You must rely on quickness, cunning and, most of all, patience to best your enemies…

[Corvus Raaf]

The new Academy was wonderful, but Corvus missed the gardens of Ossus and spent as much time above ground on Lothal as she could.

There was something about the sky above and the grass underfoot that was so much more enjoyable than dusty training rooms — especially underground ones. So Corvus headed out near to the hangars (that were wonderfully camouflaged so as to be invisible from above) in her usual Jedi robes and found a suitable spot.

She neatly folded her cloak and placed it on the ground and checked that the training sabers and stun blasters she’d asked for were working. She also set up several training remotes and a blindfold. Today would mark the beginning of Soresu training for a new learner that had been referred to her.

She activated one of the training sabers and began her Soresu velocity before her student arrived. This was the first Form she’d learned since being a Youngling back on Corellia.

She held the blade back with her right hand up at eye level and her left hand was extended pointing at an imagined attacker then slowly and deliberately she began her practice routine.

Corvus was aware of her new student’s approach but finished her training routine regardless.

Finishing her routine, Corvus smiled and bowed. “Welcome to Lothal. Our temple is still under construction.” Corvus waved a hand at an innocuous looking small mountain behind her, as if that explained all. “We can have a tour at the end if you’ve time.”

“I have, in my time, learned most of the Forms. And this is still my preferred form for a variety of reasons – but before I bore you with endless details, it would be good to hear what you already know about it. That way you can be spared me repeating what you already understand.”

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

Bowing in return, the Bith replied "Thank you, Master."

"I've used some of the Temple's facilities, especially the library. Not everywhere though."

He paused to listen to her speak about the Forms.

"As far as the Forms go, I've been trained especially in Shii-Cho. I've also taken a recent interest in Soresu. I've learned some of the simplest velocities and I have read a little on the style. I know that it came from Shii-Cho and originally was purely self-defense against blaster weapons."

It seemed that Soresu was a very good choice as a tool for defending oneself. Being as he didn't have notions of Galactic domination, self-defense was indeed appropriate.

"Beyond that, I'm afraid I'm lacking. I spoke to a Knight and he told me that you knew Soresu especially well. He suggested arranging tuition if possible."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded as she listened.

"The key to using the Force — even with the saber — is not to overthink. If you do, you will be in conflict with the Force. Trust in it. Allow it to flow through you. Especially with Soresu, and a more advanced variant I will show you later."

"A master of the Form, or even a experienced practitioner like myself can fend off multiple attackers, and not just those using blasters. If you can maintain your focus, you do not need to use much in the way of effort and so you can maintain this kind of defence for hours. I have even heard of some fighting for nearly a full day against multiple attackers at once."

"With all of the training we do, the most important thing for any Jedi is to guard our emotions, if you are pushed to the point where you can feel yourself falling to the Dark-side pull away use whatever means necessary to get a hold of yourself. Soresu's greatest asset for all of us is that it focuses on what a Jedi should be, a defender of the innocent, a protector of the weak and a light in the darkness."

She paused to look at the Padawan. "I trust you to one day be a pillar of the Order like many who came before you."

"But enough talking, let me demonstrate. Come at me with whatever attacks you see fit."

She closed her eyes for a split second and opened them again. She stood before the Bith, no saber in her hand - her own saber and shoto were on the ground nearby and a training saber was clipped to her belt.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

The Bith apprentice listened attentively to the human teacher. He had heard of similar feats of Soresu masters, lasting many hours or against fifteen or twenty blaster-weilding opponents at a time. The legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi was said to have been night unkillable in his prime. That appealed to him, yes, but the idea of being a shield of the innocent even more.

It fit the ideals of the Order most appropriately of all Forms, he thought. Shii-Cho expressed the Force, but Soresu the Jedi way. He simply nodded at her request and unhooked his lightsaber. Dune was certain he couldn't harm her in any way but had dialed back the intensity setting of the blue beam in preparation.

His weapon came to life and he came at her with a wide, sweeping diagonal cut upwards. Her own lightsaber was in her hands before a human eye could blink and he felt not a hard block but the softest whisper of redirection. Despite that, his blade seemed to miss by metres and so too was his next blow parried. A few attacks later, he was almost sure she wasn't there

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus had dedicated her life to Sores and to Center of Being.

