A dusty courtyard

[Reverance]

There was always one in every academy. You could find electronic rooms, metal hallways, and ornate libraries in mass. But when push came to shove, the courtyard was the heart and emergency spillway for when the schools were once so heavily burdened by scholars and disciples. What more could one need but the stone beneath them and the arid air around them, the crawling landscape to remind them of the emptiness and dilapidation that so often followed the Sith. It was as much a rewarding choice as it was a lonely one. But for some, the choice was all but removed.

Reverance squinted his crimson eye, the brightness unexpected and the sun unadulterated. His black hair was tied back, draped over his bare shoulders. His garb was militaristic in nature, the canvas armor complementing the dark arm guards that led to gripping hands, pushing a cart on squeaky wheels. It came to a rolling stop and he pulled the thick black cloth from the top of the case, revealing an assortment of practice sabers. Scratching the scar across his right eye, he exhaled and crossed his arms, his body swolen and the black tattoos along his body shimmered a green hue. He cracked his neck. He preferred the burning sensation of real sabers, a cut to the bone is a lesson not soon forgotten. But it's hard to wage war with an army of amputees.

[member="Arturious Engel"]

[member="Javik Quar-Kai"]

 

[Dr. Xris]

Javik walked out in from the Library into the courtyard. Being outside in a place he considered to be of power inspired him. Like normal eqquipped with his large Black Cloak that covered most of his massive 9'8ft details but some could be seen, Chitin like scales, Blue tatoos that glew in the darkness of his cloak, the sound of metal moving around on his belt. Javik had the mind of a Scholar and the body of a Warrior, A deadly mixture. Today was a say for combat and practice, Javik learned and gained most his skill from studying others and applying it but now it was time to be taught more.

Javik looking around the courtyard noticed [member="Reverance"] a Man standing by a cart of... Practice Sabers, A lesson was in Order. Walking slowly up to the man Javik looked down and nodded in respect and broad casted his thoughts aloud to speak, Javiks mouth did not move but yet one could hear him speak through the mind. << " Is an Lesson on Combat in Order this evening? If so id like to Part take in the events to come.." >>

 

[Reverance]

What a spectacle, Reverance thought to himself, as he turned to look upon thing that touched his mind. It was the simpler things in life that he enjoyed: a glass of whiskey, a cigarro, and the spoken language. But he couldn't place fault with a creature he had no understanding of. Maybe it couldn't talk or maybe it's voice was too much to bare for the auditory receptors of smaller beings, not that Reverance was exactly small. Just small compared to [member="Javik Quar-Kai"]. Second guessing himself, Reverance decided that he likely appreciated the consideration. He gave a returning nod and levitated a lightsaber to his right hand. In that instant, he gave the smallest flash of the rage beneath, a torent of anger hidden by ample reserves of discipline and humility, the slightest clue to his force powers and control.

"You're a big one..." He walked slowly, as if inspecting someone he assumed he would be teaching. "I can respect that. Don't know if Form II will do you much good, what with your size...but to know it is to defeat it." He smirked just a tinge and walked away from Javik. Reverance turned to face the creature and spoke quietly, a scientist and warrior that had unknowingly met someone with numerous similar traits. Perhaps they would be revealed at a later date. "Call me Reverance...one more to come and we will begin the lesson."

 

[Arturious Engel]

[member="Reverance"] [member="Javik Quar-Kai"]

Arturious walked silently through the courtyard a black outer robe over standard Imperial Army Armor with his lightsaber clipped to the belt of the armor. It was a good day for a walk and an even better day for some training. Arturious preferred his personalish training room but today he was the student. That meant he went where he was told to go.

Walking up to the two Arturious gave the Sith Lord a slight bow.

"My Lord I am Arturious Engel." "I hope I am not late."

Turning to Javik Arturious gave a small smile to the larger man.

 

[Dr. Xris]

Javik bowed and slightly and nodded at [member="Arturious Engel"] he looked very presentable a respectable sith at the most. SO javik did indeed like his company today he looked at [member="Reverance"] and waited for a response.

 

[Reverance]

"Not too late...anyway." The bulky Sith eyed his new students, if only for the time being, and looked back to [member="Arturious Engel"]. "Reverance is fine...the title, I find it cumbersome." It was the truth of the matter. Despite his long held power and rank, he had never taken the title to heart. Perhaps it was the inconvenience of the extra syllable.

