Private Clash of Destiny

[Cadere]

Silver Rest
Kashyyyk

This is not how Cas had seen today's events unfolding. Swiftly avoiding a powerful attack from his larger opponent, the Jedi Knight rolled around to his opponent's side and retaliated with a quick, single-handed lightsaber strike at his almost rock solid thigh. For a Padawan, Mathieu was making him work for it - the giant of a man wasn't difficult to duel, not that much but he definitely was a tedious opponent to fight.

Following his quick attack, Cas leapt over Mathieu and struck near his shoulder but was ready to block should the new Padawan counter. "That all you got? My (probably) dead grandma moves faster than you." he taunted, hoping to get into his opponent's head with his taunts and jokes. He had to admit he was feeling rusty with his banter, ever since Insatious - Cas hadn't been himself, and even at the back of his mind, the faces of everyone he couldn't save remained etched there as well as his near-fall to the Dark side.

No, he definitely did not see his day going this way. After not having seen his old friend in months, they were now clashing blades and trading verbal shots at each other. However, he had no idea how the rest of the day would continue, he knew one thing for sure - he wasn't going to let Mathieu defeat him. No way in hell, he had everything riding on this. Although, he was pretty confident that he would best the colossal Morellian today.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Clash of Destiny

Theme​

His opponent acted fast. Even when enhanced by a reflex-boosting stim did Mathieu struggle to keep up with the Jedi and it became so much more evident when the guy seemed to avoid his sweep with little to no effort. The attacks so far had been relentless, leaving little room for the Morellian to manoeuvre in but he had managed to hold on for now, even if it was a constant struggle.

It was fortunate that he had trained with the Soller Navah before the encounter. They had taught him many important lessons which proved to be invaluable now. Precognition was luckily one of the skills he had learned and had been a great help so far. Still, in comparison to his opponent's advanced technique, Mathieu still swung his blade in a raw and unrefined form - much more similar to those of a non-force user than someone who had been trained in one or several of the seven forms.

The two-handed swing smoothly transitioned into a downwards tilt as he angled his body back to the side where the attack came from. Mathieu relied on overwhelming force and with both hands controlling his blade against Cas' one hand, it was with relative ease that he could keep pushing even after their blades had clashed. The continued push allowed him to keep momentum and present a clear threat to his foe he resorted to acrobatics. Still, with the momentum he had, Mathieu allowed the blade to keep going in its current trajectory which meant that it would swing upwards very quickly, effectively allowing him to lock blades with the Kiffar as he made the impressive jump above the tall Morellian.

Mathieu's movement was similar to that of a person swinging a club and keeping their blades locked, he followed Cas on his way down whilst pushing up against him. The risk was clear as the airborne foe was in danger of slashed in his way down - either by Mathieu's aggressively placed blade or perhaps even his own blade. It was a brutal an efficient move from the Morellian's side - but it was necessary. Too much was at stake to hold back and he was well aware of the fact that even the smallest slip-up would be the difference between victory and defeat.

Assuming that his foe managed to slip away, Mathieu continued - he knew that he would be in trouble if his opponent got the chance to initiate another devastating assault. "At least I don't share her shoe size" the retort was half-hearted as he let out a grunt towards the end of the sentence, producing a thrust in the hopes of catching the Jedi by surprise. His sword extended out rather far as the large Morellian took a step forth with his left leg and only held onto the weapon with his left arm, making use of his higher length in order to expose himself to as little risk as possible. Whether the attack succeeded or failed, he would almost immediately bounce back upon its completion, both to ensure his own safety and to let his opponent know that he was not safe from attack, even when they were a little farther apart.

Mathieu knew that his opponent had an advantage, but this fight was too important for surrendering or giving up. Pushing on was the only realistic choice, and that was exactly what he did.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Big ol' Stretch was quicker than he'd anticipated, but it was too expected as the Morellian was no pushover and it showed when he managed to lock their blades together. As Cas felt gravity begin to pull him back to the ground, he was still locked in with Mathieu and he knew if he were to go any lower he'd be cut by one of their blades. Thinking fast, Cas bent his knees and planted his boots on each side of Mathieu's broad shoulders before kicking himself off of him, launching himself into a back flip a few feet away and simultaneously extinguishing his lightsaber as he did so, allowing him to escape the blade lock.

