Annealed or Tempered (Open Group Training)

[Ashin Varanin]

WILDERNESS
TYTHON

The week-long lightsabre course had been designed to be intensive. Trainers had assisted any available Jedi in fine-tuning their theoretical and pragmatic grasp of the lightsabre, in any of the first six Forms. Wake up, train for hours, rest, draw upon the Force for endurance, and train until night -- a week of that wouldn't make you a grandmaster, but it'd sure help fix flaws in your technique. Je'gan had supervised, and also helped with the Soresu and Makashi specialists.

The training camp, however, was drawing to a close, and there still remained a great deal of material to be covered. The main training field, surrounded by raw forest and obstacle courses, held a grand meeting of all who had participated in the event. A large rack of weapons presented itself - very un-Jedi weapons.

"Be careful with these," said Je'gan, the Force amplifying his voice to speak to the crowd. "These are all designed to kill Jedi. With instructor supervision, take some of them into the side fields, give yourselves plenty of room, and get familiar with them -- and how to avoid, escape, or defeat them. These weapons are very real, and you'll need to pay very close attention to the qualified Republic arms instructors who will be supervising you." One by one, he held them up.

"This is a sonic rifle. Its blast will warp around a lightsabre and turn your internal organs to jelly.

"This is a sonic projector, and this is the head protection its wearer uses. It'll burst your eardrums and do all manner of bad things to you. Not a blast, but an area of effect.

"This is an Omega Protectorate bolter, one of the best Forcer-killing weapons in existence. Its bolts detonate when hit by a Force push or a Jedi protection bubble; they're designed specifically to kill Force-users, and you need to know how to handle them. Normally, by running and finding cover.

"This is a Stokhli spray stick. It sprays sticky webbing that'll tangle you. If you cut it with a lightsabre, well, it'll still stay stuck to you. Excellent weapon for anti-Forcer use.

"This is a Czerka HeadBanger, the finest area-of-effect riot gun known to man. It'll knock out a herd of charging Wookiees -- or a Jedi Master.

"This is a grenade launcher full of Mandalorian Forcebreaker grenades -- weaponized ixetal cilona. Don't inhale, or you'll get high and find your Force connection extremely numb for a good while.

"We have multiple examples of each weapon. Take them and be very, very careful with them. Pair off, stay in supervised areas, and figure out your best defenses for these weapons.

"This is a Chiss charric, a maser weapon, much more impact than a blaster and thus much harder to block if you've never seen one before.

"Also, anyone who feels the need for a final exam in the lightsabre is more than welcome to talk to me, though I'd prefer you focused on the weapons at hand."

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Tython was very much like Dathomir. Fabula found herself extremely at-home amongst the greenery and dangerous animals, though the sheer number of Jedi he had to interact with sometimes felt a bit overwhelming. She wasn't even a proper initiate yet, and yet she was hanging out with half the blasted order. Her intent this time was just to come along to observe and learn, like the rest of the faceless students that had been shipped down to take a few lessons from some very respected Jedi Master that Fabula had never heard of before.

That was, at least, until the instructors figured out that she had a keener mastery of the Forth Form than pretty much any of the actual Jedi gathered. Her purpose on Tython quickly changed from "learn everything you can" to "give fundamental lessons in Ataru until you collapse." Still, teaching felt outstanding to her. She loved every second of it, and she probably only worked herself until she collapsed because she'd neglected sleep in order to practice the other five forms' worth of maneuvers while everyone else was resting.

After all, the Jedi couldn't tell her to take it easy if she wasn't even a proper member of their order.

It was the final day, though, and Fabs stood alongside every gathered, proper Jedi as one Master Olra'en described some common and potent anti-lightsaber weapons. She figured about half of them would be simple to dodge or simply withstand (her body was a bit tougher than these squishy sages), but the other half were...troubling. An addictive gas grenade? An exploding slugthrower? A military-issue stunner? She was more than a little daunted by the idea of being on the business end of those gadgets, and unfortunately for her, that was exactly what was going to happen today.

Still, she didn't have to do anything for the moment. She could watch, or wait until someone actually thought to partner up with the tag-along girl who wasn't a Jedi.

