A mentor?

[Meili Shaw]

Meili heard an unfamiliar voice. Coming from an odd angle. She tilted her head to the side and looked from the training dummy but she didn't see anyone, was her mind playing tricks on herself? She paused for a moment and heard the voice again. Making a statement that she had become a killer. "So what if I am?! I enjoyed it! Stupid voice." The girl's eyes climbed the building til her eyes saw a unfamiliar face. She recognized the man in a eerie sort of way, as though it was a vivid memory. She remembered the man, she wasn't sure as to why she did but it seem so.....She couldn't even put a word on it.

Meili found contempt staring at the tall man. But, it wasn't enough to tear her around from the rage that she was feeling. She was ashamed of his actions, thought she knew no actions that were taken against her. Then the voice called in her mind again, "Killing an Innocent is and forever will be unforgivable." She didn't care, there was no such thing as innocence, and killing the ignorant and stupid was necessary anyway. Her code meant survival to become the best, no matter what. This wouldn't allow her to cover, or hide actions as she never did. She murdered many outright to gain what she was and that was powerful and ever growing. With her skills, she could have found a different way to handle the situation. But she didn't this was her choice, this is want she had wanted. She glared at the familiar but unfamiliar face then gripped the hilt of her blade tightly with both hands and twirled it around rapidly. She suddenly stopped, and took a moment to admire the blade. Their was no more blood on it. She then rested the blade on her chest and turned away.

Her eyes opened widely, seeing the bright blue sky as she looked up from laying down in the training court. She smirked at the sky this time. "Oh, just another strange dream. This one even made less sense than the other one." She said with a faint smile, "What do you plan on doing, Meili? Oh I don't know aside from having creepy dream and hearing things, I should train." She said to herself with a giggle. And in that instant she was on her feet with a blade in her hand, the dummy slowly sliding from being cut in half. "3.02 seconds....Too slow. I need to be faster." She stated out loud. Then an eerie feeling went down her spine like a chill but with needles. What was this? It was dark, but it was powerful. She couldn't help but smile but feel nervous at the same time, she turned around to face the direction of where the aura was coming from raising her blade up ready for a fight.

[member="Darren Shaw"]

 

[Garza]

I watched as those below me trained in the use of many weapons.

Each person down there was different. Using weapons ranging from fists, swords, sabers, even a few slugthrowers and blasters were down there. Each one training to become more proficient in the use of their weapon. However, one of these students caught my eye in particular. The young girl looked to be in her late teens, possible early twenties. Definitely an Echani. All of our kind closely resembled each other. Males had the more shaper toned faces and had the body that half of the galaxy wished to have. While the other wanted the female body with the soft face. All of us had silver eyes and the white mixed with silver hair. Depending on your blood line, you could also get blue or a grey eye color.

Mine however was a mix between blue and green. Almost a teal color. It looked strange considering my body type. None the less, I watched as this student was doing very well in her sword combat. Clearly she used an Echani vibrosword. I only wondered if she used an Echani Brand as well. The double bladed weapons of the Echani know to be used by the Fire dancers were very rare among our kind. However if the skill that she already possessed with a blade, I doubt that it would have been out of the question.

I had my own Echani vibrosword in my hand. Rather than being around a meter in length, Mine was over. Reaching about one and two thirds of a meter. Or in otherwords, a little over five feet in length. WHile I stood almost seven feet tall. I moved myself around the grounds. Ever watching the girl as she then proceeded to cut the dummy in half. I smiled as I then walked up to her from behind. Testing her skill of the precognition that most if not all Echani had since they first started learning to use a blade, she spun around with her weapon at the ready.

I held up both hands and slowly clapped to her. My sword sitting in the crook of my arm as I did so. But after removing it with my left hand, I held it out, and the pointed to her with an open hand, "Would you care for a spar my sister?" I did not know her name. But Because she was of my kind, I called her as such. All echani were family with one another. You messed with one of us, then you mess with all of us.

"Your skill with a blade is very good. However, I would like to see you against a real foe. Not a sack of fluff."

