The Student and The Master

[GhostOfProtocol]

[member=Raien Keth]
[member=Vitani Amani]

Jardo sat. He sat there, in a small, dull cave on Byss. He felt the force touching him, although he'd only really learned how to master the force jump. Vitani, the girl he'd picked up on Iridora was somewhere, he didn't really care where to be honest. The person he was after was his master, Raien Keth.

In his eyes, he was going to walk up and just ask for some lessons in Djem So, and also some more force powers. He only beat Vitani because he managed to disarm her. If he was going to be coming head to head with more Jedi, and he planned to be, he wanted to be ready.

He stood up, taking his lightsaber from the floor, placing it onto his belt. He slowly stepped from the cave, going on the hunt for his master.

 

[Raien Keth]

Raien Keth was impressed at the initiative of his apprentice, he knew he was seeking him. Not far from the Kethanite proving grounds, in a new cave that was being dug out for his own ends. Byss was his choice of home to give his apprentice’s access to the darkside, fully and completely at their fingertips, because of the strength and certainty of the connection this planet had to the force.

The galaxy might not know it since his re-awakening, but Raien had trained many apprentices over the years, not as many as some but his share. He had seen however many come and go, dying or fading to obscurity, even Masters fell to that fate. The main reason they fell to the light or died was they lacked the purpose to endure or drive them further. The deeper their purpose the longer they endured, which was why his was eternal, to find force potential and grow it at any cost.

What Raien Keth did as a principle of his teaching is give them this purpose, help them find it, cultivate it. Killing Jedi was fine as a pastime but when you’ve slaughtered a dozen, a hundred men, a thousand, the lust for the kill could well leave your blade, because what did you have left to prove? [member="Jardo Snow"] Yes Raien had personally killed thousands of men, with his own weapon and that number grew to near the tens of thousands at this stage, all their death radiated off the edge of truth on his hip, that history and purpose, a darkside nexus in its own right.

So here he would find Jardo’s purpose, his goal, his leverage or connecting point, Raien had sort out many points of connection in his life, the key places, people or acts that would change the galaxy, the art of the long conflict. To learn Djem So and begin his journey, Jardo had to find him.

Raien was encased in force shadows, a well established technique of his. Standing down the end of a long empty line of tunnels, with little to no light visible. Black battle robes, etched with runic fire runes of a dead rakattan dialect, the language of his life and the deaths needed to bring him to this point, the sacrifices in himself and others. His apprentice's eyes would not help Jardo, only the force could be his ally here, and so tainted with the darkside, using it surely meant connecting with darker energies than would usually be drawn upon.

All part of the plan and his training.

[member="Jardo Snow"]​

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Jardo slowly closed his eyes. Raien wasn't stupid, he wouldn't leave Jardo a path right to him, and Jardo knew that. Slowly, Jardo felt into the force around him, trying in a way to get a vague location on Raien. In reality that's all it was, vague. He didn't really narrow down on his master, so Jardo just slowly walked in the direction of the force.

Somehow he found himself back at the Kethanite proving grounds. This was the place he had first worked with Keth and Dust, the place where he had first felt cared about. Jardo kept that to himself, however. He was meant to be a Sith, and in his eyes Sith didn't show that emotion. Anyway, he had felt himself looking around the area. He had improved since the last time he was here, he had beaten his first Jedi and blade point. Iridona was a war-zone, personally something Jardo tried hard to forget.

Jardo closed his eyes once again. He wasn't sure why but he always felt a stronger connection to the force here, almost as if this place was just oozing force potential out to him. Suddenly, he felt the power from Raien, and slowly he set off, climbing up the cliffs where once upon a time he had suffered a beating with rocks, and yet, he managed to power out.

He felt the power, yet he couldn't exactly see his master. He wasn't sure where to exactly look, all he knew what that there were masses of force energy from around here. If that wasn't Keth.... actually Jardo didn't want to think of the alternative. He chuckled lightly, standing in the clearing outside of the new caves. Raien was close, but where was he.

[member="Raien Keth"]

 

[Raien Keth]

Proving able, good, because Surtr didn’t think highly of delays. Here there was not patience so much as a desire to test how good Jardo was, which allowed Raien to pause. Extreme cold would start to pierce the air, this was not a manipulation of temperature, so much as the shadows themselves, force energy rather than heat or ice, which could chill or even sap someone who wasn’t prepared. Some people spent years mastering the elements, he preferred the living force as some Jedi did. [member="Matsu Ike"]

~Why do you come~ A loud voice in the voice would enter his apprentice’s head. It was a challenge almost, to see if Jardo cowered when faced with adversity, to see what he did when faced with something that he couldn’t simply kill with his saber. He also wanted to see how easily his apprentice lost himself to anger, if a few nudges was enough to stop him in his tracks or make him turn back.

