Private Verdant Wind

[Corazona von Ascania]

Jand Talo
​

Cora was sublimely confident in her martial ability. The young woman hadn't yet set foot on an actual battlefield, but she'd been privy to private training from Ukatis' finest combat instructors. They'd all praised her ability to the heavens, but it had crossed her mind that perhaps they were laying it on a tad thick.

Just for a second.

Regardless of her own perceived level of ability, let it be said that Corazona con Ascania was no slouch. Slacking off was simply not tolerated, which is why she'd taken it upon herself to head for the training grounds. A sparring partner was in order.

She'd spotted a young, pale man who’d seemingly been taking a brief break from his own training. He was alone, and to Cora that meant he was free to assist her.

"Hello there!"

Pacing towards her fellow Padawan, she waved in greeting. "I am Corazona von Ascania of Ukatis. However! You may call me Cora, as we are comrades among the Jedi. Might I invite you to a spar?"

She beamed. This was going well.

​

 

[Jand Talo]

Eyes closed, mind open, upside down balanced on one hand.

Jand had come a long way since his first days at the Jedi Temple. He had learned how to better open himself to the Force, had developed a more outgoing nature toward people and places, and had developed his lightsaber forms. Granted, he still had a way to go with the former developments, but there was no denying the latter. As it was, the Nagai would back himself as one of the most skilled Padawan combatants in the Jedi Order at present.

Perhaps others would, too.

With a slow exhale, Jand lowered from his inverted balance and touched down with a quick tuck and flip. One back on his feet, the Padawan walked over to a small pile of personal belongings set to one side of the training room. Mainly some folded robes, his weapons and some water. Jand picked up the bottle and took several gulps, seeking to re-hydrate, as he had been engaged in body training for a while now. He was shirtless - as he usually trained alone - and his chalk-white skin displayed the scars from his battles, along with the circular tattoo pattern that traced down his spine.

The presence of another, who was focused on him, was felt moments before a voice sounded.

"Oh," Jand said as he looked over his shoulder, gray eyes regarding the arrival. "Hello."

It seemed the individual was known as Corazona von Ascania of Ukatis, she had an air of superiority about her, perhaps unintentional. That was until she gave Jand permission - you may - to call her by another name. Despite his personal growth, the Nagai's instincts kicked in, as he immediately sought to rebel against the implied status above, and control of, himself...

"Very well, Corazona von Ascania of Ukatis," The pale Padawan said as he offered a tight-lipped smile, feigned. "Let us spar. What weapons will we use?"

Jand stared, waiting...

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora—or rather, Corazona con Ascania of Ukatis—was taken aback, if only slightly. Had he not heard her? He must not have heard her. The poor fellow likely had scar tissue in his ears, if the markings running up and down his pale torso were any indication. Had the remainder of his clothes not been folded neatly nearby, she would have assumed that he could not afford a simple tunic.

Still, her boisterous smile did not waver. Cora could be patient with commoners, especially those ailing from auditory problems.

"Excellent!" She clapped her hands as he acquiesced. "As Jedi, perhaps it would be best to practice our bladework. What say you…"

As she trailed off, Cora fixed the pale Padawan with an intensely curious, yet unsettlingly cheerful gaze. "I believe you have forgotten to introduce yourself, friend."

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

Jand was unsure if Corazona's temperament was genuine or a facade.

On one hand, the words she spoke seemed nice, the mannerisms pleasant, however the sense of superiority seeped through. At least for Jand. Perhaps it was due to his upbringing as Nagai, where he was taught to observe opponents and search for weaknesses, which allowed him to see through some of the more - potentially - feigned behavior. Or maybe Jand just didn't like her.

It was hard to say.

"Bladework," Jand said flatly, as he reached out his hand and pulled the distant training lightsaber to his palm. "Very well."

The pale Padawan activated the blue-bladed weapon with a snap-hiss. Corazona also continued to speak, calling attention to Jand's lack of introduction, along with what might best be described as crazy eyes. At least for a moment. Jand remained silent with a scowl, as he brought his lightsaber up into a defensive pose - hilt at his naval, blade angled toward Corazona's upper body.

