Private Color Trials

[Zaiya Ceti]

Koboh
Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

"Okay, to be fair... I can explain."

That was how this whole endeavor on Koboh for the first of the Jedi chamber locations began, with Zaiya sheepishly trying to explain to her master, Iris Arani how the Lovalla had traveled to the world of Koboh in the Outer Rim Territories without a chaperone with Aris Noble -- after ahem, borrowing a shuttle for a few days.

"I went to do some research, " not a lie, she did go to research the star map that led the pair to Koboh for the second catalyst. "And while there, I found an old labratory, and after furter review, what appeared to be ruins of what could be remnants of a Jedi temple or something similiar. I haven't been able to find more on it in the Archives, but I thought it would be neat to go aback and investigate it some more -- with you and Domxite of course."

Domxite gave a whirr that was suspiciously close to a chuckle, the amount of days they provided queuing in that the droid saw through her carefully curated explanation.

Zaiya was terrible at being vague, especially as through all of it, the color shifting over her skin in the ripple and spazz of colors and iridescent glow effects gave her away. The growing bond between Domxite and Iris didn't help either.

But Zaiya wasn't trying to lie; it was just that Aris's family treasure map of sorts was his story to tell, not hers.

 

[Iris Arani]

​

Iris was, naturally, conflicted. On one hand, exploring was part of being a Jedi. She'd often gone out on her own, meeting Jedi and former Jedi, even Sith, to learn and grow. But with all the open war. Zaiya going off on her own or with another Padawan was far more concerning. Or was it just that she was worried? How many times had she gone off on her own or with another Padawan?

She sighed after a moment before giving a faint smile. "I won't push for details, but tell him he'd better explain to me at least." Again, knowing something she shouldn't naturally know, and just as quick as she dropped that she turned her gaze to the fields of Koboh.

"So, what did you find here that you can tell me about?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Koboh
Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

"Okay I can do --" Zaiya began, only to suddenly pause and her eyes widen, staring up at Iris in shock and startled awe. Wait? Tell him he'd better explain it to her at least?

How did Iris know that?! That there is a he!? Wait did I say anything? Zaiya thought to herself, the colors swirling and spazzing in a comical array of befuddlement and flustered contemplation.

"How do you know there is even a he?" as if the question didn't confirm it. Domxite would show notable humor, brushing up against the Force to the Master and Padawan pair.

"Domxite you are only encouraging her!" Zaiya shot back, but the tiny droid would only hop from the Lovalla's shoulder over towards Iris's own, reminding her that Iris had asked what she had found on Koboh last time.

"Oh! Right... umm... well," She brought up her arm, activating one of the half dozen bangles to bring up a small holomap.

"So this is the terrain we mapped. The lab is here... we found a creature here... and then here is the part that I wanted you to see." Bringing up the area on Rambler's Reach Valley.

"Right here." She told Iris, towards a section that would head into what was once the Chamber of Duality.

 

[Iris Arani]

​

Iris let herself just smile, but she didn't respond. How she knew was always up in the air. Something she never once bothered to figure out. Instead though her gaze shifted to the bangle, looking over the map rather curiously. An old temple. A chamber, of some sort? She nodded her head once, one hand reaching up to pit pat Domxite's head before she looked over the grasslands.

"Then we'll start there. Jedi facility, right? I'm sure there's information stored away somewhere we can use to figure out what t's for."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

"Okay. The Jedi Facility it is!" Zaiya chriped back, with Domxite giving a little shimmy of their feet. Zaiya took that moment to double check her satchel, making sure they had everything they needed.

"So, just to make sure, I prepped things in the event we have to stay overnight someplace," the Lovalla told Iris, checking off a mental list she made.

"There are a lot of creatures around -- some more dangerous. And i've been exploring enough to know that is always a good idea to have plenty of rope around just in case..." one ended up falling into a sinkhole.

That had happened the first time Aris and she went exploring where the star map led them.

All set, Zaiya gave Iris a nod. "Okay, all good -- we can take a speeder before hiking on foot once we are closer."

"So, what have you've been up to lately?" she asked Iris, curious what the woman had been doing.

 

[Iris Arani]

​

Iris had, admittedly, not prepared much at all. She figured there was a town on world they could visit close enough by to get food and the like, but Zaiya had gone all out on getting everything ready. She smiled a bit as she listened to her as they walked. A brow did raise though. How many of these little excursions did the Lovalla end up on to be ready for things that needed rope or dangerous creatures.

