A blade as bright as twin suns [Dragon School]

[Josh Dragovalor]

Kashyyyk

Another had been brought before him.

Arisa-Err, Jyoti, had been entrusting him more with new Padawans as of late, the more that he proved his prowess as a teacher. This had ended up leading him to becoming the Silver Jedi Order's Battlemaster, and one of their head instructors. Today, he'd been assigned yet another, this time apparently being the student of a Master who was since passed on during a mission. A re-assignment then.

The Padawan in question would enter a room within the New Silver Temple on Kashyyyk, where they had been assigned. Josh faced away from her, sitting down, legs crossed, in deep meditation... Considering what methods he could apply to today's session, and what questions to ask in order to get a steady handle on how to train this one. With that, he would stop, his head tipping back up before he would un-cross his legs and move to his feet, before spinning his heel and moving to face her.

"I am Master DragonsFlame" Josh would greet as he would hold out a hand to shake. "Padawan Brightblade, yes? I am your re-assignment. I'm sorry about your Master" He spoke softly, frowning a bit. These matters were... Never easy, to say the least. "I am hoping we can resume your training in earnest."

"Do you have any questions?"

 

[Mina Brightblade]

Mina hesitated on the other side of the doorway, steeling herself for the meeting that lay before her. She had finally been reassigned, but despite her eagerness to resume her training she knew it was going to take its toll. Her bond with her last Master hadn't been the strongest she'd seen among the Jedi Order, but his loss had shaken her to her core. Being reassigned felt like wiping the slate clean, something the Padawan wasn't sure she was ready for just yet.

After a few deep breaths Mina finally stepped inside to see a blonde Humanoid in a classic meditative pose. He must have heard her, because he rose before she could announce herself and approached to make introductions.

"It is an honor, Master Dragonsflame," she replied earnestly. An avid student of the seven forms, she couldn't help but admire anyone who could know them so intimately as to be named the Order's Blademaster.

She elected to ignore his condolences, determined to keep her focus. Still, she couldn't help notice that, while there was sympathy his eyes, there didn't seem to be any pity. For that, she was grateful. For too long she'd wandered among the Silver Jedi, aimlessly awaiting her reassignment while they waxed poetic with their lamentations regarding the 'poor Padawan'.

It seemed he was different.

"No questions, Master. I'm simply eager to resume my training." Her blue eyes shone with something akin to happiness for the first time in months.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Despite all that had happened, she appeared to remain strong. Good. With that in mind, he would be able to ask his questions and resume her training without issue, hopefully. He observed her though, wanting to see what lie behind her eyes, wanting to know what made her tick. He wanted to know all that he could about her to know how to best train her, and best mold her into the Jedi that she wanted to be.

"Why don't you start by giving me the lowdown on what sort of experience you have?" Josh would inquire as he would pace the room gingerly. "I'll have an easier time of this if I know from where I should be starting from. No point in starting from scratch if you've already gotten the hang of it, after all."

[member="Mina Brightblade"]

 

[Mina Brightblade]

"Of course," Mina replied flatly. Memories of her previous Master flashed through her mind as she mentally reviewed her experiences. How can you condense five years of rigorous training into the 'lowdown'? Ignoring the sudden pang of bitterness, she rushed ahead before her thoughts could drag her any deeper.

"I have always believed my place is on the front lines, taking the fight to those who would disrupt the balance of the force, or bring harm to those unable to defend themselves. To that end I was trained extensively in lightsaber combat."

There was a hint of pride in her voice that she was unable to extinguish; she did her best to remain humble, but her achievements with a blade had taken years of sweat and toil. Modesty- even feigned- was difficult.

The Padawan's tone turned rueful as she continued: "I'm sure my abilities in the force would be considered lacking by most. I have a solid grasp of basic Telekinesis, and I do my meditations every day, but...I don't have the deep connection to the force that I've seen in some of the other Padawans, especially those training to be Consulars."

Mina finished her summary with a shrug. She'd done her best to be honest, believing it would be the best way to make sure she received the rest of the training she needed to prepare for her Trials. Silent, she waited for a reply.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Understood" He responded calmly once she had finished giving the "lowdown" on her experiences. It was a painful thing, making her relive her training under her former master. Unfortunately, there wasn't much that Josh could do about the matter. This was necessary in order to ensure that he wasn't wasting Mina's time. It was as simple as that.

