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Star Wars - A New Power Ch. 24 - Departure
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<blockquote data-quote="Angcuru" data-source="post: 2251166" data-attributes="member: 10948"><p><strong>9 - Combat Training</strong></p><p></p><p>"Well, the only real rules I can remember are these; the fight is over if either of us (me, probably) is injured, or if either of us (again, probably me) has had enough. Common courtesy, right?"</p><p></p><p>Arias gave Jorran a nod. The attack brought the blade down towards the intersection of Arias' neck and shoulder, but was quickly nudged off to the side by the tip of Arias' blade.</p><p></p><p>"Good, but you can do better, Jorran. Even if just for an opening attack, never follow through with such a simple and predictable move. If your blade is held high, your opponent will expect you to strike with a downwards slash, as you just did. Instead, do the unexpected."</p><p></p><p>To demonstrate, Arias stepped back and copied the stance which Jorran had started from and began with a similar downwards slice, but halfway through the arc of the attack Arias flicked his wrist to the side. Instead of coming down straight on Jorran's head, neck and shoulders, the lightsaber blade wove around Jorran's high horizontal defense and came to a stop near his armpit, almost singing his robe.</p><p></p><p>"After so many years away from practice, it's not surprising that you may have forgotten that a lightsaber is not simply a sword of light. The blade has no mass, no heft, leaving absolute control in the hands of its wielder. Do not be disappointed. Mistakes are just as valuable as successes in your training. In realizing a fault in your form, you don't fail to improve, but find a way not to succeed, which you can then avoid."</p><p></p><p>Arias stepped back and raised his blade in defense. "Again."</p><p></p><p>Jorran nodded, and made his next attack a bit more creative.</p><p></p><p>He continued exchanging attacks with Arias, receiving many blows that would have been fatal in real combat, and listened to the master's advice with each 'death' he suffered.</p><p></p><p>"Good. You learn quickly." Arias deactivated his blade and patted Jorran on the back. "Now let's see how you fare against someone of your own skill." He beckoned towards Kal. "Would you come over here please, Kal?"</p><p></p><p>“Of course, master!”</p><p></p><p>Kal stood up, trying to show confidence, this stranger was FAST. He would do his best to represent the Sethi.</p><p></p><p>He had seen that Jorran opened his side a little while attacking. If he could parry his blow he might be able to land a good counterattack. As he ignited his blade, Kal cleared his mind of anxiety. Standing up in a defensive position, his blade low, waiting for the attack.</p><p></p><p>"Be sure to use the non-lethal setting on your blades." Arias reminded Kal and Jorran. Not that he had to, at any rate. The crystals used in their lightsabers by default produced a blade that temporarily disrupted the target's nervous system, rendering them numb, but still conscious. That is, unless a blow landed on the spine or head. In that case, unconsciousness was the usual result. To actually harm each other, they would have to consciously alter the flow of the force through their blades and make them lethal.</p><p></p><p>"Fight to the best of your abilities." That said, Arias took at seat next to Miera and waited for them to begin.</p><p></p><p>Aasan will watch them quietly for a few moments before giving the whole village a good look over. Or at least, as best he can while staying where they currently stand. He'll keep his mouth shut, though, and do his best not to comment on the flashy displays that these Force-Users seem to be so fond of.</p><p></p><p>After making his salute, Jorran took a step forward, making a quick jab with his white blade.</p><p></p><p>Jorran's blade came straight at Kal. In his haste to try and counter attack the thrust, Kal almost caught it full in the chest. Kal reflexively dodged to the side, the end of Jorran's blade barely missing his torso. So close! If the thrust had been just a tad slower, Kal knew he could have turned it to his advantage.</p><p></p><p>Kal's dodge of Jorran's thrust put him less than a meter from his opponent, close enough that he could easily reach out and touch him. Kal took a step back, using that slight momentum to aid a swing at chest level towards Jorran. Jorran saw it coming, and leaned backwards, pulling his blade back from the thrust, holding the hilt at head level with the blade vertical protecting his torso in time to block Kal's attack.