Crossed Blades (Mark Sage / Jedi Order / Other Jedi)

[Travot Ravenna]

Hangar complex, Ossus

Travot Ravenna strode out of the vaulted hangar, his footsteps echoing loudly on the hardened duracrete pad, leaving behind his battered Plainswalker behind him. A brief smile blossomed across his face as he felt the sun's warm rays against his skin. A light breeze drifted by to help evaporate the sweat he had built up from working on the tramp freighter. He spared a quick glance back at the tramp freighter. At least there's another guy who flies antiques...Ravenna had briefly met [member="Mark Sage"], after one of the other padawans mentioned that he wasn't the only one flying an old personal ship. But while their conversation had started with ships, the conversation that ended in agreement to meet here at the edge of the hangar to cross lightsaber blades.

In many ways, he was not sure what to expect from this mock duel. He had never crossed lightsaber blades with another padawan, aside from going through basic drills like how to parry, how to lunge. But it had never been a competition. The few times he had used his old master's lightsaber in combat, it had been against people with blasters. Those experiences had made him feel comfortable in his constant training in Soresu against remotes, but he wondered just how well it would protect him against an opponent using a lightsaber. I might not know how this will turn out, but at least it'll be a good learning experience, even if I lose.

His hand fell down rest on the cold metallic hilt of his saber. Why does it always feel so oddly comforting? Whenever I draw it for real use, it means something isn't right in this universe. But I suppose that is why I train...

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

Mark had stopped by the Ossus Academy on his way to the Agamar University on Agamar where he'd be looking to attend a xenopaleontology class for a few hours, which he was definitely looking forward to. He hadn't had a specific goal in coming here except to drop in for a quick visit. What he'd gotten was a lightsaber duel. He'd met [member="Travot Ravenna"] when he saw that both had relatively ancient types of ship, and the conversation had moved on from there to introductions to Travot challenging him to a duel. Mark had obliged.
They stood on opposite sides of the hangar, each ready to start.
"I suppose I should count us off?" Mark asked.

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

Moving his hand to his lightsaber's hilt, he began to count off.
"3..."
He took the hilt off of his belt.
"2..."
He tightened his grip slightly as a few people stood near, watching, probably to judge who was winning when it came time.
"1."
Mark activated his weapon, sending a darker green blade shooting out from the emitter. He twirled it once, then held it to his side, ready for his opponent to charge first if he did. No point in wasting too much energy in making the first move.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

As [member="Mark Sage"] began counting down, Travot settled in his well-practiced but somewhat untested Soresu stance, leading his right foot to point towards [member="Mark Sage"] but placing his rear foot perpendicular that. It was a stance perfected by certain adherents of Soresu to keep balanced them on their feet no matter where an attack came from. He wrapped both hands around his lightsaber's hilt and pulled it close to his, with the beam emitter pointed towards the sky. He flipped its switch; a bright blue beam sprang up with its characteristic hum.

But Travot blinked when the other man also started with an defensive stance. Well, that's not to be very interesting if we both stand here on the defensive. Maybe I can make him flinch first...His left hand dropped from the hilt and his eyes darted to a nearby rock about the size of a human head. He wrapped his will around its energy field and flicked his hand towards the other padawan; the brown rock rose from the ground and awkwardly coasted towards the padawan archaelogist. It wasn't very fast, given Travot's lack of skill or sole concentration on moving it, but it might be a decent enough distraction for another opening to attack. But that opportunity depended on Sage's response. It's like holo-chess...except that I hate holo-chess...He prepared to push off as the rock tumbled through the air towards Mark.

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

"Ah" Mark thought, "So its a distraction game then. Let's turn this distraction game into an imitation game."
Mark also took hold of the rock using the force, pushing it to a point directly between him and his combatant. Once it was in the spot he wanted it to be in, he let go, letting fall to the ground and charged toward his opponent.
[member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot closed in towards [member="Mark Sage"] as the other padawan took control of the rock, but as the other padawan turned his attention away from the rock, he took up his defensive pose once more. We're closer now, at least. He briefly considered his options, traditionally, as a Soresu practicer, he would await his opponent's strikes. But appeared to him based on Sage's own position, that perhaps he too practiced Soresu. I guess I get to try Soresu on the offensive. He swung his blue saber in a diagonal slice towards Sage. If he performed it correctly, he could quickly turn that attack into a parry if need be.