"Have you given thought as to whether you wish to be a Jedi Guardian, Consular, or Sentinel, Padawan Brightblade?" Josh would inquire first up. She seemed to have some knowledge of these things, it would be good to know the extent of her knowledge, and if she was a more advanced Padawan, he would be able to tailor to that. "And have you already gone to the crystal caves with your - excuse me, of course - former Master and constructed a lightsaber?"

[member="Mina Brightblade"]

 

[Mina Brightblade]

"I could never be anything but a Guardian," she said simply, and left it at that. This was their first meeting, and the Padawan saw no reason to expound on the statement. She probably couldn't have explained the calling she felt to be a warrior of the light if she tried, anyway.

When he mentioned the caves, Mina shook her head, frowning. "Unfortunately, I haven't. It was my former Master's intention to take me when he returned from the front lines, but..."

Clearing her throat, she patted the lightsaber hilt clipped to her belt. "For now I just have a training saber. It works fine; good for deflecting blaster bolts, anyway. And I've never had to fight a duel in earnest."

There was a hint of wistfulness to her confession. Though she would never voice it for fear of rebuke, she wished to change that fact.

After a pause, Mina let her light blue eyes find the Master's gaze. "Master Dragonsflame...I just want you to know...I grieve for my Master, but what happened is behind me. I look forward to proving it to you."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"That works" He spoke as he would make a playful motion of writing it down on some sort of invisible notepad. A bit of lightheartedness when all of this had been solemn so far, what with all this talk about her former Master. It was just a habit of his when things got a bit too dreary. Granted he usually kept primarily serious during training, but considering she was grieving... Well, he could make an exception for her.

Once he had the information he needed, he nodded his head, though Mina would suddenly address her master's situation proper. Josh would gingerly nod his head again, this time in more of a bow as his expression softened and his demeanor seemed to completely change as a result.

"I apologize for making you have to relive all that's happened with all these questions, Mina" He spoke softly. "I want to know what will best allow me to continue your training."

He motioned to her training lightsaber on her belt then, before his own would float toward his hand as he would set it to low power before igniting it.

"Let's start by going over the forms of lightsaber combat in short order. I'll be going over each one as part of a sparring session. Even for the ones you know already, you might find new techniques from it. Come at me when you're ready."

[member="Mina Brightblade"]

 

[Mina Brightblade]

His antics surprised a smile out of her, bringing a bloom of color to her cheeks. Most Jedi that attained the rank of Master clung to a kind of quiet dignity. He was different. Mina found herself liking him despite her efforts to remain objective.

Nodding as he began explaining the lesson plan, she plucked her training saber from her belt and thumbed the activation switch in one fluid motion. The blue blade crackled to life in her right hand. This was what she had been waiting for, the chance to cross sabers with a Blademaster. Fighting to shelf her enthusiasm in favor of quiet concentration.

She took a moment to study the Blademaster's stance, and then struck.

Planting her right foot forward, Mina brought her training saber thundering down in a diagonal chop aimed at the left side of Josh's neck. Her training saber would do little more than cause a minor burn, so she didn't have to worry about targeting non vital areas.

Once her blade made contact- either with flesh or with the Master's own lightsaber, Mina would yank her blade back, positioning the hilt near her left hip with the tip aimed at her target.

Simultaneously, the Padawan bladed her body to the left and thrust, her arm uncoiling with lightning speed in a stab toward Josh's midsection. Her left hand came up to hover at her side, acting as a counter-balance, and her knees bent in preparation for her next maneuver.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

3:10​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nji5zvkuuFg​

​

He seemed to have cheered her up, which was good. Which meant that they could begin. He would start by reviewing the forms with her in order to ensure that she got a good grasp on them, while allowing battle experience to teach her the rest. While Josh would be holding back of course, surviving an onslaught by a Master on a regular basis while receiving instruction was bound to help you grow, right?

His own blue blade would let out a snap hiss as he would ignite it, spinning the blade harmlessly through his fingers a moment before taking Form 1's stance. He didn't move at first, instead waited for her to make the first move. He didn't move an inch until Mina would be about to slice into him. The Order's Battlemaster would move his blade the moment it nearly contacted his neck, bringing it up like a baton more than a sword in a light motion as he would bat her back into backing up. He waited until she came around again, and would move his blade vertically to patiently counter the torso blow as the blades would clash.

