the small movements as she set herself up in a defensive posture. The sword up, shoulders squared, and dominant foot back were all noted while she spoke those last few words. One could almost see the slightest curling at the edge of his lips as the young Echani gave a quick nod in acknowledgement. Although if she was expecting him to go full speed as he had done prior then she was certainly mistaken. Aodán wasn't going to do her any favors by winding himself early and rushing into a strong defense. Instead he drew his free arm behind himself to rest just at the small of his back. His gleaming silver blade remained in the downward open guard set off to his side as he began his approach. The way he moved showed a certain boldness all his own. Aodán didn't seem phased that the last time he had approached left him with a slight burn on his torso, and that she had used her speed to catch him in that way. She didn't deserve cowardice or caution, and neither did the Jedi order. Nor would being brash and overconfident be any more helpful as she had proven herself adept and only a fool would so boldly rush her when she was ready. No Aodán treated her with the respect she had earned and came to her in a calm and ready manner. His focus never faltering as each step he took he waited for the tiniest hint from her body that she would slip in for an assault. If Aodán caught even the tiniest glimpse from her that she was coming he would immediately draw on the force to enhance his speed once more and set himself up to begin parrying her blows.

But if she did in fact allow him to close the difference then the young Echani would remain true to his word when he said he wanted to amp things up. For from the very moment he started approaching he was building up the energy within him. Masking it under the guise of his focus and slowly storing that power into his legs. By the time he hit the meter mark from their original two meter distance all that energy would explode out in a burst of speed. Like a coiled spring that was let loose he shot forward the remaining distance and drew his hand up as towards his chest with the blade pointed outward as if he were ready to thrust. His eyes remained sharp as the gap closed incredibly fast, but just before entering within range of both his and her blade Aodán would change course. Not backwards or to the sides as one might expect a tactically minded Makashi oriented fighter to do, like Coryn seemed to think of Aodán. But instead using that stored energy in his legs he would press down with his dominant leg mid run and leap up at the last possible moment before he would have to attack. The arc his body took would propel him over her head with his feet slowly rising behind him. At the apex of his jump he would be completely vertical with his feet high above him and his head set upon her. It was in that moment when the blade kept so close to his chest would thrust downward with all the power he could muster considering how his momentum carried him. His aim was to pierce at her strong shoulder and weaken her blade arm to curb her more aggressive assaults. Hit or miss the stunningly graceful jump would still carry its course and his legs would begin to fall as his body righted itself. Should there be no interference he would end up landing a little ways behind where she had been standing. His legs bending to absorb the kinetic motion of his fall and when his potential energy was at its greatest he aimed to spring forward once more to close the distance. His attack came not as a feint as she had seen the previous two times he struck in this manner. But instead Aodán aimed true for her weak leg to try and pierce at her thigh.

Edit: Totally meant vertical there. Got them mixed up as I got lost in the imagery.

 

[prairiedog]

Aodán was perhaps the more mindful of the two Jedi when it came to studying body language - a talent that he had acquired through years of rigorous training; and that, while Coryn did her best to match, would forever be handicapped by his headstart - but, nevertheless, Coryn was exceedingly astute. Her eyes focused through his misdirection, and easily picked up on the coiling of the echani's legs, the tenseness in his calves as he prepared to spring up and into the air. It was a maneuver she had considered, briefly, but thought better of; without tricky terrain or higher ground to make use of in the dojo, an overhead strike would be easy to spot - and easier to dodge.

Coryn used her best judgment to time a quick dash, leaping forward and deftly aboutfacing beneath Aodán's vertical form. She slashed overhead, deflecting his lightsaber - which, after she had repositioned herself, only posed the threat of a minor singe, but seemed imprudent to ignore - and coiled her own legs, facing the echani's predicted point of touchdown.

Before he could ready himself for his second blow, Coryn sprung forward, her non-dominant shoulder angled forward, lightsaber tucked back, blade turned towards Aodán. Had she timed her maneuver correctly, she would catch the echani off-guard with a brutal shoulder check to the chest, disrupting his balance; accomplishing this, her readied lightsaber would be swung sidelong, right-to-left, angling for a devastating blow to his ribs. Throughout her attack, Coryn drew upon the Force to enhance the speed of her movements, her pace blistering and difficult to anticipate and react to.

Regardless of whether or not she had successfully struck the echani, Coryn fell back, twisting and rolling to the side to come up on her feet, resuming her defense posture. She fought to regain her breath, such consistent use of the Force straining her; she was capable of powerful telekinetic moves and supernatural feats of athleticism via the Force, but she was no Jedi Master, and she could only call upon its strength so much before it would wind her entirely.

 

[Aodán Sidal]

Aodán watched as his body continued on with the maneuver as Coryn dashed forward to attempt to stave off his attack. Her reaction was quick enough to manage it for sure and the swipe of her saber did little as Aodán's body carried himself through the jump. Watching as she turned about Aodán could tell from how her body was positioned that he wasn't going to be in a good way if he tried to carry out his attack. It was a split second decision but as she began to rush he drew his free hand back a bit as he attempted to angle his blade in front of his body. His feet neared the ground, his heart raced, and he knew he was going to take the charge no matter what he attempted. But his goal was to make sure she wasn't going to get off scott free either. As his adrenaline poured through him Aodán felt her body crash into his own. Yet she had skirted his guard and instead of running straight into his blade his saber likely would have scraped along the back of her shoulder or missed her entirely and ended up behind her.

