A Bit of Cold

[Darth Veles]

Upon hearing of Zeltros, being reminded of the events on it again, Avreet frowned, shaking his large head. "That was a truly terrible event, but it is necessary to realize those were not Sith who killed civilians," the amphibious Sith Lord stated simply, "Those people you talk about are Dark Jedi. Monsters, wild beasts with no control over their violent urges. I am positive of several members of your order who have fallen to the Dark Side to have committed the crimes on Zeltros. Dark Jedi are not strong enough to control the Dark Side as a Sith can and too weak to resist it like a proper Jedi should. As a result, they suffer a rapid decrease in intelligence to the point of extreme retardation. Now, this can happen to the weakest of our Order as well, unfortunately. It is tragic, but I assure you, a true Sith would never kill a civilian."

Taking a gulp of tea, Avreet continued. "We Sith believe there is no honour in killing unarmed opponents or innocents. Killing out of bloodlust is distasteful. Not only that; it is a sign of weakness in our eyes. There is a reason being called Dark Jedi is a terrible insult among the true Sith. Dark Jedi are imbeciles who give Sith a bad name and do not deserve to be called Sith, although they often claim to be one. They are also an excellent source of Republic anti-Sith propaganda. An ordinary citizen sees a person with a lightsaber killing unarmed people and if told that person is a Sith, there is no reason for the citizen not to believe that."

"The One Sith is plagued by Dark Jedi. In a foolish attempt to use them as combatants, we have allowed them to grow and spread. The One Sith... I am no longer one of them. A wise man once said to associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company. I will not help the One Sith and tolerate as these... monsters spit on everything Sith stand for. They do not want peace! They want to drown this galaxy in blood."

A heavy sight followed and Avreet had to resist the urge to think of his failure to save the One Sith. His orange eyes stared into the dark liquid in the cup for a moment before he suddenly turned his head to glare at [member="Kana Truden"]. "But the One Sith are not the only ones full of Dark Jedi... Corvus mentioned something about members of your Order killing needlessly, using the Dark Side, bending the Jedi Code, using greater good and necessary sacrifices as an excuse to their weakness and laziness... Just ask yourself. Are those Jedi? And if not, who are they...?"

"Those are Dark Jedi as well. As shocking as it may be for you, Kana, the Jedi and the Sith have a common enemy. Think about it. You are a Jedi. I am a Sith. And yet, we talk to each other instead of fighting. We both want peace. We want this pointless war to end."

 

[Kana Truden]

She stared at her cup as the man talked of dark jedi and their nature. It was a topic she wasn’t familiar with. She thought on it as she shook the cup to make the tea circle in her hands. They had fallen but were redeemable, even if they were ‘Not-Sith’. At least so she told herself. Nobody deserved to be ‘taken out’ simply for their beliefs or actions. Death sentences would only bring more fear and followers. The actions of the person in question would not go unpunished but it should not go without a chance for redepmtion either.

“I am not sure I should consider them enemies.” She gave Avreet a calm shake of her head. “Those who just fell had their reasons, and reasons can be discussed. Think of it like if you’re a nerf herder.”

She put her cup on the small table and gave the man a calm and collected nod.

“A nerf ran away from the herd and you go out there looking for it. It takes a few days but eventually you find it but it’s ridden with disease. While the easy choice would be to end it’s suffering and not risk the disease spreading it’s your duty as a jedi to do your best to cure it.

Does that make sense? We don’t seek to end them as much as make them see the errors in their way. If we can’t do that and they draw their blade first then we have no choice but to put them down. What is important is that we give them a chance at redemption.”

The cup on the table called out for her and she grabbed it before promptly raising it to her mouth for a sip. Her face curled up again but it was still half the reason she enjoyed tea over other beverages.

“I did the same to the knight and apprentice you saw me speaking to on Zeltros. They had… They…” She slowly drifted away again before shaking herself awake once more. “So many people lost, yet I still wanted to give them an offer at redemption, just seconds after it had happened. You came along and I saw that as their chance.”

“Not that I suspect they took it, the purpose was also not to come to blows with them. I may be a competent lightsaber combatant but that does not mean I actually enjoy or take pleasure in engaging in it.”