"I didn't, did I?" Jand queried back, though his expression didn't seem flippant or joking. "I am Jand, though we are not friends. I do not know you."

The Nagai exhaled.

"Attack."

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora's eyes watched with no small measure of delight as the Padawan called a weapon to his grasp. It had not been lost on the blonde that he might actually not like her, but she persevered all the same—after all, he'd agreed to training.

…Perhaps he simply liked to fight.

Unclipping her own training saber from her waistband, Cora's thumb brushed the ignition. A beam of green plasma sprung to life, and for a moment she simply observed Jand.

Her lips threatened to quiver into a frown at his mention of them not being friends. Such unambiguous talk was rare in the aristocratic circles of Ukatis, where nearly every word and subtle gesture hid another meaning. It was like a different language entirely, lacking the straightforward manner Jand was displaying. In a way, she appreciated this.

"Very well, Jand." Readjusting her grip and footing, Cora angled her thumb to point down the length of her blade. She returned his scowl with a confident smile. "Do not hold back!"

Surging forward, she swung her weapon in a tight arc, aiming for the right flank of his midsection.

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

Jand watched as Corazona moved forward.

The attack was aimed for his torso, his side specifically, and in those few moments the Nagai could tell a lot about his sparring partner. She moved well, light on her feet, and maintained balance with the attack, perhaps having some degree of traditional fencing or foil training but adapting that for lightsaber striking. But, unlike metal blades, the energy plasma tended to react differently and could be repelled with equal force applied.

Which is what Jand did.

With a push forward, Jand shifted his defensive block and caught the inside of the attack. Both blades crackled for a moment, before Jand followed through, and applied counter-pressure aimed at knocking Corazona's blade back and wide. Though, confident with his inner position of her defenses, Jand wasted no time, as he brought a shoulder forward for a weighty brunt.

"I never hold back," Jand said as he shifted back several steps and spun his lightsaber in a - admittedly non-lethal - flurry before him, before it came up into an angled defensive posture of Djem So. The hilt shoulder height, blade across Jand's front horizontally, as he gripped the weapon with both hands to his right side. "You have some experience, I can tell. What weapon did you learn?"

Jand was curious.

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Jand's shoulder pushed against her collarbone, forcing Cora to stumble back with a surprised grunt. Though the grip on her training saber did not falter, she was still reeling from his earlier deflection, blade held wide.

To her curiosity, Jand did not press the advantage he'd made by forcing himself inside of her guard. Instead, he paced back, putting a bit of distance between the two and posturing in defense. Cora regained control of her weapon as Jand unleashed a flourish of bladework, the quick, precise movements a testament to his superior reflexes and discipline.

"I'm familiar with the rapier; I've often practiced dueling with my father and siblings." Perhaps fitting of an aristocrat, she was the eldest of many children. "However, I tend to favor the lance."

Pushing forward, she sent a series of quick jabs his way—first for the right shoulder, then the right side of his torso, and again at his left hip. In testing his defenses, she spoke in a congenial, complementary tone.

"You are stronger than you look. Physically, I mean." The Nagai was lean, practically gaunt to her eye. She did not expect the weight of his charge when he'd pressured her back.

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

While in his defensive stance, Jand listened as Corazona explained familiarity with the rapier. It made sense. A more surprising revelation was her use of, and preference for, the lance. A considerably different weapon by all accounts, and it made the Nagai wonder why she wasn't using a pike or double-bladed weapon.

"If you're preference is the lance," Jand commented, as he raised an eyebrow. "Why are you not using a longer handled weapon? A pike or double-bladed lightsaber come to mind."

Then Corazona moved in, as she aimed two jabs for Jand's shoulder and torso. He angled the blade in response, as he swatted away the jabs with intercepting parries. When the third thrust came, Jand spun to the side and stepped out of the way, as he kept the blade arm rotating around himself - and thus the vertically angled blade between Corazona and him - in case she took a swipe after him.

"For having more interest in lancing, your form with fencing is impressive," Jand responded, as Corazona mentioned his physicality. It was common for many to underestimate a Nagai, purely for their lean - oftentimes gaunt - appearances. "Though, I do wonder how do you fight with a lance in a common combat situation?"

