Meditation Through Combat (OPEN)

[Celiana]

I'd just returned from a trip off Voss and was...darker. I'd killed at least three people, completely destroyed another's leg in order for nothing more than information. My fighting style was normally elegant, clean. But the way I'd handled combat on Coruscant was anything but that way, I'd been more Mando'a than anything. Heading to the training arenas I set the combat standards higher than was recommended the enemies spawning would be driven by the intent to kill me and I'd have to kill them first.

Garbed for one thing, battle I had every bladed weapon I owned on myself. "Initiate training sequence, keep safety protocols at bare minimum. Goal survive, deadly force authorized against me." Uncoiling one of my razor whips and flicking it out to the side I called my aqua saber to my right hand with The Force while opening myself to it's currents. Igniting my saber with a snap-hiss. I could feel it thrumming in my hand.

Then the enemies appeared, a variety of species with a variety of weapons. Going into a short run I flicked my razor whip around the Rodian's ankle and jerked shredding his ankle before spinning back to my feet and removing his hands with my saber. A Zabrak came running towards me with a vibroblade just as I flicked my wrist again wrapping my razor whip around his waist and holding him there. A Twi'lek ran at me and dealing a glancing blow with my saber to his leg he fell just as I reached out with The Force and still holding the Zabrak pushed him backwards mightily with The Force. As my whip was still around his waist it completely bisected the training droid.

A Faleen grabbed me from behind and tossing my saber to the ground I threw him over my shoulder re-activating my saber with The Force. Impaling the Faleen, Pushing him off my saber with The Force I split that training droid vertically down the middle before calling my saber back to my hand. The way I was fighting now was a brutal mix of Echani and Mando'a training as well as my Force abilities so far. Elegant yet brutal and deadly. I hoped a master wouldn't walk in and see this display, I also hoped Aria wouldn't either.

Aria...she'd sparred with me and she knew some of what I was capable of but this, this might shock her quite a bit. This unrestrained way of fighting Arja had described as a beautifully brutal and elegant dance. The best of the Echani, Mandalorian, and Jedi combined. As the Rodian lay there I reached out with The Force and whipped my left to the right snapping his neck. The training droid became motionless.

Opening a pouch on my left hip I levitated a small cloud of metal bolts in front of myself and using The Force accelerated them in a spin to slug-thrower speed. The moment the next wave of five enemies spawned I pushed the bolts out with The Force essentially riddling the new enemies with slugs killing them before they'd had time to even draw or activate their weapons.

Then there was a sharp pain in my shoulder and I sensed the enemy behind me. Inverting my saber I stabbed back through a Zabrak's stomach before spinning away and taking off his legs and arms the same way Obi-Wan had once done to Anakin. As he lay there I coldly flicked my wrist decapitating him. The training droid lay there headless. Deactivating my saber and flicking my whip back into a coil before clipping it to my belt.

Two more simulated enemies spawned and using The Force I flicked out both sets of blades on my wrist gauntlets stabbing through their throats in a crossed X motion then I jerked my wrists to either side slicing their throats. As the training droids fell I said,"End training module, copy combat log to my personal data-pad."

Sinking to a seated lotus position amidst the utter chaos I'd inflicted on the training droids I realized that Arja had trained me incredibly well. I half thought I'd have to repair these droids until they started pulling themselves back together and coming to stand at a ready position. As I sat there I half-closed my eyes and thought if anyone threatened Aria this would be child's play compared to what I'd do to them. Dark as it may be I'd viciously protect her and was completely ok with that.

I sat there and waited to see if anyone would join me for some combat training...

 

[Celiana]

I sat there eyelids half closed and drifting in the currents of The Force...Flashing back to my execution of the Interspecies trafficking leaders. I was immersed in the fear and horror I'd caused them before I'd killed them and I could feel it as if it were my own. I was aware of my eyes flicking back and forth under my eyelids but I was trapped in the memory.

The currents of The Force shifted and I could feel someone approaching but I was still trapped inside the memory. Then the doors behind me opened and I escaped my own haunting memory, springing to my feet and re-igniting my aqua saber. I'd guess that I looked haunted, on edge and...feral.

