Private The Defensive Form

[Kahlil Noble]

It was always welcome information to be told of another Padawan that sought out a way to protect rather than defeat. Perhaps it was a sign of the times that there were more, but he wasn't going to think on it long. Instead, he was in the training room yet again, configuring some of the drones he'd be utilizing for the day. Soresu, the defensive form. Before any of the typical saber training on how to complete a sequence or hold the lightsaber there was always one mindset that was vastly more important.

One that could be used in any other form, really.

He set the orb back in it's holder, a soft smile on his face as he stretched out and glanced to the door. They should be here any moment.

Shan

 

[Shan]

The amount of excitement Shan actually felt towards this lesson wasn't something he had ever expected. Saber training wasn't something he thought he'd ever want to look forward to, but here he was, fighting the urge to sprint off to the lesson and instead making sure he was calmly walking through the temple. Stretching his hands out a little bit to get the blood flowing as he slowly pushed open the door, clearing his throat afterwards to try and make sure his presence was known, alongside making sure he spoke clearly.

"Master Noble? I'm here. I apologise if I kept you waiting." Shan gave a short bow at that, doing his hardest to be polite. That was always his number one thing he does when he met someone new. Be as polite as possible to make a good impression, and then start to relax.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Nope. You're more or less on time, not that it actually matters." Kahlil flashed a brief smile before he motioned towards the center of the room. "I heard from the other Master Noble you're not a fan of having to hurt others. It's an admirable trait, and one I want to encourage. I'm not just going to be teaching you Soresu today." He ignited his blade shortly after, but where a blade normally would give off a sound, his was utterly silent.

"There are many ways for a Jedi to diffuse a situation, and only a few of those involve violence. Diplomacy is the first and foremost tool we have, but it won't always work. There are some foes in this Galaxy that don't care for words. What's your first instinct?"

Shan

 

[Shan]

Shan tilted his head when Kahlil said it didn't matter if he had been on time or not before shaking his head and closing the door behind him to head into the room and its center, his eyes going to Kahlil's lightsaber as the master ignited it. It was interesting to see, or well hear, that there wasn't a sound coming from the saber blade. It made Shan's mind wander though it was quickly brought back to the topic at hand as he heard the question that was asked of him, and he cupped his chin in thought about it.

"Even if they won't listen to words, my first instinct would be to try and get them to listen to my actions before I even thought of combat." He gently waved his hand over towards Kahlil's lightsaber as Shan carried on speaking. "In some situations, I hope that if they won't listen to my words, that at least the sight of a lightsaber might cause them to hesitate. Though that won't always work...and in which case, my first instinct is normally to rely on a simple Force push to give myself more time to think. I had to rely on that, regarding to a situation the other day I had...Though even that might not always work either. Though I've been fortunate that when I've been in those kind of situations, I've had someone who is willing to fight."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"To subdue an enemy without fighting is the height of skill." It was an important lesson for all Jedi to learn, but that wasn't their purpose here. Their goal was to talk about how to fight without truly harming their foe. And the importance behind still fighting when necessary. "Are you afraid of harming people? There is no shame in that, or weakness. But it is important to understand where your aversion to fighting comes from before you end up in a fight you have no choice in."

Shan

 

[Shan]

"It is more...I like to think my actions have ripples." Shan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he was trying to figure out the best way to word it. "If I can end something peacefully, then I like to believe the other person may try to end their next problem peacefully, or people watching will. Whereas if I fight them, I believe that would cause more fights later down the line. If I cause someone else pain, they might want to cause pain to someone else" Did that make sense? Shan wasn't too sure, but it was how he saw it at the end of the day. "Though...the other Master Noble, and this other Padawan I've spoken to has made me more...willing to risk ripples."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That's.. Huh. That's pretty deep. You sure you're just a Padawan?"

