Ask Working Up A Sweat

[Jonathen Baize]

Raxus​

Jonathen had been clear for full duty for a few weeks now. It had taken some time for his shoulder to recover from his mission on Endor. He was glad to be free of the desk work he had been assigned while recovering.

He was off duty and had headed to a small gym near the Imperial Barracks on Raxus. The barracks had a much better gym, but he liked the small boxing gym. The gym was a bit run down, but it had character. He like this gym better than being on base. It was good to get away for a bit.

It was mostly empty, just the way Jonathen liked it. He had headphones on, music blaring as he slammed his fist into the punching bag. His left arm still felt slow to him, so he pushed himself harder. He had been at it long enough for a light sweat to start beading on his forehead.

He stopped for a moment, swinging his left arm to stretch it out before going back to hitting the bag, letting himself get lost in the rhythmic impact of the punching bag.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

It were only on rare occasions that Kalique was offered a day off, but as this was usually the case for layover days, she found herself either at the Castle or stationed in barracks on the planet she had just finished a mission on. Today, this planet meant Raxus and instead of hanging out in the city or whatsoever, Kalique had decided to start her day right with some training.

Her trainings routine was overly strick and it was a regular part of her week, yet she sometimes allowed herself a rest day on her free days. As she had woken up with a lot of energy today though, she had immediately checked for a gym that was of the official properties in order to spend her day a little off the known faces of soldiers that shared the same, rather confined space with her. Hence, her chosen gym was a rather secret spot, far away from the regular bustle around their barracks.

Choosing to warm up with some cardio, Kalique was immediately headed your the treadmill as she entered the gym in the morning and as she gave herself in to the music she had playing on her headphones, she didn't even notice e Jonathen's arrival. She was not expecting soldiers here anyway, even less would she have expected to cross paths with such a familiar face and thus the two trained in the same gym without even knowing of the other's presence.

It was only after her relatively long run was done that she grabbed her towel and took a sip from her bottle that her gaze met the Lieutenant. "No way" she muttered under her breath, a smirk immediately crossing her lips as she slung the towel over her shoulder and walked up to him.

She watched him beat up the innocent bag for a few moments, actually impressed to see not only his blows but his muscles flex before an amusing thought crossed her lips. Without reconsidering whether it was even a good idea, Kalique reached out with the Force and caught his arm and upper body in a stasis, so that instead of hitting another blow, Jon would suddenly freeze up in her invisible tendrils. She was not greeting him yet, but approaching him from the side with a soft chuckle.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

POP! POP!

He let himself fully go; the world had reduced to the sway of the punching back and motions of each punch. It was as close to meditation as the young Lieutenant would ever get to.

POP! POP!

No personnel disputes, no paperwork, and no people to look out for. Just the bag and his fists. He was in the gym often, but tonight was the first night he had felt 100% again; it felt great.

POP!....

He went to hit the bag again, and his body froze. His mind jarred at the sudden interruption of movement. His muscles flexed as he struggled against the invisible bonds. What was happening? He struggled against the grip of the Force around him.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

After catching Jonathen in the little stasis she watched the man's demeanor change into severe confusion while he attempted to break free from the ethereal grip. "Lesson 1 when fighting against a Force user: Break their focus before it's too late". She casually leaned against the railing of the boxing ring, releasing her grasp at once.

"My apologies Lieutenant" she added with an amused chuckle, letting she climbed into the square to face him. While her apology was genuine, the look she was giving him was definitely playful."I was quite surprised to see a familiar friendly face here, in a very positive way that is, so please excuse my little joke".

What immediately caught her attention was how his arm looked much better and this alone brought another warm smile to her lips. "I take it the recovery was successful?". She asked him in genuine interest. "Now that we're both already here though, what would you say about training together for a little while? I promise I won't use any tricks". Her smile turned into a challenging smirk. Kalique could definitely be a little competitive when it came to challenges, so she was convinced this could be fun.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He spun as he was released and saw The Imperial Knight standing there. He relaxed slightly at the familiar face. "Knight Demici, Its good to see you." he said in greeting as he lowered his headphones.

