Private Find Your Footing

[Sazo Vass]

901 ABY | New Jedi Temple | Dusk

Sazo Vass sighed for the umpteenth time, as she stared at the door. It was surreal. A week ago, Sazo was living an ildilyic existence on Haruun Kal. She had friends. She was excelling in her training. The elders- with a rare bit of praise- had revealed that she could be chosen to be an Akk Rider before her 16th nameday. It was all aces for Sazo.

Until it wasn't.

Until a week ago, when Sazo was roughly shaken awake by one of those same elders in the dead of night.

"You see young one, you have been selected for a great honor- to become a Jedi Knight", he said excitedly...yet somehow insincerely. "In fact", he continued, the smile turning into a horrible rictus, "You be the first Jedi in the history of the Ghôsh. We expect you to bring honor to the Ghôsh, and represent the Federation well. It has been many years since Haruun Kal had a Jedi Watchman- I think we're overdue."

The elder dropped the smile. "First transport to Coruscant leaves in an hour. Jiub is on it. I expect you to not keep it waiting." With that, he swept out, leaving a gaping and confused Sazo in his wake, struggling to comprehend what just happened.

It had been a whirlwind from there. Sazo had touched down, and was shown her quarters. Then, she was tested by the elders- sorry, Jedi Masters- over the week with a series of diagnostics. "It's more-so getting your level", one of the Masters explained. "The average initiate isn't aware of their Force sensitivity until they arrive here, so it's easy enough to enroll them with the younglings, or pair them with a Master if they're too old for that. We made this test for initiates who come from races entirely Force-sensitive- Korun, Dathomiri, Miralukans, etc- and therefore may have learned something. We need to see where they excel, and where they need extra instruction." Sazo nodded, completely lost.

After the diagnostic, he went on to say you real couldn't fail a diagnostic, but Sazo felt he was lying. "You clearly excel in employing the Force to augment your physical abilities, and your bond with your...akk dog. On the downside, whomever trained you neglected to teach you how to really interact, to feel the Force. But what's most surprising is the difficulty you have wielding lightsaber.

"Now, I have my thoughts, but I want you to speak to a Padawan- an aspiring Battlemaster, actually- about help. I think it's an excellent opportunity for you to meet your peers."

Which brought Sazo to the room of one Aris Noble.

Sazo sighed, mentally preparing herself for whoever was on the other side of the door, and gave it three hard knocks. "Aris Noble? I'm Sazo. Sazo Vass. Padawan. Master Chiyo sent me here about...umm...lightsaber pointers? Is now a bad time?"

She hoped this was the right room, or this would be really, really awkward.

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

This was the first time he was asked to help someone else.

Aris was a Lightsaber duelist. It was where his skills laid, where his natural affinity for the Force was. If he could call it that, anyway. He couldn't feel the Force, and his style of fighting was born not from letting the Force guide him but sheer practice and effort. And now he was being asked to help someone else with their lightsaber. Wat that meant, he wasn't sure.

He'd figure it out eventually, though.

He tilted his head as Sazo stepped in before dipping his head in greeting. "Yes, that's me. I will help how I can."

Sazo Vass

 

[Sazo Vass]

Sazo looked down at her feet, fidgeting. She was hoping the boy wouldn't answer, or maybe even politely decline; then she would have the excuse that she tried.

"Ermm, well...that that's the thing. It feels like I need help with a lot, I guess?"

She moved an imaginary strand out of her face, wringing her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm not used to...this", she finally admitted. "I grew up fighting. I know how a vibroblade is supposed to feel in your hands. There's weight in every blade, even a dagger."

Sazo palmed her lightsaber, twirling it between her fingers. "But this? It's too...light. It's like holding nothing, and it's throwing me off. Either I'm over-extending myself during katas, my foot work is off, my guard off, everything is just...", she trailed off and looked down at her feet again, embarrassed.

'Stars, I really am starting from square one.'

"I was hoping I can show you my form- they have me doing something called, uh, Form V- and you could show me where I could do better, and we could spar...? I could treat you to something in the cafeteria after, my stipend came in this morning."

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

Ahh, that's why they asked him to help. He nodded a little. There was a logic behind how to swing a blade. They were heavy, balanced usually, from hilt to tip. As she said, a Lightsaber didn't have that balance. He'd learned how to compensate that without needing the Force, because he didn't have the ability to feel it like others could.

"I won't say no to free food. We can start with you showing the form you have been learning. And I'd like to see the form you use with a natural blade too, if that's alright."

Sazo Vass

 

[Sazo Vass]

Nodding determinedly, Sazo unsheathed her vibroblade with a flourish. And for a minute, everything felt...right. She felt like she was at home. The elder said she 'danced' when she fought- too much movement, somersaults, flips, spins,- but it felt right. Sazo felt her soul swing as she twirled, danced through the air, blade finding purchase with her imaginary foes.