More trials, more tests.

You’d be right to think Raien was trying to prepare Jardo, for he already knew he’d have martial skill, his Echani eyes could see that in the way he walked, that is if he was still standing by the end of the day! Through these cold shadows, just passed a crossed section of the new tunnels, Jardo would see the first of several pure white rooms, each room had one purpose and no more. Each room had one droid guarding it and no more. They were practical, pristine and clear, like no blemish might be allowed to touch their surface and survive, a return to his old ways. In the very center of the first, was a spinning pillar, with all manner of weapons on it sticking out, rotating dangerously if you got too close.

Further in, the second room was pure midnight blue, with no other marking or color, just four walls and two droids stood within, and a rack of potential sabers to use on the far wall.

[member="Jardo Snow"]​

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Jardo stood, arms crossed behind his back. The voice in his head asked one simple question, and Jardo was willing to answer. He'd heard this voice before, and last time his master was projecting the voice. He assumed it was his master yet again. I mean, it made sense.

Jardo slowly shrugged, answering the simple voice in his head. "I come for help, my master. I come for lessons". It was a simple enough answer, and Jardo was happy that he came up with an answer as quick. He looked around for a few moments, bouncing back and forth.

[member="Raien Keth"]

 

[Raien Keth]

Stepping out behind Jardo, his Master made his way to the droids. “Why.” Raien demanded, he demanded to know why, always the why behind the purpose of those he faced, those he killed or those he trained, one and the same often enough when an unfortunate Jedi crossed his path.

“When you have purpose you have power, without it you will never reach your potential.” More importantly for Raien, with their purpose in hand, he had hold over them, and direction to focus their potential, twisting or growing it. It was a blunt uncompromising statement. He turned to the purposeless metal droid beside him, devoid of anything but the techniques it was programmed in, saying nothing but looking.

A lightsaber was levitated from the far wall, and thrown to Jardo in the force, red of course picked out for him. It would feel cumbersome, it would feel unwieldy, because Raien had given him a saber he knew was not fit for his grip. Whereas all the rest of the sabers lay out before him for the taking.

Truthfully all sabers felt unwieldy to start with because all their weight was in the hilt, and none in the beam, but this one would be even worse to simply hold on to. It took a journey to make your own, an understanding of your fighting style and often a crystal search to make a good one. Once his apprentice had looked and realised any of this, he would speak again but not before, merely standing there.

"Why do you train so hard. What drives you."

[member="Jardo Snow"]​

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Jardo stood there, clipping the new lightsaber to his belt. As to answer [member="Raien Keth"]'s question, he wasn't sure. He had two main things that really drove him. Revenge on his parents and Revenge on Nyx. He just wasn't sure which one he was going to say. After a moment he choose to use the revenge on the parents excuse. The Nyx bit he was still working on, forming the plan in his head. Last time Jardo'd heard of Nyx, Nyx was now working with the Hutts. Nice.

He actually remembered the main reason he'd recruited Vitani, and that was to do the deed. He remembered saying he didn't want to kill Nyx, but he was willing to let the Jedi form her path to the darkside by murdering her first target. He smiled under his helmet, eying the blades that stood at his waist.

He had to admit, he was annoyed at Keth. Of all the blades in there, he chose the thickest one in there. He wasn't Darth Vader, he didn't have large hands. He remembered back a few weeks, when he found the blade that sat to his right. That blade was perfect for him. The crystal inside, sort of understood him. He knew you were supposed to meditate upon them, but he didn't feel the need to meditate upon his.

Perhaps when this was all over, he'd strip the red crystal down from the chunky blade, adding it to his own. Perhaps.

 

[Raien Keth]

The Betrayer had yet to unleash his apprentice’s anger that he had sort, unleash to then temper it, and either that would need to come in time, or Jardo already had an impressive level of control over it. Raien would take a different tact, allowing the man to experience the discomfort of an ill fitted lightsaber. Cruel, yes cruel but for a good purpose, he would fully understand the benefit of a better grip in no time at all, and how important having the right one was to a fighter, along with many other things by the end of today.

Surtr walked around to the side of him, between a training droid and Jardo, silver eyes deepening and focusing on the man, his body language, how he walked, stood and carried his weapon.