"I don't know! I learned a few tricks from our Ewok friends. They seemed to manage alright." he said with a smile. Knowing she was no threat, he didn't take the joke too seriously.

"Oh yeah! I come to this place sometimes to get away for a bit," he said, looking around the empty room. As she mentioned his recovery, he nodded as he swung his arm. "Right as rain! Even got a scar as a souvenir!" he said with a chuckle.

His smile widened when she mentioned training together. "I thought tricks were all they taught you up in the castle of yours," he jabbed as he climbed up into the ring, slipping between the ropes. "You want weapons, or are we fighting hand to hand? I am sure I could show you a thing or two about those lightsabers you carry." he joked again. He obviously had never held one of the laser swords in his life.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Training session? Why not. Training together was always more productive and sparring would help the both of them improve as real, practical training was the most helpful way towards mastery, so if his shoulder was truly fine, there was nothing speaking against it.

"It's Knight-Captain now" she 'corrected' him with a playful wink, not having expected he had been informed about the promotion. His remark about the Ewoks made her chuckle as she remembered their little derailed adventure well. "You wouldn't believe it but I'm a sling-shot expert now". She was de facto still in possession of the primal 'weapon', but it was indeed a fun souvenir of their cultural exchange.

"I'm really glad you're feeling better" the smile was genuinely warm again as she watched him climb it, seemingly rather enthusiastic about her idea. "Why don't we start with hand to hand? It's been a while since I've scrimmaged". Kalique rarely ever relied on physicality alone, even if she was extraordinarily fit. Usually, the Force was what gave her the upper hand, but there was nothing wrong with replenishing her skills without it. Readying her stance, she faced him with a challenging smirk as she playfully remarked, "Come at me if you dare".

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He straightened slightly. "Well, then.." he said, placing a fist on his heart in a salute."My apologies, Captain," he said stoically before smiling. "And congrats. It is well deserved," he said truthfully. He had not worked with other Imperial Knights, but Kalique was a good soldier. If the Knights had people like her leading, they were moving in the right direction.

"It warms my heart to see you embracing a proper weapon. Maybe we can go shooting together Some time!" he said.

"Sounds good to me!" he said, tossing his stuff out of the ring. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt with loose-fitting gym shorts. "I'll go easy at first. Would hate to embarrass a superior," he said with a wink.

He raised his gloved fists. They were smaller than traditional boxing gloves, allowing the wearer to grapple if need be. He waited until she was ready and started circling around her taking careful steps. He had a significant height and weight advantage over her, but he had seen her move; she was fast...really fast. She moved like a predator cat, whereas he took slower, more solid steps.

He stepped in and jabbed with his right fist. It was a testing strike to see how she reacted.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

"No need to be that formal...we're off duty after all" she interjected, softly shaking her head with the smirk still on her lips, "but thanks, that means a lot". It really warmed her heart that his compliment seemed geuine as not all Imperials were happy with the Knights, especially now that they were granted more rights again.

This was not the time to dwell on such issues though as their mood was much more lighthearted again. "Go shopping for what? A wooden bow, arrows and a quiver or what's next?" she quipped back, wondering whether he still had his beautiful toothy necklace.

As he accepted the terms just like that and even replied in a rather cheeky way, Kalique raised an eyebrow. "I've learnt that if someone starts off cocky, the fight usually doesn't last longer than a few seconds" she teased back, raising her fists in front of her body. "But on a serious note, don't hold back please. I can take it". While she was out of practice, she didn't expect he'd just knock her out within minutes.

The part about assessing your opponent's physique had already been done back on Endor, even if in that setting, the knowledge hadn't helped her as they hadn't planned to fight against one another. Now though, she had to take it into consideration, which basically meant if he went for straight punches, blocking was a pretty foolish idea as he outmatched her strength. Hence, she had to do what she could do best: Focus on agility.