Abruptly, she realized she should probably show Aris her form with the lightsaber, too. Since, you know, that what was recommended. With a sigh, she sheathed the vibroblade, activating the lightsaber with a snap-hiss, and taking the starting, overhand form of Djem So. Sazo's faces reddened as she went through the katas. If she wasn't overextending her swing, she was messing up her footwork. When she executed a kata correctly, it still felt...wooden. Forced. Wrong.

With a sigh, she extinguished the saber, and looked at Aris. "What's the damage?", she asked, half-jokingly.

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris had crossed his arms and watched in silence. Absolute silence. His expression didn't change from an almost blank, emotionless state as he was focused. There was a clear difference between how she handled a blade and a lightsaber, and in that he found something that might help. Once she finished and spoke up he nodded. "You're overcompensating for it not being a sword. It is different, but part of you wants to treat it like it is a sword, and the other part is trying to drastically correct."

He paused before speaking again.

"Why are you bothering with a Lightsaber? You don't have to learn how to use one. You can use a solid blade if that's what you prefer."

Sazo Vass

 

[Sazo Vass]

Sazo looked taken aback by Aris's suggestion, then lapsed into contemplative silence. Finally, she spoke.

"I grew up Haruun Kal- raised with the belief it was my destiny to become a great warrior. But now I am here. I have been put on the path of the Jedi.

The Korun, paused, looking down at the hilt in her hand, before continuing.

"Admittedly, I am still learning what a Jedi is, and what Jedi is not. But the lightsaber is a Jedi's weapon- the warriors who fought in the Hyperspace War told us this. It is...a learning experience. But I do not shirk from the challenge; I will find a way to master this weapon.

A thought crossed Sazo's mind, as she clipped the lightsaber to her side, and unsheathed her vibroblade, preparing to begin sparring with the

"Two questions before we begin.

"One: does a lightsaber have variations, or do they all look like this?"

Then, a fierce smile broke across Sazo's face, as she saluted her Epicanthix opponent.

"Two: have you ever been beaten by a girl? I hope you haven't. I'd like to say I beat a future Battlemaster..."

She bent her knees, preparing to draw onto the Force to enhance her speed.

'If Aris is anything like Master Chiyo says he is, I need to catch him off-guard immediately, and make him yield.'

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

"If you don't want to shrink away from a challenge, I won't stop you. But the original weapons of the Jedi were once Force Imbued Blades. Solid weapons." He in turn pulled his own lightsaber free, igniting a cold blade from it. It gave no sound, no heat. Entropite. "There are all kinds of different Lightsabers, from those with multiple emitters to those with unique shapes and even a lack of shape to be like a whip. I've heard of solid swords with a Lightsaber emitter to act as an edge for it." The last one seemed somewhat impractical, but he couldn't deny they existed.

He lowered his own stance, calmly lifting the blade in both hands above head. Falling Avalanche from Djem So. He blinked though at her question. ".. I've only really beaten my sister in a spar and lost most of the others, so I can't say you'd be the first." Aris exhaled slowly before his gaze focused further on her. Narrowed, calculating. He was completely in control of his body at the moment.

"But I don't plan on loosing."

Sazo Vass

 

[Sazo Vass]

Sazo blinked as Aris succinctly turned everything she knew about lightsabers on it's head.

"...I was not aware that one could imbue the Force into a blade. Or that Jedi had such blades. Or how varied the lightsaber could be. I must...re-examine my prior convictions in the face of new information", Sazo said reluctantly.

Then, the fierce smile snapped back into place. "Ah, a pity. Nobody plans on losing, Aris. These things just happen."

With a burst of Force-given speed, Sazo surged forward, her blade cutting through the air as Korun swung it upward, hoping to surprise Aris enough to secure a swift victory.

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

"Just remember that a Jedi isn't just what the Order is. You're still from Haruun Kal. Make that part of who you are and how you fight." It was how he fought, anyway. He blended everything he could, from the different formal styles to anything he learned from others to his people's fighting style. Move like water, and come crashing right down with absolute strength.

When she stepped forward, he followed in kind. He couldn't use the Force outside his body or predict the future or such, but he was unnaturally fast even for someone who had access to the Force. And strong. As she struck up, he brought his blade down with all his might to outright overpower her, mostly to show the folly of the Lightsaber; how to keep their grip.

Sazo Vass

 

[Sazo Vass]

Sazo had always been faster then her peers.

By a lot, even before learning to augment her strength and speed with the Force.

Which is why she was gobsmacked when the boy not only met her, stride for stride, but outmuscled her by knocking her blade out of her hand!

"GACK!"