Re-igniting his lightsaber, as he landed about a metre in front of him "Not sure about that actually, granny had a notoriously giant shoe size." he quipped in return, panting slightly as he raised his lightsaber, angling it diagonally towards the ground to block Mathieu's incoming thrust attack. He noticed Mathieu begin to step back following his quick attack, but Cas knew he'd need to keep the heat on him if he were to win this.

As Mathieu bounced back, almost in unison Cas thrust himself forward and with both hands clasped on the hilt of his lightsaber, he jerked his arm slightly and feigned a jab attack before swiftly pulling his arms back and dropping to the ground to sweep kick Mathieu's legs. If his attack failed, the Jedi Knight had the palm of his organic hand placed on the ground next to him, ready to evade a possible counter from the Morellian.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

It was an annoyingly good way which Cas had used to get out of his bind. If only Mathieu had been a bit faster, he would doubtlessly have been able to disengage from the lock and make his opponent pay for the bold action. Alas, Cas was way too fast and the move was way too unexpected.

Mathieu's own attack failed too and just as he was about to retort, the Kiffar went in for a counter attack. Naturally, the Morellian was kept from retorting to the comment as he brought his other hand to his sabre whilst directing it forwards to counter what looked like a thrust. He could then clearly see Cas jerking his arm out as if he was going to throw a jab at the larger warrior. Mathieu did not view this as a threat, however, highly confident that he could tank a punch much better than Cas handle a blade to his gut. With that, he held his blade forth, thinking that he could overpower and outmaneuvre Cas' blade held with one hand if he opted for the jab.

The agile Knight kept surprising him, however, as he not only feinted the jab, but even drew back both of his arms and sending one of them to the ground as he dropped down to kick Mathieu by the legs. It was a confusing tactic as it left the Kiffar open for attack whilst he tried to make a stronger and heavier warrior fall through a sweeping kick. If this was some kind of trick, Mathieu was falling for it as he simply moved his blade downward using both hands in an angle that would sweep towards Cas' body and end by his organic hand which seemed to be his center of gravity and thus much less mobile. If Cas intercepted the attack with his own blade, Mathieu would simply utilise his superior position and strength in order to push through, threatening to once again strike a blow to the foe with his own weapon. And while the kick might cause the Morellian's balance to waver temporarily, it was far from enough to make him fall, seeing as his strong legs stood firmly planted in the ground. Ultimately, it was not quite enough to rob him of his advantage when it came to the real battle. "Give up, this is over, Tynen."

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

His kick had no effect on his bigger opponent, and he was now at more of a disadvantage than ever in this position. In hindsight, Cas had realised this was a pretty dumb strategy. Still, he had a contingency up his sleeve, the Kiffar quickly raised his weapon hand up in an arch, but instead of blocking Mathieu's downward attack - he lifted his index and middle finger off of his hilt and with the aid of the Force, Cas slowed his opponent's motion.

Buying him enough time to roll backward and out of the way of Mathieu's attack, due to the lack of time and concentration in his manoeuvre the Morellian was only slowed instead of frozen, and even then that wouldn't last long before he returned to his normal speed. By the time Cas was back on his feet and ready to attack, Mathieu would be back to his initial state.

"You were saying?" he fired back, although his voice had no hint of teasing or humor in it. He needed to stop underestimating his opponent, while he was a relatively green Padawan - Mathieu still had a ton of training and experience from his mercenary years... maybe even more so than Cas. Opening himself up to the Living Force, the Jedi allowed it to swirl around him and bolster his physicality. Following this, he rushed toward Mathieu once again at a blinding speed and swung his amber blade in an upward diagonal movement, in hopes of baiting Mathieu to block or parry.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Blast it! The Kiffing Kiffar had assaulted Mathieu with a force attack and with his own skills still on a rather crude level, he didn't manage to get out from the bind before it was too late. Cas had managed to escape the horrible position he had put himself in and even felt inclined to fire a retort at him.

Mathieu did not notice that Cas was enhancing his physicality at first - but it wouldn't take long for him to notice the increase in speed. Thanks to his extensive training in force valor with the Soller Navah, it was not hard for him so deduce what was going on. This was one of few skills where he felt like he was even remotely competitive with the Knight and with that in mind, he started enhancing his own capabilities, making his already impressive physique even more potent.