Jand still didn't appreciate Corazona's manner and bearing, or the sense of entitlement to give permission to him to do anything, but he also wanted to focus on the particulars of the spar and deducing who and what she was about. A new arrival to the Jedi Order was still someone Jand would be required to get to know and eventually work alongside, so he planned to start letting his defensive personality responses down.

Perhaps it wasn't Corazona's fault; and she was just rich and ignorant.

"Where are you from, your culture and people?" Jand asked, as he faced Corazona again front on. "You mentioned Ukatis. Tell me about it."

And while that query was raised, Jand pressed forward with his blade pointed at his opponent. He initiated a thrust, aimed for her chest, but twisted the blade at the last moment into a round arc, which slashed for her leading leg instead. The new position Jand found himself in had his hands held high, the blade pointed downward, which set up his next attack--

"Do you have formal training?"

--and then Jand lanced his blade directly upward, as he bent his knees and jumped into the skyward attack. His slice - without a defense - would have cleaved someone crotch to head. Or at least left a nasty wound on the front, if they avoided most of it. And from his hop, the Nagai landed and brought his weapon around to defend, gray eyes like steel as he stared at Corazona...

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Sparring seemed to make Jand conversational, Cora noted positively. Which was a relief, because she figured he didn't like her—it hadn't crossed her mind that perhaps he'd been put off by her mannerisms.

"I intend to learn traditional lightsaber combat first—the hallmark of the Jedi, yes?" Her blade was quick to try and sneak another thrust in while Jand spun away, deflected again by the grey Padawan's cleverly angled weapon. "While I prefer the lance for its range, my father considers anything beyond fencing to be improper for a family of our status. I haven't practiced with it nearly as much as I'd have liked." The Viscount had barely tolerated his daughter's interests, provided she kept up with her duties.

Jand's compliment of her form was unexpected, but she beamed with pride all the same.

"My home is quite unlike Coruscant. There are some similarities with the capital being a large city, but my family's domain is in the most fertile lands of Ukatis. It is our people's responsibility to feed the planet!" There was no small measure of pride to her person—voice, stance, everything—as she praised the simple farmers of Ascania territory. "However, the soil can be fickle. There are times when we simply cannot produce enough to feed everyone. When I was younger, Ukatis was rather isolationist- it did not have the robust trading routes that we have today. After a few particularly bad harvest seasons, people starved in the streets."

Cora sidestepped the anticipated jab to her chest, arcing her blade downward hastily, barely managing to intercept Jand's feint for her leg. Her teeth grit with the precariousness of the situation, but she continue all the same.

"Many Houses rebelled against the reigning monarch, who was deposed and replaced with another ruler. One who tended to the needs of the people foremost."

House Ascania was among those who'd rebelled, securing their place in the new monarchy. Much of the farmland on Ukatis was gradually becoming industrialized, and so they'd begun to rely more heavily on trading for their food.

"For a number of years after, we were under protection of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. They assisted us in strengthening our military and establishing more efficient trading routes. Our capital is even home to a galactic-class chocolatier!"

She glanced at where their sabers intersected, the angle of his wrist, his footing— suddenly he'd surged upwards. Cora yelped as the tip of his training saber burned a short path along her her hip, enough to singe the fabric of her clothing and urge her saber forward, horizontally, to block the path of Jand's attack. However, she was too late and he had too much momentum behind his upward strike, so her efforts sent Cora stumbling back, falling onto her bottom. The training saber rolled from her grasp as both hands came to nurse the burning sensation at her abdomen. The low-intensity plasma had only burned though a short strip of her shirt, but it stung her reddening skin.

"Ahh…" Sucking in air through her teeth, Cora's attention snapped to Jand, who was staring at her with the intensity of a predator. Sheepishly, she realized that had she faced him as an enemy, he would simply not be waiting for her to make the next move. "You've gotten me. Well done!"

Grasping the training saber where it lay, Cora clambered to her feet.

"Perhaps it is apparent that I have not had much formal lightsaber training outside of group classes. You, however-" She paced forward, gauging his stance, and perhaps her next move. His reflexes were more than quick, they were practiced. "Are quite good. Far better than I had anticipated! Have you been training long?"