"A speeder is a good idea. Do you know how to fly a speeder?"

That could be a good lesson.

".. Me? I- oh. Huh. Nothing, really. Painting and studying. There's a lot of medical procedures in the galaxy. .. Hey, did you ever figure out a saber style you prefer?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

“A speeder? The basics yes.” Zaiya replied. She had thought that Iris would be the one driving them and her answer had a bit of a sheepish quality to it, the Lovalla Padawan slinging her backpack onto her back.

“Not enough to be a speeder bike racer though! But I can be really fast with the hoverboard!” Maybe even faster than Aris!

She turned to study Iris, watching the shift of her colors and the peered curiously at her.

“Nothing?” A wry grin curved on her lips and her skin twinkled citrine hues in intrigue. Domxite seemed to laugh.

“Were you doing secret spy things?” She asked as she lead them to the speeder.

As for the lightsaber form style…

“Hmm… honestly not sure which form would be the best for me. I’m okay with firm one but then I don’t really tend to use my lightsaber unless I need to… but I realize I should be competent with it.” Zaiya paused, musing on how well others were. Aris, Braze, Vera and Ayhan are a lot better and already are excelling and the former wanted to be battle masters. “I want to be well at it too, but I haven’t had as much time as the others in training who started early. What do you think would be good for me?”

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"If I was doing secret spy things, I wouldn't be talking about them you know." Iris let out a little chuckle, surprisingly. Even she couldn't help herself at how blatantly Zaiya was trying to probe for that kind of information. The life of a Jedi Shadow wasn't something Iris was going to just talk about, especially if she was still active. She wasn't, of course. Not for a while now. Neither her nor Domxite had taken on a mission in some time.

It was good.

"It's really more dependent on you, your strengths. I can tell you which I think would be best. Your body as a Lovalla is weaker than most humanoids, so the more aggressive and stronger forms would be a no go. Ataru, Djem So, the like. Niman is a blend of those as well as others, and I don't think spreading yourself out with so many battles looming is a good idea. Shii-Cho is also more physical. So, that would leave Makashi and Soresu."

Iris hummed in thought before glancing to the speeder once they were there. It was a larger one, cargo space in the back. A smile formed after a moment before she hopped up on the back itself. Without exchanging words Domxite was already hopping up to take control of the speeder themselves.

"Makashi is what I use. Rather than strength, you use skill. Parries and ripostes are your tools, letting you set the pace of the battle. Soresu is good for a passive defense, but as a healer we're often around those who can't fight for themselves. If we don't take care of the threats, they're the ones who are left in true danger."

The speeder lifted up as Iris reached into her pack. There was a pause before the Jedi took out the lightsaber she kept stashed in there before the blue of the blade ignited, just as the speeder lifted from the ground. "Set your saber to training. We'll start with the basics of footwork."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Zaiya squinted at Iris, her lips pressing into a pout.

"That sounds exactly like something a secret spy would say to throw people off," she quipped, a playful glint in her eyes. But her amusement quickly turned to wide eyed surprise when Iris casually told her to get her saber ready.

Wait -- what? Zaiya immediately swung her gaze back at Iris.

Zaiya's gaze darted between Iris, the newly ignited blue lightsaber, and Domxite, who had just revved up the speeder like they absolutely knew what they were doing.

Since when did Domxite know how to drive?!

Her spots flickered between their usual golden hue and a startled greenish-blue as she frantically looked around the cargo space. "Wait, wait, wait... you want to do training here? While we're moving?"

Iris, calm as ever, didn't even flinch. The speeder hummed beneath them, lifting off smoothly as if this was the most normal training setup in the galaxy.

Zaiya swallowed, then exhaled sharply. Okay. No freaking out. Jedi had to be ready for anything, right? Even… this.

With a resigned, but slightly exasperated, sigh, she pulled out her saber, flicking the switch to training mode. The teal blade sent a wash of color over her bioluminescent skin.

"If I go flying off the back, I'm haunting you," she muttered, but there was a hint of a grin tugging at her lips.

Here goes nothing.

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"I'd never let you fly off the back, Zaiya."

It was softer spoken than she meant it to be, but considering a large portion of the mostly faded burn scars on Iris had come from her being thrown off a train, she couldn't stop her voice. She wouldn't let Zaiya fall for the same pain that had brought. She didn't let it linger in the air though, since Domxite suddenly sped the speeder right off to get them to their destination.

