The Land Before Time [Latin Italiano]

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Tython; Somewhere in the forest​

"It's fine, I'll take care of it I said." Came the continuation of a series of self-berating grumbles. "No, no, Darron, keep teaching your classes I said." Her footing was sure as she shimmied down the mountain's face to the flat area below. Bits of loose gravel rolled from the soles of her boots and each chunk raced the next to the bottom. Thankfully, the girl had a better grip than the loose bits of stone.

"Next time," The youthful Master of Light began, assuring herself while she continued her speech. She'd been alone for about three days now, with only the sound of her light sabre against Flesh Raiders to listen to (and the nature of Tython and The Force, of course too) and had only just started to have a conversation with herself. Her palms struck against the stones as she made her way across and down the last three meters of the descent "Scouting will be part of training."
Tython was as treacherous a planet as it was beautiful. It was protected and hosted most of The Jedi Order's secrets and knowledge; however, it was on the threat of being compromised since ex-councillor Apparine's sudden turn to the darkside. As a result, routine scouting missions were being executed by whoever was available; as Grandmaster, Kiskla had started the initiative -- only to be interrupted by a pack of Flesh Raiders tainted by the planet's conflicted darkness. For the protection of herself and others, she had dealt with them appropriately.

Oh well, she shouldn't grumble too much. Her A-Wing was being prepared while she mumbled and would be meeting her at this sanctuary in just over an hour. Providing the Autopilot operated flawlessly -- she still opted to not have a droid a part of her fighter, despite the ease it could potentially provide.

Kiskla had just lowered herself to the ground (although there was still a natural incline to the forrest floor) when she felt radiating signatures of Ashla up at the landing pad plateau. Huh. All the way out here to train, eh? Righty ho then. Her slender fingers raked through her blonde hair and pulled out bits of branches and other flora before she hiked up to where the ground became flatter.

"Good afternoon."

[member="Valeria Aetani"]

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

Waiting for the young Grandmaster was someone almost the same age as her, a girl in Padawan robes with a lightsabre at her side. It seemed that not all eighteen year olds could become Grandmaster and head of the Council.
Also there was the girl’s master, a stern looking man from the Jedi production line of stern looking men. His name was Cyrus Achaemas, and hers was Valeria Aetani.

“Good morning, Master!” Valeria chirped enthusiastically. “Nice morning for a walk?” she asked cheekily. Despite Kiskla’s best efforts there would be a few remnants of her ramble visible.
“What Padawan Aetani means to say, Master Grayson, is that we came as request,” he said, giving his Padawan a warning look.

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

"It was." Kiskla replied to [member="Valeria Aetani"] simply, perhaps the saying was eye for an eye, but today it would be cheek for a cheek. She could feel a stray bit of pine poking at her cheek, and it seemed to catch the glow of a violet wisp that perpetually twirled into the air from a glowing stand around the perimeter of the stone plateau. Matching this violet one, were others mixed in with golden glows; a strange beacon in the middle of nowhere. Lights aside, she reached up to the prickle and disposed of it similarly to the rest.

Her light eyes perused over the pair as she dipped at the waist appropriately in salutations. Now with technicalities aside, she could explore the depths of the elder's explanation. A request? Of whom? Instead of absent wonderings, Kiskla harnessed her bluntness by voicing her curiosity.

"That's quite a distance from the temple for a request -- mind sharing the nature of this proposal?" She had thought they were just out here for training, but it turned out things may have been more interesting than initially assumed.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kiskla Grayson"]
“I am sure you have many tasks of your own to attend to, Master Grayson, but I was hoping you might be able to help instruct her with a lightsabre. I’m afraid my skills were always more in the area of calling on the Force than using a blade, and it has been hard to find a Master willing to teach her the advanced forms of Soresu and Juyo. Also, I believe she has the ability to use psychometry, and since you are regarded as the expert on this, I was hoping you might be able to start her on her path.”

Whilst her Master spoke Valeria fidgeted with her gloves and generally found it hard to stay still….

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Whoever said flattery will get you nowhere obviously didn't receive the right compliments. Though, the truth was, it didn't matter of Master Achaemas had used pretty words or not; Kiskla always believed in making time to further knowledge. She had informed Sochi Ru of this just over a year ago, and had continued to live this way whenever the opportunity arose. It didn't mean Kiskla was a phenomenal teacher, but it meant she would try -- teach someone to fish, and they'll be fed for life right?

"Of course, I'd love to contribute; especially after this distanced hike and your impeccable timing." She nodded shortly, acquiescing with a pleasant grin that reflected her demeanour and turned her focus to [member="Valeria Aetani"] who appeared to be in the same age bracket of herself. Awkward -- this happened a lot. Nevertheless, she was here for a reason and it would be evidenced with her relatively prodigal Force footprint. Her left hand reached to her right arm, sending a correspondence on her private frequency to flight control to delay her departure until she alerted the prep team once more.