Now faster, stronger and more agile, the young Morellian confidently tilted his blade upwards and waited until his Jedi foe got closer. In one smooth motion, he brought his blade downwards to meet Cas' upwards swing, intent on locking blades as close to the hilt as he could get. If the lightsaber was deactivated, Mathieu would probably be able to hit its hilt and there by destroy it. If not, his blade would prevent Cas' from going up even further. Mathieu's move was not finished there as he then, surprisingly gracefully for someone of his size, hopped to the side, arriving much closer to the Kiffar's side, safe in the knowledge that his blade prevented the Jedi from stabbing him without letting their weapons clash.

Letting go of his weapon with the hand closer to Cas, Mathieu then proceeded to stretch out his arm and reach around the other's neck, trying to catch the smaller foe in a vice-like grip as he would pull the opponent closer in a painfully tight squeeze.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas noticed that Mathieu's speed had increased slightly, nearly surprising him actually, as the Morellian met his blade faster than anticipated. Mat was full of surprises, Cas' eyes followed him as he gracefully darted to his side. Before he could even react, Mat had his arm around Cas' neck and locked it tight.

Eyes bugging out, the Jedi Knight wondered how the hell he'd get out of this one. Instinctively, the young Kiffar fell back on his Guardian training from childhood as he quickly extinguished his blade and pulled both his hands close to him to grip Mathieu's arm. The Jedi Knight elbowed Mathieu in the gut before hunching himself over, Cas would use the weight of his adversary against him, placing his leg closest to Mathieu's over the Morellian's closest leg and then placing the majority of his weight in his free leg to keep him stable.

Hands still gripped over Mat's arm, without giving him time to retaliate Cas flipped the Morellian over him and onto the ground. As soon as Mathieu would hit the ground, the Kiffar kicked the Morellian's weapon hand and subsequently activated his lightsaber directly in his face, tip of the amber blade aiming ending near his nose. With the way Mathieu was fighting today, he expected him to find a way to get out of the predicament he was in.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

More trickery! Mathieu clearly heard his foe extinguish his blade. Peering over, Mathieu saw how Cas brought up his deactivated lightsaber towards his arm. If he struck the weapon or the arm, the risk was that it would accidentally activate, potentially bringing very much unwanted consequences.

Instead, he quickly lowered his sword arm and attached the weapon to his belt whilst activating his EMP-Emitter to take out the Jedi's cybernetic arm. This had a two-fold effect. On the one hand, it prevented the Kiffar from activating his blade whilst inside of Mathieu's defences, and on the other hand, it prevented the cybernetic arm from squeezing down hard on his arm with its enhanced strength. This did, however, mean that he failed in defending against the elbow which caused him to let out a pained grunt whilst momentarily loosening his grip a little and giving his opponent a little room to breathe. However, with his one arm affected by the EMP and holding onto the weapon, it would also be hard to get a grip on Mathieu's arm.

What Cas did next was devious. The guy was trying to use Mathieu's own strength and mass against him - this was something which would have worked well against someone in his own size, or perhaps even someone who was a bit larger. The differences between the two fighters were, however, much more significant than that. The muscular Morellian brought up his now free arm to increase the pressure even more as he leaned back, countering the forwards thrust which the enemy was trying to produce. Mathieu took it a step further, however, and positioned himself more directly behind the foe. His legs were closed to prevent dirty moves and with that, he straightened his back whilst maintaining the vice-like grip around the neck. The effect, if successful, would be that Cas' feet would leave the ground thanks to Mathieu being taller and there would be a real chance that the Knight would fall unconscious.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Everything happened so fast, even by his standards. Mathieu had activated an EMP, disabling not only his lightsaber but his cybernetic arm as well. With his left arm drooping to his side, motionless and his lightsaber hilt dropping to the ground with a clang, Cas then felt Mat's grip tighten around his neck - and lifted his feet off the ground due to the Morellian's ridiculous height.

Eyes bulging, he barely got out a quip "If..... you...ggkk wanted.... a hug.... all you gkkk... had to do... was gkk... say gkkk so...." that was probably dumb as he wasted much needed oxygen trying to be a smart ass. Vision beginning to grow hazy, he realised how bad his situation was - no lightsaber, useless left arm, and about to pass out from a sleeper hold.