“Show me how you would stand, and strike that droid.” A training droid which now came to life with its own red saber, man sized, it held its weapon up in a basic outstretched guard position. The droid's hilt was at its naval angled up and outward forty five degrees, ready to block his apprentice’s swing. While its front foot was in a forward ready stance.

After he had taken his first steps, Surtr would answer him further. Jardo seemed simple and clear of purpose, revenge, but revenge did not often last after the killing of the one you wanted revenge on. Thus as always, he would seek to take that purpose and make it greater. “You seek to train in the ways of the force, to kill your parents, then what?” Darth Surtr asked pointedly as he often did to apprentices, "when their bones lay in the dust, where will your drive be?"

[member="Jardo Snow"]​

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

"They hate me!" He screamed at Raien, taking up his basic Djem So stance. He pictured the droid as his mother, and he swung his blade from his belt at the side of him. He aimed for the side of the droid. The droid blocked, of course, but Jardo removed the thicker blade, growling as he swung it towards the other side of the droid.... it sliced the blade in two.

Jardo, with his blue blade, swung again. He aimed for the top of the droid, and while the droid was stunned his head came flying off. He smiled lightly at his handiwork, eying Raien again. "They hated me.... the Jedi hate me. You want my reason? DO YOU!"

His anger was showing. He was proud.


[member="Raien Keth"]

 

[Raien Keth]

About time his apprentice threw aside the weaker weapon! “The Jedi and all those who looked down upon you, who still do, will you stand for it? Take that anger draw down on it, focus it and become it. Push the rage into your muscles on your command, command it to follow your will. The force will do the rest.”

The next droid powered up, a faster model, still pre-programmed in its techniques but with a wider range of parries and strikes.

“There are many target zones on the body, in the beginning the more you can cover with your weapon while striking, the hard you will be to reach. Picture a combat circle around the body dividing up these zones, and as you make your swings, cover as many areas as you are able.” Shi-Cho, the basics first to lead into Djem So.

Raien demonstrated a very simple diagonal slash with his saber, angling his body forty five degrees, leaving a minimal area to be hit from. Then across his weapon went, keeping it stretched out, revealing little of himself. “If your beam is out ahead of you, you are threatening your opponent even if you miss, if you own that rage, because it takes but a touch to end a life.” Though Djem so required the raw power and emotion he was asking him to connect with. This would also show Jardo the contrast, and he would learn the form from all angles, showing how people would often counter it.

[member="Jardo Snow"]​

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Spoiler

Good Posts, even if your new pic scared me

Jardo eyed the new droid, bringing his blade down at a forty five degree angle. The droid blocked, and Jardo pulled back, shaking his head. He then leaped forward, over the droid, bringing the blade across his body from one side to the other. The droid wasn't quick enough to block, and the blade swiped through the metal body, spewing wire and metal scraps everywhere.

Jardo stared at Raien, almost hoping what he had done was enough to class as a pass in his master's book. Hey, he was just the learner, he had no right to say what was good and what wasn't.

[member="Raien Keth"]

 

[Raien Keth]

Jardo received a satisfied nod, no more or less was possible, only Sith certainty being demonstrated as his ability increased.

“Raise your guard,” Raien commanded as Jardo landed, powering up his own lightsaber, its crimson beam born of the many thousands of lives it had ended. His weapon snapped into focus and his body turned sideways, beam high over his head ready, angled down. Opinions varied on whether an opening stance was needed, he used it because the move was already half done when the fight started, directly ready for a killing blow.

“In Djem So, the secret is in going beyond what you need to do, aiming behind your opponent, and maintaining a constant pressure on your target till they break or make a mistake. That is why you need your rage, your emotion and your connection to this place, your past and history.” It was also why, in his opinion, no Jedi could match a Sith in its use.

A third droid came out of the wall, and this is where Djem So went above and beyond what a swordsman might think possible, Raien swung, and not only hit the droids guard, but went right through it, using all of the body, shoulders, hips, legs and arms, extended from his strong stance. He cleaved the machine in two, breaking its grip on its weapon.

“But there must always be intent, wild swings will mean a quick death.” The gritty wounded voice of his Master stated, carrying more than a few of his first wounds that demonstrated that fact to him, and more than a few Sith he had seen fall out of control on the end of a saber.

Rounding to face his apprentice he took a strong two handed guard across himself, covering almost all the target zones on his body. Two hands on his hilt showed another usual hallmark of the form. “Now again, attack me. Keep your grip high on your hilt, and in two hands so you can put all your strength and power into the strike”

[member="Jardo Snow"]​

Spoiler

You too and thanks, that's the plan. He's not wearing that armor yet, but will be soon.