"Let's review! Form 1! Shii-Cho! The tactics form. Not one you are going to use in battle all the time, but a good start, and one I expect you to take some from for your style nonethless. This is the form you want to adapt into your style even if not as your main form, to keep things fresh - but what you want to do the most while in this form is focus on tactics! Catch your opponent off-guard, and try to disarm them! This form is primarily about tactics and disarming! Tactics and disarming! Continue!"

Josh would emphasize this example then as he would bash her saber back with power to his blow, before charging forward - feinting a midsection blow before suddenly darting to the right and slashing diagonally at her right shoulder.

[member="Mina Brightblade"]

 

[Mina Brightblade]

He was blindingly fast- his blade seemed almost to blur as he casually slapped away her initial strike. That was alright, she had been expecting skill. He didn't get the title of Blademaster for nothing, after all. Her follow up thrust was, predictably, parried in the same offhanded manner, and Mina's lips settled into a frown. She didn't expect to win this sparring session, obviously, but her mind was made up: before the end of her training, she would land a blow on Joshua Dragonsflame.

She fell into a traditional guard as he began speaking, outlining the First Form. Her shoulders were squared toward her Master, her blade held out in front of her in both hands, the shimmering blue plasma aimed at the ceiling.

Mina nodded to show she understood, and he attacked. Her saber was batted away with surprising ferocity, both arms wrenched to the right. As she brought it around she recognized the feint for what it was; the blade sang toward her midsection, but the Master was already withdrawing, preparing to deliver the true strike.

It came from her left, cutting a wide swath through the air toward her right shoulder. Grunting, Mina bent her knees and piroutted to the left, letting the Jedi Master's blade sail overhead and whipping her own saber around as she turned in a half circle, coming face-to-midsection with Dragonsflame and aiming a wide, looping slash at his left side.

His words echoed through her mind as she hopped backward, straightening and bringing her lightsaber around into a vertical guard. Shii Cho was often considered the most basic of forms, utilizing basic chops and slashes and lacking any finesse, but in the hands of a Master it was said to be truly dangerous.

'Tactics and disarm,' Mina thought to herself, and then lunged forward, aiming a stab at Josh's face meant to make him flinch before she rolled her wrist, her saber slicing in a circle to come up underneath his saber, and hopefully batter it from his hands.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

For a Padawan who hadn't had a Master for too long, he could tell that she was quite resourceful as a lightsaber wielder. Especially considering she didn't as of yet have one to call her own. It meant he would need to step up a little bit.

She understood his feint and guarded against it. He hadn't expected it, but he was already prepared for the possibility. Josh was the kind to be quickly running calculations in his head of whatever may happen. He didn't leave much up to chance... He always had to be on top of things. That was why he was the instructor, why he was the Battlemaster of the Order, because he put so much into his work as a duelist. As a combatant, as a warrior. He watched as she would deflect, before pulling back and lunging forward. Considering what he'd done before, he'd guessed that it was a feint. If he'd been wrong, he intended to jump back the moment it got too close. But too close did it not come. Instead, she would go for an under-strike with power.

Instead, he would match power with power, indicating the change in scenery. He would bring his saber down directly on hers with power. As the sabers clashed, he grinned cheekily as he would speak - while he tried to force her saber down.

"Good, good. Now let's switch to my personal specialty... Makashi, meant for lightsaber against lightsaber combat. Read my movements, and refine your own. Be quick, and choose how much power you put into each strike wisely. Overwhelm your opponent, and find how to overpower them."

As if on cue, Josh would quickly rear back and slam his lightsaber downward on hers to try to lower her guard, before immediately striking out with a series of slashes in quick succession. A diagonal slash to her left side that would then be combined with a slash upwards that tried to go up her side and into her shoulder. The second set of slashes would go for a horizontal from that position regardless of whether she blocked the first or not, trying to cut horizontally through her torso before he would pull out, slide his lightsaber under his arm into one hand and stab it forward at her shoulder.

[member="Mina Brightblade"]

 

[Mina Brightblade]

Mina frowned when he failed to react to her feint, but it was too late now. She had built up solid momentum to lend strength to her disarming strike, so she was forced to follow through. When Joshua brought his blade thundering down into the path of her own, it stopped her attack cold and sent a shudder up her arms.

'Strong and fast, then.' The Padawan thought to herself. She'd known the Blademaster would be something special, and so far he had failed to disappoint.

Standing there with their blades locked together between them, close enough to stare into his eyes, Mina set her jaw, tuned out the snarl of the entangled blades, and listened.