Kahlil paused for a moment, even lowered his blade as he chuckled in surprise. Welcome surprise, at that. The meaning behind the Mirialan's desire for peace was much deeper than he expected from a teenager. Then again, he was a Jedi. Perhaps he shouldn't be so surprised. He again raised his saber, smiling after a moment. "Hold to your beliefs. There will come a time you'll have to cause ripples, but by holding on and always trying not to, you'll keep your own path. Of course, there's a danger to that, but that's why I'm here. To give you the skills and tools to keep that belief. We'll start with the skills. What's your saber training been like?"

Shan

 

[Shan]

"Yes Sir. It's just something I noticed living on Nar Shaddaa. Those people who were attacked or treated cruelly, were more likely to treat others cruelly...whereas the people I helped, were more often than not willing to extend a hand to help other people." Shan gave a short nod at that. He never thought of him as being mature for his beliefs, it was just how he had always thought as he smiled at Kahlil before blinking at being asked about lightsaber combat.

"I only know the basics. I used to feel...wrong, holding a lightsaber and treating it as a weapon and not as a tool. I've only ever sparred against the droids, as opposed to anyone else. Because...Like I said, I don't want to cause pain to people so going against droids seemed like the only choice." He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little bit awkward about how he acted towards lightsaber combat...but thats why he was here, so he could start learning more and getting the skills he needed.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Well, that makes the first lesson easier." Kahlil lifted his saber up, holding it horizontally in front of him. "It's not a tool or a weapon. It's a shield. I know, sounds like bias coming from the Shield of the Jedi, but that's what it is. In others hands it might very well be the most dangerous weapon, but in the hands of the Jedi, shield. We use it to protect people. Some do it by striking down a threat before it can harm others. I prefer to use it to protect everyone, even my opponent when I can. Soresu's foundation is the best offense is a good defense. You protect yourself, those around you, until your opponent exhausts themselves. And an exhausted opponent is easier to subdue non lethally."

Shan

 

[Shan]

Shan tilted his head at that...He had never thought of a lightsaber as a shield...Hm...He gave a short nod at that though, breaking out into a smile. "I know the idea of using Soresu to defend. It's part of why I want to use it. Tiring out an opponent until I can take them out non-lethally is always going to be my main goal. Lives are vital to me, no matter who they belong to." There he was, being his usual naive self, but that doesn't mean he wasn't going to stick to his own values. "The other Master Noble told me...about how I should know when to redeem someone, and when I should focus on defeating them...and I understand her point, but that doesn't mean I'll give up on someone. I'll just defeat them...and then redeem them!" With that, Shan broke out into a little cheesy grin

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil only gave a grin of his own. It was an ideal he once held himself. Once. Perhaps he still hoped to keep it. Maybe Shan could. The Shield would at least make sure he could hold onto that optimism as long as possible regardless.

"Good. Then, saber at the ready. There's a very important part of Soresu you need to learn, and there's no better way than in the action. Come stand in the center."

Shan

 

[Shan]

Shan gave a short nod at that instruction, taking his saber from his belt carefully and hurrying off into the center of the room before he'd ignite it carefully, wincing ever so slightly at the sound of the noise. It still felt strange to him, the fact he was about to use the saber around someone else...but he had to stay confident.

"I understand a key part of it...is stamina. To outlast someone, I need to be able to stand up to their attacks without getting tired myself." He wrapped his hands around the saber tighter, focusing on his breathing. He couldn't allow himself to get distracted.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That's an important part, but not it's core." He raised a hand, calling over one of the controllers to his palm before clicking it on. One of the drones he'd been tinkering with lifted up, zipping through the air to start circling around Shan.

"Defend yourself."

Then it activated fully. The little jolt of a laser it fired went off as it dipped and floated around the room in a seemingly random pattern. That was the point. Nothing was supposed to be consistent, nothing was supposed to be easy to figure out. He was simply testing how much Shan knew.

Shan

 

[Shan]

Shan's eyes went wide as soon as the little drone started to fire at him, and he went to work deflecting it away from himself, before making sure to stay on the move whilst being in the center of the room. Staying stood firm would cause him to mess up, especially since the drone was moving erratically and firing at random points, with him just slashing away at the drone's shots, trying to keep himself moving.

Though as his eyes were focusing it on the drone...They lit up at a realisation. This was probably more than just a simple test. Deflecting a single drone, even if it was firing erratically was relatively...simple for defense. There was every chance that there was going to be more than just one drone firing at him, so the Padawan tried to focus on paying attention to his entire surroundings, and not just the drone firing at him. Though that did cause a few close calls where he'd stumble and only just miss being struck by a bolt from its laser

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That's what people expect you to do. Focus around you, try to perceive everything."

Sure enough, more of the droids joined the first. A second, a third, all scattering and moving together in seemingly random patterns all over again. Kahlil stayed where he stood, hands behind his back as he continued to control the drones from the controller he had hidden from the Padawan's sight. He had a good grasp of how to use his saber, but now Kahlil was actively trying to overwhelm him. See how far he could push.

"But that's not what Soresu is."

Shan

 

[Shan]

One was enough to get Shan a little bit nervous about his stance, two was absolutely pushing it...but Shan wasn't able to deal with three of them at once, as he just kept slashing around him, trying to deflect the bolts away. It wasn't possible for him to focus on all three of them at once, letting out a few hisses at all the shocks he was getting from the bolts he let through.

He was starting to get more frustrated with every jolt, though Shan was trying to stay calm. Shan knew part of what he had to do. Just turn off his mind for lack of a better term and rely on the force...but he was too frustrated to actually be able to focus on the Force. Still trying to slash away at the bolts, hissing and grunting at every slight zap and strike.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Better. Breath. Let go. Most people think you have to think, but you don't. Trust yourself, trust the Force. Let yourself find the calm in the eye of the storm. You don't have to deflect every shot, you don't have to move your whole body out of the way. Let go and let your instincts take over." As he spoke he again changed the drones pattern. Lessened the pressure to keep it challenging, but not frustratingly impossible to keep up.

Shan

 

[Shan]

It was harder than he expected to just relax. The frustration still at the forefront of his mind as Shan just tried to let himself react automatically. Closing his eyes and trying to clear his mind. Treating it like when he'd meditate, just letting everything blur together to let his body and the Force mostly take over, slashing from side to side to deflect the shots that he had to deflect, whilst avoiding the ones he didn't have to. Conserving his energy to use for later as he just let his instincts focus right now.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Breathe. You're doing quite well. Conserving your energy, trusting the Force, they're important parts of the stance. Trust in yourself, your power. The Force will never fail you." The lesson continued like that for a little longer. Kahlil watching Shan to make sure he wasn't too overwhelmed, giving advice here and there to guide the Mirialan into a deeper understanding of the stance. The eye of the storm was where a Soresu user should always live. Where no matter how chaotic the world around them was, they were at peace.

Eventually, Kahlil clicked the off button. The drones drifted back to their stations, settling down shortly after.

"Good. Tell me what you learned."

Shan

 

[Shan]

Shan carried on being on autopilot for most of the training against the drones. Conserving his energy more than he had earlier, not trying to swing out at every shot he saw...Mostly because with his eyes closed, he couldn't see the bolts. He focused as much as he could, or well...didn't focus if we were being more precise. Though eventually they came to a pause, with Shan letting out a slow and sharp exhale, opening his eyes and disengaging his lightsaber to put back onto his belt, breaking out into a small smile.

There was a part of him that was still stressed, but he had enjoyed the training at the end of the day. He stretched his arms out slightly, as he prepared to answer Kahlil's question.

"...Trying to focus on deflecting everything that comes my way isn't the best of ideas. There will be things that are out of my reach, or that I don't need to defend from, that would end up wasting my energy. Instead it's better for me to just go with what the Force is telling me to defend from. Because in the chaos of an onslaught of attacks, being calm is the most important thing."