"Where would you prefer to start, Padawan Aetani?"

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kiskla Grayson"]
Cyrus nodded and backed away. “I’ll leave you to it. Padawan, contact me when you are finished.”

When he was gone Valeria perked up a bit. “Well, I’ve been learning about lightsabre duelling. Did you want to start there? I’ve been learning Shien mainly, but I was looking to expand my horizons. Also, are you really the Grandmaster?”
The ‘you’re very young’ implied comment was one Kiskla probably knew all about now and probably hated. But hey, a little bit of jealousy was understandable, if not excused.

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

A nod was afforded to Cyrus as he dipped away and left the two young Force wielders to their devices.

It was then that the cheeky female piped up and began inviting Kiskla into her little realm of knowledge, offering the basics that she knew. Djem So was a variant of Shien -- not that it mattered, Kiskla practiced the form seldom, and [member="Valeria Aetani"] likely knew all about the history of her own comfort. Then the raven-haired teen inquired whether or not there was truth behind Kiskla's title, and the child of Naboo almost replied with an eye roll and a No, I thought it'd be a funny joke -- but her benevolence restrained her naturally knavish tongue; unfortunately not well and the response was initially a short: "Yes." She continued however, affording more to the reply "But titles aren't worth anything if the responsibility behind them isn't evidenced." Her right hand reached behind her back, unclipping one of her cerulean blades and holding her hilt at her hips for a moment "But Kiskla will work for the time being."

She quickly transitioned the conversation to something a little more interesting (or so she thought) "We'll start with Soresu, since it's so closely related to Shien -- you already have somewhat of an advantage, considering you're two forms ahead. Tell me what you know of Form III, and if you can, show me the opening stance."

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

Perhaps realising she’d been tactless, Valeria looked contrite…but only for a few seconds. She had an irrepressible quality which made her try and see the best in everything. And, probably, be irritatingly keen and enthusiastic.

And now a question. Valeria was not the sort to be a scholar. What she knew she knew because she’d had to learn it, not because she was a bookworm.

“Right, Kiskla! Form III is the defensive one,” she opined. “It’s good for defending but isn’t good for attacking.” This writer’s Jedi Master would have had something to say about that…but it’d be down to Kiskla to correct her.
She produced her blue lightsabre and activated it. She formed a reasonable imitation of the opening stance, though it was a stance she only knew from watching, not from doing.

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Well, [member="Valeria Aetani"] was partly true, so Kiskla let her know.
"Like everything, it can be both offensive and defensive. It depends how you use it." She stepped nearer the energetic female and regarded her positioning. Soresu was a form that kept everything very close to the body, a way to conserve energy. "It's defensive in the sense that it was developed to ward of myriads of blaster bolts coming at you, but it's offensive in the angles.

With practice, you'll be able to redirect everything that comes at you back to your attackers." An amused flicker crossed her lips and she tapped the tip of her nose knowingly -- "So no, it's not purely defensive." As a Padawan, Kiskla had been thoroughly trained day and night by a Jedi Guardian who was an adept duelist. Before Darron had entered his carbonite induced sleep, he had instructed Kiskla's early Master, Antares Marclonus. This Knight passed on the knowledge to the eager young Padawan Grayson who adopted the methods with keen enthusiasm. She had favoured Soresu for a long while -- mostly because her father had taught her how to shoot when she wasn't training as a Jedi. Target practicing with a blaster taught her calculations for a perfect shot -- she then manipulated that knowledge to Soresu when it came to deflecting shots. It was the first of many strange methodologies the young Jedi would employ that seemed to work. Her other preferred sabre technique was Vaapad -- quite the opposite end of the spectrum to Soresu. But then again, most of what Kiskla did walked a blurred line of many spectrums.

"But, we will start the lesson's focus on the element of defending. So first thing's first, you want to create a circle of protection around you. Move fluidly from the origin position." At this, Kiskla's own length of cerulean ignited and she drew the blade close to her; moving as if she were water and this was merely a formality to an otherwise natural position. "Typically, blaster fire is fairly concentrated and you want to cover all your zones, as well as those around you if possible." Kiskla faced the Padawan and pointed her blade to different areas of the girl's body as she spoke, indicating the 'zones' she had mentioned. "A key element of Soresu is self-awareness. You have to know your back from your front." Kiskla smirked at how silly that sounded, but she continued to explain herself. "Your front is the direction of your weapon arm, and lead foot. Keep your posture straight."

