Private At Long Last...

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Azbrian
Objective: Train with Imogen
Tag: Valery Noble

The sound of battle echoed across the windswept plains of Azbrian, where the clash of training sabers had reached its peak. Among the endless sea of green, a massive crater left behind by a meteor strike provided the perfect arena for two warriors. They weren't fighting out of hatred or with the intent to kill, but simply to test themselves against one another and see just how far they had come.

The crater was enormous, almost large enough to sustain its own little ecosystem. A waterfall had formed along one of its rocky edges over the years, feeding a winding stream that cut through the valley below. Beyond it lay a small woodland filled with the wildlife native to Azbrian. It was a peaceful, secluded place, bathed in a warm natural glow that made it almost feel untouched by the rest of the galaxy. The location was obscure enough that Silas was confident only he and Imogen Solace knew about it. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that, eventually, someone else would discover the place and claim it as their own.

Near the crashing waterfall, training sabers sizzled and clashed. The two had been fighting for some time now, evident from the sweat rolling down their faces. Silas wore nothing but his combat trousers, his bare torso glistening from the exertion. Since taking a more part-time approach to his Jedi duties, he'd found himself with far more time to train. As a result, he was arguably in the best shape of his life.

Imogen was hardly any different. Dressed in a sports bra and training shorts, she was clearly in fantastic shape herself. Settling down to start a family didn't mean either of them intended to become lazy.

Silas slashed toward her upper body, steadily driving her backward toward a nearby tree. He was slowly boxing her in when Imogen suddenly smirked. She smashed his saber downward, spun around, and kicked off the tree with enough force to send herself sailing over him in a swift backflip. Landing behind him, she immediately brought her saber toward his back. To her surprise, Silas threw his saber upward and behind himself, catching her strike without even turning around. He followed with a quick back kick that sent her stumbling away before advancing once more.

Imogen recovered quickly and met his renewed assault head on. Their blades clashed in rapid succession as she parried each strike, gradually finding the rhythm of his movements. For a brief moment, she managed to turn the tables, catching him with a feint and bringing her saber dangerously close to his chest.

Silas anticipated her next move. He pivoted around her strike, knocked her saber aside, and swept her legs out from underneath her. Before she could recover, he caught her wrist and redirected her momentum, bringing his saber to a stop against her shoulder.

Imogen froze, breathing heavily as she realized she'd lost.

"You know... I'll get you one day," she said with a chuckle and a smirk.

Silas extinguished his training saber and offered her a hand. "Keep dreaming, sweetheart," he teased, pulling her back to her feet. He leaned forward and gently rubbed his nose against hers before she gave him a soft peck on the lips.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be doing plenty of that when I get back to the homestead and put my head on the pillow," she replied with a roll of her eyes as she headed toward the nearby log bench to collect her things.

"I'll see you back home. Don't be too long, alright?" she called, giving him a wink.

Silas slowly shook his head. "Fine. I'll spend all night here if that's the case," he replied cheekily.

"Get a shirt on while you're at it, macho man," Imogen called over her shoulder.

Silas sighed as he reached for a spare shirt resting on the bench. He watched her disappear beyond the edge of the crater, waiting until she was well out of sight before wandering back toward the waterfall.

Silas sat beside the stream, closed his eyes, and began to meditate, allowing the quiet of Azbrian to wash over him as he slowly brought himself down from the intensity of the duel.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Combat Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Silas' meditation was broken by the familiar snap-hiss of a lightsaber igniting behind him.

Valery had approached without making much of an effort to announce herself, though she had clearly decided that letting him meditate in peace was less interesting than testing whether his reflexes had improved. The violet blade hummed at his back, held at an angle that made the threat entirely playful, but not harmless. She stood a few paces behind him with a broad grin on her face, her stance relaxed despite the weapon in her hand.

"Still got some energy left for one more?"

Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she watched her former Padawan. There was something deeply familiar about seeing Silas like this, fresh from a spar and settling himself beside the water. She remembered the younger Jedi she had once trained, full of potential and questions, and the man in front of her was proof of how far he had come.

That did not mean she intended to go easy on him.

Valery rolled one shoulder and adjusted her grip, her expression becoming a little more focused. The years had not dulled her instincts, and whatever else had happened since the last time they had crossed blades, she was still his Master in more ways than the title suggested.

"Don't worry," she added, her grin returning. "It's only a friendly spar." She gave the blade a small flourish before settling into a ready stance, clearly inviting him to make the first move. Her posture was loose, balanced, and confident, with just enough of a challenge in her eyes to make it obvious she expected him to accept.

After all, she had not come all this way to watch him meditate.

Silas Westgard ​

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Azbrian
Objective: Defeat Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

Upon hearing the hum of a violet blade so close to his back, Silas's eyes shot open. His body remained still, but a smile slowly crept across his lips as he sensed the presence of an old friend. Finally glancing over his shoulder, he caught the glowing outline of the saber in the corner of his eye. "Against an old rival... of course I do," he replied teasingly, the competitive edge between master and student still as alive as ever.

With a quiet sigh, the knight slowly rose to his feet and turned to face his former master. Valery hadn't changed much. Physically, she looked just as she had the last time they'd met, if not better. Of course, that wasn't going to stop Silas from finding some way to take a jab at her.

"I don't think there's such a thing as a friendly spar between the two of us," he said with a smirk, his gaze drifting deliberately toward her hair. "Though, judging by those gray hairs, I very much doubt you'll be as fast as you used to be."

Valery, of course, had no visible signs of age, let alone a single gray hair. But that only made it more fun to rub it in her face whenever he got the chance.

Reigniting his blue training saber, Silas casually rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck before raising the weapon in front of him, settling into an offensive stance. He had grown considerably in both skill and strength since the last time they'd crossed blades. Yet, no matter how much he'd improved, Valery would always be his master. If there was anyone who knew him better than anyone else, it was her.

"Try to keep up."

The final cheeky taunt had barely left his lips before Silas suddenly surged forward.

His first strike came at her face, followed by another from an entirely different angle aimed for her ribs. He flowed seamlessly from one attack to the next, unleashing a flurry of upper body strikes with one arm, each movement designed to test her reactions and force her onto the defensive toward the rocky wall of the crater.