Lightsaber Lessons: Soresu

[Jake Daniels]

A new day.

A new lesson.

The events of Mirial were driving the Knight like he had never been driven before. Jake was a man possessed when it came to training these days. When he wasn't training padawans in the tenants of Shii-Cho, he had begun to build on his knowledge of Makashi. What he learned, what he taught himself, it would all be passed down. It would be gifted to the Silver's just so that they would have that much more of a chance against the onslaught of darkness that would come yet again.

He still took the full blame for Mirials failure. He should have done more. He could have. People died due to his inaction. That wasn't going to happen again.

It was in his studies that he received word that a Silver wanted to learn from him. Not in a class setting as he had grown accustomed too. Instead it was to be private one on one lessons. Both a surprise and a relief was the form the Jedi wished to learn, Soresu. Jake knew that form all too well. He had been trained in it and used it to protect the Shamalain Family. It had been one of his two go too forms. If this Jedi wanted to learn it; she'd learn it as Jake had been trained.

He'd drill it into her.

Jake had sent word to meet him in a training room, the same one he held the Shii-Cho trainings in. The scorch marks from deflected blaster shots still seared into the floor and walls. Jake wasn't alone however. Today he had another droid with him; yet another gift from Lord Erebos of the One Sith. A Zuguruk Tyro Saber Droid. It was programed with the basics of every saber form, except Juyo. She would spar with this one.

Then she would spar with Jake.

Quietly he stood, droid hovering beside him, as he waited for his newest pupil.

[member="Jairdain"]​

Notes: Jakes Outfit

 

[Jairdain]

The knight no longer wore customary Jedi garb and walked into the training room in black pants, white shirt and black boots. Her hair was down and hung to the middle of her back. She wasn't hesitant in her steps, scared or nervous, maybe a little cautious.

It had been since her Padawan days that she had been a student with the Jedi. More often she had found herself teaching others in the more mental or defensive aspects of the Force. This was going to be something different for her and Jairdain looked forward to it.

Over the course of her time, she had realized she really had no clue how to fight or defend herself with her lightsaber. Reaching out to people, she learned of Jake and in turned contacted him about teaching her in the art of combat. Not just any form though.

Wanting to be more of a diplomat or consular, she felt the need to defend herself and others around her more important than being able to kill them. She picked her first focus to be the third form, that of Soresu.

Once she was in the room fully, she looked in the direction she felt Jake to be standing and gave him a polite nod.

"I am Jairdain. Thank you for taking this time."

[member="Jake Daniels"]​

 

[Jake Daniels]

"The pleasure is all mine, Jairdain." Jake replied politely.
"I am Jake Daniels. Fallen Sith Knight, Royal Guardian to the Shamalain Family, the Eternal Apprentice to Lady Silencia, and new recruit to the Silver Jedi." Jake explained. "I tell you this so you learn one very important thing about me. The majority of my time has been as a Guardian to my Master and our family. I excel in being the immovable object when an unstoppable force comes through. I will teach you all I know."

Jake lifted his saber from his hand though he didn't activate it. "I ask for only one thing in return. You use it to protect those around you." Jake paused as he turned his saber about in his hand. Dings, scratches, dulled metal, it all showed a temultious life. "I have learned many things about the Silvers since I have joined their ranks. They are a spirited people hell bent on doing what is right. The issue is many, mind you not all, but many, haven't taken the time to learn the proper ways to defend and deflect. I will train you to fight the darkside. I will train you to use Soresu to combat all that is wrong in this galaxy."

Jake's icy blue eyes turned towards Jairdain, "But first... the basics. Do you know the stance of a Soresu practitioner?"

​

[member="Jairdain"]​

 

[Jairdain]

After their names were exchanged, Jake went on to give her a little of his past and what role he played in it. She found it interesting he considered himself a fallen sith knight, as if he still clung to that part of him. In a way it was as much as she clung to her past with the sith. She reached up to her arm where some feathers usually hung, but were absent from her shirt today.

What he would pass on to her though brought Jairdain back to the present and what he asked for in return. Wanting to know how to protect herself and others around her was exactly what she needed.

"You make the Silver's sound like a people instead of a simple order. I agree to your term though and will protect others around me to the best of my ability. My own people didn't want to teach me how to fight due to the fact I am blind. Once I joined the Silver's I was given a crash course of a few katas and one person taught me what he knew of Shii-Cho. Nothing beyond that."

He said he would train her to fight the Dark Side, but she knew there was dark within every body, she was no exception. However, she had found a balance and was able to resist that within her.

[member="Jake Daniels"]

 

[Jake Daniels]

Jake crossed his arms as he listened to Jairdain. "The Silvers are a honorably people. I believed in Order's before. Each has fallen. People don't. I prefer to believe in people and I believe in the people of the Silver's. I believe they want to do good."

"Now," Jake took a Soresu stance, "follow my lead. This stance allows a person to be able to perform the necessary defensive tactics. This stance also allows you to easily transition to other forms."

"Now," Jake said. "I want you to deflect what is about to come towards you. My rule is that you stay in a defensive posture. Do not go aggressive until I say so." Jake turned towards the droid, "Droid. Shii-Cho. Attack her right side."

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

He said he felt the Silver Jedi were a people over an order because his previous orders had all fallen. It is the people that make them and as long as the people didn't die, their beliefs would stay alive. She nodded in understanding while it still wasn't her view. This topic wasn't meant to be talked about today though and it moved beyond that and back to training.

Physical fighting was a weakness in her. While she knew the basics and the first Form to great extent, Jairdain knew it wasn't meant for her. She wanted to be a diplomat and defender, not a fighter. While it all worked hand in hand, defense was more important to her.

While her Force Vision allowed her to see most things, fine detail was not one of them most of the time. At least when it came to people. She could sense energy, emotions and intentions of the person. Force Sense or a type of precognition allowed her to anticipate where blades or bullets would be and block them. Human positioning was on a different wavelength though and she couldn't fully 'see' his stance.

So instead of mimicking Jake, she got into a position she felt comfortable in for defense. If it was wrong, then he would need to correct her. Feeling it to be close though, she prepared herself to block the droid as it moved in on her.

[member="Jake Daniels"]

 

[Jake Daniels]

The droid swung.

The pupil blocked.

Jairdain took a defensive posture that wasn't exactly what Jake had ordered her to perform. It worked though. What this showed was that Jairdain was adapting. She was a creature who thought on her feet, whom worked to ensure she had the upper hand.

He let out a soft sigh; a sigh of appreciation. Where as before he had not hesitated to scold nor mock his students, this time Jake bit his tongue. He wanted to see what she could do. How she could handle herself.

"Droid. Right, right, center. Increase strike strength two fold." Jake instructed.

His goal was to see if she could handle increased power behind each attack.

​

[member="Jairdain"]​

 

[Jairdain]

Closing off her surroundings, Jairdain could focus on the situation alone. Her attention was on the droid and the blade it held. Her hearing was focused on Jake to listen for instructions. There were none for her and he spoke to the droid to go through with a different and stronger attack.

It was again aimed to her right side and with more force behind it. Remembering the few times she had needed to actually use her saber, only once had it been a fight that mattered. She had lost that one, but had been unharmed and rescued from death by some troops.

He had told her to only defend herself and not strike back, so keeping this in mind, she brought her hilt upwards and blocked with her saber pointing to the ground.

[member="Jake Daniels"]