A young man stood there and I silently hoped he didn't fear for his life...

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

(Just a note, your dialogue text isn't great for seeing very well. Dark blue colors don't tend to work. I used to use 'em too)

There was no fear.

No intimidation in the young man's eyes. Or, well, as young as someone was at the ripe age of 25. Bur he didn't flinch. He didn't move away. He didn't even activate the lightsaber that hung from his belt. Instead, he would stare at her for a moment, his eyes cold as his expression was stoic. In front of her stood the Jedi Master, Josh DragonsFlame. An odd name, some might say, for a Jedi. But of course... There had been stranger names. Others may look at his age and question his ability as a Master. But his wisdom, his experiences, his compassion... And his skill with a blade put it all to rest. Mentally, he was older then he would like. But if wisdom helped him make the galaxy a better place... So be it.

He gave her the once over, and his eyes would finally soften. "You're troubled" He finally spoke, calmly. Yet with a soft sense of compassion in his voice. "I can see it in your eyes. Your body language. Everything about you speaks of a woman who fears for something... Or perhaps has something to hide."

"I saw your training" He would add, gingerly pacing the room, his eyes leaving her for a moment as he would look ahead as he walked. "Was passing by."

"You fight to protect... And yet fight to maim. To kill. With no regard to who it might be. Every movement screams... Lethality. Victory, an aim, a goal... At all cost. You're young, a Padawan by your braid I assume... While I understand that we must fight, and at times, we must kill... It is in the nature of a Jedi to know restraint" He spoke softly. It was not a lecture, not a scolding... But it came off as the voice of a man who cared and wanted to help.

He finally turned to face her. "Without restraint, without a thought to what we kill in order to protect those we love... We become just like the monsters that you seek to protect your loved ones from. And one day, in a rage... You may become the very thing you swore to protect them from. Your every movement that I saw, was meant to kill. Even in employing the Force... You wanted to end. You did so with a sense of unease, frantic... Panicked. Your every movement, your every facial expression, every given language from your body screams a desperate desire to protect, as though something may strike at any given moment."

He took a breath, and gave her a soft smile. "Talk to me, Padawan. I'm not a man who judges. Tell me what ails you. Tell me what compels you to fight as though the entire world wishes to destroy something, or someone, that you hold very... Very dear" He asked quietly, his voice gentle as someone who wouldn't hurt a fly if it wasn't necessary. In a way, that described Josh to a tee...

"Because I know the feeling very well" He would admit in turn.

 

[Celiana]

The way he moved into the room, his evaluation of my fighting, Fierfeck even his evalution of my mental state was spot on and it bothered me. He spoke softly but very plainly. I'm not certain you've had hands laid on you with barely controlled lust, I'm not sure you've felt the utter calmness that comes with cutting down the ghosts of your past with your saber and being able to justify it with defending yourself or another used as a hostage."

I'm not sure you understand how killing men who were brave warriors once but became nothing more than tools kept alive by The Dark Side feels.... I'm not sure you know the fear of how those actions darken your soul. Or the fear that the woman you love will leave you due to the darkness inside.

"I'm not sure you do realize Master, and I'm not certain you'll not expel me from The Order if I tell you what happened...

I....I came back from Coruscant recently. Looking for closure and I found it in the government sanctioned bounties of a group of men from my past The Sith controlled government sanctioned these bounties. My father is still the counselor for a very wealthy, very corrupt senator and his associates were in the past....handsy with me never anything more than that but it was barely controlled. Actually I'm glad for it otherwise I'd have never realized I was Force sensitive."

"I instinctively threw up a Force Barrier to protect dancing girls and angered those.....hut'uune I ended up blasting the Zabrak leader out the window of a Coruscant high-rise leaving him there to climb up after he went to attack me."

"A week ago I got to Coruscant, I....acquired information that those same men would be gathering for a major sale of people. They were interspecies traffickers Master...I executed their security shot through the head. I entered the warehouse and they took hostages of these young women. Younger than age of consent for anything on Coruscant.

