Duel NJO 101: Intercultural Relations

[Calix of Thyrsus]

C O R U S C A N T
NEW JEDI TEMPLE
[ Calix's Theme ]

The Thyrsian had reserved one of the upper rooms.

The circular space had a high, vaulted ceiling and sweeping windows that offered a spectacular view of the Senate District of the surrounding Galactic City.

Being round, the floor was already ideal for dueling in the Echani style, its width and breadth more than adequate for sparring. Marking out a circle on the ground, the afro-headed boy was just finishing up crossing the final line that would divide the circle into quarters. Straightening up, the boy's silvery-blue eyes surveyed his handiwork with a nod of satisfaction.

Since the disastrous attempt at mingling with the other padawans, Calix had tried to at least learn something more about them.

Jand Talo had caught the boy's attention at the so-called fight club. In the time since, the dark-skinned youth had been trying to learn more about him. To start, his species -- the Nagai -- were almost a dead-ringer for the Echani. A little on the skinny side, but right color and eyes. His hair was darker than Calix's though. Some Thyrsian's had lighter skin, but not that light.

The Nagai had supplied some astute commentary for the fight between Kai and Silas, making clear that he had a warrior's eye.

Other things Jand had said had also been a little... concerning. Death matches and shattering joints.

A warrior's eye... and even less tact than a moon-loving Echani.

Which was all the more reason why Calix wanted to meet Jand! Well, he'd already met him. Sort of. But that had just been in the same place at the same time. They hadn't really communicated yet. Or, at least, Calix was hoping to communicate with the Nagai padawan.

These humans were weird. If he was going to manage to say 'hello' to anyone, he imagined the Nagai might be his best bet. So, he'd sent the Nagai an invitation. Nothing overly formal, just an opportunity to learn from one another. After all, that was how warriors trained.

Of course, the Coruscant temple being what it is, he imagined other people might show up. But, that could be a good thing! Then humans could see that fight clubs weren't bad. They were actually cool.

He'd read that Nagai were from another galaxy!

He might be sparring with someone from another galaxy! How astral was that!?

This was what made being Jedi amazing.

Jand Talo | @Jedi
@ Coren Starchaser because its Friday and where's my Rebecca Black meme ​

 

[Jand Talo]

Jand walked through the corridors of the Jedi Temple with purpose, dressed in his Jedi robes, with his usual assortment of equipment. While the Padawan had yet to construct his own lightsaber, he had managed to procure a kyber crystal from Ilum, back when it had been under threat of strip-mining - and the valuable small thing was stored in the Nagai's room, waiting.

It would continue to wait, for a while longer at least.

There had been a summons, a call to combat, from one of the Padawans who had been present at the - ill-fated - apparent 'Padawan Fight Club'. It had been revealed that individual's name was Calix, though there hadn't been much else shared beyond that, before the challenge had been issued. Perhaps that was the shortcoming of two comparable warrior-like cultures that met?

Nonetheless, Jand was prepared. He had his weapons, he was focused, and he wanted to see what Calix was capable of. The brief interactions both Jand and Calix shared - at the brawl between Kai Bamarri and Silas Westgard - had displayed a mutual, deeper understanding of combat technique and duel tradition, perhaps alongside with Daisy Masudo. She was another that Jand regarded with respect; and, perhaps by the end of the challenge, Jand would regard Calix in a similar manner.

That remained to be seen.

Jand reached the appointed chamber, he stepped inside without pause, and saw the other sentient across the way. Dark eyes zeroed in, as the Nagai walked purposefully over to meet Calix, and when closer the former offered a brief bow of the head in greeting:

"Calix Soranus, I am here for the appointed duel challenge."

There was a moment as the Nagai glanced toward the ground, one eyebrow raised, as he saw a pattern drawn out. A divided circle, which presumably served some kind of purpose that the challenger - Calix - intended to include in the edicts of the coming fight. Jand was not familiar with the method, but he assumed it was some kind of boundary, for the purposes of maintaining some order to combatant engagement...

It seemed stifling.

"What is the meaning of the circle?" Jand asked, his voice passive, but his dark eyes suspicious. "Does it serve as a confinement space to our combat? Is it relevant to your style of combat, or simply to avoid blundering all over the place, as with Kai and Silas?"