Makashi had always seemed so daunting to her, with its effortless parries and lazy but deceptively fast strikes. She'd witnessed true Masters of the form fend off multiple assailants with one hand while stifling a yawn with the other. Whatever Josh came at her with next was sure to be fast as lightning and just as deadly.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than the Blademaster shunted her blade down and attacked. It was a dizzyingly fast onslaught that left her struggling to keep up.

Bringing her lightsaber around in her right hand, she rotated her wrist in a counterclockwise motion while bringing her left foot around behind her, blading her body in a duelist stance while catching her Master's initial strike and slapping it to her left. She was barely able to tilt her saber into a horizontal guard and sweep it down into the path of the reverse strike, and just as soon as the blades made contact Joshua withdrew and launched another offensive.

Leaning back to avoid the horizontal cut, Mina snapped her blade into a vertical guard, catching Josh's follow up thrust and slapping it to the right before flicking her wrist downward. Her saber cracked down like a whip, the tip aimed for the elbow of the Blademaster's extended arm.

Withdrawing, she stabbed again, rotating her wrist as she did to send her blade into a corkscrew, changing targets from left hip to right shoulder mid-thrust.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The Battlemaster Of The Order was quite surprised by her resourcefulness. It'd been indicated that she hadn't had a chance to train much with her old Master, but her finesse and ability to act with tact was impressive. Josh had been holding back, for obvious reasons, but she had still shown a lot of promise throughout. This sparring session had allowed him to learn quite a bit about his new Padawan, and he was sure that she would do well given time. But this sparring session wasn't over just yet, there was still plenty to do.


Makashi was his speciality, and thus he would be able to apply it well, and hopefully teach her it more than any other form. Strong and fast indeed was the key here, and she'd applied that thus far. He would act quickly when she would counter. The feint would very nearly get him this time, and very nearly singed the hairs on his elbow before he would bat his saber to the side in a quick flick, bashing hers back with as much power as he could muster, holding back just a bit less. A grin forming across his face, Josh would then jump back just in time to dodge as she would feint again, this time expecting it. The moment that the feint ended, Josh would attack again, this time striking low and aiming toward her legs, several quick and almost savage swings aimed at her legs to try to catch her off-guard, before suddenly rising back to his full height and trying to bring it down with an overhand on her shoulder, the suddenly change of heights possibly being to try to get her guard down and strike.

It seemed he was still using methods from Form 1, an indication to always adapt what you learned from all styles if you could, no matter the style you used... Use all that you know if you can. Never waste it.

[member="Mina Brightblade"]

 

[Mina Brightblade]

'Close,' the padawan thought with a hint of a smile. He'd been fast enough to parry the blow to his arm, but only just, and her determination to land a strike on the Blademaster before the end of their session grew. At this rate, it would only be a matter of time- provided she could avoid his own offensive, which had proven almost surgical in nature despite his lightning speed.

His backward hop carried him safely out of her thrust's range, but she could tell he was putting in more effort, adjusting the intensity of his style to fit the Padawan's burgeoning skill level. It was both encouraging and frustrating to witness: on one hand, the fact that he had to step his game up to deal with her was a wordless validation of her bladework; on the other, it was clear he still wasn't giving it one-hundred percent, and was nonetheless keeping her in check quite easily.

She'd come uncoiled like a striking serpent to execute the thrust. Her body was bladed to the left, the toe of her right boot pointed at the Blademaster, her sword arm fully extended. As he suddenly charged forward to give answer, she simply worked backward through the same steps she'd taken to attack: her right arm and leg withdrew simultaneously, until she was facing Josh head-on with her right elbow tucked against her side.

Mina scurried backward in the face of the sudden onslaught, taking quick steps that took each leg out of the way of his savage slashes just before they could make contact. It wasn't very graceful; she'd been told by numerous instructors that when it came to the Way of the Ysalamiri, footwork was more important by far than your blade, but she lacked the elegance of those more familiar with Form Two.

What she did have were sharp instincts and a familiarity with her range of motions that made her particularly dangerous when the fighting got intense. When Josh suddenly rose to his full height and raised his blade for an overhand chop, she reacted without thinking, planting her right foot and thrusting her blade out toward the Master's midsection before he could bring his own attack thundering down on her.

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Soresu relied on tight bladework and subtle dodges to provide maximum defensive coverage, minimizing exposure to ranged weaponry. "Use it if you do not wish to be hit, or if you are facing many opponents with blasters. With a lightsaber blade and enough skill in deflection, it is an excellent offense against blasters, but in other situations, it merely delays the inevitable" was a quote he read about in one of his holocrons... It described the form well. He'd been mixing that in as well, with the small hops, and little wasted movement. What she knew as the "Way of the Mynock". But the attack that had come soon after was Shii-Cho.