Tears were streaming down my face, burning my cheeks and I could still feel my saber thrumming in my hand. I thought for sure they'd demand my sabers and for me to leave The Order. But I continued, Master I killed them without giving them chance to flee, turn themselves over, or release their hostages. I kept them rooted to where they were standing with The Force. I told the girls to get them and their friends and leave, and as soon as they were gone I released these men from a Force grip and they ended up very much like what those droids you saw me cutting down did. Even when I'd released them I could feel their fear, I allowed them to try and defend themselves and believe me they did. But I cut them down anyways....

The tears were flowing freely now. My confession out in the open and I was emotionally drained. Thumbing off my saber I clipped it back to my belt and dropped to the floor. Weeping openly in front of this Master with his soft, caring voice and blast it all!!!! Why had this young man, this master dragged it out of me with his soft caring voice.... I knelt there tears on my face and utterly surrendered to whatever he, or The Master's chose to do...

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"I'm not certain you've had hands laid on you with barely controlled lust, I'm not sure you've felt the utter calmness that comes with cutting down the ghosts of your past with your saber and being able to justify it with defending yourself or another used as a hostage." was the first thing she said. He would stop to say something before letting her continue.

"You'd be surprised" He spoke softly, a bittersweet smile crossing his lips. And then he allowed her to continue, listening patiently and intently as she just let it all out. It seemed to be what she needed, in his eyes. He could understand that Jedi would be so used to the old ways of suppressing their emotions, that they had found so little opportunity to just let it all out and be honest. But holding it in was unhealthy, he knew. Once she finished and burst into tears, he didn't say anything at first. Instead he would step forward and just wrap his arms around her, pulling her into a gentle hug. It was all he could do for the moment... Just allow her to let it all out.

And then he spoke.

"Oh no, you killed slavers. Such a bad and evil thing to do. I guess I'd better take your lightsaber, report you to the council and have you expelled from the Order and cut off from the Force and all that..." He trailed off, but, seriously, even she could hear the sarcasm in his voice, and as he would tip her head up to get her to look at him, and shot her a cheeky grin in turn, that pretty much confirmed he was joking.

He took a breath as he would lean down to her height, placing his hands on her shoulders. "It's alright" He spoke softly. "Truth is... I'd have killed them as well. You see, love... I spend a lot of my time out on the Outer Rim, hunting down slave camps and liberating them. It was during these trips that I found out something. The hard way, unfortunately. I tried to spare everyone I could, fight non-lethally as I tend to do. But... It proved to be a big mistake" He would admit, biting his lip. She'd had her moment to be honest, now it was his turn to be honest in response. It was only fair to her if he was, really. This wasn't a lecture, it was a friend helping a friend, right? His tone was soft, but more personal and casual, truthfully conveying something that he could admit flat out bothered him very much and had been on his mind ever since. "I found out the hard way that someone who takes other people as property, really isn't a person at all anymore. There's no compassion, there's no room to be redeemed. It's just a monster. They would keep using the slaves as hostages, or even start to kill them out of spite. The last straw came when I freed the slaves, and one of the slavers disguised themselves as one of the slaves and walked in the line, before whipping out a blaster and started shooting them, before turning to shoot my partner in the back of the head. That was the first time I had to kill one dead on, in order to save the others. Unfortunately, because of my mistake, several families lost fathers. Their widows glared at me, their children cried and asked why we were having to carry their fathers. They hated me. They trusted me to keep them safe, and I failed them. And I'll never forget that."

His voice croaked a bit, and he bit his lip. It was a difficult thing to talk about.

"They were just... People. People who were living their regular lives, farmers, storekeepers, family men and women, and children... They were kidnapped from their homes by these monsters. And then killed out of a temper tantrum because they were about to lose their slaves, or used as hostages. When it comes to people like that... Well... I do similar to what you did back there. Not as ruthlessly, perhaps. But if they died, that was on them. I had to make a judgement call, because if I didn't, they'd just come back and kill the innocents I had come to save."