[member="Meili Shaw"],

 

[Meili Shaw]

He was powerful, she could tell that but she was smarter, more skilled, with her serum no matter how big he was physically she was at least ten times stronger and faster. On top of all that she had her hyper-kinetic abilities that increased her senses that made her skill set better than the all of her fellow echani. Or so she believed. "I don't know why you are here or where you came from, you strange little man." She said jokingly. But, in all seriousness, there was a feeling that was overwhelming her, that she couldn't control, or rather didn't want to control. She began to shake, only a fool wouldn't fear the man that stood before her but that wasn't the reason she was shaking. It was the fact that she was getting more excited than she should.

She gripped her vibro-blade tightly with one hand and went into her stance. "But you want to spar with me?" She said with a grin while in her stance. "Sure, why not? Just don't cry like the other fools when you lose." She looked at him up and down. Telling by how he looked and the way he spoke he was a fellow echani. So she had to assume that he had training in the art of echani martial arts. On top of which the man was nearly two feet taller than she was and his blade was ridiculously long. His range will be stupidly greater than her own, that was obvious. So what she had to was eliminate his greatest advantage he had over her and had to get in close. But charging in recklessly despite her physical advantage would be a 'I really want to die move'.

So, a frontal attack was out of the question and maneuvering would also be a fool's errand cause if he is skilled he would just counter and attack her with ease. No, she didn't know anything about this man's abilities, so really any attack would be idiotic on her end. Still she was really confident in her own skill and she was the best of the best in her class. She calmed herself slightly and kept the smile on her face dropping her stance and lowering her blade. "You want to taste my blade so bad? Be a gentleman and come and get it, Brother." She said mockingly to him. This way if he attacked he could close the distance between them for her and she would be able to see his moves as well learn how he reacted to things.

[member="Darren Shaw"]

 

[Garza]

I smirked as she had called me a little man. I was just the opposite. And that was the joke if it was one. I smiled as she had confidence in her voice. Saying that she didn't want me to cry while I ran away with my tail between my legs like an injured dog. Already she examined the weapon I used. A very long form of the vibrosword, I used it much more easily than others. being that I was almost seven feet tall, a five foot blade was, to me, childs play. She beckoned me forward. Trying to find a way past my defenses by wanting me to mess up.

I have been fighting since I was a mere 7 years old. Bullys on the school playground, people I hated, other soldiers, Jedi, Sith, Dark Jedi, even my own father. I had almost 40 years of fighting in my blood and veins. However, with the Vakyri genes, I looked barely over my mid twenties to my low thirties. I was almost fifty. Twice my age. And yet, I was nowhere near my prime years. I smiled. While my left hand was gripped softly around the blade holding the grip out to my new foe, I changed it to my right. The hand and a half grip felt natural to me. It was not an extension of my arm, it was my arm. I was the sword, and the sword was me.

I brought the sword up in the traditional Echani salute before a battle, and began to walk forwards about two steps to close the gab before swiping my long sword towards her left arm. In the follow through, I came back to hit at her right arm. My right arm pulling back as it came across her, and in to a stab. My blade was light lighting. Fast and quick, yet accurate enough to slice a bean in half between a man's fingers.

[member="Meili Shaw"]

 

[Meili Shaw]

She watched as he took a mere two steps to close the distance between the two of them. Remarkable, there was still a good distance between them and all it took was two steps for him to do so. In comparison, her arms and blade was not nearly as look it would take at least four or five steps for her blade to be in range for an attack. Which meant more movement on her end, not much movement but regardless a single mis-step would be lethal. She watched as he made his movement it was so fast a normal person even a fully-trained echani soldier would have difficulty keeping up.

But not for her, with her abilities on top of her super soldier serum she as able to keep up with his movements. At least for the most part. She quickly blocked and parried the blow when he switched to a stab. Without wasting a movement, she charge in two steps and spun instead of using her blade, she spun and side kicked aiming for the man's chest.

[member="Darren Shaw"]

 

[Garza]

The woman was fast. Faster than most other echani I have met. Meaning that there was some kind of augmentation to her. Which was fine with me, however as she parried my three strikes to her, she came to spin around. Spinning meant one of two things in a battle. She was going to use her blade next, or her foot. However, a small, very small, twinge showed me that it was the foot. Mostly because her foot was rising off the ground as she came towards me. While she was not within the length of the sword, I took a step back to have the sole of her boot slide across where I once was.

