Private All warmed up and ready for action!

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Rodia - Nightclub
Outfit: Gym Attire
Tag: Colette

Colette had headed to her shower and Lily didn't mind. It was a luxurious shower, plenty of heat to it as well as power from the showerhead. Lily found it perfect for relaxing the body after a stressful day, pressure just right to unknit the knots that develop in a day. The Echani was too excited to jump in the shower so she dressed in her gym attire and made her way to the hotel's gym/training room. It wasn't the quality of gyms that Lily always made her own to be, they were ones designed for heavy fighting and intense training. This gym was more a general training area that was designed to appeal to the masses.

Stretching her limbs, Lily was ensuring that her body got warmed up and prepped for a sparring match. It had been a while since she had sparred with Colette and the Echani that the Jedi Knight would put up more of a fight than previous spars. It was also going to be interesting to see how far Lily has progressed as well and whether Colette could see that progression. Lily was interested in showing more of herself in their fights. Nothing that crossed from friendship but she couldn't help but want to develop that friendship bond deeper. Solidify Colette as her best friend and hopefully be seen as Colette's best friend as well.

That would be nice and it would be something that was long overdue in Lily's view. Something that had gotten off track a little.

For now, Lily wanted upon her friend's return and to see how Colette would be in preparations for a fight. Also curious how intense things would be after the night they had previously spent together. How would that change the ways in which Colette fought? Plenty of things to learn from Colette and Lily was all too keen to learn about them and know her friend even more than before.

 

[Colette]

The body was clean, the clothes weren't. At least except for the tights which weren't even Colette's in the first place. She had come dressed for a casual party last night and the room she had stayed at hadn't exactly been her own. Besides that she figured Lily wouldn't mind. Jeans were nice but ever so restricting. Odds were that they'd both be wanting to find out just exactly who had reach, and who had flexibility.

So, into the gym walked one Colette Noble. Dressed in a mildly stained off-white tank top, a pristine pair of tights that brushed ever so slightly against the edges of her low-cut canvas sneakers. It wasn't exactly the most elegant or well put together gym outfit, but she could only do so much with what she had been given.

"Hey," she said with a warm smile and approached Lily. "I uh, borrowed these from you. I hope you don't mind."

The nomad brushed her hand against her thigh. All things considered, the fit was nearly right. She followed the echani woman's cue and began to stretch and warm up. Her body was still a bit sore from yesterday's workout but nothing compared to the usual soreness she had. If anything this was almost downright pleasant.

"How do we wanna do this?" Colette asked with a curious, lingering glance at Lily's form. "We going all out like an actual fight, or do you want to take turns? Switch attacking and defending?"

Lily Decoria

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Rodia - Hotel Gym
Outfit: Gym Attire
Tag: Colette

Lily grinned as she saw Colette walk in wearing her leggings with Colette's top and her own sneakers. "It is perfectly find, I am just glad you found clothing that fit. I am guessing my tops might not have..." Lily blushed and grinned at the same time, knowing how very different their physiques were so it was obvious that sharing clothing might be difficult or have very amusing results in how different the outfit looked on each of them.

She blinked when Colette asked if they would be taking turns, "taking turns? No, no, this isn't a video game. We spar as normal, going all out." Lily affirmed, feeling her steady, slow rested heart rate. "Echani fighting happens normally... well, we probably move faster than a normal fighter would but it is about the movements demonstrating meaning. Sharing and reading what each move means, the history behind it and the importance place in it."

Moving into position, Lily took her usual Echani fighting stance, falling into a comfortable but secure position. "This is all about communication, speaking with your body and not your mouth. Allowing yourself to being as open and as vulnerable as you can be since the body cannot lie. It cannot hide." Her steel gaze looked over to Colette with a grin on her lips.

"When you are ready, show me what you can do."

 

[Colette]

Lily Decoria

They do that in video games? Colette blinked for a moment, she avoided those things. It took too much effort to master. Not to mention how badly the triplets or even Vera thrashed her in them. There were only so many 11-0's she could take before deciding it wasn't her thing.

Nonetheless, Colette listened as Lily explained the idea of their spar. The idea of sparring to get to know someone wasn't entirely alien. If you knew how someone acted on the defense and offense it could say a lot about a person. But this still felt different somehow. How was a punch supposed to tell much of anything about Colette's history that she hadn't already said before using her own words?

She shook her head and got into a ready stance at Lily's request.

"Sooo, no holds barred? Under-and-over the belt allowed?" Colette asked just to make sure before she began. "Avoid bruises? Gashes? Cuts?"

Still, she supposed she'd find out. Colette waited to focus herself up for a fight, and once ready she would open with a simple punch straight for Lily's shoulder with a non-committed slap.