Cora's blade held low as she approached him, moving to slash Jand from his right hip to left shoulder. Anticipating his deflection or interception, she'd follow up with a jab aimed at the opposite shoulder.

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

"Learning lightsaber fundamentals is essential, yes," Jand replied simply, as he twisted his lightsaber and parried the sneaky thrust. "However, you may find that your learning time is considerable. I was under the impression that all Jedi did was go to battles or travel the galaxy... I soon discovered that much of my time was spent in the temple."

When it came to Corazona's father, and his opinions, Jand didn't respond. That was between them, not for the Nagai to be involved in.

As Corazona began to explain about her homeworld, Jand realized he hadn't been aware of how much she liked to talk. The information was thorough, even going into depth about family responsibility, which was admirable, and how her family had 'our people'. That meant some kind of leadership or governorship, if Jand estimated correctly. Maybe even some royalty or monarchy, based on Corazona's manner and over-reliance on eloquence.

That put Jand back on the suspicious side.

His Nagai upbringing made him instinctively opposed to singular rulers.

When it came to the strikes, Jand could tell Corazona was trained, but lacked the finesse as she mentioned. It would be a weakness overcome in time. Yet, the upward slash served the purpose, as the opponent was caught up the front by the training blade, the sting evident by the low-powered burn on Corazona's shirt front. When the other fell to the ground, Jand hopped back and stared down with cold gray eyes, as he worked through his biases and concerns regarding the other.

She stood and asked about training.

"Yes, I began informal blade training at the age of two," Jand muttered, as he watched her approach, his weapon held ready. "It is customary in my culture, for all Nagai to learn to swords and fencing. Our society relies on it, our clans excel from superior combatants. It is our way."

Jand didn't go into too much detail, he didn't quite trust Corazona yet.

When his opponent moved into an upward slash, the Nagai leaned back and peeled away to one side with a pivot on one foot. With his position now completely shifted to the left, the follow up jab from Corazona caught him in the right shoulder - where before it might have stabbed his left, had he not moved. Yet, despite the sting Jand felt, he remained unmoving--

"You are dead."

--and with his other arm extended, Jand's training blade was held close to her neck. Not close enough to injure her skin, but close enough to demonstrate the validity of his statement.

"What do you aim to achieve within the Jedi Order?"

Jand stepped back as he shook out his right shoulder, brought his lightsaber up into a defensive position, and motioned for Corazona to attack...

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora abruptly halted her momentum, chin tilting upward as Jand's training blade hovered near her neck. Despite being non-lethal, she could feel the heat radiating from it and did not relish the idea of another burn, this one on direct skin.

"So I am," She murmured, and shook her head as Jand pulled back. Despite his guarded nature, Cora, perhaps mistakenly, assumed that he was warming up to her. He was a little more conversational at any rate, and his curiosity towards her had not gone unnoticed.

Yet coupled with his near fatal strike, Jand's question read as something of an insult to Cora. Did he think of her skill so poorly that he challenged what someone like her could possibly achieve as a Jedi? Cora's self-preservation drew an aristocratic sniff from her as she eyed the Nagai's steely gaze.

Maybe, maybe it was simply a genuine inquiry.

"I was sent here as a representative of Ukatis." She moved forward at his gesture, curving her blade in a path towards his neck. It sounded wrong in her head—or rather, not exactly the whole of her situation. Cora wanted to be here. "As we are seeking membership with the Alliance, having a successful Jedi in their ranks will ease the transition." The operative word there was successful, and Cora banked on his potentially unstable shift in footing should he move to block her blade heading for his neck. Her leg would aim to sweep whichever of Jand's legs was nearest to her own. "It is my duty to do whatever it takes to care for my people."

Her blade arm arced overhead, careening downward for a weighty blur of a slash. "Ah, you are from a warrior culture!" It had taken a moment of two for Jand's words to filter through, distracted by her focus on their spar and her own reasons for being here. Still, she regarded the revelation with delight. "Then your superior martial skill makes sense. Did you elect to become a Jedi on your own?"

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

At least Corazona had the common sense to know when a killing strike was delivered in a spar.

