Fangs of Gwahler

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

Step one, see what she knew... her form was simple looking comparable to the jedi ready stance. Mind was clear as the jedi master watched and checked her attack. The blade coming up while she moved to the side. "Your form is good, you know where to start. Many try to jump to another form without learning the basics of shii-cho. Become unpredictable with your strikes, make quicker sweeps." She had moved with her feet and didn't bring up her blade yet but was using her hand to block and draw in energy from the blade. "Your movement is what will telegraph for your opponent. The movement of your feet, the tension in your muscles." She moved though and brought her blade up finally to hold it out and towards Mariya letting it act more like a guide to judge distance. She didn't look amused but there was no emotion into the facial expressions as her foot work came about. "Now depending on the opponent you are facing you want to look for indicators. If they are controlled and conserving their energy. THey could be going for a defensive form to outlast. If they have power and quicker strikes it could mean they are going to try and end the duel quickly."

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

The padawan knew it was impossible for her to manage a strike onto [member="Matsu Ike"], but she never expected the Atrisian to actually using block her attack with a bare hand. She had heard of such feats before, but to see it happening made her eyes opened wide. She found herself staring in amazement for a second before snapping back to reality. Her master was instructing her of the ways of the blade and she needed to hear them.

"Shii-cho. That's Form I." she muttered to herself, recalling what she had seen and read previously from her own learning. The padawan had been wielding her blade like a traditional sword, just like what her lesson with Sol had taught her, but adjusting her movement to compensate for the lack of weight in her hands.

By now, Matsu had raised her own weapon, not to parry but to hold it horizontally in front.

"Looks like a defensive stance..."

She lifted her blade in front of her, pondering what her master had spoken so far. Matsu was right about movements where big swings would tell the opponent where the attack was coming from. It was knowledge that extended to any form of melee combat, stuff that she should already know from her military days.

Her foot took a step forward again, this time swinging her blade to aim at the left shoulder. A fake. Her blade switched midway through the air and dipped below for the left thigh below Matsu's belt.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

SHe watched her, eyes focused and two things came. Her body shifted to make itself more narrow while holding the blade towards her padawan and then she was moving. A cartwheel with her blade coming up and gliding towards a flowing water strike. Blades being connected and she used the force to hover suspending herself in the air with herself upside down to watch her padawan. "THe flowing water cut, a technique to control the flow of the blades. Requiring you to lock the blade and keep them together. You can move along the length of the blade or as leverage move their blade around to create opening. FOr Makashi this is powerful as you can control the flow of combat."

The jedi master finished the cartwheel by going up into the air more as she twirled and dropped with the gravity tucking herself with the blade in front for a heavy overhead slash as her voice came out clear thanks to the force. "The falling leaf strike, gravity and momentum are used to increase the strength of your strike. WIthin a duel using Ateru it serves when you are moving to break defenses." There was a small look on her face though as she moved with what would be a block hopefully to back away and hold the blade itself but shifted the blade to both hands. Holding it up just a little. Her hand going to the end of it.

"Every movement, every dodge, every feint, every strike is a means for a jedi to trap their opponent. We try to avoid fighting but if you must fight then fight to win. IF you are protecting someone, then you have a duty to survive because if you fail then you could lose your life and those you are protecting could lose their life. It is a burden if you are not careful that can crush many and most I have seen treat their blades as a crutch to diplomacy." She remained there though holding the blade . "THe center of being though is a jedi technique of old, used both for combat and meditation. To center yourself in the swirling maelstrom of combat."

She focused and looked at Mariya reaching out with the force, telekinetically pulling at her for an act of surprise but more to pull her towards her blade as mixed the draw closer technique of niman with a shun spin to make it a slash. "Draw closer, when you are in balance and able to manipulate the force, when your opponent is distracted and doesn't realize it. You can pull them closer subtly towards your blade and use a shun to build power as you rotate to strike at them." The jedi master was going into the techniques to really get Mariya some idea of the training and what she wanted her to be able to do.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

She found the blades connecting, gasping in surprise as [member="Matsu Ike"] leapt in midair and held her position while explaining the concept behind the flowing water cut. Mariya knew her master was purposefully slowing down the movements to let her have a better glimpse of the technique itself, thanking Matsu silently in her heart. She dared not blink, remembering the movements as best as she could while Matsu finally landed on her feet. Just a quick dainty tap before the Atrisian was up in the air again, this time spinning with the blade to demonstrate a heavy overhead attack. Mariya flinched, half expecting the falling leaf technique to hit her head but it was nowhere near the mark.