As the first blow was delivered the Force told her where to move her hand to and the saber snapped into her palm and ignited with a familiar snap-hiss as she deflected the strike. And her hands moved faster and faster as the Form dictated - and she gave herself to the Force to guide her actions - as was required.

She was the eye of the storm and despite the pace, she was serene and able to chat as she sparred.

"A true exponent of Soresu uses the Force in a way that is most unlike other Forms. We trust in the Force. Completely. Implicitly and explicitly. It takes a lot of time and practice but with a willingness it is achievable."

"And it is not about ability or natural skill or flair. But ten thousand hours. Commit to that and you'll achieve mastery. Are you willing?"

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

"I want to master Soresu, however long it takes."

The apprentice had no pretentions of greatness with a lightsaber. He truly didn't even like it. He told Corvus as much.

"In truth, I don't want to use a lightsaber. I will if I have to, Master, but only then."

Soresu was self-defense, plain and simple. He could live with that.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded as she listened. "Your commitment serves you well. Daily practice is all I ask and you'll become a worthy proponent of the Form. And a saber is the symbol of a Jedi. Using it is a last resort, but it is something every Jedi has to consider using if the time is right. Soresu is as much about defence as anything else, about finding a weakness in your opponent and potentially ending the duel without a fatal outcome."

"A dead Jedi is of limited benefit, never forget that."

"Now, the key, I hope you understand, is to allow the Force to guide you. So, to test your faith, we have our first test."

She produced a silk strip of cloth. "A blindfold. Put it on and then I'll set up a training remote and you'll need to trust in the Force to guide your actions."

She handed over the blindfold and picked up a training remote and waited for the Padawan to be ready.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Corvus Raaf"] held out the blindfold that he took. Tying it around his eyes brought him back to the old training exercises of Shii-Cho as a Youngling. This time was different. Soresu was it's own domain whose movements were more akin to the tight precision of Makashi than the sweeping attacks of Shii-Cho.

This would be challenging, having to trust the Force with an unfamiliar set of movements. Far easier when you didn't have to think about where your blade was. He took a breath to centre himself before unhooking his hilt. With a snap-hiss, the blue beam extended and he said to the Grandmaster "I'm ready, Master."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus activated and released the remote. It wiped around momentarily, locking onto the saber of the Jedi in front of it. It was a learning drone - the more competent the defender, the more complex the attacks. So initially it fired single bursts of fire, moved and fired once more, a second or two between each shot.

"Trust in the Force," Corvus offered. "Allow it to guide you."

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

His blade moved the intercept the bolt, angling it up and away. The sizzle of energy meeting energy each time, the smell of ozone from the bolts. The shudder up his arms each time there was an impact. The split-second anticipation before each move.

All of these thing he smelled, heard and felt as he adjusted his stance. Now the bolts came at irregular intervals, from odd angles and even in combination. The latter forced him to jump over a sizzling bolt after deflecting another away from his chest. He felt his heart rate increase with the effort.

This was more difficult than his usual training remote session, but then Corvus had used a custom setting. Dune hissed in pain as a bolt just grazed his arm, barely avoiding a dead impact as he'd been forced to parry low just before. Again another bolt, relentless as only a machine could be. The Bith had to block out the sting to focus in time....

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus watched and nodded her approval. “Good, good. But if I might offer, you are using the Force.”

Her voice was calm and reassuring. “Instead, allow it to use you. You have to trust it. Implicitly. A wise Master spoke to me when I first arrived on Ossus about that. His words have resonated with me ever since. Guided me. Made me the Jedi I am today.”

“Trust in the Force, he said. For people will let you down. Governments will let you down. Even you will let you down. But the Force will never let you down.”

“It is not something mastered easily, but Soresu, Center of Being, relies at its highest level on the trust. On the Force deciding when to act and listening to it only. Giving your life to its judgement. Ignoring what your brain tells you to do. Relax. Let the Force flow through you and guide your actions.”

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Corvus Raaf"] saw him struggling to keep up and gave him timely guidance after he was forced into leaping over a bolt. His pulse was rapid and he had to find his centre again. A deep breath, smooth and regular. Calming, cleansing it was. He felt his tension ease and his heart rate slow.

His blade moved without conscious effort, deflecting the red bolt up and away. Time had seemed to slow now as he pivoted to intercept another then another. Without realising, his dexterous hands were adjusting with minimum movement. Another party low then high. It felt so surreal...

