Private In Learning You Will Teach

[Palm-Imer]

Location: Courtyards, Dragonne Palace, Illyria.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades.
Tagging: Danielle Mueller

​

Illyria was beginning to feel like a second home.

Ever since the Winter & Spring Accord had been signed and she had become the official representative of Geminidae's agreement with Illyria, Palm's visits to the planet had been frequent and, without exceptions, insightful. More often than not, days became a blur of paperwork and overseeing operations alongside the Illyrian King, with little time for rest or leisure. Even to this day the Ambassador felt honored that the monarch would work with her himself when he could have easily delegated the task to one of the Chancellors or other administrative, and although his heavy presence in the Darkside and the wisdom he shared often made her doubt, fear or second guess herself, Palm was progressively beginning to look up to him as one would a trusted mentor. Her curiosity run deep, even if it would always meet resistance from her belief in restraint and her cautiousness around the Dark.

Today was a rarity, she had gotten ahead of their schedule and as such, had earned herself a full day away from proper work. Satisfied with her knowledge of Azurine City, Palm found herself walking towards the training courtyards of Dragonne Palace instead of preparing to go out and explore. She was not of an idle nature, and it had been some time since she had last allowed herself to fall into the flow of the Force, using her body and its measured movements as a focusing tool. As an Ambassador, Palm has been introduced to the martial arts and the aspiration of self-knowledge and control since an early age. Fighting and physical exertion were more to her than simple training methods, it was very much a form of therapy and meditation. An art in and off itself.

The air of the early morning was cold and crisp, the sun was barely beginning to climb its way up the horizon a mantle of profound silence still fell over Dragonne Palace. She was clad in training garments, a very different outfit than the formal suits or dresses she often donned while attending to her tasks as representative. A black, form-fitting vest covered her upper body, leaving her lean and well muscled arms and part of her abdomen in display. Slightly loose, comfortable pants of the same color hid her legs, its ends strapped tightly against her shins followed by light boots. It allowed for fast and precise movement.

A light cloud of vapor rose up in the air every time she exhaled. For lack of a sparring partner, it was a training droid against her. While her mind was deeply engrossed in the Force, Palm was making a point of not drawing on it to make her movements faster or stronger, instead pushing her own muscles to their limits in what to an spectator would look like a powerful and intense, but beautiful dance. One second, her movement were perfectly synchronized to those of the droid as though the fighting sequence had been previously staged and agreed on, the next second she moved in, going for every weakness and every opening before returning to that fluid defense.

She was careful to pull her punches or kicks before they connected, keeping herself from damaging the droid. There was no need for it, not when she already had the knowledge that she could do it. A true sparring partner would have been better. In her experience, sentients always had an extra flair of spontaneity, that ever present drop of unpredictability that made the art of practicing Ky'ret martial arts truly enjoyable and meaningful. But she knew no such person to engage in training with.

After one more sequence that ended in her finding the crack to the droid's movements that could have developed into a final hit, she moved away. Her chest heading slightly and a very light sweat breaking over her skin, as though her body was completely unaware of the low temperature of the morning. She picked up a water bottle that rested nearby before tilting it upwards and downing some of its contents. Palm was not yet tired, but enjoying the first few rays of warm sunlight on her skin warranted a brief break.

 

[Danielle Mueller]

Location: Courtyards, Dragonne Palace, Illyria
Weapons: Combat Gloves & Tonfa Sabers
Apparel: Civilian Apparel
Tagging: Palm-Imer

​

Illyria was still very new to Danielle, she who had been brought there by her Master Adron Malvern following the incident on Tatooine and the introduction of his merciless training methods, literally throwing her into the deep end. To say that she was holding a grudge was nothing short of an understatement, the resentment and hurt feelings that she carried, having had her trust betrayed and learning her employers truly nasty capability of mistreating others...

As she had no ship however and only the credits she earned through working under the Exarch, the job had set her down a career path not many would consider possible. It was too good to give up, being the Adjutant to one of the three Exarch's of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

As the Exarch's Adjutant and Apprentice, she had a few privilege's that most normal folk on Illyria did not, however she also wasn't a local or registered citizen and so much of the time her presence needed to be reported and followed up with Adron in order to ensure the consistency of security procedures around the Palace grounds.

It wasn't quite the same as the rest of Confederate Space, here there were more formal and unique rules to the culture of Illyria that she couldn't skirt around with her rank alone, however she was slowly learning the ropes and had found her way down to the training quarter, meant for what she assumed would be the royal guard.