Iris didn't even seem to move, balanced and prepared as she kept her saber in a light grip.

"Master Valery Noble taught me Makashi when I was much younger. In truth, I haven't been keeping up on my drills as I should, but I do know them. The most important thing? Your foot work. There's no strength truly involved in the style. You move in a straight line, forwards and back, much like fencing if you know it. You step forward, leading with your dominant foot, then bring your non dominant behind. You never step, you never cross your legs. Keep side ways. Three steps forward, three steps back, in a straight line. Keep your saber up and level. Your other arm, tuck behind your back."

It was a lot of instructions, but Iris was showing as she spoke. One arm tucked behind her back, the other holding her saber up in a very loose looking grip. She'd shuffle the three steps forward, then three back, all without letting her blade waver once.

"And keep a looser grip on your saber. You're not white knuckling it. Just enough to keep a grip, but loose enough to be able to move it as quick as you'll need. Begin."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Hearing Iris say that she'd never let her fly off the back of the speeder made Zaiya pause, warmth flooding her chest and giving her such a beautiful feeling of belonging that the Padwan couldnt help the flood of emotions as it reflected off her skin and her sheepish, but grateful expression. She knew Iris wouldn't let her fall, but hearing it, feeling it, was something else entirely. It wasn't just reassurance. It was trust.

Belonging.

"I know, " she replied shyly in quiet resonating joy. Her grip on her saber relaxed slightly as she turned her focus back to the lesson, her gaze flicking between Iris's movements and her own stance. Makashi. Precision, not power. Straight lines, not wide sweeps. A duelist's form.

Easier said than done when balanced on the back of a moving speeder.

Zaiya adjusted her footing, rolling onto the balls of her feet to absorb the speeder's subtle shifts. She mimicked Iris's steps -- three forward, three back --keeping her blade level, her free arm tucked behind her back.

It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either. She felt awkward, like a baby nuna learning to walk for the first time. The instinct to plant her feet wider for stability warred against Makashi's precise, narrow movements. Still, she pressed on, adjusting, refining.

"How's that?" she asked, glancing at Iris with a hopeful flicker of bioluminescent blues threading through her spots.

Then, of course, the speeder hit a bump.

Zaiya's foot slid an inch too far, her balance wavered, and she barely caught herself, her saber dipping for half a second before she forced it steady again.

"Whoa whoa! -- okay. Adjusting. Adjusting." A nervous laugh bubbled up, her colors shifting between focus and mild panic.

Yeah. Maybe she should definitely ask Aris later if he ever had to practice bladework like this.

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"Don't be afraid to widen the stance of your back foot. Use it to steady yourself, to spring you forward as you need. It's not a precarious balance you're looking at, but a comfortable one that you control. It's easy on a level, normal surface. Not so easy in a moving speeder with bumps, mm? You don't have to do perfect or even well. Just keep moving, forward and back."

It'll make a training room easy mode, in truth. But Iris wasn't too keen on learning solely in training rooms. The real world wasn't a stable, flat room. Iris lowered her saber, extinguishing the blade as she stepped over to stand beside Zaiya. Help her with her position, where her hands were held, how to hold her saber. Everything she needed to make the most of this.

"Find your balance, on the line. There is only forwards and back in Makashi. No side to side."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Zaiya exhaled slowly, her bioluminescence flickering in soft waves of pale blue and amber as she adjusted her stance. The speeder thrummed beneath her feet, every bump and shift testing her balance, threatening to send her stumbling. It wasn't easy, her instincts kept screaming at her to plant her feet, to brace against the movement. As a Lovalla she was physically less robust than a human, weighing less and not as strong. one of the many reasons why she had to train in endurance and strenghth.

But that wasn't the lesson.

She wasn't supposed to fight the motion. She was supposed to flow with it.

"Forward and back," she murmured under her breath, trying to absorb the instruction, her grip loosening slightly on her saber. No side-to-side, no wasted movement. It was all about precision, control; two things she still struggled with when it came to her bladework.

Iris's presence beside her was steady, grounding. Her hands lightly adjusted Zaiya's posture, shifting her grip, nudging her stance just a little wider, just enough to feel centered rather than precarious.

Zaiya's skin shimmered, pale yellow tones swarming at the edges of her uncertainty.

"Okay," she said, determination settling in her voice. She took a breath, then -- one step forward, blade lifting, adjusting. One step back, keeping light on her feet, not rigid. It wasn't perfect, but she was moving.