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Jardo gripped his blue blade, both hands tightening around the hilt. He stared at Raien, placing the blade in the starting stance for Djem So. He stared for a moment, trying to work his way into his Master's head. Then he swung. Every last ounce of strength and power went into the strike, yet Raien blocked.

Jardo wasn't done. His rage, his anger was out now. He swung again, Raien blocked again. Jardo jumped over his master, and nearly cut the poor guy in half, yet Raien blocked. Jardo stopped, staring at Raien. He shook his head, letting his blade retract into the hilt with the normal shick noise.

[member="Raien Keth"]

 

[Raien Keth]

“Your style has Ataru in it, whether you know it or not, that is what you seem instinctively drawn to.” Quick killing strikes at a jump were hallmarks of Ataru, even if Jardo was developing Djem So, his Master saw the natural ability for the other form in him. “The similar traits are a high degree of offense, and that offense being your defense at the same time.” He had studied these forms forever, to be fair by this point there was little he didn’t know, and it was time for some of these specific techniques to be imparted to Jardo, as all Echani communicated naturally to those they faced.

As his apprentice relented, his Master attacked, giving him no time at all to recover. “now block, as if your life depended on it,” because it did. Raien didn’t train apprentices to be weak, they fought for survival, clawed for it and could endure, that’s what Jardo had to do here.

“Krayt’s claw.” The tip of his saber pointing up toward the other’s eyes, hilt at the hip. The beam was thrust outward, then curled up and over his head high, falling once, twice and three times hard as he stepped with each battering hit. “Falling Avalanche.” Raien's metal boots pushed his weight forward, pressuring Jardo, clawing at the floor as he began to dent and rip it. Surtr's brace legs were wounds to walk on, pains of the past to build on and endure, driving him forward.

“Endure. Look for the signs of the strike ahead of time, reverse my pressure.” Other styles or forms would avoid the pressure, deflect, or even use it, but in Djem So you had to gain it, and be on the offensive to be effective.

[member="Jardo Snow"]​

Spoiler

Nice video on Djem So I often look to, and a heads up. I don’t mind you writing out small responses for my characters within reason as it adds to the flow, but others will, especially in pvp until you know them well, so asking them first via PM is your best bet. Just looking out for you

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Jardo had almost no time to react. He let the force take over, and all he remembered was his blade igniting and blocking his master's shot. He heard Keth shouting to him, but to be honest Jardo didn't really care. Jardo took the Falling Avalanche, watching his master. Jardo almost expected Raien to keep the pressure on, so it was time to reverse the pressure, and make it his own.

Jardo brought his blade up, Krayt's eye. Jardo groaned under the pressure, but somehow he managed to force himself back, dropping his blade into the Krayt's claw guard. He swung towards his master, using the temporary break to attack his master with his own Falling Avalanche.

He kept the pressure on Raien, trying to put him through the same pressure that he had suffered only moments ago. After a moment however, he stopped, moving his blade to the Krayt's eye guard yet again. He fainted a shot against Keth, and instead of swinging his blade like he planned, he moved his blade to the side, swinging for the hand.

[member="Raien Keth"]

 

[Raien Keth]

Jardo was learning the techniques, impressively they would serve him, now he needed to expand his awareness on the room and what was possible.

Many duelists thought motion was the only way to turn a saber, deflect it, or get over the top of it, in some styles that was true, but in Djem So solid static blocks smashed at your opponent were just as effective, a battering ram at times. The faint nearly took Raien in, he began to commit, but with how loose his grip was on his saber made to fit his palm, it didn’t take much to correct the positioning, leaving a solid wall of crimson energy braced out in front of his head.

“Now the combat circle extends around you, not just your body,” and eventually when Jardo was ready for it, to the room, and if he was cunning to every event in his life hereafter, the art of the long conflict was wide and far reaching. Every move you made was a step within it.

360 degrees Jardo must think. Shoving his hips forward to shake the hissing saber lock, Surtr side stepped to gain position and room to swing, swinging his back leg around to add to the power of the horizontal cleave that came, nothing was held back here, it was a mighty crash of a horizontal swing, aimed right at the middle of Jardo, the middle being the hardest to simply dodge. Followed by a shove of his outstretched forward weapon ahead, battering again, trying to make his apprentice lose his footing and lock their sabers. He wanted to see if Jardo knew how to use a saber lock, or what to do when his weapon was slowly being forced toward floor… hissing and spitting their beams were together, if he didn’t act he’d find his weapon impaled in the floor.

