Private Pathways of Power

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

The lush, green fields were alive with flowering wildflowers, dotting the landscape with splashes of color. The wind brushed through the trees, causing lavender wisteria blossoms to fall, carried away by the breeze. The sounds of birdsong in the distance blended with the soft rustle of the wind through the grasses. The air was fresh and raw, with a woody undertone wafting in from the wooded area. A few blossoming flowers, like sweet pea blossoms and violets, scented the air, infusing the fresh breeze with a floral sweetness. This beautiful, wild, serene spot was well-suited for his practice.

Braze shifted to stretch, his muscles protesting and aching, sore from recent ventures that had pushed him to his limits. As he moved, his body began to remember its flexibility, the pain fading as he fell into the rhythm of his practice.

Braze stood amidst the vibrancy of the wild, his mind as churning as the serene landscape was tranquil. As a half-Echani Jedi, he was no stranger to the dichotomy within him—the constant battle between embracing his heritage and adhering to the Jedi way. He cleared his mind and took a seat preparing to meditate.

The Echani art, emphasized understanding and predicting an opponent's moves through emotion and reaction. It served as a connection to his ancestry, a way to keep his heritage alive within the confines of his Jedi training. In away the Jedi teaching had a tendency from his perspective to...censor the kind of conversation you might have through the Echani Art.

Yet, the Matukai philosophy of using the body as a conduit for the Force promised a deeper, more intrinsic connection to the Force, one that could potentially enhance his abilities far beyond traditional training.

Echani culture values the expression and understanding of emotions. They believe that combat is not just a physical confrontation but also an emotional dialogue. By understanding and anticipating an opponent's emotions, Echani fighters seek to gain an advantage. The Jedi, however, advocate for control over emotions.

Then there was Teras Kasi. One of the most distinctive aspects of Teras Kasi was its focus on combating Force-sensitive adversaries. Teras Kasi artists were to learn to mask their presence from the Force, making it difficult for Force users to detect or anticipate their movements. This capability allows them to close distances quickly and engage Jedi or Sith effectively in close quarters, where the opponent's use of the Force might be mitigated.

It was a lot to consider but combining the philosophies and technical physical teachings could excel Martial combatic skill. Finding t.eh right flow and means to glide between styles effortlessly was Braze's aim and goal... Perhaps eh would be able to develop a new or unqique style of combat based on what he already knew...

 

[Aris Noble]

There were few things he could truly spar with. Droids were what he'd used at first, but as he started to gain more control over the limits of his strength they couldn't keep up. Metal splintered and shattered under his full force. He could hold back, but that defeated the purpose of him sparring with them in the first place. With the rising Sith threat on the horizon he needed more than just knowing how to control his strength, he needed to know how to use it to the fullest.

So he punched rocks and rubble. Recent restoration attempts needed the clearing of some of the more ruined sections of the building, lost to ages lost of wear and tear. They'd already taken what was needed for the preservation, so these parts needed to be removed. Reopen some of the wings of the old temple. Conveniently, they were easiest to move when they were broken apart.

Aris let out a breath as he lifted his fists. Calm. Control. They were the core tenants to the Epicanthix fighting style he'd grown up with. The royal line, as he learned, passed down from the first Zambrano King and from time long before that, refined and recrafted by every generation to perfect it. His own father had altered the style to be more passive and defensive, to utilize the strength of his opponents to overextend and bring them down with a single, overwhelming strike. But Aris wasn't like his father.

A step forward as he imagined a strike. Hit first, hit hard. He was already incorporating what he'd been learning from even his fellow Padawans. Ko Vuto 's belief in focusing on only the first strike, that there was no second, no follow up. A wrapped fist slammed into the rock, shattering where he'd punched on impact. The cracks spread farther until what was a boulder crumbled unto itself.

Aris idly flexed his fingers. The wrapping had been torn from the impact, but as ever his skin was fine. Unmarred. He frowned as he unwrapped it. The more he tested his limits, the more he realized how different he was from the others. Matukai had been his first attempt in incorporating the Force more. Training and meditation, focusing and honing his body. It was a lot of what he'd been doing all his life, and yet, he never felt the Force. His speed, his strength, even his reaction time, it wasn't something he was certain even came from the Force.