Perhaps both.

Either way, Jand had some skepticism over the circle. Why would he willingly confine his fighting opportunities? But, far be it for the Nagai to argue semantics over a honorable challenge. After all, it had been far too long since Jand had taken part in a true honor duel; he was excited.

"I am unsure of the Jedi Order's stance on honorable duels, but I expect they shall be understanding and respectful of death to the loser."

Such was the Nagai way.

Calix of Thyrsus​

 

[Calix of Thyrsus]

The afro-headed youth glanced up as he heard the door open.

A large smile lit up his face. "You came!" he chimed brightly. As soon as he had, he swung one leg out and then brought it in to click his heels together, standing tall a moment before he put his hands together and gave a formal bow toward the pale-skinned male.

"Calix Soranus, I am here for the appointed duel challenge."

Straightening back up, the Thyrsian put one hand behind his head, sratching at the afro as he gave a bit of an awkward laugh, "Oh, it's not really... I mean, it's a, uh..." he stammered, trailing off slightly as he tried to come up with the right word, before admitting defeat and confessing, "Galactic Basic doesn't really have a word that translates well..."

While he was wrestling with xenolinguistics, the Nagai had noted the circle on the floor.

"What is the meaning of the circle?" Jand inquired, though seemed to quickly ascertain its purpose when he drew parallels to the fight between Kai and Silas.

"Yeah!" the Thyrsian affirmed brightly, pleased that the Nagai had surmised its purpose so quickly. "There's four quadrants; nilo, xoni, kuo, and zupe. The elder starts in nilo and the junior starts in xoni," the boy explained, indicating the spots facing each other and the others adjacent to either side. "Advanced Echani will call the fight before it begins. Like 'you will lose in five moves, at zupe.'"

With that, the dark-skinned youth made his way to the junior position in the circle, as Jand remarked, "I am unsure of the Jedi Order's stance on honorable duels, but I expect they shall be understanding and respectful of death to the loser."

There was a nervous, awkward giggle as the Thyrsian brought both his hands up, waving them as he said, "Oh, its not an honor duel. Plus, my prediction is you'll win and... I don't want to die." There was another laugh, before the boy paused a moment. "This is how Echani say -- chrik d'vus," he commented, even though that was actually the Thyrsian phrase. The Echani phrase would have been chrik d'ara'vus, but the Thyrsian dialect dropped the ara form of verb conjugation.

It just sounded pretentious.

"Uh... like, hello, or nice to meet you, or...?" Calix continued, hands flailing in the air as he struggled to come up with the right words. Then, he looked up. The proverbial light bulb seemed to illuminate over his head, his blue eyes sparkling as he exclaimed, "Oh! I want to learn more about you!"

That was it. Gesturing to the circle, the boy added, "Echani believe fighting is when people show... uh, like... who they really are."

That was a lot of words to say something Thyrsians expressed in two syllables. Which just went to show that words were a very poor form of expression.

"So there's no killing. Not, not for this anyway. That wouldn't make a very good introduction," the boy rationalized, before he motioned for Jand to take the honored position of elder in the circle.

No. Wait. He'd forgotten he meant to ask something first. "Oh, do Nagai prefer armed or unarmed?"

"There wasn't a whole lot in the archives about your culture."

Jand Talo​

 

[Jand Talo]

Jand furrowed his eyebrows, as he listened to Calix.

Nilo, xoni, kuo, and zupe... what were these words? They certainly weren't Basic or Binary.

Apparently they represented quarters of the circle. The circle that was the boundary. But the fighters moved within the circle, in order to position themselves, and predict the outcome of a fight? That seemed to be what Jand understood, but he had little knowledge of the Echani method of dueling, or combat, which seemed to be the source of Calix's setup.

When the clarification about no death was made, Jand's lips tightened, but he nodded.

"Very well," He muttered, a little disappointed, but the following explanation about how Echani communicated through combat kind of made sense. Killing someone you just met did seem redundant, though it also implied the Echani held reservations about killing. "I do not understand fully. I believe I have grasped the concept, but I do not know of the Echani martial practice, nor the meaning behind my strikes..."

Jand stood upright, as he raised his chin.