He let out an exasperated sigh. "You're not in trouble. I would have done the same thing as you would have when it comes to species traffickers. There's no redeeming, no saving them. A common criminal can be made to see reason if given a second chance in life. But slavers... There's no second chance. They're too far gone. And I let too many lives end because I was too set on always going non-lethal no matter who it was. It works much of the time, but sometimes even a Jedi has to put their foot down and do what they have to do to save innocents" He would explain, and would try to give her a smile, but it was bittersweet. Sad. It was a hard memory to relive.

"As a Jedi... Sometimes we have to do things we don't like. Sometimes... We have to kill. But all I can say is... You need to learn to know when to make the right call as to whether it's right or not to do so. And you can never let it overcome you" He would advise, gently squeezing her shoulders as he stared into her eyes. "You can't let yourself become the very thing you want to protect people from. Sometimes we have to kill to protect, yes... But always look at it on both sides of the equation. A criminal may be doing it to provide for a family. But a slaver... If they have a family to come home to, how do you think they'll treat them if that's how they treat other human beings? If someone comes into their home, will they use their own family as human shields? As hostages? Their families would be better off with them dead. It doesn't matter if the slaves are normal humans, or another race... It's all the same. It's up to you, to learn, as a Jedi... When to make the right call, and what that call should be."

He took a breath. "Restraint... Patience... You need to learn them, and you need to balance them with the ability to make a judgement call when necessary. Do not let emotions get in the way of them. I won't tell you to inhibit your emotions, because emotions are part of what makes us who we are... But if your whims, your emotions choose who lives or dies, then you become the monster. Because those monsters are choosing whether you and your loved ones live or die based on their whims."

He would smile a bit, trying to comfort her a bit more. "You made the right call this time, at least. You did what you had to do, and you killed because they were monsters that would have hurt people otherwise, with no chance of redemption. Or perhaps that wasn't your reason for killing them... Perhaps it was simply your emotions. Either way, there was nothing wrong with what you did. But you need to learn to be in control. If you lose control... Then you lose everything."

"I'll admit... The way you did it was very unlike a Jedi to do" He would admit with a frown. "But the target in particular excuses it for the time being. You let emotions control you, when you should be controlling it. Control... Patience... Restraint. Judgement. Keep these in mind. I know I probably sound like a broken record by now, but once you learn the meaning behind my words... You'll never have to deal with problems like this again.

Relax, Padawan... You have nothing to fear at the moment. Take what happened as a lesson, nothing more. Allow yourself to learn from it, and become better for it. And if you're ever hurting like this again... Feel free to come talk to me. I'm happy to at least listen and do what I can." He spoke softly as he would move back to his full height. He didn't want to just be the Master, the teacher, the lecturer right now. He wanted to convey that while he was a Jedi Master... He was a friend who just wanted to help. He didn't want to report her behavior to the Council... He wanted to help her. He wanted to help her learn, help her see. She was in pain, and he wanted more then anything right now to help her relieve herself of that.

In short? Sometimes a Jedi needed to make a judgement call to kill if necessary, so long as they knew the consequences of their actions on both sides. Emotion, the same emotion that caused her to kill them in the rather ruthless and un-Jedi-like fashion that she did, was part of a person, but letting it cloud their judgement and control them would only spell doom. It would only spell pain... And it was a path to the dark side.

"What is your name, Padawan?"

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

He hugged me...then joked sarcastically about expelling me from The Order. I was at a loss as to what to do about this. I'd been prepared to accept the consequences whatever they were but, but not this. As he continued to speak I listened to a friend rather than a Master. Finishing what he had to say he asked, "What is your name padawan?"

Momentarily at a loss for words upon hearing him say I made the right choice I found my voice. "Celiana, Celiana Drayven Master. And I wasn't acting on emotion entirely as I held them there with The Force I had a moment of...precognition I suppose would be the correct term. I saw they wouldn't give up and that they had it in their hearts to continue enslaving and hurting innocents. On one hand I knew I'd probably have to kill them on the other I made the decision to....make an example and use them as a deterrent."

"In any case one of them it was clear a saber was used so The Sith could take credit for the bounty if they chose to. But nonetheless it sent a message."