 

[Jekk Reth]

TYTHON
WILDERNESS

When Jekk had been informed of the week-long lightsaber course which would take place on Tython, he had immediately signed on to be transported from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to the forest-laden planet. The opportunity to learn from the greatest of Jedi Masters would not be ignored by the young Jedi Knight, ambitious as he was. Quite, he would've been an absolute fool to do so. While he had been a Jedi for most his life, Jekk had never actually been to Tython. Often regarded as the home world of the Jedi Order itself, the entire planet was a nexus of Force energies. And, oh, how majestic it was...

Ever the pragmatic, however, Jekk had afforded no time whatsoever to sight-seeing. He had traveled to Tython to train, and that's exactly what the Jedi Knight had done.

An entire week devoted to the betterment of his lightsaber abilities. Oh... Jekk felt at home. Rigorous, non-stop training! In fact, Jekk had barely rested, instead drawing upon the Force to fill him with the power and endurance to continue. When asked to tone it down, he simply wrote it off as preposterous. There was no time for 'rest' in a Jedi's life! As Guardians of peace and justice in the Galaxy, a Jedi's work was never truly done.

Jekk comprehended this tenet better than most, as evidenced by his tenacious, and relentless amounts of training. Ahh, but this is what Jekk lived for. From an early age, he had always displayed a certain liking - an affinity, if you will - towards the Jedi lightsaber arts. The lightsaber as a weapon itself, fascinated Jekk. Thus, he had dedicated much of his time into mastering the ancient, gallant weapon.

His lightsaber training, for a large part of the week's duration, had been centered around, quite literally, perfecting his Soresu form, as well as advancing his knowledge in Form V. Tweaking and altering his Soresu maneuvers, even experimenting with new variations... Jekk had practically mended any flaws in his technique.

While he took the offensive capabilities of Shien into great consideration, he much more preferred the stalwart defense of Soresu, by and large. And, whom better to learn Form III from, then one of the greatest masters of Soresu - Master Olra'en himself?

--------------------------------------------------------------------

As the Jedi Master began his briefing on the many "Force-user proof" weapons, Jekk found himself slightly disinterested.

His main interests relied in perfecting and crafting his lightsaber skills; not in becoming familiar with weapons to combat fellow Force-sensitives with. As such, once Master Je'gan's instructions were finished, Jekk walked directly towards the Jedi.

With a small incline of his head, Jekk very respectfully addressed the Jedi Master. "Master Olra'en, I would like to proceed with your final lightsaber exam, if that's okay with you," he calmly stated. He hoped the Master Jedi wouldn't be upset.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Je'gan's nod came around slowly. "Just make sure you get at least some familiarity with the nastier weapons on that list before you leave Tython. At the very least, son, you need to know the the sonic projector, the Forcebreaker grenades, and the Omega bolter. Those ones are arguably the deadliest and most difficult to overcome. The bolter was specifically designed to overcome powers like a standard Jedi Force push; it detonates instantly and sprays you with shrapnel. Result: One Jedi transformed into nerfburger.

"But I'll leave it to you to take care of that after we're done. Let's consider Soresu. You've done well this week, Reth, really pushed Soresu as far as a young Knight can push it. Very impressive." The Jedi Master scratched his chin in thought. "There was a time, not too far back, when I spent a couple of decades developing a variant of Soresu. I've not taught anyone in the modern Order, but you might find some of the principles useful, if you train in them for five or ten years. Instead of very limited strikes, my variant has none at all. It focused on circularity and redirection, lets the enemy tire himself out, that sort of thing. Some of the stances are slightly different, too. Here's one."

He fell into a basic back stance, sabre hand forward.

"You would think it would be easy to rush me, bowl me over, but if you come at me, I can redirect your energy to the side, assuming the right parry. Gentle guidance, but unyielding."

He spent the next half hour or so demonstrating some basic applications of the principles of circular motion and redirection, then pulled out a second lightsabre. "I dislike Jar'kai," he confided, igniting two sky-blue blades from curved hilts. "It feels cheap, and it's a crutch, but I do want to see how you do, applying my principles, against a flurry of light, quick strikes."

His blades lanced out in staccato broken rhythm, one then the other, each blade taking a turn guarding the other. Left to the throat, right to the leading knee, left to the gut, right to the sabre hand.