He'd only felt it properly twice. When Vera Noble had helped him with finding his crystal on Ilum, and when he'd met Zaiya Ceti and she forged a bond unknowingly. Ironically feeling it had only reinforced the belief that he was missing a piece to the puzzle that was his connection. His hand started to glow as he looked down, still flexing his fingers. Valery Noble had taught him how to control the temperature of his body, how to heat himself even further to the point it could even burn others.

The red shifted to white, leaving the air a haze of heat all around him. He knew how hot he could burn, but should he use it? He reached towards the remains, plucking up a rock. It melted in his palm. He felt nothing from it, the molten pool resting there. No discomfort, not even the heat that should've been there. He let out a sigh as he pulled the heat from it, turning it straight to obsidian as the temperature in his hand returned to normal. That was the other half he'd learned he could do, pull heat from other sources.

He turned from the rock, idly toying with the shard. Heating, compressing, shifting, until he was left with a sphere of purple. It was a pass time now, to see how perfect of a sphere he could make just with his hands alone. He ended up pausing his idle thoughts, his toying with the shard, as he passed by the flower field Braze was practicing in.

Aris watched in silence at fist. He recognized what it was, Echani. A part of him rolled his eyes, the part far too full of pride for the Epicanthix. He never liked how much heart was put on their sleeves. The Epicanthix were taught how to read an opponent by their actions and choices in a fight while keeping their feelings close to their chest. To be read before trading blows meant a loss. But the Echani were all about communication in a fight, to be read and to read.

Or maybe they were more similar than he thought, but refused to believe.

Aris was a true Epicanthix. Beauty was just as important as strength and power. To be strong was to be beautiful, and to be beautiful was to be strong. It was the foundation of their culture. The wars they once raged in the past were to challenge themselves. He believed they were wrong for being conquerors, but the Epicanthix never erased a foe, not like the Mandalorians. They took those cultures they defeated, and made them equal. Made them Epicanthix. Preserved their beliefs, their way of life, and made the Epicanthix better for it. Every family had their own line of fighting, stemming from the core of the Epicanthix. But dyed the colors of their family, of their past, of whatever cultures they might've come from.

Thinking about it now he would have to ask his mother to show him more of how the Keshain fought.

"Braze."

Aris tucked the jewel in his pocket as he stepped into the field. He closed his hands, curling into gentle fists as he lowered into a rather neutral looking fighting stance. No intent, no emotion, nothing to be read.

"Spar with me."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze paused in his kata and forms, momentarily ceasing the flow of movements he was intricately weaving together, as he noticed Aris step forward and adopt a fighting stance, signaling a challenge. The abruptness and coldness of Aris's approach struck Braze as peculiar, prompting him to pause. He didn't immediately respond, his somber jade green eyes lingering on Aris, searching for an unspoken message in the void where conversation typically flourished. This silence, elongating into awkward stretches of time, might have seemed like Braze was just staring at Aris, lost in thought.

Yet, this silence was far from empty. Inside, Braze's mind was ablaze, sifting through a multitude of thoughts that surged forward from the tranquility he had previously been immersed in. What thoughts held weight, and which ones could be discarded? Amidst this mental spiralling, a few critical inquiries emerged as he continued to scrutinize Aris.

Why? Was one of the first perpetrators of the upheaval of thoughts that flooded Braze's mind. Why the sudden desire to spar, and more pointedly, why with him? Their last encounter, though technically a victory for Braze, felt like a loss, haunted by lingering insecurities and anxieties over an event that, in retrospect, seemed both trivial and monumental.

How? How was the next perpetrator of this maelstrom of thoughts that sped through his mind at light speeds. How did Aris perceive their past confrontation, the present challenge, the apology? Understanding Aris seemed an insurmountable task, with his emotions cloaked in a veneer of detachment that belied the simmering intensity beneath. He didn't know... or rather, it was hard for him to understand and read him.

To Braze, Aris came off as cold and almost emotionless. But that wasn't true... he was subdued... quiet... like a whisper. He displayed very restrained, subtle emotions of happiness, joy, and other such positive feelings.