[ [member="Avreet Zatarus"] ]​

 

[Darth Veles]

Noting how the woman shook when she spoke of Zeltros, Avreet reached out, placing his webbed hand on her shoulder. Knowing a bit of Force healing from a Jedi healer, the Sith Lord focused on sending his sense of calmness to the Jedi Knight. After a moment, he removed his hand from the woman's shoulder and spoke again. "Let me correct your example with a nerf." The Sith Lord said kindly, one of his webbed fingers knocking on the desk for a few times, watching the small ripples it created in the tea inside the cup before his sight shifted to [member="Kana Truden"].

"Nerfs are not sentient. They do not have to obey laws. The do not follow any Code, just their instincts. I'll give you a better example; one of your friends falls to the Dark Side. First they dismiss the Code, then they start using the Dark Side for "the greater good". And then they fall! They leave the Jedi Order and roam the galaxy. Soon, they discover their own bloodlust, so they start looking for any reason to kill people in their way. After dozens of murders committed by this new Dark Jedi all over the Republic space, let's say Corvus is dispatched to arrest the threat. She confronts the Dark Jedi, tries to reason, but is defeated in a duel that follows. Corvus is then tortured to death because the Dark Jedi finds her screams amusing."

"Do you think the Dark Jedi can be redeemed? Do you think the Dark Jedi is worth redemption? What about their crimes? Will all those cold blooded murders and tragedies they have caused suddenly be forgiven if the Dark Jedi decides to join the Jedi Order again? Do you think murder of an innocent can be waved away if the Dark Jedi is deemed redeemable by the Jedi?" Avreet questioned.

"During my studies of your Order, I have found some interesting material concerning the Dark Side. A Jedi Master named, hmm," Avreet went back, looking for the name in his memories for a few seconds before he found it, "Tolaris Shim believed that any Jedi who kills innocents while under influence of the Dark Side is beyond redemption. What is your opinion on this? Perhaps you believe in the "forgive and forget" concept?"

"And what about the Sith? Me, for example? I have no innocent blood on my hands, yet I cannot be redeemed as I was never a Jedi in the first place. Do I deserve death simply for not following your religion while one following it can commit crimes without fearing punishment?"

 

[Kana Truden]

“Yes, I believe they are worth redemption.” Kana took a sip of her tea and placed the cup on the table once again. “Everyone is worth redemption, even if that meant I had to face the one who murdered millions, even if one of the victims would be my best friend.”

“Corvus would not have wanted me to exact revenge, she would have expected justice. If I were to act on my emotions I would have gone for revenge and that is exactly what led Anakin down his dark path. I would have taken my own step down the same path as the dark jedi and ultimately I would end up being just like those I set out to punish. An act of justice, of mercy, would be a tough call but the right call.”

“As a leader I expect you to understand that sometimes you have to make the hard choices even if it means you’ll end up hating yourself for it.” She gave Avreet a serious look, she was not joking. “Do you sacrifice the many for the one, or the one for the many? You can’t approach this scenario with emotion or bias.”

“It’s almost related to your final question. One bad apple spoils the bunch. While I can sense you have nothing but good intentions there are still those - and I dare say a majority of the One Sith - who don’t have them.”

“Avreet, you may be a good man but your ‘religion’ is associated with men and women who abuse their powers to oppress those they consider beneath them. I do not hold a grudge against you but considering this fight has been raging on for millennia there is no sensible reason for me to drop my guard around Sith. No matter how much I want it to stop.”

[ [member="Avreet Zatarus"] ]​

 

[Darth Veles]

Avreet focused solely on the blonde Jedi, paying attention to every word and trying to understand her. Something quite hard for the young Sith; he believed mercy clouded the Jedi's judgement. Personally, Avreet never was one to buy the whole "redemption" thing that turned the most monstrous of Dark Jedi into kind and compassionate Jedi. What about the relatives of the many victims of one such Dark Jedi? The feeling that their relative's murderer walked free without facing any sort of punishment had to be maddening. If nothing else, it produced hate. While a nice concept, the Jedi had to realize there existed a line that made redemption no longer possible, or so Avreet thought. The Mon Cal did get the blonde woman's point though, he eventually understood her reasoning, but the topic continued to linger in the air, presenting one of their many differences.

Proceeding to think about her other words, the Mon Cal took several sips of the tea before finally continuing the discussion. Although he disagreed with many of the Jedi's beliefs, he quite enjoyed talking to her. She presented one very good point he could definitely agree with. "You are right," he stated, his voice strangely quiet, the orange orbs staring at the Jedi Knight, "Just the name of the Sith is associated with such people and terrible crimes. Maybe it would be for the best if I gathered a group of Sith like me and started my own Order. I am no longer with the One Sith, but everyone will connect me to them just because I am a Sith. If I create my own Order, adjust the Code so it is not so hard to interpret, personally oversee we don't repeat mistakes of the Sith..." He suddenly laughed, waving his hand. "But enough about that! That isjust me thinking silly things."

