The Simplest Weapon

[Kahlil Noble]

After a couple of months of being with the Jedi Kahlil finally found a place where he belonged. He was gaining friends, gaining trust. It was.. So different compared to how the Sith did things. People weren't fighting or full of mistrust. It was a welcome relief for him to be able to smile and relax. And now he was going to learn something new.

In one of the classrooms, alone, he waited by one of the desks. [member="Gherron Dragonsflame"] was a man he was working with before in a whole different subject. Lightside Alchemy. It was certainly a different take on a skill he had begun mastering before he turned his back on the Dark. And now, he was hoping to learn something else. So he sat and waited.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron's thoughts had been on Kahlil Zambrano since he'd first met him in the alchemy class he'd hosted not too long ago. He'd specifically wanted him in the class when he was told about the boy's past, and his knowledge of the darker side to alchemy. The idea was that the class would get his brain going about the possibilities the the other side of the force could offer. Having dealt with powers of both aspects of the force, he understood more than most that the line between them was more blurred than some would admit, but the first step for a reformed Sith was to have him learn to use the light side more effectively, so as to balance himself. Perhaps he had some effect on Kahlil, because he was the one to contact Gherron for a potential tutelage.

As he walked in the classroom, he nodded to the snow-haired boy and sat across from him. "So, Kahlil, I understand you wanted to see me?"

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Mm. I'm glad you were willing to show up." Kahlil gave [member="Gherron Dragonsflame"] a small smile, clearly pleased. He almost expected the younger Dragonsflame to not show up, but he was pleased that wasn't the case. "I've been learning under your brother, but after the class on Alchemy I wanted to see what else I could learn from you." The ex-Sith laughed, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "A bit greedy that way, but you seem rather skilled and I could use any training I could possibly get at this point."

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

”Oh trust me, you’re not being greedy at all. There’s nothing wrong with seeking more knowledge.” Gherron looked into the boy’s eyes, and despite- no, especially with the yellowed eyes, he reminded the master of himself. While it was some time ago, even now Gherron struggled with the one time he finally let the dark side win and take him over. He might not have been completely in control of his decisions, but that didn’t excuse his actions. So when he looked into Kahlil’s eyes, he saw the same look that he saw in the mirror every day. The look of a curious soul that had been beaten down by the dark side, yet still hoped for something more. He wanted to better himself, so he could leave his old self behind. That, Gherron understood completely.

Scratching his beard in thought for s moment, his eyes lit up. ”Oh, I know. There’s a technique I’ve been working on lately. I haven’t quite mastered it yet, but I know just enough to get me by, and then some. It’s kind of like alchemy, but it’s less permanent. How would you like to learn how to make any item into a possible weapon?” As he spoke, there was a gleam in his eye, as there always was when he talked about his own force training. He always tried to experiment with different ideas and come up with new ones, and in fact, it was his interest in alkahest that led him to another skill- Force Weapon. Something told him that Kahlil would very much enjoy such a lesson.

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Less permanent?" Kahlil blinked curiously at [member="Gherron Dragonsflame"] 's description, but his eyes immediately lit up at the idea. If there was one thing he was good at, it was Force abilities. If he could translate that into never being unarmed, well. He nodded vigorously, a smile forming across his face. "Yeah, that sounds like a good skill to have. How do we start?" He pushed himself from the table, standing up eagerly as he awaited the beginning of the lesson.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron laughed at the knight as he practically jumped from his seat. "Woah, calm down there Kahlil. I appreciate your eagerness, but this ability, as with alkahest, requires some level of concentration. It'll take some time before you can get to the place where you can do it on the fly. Come on, let's head to one of the sparring grounds."

Turning on his heel, he led Kahlil to an open area that had weapons of many different variations lining the walls. Staves, swords, pikes... You name it, it was probably there, likely to help prepare perspective Jedi to fight against any possible weapon they were bound to fight against. As soon as he entered the room, Gherron walked over and grabbed two staves, tossing one to his student. "Now, i'm sure you're a decent fighter, but all the same, I would like to gauge your skill first. The idea of force weapon is to make any object a part of the force, in a sense. It will allow you to combat against a lightsaber without your own weapon being cleaved in two. So, i'd like to see how you fight. Wouldn't do for me to slice your arm off right off the bat, now would it?" His face twisted into an amused smirk.

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Ah, well yeah." Kahlil laughed nervously. He figured it might take a bit to get the skill under his belt. But it didn't stop him from being super eager about learning it. He followed after [member="Gherron Dragonsflame"] with a faint smile on his face to the room, where he glanced around curiously. It made sense. The power was about channeling the Force itself into an object. What better then a weapon?