</p><p></p><p>Kia watches the more even fight with greater interest then the uneven one, this was something where she could actually compete, and competition was something that had been a constant in her life on Corellia, everyone trying to show everyone else up, it was second nature to her. "I guess these blades are different somehow, otherwise you wouldn't be turning them loose on each other. Once they are done...can I try, I'm not great with the saber...yet, and practicing without the threat of mass mayhem is pretty tempting, if Kal and Jorran are up for it, I mean." she says, excitedly to Miera.</p><p></p><p>Miera looked at Kia, somewhat surprised. "Kia, if your blade is that of one of the old Jedi and you are not skilled in its use, then you would likely end up killing one of them or yourself. Our lightsabers...Sethi lightsabers, are constructed with crystals unique to this world. They cannot be wielded by one who is not balanced and properly trained in the Force. At the same time, the blade they produce subdues rather than slays its target, unless we specifically desire otherwise." She hesitates for a moment. "We could train you to use your blade without imperiling yourself, but anything beyond that and you would have to be one of our order."</p><p></p><p>Arias nods. "Once Kal and Jorran finish sparring, Miera will give you a few pointers. However, learning to use a lightsaber is no simple task. Doing so requires devotion, discipline, and concentration. If you really want to learn to use one, we can show you how, but know that it will take time."</p><p></p><p>"I've handled things similar too it before, it wields sort of like a stun baton, except for the whole only lethal part. I have something to build off of, it’s just the particulars of a lightsaber then I need to learn, I think, or at least I hope. I do want to get out of here, but I think its more important to learn how to use the saber the right way, otherwise I’m like a baby with a blaster, and honestly, Hyperdrives are not my forte, especially ones 10 times older then I am." Kia admits, accepting the sting to her pride of the admission of her inexperience.</p><p></p><p>"Those crystals sound very useful, it must be really useful to have a stun setting, to be able to resolve things with less force." Kia commented, resolving to get one of the crystals before they left, I don't know what to do with it, but I would like to build my own saber, I'm sure that eventually I'll work out a way to do it, she thought.</p><p></p><p>With their weapons locked together, Jorran took advantage of his superior strength and quickly pushed his lightsaber forward in an attempt to disarm Kal. Kal deftly stepped back, the move neutralizing Jorran's strength advantage. </p><p></p><p>Using a maneuver he had learned from Arias, Kal kept contact with Jorran's blade and twisted around so that he was actually between Jorran and their lightsaber blades. Before his opponent could react Kal pushed his blade out and over their heads, twisting again so that Jorran was forced to turn around or lose control of his weapon. </p><p></p><p>The end result was another stalemate. Throughout the exchange of moves, the two white blades never left contact with one another. Now Jorran held his blade and waist level, with Kal to his right holding their blades in a cross shape between them.</p><p></p><p>Kal quickly takes a step backwards, his blade pulling off of Jorran's. He was now just in back of his opponent, and quickly lunged forward with a thrust to Jorran's side. Jorran saw the stabbing blade just in time, and tumbled forward away from Kal, barely avoiding the attack.</p><p></p><p>Jorran shifted his footing and struck down at Kal with a hard two-handed cleave, but Kal was ready. Using Jorran's own momentum against him, Kal held his blade perpendicular to Jorran's, blocked, and used the force of the attack to sidestep and whirl around, bringing his blade down on Jorran's unprotected back. The white blade passes through Jorran's clothes and partially through his back. He feels an odd numbing sensation throughout his body, like his skin had gone numb. Jorran was sure it wouldn't hinder his performance significantly, but another attack like that and he would be out of the fight.</p><p></p><p>Kia watches the duo spar with their stunning sabers, neither connecting, but with several close calls. The Jedi hopeful ponders what she could do that they weren't when it came time to duel master Miera. Neither of them is really using the force, they're just swinging their sabers at each other. I wonder what someone who is actually trained to fight with the force can do. Pull the saber from his hand, deactivate it, and push him off his feet. Make him hear a charging Maslith behind him, get him to turn, she wondered.</p><p></p><p>"Fight to the best of your abilities" said his master, and Kal knew that it would take all of his skill to overcome the more experienced man. </p><p></p><p>Taking advantage of his last blow, Kal strikes before Jorran can recover his balance.