"Okay... I... I am memorising..."

Mariya nodded her head with her mouth wide open, listening to the explanation from Matsu regarding the Jedi's duty to protect and defend. It was something she could understand and agreed upon, even though she was seeking a path of neutrality. The Je'daii was ancient, being the forefathers of the Jedi Order with differences in viewing the Force, but the concept of defending the weak was universal.

"What..."

She found herself being pulled by an invisible grasp, raising her blade to block the incoming attack from Matsu's lightsaber easily. As she lowered her blade, the blonde realised that her master had just introduced three different moves from three separate stances, stuff which she had yet to learn or mastered.

"Erm, am I right to comprehend that the stances are just postures? I mean, one could switch from one stance to another if the need arises, like water flowing from a lake into a river. But I am pretty sure this thinking isn't exactly conventional..."

Mariya knew that some of the greatest Jedi Masters were known to stick to one style, such as Yoda making use of his size to perform acrobatic movements that fitted Ataru.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

"The stances, the movements only have as much power as you want to give them but they are ways to use techniques, methods that the saber forms have for combat. You can do your own movements but forms and stances have endured for a reason. THey are great to teach and train, something you can say to get into a mindset. If you face someone with a saber you could use makashi, if you are facing several people then soresu or djem so to dewfend and counter, if you have the area to move around and skill ateru can be beneficial." She said it though while moving and had her blade pointed but she didn't have it for an attack or defense. "There are benefits and challenges though for everything. I have studied for decades to learn, I was raised in the temple, among the jedi. When I was old enough I had a master and have never known anything else. I developed and trained each form to become skilled in niman which utalizes aspects of all the forms and is about a balance. ABle to adjust easily between each one as the need arises. Switching gives you the benefit of adapting to each situation and adjusting more with the flow of combat where as having a single style can lock you into certain moves and mindset. An ateru user who can't jump around won't get very far same as a soresu user who has to move quickly."

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"In short, adaptability after learning the basics."

She understood what [member="Matsu Ike"] had said. It was similar to how athletes trained, where the basic drills were performed in repeated motions until their bodies and muscles had gained the instinctive reflexes to perform them with precision. No athlete would ever skip the basics if he or she wanted to excel in the sport. For the padawan, it also meant that talking about advanced concepts was something she should not be too concerned with.

The basics mattered.

What were the basics then? Probably not even the movements that her master had shown her. No, such movements could probably come later after her basics had improved.

"Maybe I have jumped the gun and have forgotten that I have barely finished learning the basics..."

Mariya finished her self reflection and spoke her thoughts aloud, her hands wielding her blade back in the Jedi Ready posture of Form I. Her master was standing there casually as usual, looking totally exposed with the blade by the side, but the padawan knew that Matsu probably had her movements drilled in through the years.

"Haa!"

She took a step forward, her blade doing the same downward motion again, this time paying attention to her form as best as she could. The blade went for the left shoulder again, this time slightly faster as she got the hang of swinging a weightless weapon, followed by the same cut towards the waist.

Had she done it better? Hopefully so.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

She was listening and her padawan seemed to be understanding. There was a lot to the lightsaber and while anyone technically could pick it up... Anyone could hold the blade but without an understanding, without a respect they would just be wildly swinging it and causing more harm then good. THe forms gave structure, they gave katas to use and drill until your muscles treated them like relex and your brain didn't need to focus on them allowing it to be opened to the force itself. So she opened up and moved her saber shifting hands as she moved her arm backwards and brouight it up to a reverse grip along her along.

Quick rapid movements that were aided by the force to connect the blade to her body and actions. THe blade along her arm to block as she looked at the padawan. ""I can't begin to know what is in your mind but I will say that telegraphing an attack with verbal sounds can be dangerous." She moved pressing her blade with some pressure to try and push back and up at Mariya's blade to break a blade lock and leave her open enough to force push her as the jedi masters mind opened fully to the force. She was feeling the area around them before moving to the side, her footwork simple but fast and working on an unbreakable defense if she could.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"I blame it on the yells that the people made in movies during fight scenes..."