Her boot caught onto a little bit of the fabric that I wore for my coat, and so she tried to pull me along with the follow through, however, she was very much open to an attack. With her only on one foot, I came to crouch down and swing my leg underneath her own. Attempting to trip her up. However, if I missed or not, As I rose, I came up with my sword in a very acute angle of an uppercut that if made contact with, would only likely cut her skin, but not cause too much damage to repair with a simple medic kit, or the force.

However, as a person with an uppercut exposed a portion of their side to their foe, I was open on my left side. Moreso, I looked to be unguarded on my left. I still had my arm, as well the five foot long blade was thin enough to easily cut through the air to my left side should it be needed. Rarely was anyone known to have the ability to protect all sides of oneself with a single blade. I however, could do that.

[member="Meili Shaw"]

 

[Meili Shaw]

This was beginning to show that this was really a one sided fight and it was start to piss her off. There was no way someone could be this good, only she could be this good against a foe! From her single leg she flipped backwards and normally she was fast enough to make up for leaving herself so open but this wasn't the case. What she had planned was to dodge the obvious incoming blow and sweep him with both of her legs using great momentum and strength just to show off how great she was. But when she saw the uppercut strike coming she narrowly blocked her torso but he was able to cut open her leg. "Ugh!" She let out with a angry growl as she landed painfully on her thigh.

How could this HAPPEN!?!

She was the top of her class, she was the smartest, she was the fastest, the strongest, the most skilled even before her serum. She was able to see his moves but couldn't react fast enough to keep up against him. WHAT WAS HE?! She growl out of spite and anger as she stood up revealing that her wound has already heal. "How dare you, strike my perfect skin!" She shouted at him. She lifted he arm and let out a powerful force push with everything she had.

[member="Darren Shaw"]

 

[Garza]

She looked absolutely repulsed to see that I had cut her skin open on her leg. While the cloth was still torn, she stood up to be relatively healed back up. The thing about being able to heal rapidly, is that it takes high amounts of nutrition. meaning that she would wear out much faster than normal as well if she did not think about how she fought others. From her attitude, she usually won within a few strikes and was ready to move onto the next person. However, I was just not "the next person" in line. I was the last person in line.

I smiled defiantly as she raised her arm. I did as well, and while she sent a force push at me, I sent one stronger. and more concentrated. Most users of the force relied on the brute force of the push. While I used a condensed form. It was concentrated over a smaller surface area. Meaning there was less input of power, for the output to be many times greater than a normal force push.

While my push would almost literally cut through hers, I was still hit with the remaining surface area of the push sent at me. it made me slide back about a meter, but I feared that the other woman, would be pushed back even farther.

"Don't worry, I can give you some more of those."

[member="Meili Shaw"]

 

[Meili Shaw]

She watched as he raised his arm as well, releasing the same energy as she did, but there was a difference. His power was so much greater but there was a difference from hers and his. In that moment she began to calculate every thing, when she let out her force push, it was spread wide where as his was smaller, it was much more powerful. She had to adapt quickly, she was smarter than this, she couldn't just let him push her around like this.

"I am a goddamn princess!"

She thought to herself before she was pushed back by his very energy. It felt like he lit a brick on fire and threw it square at her face, begin sent flying across the room and rolling only to be stopped by the closest wall. She stood up slowly panting, her blade lowered to the ground; she looked at the man with angered eyes. As much as she hated him for embarrassing her like this, she couldn't help but respect his prowess. She stood up straight and popped her neck getting back into stance, she felt his energy and had a better grasp for it when it hit her. As it was the echani way, they learn best through combat.

She closed her beautiful steel blue eyes and raised a hand once more. "You will see that I still have a lot more bite left. I am not a slab of meat to be sliced up and thrown away!!" She shouted. She honed to only him now, no where else, she concentrated hard and sent out a mighty blow while keeping her tired body braced back against back against the wall. "FEEL THE MIGHT OF MEILI SHAW!"

[member="Darren Shaw"]

 

[Garza]

A smirk came to my face as she was stopped by the wall behind her. She slowly stood up. Clearly she had taken more of a mental beating than a physical beating. With this large gap in our power, I came to move forward towards her. Closing the gap between the two of us every few steps at a time. She then spoke. Saying that she was not just a piece of meat to be thrown. I smiled when she raised her hands I did as well. However I stopped when I heard her name.