"I wish to be forthright: this is not flirtation," The Nagai said with seriousness. "A repeat of Kai Bamarri and Silas Westgard's misunderstanding is not my intention, I simply wish to engage in combat with no undertones or unintended meaning."

That did make Jand wonder if these Echani used combat in that way.

Perhaps it was best not to know.

"As a Nagai, I have been trained from the age of two in armed combat," Jand answered, as Calix asked about his culture. As the pair were about to engage in a challenge, it seemed only fair to share some information. "Specifically my species trains in bladed weaponry, as it tradition. Our combat practices are used for a variety of purposes, though honor duels are our primary means of ascension through societal ranks.

"Also understand that the Nagai take our personal honor very, very seriously."

Jand didn't want to explain too much, this was only the first meeting with Calix, and the other Padawan was far from a closely connected sentient. It would require time, respect and trust, before more closely guarded secrets of Jand's culture would be revealed. Besides, there remained some questions of his own, to which Jand asked:

"And are you one of the Echani? Is this circle fighting common practice, do you fight with weaponry? Do the duels serve purpose other than introductions and communication through action?"

Suitable starting questions, the Nagai thought.

"And, as you have requested this martial engagement, I will defer to you for how it will be conducted..."

Calix of Thyrsus​

 

[Calix of Thyrsus]

"I believe I have grasped the concept, but I do not know of the Echani martial practice, nor the meaning behind my strikes..."

"Right!?" the boy chirped eagerly, practically jumping with excitement as he gushed, "I don't know anything about the Nagai but I'm gonna spar with one! That's what makes chrik d'vus so great!"

"I wish to be forthright: this is not flirtation."

Say what now?

The Thyrsian's head came up. At first confused. Then amused. Then perplexed as Jand continued, "A repeat of Kai Bamarri and Silas Westgard's misunderstanding is not my intention, I simply wish to engage in combat with no undertones or unintended meaning."

"Yeah, humans are weird," the afro-headed boy noted, finding himself agreeing with Jand. Assuming he wasn't making a joke. What was it called? Sarcasm? Master Julius Sedaire often used this type of humor -- often over Calix's head. "Or, those two humans are weird anyway," the boy amended a moment later.

Iris Arani had also been at the fight club, and seemed to put forth a tough exterior. He would like to duel her at some point as well.

"And are you one of the Echani?"

"Don't let an Echani hear you say that," Calix answered without so much as missing a beat. The punchline brought an instantaneous smile to the boy's face, as he explained, "Thyrsus was an Echani colony, but we fought a series of wars for independence. And then a couple of more just because we don't like each other."

"Is this circle fighting common practice, do you fight with weaponry?"

"Yeah!" the boy answered with the same enthusiasm as before. Possibly more, actually, as he was growing more and more excited with how Jand seemed genuinely interested in this. "We do both. One of our disagreements is over armor -- Echani don't wear much and Thyrsians usually wear enough that you'd think we were Mandalorian."

Yes, he owned a Sasori power armor that was fitted to him. He fit the stereotype, which meant he could also make fun of the stereotype.

"Do the duels serve purpose other than introductions and communication through action?"

"Hmmm... It depends. Honor duels and fights to the death aren't uncommon, but our kind of duel is more how people just, I don't know, talk," the boy answered, talking with his hands as he first milled the question over in his mind.

"And, as you have requested this martial engagement, I will defer to you for how it will be conducted..."

The boy inclined his head back as he thought about that. Should he teach Jand how Echani dueled barehanded? Except, he'd been the one to invite Jand here, so shouldn't he honor the Nagai as his guest? Erring on the latter thought, the boy looked back at the gaunt male and noted, "You said bladed weapons. That could be astral..."

What would bladed weapons be like from another galaxy? "Oh! Do you have a favorite!?" the boy asked, again almost coming off his feet with excitement.

Then he seemed to catch himself, "Sorry," he noted, taking a deep breath and then letting it go as he tried to contain his energy.

Too much?

Too much.

Swinging his leg out, the boy repeated the earlier gesture: clicking his heels together and bowing as he said formally, "I trust you to select the weapon."

Jand Talo​

 

[Jand Talo]

Jand's initial impression of Calix Soranus seemed off, based on the fight club on the rooftop.