He caught the staff as it was thrown to him, lightly twirling it in his hands. He had.. Little experience with melee weapons, and it showed. He at least had a good grip on it. "Right, so. My time as a Sith was spent throwing spells, not really swinging weapons."

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron was primarily a physical fighter, always had been. His skills had been honed to a fine point over the years, and the force had helped, but in the end it all came back to what he could do with his hands. So, when Kahlil did his best attempt at a twirl, Gherron saw the flaw in his grip almost immediately. He wouldn't go too hard on him then. In fact... Perhaps he could turn this lesson into two. "Kahlil, come."

As he beckoned for the knight to approach, he readied himself in a defensive stance, his staff held out vertically in front of him, his arms relaxed. His grey eyes bore into that of the young jedi's as he waited for an attack.

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He had some training in martial skills, but nothing with weapons. Still, once [member="Gherron Dragonsflame"] told him to begin the young man rushed forward. He rather blatantly ignored the weapon in his own hands, instead holding it behind him with one hand as the other came around. The Force swelled under his command, the air around the pair suddenly picking up before he pushed his hand, and the wind, forward to unleash a blast for the master.

He was using that blast as cover as he charged behind it, running in close to swing one of his legs around in a sweep to take Gherron's own from under him.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Kahlil ran at Gherron with the staff behind him, and the master quickly smiled and shook his head. 'Not what I had in mind, but alright.' In that small second it took for him to make that judgement, he saw the knight's hand come up, feeling the rushing of the air around them. The staff in his own hands stayed exactly where it was, with its wielder channeling a burst of force energy from his own reserves into it, and at the last second thrusting it forward no more than a few inches and mentally expanding that force outward and into his student. As the blast no doubt threw Kahlil off balance, Gherron thrust his arm into his side, using his own momentum against him.

"Bad placement. Also, you should never simply rush in without knowing how your opponent will react. You have to be able to read their movements, and react accordingly. You, my friend, are an open book."

As he spoke, he walked over to Kahlil, holding his arm out to help him up.

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

There was a surprised expression on the young mans face as he suddenly found himself on the ground. He had thought he planned his move rather well, using strategy to overcome the clear superior. Yet, that's not at all what happened. He let out a nervous laugh as he reached up to take [member="Gherron Dragonsflame"] 's hand to pull himself back up. "I honestly thought that would work, I guess I'm really not the best in a fight." Once on his feet he dusted himself off, glancing to the staff in his hands. "But, I'm a quick learner. I can get better." Old habit, trying to make the master find worth in him. With the Sith it was a necessity less he be struck down.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Despite the enthusiasm in his voice, Gherron sensed there was a underlying fear there. It was one thing to be taken down a few notches every now and then. That wasn't what happened to Kahlil though... Gherron couldn't read minds, but he didn't need to in order to see the desperation in his eyes. Desperation for approval. For anything that didn't get him kicked in the side like an abused dog. The master rested his hand on his student's shoulder, smiling at him softly.

"Kahlil, you don't have to prove yourself to me. If that's all you try to do, you won't ever get anywhere. You need to prove yourself to you. I am... painfully aware of how hard bad habits are to break. But promise me this is one you'll try to get over."

In that moment, he wasn't Master Dragonsflame, hell, he didn't know if he'd ever actually call himself that. No. Right now, he was a friend. Just another person who had struggled with the dark side time and time again. The last thing he wanted was for Kahlil to go through the same things he did because he felt like he had nobody to rely on but himself.

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I.. Uh.." Kahlil was caught off guard, just staring in surprise at what [member="Gherron Dragonsflame"] had told him. That's right. He wasn't in the Sith anymore. He gave a sheepish smile as he scratched his chin, glancing off. "Right, I'll uh. Work on it. I'll try." It was a welcome change from the Sith, or even other Jedi Masters. He always felt like he needed to prove something, be it him learning from Sith Lords who didn't think twice about him, to Jedi that he felt he needed to prove he wasn't a Sith anymore.

"So.. What now?"

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron smiles with a slight bit of awkwardness as the knight stumbled over his words. His intention was not to make him uncomfortable; only to assure him that he didn’t need to prove himself. Perhaps he had laid it on a little thick? The moment passed however, and Kahlil asked what the next step was.

”Well, I don’t know if you noticed at all before I knocked you flat on your ass, but I was using my own version of force weapon.” to demonstrate, he held out his staff, once again channeling force energy into it. As he did so, the wood seemed to take on a light glow.