She'd always preferred defense anyway.

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Rodia - Hotel Gym
Outfit: Gym Attire
Tag: Colette

Lily grinned and nodded her head, "no holding back, just don't aim to break a bone or dislocate one of my joints. Otherwise, we can get scrappy if that is the full expression of yourself." Lily stated, leaving it up to Colette to determine how gruelling their fighting would get. Feeling the non-committal slap to the shoulder, it was an invitation to have Lily initiate the offensive attacks.

The Echani took her time, waiting, a little to build some tensions and also to ensure that Colette could see the way Lily flexed her muscles. While everyone flexed the same muscles, it was the way her body moved, the tension tightened through over a decade of training. Experiences of battle that guided Lily's actions in ways only her mind could direct her body. Speaking her history, her language, her emotions through the actions. Then Lily sprung forward, fist flying through the air. The stillness quickly shifted into fast action.

First came a jab, then a reverse. Lily was preparing to send a flurry of blows towards Colette. Test her defences see what truths may linger in the movements.

 

[Colette]

Lily Decoria

The finer aspects of Echani sparring was lost on Colette. She saw two people preparing for a fight, and beyond that she was simply trying to find out what Lily would be doing. The slap was met with a moment of silence. Colette lingered in the tension as they eyed one another before the storm.

An arm extended, violence written in muscle. The fist swept by Colette's shoulder. She pivoted to the left, letting it slip past and away. Her being curved with practiced ease, as if this was just routine. Colette's hand moved up to receive the elbow as it came hurtling back towards her, and with a simple tug she encouraged it to overextend until it exposed Lily's side.

She wouldn't know it, but her body was speaking for her with words she kept hidden.

This was violence begetting violence. It was cold, cynical and detached. Colette's free hand curled into a fist that she tried to jab firmly into Lily's waist. This wasn't Colette at her best but at her worst. It wasn't a fight for survival and yet it bore the language of one. The person Lily had seen hours ago was gone. Soft words and touches were replaced with glares and bare fists.

Whether her hit landed or not, Colette would try to back out of the fray and find her ground once more. Become the impenetrable fortress she knew that she could be.

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Rodia - Hotel Gym
Outfit: Gym Attire
Tag: Colette

Seeing the coldness, the walls rebuilding during the fight. It was interesting but it made sense. Colette was not Echani, she was a Jedi and many Jedi detached themselves from the violence they commit. They believed that doing so would make the necessary acts easier. Lily accepted that sometimes one must acknowledge the darkness in the fight since there was still beauty, still grace and still a song that could be found. It was only a cold and cruel act if you insisted upon it being that. Lily countered the coldness that Colette showed with an openness, a warmth that would still be continuing from the night before. This did not mean that Lily was holding back, just that she styled her acts with open stance and keeping close to Colette to maintain the intimacy.

Lily deflected the blows that came towards her, moving them away from her. She looked towards Colette with a warm, silvery gaze. She smiled during the fight. This might be a fight that neither was holding back, but that did not mean it was not a fight they could not enjoy. It was clear to Lily from the coldness that Colette presented towards her, that Lily needed to show her friend how to have fun while fighting. How to express something that wasn't cold or standoffish. How to express other sides of yourself while fighting.

The Echani aimed to position her legs to tackle Colette into the ground, hitting the mats hard. Intention was for Lily to make this a close, intimate fight. With grappling and writhing bodies. Nothing that would allow for clean or calculated movements. To see how Colette would react to the idea of having to fight in a manner that would be messy. That would be rough and very intimate, given how close they would be on the ground together.

 

[Colette]

Lily Decoria

It was simple logic that the dark side could blind anyone around Colette. She would never on her life be the one to strike at a friend but she still had to be ready for the day when that wasn't mutual. This violence was a courtesy. Colette was showing Lily the ways in which she would kill her if the need ever arose, effectively eliminating one hypothesis in favor of growing closer.

To fight, in Colette's eyes, was to delve into that darkness willingly.

The mattress beneath them thudded as two bodies intertwined.

The hunger sparked but the indignant frustration drowned it out. Wrestling wasn't exactly new, but it wasn't how Colette would have preferred to fight it out. A grapple was the last phase of a prey's death throes before the predator snapped their neck.

She grunted under the pressure and did her best to roll out of it. For now she'd try to reverse the grip. Colette tried to get Lily on her stomach. Firm grip on her arm, the other pushing her head to the ground.

The message was simple: submit.