 

[Marcus Itera]

Tython
Playing in the woods

Cobalt-hued eyes surveyed each piece of weaponry the weaponsmaster held up. Those same youthful eyes absorbed as much detail and information it could take as the large soldier gave quite gory descriptions of each. All of them were new to the Padawan, who in his lifetime, barely knew the fundamentals even for lightsaber combat. Granted, the wielding of such a weightless and majestic weapon was viewed as magnificent to those who couldn't wield the Force, but Ronnie didn't exactly enjoy Shii-Cho. It was repetitive, boring, and the 17 year old figured he be better off learning Soresu or Niman rather than the basic art.

And within minutes, the weaponsmaster had concluded his brief analysis of each of the weapons and Master Olra'en took the spotlight, which in reality happened to be a misshapen circle of light that broke through the thick foliage above. The young man folded his arms, pressing them into his light brown tunic as he shifted his weight to continue watching the Jedi Master instruct the group.

Right, the group.

Ronnie soon found himself lifted off into a daydream as his unfocused eyes journeyed across the surroundings. Icy-blue irises smoothly transitioned as the Padawan took in the atmosphere of an early morning lesson in the woods. This was his first time off of Coruscant, he had been so excited he could barely stand it. And so, the young Padawan stood there with a dreamy look in his eyes as his instructor babbled on.

 

[Jekk Reth]

As the Jedi Master once again referenced the anti-Force user weapons, Jekk nodded his head in understanding. He really had no intentions of becoming acquainted with those barbaric weapons, but if Je'gan insisted on it, perhaps it would be wise to at least attain some basic knowledge of them. Particularly the one titled the 'Omega bolter.' That one seemed extremely dangerous - to a Force-user or otherwise. And Jekk really had no aspirations on becoming a nerfburger. He didn't think he'd taste all that good, frankly.

Then came the comment from the Master, complimenting his proficiency in Soresu. Jekk felt a bright sense of satisfaction within his chest. Though he always tried to maintain a humble demeanor, Jekk definitely appreciated when his hard work was recognized; when it was commended. Especially from a revered, prominent master of Soresu such as Je'gan. It meant quite a lot. A slight, respectful incline of his head followed after Olra'en's words, clearly displaying the Knight's appreciation.

Jekk listened intently as Master Olra'en began instructing him on his own variation of Soresu. The core principles seemed to be the same, except this variant employed no offensive strikes whatsoever. Jekk found that refreshing. He was somewhat of a Soresu purist. As in, zero offensive strikes, maximum defensive coverage... The only offense he possessed was derived from his knowledge of Shien and Shii-Cho.

The next 25+ minutes were filled with Je'gan's teachings as he demonstrated the basic principles. The Jedi Knight calmly studied the form, analyzing the circulatory movements. It seemed simple enough. Then again, these were only the basics. The advanced classes might prove to be more challenging.

Then the Master revealed a second saber. Jekk proceeded to do the same, pulling his lightsaber to his right hand with the Force, and igniting the misty-blue blade.
As the Jedi Master began striking at Jekk, the Knight immediately raised his guard.

The first strike, a left to the throat, was quickly met with a corresponding parry - Jekk careened his head ever so slightly to the right to avoid it, allowing the Master's blade to slide across his own, redirecting his attack to the left.

A swift flourish of his saber protected his knee from the second attack, parrying Je'gan's blade in one sweeping, circular motion.

The left to Jekk's gut was also met with a fast, diagonal parry. Jekk once again allowed the Master's blade to slide on his own, creating an electrical, screeching sound as he redirected its kinetic energy to his right side.

The final strike - the one to his blade hand - nearly caught him off-guard. Instantly regaining his composure, however, Jekk quickly twisted his hand, using the momentum from his movement to shunt the saber away.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"You know," said Je'gan, pausing in his assault, "I once spent a whole day explaining these principles to a Kel Dor Jedi Master named Kaen, and he couldn't pick up what you just did in twenty minutes. He kept being stubborn about the blade. But yes, you've got the general idea. Lovely work. Now practice that for five years, and you'll have basic competence. But the principles -- the principles of outlasting, redirecting and outmaneuvering an enemy -- that's a set of teachings you can inculcate immediately."

He deactivated his blades. "I think half an hour is a good installment while Padawans wander. Do me a favor and make sure they get familiar with these weapons. Practicality over playtime, Reth."