She muttered to herself, feeling the strange sensation of her lightsaber being blocked by [member="Matsu Ike"]. There was no weight on the blade, but she could clearly feel the effects of an opposing force when the two lightsabers clashed. She pushed her weight against the resistance, trying to force her attack through but Matsu was more than ready for her. She saw the sparks flying as Matsu's blade glided downwards towards her hands, making her stop her attempt to press on.

That next time she knew, she was sailing through the air, tossed by an invisible force. The padawan found herself landing on her butt, feeling the effects of a hard knock against the ground. She laid down with her breath knocked out of her, massaging her bottom with her hand and whimpered in pain.

"Argh...crap..."

She somehow managed to get up, kneeling with a painful expression as her hand continued rubbing to relieve the numbness. Finally, she got up to her feet, her bottom sore but ready to continue. Her hand reached out for her lightsaber that was dropped not far away, summoning it back into her hand.

"That... that was painful...ouch..."

She moaned while taking up posture of the basic Form I stance, enduring the soreness that had spread from her bottom to her back. The padawan decided that she was more than capable of taking a few hits before the lesson ended. Afterall, she was the one who wanted the training.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

"I guess you can now say your master is a pain in the butt. Huh." She said it standing there and was dead pan in her expression about it but it was meant to get a chuckle or at least add a little less tension to the practice duel. The jedi master moved her feet as she shifted her stance to center of being and held the lightsaber close and turned before she watched with her eyes. "Now lets see what you can do if I go on the offensive." SHe moved letting the force open up and flow through her body as she was moving. Feet taking the steps as the jedi master launched herself into the air but it was different. Her leg extending and she focused on the force.

Distorted discs of telekinetic energy she could kick off of and creating an environment for Ateru use. So she could launch herself into flips and movements to slash at Mariya quickly but she was kicking off of one below her instead of moving her arms to reset the strike. She could bank and kick herself into the positions to get around and try to strike. There was no look on her face, very little sound side from the humming of the blade but the jedi master wasn't upset she was focused on allowing the force itself to flow through her muscles and come out of her limbs. THe senses and area around her within her mind.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

She laughed at the joke that [member="Matsu Ike"] had cracked. Or rather, she chuckled at her master's play with words before turning her attention back to the training. When Matsu mentioned that she was about to go on the offensive, every second started to feel longer. Her muscles tensed instinctively, like a spring coil ready to defend herself. The Force. She could feel it whispering to her, nudging her to move when the time was right. Her eyes caught sight of Matsu jumping into the air, but she was already moving by then.

Mariya took a few steps backwards and found herself restricted by the training room wall.

By now, Matsu had danced towards her in the air, using the power of the telekinetic discs. The blue blade of her master was close enough to attack. The padawan mimicked her master's movement, leaping into the air and kicking off from the wall instead. Her own blade made a defensive strike against Matsu's weapon, blocking the blow in mid air and she slipped under Matsu's legs. A good attempt to avoid the attack, but now she could feel herself falling onto the ground.

Her foot tapped on the nearest telekinetic energy disc, finding it stable enough for her to use. Was it her master's kindness to grant her the permission to use the same aid? Probably. She leapt from the disc, flipping in the air for the first time and smiled like a kid discovering a piece of candy. This was more fun than she had thought. She landed on solid ground and held up her blade, ready to defend herself from her master who was still casually floating in the air.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

She could feel the blade as it impacted and they were dancing in the air. Weightless nearly it seemed, like force warriors channeling their energies in a wushu dance of blades and skill... but it wasn't to attack as much as to give a sense of beauty. THe jedi master had done something like this before with Chora and she was moving more. Along the walls as she jumepd off of a disc and spun around. her hair alone like a sash that was floating and dancing. her eyes tracking Mariya before she touched down and barely touched the floor popping herself back up. She was moving and the training room was a place that they could move around with her saber and speed letting her dance along. "You are skilled, let me know when you wish to move forward... I have something planned for us."