The person she laid eyes upon however was not quite what she had expected, staring from a short distance away and watching Palm-Imer as she practiced a series of kata, using a form Dee wasn't familiar with and yet recognized it quite easily as a manner of close proximity fighting that she'd been most interested in learning, herself.

"Ahem" she cleared her throat loudly and intentionally announcing herself through the not-so-subtle interruption. When the other woman would eventually turn to look back at her, Dee would raise her right hand in something of an awkward wave, "Hey there..." she greeted Palm-Imer, feeling certain that she recognized the other woman from somewhere before, yet couldn't quite place where and when.

"Sorry to interrupt, but you're very good...".

 

[Palm-Imer]

Location: Courtyards, Dragonne Palace, Illyria.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades.
Tagging: Danielle Mueller

​

She had felt another presence approaching, but being focused on her training and having thus far purposefully tried to ignore the Force for the time being, Palm had assumed it was either a guard or some other worker at Dragonne Palace beginning to go about their day. It was when she heard a throat being cleared that she turned around, amber eyes meeting those of a girl that looked a couple of years younger than herself. Palm found her familiar, although not enough to put her finger on it immediately. It was after a few seconds of searching her mind that she recalled her spending time alongside Adron.

"Good morning," Her voice was clear and smooth. A very faint smile settled on her lips, making for an overall welcoming and approachable disposition. Then she heard Danielle's compliment, and a slight chuckle ensued making the smile widen into a more evident expression. With the amount of combat that she had faced ever since her journey as an Ambassador began, Palm had learnt that the long and many hours of painful training had paid off, but it was still nice to hear a compliment for someone who believed that room for improvement was nothing if not endless. "Thank you." She said, nodding her head slightly while allowing herself a moment to study the young woman.

Her eyes then fell on her guard-shotos, and a bright flame seemed to come to light behind the golden orbs. This was most unusual, and in every way a welcomed surprise. Palm had very rarely met people who shared her choice of weapon. "I don't believe we have formally met. I am Ambassador Palm-Imer of Geminidae." Her hand was extended to Danielle, a gentle curve on her lips. It went without saying that her curiosity had been stirred into life.

One of her eyebrows raised slightly, a delicate arc over her eyes. "I have not had the pleasure of meeting many who take to the guard-shotos as their weapon of choice. A welcomed coincidence." Her head leaned slightly towards the surface on which her own lightsabers rested, left aside for the moment as she had been practicing on her unnarmed combat. The geminaie began entertaining the idea that maybe her training would not continue on in a solitary fashion.

"It is still early in the morning. If its not indiscreet to ask, what brings you here?"

 

[Danielle Mueller]

Location: Courtyards, Dragonne Palace, Illyria
Weapons: Combat Gloves & Tonfa Sabers
Apparel: Civilian Apparel
Tagging: Palm-Imer
​

Palm-Imer had taken note of Dee's Tonfa Sabers, and seemingly taken a liking to them where as the younger girl hadn't yet realized that her peer was a practicing user of the Guard Shoto herself. At least not until she mentioned it a coincidence and glanced off towards her own weapon(s) laying on the flat of a nearby bench.

Approaching the woman closer in order to shake her hand, Danielle smiled gently and introduced herself formally; "Danielle Mueller, Junior Adjutant to Exarch Malvern" she said and however paused as if hearing it herself, soon correcting to a more casual response, "You can just call me Dani or Dee though, if you like" she grinned a little out of embarrassment. Evidently she had become too used to being in a business environment that these sorts of formalities had become like a habit. A consequence of Adron Malvern 's influence.

Drawing one of the two Guard Shoto's from the magna-lock bracers of her utility belt, Dee soon offered the weapon to the older woman in the case that she may be curious enough to inspect it herself. The outer metal casing was made of Cortosis weave and gave off a slight glimmer of shine, though nothing compared to the Electrum rings at the ends of each side of the hilt.

"Honestly, I prefer to fight with my fists but the Tonfa allow for compromise, so that I can still match a swordsman up close" she explained, giving a slightly indifferent shrug, "I'm still kinda getting used to the things and have only needed to use them a handful of times".

Palm-Imer had mentioned it still being early in the morning hours, however Dani hadn't really been paying much attention to the time. Most mornings Adron had her on a strict schedule and it seemed to have been paying off also, another habit of hers that seemed to be engrained into her body clock these days. Truth be told though, she hadn't been sleeping too much lately.

Illyria was a distant World away from Naboo, the new home she had still been adjusting to. She'd felt so lucky to be given the job under the Exarch, as well as the Condo that had come with it, yet that had all changed following their brief time on Tatooine where the man's training methods had come to light...

