Private Your Next Lesson

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

The New Cov Enclave was unusually still. The hum of the jungle outside filled the silence, broken only by the faint buzz of insects and the distant calls of creatures hidden in the woods. Inside, the wide halls of the temple-like structure stood quiet, most of the Jedi stationed here having gone off on assignments for the Hidden Path or other Jedi groups.

At the far back of the Temple's grounds, the training ring lay open and waiting. Valery stood at the center, the stillness of the enclave wrapped around her as she adjusted the sleeves of her dark jumpsuit. Her lightsaber hung at her hip, ready for another day of training.

She had invited Alana here today. A chance to put time aside for practice, for guidance, and to share something Valery had spent her life mastering. It was quiet now, but the moment Alana arrived, that would change.

Valery brushed a loose strand of hair back behind her ear and exhaled slowly, her gaze flicking toward the entrance to the ring. She could feel the other woman's presence drawing closer, and her lips curved into the faintest of smiles.

It was time.

Alana Calloway ​

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Valery Noble
Gear: Reefs Edge

Alana's steps carried her into the ring at an unhurried pace, each step light, her awareness brushing across the stillness like fingertips trailing over fabric. She tilted her head slightly as though listening to the hum of the jungle beyond, her eyes narrowing just faintly in focus when her senses found Valery standing at the center.

"You've been waiting?" She said, her voice low, threaded with the wry edge she so often used to cover for her nervousness. "I hope you weren't expecting me to have a lightsaber, I'm still working on making one."

She drew the blade she was gifted, the blue blade shimmered in the light. She holding it loosely in her hand as though testing its weight anew. A faint grin touched her lips as she added, softer, "I'll warn you now, my form is…creative. I know the basics of Shii-Cho. But that's about it."

For a moment she hesitated at the edge of the ring, the silence between them filled with jungle noise and the faint pulse of the Force. Then, with a small breath, she stepped forward, shoulders straightening. She had a degree of fighting ability with swords, but nothing from a professional method of fighting.

"Alright, Master Noble," She said, her grin widening into something more defiant than playful. "Just, let me know when we're starting...don't want to end up unconscious on the floor."

She was pretty sure that wouldn't happen. Well, pretty sure at least.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's smile widened as Alana stepped into the ring. She dipped her head in greeting, her orange eyes steady and warm. "Not too long," she said lightly. "And it is good to see you again."

When her gaze flicked to the weapon in Alana's hand, Valery tilted her head. "That will do for now, but swords and lightsabers are not the same. They handle differently, and I'd rather not risk either of us leaving the ring with injuries today." With a flick of her wrist, she unclipped a training saber from her belt and tossed it underhand toward Alana. "Use this. It will sting if you get hit, but nothing worse."

She then stepped back a pace and shifted her weight, one hand resting briefly against her own hilt before letting it fall to her side. "Show me how you'd stand ready," Valery instructed, "We'll spar a little. Just enough for me to see where you're at."

Her smirk tugged faintly as she raised her own saber, not yet igniting it. "And don't worry, I'll do my best to keep you on your feet."

Alana Calloway ​

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Valery Noble
Gear: Reefs Edge

Alana's blue eyes met that of the other woman, giving a small nod. The small scar across her face had healed in, giving her a rather distinctive look. She didn't mind, least the loss of her red eyes would throw off her instigators. She did a small flourish with her blade, looking to Val as she informed her of the issues with using a sword against a lightsaber. The woman wasn't wrong, and she offered a sheepish grin at the remark. "Well, it was a gift...it's supposed to be lightsaber resistant, but I see your point." She remarked, moving to stow the blade back onto her back.

She narrowly catching the tossed saber, trying to get into a proper position. She lingered on the cylinder for a moment, examining it, studying the hilt as if trying to work out some hidden meaning behind it.

She had never actually used one of these before, she spent more of her time fighting against those who used them, then employing it herself.

It felt, heavier than she thought it might, but quickly placed the lingering sentiment aside.

She hit on the ignition switch, the blade flaring to life, as she got herself set into Shii-Cho stance. Alana gave a few waves of the blade, trying to get used to it, feeling the lack of weight to the blade, she pondered on how this would change her usual fighting style. A soft smirk crossed her features, and looking back to Val as she finally felt set, lowering the blade towards the master. "I'm ready."

Time to not make an ass out of herself.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's smirk grew a little at the sheepish grin. "It might be resistant, but it still works very differently. A sword has weight you can feel, an edge that needs alignment. A lightsaber doesn't. It's weightless, save for the hilt in your hand, so the way you move it and carry it through a strike changes completely."

She shifted her stance, feet grounding her as she lifted her own lightsaber. The violet blade hissed into life, casting a faint glow across her features. "So we'll take it slow. Get you used to the balance first." Her orange eyes lingered on Alana's form, noting the stance. "Shii-Cho is a good place to start. We'll go through the zones. First, the head."

With that, Valery stepped forward, her saber raised high before she brought it down in a deliberate, clearly telegraphed vertical strike aimed for the top of Alana's head. The power was restrained, her movements steady... an opening move meant to test Alana's reflexes and let her feel the difference in control.

Alana Calloway ​

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Valery Noble
Gear: In Bio

Alana's grip tightened instinctively, her pulse jumping at the hiss of Valery's saber. For a moment she froze, old habits screaming at her to draw a blaster instead of holding her ground with a glowing blade. She swallowed the urge, boots grinding into the floor as she raised her weapon.

How odd it was, to face the thing she feared head on.

The weightlessness threw her off. When waving it about was one thing, but now this was something else. The blade wanted to swing too fast, itself lacking any resistance as she swung. She forced herself to meet the strike, lifting her saber up to catch Valery's deliberate blow. Sparks hissed and spat where violet and yellow clashed, the vibration running through her arms like a live wire.