</p><p></p><p>Just by luck, Jorran deflect Kal's next attack, which would surely have brought him down if it had connected..</p><p></p><p>Just after parrying Kal's attack, Jorran whirled on him with a furious assault. He brought the blade down in a strong overhead chop that pierced Kal's defenses and grazed his shoulder, and again with a swipe that passed through Kal from neck to waist. Kal stumbled back under the sudden offensive move, barely able to remain conscious.</p><p></p><p>Sweat falling from his brow, Kal tried to focus his blurred vision on his opponent. He felt all his left side numb from the last two strikes. </p><p></p><p>It’s all or nothing now he thought, with a faint smile. This guy is GOOD.</p><p></p><p>He had seen master Arias perform this move -on him, usually- countless times.. an overhead slash for diversion, flowing into a low sweep with the saber. Kal closed his eyes, trying to feel the aura of his opponent, letting the force guide his last attack, and raised his blade.</p><p></p><p>Kal felt Jorran's presence in the force, and brought his white blade down towards his head. Jorran raised his blade in defense, but Kal sent the attack to the left over his opponent's blade and then into a diagonal slash. Jorran felt a sudden increasing numbness in his side, and then everything went black. As Jorran fell to the ground, his lightsaber falling from his hands, deactivating the moment it left his grip.</p><p></p><p>Kal limps towards his fallen opponent, gives him a moment to regain his senses, and then extends a hand to try and help him stand up. “It was a great fight! Thanks!”</p><p></p><p>Jorran reached up and took Kal's hand, making it back to his feet.</p><p></p><p>"Almost had you," he laughed. "You're twice as good as I was at your age."</p><p></p><p>He reached down and grabbed his saber hilt and strapped it back onto his belt.</p><p></p><p>Kia watched the duel in awe, lightsabers were such a rarity that seeing one, let alone two was a sight most people could go their entire lives without seeing, let alone an actual duel between two people that actually knew what they were doing. She was a bit surprised that the young kid bested the older more experienced Jedi apprentice, and it gave her enough hope of winning against Miera to put a crooked grin on her face. "Wow that was intense. I'm sure I won’t put up anywhere near the challenge that they would put up for you Miera, but I'm still up for it if you are, and I can get one of your Sethi lightsabers to work." Kia offered.</p><p></p><p>"Well done, both of you. That was an impressive display." Arias said, patting Jorran and Kal lightly on their backs. To their surprise, the numbness throughout their bodies faded, though they were still fatigued. "Sit down and have a rest."</p><p></p><p>"It is very unlikely that you will be able to use one of our lightsabers, Kia." Miera said. "To even ignite the blade one has to be perfectly balanced in the force, which requires training to be able to center oneself. Use your own blade for now, Kia." She got up and went over to where Kal and Jorran had been sparring, and readied her blade. "First, just show me how you would normally attack with your lightsaber."</p><p></p><p>"I don't want to hurt you, I know that I'm not good enough to avoid doing it with a real lightsaber, that’s why I only use it when I have to...but your the master I suppose." Kia says uncertainly, she had thought that a mistake by her wouldn't be then end of the world, because she'd be using a Sethi blade, but if she truly couldn't use one... Kia stepped forward, taking a steadying breath, she twirled her lightsaber's handle till it was perpendicular to the ground, point downward. She used a flick of her thumb on a recessed button in the butt plate to ignite the violet blade. Once it was ignited, Kia rested her other hand firmly on top of the of the butt plate to give her more power and control.</p><p></p><p>Kia faces Miera diagonally, putting all her weight on her right foot, ready to pivot away, and gives a small smile, and a nod of her head to show that she was ready. As she nods to Miera, she looks about at the others for a moment, looking to see what is around her, and what everyone is doing. Her wyes return to Miera, and then drop past her one last time, and suddenly a small tug of the force sends Jorran’s new saber hurtling in Miera's general direction. The thing wasn't meant to hit, though it striking was not unwelcome, it was simply to distract the Master for a second or two.</p><p></p><p>Feeling his saber fly from his belt, Jorran let out a surprised "Hey!" and pulled back on it with the force.</p><p></p><p>Miera looks at Kia disapprovingly. "This is supposed to test your ability with your weapon, not your ability to pull cheap tricks. If you wish not to learn, by all means say so."</p><p></p><p>"I thought how I used it was the point...I know your better with it then I am, I thought the point was to show you what I would normally do." Kia said with a shrug, "guess not. Like I said, I'm not very good, so when I use it, I do everything I can to win. Normally when I light it, and people see me use the force, they give me a wide berth, so I am able to end fights without anyone catching a case of the deads." she offers.</p><p></p><p>Kia flicks the wrist of her right hand, sending a sweeping slash at Miera's legs in an ascending triangle of violet light, it wasn't a very strong stroke, not that it would have to be with a lightsaber, but it was weak on purpose, or rather as part of Kia's saber stance. The way she was standing, blade pointed down, just flexing her wrist one way or the other would make for a strong triangle of defense. It was a natural stance considering that the activation button was on the butt of the saber and not the shaft, it was the only way to hold it and be able to quickly activate and deactivate it. It also gave her the ability to make those same defensive strokes with just a bit more outward motion to make quick sweeps at the opponents legs, or even just a wrist flick bringing it parallel to the ground would split a person standing in front of her from their groin to throat, especially with the strength that the second hand on the butt of the saber added to it.</p><p></p><p>Miera stepped smartly to the side, easily avoiding Kia's attack.</p><p></p><p>Jorran offered a piece of advice.</p><p></p><p>"Unless I'm mistaken, this is just to see how you are with a saber. If you rely on tricks with the force when you spar, your saber technique will suffer, and you'll be much more likely to be killed in a real fight if, for whatever reason, you can't use your force powers. As well, if you can hone your force skills and saber skills separately before using them together, you'll have a better grasp of the fundamentals of both when you combine them." He paused for a moment. "Well, that's what my former master taught me, anyway. I'm sure Miera has a much better-informed idea about this than I do."</p><p></p><p>"Jorran is correct. You have a degree of control in the force, but you rely on that more than your blade. I asked to see your attack, but you initially use trickery. Let's try something different." Miera deactivated her blade and returned it to her belt.</p><p></p><p>The stone which had earlier been levitated by Adrial floated up and over towards Kia. It paused at a spot one meter in front of her blade, and proceeded to begin circling her with quick, irregular movements.</p><p></p><p>"Before you face a live opponent, you should be able to face an inanimate one. Try and cleave this stone in two."</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">***</p><p></p><p>Nikama tapped Aasan on his shoulder. "While they're busy with that, I'll show you our old hyperdrive. It'll probably take a while to make it compatible with the young lady's ship, so we should get started as soon as we can. C'mon, this way." The old man walked off towards a shack not far from the fire pit.</p><p></p><p>Aasan gave one more look to the others and then, shrugged to himself before silently following Nikama. After a few steps, though, he asks a question that he's going to have to bring up at one point or another, "How old is the hyperdrive you've got? The ship is not too new, so it might not be too much of a problem...but then again, I've learned its best to not assume such things."</p><p></p><p>"Very old. Not to mention that the thing malfunction the last time it was used, so it'll probably need some fixing itself before we even think of compatibility issues." Nikama said. He slid the curtain in the doorway of the hut open and went inside, gesturing for Aasan to follow. </p><p></p><p>The hut is a mess. Wiring, sheet metal, and various torn apart tech devices litter the floor and several tool benches. "Well, it's in here somewhere." Nikama mutters. He heads toward the back and starts digging around in a pile of various junk. "Give me a hand with this, will ya?"</p><p></p><p>"Of course," Aasan nods shortly before stepping over and doing his best to assist, "Most of this salvaged from your ship, I assume?"</p><p></p><p></p><p>"Yeah we tore that thing apart until there was nothing left. All of this stuff I couldn't find a use for, or plain can't get to work. Aha! Here it is!" With Aasan's help, Nikama pulls a clump of tangled wire off of what looks like a cubic meter of burnished silver tinged white.