The Aspiring Shadow (Daella Apparine)

[Vulpesen]

The apprentice would walk into the temple's training room and find his way up a set of bars, scaling them easily without any use of the force. Looking around and beholding the splendor of the area, he couldn't help but be amazed. "So many years I spent dreaming, and now I'm here... I'm going to be a Jedi." His hands would move on their own, creating nervous patters.
He'd been in the temple for five weeks, and the grandeur of the place still never failed to escape him (granted his last pit stop before the temple had been the seedy cantinas of Nar Shadaa). However, today's nervousness came from a new source. For the most part he'd been forgotten, though no one's fault, he had yet to take any formal one on one training.
Apparently his Amaran training had gone a little too well, causing him to blend in even when he didn't want to. He glanced down and pulled a small datapad from his pouch. @[member="Daella Apparine"]. He studied the name, already recalling her face. He didn't see it often at all, but one of the jobs he had given himself in his free time was to learn the names of the masters around the temple. Should any of them take him as an apprentice, he would be ready.

 

[Soeht]

As she did every morning she woke on Coruscant, Daella entered the Sparring Arena in order to train herself. Normally, few people occupied the arena as classes for Younglings had finished. Even more typical, Daella did not have a sparring partner for most of her mornings there. Neither did she ask for one, but few attempted to spar with her. The most recent one had been Diana Moridena

When Daella walked in, she noticed @[member="Vulpesen"] and several other Jedi in the spacious room. She did not greet them, though, and began to make her way to her own corner.

 

[Vulpesen]

From his perch, Vulpesen was able to identify the newcomer. Granted, he had been there only five weeks, but he was far from blind to the change in stature she had compared to the padawan's in the room. More so, she was alone, much like he was. Call it chance, but perhaps he had finally found an interesting sparring partner. With a quick gathering of the force, he launched himself into the air, flipping to position his landing just behind @[member="Daella Apparine"]. "Salutations." Despite the long jump, his voice was to be the first thing heard due to Vulpesen's natural tendency to silence every step he made, going so far as to use the force if necessary.

 

[Soeht]

Turning toward @[member="Vulpesen"] as soon as he greeted Daella, she gave a slight, stoic nod in response. Her blue eyes continued to keep themselves on the Padawan as if expecting more from him.

 

[Vulpesen]

"Vulpesen Espadus Torrevaso, at your service." He held out a hand to @[member="Daella Apparine"] in greeting. She sure seemed silent, yet he was determined. After all, five weeks and he had never once had a one on one spar. He figured that now would be a good time to start.

 

[Soeht]

After several blinks with a rather blank face, Daella replied with a terse, "Daella Apparine."

Then, she said no more and continued to stare at @[member="Vulpesen"], as if waiting to hear even more.

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen sighed. He hated being blunt, yet she seemed to enjoy it. He could already tell that this held the possibilities of being an interesting match. "Would you like to spar?" @[member="Daella Apparine"]

 

[Soeht]

For several seconds, Daella’s only response was a slight narrowing of her eyes. Then, she turned her head away as she drew her lightsaber with her right hand. Looking at the hilt, she adjusted a nob on it with her left hand.

Once she finished, she turned her head to the empty sparring arena. Others that were in the room were busy with things not related to the arena.

Turning back to @[member="Vulpesen"], Daella replied, “Okay.”

Then, Daella walked toward the arena and stood at the far end from the entrance to the room.

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen let out a sigh and walked to the other end of the arena, igniting his training saber with a snap-hiss. "And flyboy called me intense..." Vulpesen muttered to himself before lifting his blade in front of him in the customary salute of a Makashi user. @[member="Daella Apparine"]

 

[Soeht]

Once @[member="Vulpesen"] ignited his training saber, Daella activated her lightsaber. The yellow blade sprang to life. She glued her eyes to Vulpesen’s training saber as he lifted his blade up.

Then glancing at Vulpesen’s eyes, Daella said, “To the first strike.”

Normal sparring rules for Jedi went until three strikes.

Then, Daella stepped forward with her right foot. Holding her lightsaber with just her right hand, she pointed the blade at an angle toward the ground.

“On your go,” she told Vulpesen.

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen nodded and advanced. The first two steps were slow, then sped to a quick dash as he closed in on @[member="Daella Apparine"]. The quick assault, meant to catch her off guard, consisted of a flowing combination of a lower left to upper right slash followed by a shallow thrust which flowed into a mid-riff slash from the left.

 

[Soeht]

As soon as @[member="Vulpesen"] slashed at Daella’s lower left side, she moved her right arm to the left. Then, she grabbed the lightsaber hilt with her left hand as well. She quickly rotated her lightsaber so that it was pointing vertically and toward the floor. Vulpesen’s slash would have been impeded by Daella’s lightsaber - causing a momentary clash between blades.