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

From what Mark could see, Travot was a practitioner of Soresu, form III of lightsaber combat. Luckily for Mark, one of the main forms he worked on was form V, Djem So, which allowed him to use Soresu for both attack and defense, and so he countered the slice of his opponents blade with a block and a broad, horizontal swipe.
[member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Sage's dark green saber blade clashed into the blue blade in front of him with a crackle. [member="Mark Sage"]'s saber hit his own at the midpoint. Travot had to make a split second decision. He could use his probably superior strength to beat back the attack, but he hadn't really practiced that. Travot opted for the semi-conservative route. He twisted his hands up and to the left and downward, attempting to beat the other padawan's blade into the ground, and simulteneously took a step back in preparation to reform into another defensive stance.

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

In terms of strength. Mark was definitely outgunned, but Mark knew a strategy that could outdo his opponent's of pushing his weapon to the ground. Mark thrust forward and up, nearly disarming his aggressor, but Travot was able to hold on tight enough to his own weapon that the maneuver didn't work to its full potential.
[member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot's eyes flashed open as the other padawan nearly disarmed him. Thankfully, his own retreat had allowed him to bring the mechanical strength of his arm to thwart the attack; he intercepted the tip of [member="Mark Sage"]'s blade at the base of his blue blade. I'll have to remember that attack for the future...Instinctively, Travot edged forward towards the other padawan. As he did so, the large man brought his saber down in diagonal arc aimed at the tip of the other padawan's blade. It was a somewhat conservative attack; at most, he expected to maybe through off whatever move Sage had been planning, but in that slow attack, he made his defense sure by placing his blade in a strong position to parry or block most of the attacks that he could of think of Sage throwing his way.

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

And suddenly, Travot was swinging his blade toward the tip of Mark's. He hadn't been expecting this and attempted to compensate for it, but he lost his balance in the process of the block, causing him to stumble backwards, attempting to regain some sort of balance.
[member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Unfortunately for Travot, he was not in position to take advantage of [member="Mark Sage"]'s momentarily lapse of defense. The very nature of Soresu itself made it as difficult to attack his opponent just as hard as it would be for his opponent to attack him. Still swinging his saber in the defensive arcs of Soresu, the large padawan edged forward towards the sometimes archaeologist. He brought his blue saber down in another diagonal slash aim squarely at the padawan's left shoulder, though he fully expected Sage to counter it somehow.

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

Travot brought the blade down hard above Mark's shoulder. Mark was able to deflect the blow, but Travot's strength was slowl out matching him.
"Time to kick it up a notch." Mark thought.
Focusing as much energy as he could into it, he attempted to shove Ravenna backwards using the force, which would buy Mark a bit of time.
[member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot blinked as the force push rebuffed his attack; the large man stumbled backwards several meters. He managed to quickly regain his footing and reform his stance. I'm getting nowhere like this...maybe I need to take a page from his book. Maybe I need to bring in something else to complement my Soresu's fighting style. Maybe I should try adding Broken Gate to the mix. He bought his saber up again to a high guard and advanced once more upon [member="Mark Sage"].

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

Travot was advancing a bit faster now, a bit harder. Mark was able to keep up, but he'd soon be overpowered. He'd have to put his speed and stamina to work. Combined with a quick spin and the power of the force flowing through his veins Mark landed a blow midway down Ravenna's blade which pushed the larger man back a few steps. Mark quickly followed up with a few more fast and furious attacks, using his speed and stamina to outlast Travot.
[member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

I can't catch a break with him at all at this break. He's just too quick for my mastery of Soresu to get a lightsaber strike in there. The large man quickly swung his blade once again to block another one of [member="Mark Sage"]'s strikes. As he parried the other padawan's blade, the man stepped forward and threw a straight punch with his left hand at what he thought was a opening in the other man's defense.

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

Seeing the punch heading straight for him, Mark ducked and brought his right leg around to hopefully bring Travot down whom he assumed would expect an attack with his blade.
[member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

He blinked as the other padawan responded with another physical movement himself. His punch hit nothing while [member="Mark Sage"]'s leg came at him. He deftly moved his lightsaber out of the way but the other padawan's leg smashed up against his forearm. While the blow would probably leave a bruise, the physical damage was done was less important than the position it put him in. He awkwardly fell back and assumed a Soresu stance; his attacking position once more blunted by Sage's skills.

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

"He seems very reliant on Soresu." Mark thought. "If I can just penetrate the barrier he sets..."
Mark decided to take a more offensive approach. Using his speed to his advantage, he dashed in to attempt to get a hit in. He struck his opponents blade with several strikes in rapid succession, hoping to push Travot to the point of exhaustion.
[member="Travot Ravenna"]