“When the pressure turns, return it. When you lose one option, find another.” The metal face of Surtr stated again, he was enlarging the combat circle and his pressured focus on it, 360 degrees the fight became in his eyes, more knowledge imparted.

[member="Jardo Snow"]​

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Jardo gripped his blade tighter, harder. His knuckles turning white. The saber lock was strong, Keth was strong, and Jardo had to give his all to get out of it. He pushed against the crimson blade of his master's weapon, The Edge of Truth, to no avail. Instead he stopped for a brief moment, before using his upwards motion to jump over Raien, forcing the saber lock to break.

Maybe Raien was right. This style had Ataru in it. Landing, Jardo span on his heels, swinging his blade towards the middle of his master. Two handed, as two handed attacks were always stronger. When his master blocked, Jardo stepped back, bringing his blade into the Krayt's Eye guard. Djem So was coming in useful after all.

He waited, to see what his master's next move would be.

[member="Raien Keth"]

 

[Raien Keth]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FJmiyFD6PM​

Jardo may be waiting, but as he would quickly see, Raien Keth’s body never stopped moving in a fight, there was no pause or let up in his assault, runic fire burning the same in his eyes. There was only pressure, and you having to endure, or deal with it another way.

Once again the Betrayer was gaining strength, it had been a long crystal sleep, and the periods of re-adjustment were often never ending. Readjustment that came into his stance as he swung, his weapon blocked hard up high and followed Jardo's jump behind him, to end inverted down his back, and meet the next hit strongly, but he was turning even then. The position of his saber never moved, his body moved around it, to bring it in front of the Betrayer. Full cover remained in place, blocking his body in a wall of fortified crimson energy.

Arial fighters needed their ability to jump. The counter was to either put them in a room with no ceiling, or failing that hit high so they’d be jumping into the beam. He would now demonstrate how to take advantage of your opponent in a very direct way, forcing his apprentice to adapt against resistance, and preparing him for the same. “Learn your opponent, what they used for their advantage, and take it, reverse it, or put it out of the fight.”

He mirrored exactly what Jardo might do with Krayt’s claw, extending his weapon out at head height, denying him the ability to jump, keeping his weapon back, he moved into Krayt’s eye which was a strong forward thrust at neck height, side stepping… He was wondering what his apprentice would do now Keth had stolen the logical attack, and denied him the ability to jump in the same move.

Always a test.

[member="Jardo Snow"]​

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Jardo wasn't stupid, well not in the literal sense anyway. He knew that he was cut from his jumping ability here, but he had other tactics. Instead of jumping forward, he stepped back, bringing his blade down, causing a saber lock between the two duelists. Jardo knew he couldn't win in a fight of strength, but he'd given himself able opportunity to try something new.

He brought his leg up, kicking Raien back. Once he had, Jardo charged forward, fainting to the left of Keth. In reality however, he was going to the right. He wasn't aiming to hurt, he just hoped Raien had lightsaber proof armor. All he could do was hope his shot connected, and connected right.

[member="Raien Keth"]

 

[Raien Keth]

Raien said nothing, merely nodded slowly as their blades hissed and spat together holding the technique, braced together with his stance and weight forward, feet digging into the stone. Saber locks while useful to tie up your opponent, to throw them off balance, make them pause, or use your strength to overpower, could if you didn’t keep them moving or pressing, sap the kinetic energy needed to achieve dominance in the form, which was the ultimate goal of a Sith Djem So practitioner. Thankfully his apprentice didn't wait long to act.

Thudding kick received against the stomach, clawed boots took him back but a step. Darth Surtr was often susceptible to feints, as he read the flow of the melee so finely and single-mindedly committing to each attack, he made each step ahead of time. As Raien was moving left however, he backhanded a great sweep right to compensate, impacting off the beam off Jardo's saber, and using his opponent’s momentum to turn aside, spinning fully around. A mark of Vaapad that was still in Raien’s style at times. Like Jardo had ataru, you would occasionally see the old Raien Keth’s vaapad in his form.

The betrayer as it turned out didn’t have lightsabter proof armor, and would never have, he used the wounds he was given to further his technique, and considered most armor's a hindrance to the fluidity of Soresu more often than not.

Fluidity which was achieved here in Djem So too, as the full weight of his beam, with Jardo’s momentum added to it, came crashing sideways on at his opponent’s right side, looking to smash Jardo’s weapon out of his hand, or batter the apprentice off his feet from the spin's full kinetic force.

What he was doing here, is letting Jardo see other styles vs Djem So, so he might better learn to counter them, if he survived. "Do not hold back."

[member="Jardo Snow"]​