The Way of the Ysalamiri

[Lord Gaius]

Hasjo stood within one of the great halls of Iridonia, the home world of the Zabrak and a close friend of his. They were alone in the antechamber. It was dead quiet. The ticking of crickets outside could be heard, but for all else, silence. It was calming and peaceful. He knew of Form II: Makashi. Hasjo was currently on a self-imposed quest to learn the Forms of lightsaber combat, and not just his specialisation in Shii-Cho. He had spent various nights reading up in the Silver Jedi Order archives of the form itself. Leverage, position, advantage. Like the fencers of old. It was not something used with dual-blades as it would be increasingly difficult. So he would learn with only a single blade ignited.

He took up a stance while he awaited the Zabrak. His legs spread wide, right foot forward, left back. His left hand behind him to maintain maximum balance whilst his right held his lightsaber single-handedly forward. The blade ignited with a familiar hiss. He performed a series of quick jabs at thin air. He kept his breathing maintained and held his balance as he did such. He then swung with a backhand upwards, and reversed downwards. He curled his left hand into a fist and lunged forward with a vicious stab into an imaginary foe. He then pulled back into the stance, left hand back. He practiced parries with a downwind curve of his wrist.

 

[Aeron Zambrano]

Asaak needed help.

It wasn’t that she was hopeless when it came to her lightsaber. She was good enough in Makashi to defend herself. But offense with her saber didn’t click like it did with the Force. The saber was work, a determined fire of concentration that sapped her energy faster than any feat of work with her powers. Along the way she’d come to realize her true strength lay in the Force and she would do well to follow that path, cultivate it. Learn to use the Force to defend and fight just as well as her Guardian brothers and sisters without the saber.

But it was useful to practice and besides, she could give Hasjo a chance to perfect his own formidable skills.

She had made her way to Iridonia, borrowing one of the personal ships from the small fleet Iella had donated to the Order. She was rather impressed with how the trip went – her piloting was decent. She hadn’t had a lot of practice as a Coruscant rat, but she could get herself from Point A to Point B. She landed once she recognized the ship she thought was her friend’s, leaving the ship and making her way in to the Great Halls.

She said nothing at first when she caught sight of the Nautolan, instead padding her way further in to the halls, pulling her saber from her belt and holding it vertically in front of her, igniting the green blade before swinging it down and to the right in a Makashi salute. “I hope you’re prepared [member="Hasjo Hallu"],” she said, mock threatening. Her tone implied that her sentence should have realistically finished with “…to see how bad I am.”

 

[Lord Gaius]

“I hope you’re prepared Hasjo Hallu,”
Hasjo performed no salute. His lips parted as he produced the words "Never let your guard down." Without further warning, he was upon her like predator on prey. He hoped this would teach her to always be ready for whatever may come. He used Makashi improperly, while it was evident his swordsmanship skills were advanced, his form was poor. His stance quite not there. He swung out in a series of vicious attacks, utilising his powerful Nautolan arms. He performed feats that no vertebrae possibly could. He was a martial hurricane, moving in two and three directions at the same time. Bending his body in a way that humans could not.

@[member="Asaak Tey"]

 

[Aeron Zambrano]

She wasn’t surprised when he came right at her. This was to be her first time sparring with [member="Hasjo Hallu"] but she had seen him truly in action and hadn’t expected it to be an easy lesson whatsoever.

Asaak had the lithe grace and agility of her species, a natural grace afforded by her Togruta heritage. But against Hasjo this held no advantage – his Master had been a Togruta and surely he was familiar with the easy movements and seemingly magical ability to perceive movement with the montrals on her head. It took all she had to block his first swing, her saber screeeeeeeching against his as they pressed and moved, Asaak matching him blow for blow.

But just barely. She was not nearly strong enough to do well against him with power, so she aimed to tire him out, dancing around him. She remembered the words of her first Makashi instructor Antares Windu. Grace and fluidity. She spun around Hasjo, letting the Force flow through her and guide her movements to defend herself against him, hoping that in some way while he was teaching her she could teach him, showcasing all she had learned from Makashi masters.

 

[Lord Gaius]

The Nautolan was powerful, fast and unyielding in his attack. His form was quite not perfected as he performed the series of thrusts and sweeps. Though his vicious aggression in combat would temporary aid him where his weakness lay. His species was naturally adept to swim underwater, requiring extreme endurance in the body. He moved with absolute fluidity. His body moving in a way that no vertebral could. As she spun around him, he twirled to face her. He leaped forward a step, attempting to deliver a ferocious jab with his lightsaber.

@[member="Asaak Tey"]