She seemed to be mimicking some of these movements, which was what he wanted. Not the most graceful, but it would do, and she could refine her movements over time. When she would counter his overhead though, he had another strategy in mind.

A man his size probably shouldn't be able to roll forward, to the side and then handspring up - bringing a combination of using the Force to float in the air and swing while he was there - but there it was. He swung at her rapidly before he made his way back to his feet before he would immediately leap into the air, flipping over her head again as he swung at her from every direction, leaping and flipping again and again from all directions, never moving the same way twice - as he swung continuously every chance he got. Ataru was the next form he was showing her, it seemed.

[member="Mina Brightblade"]

 

[Mina Brightblade]

A crow of triumph escaped her as she thrust her blade forward. This was it. All those long hours of training had finally paid off. All the sweat and sore muscles and sacrifice had finally come to fruition, and now Mina had Josh right where she wanted him-

The azure blade pierced empty air where the Blademaster had been just a nanosecond before. The Padawan's eyes widened as she pivoted, turning on her right heel in a frantic pirouette to the left. Her knees buckled and she sagged low, desperately trying to avoid the counter strike she knew had to be coming. It was close- the superheated plasma of Josh's blade seared through the air just centimeters from the top of her head, shearing away a few loose wisps of hair in the process.

Mina threw herself into a roll of her own then, her blade winking out as her right shoulder hit the ground and she tumbled over in a sideways somersault. She landed on her feet in a crouch and reactivated her blade, breathing hard for the first time since they'd started their training session.

'That was way too close,' she admonished herself. 'You were so sure of victory that you left an opening in your guard. If this was a real duel it could have cost you everything.' Determined to do better, the blonde woman set her jaw and rose to her feet- just in time to parry a quick blow from Josh as he flipped through the air.

It was Ataru, she realized immediately. The most mobile of the forms, geared more toward maneuvering to a favorable position on the battlefield than engaging in serious bladework. But his leaping attacks were deadly nonetheless- if a little more predictable. There are only so many angles of attack left to you once you're in the air and being carried by your own momentum, after all, and while his attacks were powerful and lightning fast, she could at least see them coming.

What followed was a series of blocks and parries that left her hands numb. She had to turn rapidly to face the Blademaster after every attack, spinning on her heels to meet the next blow with solid, two handed guards- the only defense capable of withstanding strikes from a larger opponent who had also generated insane momentum through his jumps.

At last she saw an opening. Josh leapt at her again, blade anything out, and she feinted a guard, bringing her saber up to meet his. At the last second she thumbed the activation switch, letting his blade through, and then immediately reactivated it in the middle of a quick slash to his ribcage. At the same moment her strike would be landing, the attack she'd let through reached her, drawing a blistering line across her shoulder.

Her teeth ground as she resisted the urge to cry out, but if she could trade a wound to the shoulder for one to the body, it would be worth the discomfort.

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Her tactic was good, though risky. But Josh still had one more lesson to teach her. One that would hopefully stick.

As she swung... He stopped. In mid-air, he stopped. Perhaps it would be considered cheating to use the Force, but there had been nothing stated about not using it either. And it taught a good lesson in this case, as before she could realize her attack hadn't connected, the Jedi Master would hold out his free hand and use Force Push toward the wall behind him, though not to move anything he was aiming at...

Instead he was moving himself.

The amount of power put into the Force Push propelled him back just as he moved his leg, giving him a great deal of momentum as a flying kick was swung square at her head, hoping to knock her back. Regardless of whether it connected or not, the Jedi Master would continue to use Force Levitation to move himself back before landing on his feet a little ways from her.

"Prepare for anything" He instructed as he steadied himself. "Your technique was good. Risky, but good. It would have landed a blow if you were against a non-force user" He commended, wanting to at least give her some praise and tell her where that technique would have worked, and where it might not. He was meant to be teaching her after all, not being there just to criticize. "One thing you always need to remember is the importance of... Shall we say, learning, your opponent as soon as possible. Are they a Force User, or not? Where do their skills lie? Study your opponent, but most importantly, prepare and if you can, prepare a contingency.

I think we've covered a great deal about the forms today. What say we wrap up, unless you had anything in particular to ask or request?"

[member="Mina Brightblade"]