Pausing for a moment there was something else on my mind. So far Master DragonsFlame had been very understanding....It couldn't hurt I decided. "Master, if you'll allow another question....What is the stand on having...on having romantic relationships with another padawan or Jedi? I mean I know of several examples, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker, Anakin Solo and Tahiri Veila, Jaina Solo and Jagged Fell. But I wondered if it was forbidden like the days of the Old Republic before The Empire came to be."

"There's this girl, someone you may have run into in your travels that I...I've become very fond of and attached to, but she's afraid of being busted and I'm confused I suppose on that point. I want to be able to tell her with one hundred percent certainty that it's alright or at the very least that I sought a Master's guidance so I can set her mind at ease about...us."

Blushing a furious shade of pink I sat there waiting for his response wiping the tears from my eyes as I did....

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"If you say so" He spoke, shrugging casually. By how she fought earlier, he was pretty sure it was based on emotion, on impulse, but she had no reason to lie to him... Right? As she spoke her name, he nodded in turn, making a mental note to remember it in case he heard it causing any trouble later.

"Master Joshua DragonsFlame" He would respond with a polite bow. "Honored to be of service in any way I can... Except, you know, the kind of service you usually get on Zeltros. They don't pay me enough for that here at the Order" He joked cheekily, with a light grin. But to her question, he would shrug his shoulders. "To be honest, it depends on where you go. There are some uber traditional places, to be frank. I don't believe that the Silver Sanctum is one of them" He would admit.

"Besides" He remarked, shooting another grin all of a sudden. He really was just trying to be a friend rather then a Master in this case. He wanted her to be comfortable and trust his words as being from someone who actually cared.

"I've been with Master Labooda for a little while now. She's a cute one, that."

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

Listening to him introduce himself I smiled. Though I also figure he'd keep my name in mind after what I'd told him. He also joked about not giving the kind of service I'd get on Zeltros as The Order didn't pay him enough for that. For a Master he was rather cheeky. Though it put me at ease a bit too.

Then he answered my question about relationships and said that it depended on where I went but that the Silver Jedi didn't have a problem with it. He also mentioned that he was with Master Labooda saying she's a cute one. Still blushing a furious shade of pink I couldn't help but grin. I couldn't wait to tell Aria what I'd found out.... She'd be thrilled or at the very least less on edge about it...

"So, Master DragonsFlame was it? Would you care to cross blades with me or teach me some new tricks? I could use some new tricks...."

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Cheeky, pretty much him to a tee really. He liked to joke around. Joking made people laugh. And laughter was a fleeting joy that could be repeated. A miracle in times like this, when everyone was just doom and gloom. Also, it was called the Silver Sanctum now, not the Silver Jedi, but as she didn't say it out loud, he couldn't really correct her.

Still, at the very least, the Jedi Master had put her at ease. He'd accomplished his goal in that. Though at her question, he would shrug his shoulders.

"Well, I don't see why not" He remarked. "I suppose a spar could do. You're better learning through a direct spar then through me trying to teach you tactics anyways."

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

Well then, this Master was not what'd I'd expected. Very relaxed it seemed, at peace perhaps... "Sabers, or Echani hand to hand Master?" I hoped he'd pick sabers as I needed more practice, though I wouldn't complain if he chose Echani style either. Waiting for his response I rose to my feet again and held my right hand out to my side in case he chose sabers....

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh was a surprise to many Jedi he met, really. Especially Padawans. He was one of the few who had spent his entire life almost, in blind service. And then had the rose tinted goggles taken off. He'd learned to be, well, human. He'd been indoctrinated, and THEN he learned to be a human being, more or less. So it wasn't like he was going to get in trouble for acting up to normal people standards so long as he could keep up his stoic-ness when he needed to. Seriously though, Josh saw no point in pretending to have no emotions all the time, and trying to address a Padawan in need as someone who they should be addressing as though they were their superior and could easily have them expelled or cut from the Force. It was only in training that it was necessary. This was not one of those cases. Here, he was just happy to be Josh. That was exactly what she was seeing.

"Sabers will do" He spoke as he would flick his hand, his lightsaber shooting from his belt into his hand. He would look over at her and smirk in turn.

"Your move, love."