What? Was the next perpetrator... This question followed, delving deeper into Aris's motivations. What did Aris seek to gain from this? There had to be something he wanted... Want and desire... that was the basis of many creatures and why they did anything. In Braze's view, desire and want drive all beings, fueled by a spectrum of emotions he could adeptly mimic and grasp. And those were emotions... ones he could very readily himself emulate and understand. But what was the object of his desire? A mystery... one begging to be known.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Braze's curiosity and interest in Aris grew. Setting aside his initial practice, he moved towards Aris with a casualness uncharacteristic of a prelude to combat, akin to the cautious approach of a curious cat. Circling to the side, he examined Aris from head to toe once more, his gaze intense and unabashed in its scrutiny.

Then, in a gesture of connection and without uttering a word, Braze lifted his arm—once injured but now healed—and reached out to gently press his wrist against Aris's. This silent, measured action sought to bridge the gap between them, transcending the need for spoken words.

 

[Aris Noble]

Braze wore his heart on his sleeve in a way Aris could never emulate. He could see all of it; the confusion, the curiosity, the frustration. Aris knew how hard he was to read, and he was starting to get where a lot of their problems with each other were coming from. One was all about reading emotions, the other was all about keeping them under wraps. Their different views, their different ways of life, it's why they continued to clash. Why they couldn't understand one another.

So Aris chose this as the path forward.

He said nothing, just kept himself still, calm as Braze eventually settled into his full stance. There was a part of him that wished Braze's other arm worked, if only to be able to fight Braze at the height of his strength. But another part knew better than to assume the Echani was weak. He'd seen first hand just how strong Braze was, what he could do. What he would do to protect his friends.

Aris pressed back against his wrist only briefly, lowering his stance so they were eye to eye, so he wasn't towering above. It was useful to avoid getting tripped up, a lower center of gravity meant a lower tipping point. The first strike came lightning quick. Explosive might was a core tenant for his family's style of fighting, and he didn't hesitate to display it. A rapid jab right for Braze's chin to test the waters and show what emotions Aris did have.

Respect.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze was silent as he watched Aris' approach as he attempted to throw a jab. He aimed to focus on being close and using his Teras Kasi and Matukai skills in tandem with his understanding of Echani Art to blend them together smoothly. Combat, he believed, should flow like a dance. He intended to apply finesse, skillfully redirecting the strong, powerful strike with a simple movement and gesture of his hand, similar to the practice where one uses sensitivity to redirect an opponent's force, guiding the jab aside with his right hand while leaning into a quick follow-up aimed at the throat, intending of stopping just short of making contact.

His goal was to gauge Aris's understanding of techniques and how the humanoid body typically operates, employing minimal effort to counteract the strength behind the attack with finesse and redirecting the energy of the flow. It was, in many ways, the start of a dialogue.

Aris sought something and wanted to give Braze a measured sense of respect by facing him as an equal, despite his injury. This greatly pleased Braze, but what did Aris want? This was a probing test, a question poised to see how Aris would respond.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris followed the movements. His eyes were always moving, always watching and studying. He had to, without the aid of the Force like even his father could. There were no subtle pings on some radar in his head to let him know where an attack might come from, or where danger was located. He was at the mercy of his own senses. The only saving grace was just how enhanced they were.

He brought his other hand up, fully intending to catch the punch that was thrown for his throat, but the punch never did connect.

It brought with it a frown to Aris's otherwise calm expression. "Even in a spar you shouldn't hold back." He pivoted, bringing around a kick right for Braze's knee. He didn't hold back, or at least he didn't hold back too much. There was clear control with his strikes. An awareness of just how strong he was without underestimating Braze. A human body would still break under his blows, but he knew Braze wasn't going to let himself get hit.

There was no reason to do anything less. For Aris, it would be disrespectful.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze studied Ari's waistline to quickly read his intentions from the periphery, whether it was his hands or feet moving. He anticipated a leg coming his way. Without breaking his silence, Braze moved fluidly, executing a crescent step forward.

Braze allowed his actions to speak on his behalf, acknowledging a discrepancy with Aris' notion and his own ethos. He distinctly remembered that he was not Aris' master—a realization underscored rather fervently by his sudden burst of explosive speed.

He maneuvered to Ari's outside, stepping behind him before suddenly dropping down without warning. Performing a spinning sweep, he moved quickly, channeling his weight into the spinning force aimed at Ari's lower calf, in an attempt to topple the ashen-haired youth.