 

[Kei Amadis]

@[member=Je'gan Olra'en] | @[member="Jekk Reth"] | @[member="Ronnie Vexis"] | @[member="Fabula Cavataio"]​

Giving a nod to @[member="Fabula Cavataio"] as he passed, not having seen her before, he approached the assembled group. Taking someone's advice he'd put on some sleek fitting combat robes today, tanned and black colored, they itched against the skin, apparently meant to inspire you to resist physical sensations, but to him it just itched at the moment. They weren't loosen fitting, mostly tunic styled, enough room to breathe but not long draping robes, tucked into black leather boots at the end. Kei had heard about some of these exotic weapons but took his time committing them all to memory, he half wanted to try them out, an old sniper reflex. They looked promising to a sniper, really promising in the days ahead, and he was certainly glad he was getting to know them before experiencing them first hand. Giving them all a deadeye sniper's stare, he drew in the details of each, he'd be sure to try and obtain some of the best for the wildcards, his diplomatic security detail buddies on their next assignment.

However he'd come here to train, not just to be completely absorbed by the tech. The blue training saber at his hip, he'd only ever turned one on and swung it at a droid before. Igniting its beam to guide the way, he began mimicking the first Soresu techniques demonstrated by the Master and Knight ahead, the weapon felt light and unwieldy at first, almost coming out of his grip, all the weight in the hilt and none in the beam, it felt nothing like a vibrosword.

The main problem he was having was the grip, the stance he wasn't too bad with, not great by any means but having a solid footing at least already. He was able to take the practical guide from the teacher, and then the demonstration into his stride, but the grip, was all wrong. It was far too tight not allowing the flexibility in the turns of the beam.

Kei had an inverted saber orbit going around his body, after about thirty minutes practice, but it was still very early days, catching his elbows on the training beam more than once. Then he got to a basic blade screen, and repeated this over and over, weapon move side to side vertically. To some it would have bored them to tears, but he could already see from his fair share of firefights, that this alone was extremely useful. Following next he practiced a half moon rotation, twirling the beam across his front in a circle, which again almost had the saber dropping out of his hands, as the wrist wasn't flexible enough in his tight grip. Truth was he wasn't built for Soresu, in his mindset or his body, but he was gaining a base understanding of it.

What he really was built for was Djem So, rolling his neck around to loosen up some more he shook his wrists, the tightness in them evident, he took a moment to breathe and take on some water.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

OOC/ If I had the time to match your timeframe, I'd do it. Essay beckons. Work from this if you can.

IC/ If @[member="Kei Amadis"] was here, he'd been here for a bit. The week-long lightsabre course had been designed to be a fairly intensive introduction to every Form but Vaapad. Every Jedi should know the absolute basics of all of them. Orange belt credit all around.

And the instructors were extremely careful to figure out what people were naturally good at, what their temperament and skillset and body shape indicated as the best form. Kei's introduction to Soresu transitioned fairly quickly into a good solid foundation of Djem So. The relevant velocities and exercises became the bulk of his schedule. Some of the exercises were...different. Huge organ pipes that had to be rung with an immense hammer at a certain speed, for example, in order to produce a specific harmonic and open a gate.

 

[Arkyn Rane]

-- Tython; Wilderness​

​

Great Jawenko! When I was just a smuggler operating on the fringes of the galaxy, there hadn't been many opportunities for me to meet Jedi -- Iella, in fact, had been my first. As such, I hadn't realized just how many weapons were designed specifically to put them out of commission; the O.P. bolter sounded particularly dangerous. I thumbed the training saber hanging from my built. The Jedi had dangerous weapons as well.

My instructor for the week was an older Jedi, a wizened Mon Calamari with dark, burnt orange scales. I appreciated his patience with my technique -- or lack thereof, since I'd only first glimpsed a lightsaber a scant two weeks ago, during that whole debacle on Tatooine. Some things came naturally though, and while my form was terrible, I could feel shifts in the Force just fine -- mostly a result of years spent trying to numb my connection -- so when the Jedi, Garai, had taken me aside and showed me to a blindfold and a floating, blaster-shooting ball of annoyance, I took to the exercise with aplomb.