The impact started to send him sprawling backward, his blade flying away from her body as the crash caused his wrist to shift. In that same moment Aodán drew upon his reserves and pressed his free hand forward with the force behind him. The movement was rudimentary but with her so close there was absolutely no way for the burst of force energy to miss. Even if that same force energy was weakened by the consistent use of the force to enhance his speed. Aodán likely wouldn't be throwing her far but it would likely be enough to cause her blade to miss. Even then if it wasn't his non-bade arm would be in the way of her own saber, a sacrifice to save his ribs should his desperate gamble prove ineffectual.

In the end Aodán would find himself taking at least one hit just as he landed and that with his momentum not being gathered would send him sprawling back. Should he have avoided the blow to his arm with the force push then his recovery would be a little smoother. If not then as he tumbled back he would be forced to roll and use one hand to rise. Either way Coryn taking that defensive posture would by Aodán time to regain his feet. With his breathing heavy and sweat trailing from his brow as the blow and the strain of the force was beginning to show in his fatigue.

 

[prairiedog]

Coryn yelped as Aodán's 'saber raked across her shoulder blades, though she did not falter; the wound would burn and ache, but she wasn't out of the fight. She followed through with her momentum, blade arcing towards the echani's ribs - when, in a spectacular display of reflexes, he managed to summon a burst of telekinetic energy that forced Coryn backwards. Her footing was strong, though, and she dug her heels into the floor, tearing at the wood; the tail end of her blade connected with Aodán's non-dominant arm, with less power than initially intended. It was a decent strike, nonetheless.

Coryn huffed, sweating in earnest now as she watched Aodán return to his feet. She could have sacrificed her guard to strike again, but the move was risky enough to stay her hand; after all, he had just proven that his time to react was very low, and she didn't relish the thought of diving for the echani, blade held high, only to fly face-first into his weapon.

"You're quick," she offered, grinning, "but I'm quicker. Let's keep it up."

Coryn pushed forward, stepping just within Aodán's range and bringing her blade around towards his wounded side; one careful blow delivered towards his legs, more than likely deflected, followed up by a rapid double-tap directed at his torso. For now she let her natural speed and grace carry her along, fearing that she might burn out if she drew upon the Force to enhance her agility so soon.

 

[Aodán Sidal]

What Aodán had accomplished could hardly be considered spectacular display of anything but insight. In understanding Coryn's body movements he accurately predicted the course she was going to take. The insight and battle empathy born and ironed out into Echani simply managed to give him the awareness to act. Had his reflexes truly been impressive then he would have managed to have gotten his saber up in time for her to run square into it. But it is easier to pull a hand back and press it forward when you understand that you are going to be hit than it is to try and time a blade to crash into an admittedly fast opponent. Had he not gone through the crucible of an Echani's youth and education on top of training from his mother whom was both Echani and a Jedi then Aodán might not have been mentally prepared to accept the blow in order to fight back. Had he the same depths that he could draw from the force his push might have been something truly stronger than what he managed. It was only his economy of utilizing his abilities that he managed to even have the energy left to get the push off and use its momentum to save his ribs at the sacrifice of his arm.

It was in this moment that Coryn made the tactical mistake of not rushing in when he was down, but letting him get to his feet instead. For his reserves were low and he would need to regain his breath to settle himself enough to utilize the force and increase his speeds. His breathing was noticeably heavier than it had been as the excursion and the charge took their toll, but Coryn was clearly in the same boat. Possibly even a little worse off as the back connected to a great deal of the body and hitting the shoulder blades would most certainly slow anyone down if even a little. Aodán was going to have to count on that and his own natural abilities to pull him through these next few moments. At least that was his initial thought when he first rose up, but Coryn seemed to be in a giving mood as she decided to speak instead of strike. Her own words announcing her intent to attack more than her body did, which was good enough for Aodán.

"Very well..." He stated as he drew his injured arm behind his back and slid his non dominant foot back. A noticeable wince showed beneath his eye at the motion, but he wouldn't actively let the pain slow him. He had felt pain like this before, he swam in it learning his people's martial arts and going into the higher tiers with his peers. Mentally he could manage, and physically he would try to keep from using the arm as best as he could. Thankfully in that regard Makashi was a single handed style for the most part so if Aodán could keep his focus then there was still a good chance for him. Watching as Coryn rushed in two things became apparent almost at once. The first being that she wasn't using the force to enhance her speed as he had seen those attacks and both times he suffered steadily increasing amounts of damage when she used them. The second was in how she positioned her arms and hands for the coming strike against him. It was going to be an attack to his weak side, the angle seemed to be torso to lower in range. Being readied as he was it would have been an easy blow to parry. But with her swinging so far out since she was going just within his range a dodge was just easier to preform. Moving back to let her slash simply swipe before him and then side stepping with his back foot to realign himself as Aodán was fast approaching the wall. The dodge would allow him to conserve energy as both his Echani martial arts and the Makashi style taught. Yet it also would end up forcing her to expend more to continue in and get just that much closer for her rapid double tap. The fluidity of his replies were very much in the same styling of Makashi and his body moved back another step with the first quick parry. The near batting motion of the first reply only succeeding as to generate two quick thrusts like that they would both need to be shallow or else risk committing the body two much to pull off the second.