"I guess I just needed a breather" Dee answered again, although didn't exactly wish to discuss why with a stranger; "But your fighting technique distracted me. Where'd you learn to move like that?" She asked with obvious interest in the forms that Palm had displayed.​

 

[Palm-Imer]

Location: Courtyards, Dragonne Palace, Illyria.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades.
Tagging: Danielle Mueller

​

The smile that stretched the Ambassador's lips widened. This was also a welcomed change of pace for herself, most of her time in Illyria was spent behind the stoic demeanor of the Ambassador's trademark aloofness. The geminaie's ability to mute their and mold their emotions and the expression of them was a weapon no one but them understood the usefulness of, but it was also tiring. Even if in the last few months she found herself growing more comfortable in the presence of the King, she could not disregard propriety.

"Dee," She repeated, nodding slightly to signal she would refer to her by one of her chosen nicknames, "It is a pleasure to meet you. You can call me Palm." If she was not going to refer to the Adjutant in formality, it was only fair that she didn't feel the need to do it either.

As she heard Danielle explain briefly about her style of fightning, Palm's amusement did nothing but grow. The similarities between them couldn't be easier to spot, and it was an exciting prospect for the geminaie. With how specialized every single combatant that hailed from her planet was, how unique, meeting her match was something she had never even considered. Yet here it was. "I understand, my people are... natural brawlers too." A slight chuckle followed her response.

"It is called Ky'ret." Suddenly, the perfect Galactic Basic that many would have believed to be her native tongue was interrupted by a word that sported a heavy accent and such a melodic sound that it gave the impression of belonging to a song rather than normal speech. "A martial art created by my people. We believe in the mastery of one's body above all else, and those of us who learn it are not allowed to touch a weapon until we can fight unarmed." Her mind revisited the memories of her training years, particularly the day she was finally allowed to pick her weapon of choice...before beginning the learning process all over again, only this time with her tonfas.

Then an idea filtered into her thoughts, a short moment of silence ensued as she considered it before addressing the young woman once again. "I would enjoy having a sparring partner for the reminder of my training, if I could interest you with it."

 

[Danielle Mueller]

Location: Courtyards, Dragonne Palace, Illyria
Weapons: Combat Gloves & Tonfa Sabers
Apparel: Civilian Apparel
Tagging: Palm-Imer ​

​

The invitation to train with Palm-Imer came as a welcome surprise, perhaps one of the few kind moments she had witnessed since landing upon Illyria; So far the smiles she had received had all felt like they'd been meant for Adron Malvern despite being flashed her way. Perhaps that was a normal thing when working for someone as powerful as he was, yet Dee hadn't much liked it and felt hugely out of place there.

"I'd love to!" she exclaimed, her eagerness betraying her want for tact. A rush of blood to the cheeks as she bit back the urge to apologize for being so forward. Acting all 'proper' like she was expected to wasn't the same as how life had been back in the military academy, at least while being screamed at there you could still behave like you had a soul.

"Although...-My Tonfa were made to discourage lightsaber combat. They have a cortosis overlay so I can get in close against lightsaber users" she spared a glance at Palm's own weapons and immediately decided she didn't want to risk damaging her Guard-Shoto after having been so kind as to accommodate a nobody like herself.

Moving over towards the bench, Dee placed her own weapons down beside Palm's. She took specific care in separating them so she didn't accidentally nick or disturb the other woman's own. She then removed her baggy jacket and placed it down nearby upon the ground, seeming to have more care in where she placed her Tonfa than her own clothes unlike most girls her age.

Standing upright, Palm-Imer would have a better view of Dee's Shorak physique; Most Human women were slender and curved yet the world of Shor bred a stockier build of woman which made them good candidates for soldiers in the Shor's age old feud against the Peroenian's.

Dee stood at just under six feet, carrying a weight roughly around eighty kilograms; She had been indoctrinated as a youth into the soldiers lifestyle of training and conformity, and Adron had capitalized on her desire to continue fighting to keep up her physical condition as it would work out well for his own plans in the long run...-Although for a teenaged girl in a Galaxy of fashion and flair, it didn't much help her to feel normal compared to other near-human kind.

Now however, things were straight forward and simple. Dee lived for the fight and whether taking or dishing it out, there was nothing quite like the rush of going toe to toe with someone. Removing her Combat Gloves first, she tossed them back nearby the bench and returned to join Palm, keeping a meter or two between them and standing at the ready. Left foot forward, hands raised and elbows guarding the midsection while her eyes honed in upon her new sparring partner.

"Any rules or...?".

