Private Sabers and Saplings

[Jack Sandrow]

Location: New Cov Jedi Temple
Outfit: Casual fit
Weaponry: Just the Leaves

---

Raised just above the lethal jungles of New Cov, the Temple's training grounds were a carefully balanced bastion of controlled combat. Jack had not yet had the honor to shed blood here, but he figured it wouldn't be long now before he'd get the chance. With careful and deliberate movements, he weaved between the rocks and statues of the main 'dais', mindful of the extra steps down to the center. It was subtle, it was tasteful, excellent for providing both a place for Padawans to learn from a Master and for providing a little extra difficulty to a footwork-heavy duel between two veterans.

So he felt it was justified to be a bit nervous to be sparring here against Valery Noble, Grandmaster of the Jedi.

He was ostensibly waiting for her to show up, but in truth he had been up all night thanks to his nerves. He had no idea if her teaching style was as intense as her actual combat styles, but he figured he could withstand a few raps on the knuckles, as it were. It was the fact that they were starting with lightsabers that had him trepidatious. He rolled the crystal nutshells in his palm absently, nervously, thumb running over the seam of the shells. Maybe he needed to fix his sabers. Maybe he should call it off for the day, come back later with a proper saber of his own. Maybe...

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Soft footfalls echoed against the stone as Valery made her way down toward the training grounds, her long strides carrying a quiet confidence. Clad in her usual Jedi jumpsuit, her lightsabers resting comfortably at her belt, she moved with an ease that contrasted the subtle hum of an unfamiliar tune slipping past her lips.

She was in a good mood today.

New Cov had always been a place of challenge and growth, but something about this temple — raised just above the lethal jungle, balanced on the edge of control and chaos — made it all the more fitting for a lesson like this.

As she stepped into view, her gaze landed on Jack.

He was already there, moving between the statues and carefully laid-out terrain, but even before she reached him, she could feel it — the tension in his stance, the way his fingers worked absently at something in his palm. Valery's soft humming faded as she came to a stop in front of him, tilting her head slightly. "Good morning," she greeted, her voice warm and easy. But her keen, fiery eyes flicked over him once, taking in the little details.

Then, with quiet concern, she asked, "Something wrong?"

No judgment. No pressure. Just the simple offer to share — if he wanted to.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Casual fit
Weaponry: the Leaves

---

"Good morning," he replied in kind, giving her a smile he didn't entirely feel all the way. "...Not wrong, so to speak, I've just been thinking a lot.

"I've never actually been in lightsaber combat before," he explained, finding a waist-high stone to sit down. "I don't know if that's through sheer luck or coincidence. But it means that I've got tools that I don't know how to use safely or effectively. And that's dangerous for me and others."

He eyed the Grand Master a bit nervously. "So I asked for training, but... now I'm having second thoughts." The crystal nutshell in his hands was suddenly enrobed in vines and plant matter, before forming the hilt of a fully organic forcesaber. "I don't even have a traditional lightsaber hilt. I've tested the blade against its mate, but in actual combat the opposing blade could be much more aggressive, and I don't even know if this will last."

The saber hilt in his hand remained unignited, and he hefted it in his hand a moment before eyeing Valery again. "....so I'm just a little nervous."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery listened, her expression warm, patient—understanding. She'd seen that nervous energy before. The weight of expectation, the uncertainty of stepping into something unknown. It was natural.

She smiled.

"It's alright, Jack," she assured him, her voice steady but kind. "The whole point of training is to experience things before you're fully ready. That's why we're here because in a controlled environment, mistakes aren't brutally punished like they would be in a real fight."

Her gaze flicked briefly to the organic Forcesaber in his grip, a unique and fascinating creation. "Your weapon is a part of you. If you're worried about how it'll hold up, that's something we can test together — gradually, safely."

She shifted slightly, resting a hand lightly against one of the two lightsabers on her belt. Then, with a small, knowing smirk, she unhooked one and held it out toward him.

"If it helps, you can even start with this." A blade that had seen countless battles, carried by hands steady with experience. "We'll ease into it. One step at a time. I'll guide you, and we'll build your confidence as we go."

She tilted her head, her smirk softening into something more encouraging. "Sound fair?"

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Casual fit
Weaponry: the Leaves

---

He hesitated a moment, before gently taking the proffered blade. "Saber crafting is an art form with which I'm finding myself woefully under-skilled. I'll take any pointers you'd be able to give," he acquiesced, letting the entirely organic design shrivel and coalesce back into his skin, gone as if it was never there. In his left hand he held Valery's saber, the songsteel and electrum foreign in his hand, though the weight felt comfortably familiar. There was a good heft to it, and he tested it briefly, moving the hilt back and forth without yet igniting the blade.

He had no connection with steel and wire like he did with nature. Yes, the Force flowed through all things, yes the Force connected and bound all things, but the difference was like trying to walk through a wall where there should have been a door. The crystal within thrummed with the Force, but it was attuned to Valery, not him. She had willingly allowed him to borrow it, so he knew that he would be allowed to wield it, but again it was unfamiliar enough that he'd have to be very careful.

His thumb found the switch, and with a sudden bzzsSNAP of energy, the blade sprang to life in his hand. Lavender light illuminated the training arena, and Jack drank in the energy flowing over him. With a slow wave of the wrist, he went through the slow movements, testing the blade's flex and heft while extended. "It's got some cut to it," he murmured, feeling it buzz slowly through the air. "It's not a heavy edge but it wants to slice..."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery watched as Jack took the saber, her gaze warm but observant. She could see the way he tested the weight, the way his grip adjusted, the subtle hesitance in how he handled something so unfamiliar. When the blade snapped to life, its lavender glow casting light over the training arena, she couldn't help but smirk slightly.

She nodded. "It does. Lightsabers aren't meant to be heavy — we don't rely on weight to carry our strikes. The energy does all the work. You just have to guide it." Her eyes flicked to his posture, analyzing the way he held himself. He was testing the blade, getting a feel for it, and she gave him that moment. But after a beat, she stepped forward, tilting her head slightly.

"Alright, Jack, let's start simple."

She gestured toward his stance with a slight motion of her hand. "Before anything else, I want you to settle into a solid footing. Fighting with a saber isn't just about swinging — your foundation matters. A strong stance gives you control. Balance. Without it, everything else falls apart."

She moved into position herself, planting her feet with purpose, her body poised with the kind of natural confidence that came from years of experience. "Relax your shoulders. Keep your knees flexible. You need to be able to move fast without losing your stability."

Her smirk returned slightly as she watched him adjust.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Casual fit
Weaponry: the Leaves | Temporarily borrowing one of Valery's lightsabers

---

"No, not a heavy weight..." He had a hard time articulating it, but his blades had a certain pull to them. Not as physical weight necessarily, but as momentum - when they were at rest, they were slow to move, and when they were moving, they were slow to stop. This saber, Valery's saber, felt far more responsive as a result, but also felt noticeably less 'sturdy' to him.

He listened intently, naturally studious as she instructed him. Saber footwork was something he was severely lacking in; he was accustomed to blasters and grenades, where 90% of the time in combat was hiding behind cover. Mirroring her stance, he adjusted his posture till he was more or less the same as her. The blade still felt way too light in his hand, and he was mindful the entire time it was ignited. One stray flick of the wrist and he'd be a few centimeters shorter.

"I wonder what Form will work best for me," he murmured, adjusting his stance again as he took a few ginger steps back and forth. "There are times I feel like I should be constantly on the move, and there are times I feel like I should just be rooted in place."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery watched as Jack adjusted his stance, her fiery gaze sharp but encouraging. He was thoughtful — testing his footing, his grip, even the way the saber moved in his hand. That was good. He wasn’t reckless with it, and he understood that this wasn’t just another weapon. It had to be wielded differently.

When he murmured about finding a Form that suited him, she nodded. “We can figure that out together.” Her voice was calm, measured. “Every Jedi — every fighter — moves differently. Some prefer to be aggressive, always pressing forward. Others stand their ground, letting the enemy come to them. We’ll see what feels right for you.”

But first...

“Before we worry about Forms, I want to test your fundamentals. The basics.” She stepped back slightly, raising her own saber. The violet blade hummed to life, casting a soft glow against the training mats. “There are six zones to defend when using a lightsaber.” She gestured toward her own body as she spoke. “Your head, torso, arms, and legs all have specific angles of attack, and how you block them matters. So, let’s start simple.”

She shifted into a ready stance. “Zone One.” Her saber angled up slightly, preparing for the first strike. “The head.”

Then, without rushing, she moved. A slow, deliberate vertical sweep downward — controlled, telegraphed, meant not to overwhelm, but to let him feel the motion.

She wanted him to experience it — the weightless burn of the blade, the resistance of another saber meeting it. Only by feeling it could he begin to understand how to wield it properly.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Casual fit
Weaponry: the Leaves | Temporarily borrowing one of Valery's lightsabers

---

He nodded at her instructions and theory, soaking in the information. He didn't know what he didn't know, and he was thankful to have a teacher as well versed in saber combat as her. She was taking a ready stance of her own now, and he adjusted to copy her. "Step, step, step like this..." he murmured to himself, watching her own practiced movements carefully.

She raised her saber and ignited it with one smooth motion, and he moved his own borrowed blade to match. Her instructions on defensive zones was very new to him, so he made sure to take several mental notes. And as she swung, he lifted his own blade to block it.

It was a lazy swipe, comparatively speaking, but his movement to block it was still a bit jerky, a bit too quick and snappy, lacking grace in favor of simple action and positive effect. "Zone One, the head," he repeated, nodding. The crossed blades sparked and sprayed gently, the training movements providing enough resistance to properly lock one blade with the other. Unlike his own saber, this blade was a smooth and uniform plasma arc, and he could feel the edge wanting to glide along Valery's if he so much as tilted his wrist one way or the other.

With cautious intent, he actually did so; a familiar though unpracticed twist of his hand, and the blade swung free, its own momentum gently pushing Valery's lightsaber back away from his head as he returned to the default protective stance she had previously shown him. "Like that, right?" he asked, grinning a bit. "That's not terrible..."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery watched as Jack met her strike, her fiery gaze studying his movement, the way his blade connected with hers. His reaction was quick — maybe a little too snappy, a little too force-driven rather than fluid — but it was instinctive, and that was a good sign. Instinct could be shaped, refined.

Then, he adjusted.

She felt the shift before she saw it—his wrist twisting, letting the blade slide free of the clash rather than just bracing against it. A simple motion, but one that showed he was already thinking about control, about efficiency rather than just resistance.

Her smirk deepened slightly. "Like that," she confirmed with a nod. "Not bad at all."

But there was no pause.

The violet glow of her saber shifted, her stance fluid as she adjusted. "Zone Two — right side." With a smooth, controlled motion, she brought her saber across in a horizontal sweep, aiming for his dominant side. She didn't strike hard — this was still about form, about mechanics — but she let him feel the movement, the weight of the impact.

The moment their blades connected, she transitioned.

"Zone Three — left side." The next strike flowed seamlessly from the last, her body twisting to send a mirrored sweep toward his left flank. No time to reset, no time to overthink. Just react.

She kept going.

Slowly at first, moving through the fundamental zones with enough control to let him absorb the mechanics. Right side, left side, the torso. But as he adjusted, as his movements grew more confident, she started to build momentum. Just enough to push him. More speed. More fluidity. She didn't stop. Didn't give him time to settle. Each strike forced him to move, to keep his blade in motion, to find the rhythm.

"Don't think — just move," she instructed, her voice steady but firm. "Feel the flow, stay balanced, and let your body respond." Because this? This was how you learned. Not by memorizing steps, but by letting the fight become instinct, and to let the Force guide.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Casual fit
Weaponry: the Leaves | Temporarily borrowing one of Valery's lightsabers

---

He grinned at the mild praise, testing the twist of the blade again briefly before Valery brought her saber around for Zone Two. His own blade was again quick to respond, but still a bit sloppy and a bit too frantic. He had to slow it down, had to move smoother. She was already moving though, and he had to lunge into the next strike a bit just to keep up. This blade functioned a lot smoother than his own, and he was unused to the response time, but that was no excuse for his sloppy form.

"Aaaa-aahh," he grunted, wincing a bit as a footstep adjustment had one of his toes mash up against a rock wall. "Ow." She was moving through the zones with speed now, and he was struggling to keep pace. All the while he was mindful of the flashing blades - how so easily they could sever limbs with just a slightly too careless overextension.

He overextended. With every fiber of his being, he leapt back a split second before the tip of his own saber could have sliced off his nose. The heel of his foot hit the stone lip of the arena, and he found himself tumbling ass over teakettle onto his back. He had the wherewithal to actually turn the saber off as he fell, which he was immediately thankful for as he watched the saber clatter to the ground next to him, emitter aimed squarely at his hips.