She carefully watched his each and every movement like a Tiger watching its prey, yet she was also taking on a rather defensive role for now. As he stepped in, the way his weight shifted already told her he was coming in for a blow, hence she sidestepped to her right together with a quick counterclockwise pivot of her hip before she brought her right knee up in one swift motion, aiming to kick him in his left side. Her tight fitting leggins and top allowed her to move swiftly, but would it be quick enough? There was a fiery determination glistened in her eyes as she briefly met his gaze before the knee would make contact or not.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He had never planned on going easy on her. He had seen what Sith and Jedi could do to soldiers like him. One person killed dozens of people in a heartbeat. It was a thought that chilled him. While he was as cocky as the next soldier, he knew she was dangerous.

She dodged quickly to his left as he punched and attempted to knee him in the side. Instead of blocking, he tried to catch her leg as it slammed into his side. There was no doubt it hurt as he grunted with the blow. While trying to grab ahold of her leg, he would swing his right foot out and sweep her other leg out from underneath her.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Despite Jonathen reacting quickly, his move was somewhat expected as jt was a common counter, but Kalique had still made the mistake of not preparing for such a scenario. If he maintained eye-contact, he'd quickly see something flash across her face that was nothing more than a good old 'kriff' before she had her leg locked.

Keeping the balance while on one leg was one thing, but having a stronger opponent aim for knocking you over was a different story. His foot came and cleanly swept out hers, yet, her enhanced reflexes were triggered. Instead of just twisting her body to the side a little to make it harder for him to keep on his own feet, there was suddenly the Force yanking the Lieutenant forward while his own weight was mainly balanced on one leg.

It could have easily been enough to force him to come down as well if he wasn't prepared to act immediately and they'd both land with a thud, Jonathen's body over hers, but even if it was just her, she'd apologetically smile up at him from above, the air momentarily pressed out of her lungs. "I'm sorry...that was a reflex. I actively have to repress the urge to help myself, regardless of how convenient it is".

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

Jonathen’s foot connected with the side of her calf and she started to fall. He let go of her leg letting her fall. As she had no hold on him, he wasn’t prepared for the invisible pull that followed after.

He stumbled forward, landing over top of her. Holding himself up on his arms, he raised an eyebrow as he looked down on her. He hesitated for a second before she apologized and he shook his head as he pushed himself and offered her a hand up. “It’s good not to fight your reflexes.” He said. “Is there anyway, I can stop you from doing that in a real fight?” He asked. This was a unique opportunity for him. He could practice traditional fighting anytime. If he could learn something about fighting force users he wanted to capitalize on it.

“Again” he said, raising his fist again. This time he didn’t move cautiously instead pressing the attack immediately. He took a step and faked another jab with his right instead pivoting and swinging with his left fist at her side.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

As the Force hit him unprepared, he crushed down right after, fortunately however still cushioning his fall with his arms. However, they still ended up rather closely with their bodies making contact on the ground.

He took her apology rather lightly and she gratefully accepted his hand. "That is true, but it's also unfair, especially because I want to be able to defend myself without the Force", she explained, not breaking eye contact and a playful smirk still on her lips.

"But alright. You've got a point as well. I'll let you fight a Force user this round". Technically, she had at least been the one who made contact with the ground first last round as she had managed to repress using the Force for the first few seconds, but now she just decided to go all in.

"Remeber to break my focus", she reminded him before she faced him rather challengingly, offering a curt nod to signal she was ready as well. To her surprise, he didn't hold himself back at all this time and after the feigned jab he straight went for a lower blow.

As her eyes had been right at him, she saw it coming and while he focused on his own attack instead of hers, she could sent him skidding backwards with a relatively harsh force push before he made contact with her side.

She was not done with him yet though. Before he'd lose balance or whatsoever, she was already yanking him back towards her, giving him another opening but at the same time she was attempting to meet him with a jab with her right fist towards his left sid while her left hand was stretched out and bended the Force according to her will.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

"War isn't fair." he said with a shrug. "The Empire would rather us win, I think," he added. But he understood the sentiment. She wanted to learn just as much from this encounter. In that way, they were good training partners.

"Break my focus" were the words that repeated in his mind. As he started his swing, he predicted the attack from her magic. Instead of going through with the attack, he lowered his shoulder and tried to slam her back against the rope.