Holding back another chuckle, he quickly sipped more tea and returned to something he wanted to adress. "You spoke of sacrifices. Many Jedi say they will sacrifice one for the sake of many. I say that is pure pragmatism... which is the Sith way of thinking. I believe you Jedi should never think about sacrificing other beings. The only thing you can sacrifice is your own life. It may sound silly, but I have yet to see Jedi sacrificing themselves instead of others. So tell me... would you kill one man to save billions? If so, how many would you sacrifice? Two? Three? Twenty? Five hundred? Two million?"

But he did not stop there! The Sith continued to question the Knight. "Let's say I planted a bomb into one sentient out of one hundred. They are all inside one room. In an hour, the bomb will explode and kill everyone in the room. They only way to stop the bomb is to kill the one who has it inside their body. You don't know who that is though. What will you do, [member="Kana Truden"]?"

 

[Kana Truden]

The man loved his moral dilemmas, didn’t he? Kana had learned the hard way that putting oneself into a situation theoretically and then being forced into it practically was two different things. Sparring was good and fun but lethal when it came to the thing it prepared you for. It had thrown her off-guard to say the least when she had come to blows with someone.

She took a few moments to truly think on it. There was something to the similarities between what they were previously discussing. The change of topic felt like a trap. That Kana was willing to grant one man life because she believed in redemption. As to the dilemma itself it was a question about if she was willing to cut down innocents until she knew that she had taken out the one carrying the bomb. Of course she wasn’t.

“Never look or go for the quick or easy solution.” She furrowed her eyebrows and gave the Mon Calamari an unamused look. “Spend fifty-nine minutes to think on the problem and only a minute to solve it.”

“Who acts strange? Who is the most stressed out in the crowd? Can I sense the bomb? There are all these variables that needs to be taken into account. Ultimately my success is based on how well I perform, not how well I try to perform. Should my failure mean that a billion people dies then I can happily die with them knowing that I did all that I could to prevent it.”

“My life has no meaning to the greater good, it never has and it never will. I am just like any other person with the exception that I am a bit more attuned to the force than them. Why should that make me special? I’ve thought on this many times and the answer is always the same, I’m not.”

Diversion tactics.

“Did you know that if things had been different I could have been at two different places?” Her face slowly changed from a unamused one to a curious one. “I was brought to the order just about a week before the Invasion of Alderaan. The first one.”

“I will not tell you the details, but such despair phased me. I am sure you can understand. There are so many of my friends who died at the hands of a sith and their creations. So am I looking for revenge? No. Am I looking for justice? Impossible. I am simply looking to prevent it from happening again.”

“And that is why I’m a jedi. Why are you a sith?”

[ [member="Avreet Zatarus"] ]​

 

[Darth Veles]

Even the first sentence was enough to make the Mon Cal smile. Obviously, it was far easier to discuss such situation from safety of a ship while drinking hot tea, but the fact the blonde Jedi did not choose the easiest and laziest way of solving the problem very much pleased the Sith Lord and gave him a valuable insight into this Knight. Most Jedi would have picked the option to kill as many innocents as necessary to save their own skin, later justifying it as the greater good or something that had to be done. This Jedi was different. Different from Corvus, yet very similar to her. Both women have unknowingly earned Veles’ respect for being very good Jedi in his eyes. If every Jedi was like them, the Mon Calamari might as well have deserted the Sith long time ago, possibly even accepting the Jedi Code. Unfortunately, much like him, exceptions that prove the rule.

The revelation [member="Kana Truden"] came from Alderaan was not entirely shocking as much as the fact how close she had gotten to being assimilated into the One Sith. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, Avreet could not really tell. As much as he wanted to see the woman as a Sith, as she displayed all noble qualities of being one, he found himself doubting the other teachers in the Order. Not all of them, of course; but what was the probability of one Acolyte being picked by him or his friends he trusted and valued?

“Why am I a Sith?” the Mon Cal repeated the question and raised the cup to take a sip of tea, “Hmm, because I was born in the Sith Empire and taken to the Sith Order for training? Because my Master was a true Sith such as myself and taught me what it really means to be a Sith?”