"Not exactly like a vibro-blade," She managed through clenched teeth, eyes narrowing as she steadied her footing. The grin that flickered across her lips was defiant as ever. Very Alana. "But I'll manage."

She shifted her stance, shoulders squaring, clearly determined not to let the awkwardness of the saber throw her off her game.

Valery wasn’t kidding though. This would take some time.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's grin widened when Alana caught the strike, even if the awkwardness of the weightless blade was plain enough to see. "Good," she said, voice steady but encouraging. "Keep your guard tight and try to meet the blow at a right angle. That way, the energy doesn't slide into you."

It was the basics, of course, because in a real fight, there were plenty of situations where it'd be much better to deflect the energy of an incoming attack elsewhere, rather than meet it head-on.

She then held her saber high for a moment longer, letting Alana feel the press of the blades before breaking away and circling just enough to reset. "Now, zone two," Valery continued, her feet shifting with precision. The violet blade hummed as she angled her body, then swept in with a broad horizontal strike aimed for Alana's right side.

Her orange eyes stayed fixed on Alana's movements, watchful for the reflexes and instincts that came to the surface when pressure mounted.

Alana Calloway ​

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Valery Noble
Gear: In Bio

She listened to Val's words, feeling the building of pressure on the blade, trying to take all the sensation of the contact into her memory; muscle and mind. As Val broke off, warning Alana of what was to come, the Echani had to take a moment to process it all.

"Zone two," She echoed under her breath, more to steady herself than anything else. Her feet shuffled back half a step, then slid right, trying to mimic Valery's stance. She could sense the strike cutting through the air toward her side. It was broad, strong, but predictable from she could read off of the rhythm of Valery's body.

Alana turned into it, saber lifting to meet the horizontal arc with a grunt, arms trembling slightly with the force of the clash. Her expression tightened, sightless eyes narrowing in concentration.

"Feels like I'm waving around a hilt, the lack of weight is so alien," She muttered, a crooked grin flickering across her lips even as the weightless blade buzzed hard against hers. "But I think I'm starting to figure it out."

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery held the blades locked a moment longer, feeling the hum travel up through the hilt and into her forearm. She let the slightest upturn of her lips show that she liked what she was seeing. "There, that is better," she said, tone warm.

She relaxed the pressure on the lock and shifted her weight to one foot, studying Alana the way a teacher watches a promising student. "When you strike, use your legs. Drive from your hips and let the saber follow. Power isn't just in the arm, it comes from the whole body." Her orange eyes flicked to Alana's stance for a beat, then back again.

Valery stepped back another pace, opening a clear line for the attack and keeping her posture steady and ready. "All right. Now take it. Put weight behind the strike, aim through the target, and follow through. I will read you and adjust. Hit me like you mean it." As Alana moved, Valery watched every inch, ready to meet the blow and offer the correction or praise that followed.

Alana Calloway ​

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Valery Noble
Gear: In Bio

Alana let the clash hang for only a heartbeat before she shifted. Instead of simply pressing harder against Valery's blade, she rolled her wrists and stepped into a pivot, letting her saber slide free of the bind.

She took in a breath, processing what had just occurred, and nodding as she tried to visualize it in her mind. For a moment she was still, then she moved.

Her heel scraped against the stone of the ring as she spun, weight carried low through her hips just as Valery had told her.

The saber came around in a tight sweep, humming past in a backhand arc meant to catch Valery off the shift. But it wasn't only the blade, Alana's body moved with the strike, her free hand flashing up as though to catch the woman’s wrist. It was Echani footwork creeping into the duel, the hints of her people's martial forms being applied to her footwork, as she tried to take Val’s words to heart.

The saber followed through in a sharp downward slash, her breath coming harder now but her grin alive with the thrill of it.

"What about this?" She said quickly between the motions, the words half a laugh, half a challenge. Her stance widened again, weight pressing through her legs, ready to twist into another spin if Valery gave her the space.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery shifted smoothly as Alana's blade slid free, her own saber turning to meet the sweeping arc. The strike carried more weight now, the power of her hips driving the motion as she had instructed. A small smile touched Valery's lips as their blades sparked together again, the younger woman's Echani influence clear in the way she moved.

"Better," Valery said. She let Alana feel the resistance for a moment before twisting her own wrist, redirecting the blade just enough to push the younger fighter off balance if she did not adjust. Valery's free hand flicked out in a probing strike toward Alana's shoulder, controlled and measured, an invitation for her to respond.

"Keep going," she urged, eyes fixed on her student. "This is how you learn. Let it flow, test yourself against me." Her stance remained solid but fluid, leaving space for the spar to become more than a single exchange. She wanted Alana to push, to read, and to adapt as the duel carried on.

Alana Calloway ​

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Valery Noble
Gear: In Bio

Alana stumbled half a step at the redirection, boots skidding against the floor, but her body reacted before thought caught up. Her saber swung up defensively, intercepting Valery's probing strike with a snap of instinct more than precision. The clash rattled her wrist, but she pivoted into it, twisting her shoulders to bleed the force of the impact away.

"Flow, huh?" She breathed, lips curling in a grin even as sweat beaded her brow. An idea came to mind. "Alright, let's see how you like this-"

She let the momentum of the block carry her into another spin, body turning low and fast, her free hand slicing upward in a mirrored feint of Valery's earlier move. It was Echani reflex; strike with hand and blade, force the opponent to track both. Her saber followed a heartbeat later in a rising diagonal slash meant to force Valery to adjust high.

Her feet never stilled, each step deliberate, her weight rolling smoothly from heel to ball as if she were dancing rather than dueling. Alana's expression sharpened eyes narrowing in fierce concentration, but the grin lingered, she was feeling giddy.