A Step Into The Unknown

[Connor Harrison]

The Mountain Home
Toprawa, Kalamith Sector​

Home to rancors and witches, Dathomir wasn't the quietest of places for an eager Padawan to find themselves. Aria Vale wanted to go there, but right now wasn't the best time to wander into Mando space un-invited. He had, however, sent word to his contact in the ranks to grant them permission to visit the sacred planet.

Connor Harrison now stood outside the Mountain Home, a quiet place on the planet Toprawa just outside Silver Jedi and Mando borders. A neutral world with nothing but the natives to contend with. Large spires reached up to the grey sky formed out of giant tree trunks and rock, with the settlements and villages below. A number of them jutted out into the horizon and provided a great many places, peoples and possible dangers to encounter.

Waiting for the eager Padawan to join him out of the Ranger shuttle that had brought the pair for their little expedition. It was quiet, calm and the misty morning was refreshing.

Looking out over the planet, Connor clasped his hands behind his back and inhaled slowly. This was a journey for Aria, on her terms and her pace - but Connor would make sure to push her just a little to make her the Jedi she wanted to be.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

It had been almost a month since Aria had last left Voss; even with her omnipresent level of caution, the challenge and excitement of a proper adventure were getting to be irresistible. Now, at last, she was going off to explore alongside her Master, her initial request of Dathomir having been traded for Toprawa so as to not get interrupted by territorial Mandalorians.

Having just landed by the Mountain Home, Aria joined Connor and took a moment to admire the view. The crisp morning air and scenic landscape lifted her spirits considerably, enough that it justified the early start at least. She hadn't visited the planet before, but from her little bit of research she knew it to be a peaceful one where their expedition would go undisturbed, and from the vantage point it was easy to tell that its many cliffs and caves and forests would make for good adventure.

"It's nice here," Aria said, breaking the silence. "Ever been before?"

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

”No,” he said with mild surprise, ”I don’t think I have in all my years. A first time for everything.”

He turned to the girl and noted how ready she looked; always ready, always eager. Both good and bad. But mostly good, in his eyes anyway.

”So I guess we go where the wind takes us. We can explore the settlement before us and see what comes our way, or we can for a run across the wild undergrowth or simply find a spot and work on your abilities.” He glanced back to the planet before them. ”Consider this your step into the unkown, but I’ll be there to guide you.”

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

"Hmm..." Aria took another sweeping glance across the landscape, "...let's explore first - the spires?" The tall structures dotted around the surrounding settlement had caught her eye - it seemed impossible that each wouldn't hold something of intrigue.

Following after the Rogue, Aria took off at a brisk but steady walking pace, not wanting to run but not wanting to fall behind either. Often she would slow her pace just to take a good look around, but overall she kept up with Connor. When one of the spires, this one being particularly tall, came into a close walking distance, Aria fought a smile back. "Race you."

She was almost certain that she had just dug herself into a hole, but the temptation was too great to resist. With just a moment's hesitation to ensure that her challenge had been accepted, Aria would accelerate, sprinting across the remaining field. Likely enough she would lose, but she was choosing not to trouble herself with that fact.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor looked to the tallest spire closest to them, and while he was up for that he was wary what lay ahead. About to speak up, Aria was off. This one was trouble. Watching Aria break into a run, Connor chuckled and shook his head.

So eager. So full of energy!

Starting a gentle walk, Connor followed as he watched her run out across the field, glancing over to make sure he was following.

Extending his hand to brush across the thin grass, he inhaled the fresh hair and looked around. He stopped, pushing a foot into the ground, and suddenly broke into a run. His cape billowed out over the grass and he saw the world around him slow a little more, and Aria was ahead, slowing down; her hair, tunic, clothing all billowing out like art as he reached her.

He ran a little more ahead, and stopped, his body rushing with adrenalin after the Force burst to his muscles.

”Are you running or walking?” He shouted out to her.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

"Neither," Aria shouted back with a grin and a roll of her eyes, "I'm actually flying, couldn't you tell?"

Slowing to a halt as she reached the spire just a second behind Connor, Aria blew a strand of hair out of her face and took a moment to catch her breath. The gnarled trunk of the structure was full of small openings, one or two that were big enough to be used as an entrance. Glancing upwards, she could see some lights illuminating the spire from the outside, suggesting that people had climbed all the way to the top before. Not too dangerous then.

After rapidly surveying the rocky base of the spire to map out a route to the opening, Aria quickly but carefully scaled the first few feet before pausing at the gap in the structure to take a look. It was like the inside of a cave, dark and full of scurrying creatures that seemed to be everywhere but where impossible to actually locate. Intriguing, but there didn't seem to be that much to explore from the inside - although it did seem the place to find one of those funny green creatures with the wrinkled ears whose name Aria could never remember.

"D'you reckon we'd be able to climb to the top?" Aria asked, craning her head up to try and see where the spire ended.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Taking a few breaths after the run, Connor looked up with her to the spire and nodded.