</p><p></p><p>"It ain't pretty, but it was fast for its day. Too bad its day was waaaaay way back." Nikama clears off some of the remaining clutter. "Y'see that silvery white sheen?" He says, indicating the hyperdrive. "Now, I have no clue whatsoever as to what it is. I'm somewhat familiar with the model of hyperdrive our transport was using. What with the Separatist occupation and all, there was nothing left to work on. I've never seen this effect before. The only evidence I have to work with is an anomaly. Check this out." </p><p></p><p>Nikama reaches over to one of the tool benches and pulls out an old blaster rifle. Not pretty, but powerful by the look of it. He set it to full power, aimed it at the hyperdrive, and fired off a series of shots. The blasts hit it with full force, but simply disappeared as if they had ceased to exist the moment they would have impacted the hyperdrive. Not even a mark remained.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Angcuru, post: 2251166, member: 10948"] [b]9 - Combat Training[/b] "Well, the only real rules I can remember are these; the fight is over if either of us (me, probably) is injured, or if either of us (again, probably me) has had enough. Common courtesy, right?" Arias gave Jorran a nod. The attack brought the blade down towards the intersection of Arias' neck and shoulder, but was quickly nudged off to the side by the tip of Arias' blade. "Good, but you can do better, Jorran. Even if just for an opening attack, never follow through with such a simple and predictable move. If your blade is held high, your opponent will expect you to strike with a downwards slash, as you just did. Instead, do the unexpected." To demonstrate, Arias stepped back and copied the stance which Jorran had started from and began with a similar downwards slice, but halfway through the arc of the attack Arias flicked his wrist to the side. Instead of coming down straight on Jorran's head, neck and shoulders, the lightsaber blade wove around Jorran's high horizontal defense and came to a stop near his armpit, almost singing his robe. "After so many years away from practice, it's not surprising that you may have forgotten that a lightsaber is not simply a sword of light. The blade has no mass, no heft, leaving absolute control in the hands of its wielder. Do not be disappointed. Mistakes are just as valuable as successes in your training. In realizing a fault in your form, you don't fail to improve, but find a way not to succeed, which you can then avoid." Arias stepped back and raised his blade in defense. "Again." Jorran nodded, and made his next attack a bit more creative. He continued exchanging attacks with Arias, receiving many blows that would have been fatal in real combat, and listened to the master's advice with each 'death' he suffered. "Good. You learn quickly." Arias deactivated his blade and patted Jorran on the back. "Now let's see how you fare against someone of your own skill." He beckoned towards Kal. "Would you come over here please, Kal?" “Of course, master!” Kal stood up, trying to show confidence, this stranger was FAST. He would do his best to represent the Sethi. He had seen that Jorran opened his side a little while attacking. If he could parry his blow he might be able to land a good counterattack. As he ignited his blade, Kal cleared his mind of anxiety. Standing up in a defensive position, his blade low, waiting for the attack. "Be sure to use the non-lethal setting on your blades." Arias reminded Kal and Jorran. Not that he had to, at any rate. The crystals used in their lightsabers by default produced a blade that temporarily disrupted the target's nervous system, rendering them numb, but still conscious. That is, unless a blow landed on the spine or head. In that case, unconsciousness was the usual result. To actually harm each other, they would have to consciously alter the flow of the force through their blades and make them lethal. "Fight to the best of your abilities." That said, Arias took at seat next to Miera and waited for them to begin. Aasan will watch them quietly for a few moments before giving the whole village a good look over. Or at least, as best he can while staying where they currently stand. He'll keep his mouth shut, though, and do his best not to comment on the flashy displays that these Force-Users seem to be so fond of. After making his salute, Jorran took a step forward, making a quick jab with his white blade. Jorran's blade came straight at Kal. In his haste to try and counter attack the thrust, Kal almost caught it full in the chest. Kal reflexively dodged to the side, the end of Jorran's blade barely missing his torso. So close! If the thrust had been just a tad slower, Kal knew he could have turned it to his advantage. Kal's dodge of Jorran's thrust put him less than a meter from his opponent, close enough that he could easily reach out and touch him. Kal took a step back, using that slight momentum to aid a swing at chest level towards Jorran. Jorran saw it coming, and leaned backwards, pulling his blade back from the thrust, holding the hilt at head level with the blade vertical protecting his torso in time to block Kal's attack. Kia watches the more even fight with greater interest then the uneven one, this was something where she could actually