[member="Meili Shaw"]

I knew that name. It was very rare to have a name of Shaw. I have never met anyone else with the name of Shaw. With the hidden past of mine, I was sure that the little girl I went to see when I was a Sith, was surely not this girl who was fighting very well, and had the ability to heal rapidly. Looking up at her, "Sh-" I couldn't even finish the question because of her releasing a powerful force push. Sending me back, I used my sword stabbing it into the ground and slowing myself to simply move back three meters instead of the whole amount of distance. I raised a stop hand, "Stop!"

I waited a second before speaking, "Did you say your name was Meili Shaw?"

 

[Meili Shaw]

She dropped down to a knee when he called out to stop. Yeah, after that attack she wouldn't want to mess with here again. She giggled at the thought but when she looked up and saw him again unharmed. She was slightly disheartened but the overwhelming need to be better took hold. Deep down she knew after fighting him that attack wouldn't do much and she was thinking of a way to defeat him. But then his words struck her ear, he spoke as if he knew her and her name. Shaw was a rare name indeed especially for echani, how would he know? She scuffed while using her sword to keep her up.

"That's me Meili Shaw. The one and only." She stated proudly.

[member="Darren Shaw"]

 

[Garza]

She answered me with a yes. Saying plainly yet with confidence that she was who she said she was. I ran a hand on my forehead moving up to the roots of my hair and my scalp. Messing up the long platinum hair. Turning to her, I licked my lips. Unsure of how to say this. I walked towards her. Rather quickly, but with no fighting intended. When I got close enough to her, I stopped. Opening my mouth to speak, I stopped. I shook my head then started over again.

"Did you have a nameless father, and an Echani Mother?"

I closed my eyes. Hoping that this was just a mistake. that her name was not really what it was. She could not be. No. She could not be my Daughter.

[member="Meili Shaw"]

 

[Meili Shaw]

No. No. No. How? Why? Why would ask a question like that? But the better question was, why did he ask like he sounded like he knew the answer? There were rare moments where she felt like her intelligence was more a curse and this was one of them. She wouldn't believe it, couldn't, didn't. She pieced every thing together rather quickly. He went from all powerful, stern, calm to hesitant and unsure. The man she was searching for four years was standing right in front of her. This couldn't be true, this wasn't real. For the first time ever since her birth. Tears began to roll down her soft cheeks, a whimper released from her light lips. "Y-yes..." She said softly in a weak tone. "You're....you're a shaw....aren't you?" She asked in return.

[member="Darren Shaw"]

 

[Garza]

I could see the tears start to slip from her eyes. Still she answered me. Saying yes. Her already working mind came to the conclusion that I was a Shaw as well. Taking this into account, I expected reactions from her to range from becoming enraged and start attacking me, to breaking down and crying with hugs all around. I was prepared for the worst. I nodded my head. My stomach was clenched tight as I spoke. "My name is Darren Shaw." I gulped in for a second and finished what I wanted to say. "Meili, I am your Father."

[member="Meili Shaw"]

 

[Meili Shaw]

It went from light tears to full on burst. Nothing prepped her for the day where she would actually meet her father especially under circumstances such as this. For years she hated him, only knowing his last name. He left her and her mother after all. "I..." She shouted at the top of her lungs, dropping her blade and slapping him across the face then beating him on his chest with her fist but within that flurry she held back but still poured out her heart. "You left mom and I.....You bastard!" She didn't even honestly know what to say to him. As much as she hated the fact that he was gone, it drove her to be great. So in her mind when they met he would see just how great she was, how strong, beautiful, and intelligent she was. Not like this, fighting him and the fight so embarrassingly one-sided.

Slowly she started to stop and nuzzle her face against his chest. So warm, so strong, so safe. Her cries echoed throughout the room, never did she ever think that she would cry this much to see him. A man she didn't even know but went out of home for four years to search for without much clue where to start. She hated him, she loved him, she scorned him, she missed him. All these emotions surged in her very being but eventually she held him as tightly as could dropping her weight making him follow her until she was allowed to cry onto his lap. "[member="Darren Shaw"].....That's your name......Darren Shaw.......You idiot......I......" She continued to cry and murmur to herself keeping her hold on her father.