Jand wasn't a callous individual, he didn't try or intend to hurt others who weren't enemies, so it was fortunate - for her - that he didn't have to complete the attack. While the Nagai observed the sentient opposite him, he wondered at some of the thoughts that might have passed through her mind, given the expressions on display. Perhaps it was just the question about her goals within the Jedi, which admittedly was likely complex to answer...

Corazona answered. It seemed there was a lack of altruistic motive to join, to become a Jedi, and more one of benefit to earn approval with the Galactic Alliance. Jand raised an eyebrow, as he considered if Corazona's motives were truly so political, but given her general attitude and being some kind of ruling class. It made sense, as rulers only thought of themselves, being self-serving and narcissistic.

Thoughts of the Tof entered Jand's mind.

Jand watched as Corazona struck for his neck. He stepped back, and saw the other's leg sweep, which caught the Nagai's front leg. The motion made Jand stumble to one side, as he moved his boot, to avoid rolling his ankle. Corazona then came down with an overhead slash, which Jand intercepted as he spun his blade up and around into a shoulder-crossing block; for a moment the blades cracked and sizzled close to the Nagai's face, as he stared at the other, listening further.

"Yes, I am... it has made me useful to the Jedi Order."

Jand stepped to one side suddenly, and deactivated his lightsaber, with the intent of surprisingly removing the opposing blocking force. And assuming Corazona remained pushing on her weapon, the hope was she would stumble forward, without the counterbalance against her. In a real duel, Jand might have activated the blade again, into the flank of his opponent; but since this was a spar, he instead stepped through and past Corazona, and activated the lightsaber once more, as he swiped at her back with a quick tap.

"I became a Jedi to honor my clan. I am the first of my family to have the Force, so it made sense, and my being here is a reflection on both them and myself. My success is our honor."

Jand walked away from Corazona for several yards, as he watched her. He turned and brought his weapon up, ready.

"You stated your presence here is political, approval given with the benefit of mutually serving the Galactic Alliance as a Jedi... what if you do not succeed? Will your Ukatis be unable to align with this government? Do you truly have no other motive for being here?"

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Wh-!"

As Jand deactivated his blade, Cora's momentum had nowhere to go but forward. She stumbled for a few paces, then spun with a half-turn to the side, swinging her blade in an outward arc to parry away his swipe. Her footing had been unstable, and though she managed to catch the tip of his saber with her own, the force behind it had unbalanced her further.

When her opponent paced away, Cora backpedaled for a few moments and managed to regain her poise, albeit flustered. It had not been lost on the Padawan that there were several points in this duel where Jand could have easily landed a fatal strike.

Still, it was not only the concept of losing that had vexed her. Cora's motives within the Jedi Order had been questioned since day one, and Jand's direct nature made her feel judged. Cora’s jaw tightened.

"I can't answer that." She said honestly, brushing a loose blonde strand back behind her ear. "I don't know what will happen if I perform poorly, but I do know that succeeding here will make the potential transition easier. With the galaxy embroiled in war, my priority is the safety of my people."

Jand raised his weapon to beckon another attack, but Cora simply stared at him for now.

"We used to be under the rule of the Confederacy. Now that they're gone, we need protection should any of the galactic powers set their sights on Ukatis. I will do whatever it takes to ensure that my home and her people are safe—and we've determined that the best way to do that is to join the Galactic Alliance."

Her blade spun in a flourish, blue eyes hardening—though not as steely as Jand's gaze—as she appraised his stance. Cora approached slowly, blade held out and to the side.

"It sounds to me as though we are not dissimilar, Jand Talo. We are both here for the benefit of our people, no?"

He outclassed her with the blade, that much was clear. As troubling as it was to get knocked around by someone who looked to be a year or two younger than her, Cora resolved that fighting a stronger opponent would only make her better— if she had the capacity to learn from this encounter.

She raised her chin, and it may have appeared from Jand's angle that she was looking down at him.

"Attack!"

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

Jand felt confident he had the dueling advantage, but he didn't let that cloud his awareness or focus.