He felt the energy build around him but dissipate as he slammed his shoulder against her. Not wanting to give her room to retaliate, he pressed the attack, jabbing one with each fist at her side.

 

[Kalique Baize]

Jonathen was quick. She had to admit that. And a damn fast learner. Instead of executing his attack as feigned, he suddenly slammed right into her before she could even do what she had intended.

The sudden body contact made her wince, but as she suddenly found herself pressed against the ropes, she was so caught of guard that she was not even able to block the blows with her focus all over the place.

She could immediately feel the bruises forming, but was obviously not letting herself be deterred to continue. The fierce determination in her eyes lit up as she brought her knee up, intending to stop him from pressuring her into the edge of the ring.

Regardless of whether it hit him in his groin area or not, she'd then push him back with another atemmpted Force push, hoping that this time he was the one that was too distracted to react. Still, the stinging at her sides was also not a pleasant feeling and by immediately adapting his tactic had also hurted her own pride a little...

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

His blows landed, doing enough damage to hopefully prevent her from attacking him with the Force again. Maybe he grew too cocky for a moment, or maybe she really was just that fast. She snapped a knee up as he went to strike again, connecting solidly.

His vision flashed with pain for an instant as the air was sucked out of his lungs. An instant later, the Force slammed into him. It threw him back across the ring.

Jonathen hit the ground hard, skidding to a stop at the other side of the ring. He coughed as he pushed himself to his knees. Everything hurt and the breath had been knocked out of him. He groaned slightly as he pushed himself the rest of the way back to his feet. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea....

He raised his fist in a defensive guard with a bit of defiance. "Not bad....Captain." he said.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

While she usually didn't mind using such admittedly harsh tactics against enemies on the field, she did immediately regret her move against the Lieutenant.

It was a trick that was painfully effective yet she really felt bad for having chosen such a dirty move in a friendly sparing session, but somehow it seemed like both of them were indeed eager to learn and so neither seemed deterred by pain.

"Sorry...that was mean" she apologized genuinely, moving closer as she had intended to help him up this time, but he was already back to his feet before she even reached him.

"You're unrelenting, aren't you?" she asked, de facto impressed by his ability to just push through the pain and the enthusiasm to continue.

Before she planned on raising her own guard, she reached for the hem of her top and peeled it up so that she could check on her ribs, but as the slightest bruise was already forming, her gaze flicked back to him immediately. "You got me good as well though, don't worry".

She then raised her own fists once again, this time with her being the one to circle him while keeping her distance, but before she'd allow him to step closer, she was reaching out with the Force again, only this time there would be an invisible grasp around his right wrist that would sting as she was producing heat with the Force, so that he'd have to act against this burning sensation immediately.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

Tenacity was a requirement for a soldier. There were no tricks, no powers to help in combat. He had his blaster and his sheer determination to get him and his soldiers through whatever the Empire needed them to face.

"You apologize a lot," he joked. He felt somewhat small around her, which was only a little comical because he towered over her. He always assumed that he could overcome a user of the Force, but he couldn't push down the feeling that she was toying with him a bit. He would need to work harder and train more if we would be of any use to Empire in facing threats that wielded the same power as Kalique.

"Never was smart enough to know when to quit, " he smirked. As she checked her sides, he dropped his guard, breathing a bit more heavily now. Sweat dripped from a strand of hair. He welcomed the short breather. She was not invincible, apparently. The thought made him feel a little better. At least he scored one hit on her. "I won't show you mine, but I can assure you it is worse than a sore rib," he joked, still feeling a dull throbbing pain throughout his body.

They reset and started again. This time, she attacked him first. His right wrist started to burn. There was no fire, but the pain was very much real. He dropped his guard, panic bubbling up from his stomach. Her words echoed in his mind again. There was no way through but to charge. Lowing himself again, he lunged at her, trying to grapple her and slam her back on the ground. It was a crude attack but likely the only kind he could muster as he fought through the pain.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She did ponder on his statement for a short moment. Why did she apologize that often? Firstly, she knew he was a good soldier and a valuable asset, yet giving him an easy fight wasn't as effective as an actual challenge.