".....Okay. I think I need to slow it down a bit," he murmured, cheeks darkening in much the same way chagrin was tinting his voice. "Cause I am going to take off my head at this rate."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's smirk deepened as she watched Jack stumble back, his own overextension nearly taking his nose off. The moment he tumbled, she deactivated her saber, stepping back slightly but making no move to help him up. Not because she didn't care — but because she wanted to see how he handled it. And, to his credit, he did exactly what she expected.

He learned.

Her fiery gaze flicked down at him, amusement glinting in her eyes as he muttered his realization. "At least you're aware of it," she mused, crossing her arms. "That's step one."

Then, with a sharp grin, she tilted her head toward him. "Alright. Get up."

She took a few slow steps back, giving him space to recover, and ignited her saber once more with its familiar violet glow. "Again," she said simply, her voice steady, unwavering. But this time, she adjusted.

Instead of immediately pushing him at full speed, she started slower, her movements deliberate and controlled. The same strikes, the same fluid sequences — but now with just enough time between them for him to process, to adjust, to feel the shift in weight before he reacted.

And then — gradually — she started to build. Her pace increased, not enough to overwhelm him, but enough to push him just a little beyond his comfort zone. Enough to keep him on edge, to make sure he was truly learning instead of just reacting blindly. "Stay balanced," she reminded, her strikes coming in smoother succession now.

Another step. Another clash of sabers. Another test.

Because she wasn't going to let him walk away from this until he had it down.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Casual fit
Weaponry: the Leaves | Temporarily borrowing one of Valery's lightsabers

---

"Yeah, just gimme a second," he grumbled, before quickly pushing to his feet, recalling the saber hilt to his hand with a gentle Pull, and igniting it once again. It felt a bit more comfortable in his hand now, but he was still getting used to the combination of footwork and wrist work.

Valery was gracious enough to not immediately pick up at the speed they had left off, but it was still a lot for Jack. His eyes raced, trying to keep pace with Valery as best as he could despite his inexperience. Left, right, left, left again, right again, down, up - He jumped back from a provocative swipe, before hurriedly hitting a knee to avoid overbalancing as she swung down from above. "Yah! Okay... okay time-out!"

He kept defending, kept moving back, reacting to her strikes, not pro-acting, and called again, "Time-out!" He jumped back a good four feet, saber out to his side in an open posture, breathing hard. "...Okay... Okay, just... I'm still going through the paces..."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery pressed the attack just a little longer, her strikes smooth, precise—but never overwhelming. She wanted him to feel the rhythm, to recognize the flow of combat, even as his footwork scrambled to keep up. But when he called time-out once, then twice, she finally relented.

With one last sweeping strike — slowed just enough for him to register it — she stepped back, twirling her saber once before deactivating it with a sharp hiss.

A grin tugged at the corner of her lips as she studied him, his open posture, the rise and fall of his chest from exertion. "Calling time-out already?" she teased, arching a brow. "What, am I wearing you out that fast?" She crossed her arms, still smirking, but there was no malice in it — just amusement, the kind that came from seeing someone genuinely pushing themselves. He was learning.

After a beat, she tilted her head toward the bag she had left at the edge of the training space. "I brought water if you need it," she offered, her tone still laced with playful challenge, but with an undercurrent of actual care. "Or do you need me to carry you to the bench too?"

A wink. A push.

Because they weren't done yet.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Casual fit
Weaponry: the Leaves | Temporarily borrowing one of Valery's lightsabers

---

He huffed softly, eyeing her with a mixture of worry and embarrassed amusement. "....I... am fine..." he grumbled, giving her an annoyed glare somewhat tempered by his own amusement. "Just still unused to all this...." He wasn't going to fight dirty just yet - this was important information and technique to learn, and by the Force he was going to learn it. He was under no impression that he'd be winning this, either; this was training through and through.

It didn't do anything to dampen his competitive spirits, though, and Valery absolutely could tell her egging him on was working. He worked his jaw, before giving Valery a wry smile and moving his saber up to a ready position. "Okay... now, my turn..."