"You'll each need a saber, I seem to have brought enough for the whole class." He smiled as he pointed his empty hand towards the tray, a single slot empty from the removal of the saber he held in his other hand. As he turned from them, expecting each to grab a single light saber, as Jar'kai and Niman were not the subjects of todays work, he spoke freely. "They call Form II the form of elegance...I prefer to think of it as suppression. You will never find a form more capable of destroying an enemy in single combat. This is because it relies on several critical, and somewhat contradictory, principles of combat..." He began to walk as he ignited his saber. The red snap-hiss was slow, the electromagnetic properties within the hilt enhanced to contain the lethality of the blade. He placed his left hand on the blade and applied a slight pressure.

"The first principle, and often the most difficult to develop is a lack of commitment..." He removed the saber, displaying a slight burn on his palm. "The first strike is never meant to touch the opponent. The danger and lethality of this form is what comes after." He looked up to [member="Javik Quar-Kai"] . "Tell me...what is more important, strength or speed?"

 

[Dr. Xris]

Javik extended a hand and called apon the force to pull a Training saber to his hand. Picking the biggest one he could find he found the training saber hard to handle but it did not matter. As he examined the Hilt which was old and rather dirty from past uses Javik responded aloud to everyone << " If you are refering to my own opinion than both are equals and are needed to preform a successful strike, But if you are refering to the nature of Form II then my answer is speed, but only with accuracy as its pair." >> Javik looked down at [member="Reverance"] and nodded, He had read about all lightsaber forms long ago and his memory served him well. Form II Makashi was a form of elegance, Accuracy and speed. Precision was key for the practitioners.

[member="Arturious Engel"]

 

[Reverance]

It was the clearest answer, as one was nothing without the other. A slow punch from a brute and a swift kick from a weakling provided the same destructive force, or lack thereof. It was the ability for the fast to topple the strong that was the most unique property of Makashi, as [member="Javik Quar-Kai"] had stated. "Yes, it is the speed of the practitioner. Where power and strength in Form V can overwhelm, speed acts in the same manner in Form II."

He held out the arm holding the lightsaber and pointed with his free hand at various lengths of his arm. "The mastery of Form II lies in the understanding of the four points of power. The wrist, the elbow, and the shoulder. As you progress up the arm, you sacrifice speed and rotational attacks for power and as such, the attacks from the wrist are the most potent and most succinct, especially in close combat. But it can be tempting...to depend on the power of the shoulder." He patted his collarbone and rolled it. "But when the tide turns, dependency leads to desperation, and there is nothing more noxious than desperation. Takes the fun right out of the fight." He stopped and held up his hand, gesticulating to the realization that something had slipped his mind.

"Ah yes, I did say four. This..." He patted the armor plating of his stomach and twisted the axis of his hips, rotating the top half of his body. "Where you sacrifice strength you more than make up for it in the most important point of power. Your core." He smirked and stopped twisting, realizing that he likely looked ridiculous. "Use this to your advantage. A controlled core, stabilized and solid, will allow you to focus on your footwork and with a twist, can exponentially increase the power of a quick snap. Until you are comfortable, keep your feet on the ground. All that jumping and twirling is just for style anyway...and it leaves your open to the more methodical duelist." He couldn't recall the number of Jedi he's smacked with a force push or saber swing when they decided jumping mid fight was a good idea. It was a good sample size, he figured. After all, an unskilled Ataru practitioner was as bad as a fledgling sparrow not yet fallen from the nest.

"Tell me, [member="Arturious Engel"], what is your preference when holding a saber? Single or two handed?"

 

[Arturious Engel]

[member="Reverance"] [member="Javik Quar-Kai"]

Arturious nods at Reverance dropping the titles for the moment listening to what he has to say. When presented the caart of sabers Arturious reached out a hand calling one to him taking a few practice swings with it judging it's weight and balance against that of his own saber.


Reverance posed an interesting question to him about grip.

"I normally switch between the two multiple times during the course of an engage more out of instinct than intentional practice." "My Parries tend to be two hand with counters one handed."