compete, and competition was something that had been a constant in her life on Corellia, everyone trying to show everyone else up, it was second nature to her. "I guess these blades are different somehow, otherwise you wouldn't be turning them loose on each other. Once they are done...can I try, I'm not great with the saber...yet, and practicing without the threat of mass mayhem is pretty tempting, if Kal and Jorran are up for it, I mean." she says, excitedly to Miera. Miera looked at Kia, somewhat surprised. "Kia, if your blade is that of one of the old Jedi and you are not skilled in its use, then you would likely end up killing one of them or yourself. Our lightsabers...Sethi lightsabers, are constructed with crystals unique to this world. They cannot be wielded by one who is not balanced and properly trained in the Force. At the same time, the blade they produce subdues rather than slays its target, unless we specifically desire otherwise." She hesitates for a moment. "We could train you to use your blade without imperiling yourself, but anything beyond that and you would have to be one of our order." Arias nods. "Once Kal and Jorran finish sparring, Miera will give you a few pointers. However, learning to use a lightsaber is no simple task. Doing so requires devotion, discipline, and concentration. If you really want to learn to use one, we can show you how, but know that it will take time." "I've handled things similar too it before, it wields sort of like a stun baton, except for the whole only lethal part. I have something to build off of, it’s just the particulars of a lightsaber then I need to learn, I think, or at least I hope. I do want to get out of here, but I think its more important to learn how to use the saber the right way, otherwise I’m like a baby with a blaster, and honestly, Hyperdrives are not my forte, especially ones 10 times older then I am." Kia admits, accepting the sting to her pride of the admission of her inexperience. "Those crystals sound very useful, it must be really useful to have a stun setting, to be able to resolve things with less force." Kia commented, resolving to get one of the crystals before they left, I don't know what to do with it, but I would like to build my own saber, I'm sure that eventually I'll work out a way to do it, she thought. With their weapons locked together, Jorran took advantage of his superior strength and quickly pushed his lightsaber forward in an attempt to disarm Kal. Kal deftly stepped back, the move neutralizing Jorran's strength advantage. Using a maneuver he had learned from Arias, Kal kept contact with Jorran's blade and twisted around so that he was actually between Jorran and their lightsaber blades. Before his opponent could react Kal pushed his blade out and over their heads, twisting again so that Jorran was forced to turn around or lose control of his weapon. The end result was another stalemate. Throughout the exchange of moves, the two white blades never left contact with one another. Now Jorran held his blade and waist level, with Kal to his right holding their blades in a cross shape between them. Kal quickly takes a step backwards, his blade pulling off of Jorran's. He was now just in back of his opponent, and quickly lunged forward with a thrust to Jorran's side. Jorran saw the stabbing blade just in time, and tumbled forward away from Kal, barely avoiding the attack. Jorran shifted his footing and struck down at Kal with a hard two-handed cleave, but Kal was ready. Using Jorran's own momentum against him, Kal held his blade perpendicular to Jorran's, blocked, and used the force of the attack to sidestep and whirl around, bringing his blade down on Jorran's unprotected back. The white blade passes through Jorran's clothes and partially through his back. He feels an odd numbing sensation throughout his body, like his skin had gone numb. Jorran was sure it wouldn't hinder his performance significantly, but another attack like that and he would be out of the fight. Kia watches the duo spar with their stunning sabers, neither connecting, but with several close calls. The Jedi hopeful ponders what she could do that they weren't when it came time to duel master Miera. Neither of them is really using the force, they're just swinging their sabers at each other. I wonder what someone who is actually trained to fight with the force can do. Pull the saber from his hand, deactivate it, and push him off his feet. Make him hear a charging Maslith behind him, get him to turn, she wondered. "Fight to the best of your abilities" said his master, and Kal knew that it would take all of his skill to overcome the more experienced man. Taking advantage of his last blow, Kal strikes before Jorran can recover his balance. Just by luck, Jorran deflect Kal's next attack, which would surely have brought him down if it had connected.. Just after parrying Kal's