The Nagai had expected a stoic sort, serious and pointed, but Jand was surprised to find the youth with the large hair quite excitable. Calix's manner was energetic, his interest quick to shift, and the notion of a real duel was ideal. Or at least that was what Jand started to glean, even as he responded to the other, with a hint of amused smirk on his lips.

"So you are both Echani and Thyrsian?" Jand raised an eyebrow. "It sounds as though they are opposed in combat ideals, how do you rectify that? And Mandalorians... the armored sentients, with the t-visors, yes?"

Jand's life on Saijo had been somewhat sheltered, in regard to the outside galaxy. Due to the distance Nagai had for others, what with the focus on family circles and connections of blood, there had been few outside interactions from other cultures. But, the Mandalorians were a similar warrior culture, they were known to the Nagai, though as far as Jand knew from his relatives there had been no real clash or disagreement between the two cultures as of yet.

The information about the Echani using combat to communicate was still perplexing, but Jand decided to accept it for what it was.

"Yes, bladed weapons are part of Nagai life," Jand confirmed, as he recognized the excitement in Calix's voice, especially with the follow up question. "I... do not have any particular favoritism, no. But I do have a clan heirloom - a longsword, of Nagai make - which serves as my weapon for a range of purposes. Training, duels, meditation."

The pale skinned Padawan considered, then reached down to the side of his belt, and pulled the bone-colored and shaped handle free. Jand brought the weapon up, held it before Calix, even as the other confirmed Jand could select the weapons for the duel. That decision would be made in a moment, but first:

"This is the Clan Talo longsword. It has been in my first family circle for many generations, and was wielded in the final years of the Nagai-Tof war, forged on Nagi - my people's homeworld."

Jand's gray eyes seemed distant for a moment, saddened. He refocused and continued, the expression passing:

"Over time, my family has improved on the longsword. As technology improves, fabrication methods likewise, this weapon is kept on the cutting edge..."

Jand smirked.

"Such as this."

He then pressed a portion on the hilt, out of sight from Calix, which caused the shining metallic blade to rapidly unfold from within the handle. Within mere moments, the longsword was presented fully, as its blade gleamed in the light and seemed to shimmer. Jand had no doubt that Calix would recognize songsteel, the precious material used in exquisite weapons, as it had a particular visage. He added, somewhat reluctantly:

"I regret you cannot wield it. The longsword is for my family's hands only, I apologize."

Another press of the button, and the blade folded back into the handle. Jand tucked the longsword away, onto his belt, then reached behind his back and pulled out a long jagged-edged, dagger - to which the Nagai flipped the weapon between his fingers, spun the tip against his palm, then caught the handle with a snatch - before he held it out to Calix...

"This is a tehk'la blade, another weapon of the Nagai," He said, eyebrows raised as he waited for the other to take it. "You can touch this one. It is a very common throwing weapon in my culture, perfectly balanced, similar to vibrodaggers in the galaxy... but with more significance within my species' society. Here, try it--"

Calix of Thyrsus​

 

[Calix of Thyrsus]

"So you are both Echani and Thyrsian?"

The afro bounced from side to side, as the boy bobbed his head while trying to come up with an adequate response to that question. "The war between us has become known as j'lo'ja -- the mirror," the Thyrsian answered, a bubbly laugh slipping out as he smiled and said, "We do the same thing, just the opposite way. They worship the moon, we worship the sun. That sort of thing."

He gave a nod at the T-visor descriptive. Jand Talo had keyed right in on the signature Mandalorian trait.

Which, he wondered how Mandalorians maintained their reputations as fierce warriors with those things. It just seemed like the visor would train the eye to look forward, limit the field of vision, and that the helmet would limit the peripheral vision.

Their conversation quickly took a turn for the better -- or the even better! -- as Jand revealed his love of swords.

"Yes, bladed weapons are part of Nagai life," the pale-skinned male remarked, drawing out a unique blade. Calix's eyes seemed to grow progressively larger as Jand showed off the magnificent specimen. By the time he realized it was songsteel, the Thyrsian was already enthralled.

"I regret you cannot wield it. The longsword is for my family's hands only, I apologize."