Closing his eyes, Cas would use an ability as a last resort. He concentrated on his raw connection to the Force, surrounding his body with as much of its energy as he could before tensing his entire body and then... releasing, following the loosening of his muscles Cas also violently expelled the Force he had channelled outwards, knocking anything in its path, including Mathieu away.

While Cas' knowledge in the Force was basic for a Knight, he outclassed Mat in both knowledge and potential (at least for now) and now was the time to use his connection to the Force for once, instead of solely relying on his, now disabled, lightsaber. Falling to his knees following the repulse, Cas coughed violently as he held himself up with his organic arm - however, he couldn't let his opponent recover.

Shooting up to his feet, he swirled the Force around himself erecting a barrier before stretching his right arm in front of Mathieu, wherever he was, and regardless of whether he had already gotten up or not he would thickened his concentration on the Force and Mathieu's body - attempting something he hadn't done before, he attempted to use the Force to grip and then pressurise the Morellian's broad frame, forcing him into the ground as if gravity had gotten denser. "Feel like giving up yet? I'm running out of ideas." he said, throat straining.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Just a little bit more. A little bit more and this long and arduous fight would be over. The stakes had been high but Mathieu was going to emerge as the victor. All it took was for Cas to pass out and that was not many moments away. Cas had been making noises but Mathieu never responded. It was close now and he could speak once he had clenched victory.

But then came the surprise. A tremendous force pushed him away from the Knight and flung him back several meters before he could land. When he did - Mathieu performed a combat roll, utilising the momentum from Cas' push to roll away from the Knight and back up to his feet. The large Morellian eyed his opponent - he was weakened and disarmed. Rushing forth to finish the job, he suddenly felt something pressuring him as his foe raised his arm. It was painful, as if something wanted to bring him down through sheer force.

Mathieu realised that it was probably a force trick and erected a force barrier to keep moving. It was only a matter of time as the much more powerful force user broke through his defences but even then, the former Mercenary augmented his own strength and stamina to push on. His steps slowed considerably as the enormous pressure tried to force him down. Still, he kept going with sword in hand and an iron determination. Six meters had shrunk to five, then four, then three. It was a hard struggle as the larger man approached his foe.

It was not enough. The Morellian let out a grunt as he felt his knees surrender to the force which Cas produced. He still tried to inch closer to the Knight but that would not be allowed to happen as he fell forwards and dropped his weapon. Standing on his hands and knees with his head less than a meter away from his foes, Mathieu could feel all hope of victory slip out of him as Cas' continued pressure was about to make his fall complete. "I relent!" he exclaimed, tired and out of breath "Stop, I relent! You win!" he continued, finally admitting defeat. It was a big loss that would be felt for quite some time. Exhausted and defeated, all the learner could do was to hope for the victor to stop his viscous assault.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

It was over. It was finally over. After a gruelling duel, Cas managed to win but not without working for it. Not even seconds after Mathieu relented, Cas released his grip on him with the Force and bent over, grasping his thigh with his working arm while his mechanical one slumped at his side "OhthanktheForce." he exclaimed all in one short breath. Catching his breath he let out a deep inhale followed by a long exhale, after that he approached the Morellian and helped him up to his feet with his right arm "Maybe next time we spar with rules, this was a mess.".

Pulling him up with the remaining strength he could muster, the Jedi Knight patted the taller Morellian on the shoulder "Gee, Stretch - you keep fighting like that and you'll be Knighted within a year." he complimented Mat. As much as he hated to admit it, if it weren't for his superior knowledge in the Force, Mathieu would have had the fight - and... with a bit more experience, he feared that maybe his friend would surpass him in skill one day. That was a thought... and a wound to his ego.

Puckering his lower lip, Cas let out a small breath - flipping a dreadlock up as he did so "So... you're still paying for lunch right?" he wondered, after a workout like that he'd definitely need food, and not the crap served in the refectory.

*******
​

Not too far from the Temple, in the district area and after Mathieu had bought them lunch. The two Jedi were sat at a small table outside, amongst the non-Jedi that lived here, it was strange - whenever on Kashyyyk, Cas hadn't spent much time either out of the Jedi Temple or in the forests. It was... nice? Not to mention it was good to just be relaxing, and even better that his cybernetic arm was working again.