attack, Jorran whirled on him with a furious assault. He brought the blade down in a strong overhead chop that pierced Kal's defenses and grazed his shoulder, and again with a swipe that passed through Kal from neck to waist. Kal stumbled back under the sudden offensive move, barely able to remain conscious. Sweat falling from his brow, Kal tried to focus his blurred vision on his opponent. He felt all his left side numb from the last two strikes. It’s all or nothing now he thought, with a faint smile. This guy is GOOD. He had seen master Arias perform this move -on him, usually- countless times.. an overhead slash for diversion, flowing into a low sweep with the saber. Kal closed his eyes, trying to feel the aura of his opponent, letting the force guide his last attack, and raised his blade. Kal felt Jorran's presence in the force, and brought his white blade down towards his head. Jorran raised his blade in defense, but Kal sent the attack to the left over his opponent's blade and then into a diagonal slash. Jorran felt a sudden increasing numbness in his side, and then everything went black. As Jorran fell to the ground, his lightsaber falling from his hands, deactivating the moment it left his grip. Kal limps towards his fallen opponent, gives him a moment to regain his senses, and then extends a hand to try and help him stand up. “It was a great fight! Thanks!” Jorran reached up and took Kal's hand, making it back to his feet. "Almost had you," he laughed. "You're twice as good as I was at your age." He reached down and grabbed his saber hilt and strapped it back onto his belt. Kia watched the duel in awe, lightsabers were such a rarity that seeing one, let alone two was a sight most people could go their entire lives without seeing, let alone an actual duel between two people that actually knew what they were doing. She was a bit surprised that the young kid bested the older more experienced Jedi apprentice, and it gave her enough hope of winning against Miera to put a crooked grin on her face. "Wow that was intense. I'm sure I won’t put up anywhere near the challenge that they would put up for you Miera, but I'm still up for it if you are, and I can get one of your Sethi lightsabers to work." Kia offered. "Well done, both of you. That was an impressive display." Arias said, patting Jorran and Kal lightly on their backs. To their surprise, the numbness throughout their bodies faded, though they were still fatigued. "Sit down and have a rest." "It is very unlikely that you will be able to use one of our lightsabers, Kia." Miera said. "To even ignite the blade one has to be perfectly balanced in the force, which requires training to be able to center oneself. Use your own blade for now, Kia." She got up and went over to where Kal and Jorran had been sparring, and readied her blade. "First, just show me how you would normally attack with your lightsaber." "I don't want to hurt you, I know that I'm not good enough to avoid doing it with a real lightsaber, that’s why I only use it when I have to...but your the master I suppose." Kia says uncertainly, she had thought that a mistake by her wouldn't be then end of the world, because she'd be using a Sethi blade, but if she truly couldn't use one... Kia stepped forward, taking a steadying breath, she twirled her lightsaber's handle till it was perpendicular to the ground, point downward. She used a flick of her thumb on a recessed button in the butt plate to ignite the violet blade. Once it was ignited, Kia rested her other hand firmly on top of the of the butt plate to give her more power and control. Kia faces Miera diagonally, putting all her weight on her right foot, ready to pivot away, and gives a small smile, and a nod of her head to show that she was ready. As she nods to Miera, she looks about at the others for a moment, looking to see what is around her, and what everyone is doing. Her wyes return to Miera, and then drop past her one last time, and suddenly a small tug of the force sends Jorran’s new saber hurtling in Miera's general direction. The thing wasn't meant to hit, though it striking was not unwelcome, it was simply to distract the Master for a second or two. Feeling his saber fly from his belt, Jorran let out a surprised "Hey!" and pulled back on it with the force. Miera looks at Kia disapprovingly. "This is supposed to test your ability with your weapon, not your ability to pull cheap tricks. If you wish not to learn, by all means say so." "I thought how I used it was the point...I know your better with it then I am, I thought the point was to show you what I would normally do." Kia said with a shrug, "guess not. Like I said, I'm not very good, so when I use it, I do everything I can to win. Normally when I light it, and people see me use the force, they give me a wide berth, so I am able to end fights without anyone catching a case of the