 

[Garza]

The slap had hurt. Her yelling made me cringe, but despite that, I let her hit me. I even dropped my sword to get rid of the temptation to defend myself. Eventually she stopped and was holding onto me. Crying as I had somewhat expected. Shrugging off the jacket I wore, I was clad in a simple T-shirt. I allowed her to lean against me. Her tears soaking my shirt where her face was pressed up against my chest. I knew what she must feel like. My father had beaten me as a child. He was just acting though. It was a very long story of him being a Jedi Knight that was trying to infiltrate the Sith Empire.

I slowly wrapped my arms around her. My daughter. My child. I had created life with another person. And this was the first time that I ever got to even touch her. A few tears were on my face as well. I lowered myself to the ground in which she sat on my lap. Continuing to hold her as she spoke my name. "I'm here. Shhhh I am here." I had a hand on the back of her head as she was up against me. Feeling her shaking form within my arms.

I held her. Not wanting to let her go ever again. "I won't leave you again. I promise you."

[member="Meili Shaw"]

 

[Meili Shaw]

She gripped him tightly, her father was finally within her reach within her touch. He was a real person, she was starting to think after using the serum that she may of just been a clone too. But no, here he was living and breathing. From that made who was taking enjoyment in the heat of the battle, she felt his warm heart his kind soul. He held her back not nearly as tightly but just as warm and kind. A side she never expected to see from a man like this, she looked up at him after feeling a single drop of tear and saw that his real face. This made her do a awkward laugh as she cried and raised a hand to wipe her father's tear.

Already he was showing her everything she wanted in a father, compassionate, kind but strong and so powerful. She smiled widely at him when he reassured her that he wasn't going to leave her again. "I'll hold you too that, now that I found you....Or rather you found me." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I never want to lose you." She said with a slight laugh once more only to cry. She revealed that she too although confident and over-bearing she too had a soft side that only family could ever touch.

[member="Darren Shaw"]

 

[Garza]

She continued to hold onto me. Even using her finger to wipe away the tear on my face. She looked up to me from where she sat on my lap. I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "We never want to lose someone. Nor do we want to do something that may hurt those we love." I pulled her close to me. Fearing that if I let her go that this would be the last time I would see her. "We have a lot to talk about, but we can do that at a later date."

I felt so... good? I knew that my daughter was not helpless, nor was she in any real danger. I held her out at an arm's length now. Looking at her. "You have grown a lot since I last saw you." Chuckling. I pulled her towards me and held her like a giant child. "You were only yey big." I remembering holding her as a small little girl. And I would watch from afar. Now I could actually see her for who she is. Talk to her. It was. Overwhelming.

[member="Meili Shaw"]

 

[Meili Shaw]

She hasn't been embrace as closely as this since she had left home years ago, the fact of the matter was she hated being held especially like a small child. 'I've come so far in my youth, I'm the strongest, fastest......Smartest but...' She thought to herself as close her eyes tightly as more tears dripped from her eyes. This stranger, up and comes into her life and next thing she knew, she had found her father. She gripped her fathers shirt tightly while still nuzzling him on his chest like that of a toddler. She hated this, feeling so vulnerable but here she was allowing this to happen, could she really blame herself though? No. This was probably the best feeling, being able to let it all out like this instead of having to hide all her feelings behind a smile or her over-confidence.

She was gathering the words to say to him only for it to be choked out by more crying as she spoke of her in even younger day. She let out a laugh looking up at him with a slight smile before nuzzling him tightly once more. "I was the cutest, I did you not recognize me right away?" She asked jokingly as she basked in his warmth. She understood why, it has been a long time since they have actually seen each other more than 16 years in fact but she couldn't help but toss out that joke.

[member="Darren Shaw"] (Sorry for taking SOOOOO long! as....I always do but still...Sorry)

 

[Garza]

I smiled as she quipped at me. Not realizing who she was. As she lay in my lap, I held her closely. Not daring to let go, I leaned down and kissed her forehead as she smiled up at me. "I remember you as a child, and now I know you as an adult." I pushed her away from me for a moment, only so I could stand up, "Come with me, Let's talk about what has happened to you." I held out my hand for her to grab, seeing as how I never got to do this, I thought it was appropriate.

[member="Meili Shaw"]