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

"Sabers will do, your move love." Calling my saber to my already outstretched right hand I ignited the aqua blade with a snap-hiss and brought the blade up in front of my face before twirling it out and away to my side again in a duelist's salute. Immersing myself in the currents of The Force I let my saber become an extension of myself and entered a traditional Echani Firedancer's stance.

Then I waited for him to make the first move and examine his footwork before I began my response....

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

And with that, the two grew silent as she would ignite her aqua-colored blade. As she did, a small smirk would cross his lips and he would ignite his own blade. A darker blue in color. He would turn it down to low power, instructing her to do the same, and then proceed to spin it around vertically a few times in his hand before getting into stance. His breathing was calm, his expression remained calm and collected but still with that faint smirk gracing it. He would at first wait for her to make the first move, but seeing as she wasn't making it, he would decide to strike first.

The first move was quick, swift, smooth and seamless. He would dash forward, the Force aiding his speed as he would make a quick slash to her left side to see how well she would be at blocking it. He hadn't wasted even a bit of movement. Every movement was planned, calculated, with quick but precise thoughts.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

I registered his quick strike to my left side and the execution was flawless. Though instead of blocking it I simply side-stepped as his blade had begun moving. By the time his strike made it there I'd spun around behind him and launched my own quick series of strikes one towards the back of his leg, another towards his left hip, and the last to the right side of his neck.

I had great respect for Jedi and Sith alike. I'd simply been holding a blade since I could walk. It was second nature to me as Echani...

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

His expression changed.

It had become a spar now. And even if just a friendly spar... A battle was a battle. His eyes, his expression, his body language... Everything told of his focus. His mind was entirely on the battle at hand. Because if not... Well, you wouldn't live very long if you were distracted, would you?

But how did Josh respond to her strikes, three in succession? With a simple backflip. The Jedi would move through the air with grace, forcing her to end her assault or simply hit air. But as soon as he landed on his feet, he would amp up the ante, suddenly rushing forward and attacking with a series of strikes in quick succesion, aiming for her sides in most of them before swishing to her left side to aim a swipe at her back.

Now it was time to put pressure on her, see how she acted when the heat was turned on. Him? He was stoned faced and focused. Completely immersed in the battle.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

The backflip irritated me I knew it wasn't true but it reminded me of cowardice, avoidance. Though the response of attack was interesting. He kept going for my sides, meeting his first strike I became aggressive again though in controlled way. His attempt at a series of strikes stopped on the first blow where our sabers met. Then calling my Ice blue saber to my left hand I ignited it with a snap-hiss.

Inverting my left hand saber I twitched my left wrist with a strike to his ribs simultaneously moving in a circle and bringing my sabers together and twisting them into a a saber-staff configuration before moving my shoulders forward driving towards his right shoulder with my saber staff.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Defense was never cowardice. That was a Sith ideal, one that would be their downfall eventually. It was an ideal that had caused many of them to be cut down in the past. The Jedi, meanwhile, knew better. The Jedi remained open-minded, even if some weren't so much, and were eager to learn and able to understand when they had flaws - for the most part anyway.

His first blow was stopped when the blades met, but that wouldn't stop him from breaking the lock and striking just in time to meet her blade when she would turn her blades into that of a saberstaff. He knew this style. He knew it very well. But Josh would quickly switch styles, leaping again but this time only flying a small ways off the ground, tucking in and spinning in the air as he launched at her, his blade spinning as he did at almost blinding speeds. The blue blade would strike at her over and over in quick succession in the air, forcing her to block hard and fast or risk being overwhelmed by the swiftness and power behind them. As Josh would land, he would quickly roll forward, turning back toward her and pointing his saber her way in case she would try to strike while he was on the ground.

Josh would gently make his way to his full height and watch her carefully. He'd shown just a little bit of what he could do when he wasn't holding back as much, he wanted to see how she handled with mounting pressure. See if she could keep her cool.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

He blocked it well that was expected. Though then he went in for the attack I blocked them albeit at a cost. I was loosing ground, going into a forward roll I rapidly disconnected my sabers into the single blades dual wielding them in the Juyo form fast, and aggressive though it required the user to give themselves to the fight and relish it.