“I have lost many friends as well. Jedi may look like protectors and peacekeepers to Republic citizens, but to my people, they are what Sith are to your people. You have inflicted so much pain and suffering upon those who disagreed with you and wanted to be free… It was about time the One Sith emerged and put an end to the demented Jedi crusades against all who might pose danger to the Republic. I may have left the One Sith, but… Force praise the Dark Lord! It is such a shame they have degenerated into what they are now. That won’t stop me though. I am still a Sith. But why do I continue being one you may ask?”

“There is honour in being a Sith. I do this for galactic peace. For freedom of all. To defend my people against your tyranny and to bring a few drops of justice into the sea of lawlessness.”

The Sith Lord lost himself as he gazed into the black liquid at the bottom of his cup. One more sip and it was empty. “But you are an excellent Jedi, Kana. If your answer to my question was true… do not let anyone change you. I would have answered the same. It is better to die with honour, knowing I did everything I could to save those I protect instead of slaying them and living. Why aren’t you a Master yet anyway?”

 

[Kana Truden]

“Inexperience and reluctance to become one.” Kana shook her head calmly. “I only just reached knight yet my knowledge of the force is on the same level as a novice Padawan. To grant me a Master title would be to discredit the efforts of those who truly deserve it.”

Like Corvus or Kian, they both were worthy of the titles. Then again, unlike Kana they had grown up within a Jedi Order. Perhaps if she considered the circumstances she had come a really long way. At least for someone who had only spent about a year in practice. She could thank her friends for that. Which she did of course do every day. Thank yous that wasn’t spoken at all times but always thought of.

“I am thankful for the recognition but Master is not something I think I’ll be able to claim for at least a few years once I’m considerably more experienced and knowledgeable. In a sense I still see myself as a padawan with the right to teach other padawans.”

“What was it like to learn under the sith?”

[ [member="Avreet Zatarus"] ]​

 

[Darth Veles]

The Sith Lord nodded, even though he believed [member="Kana Truden"] to be wiser than many of her superiors, her reluctance showed she needed a bit of time before becoming a Jedi Master. Or was it a lack of confidence? Avreet did not know, hoping the years and experience Kana wished to gain before becoming a Jedi Master would not change her for the worse.

"It wasn't bad," Avreet replied to the Knight's question, "Before you get a Master, you usually study with other Acolytes and learn from the many instructors. By the time you attract attention of one of the Knights or Masters, you should already know the basic powers of the Force, a bit of the first Form of lightsaber combat and some history of the Sith. Then it really depends on who is going to take you as an apprentice." The Sith Lord shrugged. "As I have already said, not all Sith act like a Sith should. I have no doubt I would not have survived training under many of those. I was lucky though. My Master was a very wise and kind woman. Firm, but just, a true Sith. Over the years of training together, we became very good friends. I love her like a mother." Just the memory of the Togruta brought a smile to the amphibian's face. "Even to this day, she is the wisest person I have ever met. Easily the greatest Sith I know of. She is a great example to me."

Now it was his turn to ask.

"What exactly do you do as a Jedi? Training your mind and body is undoubtedly important, but there has to be something else you do. Do you fight often? Or was Zeltros an exception?"

 

[Kana Truden]

The similarities between the Sith and Jedi was striking. At least in the way he had described them. Where was the hate and torment on the apprentices? Those were the stories she had heard. Then again, what was the possibility that he was saying all this from a fanatic angle? It didn’t seem like he was but Kana just couldn’t let go of her skepticism. Her approach had gone considerably more soft since their initial meeting but she was not willing to relax completely.

“I don’t do much besides training my mind and body.” Kana shrugged. “Fights are rare and far between. Unless you consider sparring fighting then that happens at least five times a week… And Zeltros was my first, yeah. Met you and then I had to meet ‘Balaya’. Me and Corvus has… History with her.”

“Anyway, other than that I always make sure I stay up to date on technology so that my skills in how to ‘bypass’ it never grows out of age. There is a course for it at the temple where they are often provided with the latest technology available on the market. I take regular turns and try to go at it at least once a day. I’m not on level with the big slicers out there but I know my way around security protocols.”

She was after all behind the controls of Corvus’ ship for a reason. Okay, it wasn’t Corvus ship since any jedi can use it but few know of them and those that do have a tendency to pick one of the other ships. Kana had to admit she felt guilty of that part with all her added security measures around the ship.

“Other than that I do what any regular person would do. I eat, sleep and socialize. