Four lightsabers? You'll need them... (Open training thread)

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus neatly folded her cloak and placed it on a chair and checked that the training sabers and stun blasters she’d asked for were working. She also set up several training remotes and blindfolds. Today would mark the beginning of Soresu training for a number of Padawans - some of the Jedi Order and some from further afield. But the newly constructed Temple on Lothal was the place she was using today.

She activated one of the training sabers and began her Soresu kata before anyone arrived. This was the first Form she had learned as a Youngling back on Corellia. And the first Form she'd received instruction on when she'd arrived on Ossus. Master Vosra had instructed her. And it was the first Form she felt many Jedi needed to have under their belts before they went on mission with their Master.

As she waited, she held the blade back with her right hand up at eye level and her left hand was extended pointing at an imagined attacker then slowly and deliberately she began her practice routine.

She had booked the room...they would come...

Spoiler

Open to any LS Jedi that wants to learn Soresu

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Ben slowly made his way down the corridor to the very familiar training room which Master Raaf often used for lightsaber training sessions. The underground academy was fairly tame at this time of day--Corvus seemed to Ben the type to like mornings; Ben, decidedly, was not.

Still, if a Jedi Master was giving a class in lightsaber technique, Ben was going to be there. Especially if that Jedi Master was Corvus Raaf, teaching the form which Ben knew to be dearest to the woman's heart.

Thinking back on his experiences with Soresu, Ben was curious to see how Corvus's manner of teaching differed from what he had experience with Knight Siegfried. Corvus had described Form III as the lightsaber form most in keeping with the philosophy of the Order, and Ben knew it to be a cornerstone of any proficient Jedi Guardian. With his aspirations to become a powerful defender of the Order, Soresu was a discipline which indeed interested him greatly. Corvus had also explained once that Soresu complimented Djem So, which was Ben's favorite lightsaber form at present.

When Ben came to the appropriate chamber, he found his master in a familiar state: without her cloak, practicing sequences with a training saber. For a moment, Ben paused to lean in the doorway, arms crossed. He wanted to watch the Jedi Grandmaster at work for just a second before intruding.

He observed the woman, moving through the phases of the kana with precision and grace. It was clear from her deft movements that this was indeed very dear and familiar to her. She emanated comfort, peace, and solidity. He could sense her through the Force, aware of her audience. She did not flinch at all, but continued her practice without so much as a hiccup. She was such a welcoming presence.

Ben admired Corvus deeply, as any apprentice should admire his master.

When Corvus finished her routine, Ben approached.

"Good morning, Master," he smiled and bowed. Ben was immediately jovial as he caught his master's familiar eyes. He hoped she wouldn't be annoyed at how often he showed up to her classes. He then continued, jesting, "Thought I'd drop by and see what the good ol' 'waiting around' style was all about. Plus, I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to learn from the best."

In past discussions with Corvus, Ben had expressed a preference for Form V over Form III. He had a feeling, however, that Master Raaf may give him a thing or two to make him reconsider that opinion.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Ikari Ike]

Oh a training class with the grandmaster she could hardly wait to see it. The petite and small padawan was standing there while she secured her shirt leaving her back exposed, her one hand holding the saber bracer while she looking over some of the things. She saw the needle on the top of her hand, she was enjoying the idea while entering and letting her extra long padawan drain go down her shoulder to her waist while the small padawan looked up at everyone offering a smile though. THe grandmaster and her aunt were friends wich meant she had the inside track for at least possibly having Corvus know her name before she was standing at the ready wiggling her fingers in the bracers.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus finished her training cycle and deactivated the saber with a familiar hiss-snap. She bowed to the first two entrants and smiled.

"Ben and...Ikari?" She knew her own Padawan and was sure she knew the other but wasn't entirely sure.

She shook her head good-naturedly at Ben. "The best Jedi is an alive one. Never forget that. And if nothing else, you'll face opponents who use Soresu. Know your enemy better than you know yourself. I'm sure that's how the saying goes."

"And we'll give the others a little longer to get here, OK?"

[member="Ikari Ike"] - [member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Joza Perl]

I hope I’m not late. Uptight as ever, Joza hurried down the corridor to the training room, having gotten lost several times already. She wanted to make a good impression, to be punctual, but she supposed that she should have allowed more time to figure this unfamiliar place out. Still, she was eager to absorb any training she could get her hands on. Not only did focusing on something else distract the young Zeltron from her seemingly endless nerves, but learning Soresu would help build her skills as a Jedi.

She finally entered the correct room, a little frazzled and a little out of breath but she tried her best not to let it show. She’d arrived just as Master Corvus had finished her demonstration, noting the other two Padawans in the room. She offered an awkward half-smile, casually combing a hand though her hair to calm her nerves. “Hi, I’m Joza, Padwan of the Galactic Alliance…pleasure to meet you all.” She did her best to seem as normal and well-adjusted as possible, shoving aside her anxiety in favor of learning.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Ikari Ike"] [member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ayme Katash]

Ayme wondered through the halls repeatedly adjusting her training robes. She had already entered and stumbled back out of three rooms that morning and had been given a rather long lecture on focus from an older Knight. If Ayme had a choice she would have certainly preferred to return to her tinkering in the workshop or even repairing one of the ships in the hangar. Her master had made it clear that she needed to focus on her lightsaber forms, the word he kept repeating was abysmal.

Ayme jogged into the room and attempted to slide in unnoticed, only to succeed in colliding with a weapons stand next to the entry. She quickly grabbed the few items before they came crashing to the floor. Ayme cringed and cursed under her breath in a few choice Corellian trader dialects. As she turned around she found four pairs of eyes looking at her curiously.

“Yea, hey, so I’ll just…” Ayme pointed and darted to the end of the line of padawans and tried to stand as still as possible.

[member="Joza Perl"][member="Corvus Raaf"][member="Ikari Ike"][member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Marli - Kran - Parlovi]

Marli - Kran equipped his Golden Mask and threw his Jedi Robe hood over his head, he was here for the Soresu training. He had loved learning new lightsaber techniques to use with his Signature Golden Lightsabers. Walking over to the room Master Corvus was teaching in, he held his head up high, with a slightly arrogant smile.

"I'm here for the training, Master."

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Marli - Kran - Parlovi"]@Havock@Joza Perl[member="Corvus Raaf"][member="Ikari Ike"][member="Ben Corscifine"]

So it was that Dune Rhur found himself again under the tutelage of Corvus Raaf in Soresu. Her lessons had proven very effective at keeping him whole and alive. He enjoyed being alive and hoped to stay that way for some time. Indeed, Soresu was the perfect style for that goal.

More important, it could mean not having to harm another seriously or kill them. That was the best part of all. He entered the training hall and selected a practice weapon at random. They were virtually identical and thus it made no difference which he got.

Taking his place in line, he hooked the hilt on his belt. Dune folded his hands in his robe and waited. He noted the training remotes and smiled fondly. Classic Corvus!

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus bowed politely to the newcomers and smiled - as she invariably did.

"Welcome," she said to them all. "Pleased to meet you Joza. I keep meaning to visit the Temple on Sullust. It's a long overdue visit."

"And please, you should all call me Corvus. My predecessor spent a lot of time and effort into ensuring Jedi saw themselves as a meritocracy. It's something I have continued to encourage. I'm not saying all Jedi are happy to be referred to by first name, but I for one certainly am. The only difference between me and any of you is that I've been taught things you'll learn in the future. We're the same, all on the same path. Just some stepped on to it earlier."

"Now, I suspect we may get others coming along, but regardless, let's make a start. I'll look to keep the pace up, so don't worry, if you miss anything, you'll be able to catch up easily enough."

"Given so many new faces, please take a moment to introduce yourself and tell us all one thing you know about Soresu."

"I'll start. My name is Corvus Raaf. I was born on Corellia and Soresu, despite being seen as a Form for Jedi, was the preferred form for Darth Zannah, the second Sith Lord in the Rule of Two era."

[member="Dune Rhur"] - @Marli - Kran - Paroli - [member="Havock"] - [member="Joza Perl"] - [member="Ikari Ike"] - [member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ikari Ike]

Ikari stood there and more people were coming in as she looked at them all and saw no one she knew but she understood the grandmaster corvus wanted them to introduce themselves as she nodded. "Hi I am Ikari." She waved offering a smile and adjusted her bracer ready for it all. The others she would have to get their names aside from the one girl Joza who had said it.... makes it easy to remember as she bounced back and forth on her feet ready. She wondered what [member="Quinncolson"] was up to and this would be a good opportunity for the girl to learn from one of the best plus watch the others.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Dune Rhur"] [member="Marli - Kran - Parlovi"] [member="Havock"] [member="Joza Perl"] [member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Marli - Kran - Parlovi]

The spotlight panned onto Marli - Kran as he felt the need to lie about his life so far. He didn't want to tell al about his life. His life was full of hate, guilt, suffering and fear. Things the Jedi thought would be a path to the Dark Side. He instead told the truth. He would be more suspicious if he lied.

"My name is Marli - Kran Parlovi. I have a love for the colour gold and....

He somehow suppressed his embarrassment and shame of telling the rest of the room.

I am a Jedi. My Mother was killed and as a child I was a slave. I was freed by a bounty hunter who hunted a Jedi and was then killed. Now I'm here. Here to learn the ways of the Jedi and become a powerful Jedi Hero. I wan't to save the Republic from it's enemies and destruction. I want to save people. I now a few things about Soresu. I know that it is mainly used to deflect blaster shots and is more defensive than offensive. It is the Way Of The Mynock and it uses motion and energy efficiency wisely to defend the Jedi from it's attacker."

He put his head in his hands. Was he not fit to become a Jedi? Was the shame tempting him to the Dark Side?

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Ben Corscifine"] [member="Joza Perl"] [member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Ikari Ike"][member="Corvus Raaf"][member="Marli - Kran - Parlovi"]@Havock@Joza Perl[member="Ben Corscifine"]

This felt a little like one of those dating services he'd heard about. Still, it would be rude not to introduce himself.

"I'm Dune Rhur. The history of Soresu stems from Shii-Cho blast deflection training. It was created after the first series of conflict with Dark Jedi ended, thus rendering Makashi obsolete. Most foes used blasters, so Soresu came into being."

A bit of a history lesson. Then again, to know where you were going you had to know where you'd been.

 

[Anarya Drast]

Anarya was, as usual, late. Her footfalls echoed as she sprinted from the cafeteria to the training room. She had already lost her way once, and was pretty sure she had the right path this time. Pausing for a moment to catch her breath, she looked around her for a moment, trying her best to remember which way it was. Trying to get her breathing under control, she closed her eyes. The Luka Sene girl looked through the halls to find where [member="Corvus Raaf"] was teaching, and went back to sprinting in that direction. She stopped in the doorway, holding her knees. "Sorry I'm late." she muttered to no one in particular. Looking around quickly, she picked a saber off the floor where they had fallen, and slowly sat down. Catching the last bit of what the Grandmaster said, she seemed to perk up. This was something she knew. "I'm Anarya. Soresu is excellent at energy conservation, letting your opponent tire before responding with your own attacks."

Who said a counselor didn't know how to fight?

[member="Ben Corscifine"] [member="Ikari Ike"] [member="Joza Perl"] [member="Havock"] [member="Marli - Kran - Parlovi"] [member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Ayme Katash]

Ayme listened to the others introduce themselves and was grateful that her lack of grace had gone mostly ignored. Her hands gripped the practice saber as she felt the energy of the metal vibrate into her bones. With a deep breath she pushed away the nervous feelings she had anytime she had to speak in front of a group, especially a group of strangers, and carried on.

"I'm Ayme, I'm from Corellia too actually. I look forward to learning." With a slight bow to her head she indicated she was done with her introduction and let the next student in line have their turn.

[member="Anarya Drast"][member="Dune Rhur"][member="Marli - Kran - Parlovi"][member="Ikari Ike"][member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Quite the collection of learners you've attracted, Corvus...

Ben looked over the assembly, wondering how each of the students would take to Soresu. It wasn't Ben's favorite form, from what he had read and practiced in his time, but perhaps today would improve his opinion. Ben wondered with whom he would be partnered, if it came down to a sparring match.

Each padawan gave a small tidbit about the form; some more practical, others more philosophical. One padawan whom Ben had never met launched into his entire life story. Ben simply nodded as the others spoke up.

When it was his turn to speak, Ben boomed in a clear, confident voice, ​"I'm Ben Corsifine. I know that Soresu is particularly useful in prolonged engagements because of its focus on defensive action. It is the preferred form of many Jedi Guardians."

Short, sweet, to the point.

Anarya Drast Dune Rhur Marli - Kran - Parlovi Ikari Ike Corvus Raaf [member="Havock"]

 

[Joza Perl]

The pink-skinned girl listened intently as the others introduced themselves and offered up what they knew about Soresu. She folded her arms over her chest and shifted the weight from one foot to the other, trying to appear relaxed. But maybe too relaxed? She didn’t want to see like she was slacking. To the contrary, she was really invested in this and wanted to make a good impression. She had to try, but not too hard, because then it would be obvious. Ugh. Her nails bit into her palms in a brief flurry of frustration. Why was this so hard?

When it came her turn to speak, Joza hurriedly searched the archives of her mind for something to add to the discussion. Being as new as she was, those archives didn’t go back too far. “Soresu utilizes minimalistic dodges and parries to provide maximum defense coverage in battle.” It was pretty much a textbook definition, but then again she didn’t have much to go off of, which was exactly why she was here.

@Havock @Anarya Drast [member="Dune Rhur"] [member="Marli - Kran - Parlovi"] [member="Ikari Ike"] [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

.
[member="Anarya Drast"][member="Dune Rhur"][member="Marli - Kran - Parlovi"][member="Ikari Ike"][member="Corvus Raaf"]

Jacen had come along to see what he could learn from the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. He'd also come to keep a watchful eyes on his new Padawan. Better to have an understanding on what she'd learned and build on it than give her mixed messages.

Unfortunately something seemed to come up for Corvus and Jacen found himself taking the lesson instead.

"Soresu is a philosophy as much as a series of movements," he told the group. "Other forms are perfectly capable of being worked into a capable defence. What separates Soresu is the way you approach the fight. You have to be thinking ahead: two, three or even ten moves ahead. You can't have an advantage in economy of motion if you're reactive. It's all about dictating pace and flow whilst being on the defensive.

"However a good defence is only as good as it's potential to be turned into an attack. Lesson zero: never turn on your blade unless you're prepared to do harm. Violence is the last resort in your arsenal. Very few people won a fight by tiring their opponent out until they surrendered peacefully.

"So learning the fundamental aspect of Soresu takes time and practise. You have to know all the other forms to recognise where you have to have to be. You need to immerse yourself in the Force and follow it's guidance. You need some quick offensive routines from another form to use as punishment when you force the opening. So, this is a long journey. Let's start with the basics."

Jacen had several spare training sabers and wooden staves. He would show the group the typical opening stance and then would move among them, correcting posture and footwork as he went.



OOC/ taking over in corvus' absence.

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Anarya Drast Dune Rhur Marli - Kran - Parlovi Ikari Ike Corvus Raaf Havock [member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

It was unfortunate that Corvus had to cut her instruction short, being called away by some duty or other. Still, Ben had come to learn Soresu, not socialize with his Master. The Alliance Master who had come to take over was unfamiliar to Ben, still, he radiated power in the Force, and Ben was more than confident in his abilities.

The new teacher had affirmed a good deal of Ben's personal problem with Soresu: it's offensive deficiencies. Ben worried often with Form III that it lacked the power to win a duel, but rather dragged the fighting out.

"When a Jedi ignites his lightsaber, he must be prepared to take a life." A phrase of Corvus's always in Ben's mind.

If the lightsaber is out already, nonviolence is no longer on the table. What's the point of a passive technique when diplomacy has already been exhausted?

It came as a comfort to Ben, then, that Voidstalker proposed the use of offensive tactics from other forms once an opening existed in an enemy's defense. Corvus had begun teaching Ben some Djem So advances. Form V had been derived from Form III; maybe it would come in handy.

Ben had been through the basics of Soresu with Barren Siegfried some time in the past, and so assuming the opening stance was nothing new to him. He slowly, meticulously, placed his body in the opening position, awaiting the approval of the instructor.

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza listened intently as Jacen explained the fundamentals of Soresu. She had figured that the technique was largely defensive, but didn’t realize how much work had to be put into it. Or how much it relied on the recognition and availability of other dueling techniques.

All in all, the information was a little overwhelming, if not daunting. Regardless, she was prepared to put in the work in order to further her skills. She doubted that this would be the most difficult thing she would face in her journey.

Exhaling slowly, the Zeltron forced her body to relax and studied Jacen’s opening stance and did her best to mimic it. She glanced at the other students, noting how some of them seemed to fall into it more naturally than others.

[member="Ben Corscifine"]/[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]/@Havock/@Anarya Drast/[member="Dune Rhur"]/[member="Marli - Kran - Parlovi"]/[member="Ikari Ike"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Ikari Ike"][member="Joza Perl"][member="Ben Corscifine"]@Havock@Marli - Kran - Parlovi[member="Anarya Drast"][member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

The class Master Corvus had begun unfortunately had met with delays culminating in her disappearance. It was a sad time to lose such a respected and beloved member of the community. She'd want the Jedi to continue on, Dune knew in spite of his sadness. Master Voidstalker had graciously stepped up to teach.

Dune was pleased to meet another Jedi of the Galactic Alliance. Political views had divided them for too long. His own Master was a member of the once secretive Silver Coalition. At the end of the day, they were all servants of the Light. All equal, brothers and sisters in the Force.

The newly raised Knight was pleased too that his friend Ben had elected to resume the lesson. The human showed courage in the face of loss. In time, Ben would be a great Jedi Knight. He just needed to find his inner balance.

Dune took the wooden stave and assumed the familiar opening posture. It felt good to settle his weight just so, to have his long digits grasp the hilt neither too tight or too loose. Master Voidstalker quietly observed with a keen eye. He moved with an air of competence that spoke of being a true adept of the lightsaber.