Five days, seven bruises, and two aching wrists later, he judged me proficient enough with the saber not to cut myself in two. Considering where I'd been at the beginning of the week, I figured that was damned good. I had a passable understanding of the basics of each form, he'd said, and that my 'Master', whenever one came along, would build upon the foundations I'd learned during training. Garai had been more impressed with my connection to the Force, and I tried to explain to him that I'd been listening to it all my life... I just hadn't known I was listening to it. I always followed my gut, my instincts, and they'd served me well. Through Iella's and Syn's efforts, I'd learned that my gut feelings were borne of the Force, and with my mind free of spice, I'd spent those days in space fine-tuning the connection, as if it was a coupling for a servomotor.

Sometimes, opening the connection was as simple as breathing. Other times, it was like loosening a too tight bolt; it required a little elbow-grease.

"Your natural movements, despite your recklessness," Garai had told me, "indicate an inclination to Soresu and Shien." I hadn't known what to say to that -- thank you? -- so I hadn't said anything. "You hesitate to attack, and in our spars, you never seized the openings I gave to you."

"That's because they weren't openings," I'd said in return. "I know a con when I see one." My gut had told me to ignore those openings, so I had. I explained my feelings to the Mon Calamari, and was rewarded with further demonstration of the two styles. He showed me a few more stances, katas and sequences, and had me practice velocities till I couldn't feel my toes or my fingers... and then he'd released me back to the main group, where I bore witness to another display of talent from @[member="Jekk Reth"] and Master @[member='Je'gan Olra'en'].

It was eye-opening, for sure. They were worlds beyond me... hmph, and here I thought I'd been doing something with that training remote. The show didn't stop there, though. I settled back against a tree, content to relax and enjoy the gentle breeze and soft sunlight for a few moments, when @[member="Kei Amadis"] began his own training. I recognized the moves from my own exercises, and perhaps because of my habit of fixing things, I noticed the rigidity of his grip; it was all wrong for what he was trying to do. Maybe he'd do better trying something with a bit more power?

Or maybe I should return to my own training. I've rested enough.

 

[Kei Amadis]

@[member="Kale Arkin"] | @[member="Je'gan Olra'en"] | @[member="Jekk Reth"]​

It was all business for Kei when it came to training, having reviewed the holovids for a time, the real thing was something else. A few days in the other styles under his belt now, he had a very, very rudimentary understanding of them. The instructors with him were as varied as the styles he chose to practice, eventually coming across a hulking great Devaronian who after sizing him up and giving him a pat on the arms like a vice grip, began to show him beyond just the core aspects of Djem So.

Every so often his rigid stance and grip would be adjusted by a meaty great hand, it wasn't easy as he wasn't that flexible, but Djem So required one thing to work well, raw power. Kei was shown the double step, falling avalanche, using the power of a two handed downward swing, momentum gravity and force carrying it forward to just press through obstacles. The huge Devaronian moved to breakdown the fluid riposte next, setting Kei's hands into a Krayt's claw ready to strike, beam extended upward, following into Krayt's eye with the blade extended in a jab, simple one two motions at first. Slowly he was shown to always put more pressure and power through an opponent aiming behind them, another big secret of Djem So taught by the Master's, was that Momentum was the core of it, and he saw it well, it was his form, and it fitted him like a glove. To lose momentum in Djem So was to lose the fight, this was told to him over and over as he practiced.

The organs rang and he moved in time and step, getting the rhythm of the melee into his stride, a powerful stance propelling it forward. Truly a benefit of having great years of experience training him, and a multitude of instructors, meant they could analyse his strengths and weaknesses quickly, adjust the right form for him, he ended up not fighting to learn it but instead adjusting it to fit. The Devaronian and others shifting the rotation of his hips, the grip, the way the hips thrust the stance and locked the legs, all of it was gone over in great detail.

Overhead saber circles followed somewhat testing his flexibility, pressing forward, forward, forward as he was shown basic kicks to the stance, to further weaken a targets capacity to withstand the forward pressure. This was a big grounding for him, and if it wasn't for needing a breath he would have carried on for the next several hours.

"I have one question Master. How do I construct a saber? It's not something that is widely talked about." He asked this to any of the Master's nearby, any knight present, hoping to get pointed in the right direction at least.