 

[Reverance]

Reverance looked unblinkingly at [member="Arturious Engel"], waiting for him to explain his hand form in fighting. After the Sith Knight completed his explanation, Reverance nodded and twirled the ignited saber perpendicular to his body, as if his mind had been taken by idle thought. "In terms of a Form II practitioner, those wielding dual sabers quickly realize the notion of diminishing returns. This..." He wriggled his free hand fingers as he began to pace. "Serves numerous purpose. Helps to balance, helps to counterattack..." He held out his hand and quickly pushed forward, slapping the ground with a force push at an angle, sending dust flying away from him in a meaningless display of an ability that all three of them should have mastered at this stage. "And this..."

He held the lit saber up, business end aimed towards the sky, and released grip with the exception of his thumb and index finger. He then gripped the bottom of the saber with his free and rotated the beam around, using his main hand as the fulcrum. "Makashi is a game of angles and the free hand can not only offer additional reach, but it can provide much needed power. Not only that, but when you clash sabers in a stalemate, a position you should avoid at all costs, the extra hand may offer the needed leverage to win out."

He lunged forward and snapped the saber towards [member="Javik Quar-Kai"]. The blade would come within inches and Reverance was unsure as to whether the large being would attempt to defend or not. It didn't really matter, that wasn't the point. He froze and drew their attention to his left hand, which was jutted out perpendicular to his body. "This is a common error. The body has the tendency to push the unused arm out, attempting to balance the offset of the inertia from the initial attack. But when it's out this far..." He waved his arm to emphasize it's lack of placement in the current sphere of attack. "It serves no purpose. I don't want to see your arms out here, I want to see them tucked in and prepared for use. Right here..." He patted his core again. "Where all your weight is focused."

He retracted from his attacking position and gave the Makashi salute. "So, shall we talk all day or shall we spar?"

 

[Dr. Xris]

Javik followed the movement through his advanced hearing and his third set of arms, the ones that wore guantlets rose up slightly as if he was going to intercept but he did not. Javik assumed his teacher was show casing a move and he was. Only problem was that Javik and his weapons didnt fit the form II style and Using only a training saber would be interesting since he mainly uses Force powers. Javik blinked and thought.

Broadcasting his thoughts << " I do believe you are right, it is time for action but... My combat style does not fit Form II at all. So I will do my best to defend." >> Javik smirked and struggled to find a nice grip on the training saber, it was short and nothing like his own blades. Activating it he bowed to both of them and nodded.

[member="Reverance"]
[member="Arturious Engel"]

 

[Arturious Engel]

[member="Reverance"] [member="Javik Quar-Kai"]

Arturious smiled.

"Your class your rules."

 

[Reverance]

"By my leave...then." He bowed his head to the two and paused for a moment, contemplating the idea of fighting a being as large as [member="Javik Quar-Kai"]. Reverance would hardly consider combating this figure with Makashi, as he doubted the tagging nature of this form and it's abilities against him. [member="Arturious Engel"] was a bit more of a mystery, uninviting in his intentions or capabilities. The certainty of Javik and his size was almost calming as Reverance opened his eys and employed something that he considered one of his apex abilities, Force Speed. Drawing the force into him and reflecting a sinister intent at odds with his almost soothing nature, he moved in a burst of speed that blurred his movements. The red saber lashed out at [member="Arturious Engel"], aiming to merely tap him on the left side of the neck. just along the sternocleidomastoid muscle. In a typical attack, Reverance would apply far greater power, but he was intent on teaching this basic concept first. His next attack was a flick of the wrist, rotating up and around Arturious, looking to hit him hard on the right hip. This attack was an almost immediate counter attack and would be unabated by Arturious' attempt to either block or not, as if intentionally ricocheting. His next attack was a quick crossover, extending his right arm out, to his own right, to pop off a single attack on Javik Quar-Kai, likely just above waist level.

Reverance was in a difficult spot for adequately training these two, as the disparity in size made uniform fighting technique difficult at best. Nevertheless, his left arm stayed tucked in and prepared for usage should either opponent properly defend against the attacks.

 

[Dr. Xris]

Javik tilted his Red blade down enabling a simple block, It did not require alot of energy either it was a technique that closely followed Form V Shien. One of Javiks favorite styles and one he used often in variations. This time he utilized the minimalist movement to achieve the block, Keeping his other arms crossed against his chest and smiled. Though blind Javiks sonar & sensory sight was picking up everything, with all the movement Javik could see clear as day.