Better, an improvement.

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"There you go."

Not fighting. With the motion. Iris smiled faintly before she took a position back across from Zaiya, letting her saber snap back to life. Footwork was important, and Zaiya was starting to get a handle on it, but that wasn't the only part she needed to work on. Fancy steps wouldn't keep her safe when Iris wasn't there. So, blade up, arm back, stance steady.

"I want you to work on striking. I'll defend for now, but strike out. Step in, thrust, and immediately step back. You'll eventually be controlling the flow of the fight, but right now it's important you see how to strike, yes? These are the drills I want you to do every morning when you wake up. Okay?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Zaiya gave off an excited flare of appreciation at Iris's praise. However, when Iris ignited her saber, it became more serious.

Time to work on strikes.

Okay, Zaiya, you can do this, she told herself. She'd trained before with Aris, Vera, and Azzie, and this was no different.

Well, except for doing it while on a moving speeder.

Domxite gave an encouraging nudge through the Force along with a chirp, and the Droid led them closer to Ramblers Reach Valley.

With a flex of her fingers around the hilt of her saber, the Lovalla Padawan stepped forward to practice those strikes in Iris's direction. Straight lines, not wide sweeps. A duelist's form. Step in, thrust, and immediately step back.

 

[Iris Arani]

​

Iris was quick to parry the first thrust. Quick and simple, knocking the strike aside with a bit more force. It was about keeping track of just how Zaiya's grip was, after all. Too hard, and her wrist would hurt. Too loose and the saber would be knocked aside. "You control your posture, your footwork, your blade. Let it roll with the strikes and parries so you can move it to a more advantageous position. Never let your lightsaber be knocked from your grasp."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Zaiya grit her teeth, adjusting her grip as Iris effortlessly knocked her blade aside. The impact wasn't harsh, but she felt it - - too stiff. Too rigid. Her wrist ached in protest.

Okay, not so tight, she reminded herself, shaking out her fingers before resetting her stance as she balanced herself on top of the moving speeder.

Her bioluminescence flickered, a soft pulse of determined citrine and cobalt rippling across her mottled spots. She had to get this right.

She steadied her saber, mirroring Iris's movements as best she could. Footwork first - - control my balance. Then the blade - - roll with the strike, don't fight against it.

This time, when Iris struck, Zaiya adjusted, letting her saber deflect the blow smoothly instead of bracing for impact. It wasn't perfect - - far from it, but she could feel the difference.

Better.

Her spots shimmered a brighter gold.

"I think I got it," she murmured as she shifted her weight onto her back foot, before moving in once again to strike.

 

[Iris Arani]

​

There it was. Iris smiled faintly as the pieces seemed to click, and Iris was all keen on keeping it up. This was how they'd continue, back and forth so Zaiya could build on those fundamentals. It'd take time, but constant work, constant drills, would make this muscle memory. It was far more important that Zaiya internalized it. It helped that Domxite was taking the longer way around to make sure they had the time needed to at least accomplish this.

A couple of emotional spikes from the Rainbow Gem made it clear that they were about to arrive, though.

Iris smiled softly, letting her saber extinguish as she dipped her head.

"Good. Remember this. Let it become part of you. Every day, same drill. Don't worry about having another, just focus on the steps and the lunges. You know what feels right now, yeah?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Zaiya grinned, bioluminescence pulsing a steady, satisfied gold along her arms as she extinguished her saber. The motions felt smoother now, more natural. Progress. Finally.

She turned to Iris, tilting her head in thought. "Do you think a traditional lightsaber would be best for me, or maybe a different iteration? Braze makes so many types, and I know he and Aris are both trying to master as many weapons and styles as they can."

She flexed her fingers on her hilt, the one she built as a basic start as tradition, thoughtful. "Feels like I should find what fits me best, right?"

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"I'm no lightsaber expert. Makashi makes use of your smaller, frailer form to turn an opponents strength into something inconsequential. You don't need strength yourself to use it. I use it because of how scarred up my body is. I can't get much stronger than I am, so I use skill to compensate. What form would suit you best? Explore, learn as many as you can till you find one that really clicks, if Makashi doesn't."

Iris herself sat down now, idly flexing her hand as Domxite brought the speeder to a stop. The scars still brought a lot of pain. Soreness, mostly, but she needed to take some time to not let herself get too stiff.

Zaiya Ceti