Normally Braze was rather playful when it came to sparring but he had learned from his last encounter that Aris didn't seem to view this in a playful light. He had to tred carefully but he intended fully on showing Aris his views, one way or another.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris blinked as Braze moved. He turned his head, trying to keep up with him. In a way he did, keeping his eyes on the Echani at such a fast movement, but he couldn't keep the rest of him with it. He'd already committed to his kick. So he slammed his foot down into the ground to brace himself for the coming strike. He did, his body more akin to durasteel than flesh even as Braze kicked out.

It took everything for him not to topple forward. Too long, in his mind. Especially with how much deftness Braze had shown him. He wanted to show his best, maybe even show off, but he was too slow at the moment. He brought his fist back around as he spun, whipping across with a heavy backhand. Speed and strength was what Aris had going for him, going with the form he utilized.

He didn't show it. There was nothing on his face, in his posture, but he was having fun. A lot of fun, even. Braze was one of the few he felt comfortable actually striking without restraint, to test himself with. He didn't show it, but he truly was having a blast.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze's spinning sweep connected, but he couldn't push all the way through—Aris was insanely strong. The impact jolted him slightly, and he shifted back. He was about to rise again when he caught a glimpse of how Aris's shoulders were moving. Realizing an attack was coming from above, he leaned into his backward arch, narrowly escaping the strong back fist as he straightened up, nearly behind Aris. He was quick. It wasn't often Braze could find someone who could keep pace with him, and even rarer to come across an opponent with such overwhelming strength. Aris was the embodiment of hardness.

Braze knew he needed to become the embodiment of softness and find a way to employ the fundamentals of Softness Overcoming Hardness. His focus had to be on using his opponent's force against them, employing deflections and counter-strikes rather than direct confrontation. He moved in quickly, knowing that most of his opponents couldn't keep up with him mentally. And from studying Teras Kasi with his sensei, Cyran Vaas , he knew that to be effective against most Force users, one had to get in close and quick, forcing hand-to-hand combat. But Aris... was different.

Attempting to connect, Braze aimed to catch that backhand by the wrist and slide one shin behind Aris's back calf, moving to press a palm strike aimed at Aris's shoulder, attempting to sweep the leg in a manner that just nudged the momentum Aris already had from his back fist. Utilizing Matukai to harden his leg, he planted it firmly behind Aris's back leg as the trip point. His hope was to give Aris enough of a push and resistance, following up his attack to knock him back using his own momentum against him.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris was like a stone, but his abnormal strength didn't mean he was abnormally heavy. He'd kept his stance low to avoid being toppled, but that mattered little with his momentum being utilized against him. He felt himself lifted from the ground, blinking in brief surprise at the weightlessness of falling. It wasn't a long fall, but he fell right for the ground.

Which he didn't like.

He gritted his teeth as he fell into it. He couldn't stop his momentum being redirected, but he reached for the wrist that had taken his to grab it as he instead went into a roll the moment he hit the ground. He'd do that either way in an attempt to make space, but with a vicelike grasp he'd try to leverage his own fall to drag Braze with him.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze was swift as he tried to withdraw, but his sleeve was caught, and he found himself being dragged down with Aris. He shifted and moved into a front roll, his outer robe-like top drawing forwards. He couldn't move his hands fast enough, but he could manipulate the cloth sash around him and the loose ties that held the robe top shut. So he did mid-roll... He slipped out of his stop and dove over Aris, not wanting to land on him, and rolled to pop back up onto his feet. He quickly checked, drawing his hand up into a guarded pose. With only one hand, he couldn't compete with Aris in a grappling match, even with both hands. He aimed to stay away from grapples and grounding himself, needing to outmaneuver, out-think, and outspeed Aris.

 

[Aris Noble]

"You're not having fun with this." It was a statement. Aris rolled himself to his feet, tossing aside the jacket as he did to again return to a neutral stance. He didn't go after Braze, not yet. "Epicanthix are trained to hide their emotion when they fight. Keep control, until the right moment to let everything go in a single strike. I know it's very different from the Echani, but I thought you'd still have some fun trading blows."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze wondered if fun was what Aris wanted, deciding then to lower his guard. "Ah... is this for fun?" he asked, curiosity coloring his voice. "Maybe, if you're looking to play, we could stick to light contact and friendly taps, rather than going full force?" He continued, pondering aloud. "Sparring is something I personally enjoy, almost as much as a game... but I don't want to hurt anyone if we're just play fighting."​

 

[Aris Noble]

For once Aris let an emotion show on his face. A sad smile, though, as he lowered his hands. "Yeah, I figured as much. .. It's hard. Being understood, I mean. I have to hold back with everything I do. I can hear more than people think. Right now I can even hear your heartbeat right now. I have to hold back to even spar with people. .. How can I show how I'm truly feeling if I have to hold back?"