Then as Vulpesen attempted to stab at Daella’s torso, she took a step outward with her right foot. Her body moved slightly to the left of Vulpesen. Daella then pulled her lightsaber to her own right just a bit.

Attacking Vulpesen’s training saber as it rushed toward her, Daella pushed it outward as she continued to move to her right in order to avoid both the stab and the attempt to slice it to right.

In order to counter Vulpesen, Daella then pushed off her left foot and took a step forward. Her lightsaber would have slid down Vulpesen’s training saber as she attempted to run past him and to his left. If the training saber did not have a cross guard, Daella’s lightsaber would have burned the hand that grasped Vulpesen’s training saber.

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen growled as each attack failed, but was lucky enough to catch Daenna's trick. He'd imagined doing it have himself several times. He quickly bent his knees and dropped down, pulling his lightsaber to the right to disengage. The momentum would have naturally carried @[member="Daella Apparine"]'s blade over his head to the right. As the blades move to his right, Vulpesen would use his left hand to grab her wrists before lunging his blade forward in an attempt to move in far to close for her to do anything to slash him.

 

[Soeht]

As soon as @[member="Vulpesen"] grabbed hold of Daella’s wrists, she yanked her arms to her left. The act of doing so could have pulled Vulpesen forward by his left hand. Daella also used Vulpesen as a means to position her body behind him. This was especially possible due to already being on the left side of Vulpesen, being grabbed by his left hand, and with him attempting to cross over with his right arm to strike Daella.

Even if Daella had difficulty getting around Vulpesen, she would not have been in front of the Padawan. At best, she would be to the left of him. As Vulpesen lunged his blade toward Daella, she released the grip of her hand that was held by Vulpesen. There was no means for him to securely grab both her wrists with one hand.

With her free hand now grasping her lightsaber, Daella moved it out and to her left just slightly. This would have allowed her to push Vulpesen’s training saber out just a bit and avoid contact with Daella.

Then to complete her counter, Daella immediately pivoted her lightsaber blade upon Vulpesen’s training saber the moment they touched. She rotated her lightsaber counterclockwise. Thus, she turned the tip of her lightsaber blade toward Vulpesen’s chest - which would surely make contact if nothing was done.

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen growled as his opponent left his view, but he quickly rolled his saber to a guard position, batting his opponents lightsaber to a slashing position in the process. He took advantage of the new blade positions and locked the sabers togher while tucking his own closer in to his body, which in turn moved closer to Daella. His previous style had to change now. In an analytical mind, Vulpesen could see that Makashi was terrible for a confrontation this close, but in an inexperienced mind, he could think of no safe maneuvers from a conventional style that would get him out. "You definitely aren't an apprentice."
He kept his body close to his opponents, using their positions to hinder her movements at the cost of his own. He looked at her face and watched her eyes. Wherever she intended to hit, they would likely glimpse to that place. He was fairly certain, but for extra measure he reached out to the force and gave his sense of touch a small boost. This would allow for him to sense any changes that would happen within her arms or hands. @[member="Daella Apparine"]

 

[Soeht]

Before Vulpesen’s actions, Daella’s lightsaber just attempted to push his training saber out and away from his body - if just slightly so she could avoid being struck by his training saber. To do this, Daella’s lightsaber blade needed to be between Vulpesen’s body and training saber blade.

By attempting to move his own training saber to angle Daella's blade, @[member="Vulpesen"] would have avoided a slice at his chest. However, the yellow lightsaber would have still been rotating the tip upward and toward his left arm - which was extended and still grabbing Daella's wrist.

Daella did not need to do anything. Vulpesen’s attempt to stop Daella’s blade would not help him.

 

[Vulpesen]

(ooc: Didn't keep locked. Brought the blade back to turn Daella's lightsaber into an angled poition. Essentially turning a straight jab position into a bar position. He used Daella's block to disengage then reengage with a swat like motion.)

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen let out a loud growl as the saber connected with his arm. He'd been close, but close wasn't good enough. Still, he felt no shame in his defeat. @[member="Daella Apparine"] was obviously way out of his level, and he was happy to have lasted as long as he did. "You obviously aren't an apprentice." He stated, getting to the point. "So who are you?" He deactivated his lightsaber and took a few steps back, rubbing his injured arm.

 

[Soeht]

(Sorry for the late reply)

As soon as Daella made contact with @Vulpesen’s arm, she recoiled back, breaking free of his grip, and stood several meters away from the Padawan. She deactivated her lightsaber yet still grasped it in her right hand. Then, she gave a shallow bow as she placed her empty hand over her chest to signal the end of the duel.

After righting herself, Daella replied to Vulpesen’s question with, “A Jedi Knight.”

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen grinned as he placed the saber on his hip. "Something told me you were a bit out of my skill set, however I was always better with the force than I was with a blade." @[member="Daella Apparine"]