You're Human? That's Hilarious.

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Zandra wasn't exactly the 'teaching type'. She was more the trial by fire type. The throw a kid into the fray and watch them pass or fail type. Still. There was something to be said about teaching someone 'the right way'. Maybe it was time she gave it a shot. Who knew? Maybe it would be funny to watch someone struggle with learning Echani sword techniques. Maybe they'd surprise her.

She stood in the middle of a large clearing in a snowy forest on Mandalore. In both hands she held polished wooden training swords. Long, with a slightly curved edge. Like she'd be dumb enough to trust a kid with a real blade. She'd trained both her kids. This wasn't her first rodeo.

"Hey there, sunshine," she greeted, "Ya ready to impress me?"

Her face split into a grin as her cybernetic hand swung one of the training swords slightly, just to get the feel of it. Good. This was a good one. She threw it to him then turned away before she could see if he caught it.

[member="Heol Wraith"]

 

[Zinai]

The teacher was trying to kill him.​

At least, that was the thought that entered Heol. He was playful and strangely weird at times, however he did portray a very grave image. The ghost of his master.

Reacting instantly, Heol caught the sword by the handle, and studied the wooden training sword. Surely, this woman wanted to teach him the right techniques, correct?

Confused, Heol approached the mentor. Ma'am, is it not a problem if we use our lightsabers instead, on a low power setting?

He didn't know what he was learning.

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

His question made the old pirate bark in laughter. Sweet Lady Luck... kids these days. She stuck her wooden training sword in the frozen snow where it stood straight up. She reached into her old leather jacket and pulled out a crushed up pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Taking one between her teeth, she lit up right there.

"Kid, you seem confused," she said, exhaling smoke, "I ain't no space wizard. You keep yer laser sword to yerself while yer here, goddit?"

She inhaled again, then blew out a perfect smoke ring. Filled her with pride.

"How do ya hold yer sword, eh? Show me that first."

[member="Heol Wraith"]

 

[Zinai]

Heol knew he was going to fail at this.​

This woman was teaching him a different art with a different blade. It could, possibly, be done with the use of a lightsaber.
However, his mentor wanted to go natural.

The only stance he knew, was the standard one-handed duel stance. Attempting his 'norms', Heol showed the interesting pirate what he had been taught.

Not sure, but I think this isn't how you would suggest me to hold it to learn your style, right?

Taking a guess was best to learn, in Heol's moral.

Guessing always helped him, either it resulted into mistakes or successes. He would always learn that way.

[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

The pirate watched him take his stance and laughed again. She closed the distance, smouldering cigarette between her fingers.

"Not even close kiddo. here," she stuck her cigarette between her lips, smearing ruby red lipstick all over the filter, "Relax. Lemmy move ya."

Without waiting for a response, she started moving his limbs into position, starting with his feet.

"Ev'rythin' begins with yer stance," he told him, still expertly keeping her cigarette between her teeth, "Bad stance, means bad times."

She moved his feet shoulder width apart, pointing in the direction he'd be attacking. Then to his hips, he had to move his entire body forward towards the target. She took the cigarette out of her mouth again, blowing smoke in the kids direction.

"Always keep in mind yer footing. Now, hold the sword up, keep a light grip. Don't hold it like yer tryin' ta choke the life out of it. It don' take much ta cut flesh. Even less with a laser sword."

[member="Heol Wraith"]

 

[Zinai]

The pirate didn't even bother getting his thumbs up.​

Oh well. That's how mentors take things anyways, he was already used to it.
Loosening up, Heol attempted a few swings. It was strange, he would definitely have to learn this style by scratch.

His position was stable, it wasn't too difficult to hold. Yet, it was a new method that he started getting interested to learn. The teacher was good.
She made good points.

Do you have different footings to teach me, incorporating them into this art?

[member=Zandra Tal'verda]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

She watched the boy swing, idly sucking smoke into her lungs and blowing it out again through her nostrils.

"No. No. It wasn't awful, but yer too wild," she said, shaking her head. She threw her ciagarette into the snow, shrugged off her heavy fur coat and drew her own wooden sword.

"Watch closely. There is a grace to it. Combat is a dance. It's intimate. It's graceful. You have to use heart, use soul."

She thrust with the blade, extending her whole body with it, light, graceful, agile like a dancer.

[member="Heol Wraith"]

 

[Zinai]

Echani.​

Well, it was a dancing sword martial art. He began to understand what the mentor meant, yet he wasn't sure how to do it. He would find it too difficult. He was trained in the art of the saber, but not in the art of dancing. It would take time to build the edge.

Awkwardly, Heol began trying to imitate the pirate. He felt...so strange. It was certain he was not the dancing type, but the agility and gracefulness the dancer was something he could accomplish. His lightsaber art, after all, had been built to be graceful. Leaning more towards the quick reaction side, of course.

[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

"Think of the sword as a part of your arm. Think of it as a limb. You control it. It doesn't control you."

She lunged again, back arched ever so slightly, balanced lightly on her toes. The sword was held loosely, just in her fingertips. It didn't take much.

'Well done, Janira! Zandra, think of the sword as part of you. Then maybe you'll be as good as your sister...'

She straightened back up, motioning for him to try it again.

"Nobody is perfect the first time."

[member="Heol Wraith"]

 

[Zinai]

The balance of the sword, and the body.​

Heol remembered that. His Master had taught him the fact that both the body and the sword must be in tune. It was necessary for the most essential strikes.

It must have been why Heol had not been striking as hard as he did in the past. Three months off the sword really took a toll on him.

Summoning as much training his master had taught him, Heol began to approach the concept of gracefulness. He could feel he was getting closer, bit by bit. Yet he was still far, it would take days, maybe even months to reconstruct the posture he used to hold.

He turned towards Zandra, with a questioning look. His thought asked, how was it?

[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

The Echani leaned on her sword in the snow like a walking stick. She watched, pale eyes taking in every centimeter of movement. Her lips pulled back into a weak smile as she shook her head.

"I have an idea. lose the sword for a moment. I want you to close your eyes for a moment. Just listen. Not just to my voice. Listen to the trees. Listen to the wind, the snow, the birds. There is music on a battlefeild. Battle is a dance. The music is just as important as the movement itself. So listen. Listen and dance."

She'd lost her spacer accent now without realizing it. It happened every now and again. She was losing the Zandra that she tried to be. She was remembering her own training.

'Don't think, Zandra, dance. Feel the flow of battle. Channel that. Know your enemy better than your dearest friend.'

She closed her eyes too, humming a simple melody. If there was one other skill Zandra had, it was her voice. All the women in her family seemed to have a good sound to their voice.

[member="Heol Wraith"]

 

[Zinai]

The pirate lady was turning strange.​

Oh well. It shouldn't have mattered to him.

Listening to his teacher's advice, he attempted to dance. His body moved to it's free will to the tune, and sound of nature. Yet he's never danced before, neither have been taught. Some moves came out wonky and weird.

However, the gracefulness and being in peace with his surroundings made him feel a lot more comfortable. It was as if the looseness of his mind ran through his body, flowing through his blood.

Sword beside the rock, Heol 'attempted' to dance continuously. He was confused on the teacher's tone, but didn't really mind. He didn't want her to come out abrupt once more.

[member=Zandra Tal'verda]