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

She held her lightsaber in the air while [member="Matsu Ike"] remained in the air, waiting for the next attack to come. She was ready to block or dodge, depending on her master's actions. However, it seemed that the Atrisian had different ideas, the petite master gently landing on her feet and leapt into the air to keep up her momentum. Matsu had indicated that the lightsaber training was probably sufficient for the day and there was something else to look forward to. Judging from yesterday's long string of training activities, Mariya was guessing hat lightsaber training might just be a simple exercise or warm up.

"Hmm...probably enough for the day."

The padawan lowered her lightsaber and turned off the blade, waiting for Matsu to land back onto the ground and bowed to thank the Atrisian for the short sparring session. What was it that she had learnt again today? She did a quick recap to make sure she remembered them, pulling out her datapad to make a quick list before continuing.

"Master Ike, you said you something planned for us. What's this some-"

Her attention was interrupted by the sound of a mew from the distance. A small little cat like creature had appeared, reminding Mariya of its presence. The Jakobeast had somehow found his way to his new playmate.

"Haha. I am not sure if you belong here..."

Mariya bent down and petted the puppy, who was more than glad to run around her feet.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

The jedi master looked at her padawan with a grin on her face though while she was moving around now. Her saber going back to her hip. Her hands coming up to her hair as she straightened it and looked at the Jakobeast with a smile. "I think you have a fan padawan." THe smile was there though as she crouched down and looked at him. "Your lessons of course never stop, there is always a chance to learn, always something you can do to improve yourself. Be it just talking and paying attention. SHarpening your wits so that you can respond or that you will be able to see the small details. I don't deny it can be a strange way to learn but it is also one of the better. As you can use everything daily to improve yourself even."

She said it trailing off and moved to her padawans side as she focused letting the force itself wrap around them. She had studied and watched the wolves of Lothal learning what they were able to do. Bending space into a tunnel as opposed to ripping a hole and she was in a section of the ship as the jedi master looked around. Setting the course and clasped her hands behind her back with a smile on her face. "Of course there are other things you might be able to learn. I have seen some creatures that can use the force and learned from befriending and watching how they use the force." She stood there. "Now where to go? So many places in the galaxy that can help you in your quest."

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

The Jakobeast pup seemed to understand [member="Matsu Ike"]'s words and made a yelping sound of delight that was his definition of a roar. Mariya knew that her master briefly mentioned yesterday about training with creatures which were Force sensitive. The pup seemed to be an obvious choice for her learning and was now sitting happily on her boots, refusing to move despite her attempts to wriggle her toes. Mariya made a face which was a mixture of amusement and helplessness and squatted down to pet his fur. She looked up at Matsu and gasped at the sudden teleportation, somehow ending up in a different location of the ship.

"How... how did you do that? Is it because the ship is special, like it is connected to you?"

While she waited for Matsu's reply, the pup yelped again, trying to get her attention.

"We are going somewhere, little fellow. I need to walk with my feet."

The pup ignored her protest and merely glanced at her with his beady eyes that showed signs of intelligence. Mariya stared back, emerald eyes meeting the blue irises of the beast. She suddenly felt an urge to play, to roam around among nature and chase some prey. She blinked, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

"Any nature around other than the Botany Bay? I... I think he wants to play."

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

The jedi master was looking at as the ship was traveling, letting her padawan ask a question or two. "It was something easier to do here where the force is calming and our connection to the force increased." She said it but was setting the course itself as the ship left. An idea or two was coming to her as a means to help her padawan. "We do have a small garden you two can play in." She was leading the way towards it after the course was on the way. The small garden itself wasn't small compared to some being in a room with several trees and grass. She sat down in the grass looking at her padawan and gave a nod of her head. "Here you go, you can pracice here and play with him... but if you try to get me to stratch your belly while rolling around I am not going to do it." She said it deadpan but it was a joke... her eyes holding the humor.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"A small garden huh."

She looked down at her feet where the Jakobeast puppy was, happily meowing in his weird voice that seemed to suggest his eagerness to play. She made an attempt to ask him to move and this time he obliged, happily jumping off her feet and running towards the direction where [member="Matsu Ike"] had pointed. By the time the master and student reached the garden, the puppy was already running around chasing after some beetle in the garden. The beetle dug into the ground and he lost interest, running back towards Mariya and rubbed himself against her boots.

"Eh... that...was a cold joke..."

