Duel The Blind Leading The Blind

[Auraya Irath-Ur]

Corellia, heck yeah!​

​

It had been a while since she'd visited this once broken world, not since they'd come together as Pilgrims to meet with the Mist-Weaver. Or maybe it was the lesson with Khefiir. She couldn't for the life of her remember which had come first. Oh well, no matter. It felt like an entire lifetime ago at any rate, back before Kisaku Oroken had disappeared from her radar, and when Zaavik was still in the picture, and...​

​

Well... It had been a while.​

​

This time it was more or less just a pitstop on their way to the land of crystals and freakily-described beasts. Davron Feln wanted them to get some equipment while they were here, though he was still having difficulties seeing so she of course had to somewhat take charge. At least when it came to directing them to where they needed to go. She'd gotten better at it though, keeping him from walking into things - droids included - though this was their first planet side venture since they'd met not too long ago. That... Could potentially prove to be her undoing. So many unexpected factors.​

​

No matter. She'd figure it out.​

​

"-- and, I think I might look for a stun pistol while we're here," she added, to whatever else she'd already been discussing with him. Though she didn't have a tonne of credits to her name, she did have a few and she was hoping it would be enough to see her fitted with something akin to that which she'd been taught to use right here on this very world. Certainly it might prove far more useful to her than a low intensity training lightsaber, especially if they were going to be running into beasts in the near future. Why kill when you could just knock something out?​

​

Coronet City was particularly beautiful that morning as they made their way out of the starport and into the city proper. The Golden City they called it, and with the sun hitting everything just right she could truly understand why...​

​

Sars Sarad ​

 

[Sars Sarad]

Corellia, a broken world mended.

On Lao-Mon he'd faced Kadan Scipora , on Odessan he'd met Alyssa Shinobu and on Ponemah he'd crossed sabers with Ruslan Zorlu . Now he was on Corellia because that is where the force had lead him. The Force spoke to Sarad, he felt it like he was sifting through sand and learned to read its subtleties; Corellia was where it had told him to go.

After Corellia there would be another world, there was always another world. Maybe one day the force would lead him back here again too.

He'd been planetside for days in Coronet City. He waited.

It wasn't until today, the sun rising and making the city shine that he received an answer. An answer that came in the form of a girl who was on the cusp of adulthood and the blindman she was leading. It was not exactly what he expected.

Nonetheless this had become old hat for Sarad. He could sense the force in them, it ebbed and flowed.

When he chose to interpose himself ahead of them it would have been just so, Sarad would have stepped out in front of them both. He wore a Tako'raas Duster of his own design, the long coat stretching down to mid shin and underneath a mixture of traveling attire. Gazing ahead Sarad accessed the two of them quickly then spoke pointedly...

"Strange, I wasn't expecting two."

...his mastery of the force permitting him to differentiate between the two of them, especially when he was looking at them...

"What are your names, Jedi?"

...he assumed they were Jedi, Sith often looked somewhat different so it was an educated assumption on his part. Maybe they were unaffiliated, like him. This was how it often began though, he would ask questions and then the tempo of things quickly changed more often then not.

Auraya Irath-Ur Davron Feln

 

[Davron Feln]

The Saber's hangars had been a bit too full to park the Mudskipper within, so unfortunately for Davron his ship had to be left to the care of a normal spaceport near the small enclave. Admittedly, it was within the heart of Coronet City, so there was little he really had to fear—and the Jedi that called the Saber their home had been kind enough both to cover their hangar fees and to send along one of their knights with a few of the items he'd requested of them before landing—but he didn't like it, all the same.

Especially leaving the ship now that it was stocked with some of the bits and pieces that he and Auraya wouldn't easily be able to find in the market place. Losing both would be a very special kind of problematic, even with multiple Jedi on world to rely on for extra help.

At least they'd also brought him the cane he asked for. Being blind, it was nice to have it, not having to rely entirely upon Auraya at every moment; even better was that they'd managed either to find or quickly make one of phrik. Not having a lightsaber of his own, neither Auraya, and with the galaxy being a dangerous place...having something to keep from getting his head chopped off without any issue was nice.