He paused before shaking his head.

"I know I'm hard to understand. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel otherwise, but I do just want to be your friend."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze listened attentively to what Aris said and seemed to understand the sentiment, able to relate to it in some small manner.

"That's... sad," Braze said simply. "I think I understand you, though... well, maybe not exactly... but I think a lot. And I mean a lot, a lot. I usually can't control it, but I try. I just start thinking, and my mind goes off in several directions from the center point. Sometimes these little paths of thought interweave with one another; others speed off into the distance. Some stop short, others go on and on and on... I don't think there really is a way I can accurately describe it to anyone except that I just do it way, way, way too much. And it can sometimes be overwhelming and hard to decide which one to pay attention to and bring to the forefront of my focus. Sometimes I hop back and forth to several lines of these thought paths... some diverge, others converge... and some restart or lead into the beginnings of others in a loop. And I feel like I can't really express everything in my mind or in my heart, and I think even trying to talk about it would make others feel off-kilter. And it's just very, very, very overwhelming sometimes, but I have to like... filter it all and decide what to put forward and what to stick with... and it's... hard to control that, but I feel like I need to constantly do so to... uh... wear a 'people' skin disguise. I know some of my word choices are strange and weird too, and I know if I were to just say what came to mind, it would probably be cause for alarm or concern for others or be seen as a bother, and I just... sometimes I just can't make it quiet, you know? I... uhhh don't know, you probably think I'm just rambling on and on at this point. Uh... I'm sorry, I just think I can relate to... the... need to control something that you just... kinda have by just existing as you are," Braze tried to explain but was cautioning himself not to keep going and to find someplace he could stop and not just share every last thought he had on the matter. He had similar control issues in other spots but chose not to delve into such presently. He wanted to refocus his thoughts towards Aris.

"But I would like to be friends with you," he assured and offered him a smile. "You can just... be you... it's okay... I value honesty and loyalty in friendship. I value earnest words from the heart and thoughtful gestures," Braze offered lightly.

"Just be honest with yourself and... let go," Braze tried to encourage.

"I have an idea," he said suddenly, however, as he moved closer to Aris. "Are you afraid of heights?"

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris blinked slowly before a faint smile formed on his face. Relief, at least, that he wasn't the only one who had these kinds of trouble. He didn't interrupt, just listened to everything Braze had to say. Even if he looked slightly overwhelmed by the end of it. There was a lot being said all at once, and Aris was trying to make sure he understood everything that was being said.

As best he could, anyway.

"This is me, is what I mean."

He smile changed to confusion though, pretty quickly at that. "I am not, no. .. Why..?"

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze flashed him a strange grin. " Do you want to fly?" He asked lightly with a smirk. "I can take you up if you wanna see what it's like. " He offered-slightly wondering if Aris would even want to see something like that.

 

[Aris Noble]

".. Huh?"

Aris tilted his head before looking up towards the sky. Did Braze have his own hoverboard by chance? It wasn't here, though. "I think I need more context on what you're offering. I have flown before, in ships, on speeders. I have a hoverbike I made that I tend to fly with, it's a lot of fun."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

"You have a hover bike?! That sounds so cool!" Braze chirped, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "I've been working on an idea for a type of staff that opens up for easier flight capabilities to keep it more mobile. But a hover bike sounds pretty cool. Uh... I think the closest thing I have to that are my star grinders," he added, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

"But no... I just mean you and me... we just go up," he clarified, his movements confident as he stepped up onto an invisible spiral staircase around Aris. Pausing, he extended his hand to Airis, offering support. The wind about the two of them had suddenly picked up and billowed about the pair.

 

[Aris Noble]

"More like a board, sorry. Not a bike. .. It's more fun than a bike, honestly." Though he did tilt his head. The idea of traveling up was.. Traveling up. He was very clearly conflicted. Flying without anything to actually fly with? He could jump, of course. Really high. Very, very high. He glanced about at the wind before letting out a sigh and took his hand.

"Don't fall. I don't know if I can catch you if we fall."

Braze