Giving @[member="Kale Arkin"] a friendly nod in passing, he'd noticed the man had a keen eye for a ruse, that would serve him well if the Sith attacking the archives was anything to go on, you needed every advantage you could get. Moving to take on some water and stopping to chat, because he badly needing a moment to relax the muscles. Having no desire to finish early though, Kei would probably push himself to his limit and then some. It was rare opportunities like this came along, and so every day he'd stay till the very end, till they probably made him leave.

"Quite the setup." He said to Kale, walking over to the tree, water bottle in hand offering to share it. Pulling at his own robes, they still itched but he was hopefully beginning to learn to further resist physical sensations because of it, it'd all be worth it, hopefully.

"How are you finding it?"

Spoiler

ooc: I also have no idea what the rules are for getting a saber. @[member="Je'gan Olra'en"] Thanks for the help, and always feel free with me write what you like to write sometimes I get lengthy but short posts are warmly received.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Kale Arkin"] @[member="Kei Amadis"]
OOC/ There are no rules for building/owning a sabre, unless you're a non-Force-user. Sorry, super busy or I'd flesh this out a ton.
IC/ Both Padawans would find that, at this point, near the end of the training camp, they had access to an assortment of Ilum and Adegan crystals, instructional manuals, and technical doohickeys. They would also find that constructing a lightsabre took...quite a while. Each step was meditative, requiring serious attention. Some people could build a functional sabre in a matter of days. Most, including Je'gan, generally took weeks.

 

[Lilia Dur'iar]

Lilia, who had recently arrived at the training yard after trying unsuccessfully to achieve "passive calm" through meditation for a couple of hours after being admonished repeatedly, hovered uncertainly at the edge of the field. The training saber she'd been using was clipped to her belt, but her eyes were drawn to the lightsaber construction thingamajigs. The padawan made her way over and reached for an instruction manual and scanned a few paragraphs before making a face and returning the pamphlet to its original place with a little more force then necessary.

Meditation had shown up a few too many times in the few paragraphs she'd scanned for her liking.
While her pessimism made her a little harder to Force-mind-trick then the average Padawan, she couldn't meditate to save her life. It was too hard for her to calm down, because she was always thinking, doing, talking. Sitting still made her squirm. Even standing still made her pace with agitation.

Having rejected the idea of beginning to make a lightsaber, Lilia retreated hastily and looked around for something else to do - hopefully to make up for arriving late, although she already had her defense ready. But, Master, I was trying to control my emotions before coming. Isn't that what Jedi are supposed to do? Cheeky, probably. An opening for a lecture, certainly. Oh yay. Still, it was better then getting yelled at.

@[member="Je'gan Olra'en"] @[member="Kei Amadis"] @[member="Kale Arkin"] @[member="Jekk Reth"]

 

[Arkyn Rane]

I palmed one of the instruction manuals and slipped it into my pocket, along with a diatium power cell, but didn't bother with the crystals -- none of them felt right. I was all set to continue my training, and really, I would have, but I noticed a rather pretty head of blond hair off to my right and summarily abandoned my plans.

I remembered the last time I'd been enamored with a blonde. She had turned out to be my sister; hopefully I'd have better luck with this one. You can't imagine how cringe-worthy it is to find out you've been lusting after your own sister. Talk about stomach pains -- when I'd found out, it felt like I'd swallowed a Hutt.

Definitely not a good feeling.

"Hey, hold up," I called out to her, unclipping the training saber from my belt. "Fancy a spar?" I waved the saber for emphasis, trying to calm my big, stupid grin; she was prettier than I'd anticipated. I managed to turn it into a smirk -- a rather dashing one, I might add, and just barely refrained from winking.

Ah, the joys of youth. They'd be the death of me one day.

But not today.

@[member="Lilia Dur'iar"]​

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen walked into the training grounds and examined the weapons. He'd learned how to use most blaster's, and had been taught how to use a sword to dispatch most enemies who cam his way. Despite his training, Vulpesen still found his experience lacking. He needed a lightsaber, something that would mark him as a Jedi. He felt that only then, would he be able to call himself a true member of the order.
Vulpesen picked up one of the manuals, a long hilt, several ornamentations, a powercell, and an emitter. Vulpesen was well aware of his need for patience. It was something he sorely lacked, but his instinct for survival was well enough to warn him about the dangers of rushing such a delicate process. Vulpesen turned and put the materials in his bag, making a mental note to retrieve a crystal from his ship. He'd found it in a cave on his home world. A single crystal that called to him from the depths of the cavern. Such an item was the very reason he's set out on his crazy adventure. It was the item that sparked his desire to become a Jedi.
Vulpesen turned around to see the other trainees, and picked a training saber from his bag. "Well, I suppose now's as good a time as any to begin."