As he dug into his food, which was something regal to the planet, he glanced up at his friend with a smirk "Still can't believe you're a Jedi now. What a crazy galaxy we live in, huh." he said with a chuckle, Cas would fall silent for a few moments and his expression grew sad. Glancing away, he swallowed a mouthful of his lunch "I'm sorry about you and Sam by the way... uh, where'd you go anyway? You kinda just... fell off." the Kiffar prodded, both out of concern and being nosy.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

The pressure released and Mathieu's tense posture quickly turned into a more relaxed one. His torso moved up and down as he panted with eyes fixed on the ground. He had been defeated, and now he would have to pay the price. He didn't know how many credits it would cost, but the local restaurant outside the temple was rather pricey. He took the Knight's arm and let out a tired "Thanks, Cassie" He let out a tired sigh before looking to his friend again "Yeah. I'd especially like to see something about me winning in those new rules of yours." he joked - he would love to beat Cassie in a sparring match some day but the victory would be hallow if it was just because of beneficial rules.

A hearty laugh escaped the new Padawan as he looked at his friend. He was flattered and honoured by the comment. He knew that the Kiffar was rather accomplished, so his words meant a lot. Putting both hands on his hips and letting his back slouch in a tired posture, he eyed the Knight with a sharp glint in the eye "You were holding back, Tynen. You could've done that move from the start." Mathieu was glad that the fight had gone on for as long as it did and that he had managed to create so many opportunities. But there was no doubt in his mind that, if Cas had given it his all, the fight would have been over before it even started. "Yeah, the food is on me. You know, if I was this stupid when signing on contracts as a merc, I'd be broke by now. Betting that I'd win against one of the greats" he said, smiling and shaking his head a little before giving the Knight a powerful pat on the back "Let's go then"

***​

The two of them were waiting for the food to be served. The table was pleasant - it was small but the surroundings were beautiful and he was certain it would be enhanced significantly during the Kashyyyk sunset. "Me neither" The Morellian had joined very recently and only had his training from the Soller Navah to rely on. It nothing to scoff at as they were utterly competent. But he agreed with a nod "I used to dream about being a Jedi as a kid. I watched so many movies about you. Ahm, us. My friends kept saying that they were bad but how could they be? They had Jedi in them!" he spoke with excitement as he recalled how he idolised the Jedi as a child. His broad shoulders fell a bit as he sighed, suddenly feeling a tremendous amount of pressure "I just hope I can live up to what we're supposed to be"

Cassie moved the conversation onto what had happened before. "Thanks mate." he said first, keeping it rather short. With a new breath, he looked over to the other Jedi "I was doing a job in the outer rim but, you know. I failed a bit." his memories went back to the crash landing he had and the fear he had felt as he glided down onto the planet, past its treacherous mountains and down onto the frozen tundra. "I crashed my ship. I crashed my ship and I..." he was obviously having difficulties speaking about it - it had been the second traumatic experience he had in a short period of time - after just having had Sam empty a clip on him from close range.

He looked away for a bit, breathing heavily whilst recomposing himself. "I trained. And then I came here." he concluded before drinking up his glass of water. "So, I take it you got her through the darkest parts of it?" he asked - he didn't want to think about it too much but in a sense, he still felt some kind of responsibility for the aftermath of his actions and Cassie was the one whom he had called. While he may not have been too keen on asking the question - it was the most important one he had.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Resting his elbow and forearm on the top of the body of the chair, he laid his other hand on the table as he listened to Mathieu tell him about his dreams of being a Jedi as a kid. Smiling, he couldn't help but relate and nodded while chuckling at the same time "Yeah, I feel ya - back on Kiffu, I'd do the same whenever my parents weren't projecting their expectations on me." agreeing, although the mention of his family brought a harsh frown to his face. He quickly fixed up when his friend displayed a bit of insecurity "For what it's worth, you're a good guy - like... pure of heart kinda good. If anyone can help make a difference it's you... you tall nerfherder." Cas attempted to reassure the Morellian, adding a lighthearted dis at the end as to not portray himself as going soft on him.

The Knight took a sip of his drink, listening as Mat... began to struggle recounting his tale. Feeling guilty, Cas' face softened - he wanted to know more but if it affected him this much at merely explaining it, it was best to leave it alone. At least for now. Skipping over Mat crashing his ship, Cas decided to focus his attention on the question the Morellian had asked him.