[member="Reverance"]
[member="Arturious Engel"]

 

[Arturious Engel]

[member="Reverance"] [member="Javik Quar-Kai"]


Arturious watched and listening to Reverance wondering when it was going to come knowing at some point he was going to stopping talking and either engage one of them or have them engage each other. When Reverance lashed out to the left side of his neck Arturious merely took a half step back leaning out of range of the first attack bring his saber around to bounce off the attack at his hip interrupting the movement while at the same time creating the momentum cross slash at the right side of Reverance's neck.

 

[Reverance]

Choices. Reverance had them all and in a multi-axis combat, he could have spent a day discerning all the appropriates methods to avoid this attack or deflect it. He felt, with an inner psychy in full agreement, motivated by the entertainment of a good fight, that a reflex that focused on one of his points, illustrated before practical application, would be appropriate. Where Reverance's neck was during the initial attack had been modified since then, with his attack against [member="Javik Quar-Kai"], though not enough to leave [member="Arturious Engel"] attack completely unnecessary. And had Reverance not the forethought to expect a mirrored attack, this position would have left him seemingly vulnerable. It wasn't a position he often took and this specific event was no exception.

Reverance leaned his head back and slightly to the left, and rotated his right wrist a full 180 degrees, parallel to the ground, so that the blade would swoop just above him, coming in time to deflect the incoming attack. Of course, he lifted his right shoulder just slightly to reduce the amount of movement his neck would have to drop, potentially reducing his view of the combat. All the while, his weight was entirely in his core. The inertia from the attack gave Reverance the force he needed to focus forward, after deflecting the initial attack, to continue the blades path towards the inside of [member="Arturious Engel"] strike zone, just on the inside of the chest where his free hand should be lingering. Reverance was no longer using the force to modify his speed, as that was entirely used to the close the distance between he and his temporary students. Even so, he had a speed and flexibility that no man of his proportions should have, born of years in combat and training similar to this scenario.

 

[Arturious Engel]

[member=Reverance] [member="Javik Quar-Kai"] ((ooc: sorry I keep forgetting this thread exists))

Arturious kept his free handn close bringing the his saber up flicking his wrist flipping the blade pointing down to block the strike using the follow through to create an opening his free hand joining the hilt bring his saber down into a vertical strike towards Reverance's saber shoulder. For the moment Arturious was content to keep things simple and not chain together multiple strikes until he was sure whether the Sith Lord was going to slip into a detectable and therefore predictable pattern.

 

[Reverance]

Circles obtain sinuosity with relative ease and application of tangential force, which Reverance did as he was intercepted by the dual handed block. This movement was for the sole purpose of rotating his waist and core to the right, rotating the focus of his opponents attack out of the way. Where Reverance's shoulder once was, it no longer was, leaving saber to meet air and potentially ground. The attack, with this counter, would leave the sabers path just in front of Reverance's chest. In doing so, Reverance brought his elbow up and flicked saber back over, aiming to hit [member="Arturious Engel"] on the right side of his neck. In the same movement, Reverance collected his thoughts, focusing power into his left arm. This attack leaves the Sith Lord open to a wide area of attack from his opponent and as such, he prepared himself to counter with his free hand.

[member="Javik Quar-Kai"]

 

[Arturious Engel]

[member="Reverance"] [member="Javik Quar-Kai"]

Arturious let the missed strike follow down below Reverance's waist letting go with his right hand flipping his wrist slashing back up across the Sith Lord's torso. His right hand would pull in tight to his side before thrusting out a closed fist towards the man's chest

 

[Reverance]

This would become a matter of which attack would hit first. Unfortunately for [member="Arturious Engel"], the switching from a two handed downward swing to a single handed upward swing to the right (with the left hand) would require a great deal of effort, unable to match the speed of the flick of the elbow produced by Reverance. However, this also put Reverance in an awkward position because, despite his attack successfully striking Arturious against the neck, it would lock his saber in place, as it was a training saber and they were not as quick to ignite and extinguish as his modified saber. He felt the smack of the saber against his armor and released a force push from his left arm, effectively separating the two in a sliding manner. In a typical fight, he would have employed tutaminis, effectively disarming his opponent. But that wasn't the point of this fight.

Reverance looked towards the student and smiled. "You force yourself into a zugzwang. You can't survive a vital blow to the neck, I can survive a punch however. Remember, lightsaber combat will never be void of the force." He gave the makashi salute with a twirl of the saber. "Proper technique, you have the capacity for this form. Will we call it a day or would you like to continue?"

[member="Javik Quar-Kai"]