deads." she offers. Kia flicks the wrist of her right hand, sending a sweeping slash at Miera's legs in an ascending triangle of violet light, it wasn't a very strong stroke, not that it would have to be with a lightsaber, but it was weak on purpose, or rather as part of Kia's saber stance. The way she was standing, blade pointed down, just flexing her wrist one way or the other would make for a strong triangle of defense. It was a natural stance considering that the activation button was on the butt of the saber and not the shaft, it was the only way to hold it and be able to quickly activate and deactivate it. It also gave her the ability to make those same defensive strokes with just a bit more outward motion to make quick sweeps at the opponents legs, or even just a wrist flick bringing it parallel to the ground would split a person standing in front of her from their groin to throat, especially with the strength that the second hand on the butt of the saber added to it. Miera stepped smartly to the side, easily avoiding Kia's attack. Jorran offered a piece of advice. "Unless I'm mistaken, this is just to see how you are with a saber. If you rely on tricks with the force when you spar, your saber technique will suffer, and you'll be much more likely to be killed in a real fight if, for whatever reason, you can't use your force powers. As well, if you can hone your force skills and saber skills separately before using them together, you'll have a better grasp of the fundamentals of both when you combine them." He paused for a moment. "Well, that's what my former master taught me, anyway. I'm sure Miera has a much better-informed idea about this than I do." "Jorran is correct. You have a degree of control in the force, but you rely on that more than your blade. I asked to see your attack, but you initially use trickery. Let's try something different." Miera deactivated her blade and returned it to her belt. The stone which had earlier been levitated by Adrial floated up and over towards Kia. It paused at a spot one meter in front of her blade, and proceeded to begin circling her with quick, irregular movements. "Before you face a live opponent, you should be able to face an inanimate one. Try and cleave this stone in two." [center]***[/center] Nikama tapped Aasan on his shoulder. "While they're busy with that, I'll show you our old hyperdrive. It'll probably take a while to make it compatible with the young lady's ship, so we should get started as soon as we can. C'mon, this way." The old man walked off towards a shack not far from the fire pit. Aasan gave one more look to the others and then, shrugged to himself before silently following Nikama. After a few steps, though, he asks a question that he's going to have to bring up at one point or another, "How old is the hyperdrive you've got? The ship is not too new, so it might not be too much of a problem...but then again, I've learned its best to not assume such things." "Very old. Not to mention that the thing malfunction the last time it was used, so it'll probably need some fixing itself before we even think of compatibility issues." Nikama said. He slid the curtain in the doorway of the hut open and went inside, gesturing for Aasan to follow. The hut is a mess. Wiring, sheet metal, and various torn apart tech devices litter the floor and several tool benches. "Well, it's in here somewhere." Nikama mutters. He heads toward the back and starts digging around in a pile of various junk. "Give me a hand with this, will ya?" "Of course," Aasan nods shortly before stepping over and doing his best to assist, "Most of this salvaged from your ship, I assume?" "Yeah we tore that thing apart until there was nothing left. All of this stuff I couldn't find a use for, or plain can't get to work. Aha! Here it is!" With Aasan's help, Nikama pulls a clump of tangled wire off of what looks like a cubic meter of burnished silver tinged white. "It ain't pretty, but it was fast for its day. Too bad its day was waaaaay way back." Nikama clears off some of the remaining clutter. "Y'see that silvery white sheen?" He says, indicating the hyperdrive. "Now, I have no clue whatsoever as to what it is. I'm somewhat familiar with the model of hyperdrive our transport was using. What with the Separatist occupation and all, there was nothing left to work on. I've never seen this effect before. The only evidence I have to work with is an anomaly. Check this out." Nikama reaches over to one of the tool benches and pulls out an old blaster rifle. Not pretty, but powerful by the look of it. He set it to full power, aimed it at the hyperdrive, and fired off a series of shots. The blasts hit it with full force, but simply disappeared as if they had ceased to exist the moment they would have impacted the hyperdrive. Not even a mark remained. [/QUOTE]
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