To be frank, the question caught him off guard... so much so, Cas nearly choked on his drink. Accidentally spitting it back into his cup, he wiped his mouth. He wished he hadn't had brought it up - this kinda stuff was, too awkward and too personal for him. It was hard enough going through it with Sam... but then again, Mathieu was obviously the more rational of the relationship. Holding both hands up, the Kiffar would correct the Morellian "No, well, I mean... I supported her but... she got through it mainly on her own merit." not giving himself any of the credit. Regretfully glancing away, his mind took him back to the kiss they shared, he still felt guilty over it, but he felt it was a lighter option than a rebound but still efficient in giving Sam a much-needed confidence boost.

Finding the mental courage to look his friend in the eye again, his expression hardened into that of friendly concern - "And you? How're you handling it... couldn't imagine it was easy. You... loved her right?" he asked, consciously choosing his words carefully in case this was still sore subject for the Morellian.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Mathieu nodded continuously as Cassie spoke of the recovery until he finally let out a thoughtful "Good. Thanks." Naturally, he was completely unaware of any of the more intimate moments which had happened between his friend and Sam and thus continued "You're a good friend, Tynen"

It was a little surprising to hear Cassie ask about how he felt for Sam in the past. In a way, he thought that the Kiffar jumped at love rather hastily - to him, it was a word which should be used very carefully except for when speaking about food. Instead of answering the question directly, he looked down onto his lap for a while before looking back up again "I crashed my ship, Cassie." He looked at his friend for a few moments until his lips curled into a smiled "But I'm fine."

Soon, the food would arrive, bringing with it a wonderful and surprisingly spicy smell. Rubbing his hands together, the former Mercenary looked up to the waitress and thanked her before looking to his friend with an excited expression "Let's dig in!"

For a moment, Mathieu thought a bit about why the Knight knew so much about him whilst he knew so little about the Knight. But then, if the guy ever felt like sharing something, he'd speak up. Or at least that was what he hoped. For now, he'd leave that area alone. Instead, he turned to a subject which he found highly interesting. "I never expected a Jawa to do so well in a fight" he said, smirking at the victor of their duel "Your big-feeted grandma taught you how to fight?" He was hurling jabs left and right, obviously more than capable of looking past his recent defeat. In truth, he was deeply impressed by Cassie's combat prowess. "So, what were you going to do before I grabbed your neck? Just charging at me like that doesn't fit with how you usually fight. Too little dancing about and no pirouettes whatsoever."

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

"I try." he jested with a shrug, covering up the guilt he felt still. Seeing at how Mathieu reacted to his question about Sam, the Kiffar realised he may have been sorta blunt with the way he worded it. Explaining that 'he crashed' was a good enough answer for Cas, glancing away he gently rubbed the back of his neck and felt guilty about asking that too "Sorry, man." he said genuinely.

As much as he loved to help people, especially those he cared for - he was... always bad with this stuff. Need him to save someone from a burning building or take out a crime lord, Cas was your man but need him for small, intimate stuff? Barking up the wrong tree. Although, he wanted to change that. When their food arrived, it didn't take the Knight long before he tore into his food.

He smirked at the backhanded compliment, snickering through his nostrils even "You'd be surprised, not all Jawas are opportunistic scavengers." Cas stated, flashing him a wink "Not my grandma, my parents. Let's just say they had... high expectations of me and my sister before I le--" he paused, cutting himself off "--Before I joined the Jedi." the Kiffar corrected himself. Answering Mat's next question, he shrugged "Wanted to try a different approach. Was going to bait you into disarming you, but, well, guess you had other plans. I underestimated you." he said nonchalantly, taking a mouthful of food.

"I hate fighting bigger guys like you, y'all take so long to go down." Cas chuckled "I gotta admit, I'm scared that with a little more training you can probably take me. Don't take that lightly, it took a lot for my ego to let me say that." Cas admitted, smirking.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Was it Mathieu's turn to hit a sore spot? The way in which Cassie spoke of his parents, it just seemed to be a little pained. There had been so many moments when the large Morellian had wished to pat his friend on the shoulder or give him a friendly sideways hug like he so often did but the way they were seated prevented that. It was not too much of a loss, however, seeing as there was food for him to eat - something which could reliably be used to keep him distracted.

"Me too" he said, figuring that he'd give his friend a chance to slip away from the topic of his family. "Both mother and father were officers, first with the military and then with the peacekeepers. They had me training from early on, instilled a real sense of discipline in me." he said, smiling as he kept his childhood memories with fondness. "I didn't mind the training, in fact, I loved it. But I don't really like all the screaming and rules." he said before cartoonishly making a parody of his mother "Brion, Mathieu. Dinner is supposed to be ready at 1800 hours and your record tells me that you better get started ten minutes ago. What are you still doing in the basement?" he smiled softly after having said it, for despite it all, he still had a good relation with his parents. Leaning his head to the side, he added "We had the weights in the basement. Loosing track of time was easy."

A few questions were still whirling around his head. Cassie had a sister? Why did the parents have so high expectations? He waved them away as the conversation continued "You wanted to rob a weapon from this hand? From this grip?" he asked, raising his right hand and forming a powerful fist. He then looked to Cas' own hand and remembered what the nature of it was. Letting out a light chuckle, he flashed a smile at his friend "Fair enough"

Mathieu rose an amused eyebrow as the Kiffar mentioned how he hated fighting people like him. "You get a hit in on me with that sword and I'm still going down like anyone else, you just gotta stop with those kicks and jabs" he said before leaning forth over his food, pretending to be more serious than he really was "The ones who are truly annoying are the ones who are like you. You're like wasps, flying about, being nigh on impossible to hit whilst always threatening to sting." He leaned back and let a smile form on his lips "I could use more practice against guys like you."

What came next caught him by surprise "You honour me, Cassie. But I still lack the refinement of your form and when you start waving that hand about, I'm as good as lost anyways" he said, nodding to the organic hand he raised when utilising force grip. "I have a long way to go before I can even hope to fend that stuff off" he said, remembering how powerless he felt when Cas brought him down onto his arms and knees. "But one day, Tynen, one day I might beat you. I'd say that time is my ally here" he said, giving the Kiffar a wink. They both knew what species Mathieu belonged to and by the time Cas would be old and frail, Mathieu's physical shape would probably be similar to its current state. "But what do you say? Wanna practice a few times a week? I know you already have a padawan and all, but I sure could use someone to cross swords with for real." In truth, he enjoyed talking to the guy which might have been a stronger reason for the proposal - but that could not be said outright, instead, it became "Next time, I'll bring some insecticide. If nothing else, it might shut you up, right?" He spoke in a lighthearted and jestfull tone whilst finishing off the last remaining pieces of food on his plate.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

"Officers, huh?" he asked in obvious surprise, while Cas' parents weren't Officers in the traditional sense, they were similar. Maybe him and Mat had more similarities than he had initially thought. Continuing to listen, Cas wondered that if he enjoyed his childhood so much then why didn't he follow in their footsteps? That question would be quickly answered however, when Mat explained his distaste following the rules. Another similarity. He smiled when Mat concluded "I think I have you figured all out now, Brion. Good home life, a good childhood... turned you into a massive softy." he stated with a chuckle.

When Mat seemed perplexed at the idea of Cas trying to disarm him, the Jedi Knight ate his food without even looking at him, waiting for the Morellian to remember a crucial detail about the young Kiffar. Once he realised, Cas let out a small snicker through his nostrils "It's easy to forget with the glove covering it."

Cas grinned in a cartoonish manner at Mat's retort on how he was actually the annoying opponent. He took another bite out of his food and simply stared at his friend with an amused look, finally swallowing, he grinned again "Must be doing something right, then." he replied humorously. Following the Padawan's confession about needing more practice against Cas' combat style, the Knight nodded in agreement "Back at ya." before taking yet another bite.

"Sounds about right, the only time you'll ever beat me is when I'm old and frail." he said in a casual tone, winking back at him to let him know he was only kidding. Leaning into his chair in order to let his food settle, it didn't take long for Cas to nod in agreement with his friend about regular sparring sessions it'd be good for both of them. The Knight laughed at Mat's joke about insecticide, shaking his head as he said "Not a chance, nothing stops this mouth from moving. Not even sleep."

The Knight and Padawan would then spend the rest of their afternoon laughing, chatting and teasing each other. Cas was beginning to believe this was the makings of a solid friendship.

/End thread​

Mathieu Brion