[Yes, Sazo was so surprised she said gack, which she would deny to her last breath]

Sazo stayed low and spun away from Aris, then, planting her hands on the ground, kicked out, sweeping her legs, aiming to tangle his legs and make this a grappling match.


Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris planted his feet as she swung her legs, and it'd be just about like kicking durasteel. When it came to physicality, Aris was by far an anomaly among even the Jedi. Not that he himself thought much on it. Rather, he turned his upper body, bringing his saber down towards her even as she tried to grapple him to the ground. He wouldn't be able to keep his balance and was already falling over, but without her own saber to protect herself he figured this was as good of a chance to end this as any other.

Sazo Vass

 

[Sazo Vass]

Sazo swung her legs out, connecting with his ankles.

He barely budged.

Tusker poop.

Aris swung downwards; however, with how they were situated, there was no way he could keep himself on his feet. But his saber was squarely in his hand's, Sazo's was just out of reach. And (as the Masters loved to remind her) the Force as she saw it- punch good, run fast, jump high- was a mere silver of the wonders and mysteries she would only begin to discover while she was with the Order.

Things like using her mind to move things.

She looked at her saber forlornly, willing it to jump into her hands. It sat there silently, as if to mock her.

'Ah, well', she thought, as Aris slowly toppled over.

Moments later, she was holding his saber hand a somewhat comfortable distance from her face. However, it was clear that the leverage was in Aris's favor. The boy had won the day. But she had a rival now- someone to measure herself against.

A friend, hopefully, in good time.

Sazo searched his face, looking for smugness, finding none, before locking into his vibrant green eyes.

She broke the silence.

"...So did you want to leave the Temple for food, or...?"

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris half topped forward before he rebalanced his stance above her. Kept his blade pointed down towards her to at least try to finish the fight then and there. But she had caught his wrist, stopped him. All it'd take was a little more strength on his part and he'd win. But she seemed to realize it herself. He blinked in surprise as she mentioned food. Without a word he stood back up straight and pulled his saber away from her.

Then offered a hand to help her up.

"There's a good burger joint I was shown a couple weeks ago we could go to, if you want."

Sazo Vass

 

[Sazo Vass]

Sazo gasped his hand, allowing herself to be pulled up.

"A burger joint sounds good."

She glanced out of the window- the sun was setting, the view allowing them a breath-taking panoramic view of the ecumenopolis, busy and bustling as ever.

She smiled. A nice view to cap off a surprisingly good day.

"Sounds great, actually. Well, let's get to it, my credits aren't going to spend themselves", she teased, playfully punching the boy as she made her out of the room.

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

"No, they are not." Aris turned as the threw a punch. Playful or not, he was just ingrained with the need to at least dodge. He did blink as he shifted to the side though, but didn't bother to explain or do anything further. Instead he just lead the way out of the room as if nothing had happened there. "We'll have to take a speeder down. Just a couple levels, but close to the temple."

Close where it was safe. A city planet this large meant there would always be places they weren't.

Sazo Vass

 

[Sazo Vass]

Sazo blinked as Aris...simply dodged her punch.

'I don't know if I should be confused, or I should work harder.'

She smiled wickedly as she followed Aris out of the room, as they made their way out of the Temple, and towards this burger joint.

'Definitely work harder, challenge accepted.'

Now that the training was over, Sazo could get to know Aris. Idly, she wondered if there was a relation to the Sword & Shield of the Order with the same surname and all, but squashed that line of inquiry immediately. 'Probably gets that enough.' She decided to go with something more innocuous.

"So you seem to know your way around Coruscant. Were you born here?"

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

"No. I was just shown around by someone who happened to know the joint." It wasn't a long walk to get to the hanger to at least get a speeder ride over. He paused as they approached there, his eyes glancing over the various vehicles. One day. He let out a sigh as he instead looked to a different one. With a droid pilot.

"We can take that. Fair is free from the temple."

Sazo Vass

 

[Sazo Vass]

Sazo perked up. 'Free fare? Duly noted.'

They clambered into the speeder, and soon enough they were off, zipping towards the joint. She glanced at the skyline of Coruscant; it was...almost too much. How do people live here, day after day?

She glanced back at Aris.

"What does...being a Jedi mean to you?"

She gave a bit of a shrug.

"A bit random, I know, but I got here literally last week, and it was...a last minute decision."

Sazo shrugged again.

"Long story."

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

"Protecting people."

Aris glanced over to Sazo once they were seated, his brow raised up. A last minute decision? ".. To come here or to be a Jedi? You shouldn't choose to be a Jedi lightly." If anything that had him worried, that she was only here on a whim. Though he didn't really think that she came here on a whim. Just, couldn't help but think as much with what she said.

Sazo Vass