Not to mention the fact that I was using the Jar'Kai style with two sabers. This was me, my Echani training. Giving myself to the fight and relishing it whilst still maintaining control. The dual wielding also in my Echani training. Immersing myself fully in The Force I opened a pouch on my waist and levitated a vast array of small metallic bolts behind my left shoulder and without consciously thinking about it I began spinning them. Accelerating them to slug-thrower speeds. And then I went on the mix of offense and defense that Jar'Kai demanded.

As I danced forward I flicked my left saber into a strike towards his cheek while I brought my right hand angling over my left shoulder into a block. Following that strike I brought my left saber down towards his right leg and flicked my right wrist in a fade away strike angling towards his left cheek and back towards his right as I began firing off the metallic bolts at him in short bursts.

There was only so much one could comprehend all at once and hopefully I'd score at least one blow. Dancing back away I leapt over him before beginning my next onslaught shooting off several more metallic bolts at him to buy time as I landed and off set him.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Good. She seemed capable of moving from staff to duel pretty quickly. She learned quick, it seemed, and had trained to fit a certain style. But a Jedi needed to be open-minded and know not just how to use most of, if not every style... But know how to counter it as well. That was when one would begin to scratch the surface of Knighthood, and later Mastery. Knowledge... Knowledge was power. Absolute power. More power then strength could ever be.

Josh remained calm, even as she would tap into the aggressive side of her style in order to use the Juyo style, a style that caused a quirk of his brow. Why a Padawan was using Juyo puzzled him, who in the blue hell was this woman's master? Juyo, Vaapad... It was good to know of their existence. Know of their use and how to defend against them. But to use them actively was dangerous. For a Padawan to use them? Self destructive. It could destroy her far worse then any opponent possibly could.

She would decide to bring in a foreign object to the battle. That was fine with him... If she wanted to bring things outside the planned portion of the battle, he would match it. Except not with foreign objects... But with his own power. The metallic bolts would never hit, instead his free hand would reach out and glow for a split second, before a searing orb of fire would launch from his palm and strike, one for each bolt. Josh would get his blade up to block the attack on his cheek, going on defense for the moment.

It was when she leaped over him that he went on offense, even as she continued to fire the bolts. He would deflect them using the fireballs, but instead of only firing enough to counter, Josh would throw his saber into the air and begin firing en-masse with fireballs rapidly with both hands. These fireballs were aimed at her body. Some fired directly at her, others fired where Josh would approximate and estimate that her body would be next. The last three were stationed where he estimated she would land, before the Force would call his lightsaber back to his hand to prepare for her attack when she landed. His expression stone cold, and yet calm and serene... No emotion shown on his face whatsoever.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

It was there on his face when I began Juyo. Measured surprise, most Jedi wouldn't fully give themselves to a fight and with good reason it was a quicker path to loosing yourself than most. The fire-bolts though that was a new trick. Something I'd heard Master Gan was known for....Perhaps he'd learned that from her it'd definitely explain the DragonsFlame.

I'd learned some different tricks too though and rather than dodge all of the bolts of flame I extended my reach in The Force into a barrier. Though rather than deflecting the energy it absorbed it transferring the energy to myself. Selene would have been proud, she'd taught me Juyo and this technique as well. Her reasoning had been that I'd not always be able to deflect against every attack and that rather than fight overwhelming force I should use my opponents energy to strengthen myself. It was the idea of ground-fighting as well to use your opponents energy against them.

Selene had also taught me that while most Jedi didn't use Juyo or Vaapad that I should consider it an option. She'd said that as Echani you see people, get to know them through combat the same way she as a Katarr saw through The Force. The style of Juyo suited me as an Echani but especially with the training of Echani Firedancers. The training was meant to make any weapon an extension of myself. Sabers, swords, knives, anything.

"Master, you seem surprised that I use Juyo and Vaapad. Though I'm intrigued as to know why? Aside from the obvious that it requires you to give yourself to the fight and relish it. I'm Echani so the combat part allows me to get to know and understand people better, even more so when they're pressed. I guess you could say I'm relishing getting to know you better."

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]