"It's amazing!" Calix uttered brightly, his attention at last jumping from the sword back to its owner. With a large smile, the boy added, "Thank you for sharing your culture with me. This is what I was hoping for."

Returning to the treasure trove of weapons, Jand returned a moment later with a dagger. "This is a tehk'la blade, another weapon of the Nagai," the padawan remarked, holding out the blade for Calix to take.

"Astral!" the Thyrsian chirped, another bubbly giggle escaping as he eagerly accepted the dagger. Taking it by the handle, he rotated his wrist as he began to get a feel for the weight. Then, laying it over his other palm, tested the balance.

It was well-balanced, but Jand had said it was a throwing weapon. If he had to guess, it was meant to be gripped by the blade for throwing. The handle seemed more of a counterweight.

"Did... did you want to duel with these?" Calix asked, taking the blade by the handle. He flipped the blade around in one hand, before finally making a pass behind his back.

Very similar to a vibroblade. It would be easy to duel with these, turning the strike so that any hit was with the flat of the blade and avoiding piercing strikes.

Assuming the Nagai said yes, then they were ready to begin.

== [ obligatory theme music ] = =​

 

[Jand Talo]

"Certainly," Jand said, as Calix thanked him for sharing. "So, you are Thyrsian. Do you not use the armor, or does the Jedi require you to adopt their attire?"

Jand couldn't recall seeing Calix in any form of heavy armor, but admittedly the pair weren't too well known to one another.

"As a Nagai, I was encouraged to use lighter armors, if at all. I would be interested in seeing your Thyrsian armor."

Still, Calix's excitement at the dagger-like blades caused Jand to offer a faint smile.

"What do your people gain from praising a sun?"

The young Thyrsian continued to use the word astral, which the Nagai assumed to mean good or exciting. The information about the Echani and Thyrsian situation was one Jand planned to ask about, but for the moment it seemed the conversation had become more focused on the weapon presented. As it was, Calix seemed capable in the use of daggers, as Jand watched the other deftly spin and flick the blade in hand.

"If you wish, yes," Jand said simply, as he reached behind his back and pulled the second tehk'la blade stored there. He had several, positioned on his belt - at his lower back - for throwing or surprise. "Given the close proximity, these blades are ideal. I suspect this circle method was more appropriate to hand-to-hand combat."

Jand turned to regard the circle on the ground.

"So, Calix Soranus, where do I stand?"

Calix of Thyrsus​

 

[Calix of Thyrsus]

"Do you not use the armor, or does the Jedi require you to adopt their attire?"

The Nagai asked different questions than did most. Calix liked it! The questions made him think. Not just that, but think about things he usually just did and never really thought about why he did them.

"I'm not sure what Jedi attire even means," the young Thyrsian joked in reply, a large smile lighting up his face as he explained, "I mean, my master walks around in robes and a lot of people here just look like they walked in from the hangar bay or the street."

Case in point was Calix himself, who was attired in a simple flight suit common to members of the Order. It was practical. It had lots of pockets, which was always a plus. And it was loose and comfortable. Plus, if he was wearing the rather embarrassingly form-fitting bodyglove that went under his armor, the flight suit was an easy thing to throw on for some added modesty when working on his armor or otherwise being outside of it.

"I guess I just thought it'd be weird to walk around the temple in armor," the afro-headed youth supplied finally, giving voice to a belief he hadn't even been conscious of holding until just now. "When we're done, I'll take you down to my room and show you the armor," Calix added, mildly surprised at the interest. Casually flipping the Nagai dagger up in the air, the boy tried for a catch behind his back.

He managed to grab the handle, or nearly so. The dagger bounced out of his grip just before he could grasp it, causing the dark-skinned child to fumble awkwardly before the dagger clattered to the ground. Scooping the weapon back up, the boy looked up sheepishly at the Nagai, obviously embarrassed at having dropped the other padawan's weapon.

Straightening back up, the boy's face was slightly ruddy as the blood rushed to his face, though he tried to play it off as he continued, "It... it, uh, got banged up pretty good at Ilum, so it's kind of in pieces as I work on it," he remarked, eyes diverted away from the older padawan as the boy felt his face grow warm and hoped the Nagai wouldn't notice.