Mariya looked at her master and gave a weak smile, trying to be polite even though the humour did not work for her this time. Matsu might be a brilliant scholar and master, probably even a great mum, but the jokes needed improvement. Lots of improvement.

Her attention was taken by the beast under her feet. Mariya sighed, pulling out a coil of rope from her belt and fastened a twig on it. She tossed it onto the ground and moved it, trying to attract the beast's attention.

"Here... kitty beast. Go fetch."

The Jakobeast yawned and ignored her. Mariya rolled her eyes and closed them, starting to imagine the twig as a bird. The rope stirred slowly, making the twig move like a bird hopping on the ground. She felt the beast getting off her feet and walking towards her toy. She continued her trick, moving the imaginary bird away from his reach and made it jump into the air before hopping around again.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

She looked at her padawan and shrugged. "I... don't have anything my children think I am funny." The jedi master said that half a joke and half truth... she didn't always make a good one but at least she didn't need to try and make puns all of the time. THe jedi master watched the padawan teasing and playing with the pup while she sat with her legs crossed. She looked at Mariya and breathed out letting the force settle around her. She offered a smile though seeing it and a small feeling that of the force. Letting a hand dance of the grass as it perked up and became a little larger Plant surge was something that could be used and she was breathing in the peacefulness... it was actually rather inventive to see Mariya using a couple of her abilities for this as that would continue to test her. "Now tell me padawan, what do you know about Spira?"

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

The imaginary bird took more effort than she had initially expected. It was more than just simply moving a twig around. It required her to maintain the illusion of a bird that looked lively. The twig hopped around, avoiding the jakobeast puppy's reach and chased his tail just for the fun of it. After a minute of endless chasing, Mariya finally gave in and let the beast pounce on the bird, dissolving her illusion in the process. The puppy found himself biting on a piece of wood and spat out, looking up to her with a curious look.

"Sigh."

She closed her eyes again, channelling the Force to continue her little trickery. Meanwhile, [member="Matsu Ike"] seemed content enough to sit down in the pasture and did something. She could not see the Atrisian, but she could feel her presence and the stirring of the Force behind her. Whatever Matsu did was something alien.

"Spira? Is that a place or a Force power?"

Mariya opened her eyes to look back at Matsu, deciding to rest for a while. Playing with the puppy was tiring work. Her eyes caught sight of the large blades of grass next to Matsu and widened her eyes.

"Did you just add fertiliser to the plants? I don't remember any brand being this efficient."

It was a joke, of course. A cold one, but Mariya decided that her master's humour suited it.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

She looked at her. "It is plant surge and Spira is a planet padawan." She said it sitting there but held her hand up and out as she focused on the force. Slipping herself into the current and forming the illusion of the planet. The world being a big blue marble almost with cloud and island... the landmasses were not connected except with smaller chains of islands. THe largest worlds having cities that spanned from one side to the other and the oceans were perfect. "It is a resort world now but once upon a time it held mysterious ruins under the water. The jedi were able to deploy an Anil over some of the islands."

She said it and brought up an image of the Anil, looking like the JE'daii temple and able to move around on three massive legs over the islands as it housed several hundred jedi on the planet. "The temple is mobile and can go over the ocean, the islands have some other ruins but they have asked we not build on the world. The resorts are the primary source of income for the world and having jedi on the world might keep some people away... so stay mobile, stay semi secret." She wqas looking up at it and ended the illusion then looked back at the grass. "Plant surge on the other hand well it has its purposes for making food and crops larger we actually developed a solari infused nitrogen rich version for higher yields."

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"A mobile temple. Why am I not surprised?"

Mariya shot [member="Matsu Ike"] an amused look that merely suggested that her master's obsession with automation. Things would move, parts would fly and droids would appear every now and then. Then again, Mariya knew what she was signing up for when she was told to visit and study under a Jedi Artisan. She turned her attention to the illusion created by Matsu, emerald eyes studying the temple walking around like a three legged machine and wondered if the temple was designed as a tourist attention. It certainly had the potential.

"Okay, plant surge sounds like my cup of tea. Hehehe..."

The blonde grinned and posed her question.

"Can I use Plant Surge to make grapes ripen faster? I just might have a use of that."

If that was possible, she could potentially make her wine business grow.