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded her approval once more. "Keep in motion. Minimum effort yes, but to build an impenetrable wall, you need to have pace. Slightly paradoxical, but then the Force can be like that."

She smiled as he continued. "Tell me how you feel? You should sense serenity, despite the situation. Another paradox? Possibly. This is the purest Form for a Jedi after all."

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

"I felt nothing," Dune replied as he removed his blindfold "No tension, no frustration and no pain." He said the last with a small frown at the spot where the bolt had struck his arm. It stung in a most uncomfortable way. "I simply moved."

"It was strange how when thinking ceased, it simply happened."

He had meanwhile extinguished the blue blade of his lightsaber, hooking it to his belt.

"It did feel...pure," he said slowly.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus unhooked a training saber from her belt. "Remotes are one thing," she said smiling. "I'll start slowly and what I need you to do is to keep up the flow and talk at the same time. The ability to effectively multi-task whilst performing Soresu is part of the Form's strength."

"It is a balancing act.Use your conscious state to control your actions - eventually you will be able to use the Force with this part of your mind. And continue to allow the Force to guide you through your unconscious mind."

So, slowly at first, Corvus delivered blows for Dune to deflect.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Corvus Raaf"] began to slowly and methodically make her attacks. The lightsabers hummed and and gently made contact, moving as carefully as they did. Dune tried not to meet the blows head-on, instead redirecting. It was very subtle, mostly wrists as opposed to larger movements like Shii-Cho or Djem So as he'd seen.

"Master Corvus...I...I wonder," he began to attempt to talk as he moved "This seems similar...similar to Makashi...demonstrations."

He found it a bit difficult to multitask, talking and making precise adjustments. The gross motor movement of Form I was child's play compared to this. Though he'd once found Shii-Cho a bit daunting too. Now, it was like second nature.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded, "There are some similarities I think, but each Form is distinct once you practice sufficiently. And unlike other Forms where your concentration is on perfecting moves, here it is almost the opposite. Practice allows you to drop all concentration on the saber and instead focus on everything else. What your opponent is saying. What the Force is telling you, how your opponent is using the Force. Eventually you cannot be tricked. The Force knows even when you don't, so as long as you're listening, you will be fine."

She increased the pace. Which actually played into the hands of a Soresu user. And whereas she was having to expend more and more energy, Dune would be able to conserve his, and once competent, be able to focus on weaknesses in her approach and spot mistakes to capitalise on.

"Tell me, what experience do you have in using the Force whilst duelling?"

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

And indeed as the pace quickened, the apprentice fared better. It was quite the opposite of what he expected. Defensive responses became much more fluid and natural. Not entirely effortless, not yet, but his breathing even had become more relaxed.

"Not as much as I'd like," he replied finding it also easier to speak "Just the standard primer on Niman." The combination eluded him in the heat of martial combat so far. He found it impossible to do more than simple tasks without dropping his guard. Outside of weapon-based fights, it became much easier.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened and continued to press an attack, mixing it up now, switching Forms. She was proficient in all bar the seventh, although Soresu was her most accomplished.

"One step at a time is never a bad mantra," she said, smiling. "With Soresu, you have the benefit of allowing your mind to focus on options whilst the saber pretty much takes care of itself. As long as you trust the Force that is. Doubt is a Jedi's greatest enemy. If you do not believe, you will fail. It is as simple as that."

She was now using Makashi. Her training saber wasn't entirely suited, but the one handed grip afforded her greater reach, a different problem for Dune to face. "The other important thing to remember is not to become paralysed into being only defensive. At some point your opponent will make a mistake, or tire. You need to be prepared to take advantage. Defence alone will not slay your enemy, as a Sith Lord was once prone to saying."

"I met her once. Or at least an illusion of her. Charming lady. Evil...but entirely charming."

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Corvus Raaf"] OOC: The mention didn't work, hence my late reply.

Corvus switched off to a one-handed grip, choking up on her training saber. Her footwork became much more linear and her movements small and exacting. In short, Dune recognised Makashi. His own movements became smaller, his hilt close to his own centreline.

It dawned on him what she was doing. It was one thing to tell him to tighten his movement, it was another to give him a bit of a push. The latter was proving more effective. One step at a time, indeed, he thought.

"I'm not interested in slaying anyone," he replied "Who was this Sith you met, Master?"