Secondly then? She had to admit that she had started to like him and his charming humor and despite Kalique's ability to be completely ruthless and cold on the field, she wasn't too keen on hurting those she actually like.

Thirdly, the trust between the non force senstive Imperial soldiers and Knights was frail, so Kalique usually opted for not scaring them off too much and refraining from using the Force against them.

The second argument that had immediately come up in her head confused her, actually, as she was well aware that she had constantly beaten up Imperial soldiers during her training amd somehow, she hadn't been as hesitant then, so the woman immediately clung onto her third argument. There was no point in toying with trust, so she wasn't going all in.

"I do indeed. I thought you already knew I'm a very polite person" she quipped back in a sarcastic tone, vene though it wasn't a lie. It was just ironic that he had seen how she could be completely different if required. To the other soldier she was always polite and respectful, regardless of their rank.

"That does sound a little familiar". Again, this was something that was similar, or at least had been the same with her earlier. Kalique had never given up, but throughout the years she had learnt to be more reflective and critically assess every situation carefully. "Oh prude" she immediately joked back in regards to the most recent hit he had taken, the smirk immediately reappearing on her lips before she had gotten into position.

The burning sensation did affect him, but he was indeed leaning a lot. While she had purposely left him capable of finding a way to stop her, she generally noticed that the tides of their sparing had changed. She was deliberately attacking him mildly, however so that he'd learn how to find openings quickly. As for the pyrokinesis, he could apply his reaction to situations with mental attacks as well, as long as he'd still be capable to attack the Force user like that.

Instead of evading his charge, she fully accepted it, wanting to get herself in yet another dire situation. As their bodies collided, there was indeed paid sent through most of her body once again, yet he was deliberately going down as well with such a move. She grappled him likewise, so that she could ensure he'd slam on the ground with her.

However, once on the ground, she'd immediately use her right leg to turn the two of them around by pushing. She was enhancing her push with the Force, wanting to make sure they'd be flipped and when she was the one above, she'd slip out her hands from underneath him, pin him down with the legs as best as she could and would press her hands onto his throat. She wasn't pushing down with her hands, but used the Force instead- subtly enough not to restrict his breathing but surely strong enough to make a soldier panic.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He picked her up slightly as he charged. She grabbed on to him as they fell back to the ring floor. To her credit, she maintained her hold even as they hit the ground. The burning on his rest stopped but it was a short lived victory.

Everything in his body told him he had the upper hand in a wrestling match. He was taller, weighed more, and was physically stronger. If it was simply a physical contest, his instincts would have been correct.

Kalique hooked her right leg around him and pivoted as they hit the padded floor. At first he resisted the twisting motion. An instant later, he felt lighter as she augmented her attack with the Force.

They spun and she landed on top of him. She leaned down and he felt his throat constrict as placed a hand to the area.

The unexpected reversal had trapped his arms underneath her legs. While he was able to get enough air to survive, it didn’t feel like it. He managed to pull an arm free from the pin and reached for her hand on his throat. He tried to pull her hand free, which he was able to do, but his throat remained constricted.

He struggled for a handful seconds further and then tapped a hand on her thigh indicating he was surrendering.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

In the briefest second, Kalique noticed how one rather muscular man who trained his biceps on a machine to their left watched them wrangle, but when Jonathen slammed right into her, he even prepared himself to get up an intervene.

Obviously, he hadn't been paying attention before but the way he raised a brow after the turning of tides was amusing for sure. As he grabbed her by the wrists in an attempt to remove her grasp around his throat, she had to focus in order not to let the concentration break, but as he suddenly slapped her, she let out a breath of relief as she had apparently been victorious this timei

"I take it you're not into choking then", she playfully quipped, straightening her hurting back from above him. She released her grasp at once before she climbed down and pushed herself up before offering him a hand. "You did really well so far", she gave him this genuine compliment with a smile, trying not to focus on that slight dizzy feeling their fall had caused.



@Raydo