Or, at least, not call him out on it. "Well, the... the, like, parts I know how to work on," Calix amended. He wasn't a master armorsmith by any stretch of the imagination. Julius Sedaire was, though. Or, at least, the old man seemed to have a good bit of experience with armor. He'd shown Calix lots of tricks for wearing or caring for armor.

"What do your people gain from praising a sun?"

The blue-eyed Thyrsian just blinked.

What did they gain from praising a sun? The boy's mouth dropped open, the blush fading as the thought of his earlier embarrassment fell away from his thoughts. "I... don't know," Calix answered candidly, even as he tried to come up with some kind of answer.

Well, Echani worshipped the moon. So that was probably it. "It's probably just to piss off the moon-worshipping Echani," he rationalized aloud, giving a bubbly laugh even as he gave a shrug.

Praise the sun!

"So, Calix Soranus, where do I stand?"

"Oh, right," the Thyrsian chirped, as the Nagai's question reminded him why they were there. Taking his place in the circle, the afro-headed youth aimed his body toward the opposite. Then, clicking his heels together, gave a ritualistic bow toward where the Nagai would stand. "The elder takes center at nilo," the boy supplied, dropping his eyes as he bowed his head.

In his culture, both were signs of trust and respect.

Jand Talo​

 

[Jand Talo]

"I personally prefer the traditional robes," Jand said with a nod. "I feel that it connects me with the Jedi Order. That may not be the case, but it is simply how I view it."

The offer to see the armor was tempting, though with how unpredictable the Jedi Order could be, it remained to be seen if the pair had the opportunity. Though, the Nagai was curious, if only because of his enjoyment of mechanical engineering. Still, Jand nodded, unable to provide an answer to the offer more directly, as he was unsure how the immediate future would unfold.

A mission could require a summons at literally any moment.

Being in states of war did that.

"I see," Jand added, when Calix mentioned the armor was damaged. "I am apt with engineering... perhaps I can look at the armor."

Yet, the answer regarding why the Thyrsian worshiped the sun was... underwhelming. Jand hadn't known what to expect, honestly, but he thought perhaps there was some cultural relevance to the practice, some means to tie it into the livelihood of the people itself...

And yet.

"Oh. So it is spiteful worship, then... I see."

It wasn't long before it was time for the duel to begin, however, as Jand's query about where to stand was answered. The positions of the fighting spaces were recalled, as Jand stepped into the nilo space, and then turned to regard the other. Calix lowered his eyes and bowed--

* Whish *

--and Jand suddenly had the Tehk'la blade point pressed to the base of Calix's throat, just beneath his chin.

It was a killing strike.

"What now?"

Jand's gray eyes remained passive, as he watched the other, and wondered what happened with an -arguably - decisive victory for the duel...

Calix of Thyrsus​

 

[Calix of Thyrsus]

The motion while he'd bowed toward the Nagai caught him by surprise.

Then, the young Thyrsian went from surprised to confused.

Then, the boy just gave a laugh. Straightening back up, the afro-headed boy explained, "Usually the elder accepts the bow from the junior before combat begins. But, now that I think about it, I'm not sure there's actually a rule on that," Calix offered wryly, trying to keep from another laugh even as the smile stayed on his face.

There probably was a rule. Because Echani. And Calix only knew a portion or pieces of his culture, so there were likely even rules for combat that he didn't even know he didn't know.

Of course, what made interacting with Jand all the more interesting was the way in which the Nagai just... approached everything with such a fresh perspective. It was like everything was new! Which made Calix see it that way as well.

"Would you like to go again," the Thyrsian asked, leaving the question open for Nagai to accept or decline.

Jand Talo​

 

[Jand Talo]

Jand inclined his head as Calix laughed.

The reason was explained, which brought an amused huff from the Nagai, though he stepped back and observed the other. Whether there was any irritation at the breach in Echani protocol for combat, Jand could see none, and for all intents and purposes the other Padawan seemed quite accepting of the Nagai's action generally.

It did make sense to Jand, after all.

He saw no need to waste an opportunity to defeat an opponent, spar or no.

"We can, yes," Jand nodded as Calix proposed to continue, though the Nagai added. "This time I will wait until after you bow."

Jand adjusted his stance, gripped the dagger firmly, and prepared for more sparring...

END

Calix of Thyrsus​