Speaking of issue:

"Perhaps not just a stun blaster," he gently suggested, as Auraya pulled him along, the cane held loosely in his other hand. "It's distasteful, but a stun blast won't be enough for everything in the gala—" He stopped abruptly, one of the others along the road stepping out to block their way and addressing them directly. His grip on both Padawan and cane tightened somewhat as he stepped forwards. While sight may not have returned to him yet, he wasn't without his other senses or the Force, and what he could sense before him, while it didn't exactly bode ill, didn't inspire much confidence either.

"Stranger still for us to be expected by any outside of the enclave here," he replied, before his tone shifted to be nearly as pointed as the man had been when he spoke up. "Is it not customary to offer your own name, before demanding that of others?"

Auraya Irath-Ur Sars Sarad

 

[Auraya Irath-Ur]

As anticipated, Davron didn't much like the idea of her only line of defense being a stun weapon and he began to urge her to reconsider and purchase something a little more lethal too. You know, in the event that something went awry.​

​

Such as a complete stranger accosting them in the street for Force knew what reason. That never boded well, did it? Well, it wasn't as though Raya had any real experience with such, but she couldn't imagine it was a positive thing. Maybe not lethal weapon worthy, but still. She didn't have either option on hand, did she?​

​

And Master Feln? Well he just had his walking cane.​

​

Auraya gulped, and looked from the man she was leading to the man in their way. Davron refused to give his name, instead calling on societal standards of interaction, so the girl didn't give hers yet either. Might be she never would. She did however frown, her brow furrowing into a series of well used worry lines.​

​

"Expecting?" the girl said instead, with a bewildered tone. Who was he to be expecting either of them..?​

​

Sars Sarad Davron Feln ​

 

[Sars Sarad]

Everything became clear to him as he he watched the both of them. He studied their mannerisms, their reactions noting how the Blindman's grip tightened on the girl as well as his phrikite cane. Surely the girl was the student of the man or at least she was in his care, this is what body language told him but Sarad could have been mistaken.

As his gaze set on Auraya Irath-Ur despite having been addressed by Davron Feln initially he went on to remark...

"Usually the force only leads me to one person, I wasn't expecting there to be two of you but it makes sense."

...his eyes veered back towards the man...

"Only one of you can fight."

...Sarad didn't take blindness for weakness but he clearly believed the man would be at a disadvantage against him due to his handicap. Hubris? Perhaps.

Looking between the two of them again he finally answered, offering a distinct...

"My names is Sars Sarad."

...before his right hand dipped inside the duster he wore and brushed it back behind the same hip. As the duster went back the lightsaber on his hip was clearly revealed and setting his hand over it Sarad unclipped it from where he'd holstered it making it clear what his intentions were. As he'd insinuated the force usually only showed him one person and he only believed one of them could fight.

He sensed the force in them both this much was clear but there was something else too. What was it? Self-doubt? Maybe. Which one of them was it in though?

 

[Davron Feln]

"And why do you speak of fighting, mister Sarad?" Davron asked, still standing protectively ahead of Auraya; sighted or no, it was clear that this strange older man was focused more on her than him. "We have no quarrel with you. If you truly seek such stimulation, then the enclave a few blocks away ought to be more to your liking, and I'm sure any number of Jedi there would be inclined to stimulate you." Around them, others on the street had already started to make quite a wide berth, none among them unintelligent enough to stand in the way when lightsabers might possibly be swung at any moment.

Not that he was going to let it devolve to such without making some effort towards a more reasonable, and peaceful, resolution. "If you seek to practice, then the girl here could certainly use some training that I can't adequately provide at the moment. But I'm sure you'll agree that a practice bout and instruction differ greatly from a fight, yes?"

Auraya Irath-Ur Sars Sarad

 

[Auraya Irath-Ur]

The girl paled slightly, caught up in the gaze of the stranger who for a time seemed intent on directing his words her way. He spoke of the Force, of its guiding hand, as though that made things any clearer, and therein further confusion wrought itself upon her.​

​

Doubly so at the mention of fighting.​

​

Instinctively, Auraya's hand drifted back toward the lightsaber which rested upon her belt, held in place by a magnetic lock, though her fingertips did little more than brush against it and even then only when his own was shown. Like a western standoff... Her heart raced a mile a minute, and when she swallowed she felt as though the veins in her neck were more pronounced than usual.​

​

A training blade. That's all it was. No real intensity to it, it could provide a slight singe, certainly it would hurt to be struck with, but it was nothing compared to the real thing. If this devolved into barbarous combat there was little she could do to stand against it. And given the state of the man she traveled with, and his own lack of a weapon, she knew she'd have to rely on it all the same.​

​

Her mind drifted back to the lessons of Dagon Kaze before she'd even come to Coruscant, of the third Form, and she tried to steel her nerves. Would what little of it she understood be enough to hold him off until they could figure something else out?​

​

By this point, amidst all her fretting, a name had been given, as had Davron's response. She let him lead the discussions, though when he offered her up for a practice spar her eyes snapped from the stranger - Sars - to the back of his head. Another gulp. Then she stepped slightly to one side, to the left of Davron, coming out of his shadow even if only a little.​

​

Only one of them could fight, he'd said. There was no way she'd be letting him fight a blind man, Jedi Knight or not. That felt... wrong. Still until the man gave his response, she wasn't sure how much her bravado would be necessary.​

​

Sars Sarad Davron Feln ​

 

[Sars Sarad]

Neither of them had offered their names in return even after Sarad had given his at the prompting of the 'Blindman'. It leant both Davron Feln and Auraya Irath-Ur a measure of anonymity though this was a small matter to the man that was now facing the two of them. While he heard what the man said to him abotu the difference between practice and a fight Sarad's eyes seemed focused on the girl.

"They are."

...Sarad would have finally agreed, he wasn't completely unreasonable though he was hardly done. He'd noticed how the girls hand had drifted to her own lightsaber, a model which upon closer scrutiny he would doubtless recognize as less lethal than his own. The Lightsaber that was now in Sarad's right hand was not a training model...

"Your thoughts betray you girl."

...as did her body language, Sarad didn't need expertise in the force to read her at least...

"You can feel the call of your weapon, it belongs in your hand and beckons you to take it. Do not fear, take the first steps to knowing yourself."

...she had stepped slightly to the side, to the left of the Blindman. Sarad was watching her though he kept an eye on her caretaker in his peripheral as well. All around them as the crowds made room it appeared as though Sarad was unconcerned, he had been similarly disinterested at the prospect of seeking a bout at the Enclave. That was not what this was about.

"The fight need not be lethal, I will adjust the settings of my blade accordingly."

...hard to discern which one of them he was talking to but he agreed that this need not end in gruesome fashion for one of them.

 

[Davron Feln]

To say that Davron wasn't somewhat apprehensive of the entire deal would be a lie, but he could sense no deception from the man even as he turned his attention back towards Auraya. "The choice is yours, Auraya," he said to her, quietly, his grip on her arm relaxing somewhat. "I'll be right here, and if he refuses to do as he said, there's no shame in refusing him or calling for help." With that in mind, it was time to get some of the necessary formalities out of the way, if only to ensure that blades really could be crossed in a friendly manner, rather than hostile.

"Very well, Sars Sarad." He gave a short bow in the direction of the man. "I am Davron Feln, and this is my Padawan, Auraya. Training it will be, and at training intensity, if she chooses to accept. And...perhaps somewhere off the street, if there is a small park or something of the sort nearby?"

Auraya Irath-Ur Sars Sarad

 

[Auraya Irath-Ur]

Once again she found the intensity of the stranger's tone and gaze rather hypnotic, her own eyes lingered on his as he spoke though despite that, despite his goading, the girl did not grasp her weapon. As much as her fingers itched to, she would not. She had enough restraint, after all, her training provided her with that much if nothing else.​

​

She stood in defiance only to keep Davron from becoming the target of his strange desires. What sort of a being intercepted strangers on the street to initiate a duel? It was perplexing.​

​

"I do not fear" she stated, unnaturally bolstered by the whole exchange. It had been a long time since she'd really had a cause to care about, and truth be told she barely even knew the man at her side, but that didn't matter. He spoke of knowing herself, as though somehow taking up arms could provide such.​

​

Was that what all of this was about for him?​

​

Was he soul searching at the tip of a blade?​

​

That was what the Force had in store for him..?​

​

Davron was speaking to her then, and she looked away from Sars to give him her attention. Her choice, he said... She nodded, before realizing that he could not see her do so. "I understand" she breathed, far more quietly than the words she'd directed to the other man. His grip of her arm had slackened now, no doubt preparing to step away, before he addressed the other.​

​

Her eyes fell back to Sars but they lingered there for a mere second before something Davron stated so brazenly caught her by surprise. His Padawan?​

​

Wait... What?​

​

Her mouth was slightly agape at the claim, and already her mind was trying to piece together the unfathomable truth. The way he'd refused to let her refer to herself as a mere Initiate, the way he'd tried to embolden her, teach her - even if not in traditional Jedi methods - how he'd kept her from slinking back to Coruscant with her tail between her legs as she would have likely done.​

​

She stared at him for the rest of what he said, chest rising and falling not so rapidly but certainly deeply. Sars had agreed to lowering the intensity, and Davron took it a step further. Training, and beyond that elsewhere.​

​

Gaze shifted between the pair... She had a decision to make, didn't she?​

​

"You state that the Force led you here to fight us. One of us..." Presumably her, given how intensely he'd looked at her from the start. Or maybe he discounted Davron solely for his blindness. "What if I did refuse? Would you pursue this anyway? Would you make him your target instead?" Her head nodded to Davron.​

​

An exhale through her nose, she tried to quieten her mind but given everything that had happened in so short a span of time it wasn't exactly the easiest task.​

​

"I agree, provided you do not pursue this any further after the fact. My... Master's -" bewilderment, pure and simple - "terms." Her usual niggling doubts and nerves twisted beneath the surface, taking a hold of her gut, yet Davron's words rang true within her mind to offset them for once. Padawan... Not appointed by the Order, but chosen.​

​

It would be enough to embolden anybody.​

​

Davron Feln Sars Sarad ​

 

[Sars Sarad]

He sensed that the girl had been emboldened either by her 'Masters' words or something else. Whatever the source Sarad would not dive to deeply into it. In truth it did not matter to him why she fought only that she did fight.

At last the anonymity that seemed to blanket the two was dispelled when Davron Feln introduced the two of them by name. Now Sarad knew who he was fighting. There was a moment of silence that would pass outwards from him before he offered a small cant of the head, his attention soon turning back to the girls whose name he now knew was Auraya Irath-Ur.

She question him, inquiring as to his intent. In response Sarad only looked at her as though to insinuate she already knew the answer. Eventually he would tell her plainly...

"Refusal was never in the cards for you."

...it wasn't so much what he said as how he said it. Sarad wasn't saying that he would have attacked her regardless and there was something about the way he acted that said he wouldn't have fought Davron while he was blind. If the Jedi Knight could see he may have found himself the recipient of the challenge instead but not under the present circumstances. No, the way Sarad said what he said it seemed like he believed that Auraya would have fought, like he never believed she could actually refuse.

The Force was mysterious, everyone dipped their toes into it and read it differently.

Regardless it was done now, agreed upon as it were. A 'training' match. He'd look at Davron after Auraya had mentioned not taking this any further, his features seemed to hold only mild interest and he would admit...

"Don't worry, I've no interest in your Master for the time."

...meaning as long as he remained blind. Turning Sarad would gesture in a direction off the street with the lightsaber held snugly in his right hand keeping in mind what Davron had said about finding a place off the street...

"There's a Park this way."

 

[Davron Feln]

"He seems to underestimate your self-control," Davron mused, quietly enough that only the girl at his side could hear. "Or overestimate my handicap." A small, self-assured smirk crossed his face with the second option. "Always remember, Auraya, there's no disability that can't eventually be overcome with the Force on your side." Undoubtely, she'd notice he spoke with a confidence he hadn't shown yet in the time they'd known each other, but even over the last couple of days his steps, either with or without her guiding him, had become far more sure, and he'd grown less reliant on her aid in most of the tasks around on the ship.

He might not entirely be willing to try navigating crowded streets or a marketplace without help, but if for any reason he should need to step in between herself and Sarad, he was far from afraid to do so.

"Now, lead the way, and try to find your center. You'll do yourself no favours if your mind keeps buzzing like a hornet's nest."

Auraya Irath-Ur Sars Sarad

 

[Auraya Irath-Ur]

Were she a bolder girl, Auraya might have refused then and there if only to try and juxtapose his worldview. The notion that the Force had anything to do with this, that somehow it willed her to fight strangers on Corellia, made her head hurt trying to comprehend it. Certainly that wasn't the case, right? A Jedi she might have been, sure, but that didn't mean she believed so deeply in the Force as to let it decide her every whim. Was that foolish of her? Was she the outlier for that..?​

​

Truth be told if she did believe it then no doubt it would only have led to a strained relationship with that metaphysical energy regardless. All the difficulties and strife, all part of it's plan? Yeah, no thanks. She'd rather take on the responsibility for it herself and grow from it. At least then she knew she could have something of an affect, change her stars so to speak.​

​

She realized she was in her head again. Davron was doing his best to pull her out of it.​

​

With a nod of her head she took in all that he had said, the quiet words meant for only her ears, and then she extended her arm back toward him so that she might lead him on. "Yes, Master," she remarked to the buzzing in her head. Finding her center before they reached the park would no doubt be best. Who knew how quickly things might spiral out of control once they reached it.​

​

Following Sars, she allowed the Force to slowly flow through her as she worked on emptying her mind of distraction. Though she'd never been particularly skilled when it came to the Force or the Blade, there were moments such as these wherein the length of time she'd been with the Jedi did show through. Her entire life, actually. Finding her center when she truly needed to do it, dismissing the worries and the doubts which more often than not tried to eat her up, was something which she knew instinctively.​

​

Even if she didn't always want to put it to good use. Even if sometimes she forgot to...​

​

"Why do you think he's actually doing this?" she inquired softly, for her Master's ears only, that question being the last niggling bit of confusion knocking about in her brain. Something she couldn't quite shake...​

​

Sars Sarad Davron Feln ​

 

[Sars Sarad]

If he had any idea what they were saying behind him it didn't show. Either Sarad was obvious or indifferent to it.

The Park wasn't far. They would move through the side streets until they came to an open, public area overlooking the water. Foliage was interspersed but it was mostly well maintained grass that was interconnected by patchworks of duracrete walkway that patrons could stroll on leisurely, enjoying themselves. With the sun as bright as it was it was actually quite picturesque.

There was a moment when Sarad paused as he moved onto the grass, it appeared as though he was admiring the scenery if only momentarily.

He'd choose a place where they would be on even ground, no difference in elevation between them.

When he turned towards Auraya Irath-Ur and Davron Feln again he'd adjusted his lightsaber briefly while stating...

"I trust there are no objections?"

...since the Blindman, Davron had suggested it seemed as though he was mostly making his remark to him though he was ever aware of Auraya as well. As he spoke his fingers wrapped securely around the hilt of the lightsaber, testing it before it ignited.

As the phosphorescent blade came to life it would radiate a palpable heat due to the barab ingot used in its construction though true to his word Sarad ensured that the settings were minimized so that his opponent wouldn't suffer for it. Were the weapon at full capacity the heat from the blade would be capable of dealing grievous burns.

He'd whirl the lightsaber into a slow, circular pattern before bringing it around ahead of him with the right hand over the left as he took it double handed. The Lightsaber hovered at height with his midsection, angled forward slightly. Insofar as a style and stance were concerned it seemed as though Sarad favored Shii-Cho, at least for this engagement.

Looking beyond the pulse of the lightsabers blade and pressing the hum of energy into the back of his mind he waited....

 

[Davron Feln]

Davron hummed quietly to himself in response to Auraya's question as they walked along, thinking it through. Truthfully, they were any number of reasons somebody in this modern galaxy might turn to travelling displays of prowess and swordsmanship, though given that this man they had met was willing to dial back the intensity rather than insisting on fighting to blood or death, some of them were taken out of consideration. Many others would depend on knowing the man's background and culture, which Davron did not, though he might able to make a guess.

"Perhaps he tests himself as much as others," he replied. It was almost a non-answer, but it was the best he could give at the moment. "Don't worry too much about it. Do your best, remember the training you have, and trust in the Force." As they passed beyond streets and buildings and into the small park, Davron could immediately feel the warmth as sunlight his his face, and hear the sound of water nearby. Luckily, the space was rather empty of people at the moment.

It wouldn't do well for them to interrupt anybody's picnic, after all.

He released Auraya's hand, walking a short ways away as the mysterious duelist asked his question and ignited his blade. He held the cane before him to warn him of anything he might trip over, but the space was clear and flat. Were it not for the grass underfoot he might have even mistook it for one of the Saber's outdoor training spaces. "I believe this will do nicely, yes," he responded. Pointless as it was, he turned to face the pair, nodding in Auraya's direction.

"When you're both ready."

Auraya Irath-Ur Sars Sarad

 

[Auraya Irath-Ur]

As they came unto the park, she had Davron's answer ringing through her mind. She'd come to a similar conclusion, if only due to the idea that the Force had led him to this point, but hadn't entirely been sure about it. Maybe she'd find out in due time. Maybe it would remain a mystery forever.​

​

Either way, she nodded her head to his encouragement. Remember her training... Force, she'd attended so many lessons over the years but in that moment her mind was drawing a blank.​

​

No. She shook that off immediately, and inhaled a slow breath. Remember your training, Raya. Dagon, and Khefiir, and Aaran, and Zaavik, and that was only to speak of those she'd happened upon after leaving the Enclave. Her heart thumped, and for a moment she felt as though she might turn tail and run.​

​

Then Davron spoke again, readying them, and she steeled her nerves against it. She would do this if only to keep him from becoming the target of this man's habits.​

​

Finally her fingers clasped around the hilt of her training blade, and as she brought it from her belt she held it lightly in her grasp. Inhaled. Exhaled. Ignited it as he had his own, a brilliant cyan blade jutting into existence. He took his stance, and she took her own - in many ways it mimicked his, though it was perhaps just a bit less practiced.​

​

Zaavik's midnight lesson relayed in her mind, and she tipped her blade up just a touch more; she always leaned toward it being too low, he'd warned her. She corrected it this time, fixed it before anyone else could call her out on it.​

​

She watched him, assessing not just how he held the blade but how he held himself, and waited for any sign of his first move...​

​

Sars Sarad Davron Feln ​

 

[Sars Sarad]

He waited, watching as she ignited her own ligtsaber and took a stance across from him. While he'd heard what Davron Feln had said it would be obvious that his focus was almost entirely on Auraya Irath-Ur now. There would be a moment after she appeared to mimic his stance that a stillness would exist between them.

When Sarad moved forward he did so quickly, his steps were short and swift compacting his own movements as he came at Auraya. As he moved he flourished the lightsaber he held in a practiced fashion. It was more flash than substance meant to catch the eye as he drew closer.

Then he'd plant his right foot ahead as he found his distance, the left instinctively turning outwards in the same motion. As his right foot came forward the flourish of his 'saber ended and he'd whip it across in a blow meant to make contact with her own on the outside and parry it to her left as he jockeyed for a dominant position. On contact the blades would crackle with energy, hissing and the heat radiating from his own would resonate out towards her.

Sarad wasn't being flashy, his move seemed to be one of the most basic.

A training spar and at training intensity, that was what he agreed to wasn't it?

Gazing beyond the clash of sabers he watched the girl, reading her expressions and her body language almost as though this match was being fought on two fronts.

 

[Auraya Irath-Ur]

The man was fast, and perhaps her only immediate consolation was that he wasn't aiming for her but to contend her blade instead. She had, of course, been paying attention, she'd caught the initial tensing of his muscles as he launched himself forward, but acknowledging and having the ability to swiftly put that information to good use?​

​

Yeah, not necessarily a skill she'd perfected yet. Too many training simulations and droids, not enough actual experience with her fellow sentients.​

​

All the same their blades locked, yet Auraya herself barely seemed to flinch at his sudden appearance ahead of her. She kept her breathing steady, opened herself up to the Force, and found faith within it.​

​

Two hands were settled upon the hilt, and she was grateful she'd decided to choose such a grip to begin with. One handed and she might have lost her hold entirely... Instead she pushed back against the lock, feeling the heat emanating from his blade, and stared at him through it.​

​

Then, bracing herself, pushed with her weight behind her to try and break the bind.​

​

Sars Sarad ​

 

[Sars Sarad]

Their lightsabers crackled, bound together by the saber lock much the same as their eyes seemed to be. Beyond the crackle of blades and the pulse of energy Sarad's eyes never left Auraya's. There was an intesity the way that he looked at her as if to say that he was already enjoying himself.

Sarad would feel the shift in her body as Auraya Irath-Ur braced herself, he could feel her push with her weight as she worked to force their blades apart...

"Good."

...he remarked, feeling the pressure from her. Rather than apply his own in return to maintain the lock and potentially overextend himself though Sarad pushed back only long enough to make Auraya think he might attempt to maintain it then he swung away. Transitioning his weight onto his rear foot he'd have rocked backwards, sweeping his right side away from her.

As his right side withdrew Sarad would break the lock, disengaging his 'saber quickly hoping that it would leave Auraya off balance while he arced his lightsaber out to his right. Arcing the lightsaber out to his right he'd have brought it back in a tight loop to level it at height with the outside of her left knee before snapping it across to clip her there. If the blow landed it would certainly sting, the heat from the lightsaber might even leave a minor burn to remind her of the blow but true to his word it would not debilitate her.

His eyes continued to play over her. If she didn't look away he maintained her gaze. Sarad could respect the nerve she showed.

 

[Auraya Irath-Ur]

Sabers locked, and eyes just as intensely, Auraya was doing little more than searching for a change in him, any indication of what was to come. Sure he pushed back, but she knew he wouldn't keep it up for too long, he held too much of the power within the lock, physically outclassing her, there was little sense to stand there like statues in the park.​

​

It wasn't her eyes which alerted her though, it was the Force itself; he pulled back, and she softened her pushback just enough to catch herself before she was forced to take a step forward or lose her balance entirely. It was still a jarring act, causing her to drop her gaze for a moment for fear of tumbling, but when she straightened up her stance those icy eyes met his once more.​

​

His command over the blade was impressive, but with how he flourished it she was able to track its motions out of her peripheral. Steady inhale, steady exhale, body pulling on the lessons she'd received over the years, though none more readily than the last she'd had with Zaavik Perl when she'd admittedly been at her lowest. Insomniac, fighting to prove herself, she'd lost countless nights to the training room. It wasn't until he'd found her there and pushed her beyond what she'd usually been capable of that she found peace enough to sleep once more.​

​

Blindfolded. Forced to feel, truly feel the whims of another...​

​

Blade dipped down to protect her left zone, catching his blade mere inches from her leg; she felt the heat of it, held his gaze, and without hesitation parried it aside. She'd been allowing herself to be led so far, but as she turned the hot blade of his saber away Auraya slid back just a touch where she stood and used the space it afforded between them to cut the hilt of her own cyan blade to the right, swiping at his leg in turn.​

​

Sars Sarad​