"Another reason that Form III is quite unique, is you'll find that the strength of your movements stems from your shoulders, unlike many other forms where its all in the wrist." Kiskla took the stance she had instructed to Padawan Aetani, pointing with her toes and her lead arm before rotating the sabre through her shoulder and waist motions. "Follow along with me, and keep your stance steady through your knees."

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

Valeria listened as Kiskla spoke. Her words made sense, and the Padawan instinctively understood her meaning, even if she didn't completely intellectualise the commentary.
If there was one thing that Valeria understood, it was the more physical aspects of being a Jedi, using a lightsabre, and knowing where to put it. She had a little experience with Form III, but not much.

It was a sign that she was actually thinking that she didn't offer a commentary on matters, but did as instructed. She followed Kiskla's movements, showing a good degree of skill at following them. She was naturally less accustomed and not perfectly on beat, but she would pick it up quickly.

Now she awaited the next stage, which would be to demonstrate the applications of the form. Unfortunately they didn't seem to have and droids to shoot at them.
"How do you block the shots if multiple are coming in at once from different areas? You can't be in two places at once after all!"

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

"Practice." Kiskla replied simply, holding her blade parallel to her body and keeping an eye on the Padawan's form should she need to offer the suggestion of an adjustment anywhere. However, [member="Valeria Aetani"] didn't seem to have any trouble picking up the cues and following them -- making the physical transitions remarkably fluid for her first time.

"You're weaving a shield." She furthered the explanation while her wrist, from overhead, twisted and still using her shoulders to move her blade, her blade wove a basket of blue light; demonstrating the defective slashes that were so recognizably Form III. "You do not have to be in two separate places -- you just have to cover all the area within your reach."

This is is another defence motion. Keep using your shoulders and keep your hilt connected with your centre line. Then, make a downward Cho behind to ensure proper rotation." As Kiskla used one hand, she kept an eye on the Padawan, using her free hand to brace her elbow as it twisted with the demonstration. She then switched to a complementary minor orbit "Establish a rhythm." Kiskla's toned arm looked as if it were weaving in and out of waves, like a dolphin leaping between crests. Slowly, however, her major orbit began to tighten and the circle's arc began to get smaller. For demonstration purposes, Kiskla moved slowly, transferring the strength from her shoulder, to her wrist as the arc began to decrease. Soon, the blade was twirling in a circle in her hand, crossing from shoulder to shoulder with a manifested shield of brilliant cerulean.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kiskla Grayson"]
Valeria nodded, understanding. She mimicked Kiskla’s movements as closely as she could. The Jedi Master was infinitely better prepared and practiced than her, but regardless of that the Padawan picked up forms quickly. Soon enough she was able to give a good impression of the styles. It was merely practice though, not full speed against opposition, but still!

“It’s all about the angles,” Valeria said when they stopped. “Conservation of effort, and using the blade to deflect the attacks rather than necessarily guiding each one back. Is the principle the same against another lightsabre?”

She was rather hoping she could demonstrate her Shien skills against Kiskla. It…probably wouldn’t end well, but that was Masters were for! At least Kiskla wouldn’t kill her, like a Sith might.

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

"Well, yes." Kiskla admitted to [member="Valeria Aetani"]'s accurate depiction of the style;

​

"But there's hardly a point in doing something if you don't do all you can. There's no reason to conserve your energies if you can render your enemies useless." Her brows cocked suggestively at this statement, but didn't pursue it. Soresu was indeed made for conservative battles, when Jedi were surrounded by myriads of blasters and had to keep up defence for lengths of time.

"But you're correct. Especially if you're defending others, just do what you can to get the bolts to go away from you. As for a lightsabre to lightsabre, this is where the conservation of self is important. Against a lightsabre, you'll find your moves to be much tighter and closer to your body, and your parries short; in this instance, the form is purely defensive."

At this point, without warning, Kiskla's blade snapped out in a horizontal strike from it's position where it had been pointing horizontally across her body and toward her feet. The strength that came from her shoulders was impressive, and it would require Valeria to block it with a swoop. To follow that, Kiskla shifted her blade to a more vertical strike that would drag against Val's block, until it reached her right shoulder. This is where the tight defences would be most important that the Grandmaster had just spoken of.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kiskla Grayson"]
The Master was fast, and Valeria instinctively stepped back, her own blade ignited. She was forced to jump the low slash, then parry the vertical cut.
For a moment the Padawan was slightly panicked, not knowing what to do. Should she return to Shien that she knew, or should she try and show her knowledge of Soresu which she’d only just learned?

In the end, she decided to remain on the defensive with the new form, and hoped that Kiskla wouldn’t cut her in half!

When the next cut came she angled her blade so the scraping was driven away from her, and she could riposte with her own diagonal cut, hoping to exploit Kiskla’s own move against her. Soresu was not entirely passive, and could be formidable on the counter…though at this stage Valeria was not really attacking in Form III, but in a strange hybrid. It too would not work out well, most likely.