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Rodia - Hotel Gym
Outfit: Gym Attire
Tag: Colette

Lily could feel the intentions behind Colette's movements, the desires to show Lily that she could kill the Echani if Lily ever turned to the Dark Side. It was admirable in the intentions but Lily did not think it would be this easy. This calculated. There would be one stark difference, Lily would be attempting to kill back, not communicate. There would be more viciousness in her actions, more deliberate attempts to strike and debilitate Colette so she could not fight back. If Lily were to ever fall to the Dark Side, she would be a weapon that many would struggle to stand up against.

Highlighting how much Lily held back in general, not just against other Jedi but she holds somewhat back against Sith as well.

The Echani felt them both hit the mat and Colette was immediately attempting to writhe out and grapple Lily into a manoeuvre for submission but Lily resisted. She knew that there was something she could do, power that she had built just for this. Her legs scrambled a little, attempting to find perch on the mats. Once they did, Lily used the significant power in her legs to push against Colette. Attempting to knock her away from Lily.

From there the Echani would leap forward to start finding a hold that could lock Colette into position. There was still a smile on Lily's face, enjoying every moment of this fight. Not seeing it as serious as Colette might have but she was also trying to enjoy the time spent with her friend.

 

[Colette]

Lily Decoria
It wasn't easy because she wanted it to be. It was easy because it was a reality that Colette spent countless hours preparing for. She would never want to lay a single hand on her friends and family if she had the option, but her life as a force sensitive — a jedi at that — meant that she had to be ready for more. One such reality was that the darkness within could corrupt everyone around her.

Just like Valery had her children and Kahlil, Lily had her culture and stubborn adherence to tradition. Or rather, that was what Colette had gathered so far. But, this was not that kind of fight. This was the answer to the question "could you?"

And that answer was a loud 'Yes.'

Would Lily get a grip? Yeah. Was it the one she'd wanted? Most likely not. Colette squirmed under the pressure until she could free herself. The Force hadn't come into play, and in reality she preferred it that way — it made the small victories feel all the more honest.

Except when she was about to push herself up and try to get back on her feet she felt her arms give way. Colette's face flopped face-first to the ground and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, okay," she snickered. "You get this one."

"Good job."

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Rodia - Hotel Gym
Outfit: Gym Attire
Tag: Colette

It was clear that Colette prepared herself for fighting those close to her, just on the off chance that things twisted in ways that turned them against her. It was curious since Lily was the opposite side of the matter. Better to prepare the enemy you know already exists. She found it intense enough to prepare herself for fighting Sith Lords like Srina Talon, Darth Carnifex and Darth Prazutis without having to think about friends possibly becoming enemies as well. She just held onto the belief of hope, the hope that they would never feel tempted enough, that her friendship with them would always deter them away from such paths.

But Lily could appreciate how much effort Colette was putting into this fight. How determined she was to demonstrate to Lily that the Echani would not simply destroy all who considered her a friend if Lily were ever to fall.

Reaching down as she spotted that Colette could not get herself back on her feet, Lily grinned. "Well, you certainly did a lot better than before. Perhaps in time, we can get on a similar wavelength with the sparring. Make an Echani fighter out of you yet." Lily smirked casually as she took some steps back and stretched her limbs out some more. "Round two or need a longer break?"

While Lily hadn't originally thought about this, it was occurring to her that she might be helping Colette in fighting an Echani, a specific Echani that they both knew Colette was eager to face again some day. Learning more about how an Echani fights, that could go a long way in helping Colette achieve a different result to before.

 

[Colette]

Lily Decoria

"We literally just woke up." Colette chuckled and sat down on the mattress. Her eyes closed, lips pursed as she gave a nonchalant shake of her head."Clearly I'm just not as awake as I thought I'd be for this."

Colette drank from her canteen and put the lid back on. Her eyes wandered around the nearly dead gym before they set on Lily again with a smirk.

"I usually avoid wrestling. Too tiring, usually a single error away from death. If we get there, I've already failed in many other ways." She said and sighed. "The combatant would have to wear specialized armors to get close enough to actually lay a hand on me. Most likely wear a phrik, beskar, or other expensive composite in their suits."

"If sabers fail, fall back on the force. If that fails, retreat. If possible. If not possible, engage in wrestling — try not to die."

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Rodia - Hotel Gym
Outfit: Gym Attire
Tag: Colette

"We literally just woke up!" Lily countered with the same statement, "this is the most energy we should be having in the day, nothing has been expended." Lily stretched her limbs, her body, knowing that Colette would be watching and holding a smirk on her lips as she enjoyed being seen by her friend in such a manner.

Grabbing her own water bottle, she took a long drink from it, "so, I am guessing your own people don't do a lot of fighting or have their own style of fighting? Something that is culturally yours?" Lily was curious, not just because it would be something new for her to learn. It was also a way to better connect with Colette. A culture's style of fighting came from millennia of growing, development and refinement.