 

[Palm-Imer]

Location: Courtyards, Dragonne Palace, Illyria.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades.
Tagging: Danielle Mueller

​

A small chuckle escaped the Ambassador at the younger woman's reaction. While she was not all that much older herself, Palm couldn't help but be reminded of her own lessons on propriety and general etiquette. As a geminaie, she had the advantage of being able to mute her feelings and emotions to the point of becoming a perfectly cold robot, or at least dampen them so that they would never betray her composure or true intent. That did not mean the the emotional control she was capable of had been an easy skill to master, and she understood and related to Dee's reaction.

"That is alright, hand to hand combat it is then." Her voice was warm, a small smile still on her lips as she offered a small nod as if to thank the adjutant for the warning about the cortosis. "Smart move to use cortosis weave, by the way." She commended Danielle, building one's own lightsabers was no easy task. Anything that deviated from the standard, Palm was bound to consider worthy of praise.

The geminaie took note of the girl's physique, her warm smile turning into an impressed one although she did not offer commentary. Palm herself was also tall and a noticeable albeit not imposing layer of muscle graced her body. While it was easy to note that she must have been athletic and strong, by human standards, her appearance still betrayed the real nature of her physical prowess. An untrained adult Geminaie could crush bone with their grip strength alone, and Palm was a trained and accomplished soldier.

Once again she observed as the girl adopting her starting position, solid and confident. It had been way to long since she had last had a proper spar, and her excitement was swiftly transformed into focus. Unrushed, her own left foot fell backwards, fists raised and elbows guarding her midsection...an exact same copy of Dee's own stance. Ky'ret, the mimic art, the shatterpoint finder.

"No rules, give me your best." She encouraged her, given her the privilege of going in for the first strike. Only another fighter could understand the sentiment of looking forward to being punched, and right now Palm herself hoped that the young adjutant had the skill to manage such a feat.

 

[Danielle Mueller]

Location: Courtyards, Dragonne Palace, Illyria
Weapons: Combat Gloves & Tonfa Sabers
Apparel: Civilian Apparel
Tagging: Palm-Imer

​

No rules, no holds barred.

Danielle gave a curt nod in acknowledgement of the fact, soon noting that the first move had been offered up to her. The opportunity to set the pace and the tempo of the fight, while also being an opportunity to learn from one another. Dee presumed that Palm might have seen the benefit in waiting out the attack and reacting appropriately, being on the defense meaning giving a greater educational value providing she would be quick enough to observe and evade simultaneously.

Dani had no doubts in her new sparring partner. She fully expected to be pushed in this session.

Putting her mind to the attack, Dani's form lowered as her knee's bent and her legs braced for the initial few paces, soon driving herself forward directly head on against Palm-Imer 's position, a short-lived yet swift dash to clear the distance between them. Reaching within the few last steps, Dani then propelled herself up, leaping high and with her left knee extending forward at chest height, she aimed the single powerful strike against the other woman.

Whether she were to land the blow or not, Dani hadn't prepared herself for a follow up series of blows with her hands as she usually might. The fight was one of practice and she was just starting to learn her partner's capabilities; Instead she'd be brought down in landing. Whether or not that would be by way of descent or of her opponents doing was yet to be seen.​

 

[Palm-Imer]

Location: Courtyards, Dragonne Palace, Illyria.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades.
Tagging: Danielle Mueller

​

Opening kick.

It seemed as though with every passing second, Dani would keep on doing things that put a smile on the Ambassador's face. Palm, a pureblooded geminaie, had no doubt that her arms surpassed her legs in power, and still she had always been a fan of using every inch of her body equally when it came to combat. The amber eyes of the woman followed every twitch in Dani's muscles and the direction of her eyes themselves, there was so much to read in an opponent. This, the geminaie had learnt from the Echani.

As the girl's leg was about to connect with her chest, Palm had yet to move. Her strong suit was agility, but most importantly she trusted her body to react in the way that it was meant to. Find an opening, go for it. Timing was perhaps the most important thing in a fight, more so than strength or speed. A powerful punch aimed at the wrong moment would not connect, a perfect but ill-timed parry would be useless.

It was only in the last viable second when she made her move, while she had decided she would be careful not to hurt the adjutant - this did not mean that she would pull back the strength or speed of her movements. Palm ducked, allowing Dee's leg to swipe freely without colliding against anything some inches above her face. And just as her torso offered leverage, her own leg was raised aimed in a swift strike towards the younger woman's own chest. Again, an almost flawless copy of her own attack born after a possible counter for it.

If Dee managed to avoid her kick, the fight would go on. However, if Palm detected that her kick would be successful, she'd stop her movement before it connected. It was not her intention to hurt or cause pain to Danielle, and specially not now when they were just beginning their sparring and testing each other out.