It was really the second reply that Aodán tried for the counter to bring him back onto the offensive. It meant having to make use of the leverage and strength he had on her to angle her blade off to try and capitalize. He attempted this by first having his back foot planted from the first parry to act as his body's anchor. This gave him room to bend his body back as he made the second strike of his blade to her own with a little added strength to try and throw her sword off a touch. The complication to this came in the shallowness of her thrusts, it meant she would likely maintain greater control over her saber. What's more Aodán couldn't commit too much strength to the parry or he couldn't preform the riposte as he wanted. But upon the connection and using his planted foot Aodán took that stored potential energy from his leaning back and pressed his body forward. His attempt would be to ride his own silver bladed saber down the line of her green blade. Twisting his body to the side and extending out his bent sword arm to generate speed and power into his thrust to enact as near a textbook Makashi riposte as one could. Aodán's aim being straight for her chest at the connection point of her sword arm's shoulder.

 

[prairiedog]

Watching Aodán's blade shimmy towards her chest, Coryn quickly ducked; her lightsaber was separated from her hand in the process, still attached to Aodán's, clattering to the floor behind her. Thinking quickly, she rolled backwards, onto her back and then again onto her feet, reaching out and taking hold of her discarded lightsaber in the process.

Rising, Coryn narrowed her eyes. She had, on occasion, experienced a duel with a Makashi user; it was never particularly pleasant. She preferred a more up-front battle.

Coryn shouted, charging towards Aodán again, doing her best to maintain a fleetness of foot and presence of mind as she closed the gap between the two of them, swinging her blade towards Aodán's strong side with an intentionally weak blow, then twirling about in a perfect circle to bring her lightsaber down in a powerful, crushing blow, again aiming for Aodán's weakened ribs.

 

[Aodán Sidal]

Even in the midst of combat Aodán couldn't help but be impressed by the instincts of the knight set against him. Her reaction to his counter was spot on and had she been even slightly slower in that regard he may have landed his hit. Instead Aodán watched as her body fell down in her duck and his blade sailed over her head. The sound of her saber hitting the floor registered before he had a chance to react. What could have been his shining moment instead sailed away as he pulled back to a more balanced posture and watched her blade fly back to her hand. It wasn't what he had been hoping for, but at least there was distance between the two that Aodán figured Coryn would try to close again. From everything he had seen from her in their fight he understood that her tenacity wouldn't allow her to let up for long. It was a good trait in a fight, but it served better in a shorter skirmish than a drawn out battle. Although they had both felt some degree of fatigue Aodán was expending little energy save for when he absolutely needed to in those past few moments. In contrast Coryn had been rushing him left and right trying to wear down his defenses, and although there was some handicap from the pain in his arm the Echani still managed to hold out. If he could just keep at it, regain more of his stamina and force her to expend hers then maybe the damage she had taken would catch up to her as well. It was a thought, and had he not had the swipe to her shoulder blades Aodán might have tried banking on a different strategy. For now though it was as good of one as he could manage unless one of his counters landed and he could press his own attack.

So he watched as she rose back up to her feet. Aodán for his part was set to receive another attack with his more balanced stance restored to give him a little easier movement. It wouldn't be long until she struck again that much was for certain. From the moment she narrowed her eyes he understood her attack would be imminent. Taking a quick breath Aodán took what little time he had to center himself as best as he could. The extra thoughts which tried to creep into his mind were brushed aside so he could attempt to feel her out as he had been through the fight so far. Her voice sounded then, and the Echani would have to make do with what he could. Her speed without the enhanced benefit of the force was manageable from a more defensive position then it had been when he was on the attack. He could watch her rushing in and her body betrayed her in telling him where she was going to swing and so Aodán took a half step back while angling his blade for the parry. His expectation in that moment was to land the block and push in for another strike as he had done previously. What came as a bit of a surprise was the strike had been lighter than he anticipated. Aodán's frame of reference coming from their previous blows where she probed his guard and struck with the quicker thrusts. On top of that revelation he saw as Coryn's body had already begun shifting for her second attack. There was a sudden rush in the younger man's pulse at her quick follow up to the first slash. His back foot slid backward at a slight angle to allow him to pivot his torso a little easier so as to bring his blade to bare against her own. The clash of saber's echoed out through the somewhat secluded chamber but the added strength from her momentum pushed him back. Were his feet not there to give him room to bend back from her blow and absorb some of the force then whose to say how he might have managed. What was certain was that Aodán had to draw himself backwards further, moving his feet in a quick slide of front and back to make sure he could keep his defense up. The only downside proving that he couldn't force the counter should she continue her onslaught against his guard.