 

[Lilia Dur'iar]

Lilia turned when the voice behind her called out. Her face split into a smile at the goofy grin on the boys face. Immediately, she turned down the width of the smile, although the mischievous twinkle in her eye brightened.

"Well..." She hesitated purposefully, tilting her head, and allowing her gaze to drift a little. Then she looked back at him. "If you insist." She conceded, grin larger as she reached for her training saber.

@[member="Kale Arkin"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Having always been one for a show, Vulpesen angled himself to watch the coming spar. However, his observations weren't exclusively for entertainment. Vulpesen was well aware that his greatest weapon was his mind, and therefore it would be beneficial to watch the duel. If he was to ever spar against the other padawans, he knew that his bet would be to examine their movements closely and gain an understanding of their fighting styles. He also knew that his training wasn't complete and that by watching the fight, he may learn something new in the ways of combat.

 

[Arkyn Rane]

"I do insist," I returned, confidence bolstered by her grin. I led her a stone's throw away from the main group to a quiet clearing naturally fenced in by Tython's luscious flora. You know; trees, bushes, wildflowers -- the usual. We were joined by another padawan, a pretty intense lad, judging by his stare. I didn't know what he was expecting to see; this was, officially, only my second 'duel'. I'd had dozens of stand-offs with blasters against the special brand of ruffians you encountered on the fringes of society, but never had I squared up against a pretty girl.

"Should I count this as our first date?" I joked with a barking laugh, my words punctuated by a familiar snap-hiss. I imagined that the green light made my eyes twinkle.

I gave a little bow and a flourish before settling into a nice solid stance, feet shoulder width apart, saber angled vertically. As far as opening stances went, it was nice and moderate, neither overly defensive and offensive. I nice medium, if you will. When she was ready, I took a quick jab step forward and twisted my wrists downward, the blade following in gleaming green arc down and across her torso. I was intimately familiar with the simple maneuver; Master Garai had had me practice it only half a gigabillion times.

I suppose he'd never heard of 'overkill'.

@[member="Lilia Dur'iar"] @[member="Vulpesen"]​

 

[Lilia Dur'iar]

Lilia followed him, eying her surroundings quickly before returning her attention to the guy in front of her, registering the intense-looking Padawan who turned up to watch.

"Should I count this as our first date?"

"Oh, come on. We only just met." Lilia returned, igniting her own practice blade with an identical snap-hiss and bringing up in a Niman low-guard stance - body at a forty-five degree angle, feet planted a little wider then shoulder width apart, and a two-handed grip on her lightsaber, which was held pointing at a downward angle.

The other Padawan's first strike was simply blocked by a well-practiced movement of swinging the blade up to intercept her opponents blade longways.
@[member="Kale Arkin"] @[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Arkyn Rane]

"Oh, come on. We only just met."​

​

Her blade rose to meet my own; a spattering of sparks fell to the ground from the contact, the light from our sabers illuminating my grin. "Isn't that what first dates are for -- getting to know people you've just met?" I withdrew my blade and twisted my wrists in the opposite direction; clockwise this time, angling the saber forward in a mirror of my opening move. It was the second step in the first of many Djem So velocities, one with its roots in the tight, efficient wrist-work of my preferred form, Soresu. I'd managed to mesh a few sequences together from both of the styles, but only the most similar steps and patterns. I was a quick study, but there's only so much you can learn in the week.

Each subsequent step in the sequence was faster than the one before -- that's why they were called velocities. My third move, barring a different response than a block, was to circle around to her left and follow the trail of my strike. I righted my blade as I stepped, drawing back just so for a slightly more powerful swipe falling from her left shoulder to her right hip. Before our blades met, I was already moving into the fourth step...

@[member="Lilia Dur'iar"] @[member="Vulpesen"]​