Zone One. Two. One. Four. Three. He was moving through the steps, mindful of his footwork, knowing that Valery wouldn't have an issue blocking him. The saber was definitely feeling more comfortable in his hand now, and while he wasn't about to start showing off, he wanted to apply what knowledge he already had before this. And so he moved in, twisting to the side and adding an additional flick of the wrist as a Zone One attack suddenly melted into a Zone Three slash.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

The moment Jack grumbled out his defiant little response, Valery knew she had him. That annoyed glare softened with amusement? The way he worked his jaw like he was holding back another protest? Oh yeah, she had absolutely gotten under his skin just enough to push him forward.

And it worked.

He lifted his saber again, shifting into a ready stance, and Valery's smirk deepened.

"There we go," she thought.

Then he moved.

She met his opening strikes with smooth, effortless precision, her violet blade cutting through the air in perfect sync with his. Zone One, Two, One, Four— she followed, watching him adjust, feeling his growing confidence with each movement. It wasn't just raw instinct now — there was intention behind his attacks, a better grasp of how his weapon moved, how his footwork played into each strike.

And then? He twisted — Zone One melted into Zone Three.

It was quick. Clever.

Valery's eyes flickered with approval as she adjusted, her own saber snapping into place to intercept the surprise angle. Their blades cracked against each other, the energy between them humming like a storm barely held at bay.

"Oh, now you're getting interesting," she teased, flashing a grin as she smoothly disengaged and stepped to the side, keeping the flow moving. "Let's pick up the pace."

With that, she pushed him.

Not to overwhelm, but to challenge. Her strikes came faster, her defense tighter, forcing him to refine his technique — to think, to react, to adapt. If he was going to fight, she wasn't going to coddle him. She was going to make him better.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Casual fit
Weaponry: the Leaves | Temporarily borrowing one of Valery's lightsabers

---

He gritted his teeth, wincing a bit as he shifted to adapt to her shifting attack. He took a half-step back, blade moving awkwardly but correctly into place. His motions were still inefficient, still a bit sloppy, but he was keeping pace with her, if only just. She was still going easy on him, of course, but he wanted to actually keep up. He needed to keep distance between them; if she kept in on the back foot, he'd be barely keeping afloat.

If he was more skilled at this, he might be up for some witty banter or perhaps a light verbal joust to go along with the sparring. As it was, he was finding himself forced further backwards, mindful of his feet this time as he ended up reaching the outskirts of the arena. "Crap..." he hissed, stumbling a bit but keeping his blade between Valery's and himself. "Hang on... I'm running out of room..."

He was proud of himself for having brought his own attack forward, earlier, but he was very much not in a space for that now. Valery's defense was impregnable, and he was very unused to her method of attacking, as easy as it was. This was going to take time, work, and more than likely some blood, sweat, and tears of his own. "Time-out! Time-out!" he called out again, right as his heel brushed the grass border of the arena.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

The moment Jack stumbled back toward the edge of the arena, Valery knew she had him. His stance faltered, his movements growing just a little more frantic as he tried to hold his ground. He was thinking too much, reacting half a second too late, and oh— there it was. That little hiss of Crap... that made her smirk widen.

And then—

"Time-out! Time-out!"

Valery laughed.

Not out of mockery, but because Force, he was trying so hard. She immediately eased her stance, deactivating her saber with a sharp hiss. "Oh, come on," she grinned, stepping forward with that same easy confidence, hands settling on her hips.

But then, she straightened, stretching out her arms with a playful sigh. "Alright, alright," she relented, stepping back to give him space. "Catch your breath. But you do realize that in a real fight, you don't get to just call time-out, right?" She grinned again, crossing her arms.

Then, with a smile, she added, "In all seriousness, you're doing great, Jack."

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Casual fit
Weaponry: the Leaves | Temporarily borrowing one of Valery's lightsabers

---

He stretched slowly, wincing a bit. He was using 'muscles' he forgot he had. "In a life-and-death fight I'd be using more than the lightsaber; if it comes down to it, survival requires any measure." He eyed the saber in his hand, before holding his other hand up to the blade and extruding a thin sliver of bark from his finger. With the slightest wrist flick, he severed the sliver with the lightsaber, wincing a bit. "And if I can figure out how to block a saber with plant matter, then I'll be even better set."

He blew out a slow breath, eyeing Valery calmly. He was getting better at this, he just had to keep at it. "Okay... okay. Again, this is just training, I'm wanting to learn from this... but I want to keep going."

Testing the saber's swing again, he moved back towards the ring, blowing out a slow breath. "Best of five?" he chuckled, raising the blade to a ready position once again.

---

Valery Noble