It also seemed Corazona was honest about how her presence might determine events, though still seemed to think success equated to outcome. It was an interesting point of view to have, which caused the Nagai to wonder if perhaps the noble really was that out of touch with basic logic and rationale. Yet, as Corazona continued to explain, Jand began to see how the leaders of Ukatis might have felt the need to provide some kind of gesture, if only to prove their position having once been aligned with the Confederacy of Independent Systems. And, if Jand recalled correctly, the CIS had been led by Sith... though that might have just been rumor.

Still.

"Perhaps you put too much importance on your influence to the agreements," Jand muttered, as he watched Corazona refocus. "I do not see the Galactic Alliance refusing to allow a willing planet to join their government, irrespective of your position with the Jedi. An ally is an ally, and in a time with encroaching threats on Alliance borders, any willing help is likely appreciated."

When Corazona unleashed with a flourish of her weapon, Jand prepared for an attack, though it never came. Instead the other fell into a defensive posture, as she mentioned how the pair might have been similar.

"I am here for my clan, not necessarily my people," Jand clarified, as he watched her. "And while my initial purpose had been to be accepted as a Jedi, that has since altered to include more of what the Jedi Order stands for and means: I focus on protecting those that cannot protect themselves, which upholds my personal honor and the honor of my clan."

Jand grunted.

"You may be right in one way, perhaps we were similar with intent... but that is not the situation now."

It occurred to Jand that, perhaps in time, Corazona might redefine her purpose with the Jedi Order, much as he had. It also occurred to him that, like it or not, they were going to be allies and serve alongside one another; and while Jand didn't necessarily like the pompous noble personally, it remained that he might have to rely on Corazona - begrudgingly - in the future, which meant she needed to improve for everyone's benefit.

"Very well," Jand said as she called for him to attack. "Stop telling me why you belong here - show me."

Jand moved forward as he closed the distance between them, before he thrust forward with three probing strikes, each aimed for a different portion of Corazona's body - the chest, the leg, the stomach. On the last strike, Jand purposefully overextended, which put his balance off, to see the noble's instinct for seeing weakness. The result might very well end with Jand taking a strike, but he wanted to gauge several things, so he could find a point to - begrudgingly - assist Corazona with some personal development and growth...

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Perhaps you put too much importance on your influence to the agreements,"

Cora visibly balked, upper lip curling to show a hint of her gritted teeth. It appeared that a Jand was not one to mince words, yet she had the impression that he was not trying to get under her skin.

Perhaps the commoner was simply misunderstanding how things were done in the noble echelons of Ukatian society. Still, Cora spared a thought the the opposite; what if he was right, and she was simply a drop in the vast bucket of Alliance personnel? Ukatis was not particularly notable, it had no precious resources or valuable assets.

Yet it was her home, and Cora had been raised to believe that everything decision she made was to be in the best interest of her people; she was an instrument as much as she was to be a guardian. The noble houses of her homeworld had deliberated heavily on how to play their hand, and Cora was selected to be a show of good faith. Her father, stern and unyielding, had made it seem as though the Alliance's decision to accept Ukatis rested firmly on her shoulders alone.

To suggest otherwise would have shattered Cora's self worth, and so she clung to her version of events. If she wasn't here to be the savior of her people, then what was she?

In reality, the paperwork was likely moving at a snail's pace as beurocratic motions so often did.

Abruptly, she shifted her focus wholly onto Jand and how his personal reasoning had shifted during his time with the Jedi. The protection of innocents was paramount to the Jedi Code, and one she could not argue against.

"I see." Cora chewed at her bottom lip. "It was happenstance that the ideals of the Jedi and your personal code of honor aligned, then."

Lucky you.

Maybe she still didn't quite get it.

When Jand pushed forward at her behest, Cora realized that her grip on her weapon had slackened while ruminating on the Nagai's vexing observations. Fumbling with her blade, she barely managed to swat away the strike at her chest, bringing her saber in a low arc to intercept the jab that went for her leg. He came at her one more time, aiming for her abdomen, which she managed to sidestep the majority of—the tip of the training saber nicked the side of her torso, and she yelped.

If Cora had been sharp enough to catch Jand's purposeful overextension, she'd lost the advantage, stumbling back while her free hand caressed the burning mark at her side. It was not a wound that necessitated treatment, but it was unpleasant.

Jand Talo