"Wrestling is something I realised more Jedi are not accustomed to, they are more trained for melee combat or hand to hand. Not necessarily grappling. And if that is true for most Jedi, then it is likely just as true for most Sith." Lily mentioned as she placed the cap back on her water bottle, settling it down to one side.

Nodding her head, "well, from my experience, if you are seeing soldiers in armour shooting at you instead of other soldiers around you. They tend to have some form of specialised armour. Which is becoming more common place. Especially with more bounty hunters coming after Jedi and the bounties on the Jedi."

Lily still remembered her encounter with a specialised soldier during the Black Sun's attempted invasion against the High Republic. It was a unique encounter since the soldier had a level of grit that was admirable and beyond a lot of what she had seen in others. The soldier was also very mission focused since as soon as the failed invasion was over, their attempts to fight with Lily ended as well. Parting ways without issue.

"While it might be a lot of energy and a dangerous commitment. Sometimes you have to assess if your opponent can handle it as well. If they seem sturdier, a capable wrestler then yes. It should be a last minute tactic. But if they seem frailer, not versed in fighting or at least not versed in wrestling tactics. Then you stand a better chance in using that energy to end a fight faster than going with other strategies."

 

[Colette]

Lily Decoria

A small chuckle rumbled in Colette's throat. This was the moment she was supposed to have the most energy, but for some reason she hadn't gotten quite as much sleep as she was used to.

She listened as Lily spoke. She shook her head when asked about her culture having a way of fighting, and then listened as her friend explained why she wrestled. It made sense. Lily had the build for it, but Colette still stuck to her guns. Or well, lightsaber.

"My culture fought with spears." Colette brought the conversation back to her home. "Effective for hunting and reaching far away things."

"There have been times when clans have killed each other, of course. But in the end, depending on how bad it got…" Her shoulders rose in indifference. "They both died out. Guilt. Infections. The group splintering…"

"I didn't know this kind of violence until I left home."

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Rodia - Hotel Gym
Outfit: Gym Attire
Tag: Colette

While Lily seemed to be someone of boundless energy in the moment, the impending exhaustion was likely to hit her later in the day. At the times of day where she let herself settle and relax more. She had build her mind and body to be active more during the day, during the morning. It was the evening where she was going to feel the exhaustion of being active so much with less sleep than normal.

Listening to the explanation that Colette's people fought with spears, Lily nodded her head, that made sense to some degree but it was interesting. "But you didn't go with a Lightsaber pike style of weapon? My aunt has one, so I learned how to fight against spears and pikes like that. It was intriguing since they are effective as long as you can keep the enemy at distance." Lily commented, it was clear that Lily held a lot of experience in fighting and understanding the ways that weapons worked in combat.

"Surprised they don't use bows, similarly effective for hunting." Lily added, though she was far less verse in the nuances of ranged combat. It didn't hold the same expressions as melee combat in Lily's mind.

Thinking on the violence that Colette was talking about, Lily shook her head, "this violence isn't different. It is merely larger. And you are seeing more of it." Lily herself had to learn to comprehend and adapt to the fact that the violence most people in the galaxy was doing wasn't that different from the ways of communicating that Echani had. While it was seemingly peaceful and bonding for Echani when they sparred one another, the way others fought and attacked was perhaps more aggressive and deadlier in intentions but there was still something being shared. Emotions being expressed.

It just wasn't what Lily had been used to or expected when she left home.

 

[Colette]

Lily Decoria

"Oh," Colette chuckled. "I still use the loaner blade from when I joined the New Jedi Order."

She could see it in her mind. Matted, worn down metal from clearly mass-produced materials. There were a few touch-ups here and there, but mostly it was all the same as every other loaner. Colette had just never felt the need to create her own weapon. The idea of the saber as a 'tool' was just a convenient truth people told themselves in her eyes. It was a weapon, and the blade of this weapon never dulled. What need was there to change it just for the sake of looks?

"I mean, I also feel like the odd one out among Jedi sometimes when I refuse to be part of that violence." Colette said and frowned. "Shan was the only other person who also refused."

"But, I get what you mean. Maybe it's a mentality thing or something." The little nomad shrugged and got herself back on her feet. "The violence that comes with hunting is simpler; hunger and shelter, that kind of thing. One creature with a dumb brain and another with a smart brain. Intent and instinct in one."

Colette began shifting in place, getting her pulse up again for the next round.

"Violence between ideas is nothing like it. There's just intent. The desire to kill because you can. As thinking, feeling, aware creatures we are supposed to be above that but I guess we just ain't."