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

[member="Valeria Aetani"]'s reactive instincts would bode her well in the upcoming years-- it meant there would be upcoming years. There was a flinch of hesitation however, that didn't go unnoticed by the blonde Jedi Master. When one was in solitude and training a new sparring aspirant, one doesn't miss much. This hesitation manifested in Val's rebuttal, and Kiskla's blade was left hovering at the Padawan's shoulder until a cut was directed at her.

At this point, Kiskla's fingers twisted and adjusted her grip on the blade to her usual reverse-grip, which in turn brought the blade to meet against Padawan Aetani's although it strained her wrist relatively.

With a defiant push, Kiskla put some distance between them and brought her blade in an arch in front of her, mostly for show. "Good to see you out of your comfort zone." She complimented with a nod, before taking a step forward with her left foot and putting her weight on her right; twisting into a downward slashing attack that once more closed the space between them on the plateau.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kiskla Grayson"]
Valeria saw Kiskla coming forward again, and decided to call on Soresu again to defend herself. Stepping back she angled her blade to the left, catching Kiskla's strike. She stepped back, swung the blade up and slice in from her right diagonally up at the Jedi Master.

This was something she could do. She wouldn't win the duel, not against a Master, but she could show that she had merits. The Force skills would be much harder of course....

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

The Padawan was focused, and didn't engage in conversation. [member="Valeria Aetani"]'s attention didn't betray her, in fact, she caught Kiskla's slash while buoying the weight of The Grandmaster's blade and taking away it's support. In the moment where Kiskla's cerulean rod met nothing, Valeria sprung into action again and came up in an arch of blue. The girl's movements were fast, but she had left Kiskla's blade dangling at mid-height, which made catching Val's oncoming strike that much easier for her. Instead of catching it from the bottom however, the blonde made it more difficult for herself -- and decided to incorporate more levels into this session with this random, yet promising Padawan.

Kiskla's blade twirled before Val could reach the kiffar's body and leave a burn. It ended up barking against the other blue blade, causing a small burst of blue to erupt from both swords. "Keep it tight" Kiskla commented, instructing more on Soresu "Force me to try and get into your realm, where you are comfortable. Trust me, a Sith will take the bait -- they want to kill you." She held Val's blade long enough, pointing both down toward the ground before giving it a powerful jerk back in the direction Val had struck from -- to the right -- and freeing it. Perhaps it would cause a slightly painful sensation in the Padawan's wrist, but Kiskla could have done much worse.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kiskla Grayson"]
Valeria struggled to keep a grip on her weapon to stop it being smacked out of her grip. It hurt, but she retained focus, listening to Kiskla's words.
She didn't fully understand them, but she gamely made the effort. Making her opponent dance to her tune made sense with an attacking style, but Soresu was mainly defensive. Frowning, she stepped forward, moving fast in two diagonal sweeping up strokes, one left, one right, then parrying the inevitable counter attack with a deliberate back step. If she could lure her opponent into attacking, maybe she could follow Kiskla's advice.

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

And so, the two began their footwork. With precise angles, Kiskla moved to deflect the initial upward sweep from [member="Valeria Aetani"] to the right. It was part of her motion from pushing her blade away -- this was simply a follow through. The right, however, she missed and had to angle her own body to avoid an unwanted scar. After pushing her shoulders backwards to avoid the swoop, her trained gaze never lifted from the Padawan. Apparently she was taking her words to heart, and was now inviting Kiskla to pursue her and forcing the Grandmaster to tango to Val's tune.

Kiskla flicked her wrist, and heard the familiar whooom of her blade cutting through the air by her side. Then, she took three measured steps before she was within the Padawan's zone as she had suggested. The blade of cerulean plasma came in toward Valeria's right side; aiming for the place between her neck and shoulder. It was easy enough to parry, but Kiskla wanted to leave herself presumably vulnerable to see how the Padawan would keep Kiskla in her sphere and put her on the awkward. Of course, her blade was on the move toward the Padawan, but her mind was already calculating her evasive options.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kiskla Grayson"]
So far, so good. Kiskla had indeed come forward and cut, an easy blow which Valeria could defend against. Her blade came up, all angles, and cut across the path of the slash, turning it aside.
She had a choice now, to counter, or to keep defending. Perhaps out of inexperience or out of self-preservation she made the split second decision not to attack, and instead stepped back slightly.

She couldn’t help but remember that their weapons were on full power, and perhaps the pressure was starting to get to the Padawan. She was only young after all.
“Master, please stop,” she said, lowering her weapon. She wasn’t sure why she said it, or what she wanted to do now, so she just stood awkwardly looking at her blade, not at the Grandmaster.