”This stick, as it stands now, is on par with most any other weapon, so long as I continue to channel energy into it. That’s the cost of this ability; you have to apply your own energy into it. Rely on it too much, and you’ll be exhausted, unable to attack or defend yourself. So, the entire idea of this ability is control and strategy. With practice, you can flip it on and off like a switch, using it only when you need it. You can even use it offensively. What I did before, for example, and the reason you were blown to the side instead of myself. Step back please.”

He waited for his student to do as he said before once again rapidly expanding the layer of force he had applied to the staff, effectively mimicking an multi-directional force push.

”Now again, using it like this costs energy, so you need to make sure you have the proper endurance before using it in a real fight.”

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil blinked in surprise at [member="Gherron Dragonsflame"] 's display. It was.. A simple idea. But one he hadn't thought of in his entire time studying the Force. He lifted up his staff, looking to it for a moment before closing his eyes. He felt the Force, listened to it, and guided it. A simple movement, but for the ex-Sith it was incredibly difficult to do. It went against all of his old teachings, his old life.

But, he was able to do it. Thanks to an old friend who had shown him how the young man touched upon the Force and guided it into the staff, letting it glow a similar white. He smiled, glancing to the master.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

The master watched quietly as the gears clicked into place within Kahlil's thoughts. It was in fact a simple method, but it still required some level of concentration. At least at first. The boy's face contorted for a moment in concentration then, before slowly, the staff in his hands began to emit a soft glow. Gherron returned the smile and nodded. "Excellent work, Kahlil. Now, do you think you can maintain it?"

Without warning, Gherron's staff came up and smacked against that of Kahlil's, pushing him back. He then attacked again, and again. However, his own staff only seemed to glow with the force in each instant where both weapons collided, fading back into a normal piece of wood as soon as he retracted it.

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil blinked at [member="Gherron Dragonsflame"] 's question. "Well, I think I ca- oh!" There was a small yelp of surprise as Gherron renewed an assault on the young man. He brought the staff around, colliding with the first strike and expecting to be knocked away. But that didn't happen. A small smile formed as he let a small bit of pride fill him. He was understanding this skill.

Grant it, he immediately noticed what the master was doing, holding back his infusion until the moment of strike, conserving his power. The young man's eyes narrowed in concentration as he let the infusion go, attempting to replicate what he saw. At first? He couldn't. His weapon was nearly ripped from his grasp as he tried to infuse at the last moment. But, there was a reason he did so well in the Sith. He was a fast learner, and a good one.

How else could he be a sorcerer?

Slowly he began to pick up the right timing to fuel the staff, getting better and better about how fast he could infuse the staff. Soon enough he was able to match Gherron, though his skill with the weapon itself was still lacking.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron smirked in amusement as he caught the padawan by surprise, though the amusement quickly turned into appraisal as the younger man slowly began to figure out what was going on. Within a few minutes, Kahlil was holding his own quite well, using the same technique as Gherron and only having hiccups in his form very rarely at best. It was time to pick up the pace. Slowly, yet steadily, Gherron's movements became faster with each strike of the two weapons.

As the master's movements picked up, it was only natural that the student's would as well.

faster.

The room began to heat up with the amount of work the two were putting into the exercise. Gherron began to sweat a little more heavily, but still he pressed on.

Faster.

The two weapons became a blur of flashing light, and not only Kahlil, but Gherron as well had slight slip-ups here and there. The elder was forcing both of them to their limits.

Faster!

One final push, and Gherron broke through his leaner's defenses, smacking him once in the leg, then pushing past to slam the end of his staff into the boy's chest, enough to knock the air out of him but nothing more. Finally slowing down to a halt, Gherron smiled approvingly at Kahlil, patting him on the shoulder and giving him a moment to catch his breath.

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil clutched his chest as he stumbled back from [member="Gherron Dragonsflame"] 's solid hit, gasping for air. With as little skill in melee as he had, it was surprising how the ex-Sith was able to take such a hit and stay standing. Pain was nothing new to him. But he grinned to the master, letting the energy again fade from the staff. The young man seemed awfully proud of how far he had gotten in just a short simple lesson.

Though, he had a ways to go with his weapons.

"This, is far more useful then I expected." He mumbled now that he had caught his breath. "Do you think you can channel more? Like, effects."

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron pondered the question for a moment, mulling over the possibilities.

"You know... I'll be honest, I've never considered it. I've always focused on simply flowing my own force signature into an object and working from there. But what you're suggesting is something entirely new, at least to my thought process. Tell you what, let's try it together."

That mischievous smile from his youth flashed outward as he considered a few ideas from the question his student had asked. One in particular came to mind, one he waas sure was the one on Kahlil's mind, considering his past experience as a sorcerer. "What do you have in mind?" He watched the boy closely, but with interest.

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]