"I’m sure we could. It’s been done before, and I’ve climbed worse. It just depends if you feel confident enough. I mean I expect there will be settlers up there, but as long as we don’t rock the boat then we should be fine."

He walked up to the spire, craning his head to see it rising into the clouds and looming like a giant.

"Don’t forget, when you get to the top, you’re going to have to climb all the way back down."

Or at least, that’s what she would expect if she hadn’t looked closer enough to see what Connor had seen at the top of the spire. He smiled.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

"We can cross that bridge when we come to it."

Grinning, Aria gripped onto a chunk of rock jutting out of the spire and began to climb. The wind wasn't strong and the base of the structure was wide and full of holds, so for a good while the climb was fairly straightforward even for an amateur such as herself - however, even for someone with relatively good stamina the strenuous nature of the climb soon caught up to her, and quickly she began to slow. Good thing there were plenty of branches wide enough to sit on on the way up.

Meanwhile, Connor seemed to be completely at home with the challenge.

"Do a lot of climbing?" she asked, eager for something to distract from her steadily more tired muscles.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

So it began, and he embraced it. Almost what he had done on Rhen Var as a Padawan all those years ago - but he hoped Aria showed more focus and common sense than he had. He moved with the Force as his ally, helping him overcome any muscle tire or fatigue. Not that he needed it; this was childs play. Footholds and hand-grips would lead them up to the higher base of the spire where they would find a settlement.

"This? This is nothing...you want to try scaling a mountain on Rhen Var...or waterfall on Naboo..."

He grinned as he pulled himself over the bark lip and turned, holding out an arm for his student to use. Hopefully she wouldn't take it.

"...or even a Star Destroyer on Jakku. Spires are easy."

The settlement was only a basic wooden village, but it lead to higher in the spire and more ways to climb or walk to the top.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

"Show-off," Aria muttered under her breath as Connor pulled himself over the edge as if he'd done it a thousand times before. Pointedly ignoring the arm offered, she took a second to readjust her footing before using a burst of Force-fuelled energy to help her over the lip of the spire, where she remained sprawled on the grassy patch that housed a small wooden village for a good minute before getting up. Climbing was fun, but it was by far more tiring than she'd been anticipating when she suggesting scaling the spire.

"Ah, well this is nice," Aria said cheerily, struggling to her feet. "Yeah, uh...don't put me down for scaling Star Destroyers. Not yet, anyway." She really wanted to lie down, but just barely didn't.

Looking around, Aria took in the little settlement. "Alright! So, now what? Meditation? Force-sleeping?" she asked hopefully.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor walked around the wooden decking that spread out across the whole floor of the spire. Small huts were dotted around the circular area but it seemed abandoned. Lanterns hung now burnt out, wooden barrels full of water dotted around. His boots clicked gently as he inspected.

"Well, this seems rather desolate. I could make this my little hide-away." He peered into a small hut; nothing of interest. He came back out. "No time for napping, Aria. We’re not here for a holiday."

Walking back around, he went to the wooden barrels closest and pulled up some wooden poles used to stack them with. About the size of a lightsaber – convenient.

He banged them together, gauging the strength with a curious smile.

"How about we see how you are with a blade. You may climb many places in your time, or run, or expel energy, but if you come face to face with an enemy, what do you do? Ask for sleep? No." He tossed a pole to her. "What do you do?"

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

"Alright, alright." Aria took an involuntary step back as she caught the pole a second before it hit her face. "I hit them and then ask for sleep."

She tossed the pole about a foot up, catching it at the base, where the hilt would be were it her lightsaber, and gave it an experimental twirl before closing a hand around it again. For a second, she adjusted her grip and stance to see what felt more natural - she'd never realised how little thought she put into the starting position - before holding it diagonally across her body and bringing it forwards in a broad horizontal sweep as she took a step towards Connor. Bending slightly at the knees, she brought her other hand to the hilt and rocked on her heels as she prepared to defend against his counterattack.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Not trying to smile too much at her tired, exaggerated moaning, Connor tapped the pole on the ground and waited for her to make a move. He saw it coming a mile off. He stepped back casually out of the way.

"Put a little effort into it."

He raised the pole and moved it in slow motion to make a point.

"I work Djem So. Form five. It's countering an attack, and then counter-attacking using their momentum and strength against them. It's repelling a blaster bolt and slicing their hand off when you get close enough. It's blocking a blade to your head and taking their own with your counter."

Connor stepped back, waited and moved forward with his pole suddenly behind his head about to come crashing down on her shoulder in a vertical swipe down that would, if real, cleave her in two.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

Aria very nearly rolled her eyes at Connor's explanation. She was vaguely familiar with each of the forms, but had never really seen cause to learn the specifics of one. Someone swings a saber at you, you block them - that was how she fought. Still, learning a form properly was how most she knew went about it, so it couldn't be all bad. Djem So. Sounds good.

Then as he moved forwards, bringing the pole behind his head like a racket, Aria waited until the last second before stepping aside, letting it slice vertically through the air where her body had been a second ago - if he had leaned into the attack as much as he had appeared to, then her counter ought to unbalance him at least a little - and in one fluid move adjusted her footing to face him side-on before swinging her own pole into his back, putting a bit more strength into it than last time.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

By sidestepping, Aria gave Connor the foresight to what she would do next – again, it was predictable. As he went forward he brought up the pole to cover his back, and her weapon clacked on his. He held position, arms up, looking at her sideways.

"Now what do you do. Except being predictable."

He held position, arms up, looking at her sideways.

”You have the advantage. What’s your next move? You wait for me to make mine because I’m going to lash out to get out of this position."

Letting go with one hand, he turned around, the blade still in position and took it back in two, so his pole was under hers. Then, Connor slid it out and started forward, lunging the pole to her torso and arms forcing her back.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

This time Aria did roll her eyes as her attack was easily blocked again. She had never liked to fight in such an analytical and technical fashion for this exact reason - it threw her off her game. Admittedly, she would be performing much better had she not scaled a spire just moments ago, but as Connor would be quick to point out, one didn't get to choose when they fought. Fine then. She had a point to prove now.

As Connor lunged towards her, Aria had a split second to think of an 'unpredictable' reaction before conceding and stepping backwards as his pole swiped through the space where her body had been a second earlier. Sizing up the situation, Aria brought her pole up against his, as if to push it backwards against him, before suddenly taking one hand off and rapidly bringing the pole down to a horizontal line, forcefully jabbing the wooden end into his chest with a meaningful step forwards.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor didn’t block the hit and chose to let it hit, the wooden pole pushing up on his chest.

"Very good. Not what I expected and you used my blade to better your own. Again."

Over the course of the next 30mins, which felt like seconds to him, Connor continued to push Aria in thinking beyond her initial counter; sizing up the opponent by their stance and attitude. Where would they strike next? What direction were they facing? How did their strength waver?

He built up a steady rally of hits, to build her momentum and upper arm strength maintaining a defence.

"Don’t forget your surroundings, Aria," he said as he swept out with his foot to kick the back of her leg which was twisted at a funny angle and thus weaker.

He hoped to knock her down to her knee to prove a point she had to think about her body in the fight, not just where her hands had to be to hit or repel.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

Grinning as her hit was acknowledged as successful, Aria almost didn't noticed the counter attack and made an irritated noise as the hit half-struck home. Focus, Aria.

For what felt like hours, the spar continued, with Aria soon wondering how anybody got any fighting done with all the thinking they had to do for each move. Though the techniques got easier, she got more tired and holding her own got harder, to the point where she kept getting distracted with thoughts about whether or not Jedi took some fancy potion upon Masterhood to avoid ever losing energy. It would certainly explain a lot.

Turning sideways as she went to block an attack, Connor's warning gave her a split-second advance warning - which had her energy levels been higher might even have been enough - before a foot came to sweep her out by her angled knee.

"I don't like combat anymore," she grunted as she took the hit, her pole shielding against any potential hits as she brought one foot forwards, bringing the other round to hook his ankle.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He had to laugh at her whinging, and simply stepped to the side to let her kick breeze past him, and he span around behind her as she followed through and place the pole into her back.

"No need to worry about combat now, Aria. You’re dead. Sleep all you want."

With a gentle pat on her shoulder, he tossed the pole to the side, clattering on the wooden deck.

"That’s a taste of the form. We’ll work on it. Remember – it’s using the attacks and strength of your opponent to counter and use with an attack of your own. Like deflecting blaster shots – using their attack against them, alright?"

He ambled around her and looked to the wide spiral walkway that would take them higher. Connor turned and nodded up with his head.

"Come on. Up we go."

No rest for the wicked. She would learn to control her exhaustion in time. Hopefully.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

Frustrated at her lack of success, Aria flipped round and brought her pole up a second too late.

"Funny," she said, getting to her feet, "It's more sore than I expected it to be."

She tossed to pole as he did, stretching out her palms. Good riddance.

"Right." Listening to his explanation, she did her best to soak it in. "Manipulating your opponent's attack. Using their strength against them. Countering -" she stopped, turning to face him with a deadpan expresssion. "What was the last bit again?"

Walking on after him, her eyes followed his gaze - oh by the Force. More climbing, and Aria desperately wanted a cold drink and a nap. However, whether it had been done deliberately or not, Aria felt provoked, and so kept the torrent of complaints brewing in her mind from spilling out and instead stretched her face into a grin.

"Right then," she said, a silent 'challange accepted' hanging in the air as she started to climb the walkway. Her legs hated her for it, but Aria stubbornly kept moving. She'd really have to hunt down that potion when they got back.

[member="Connor Harrison"]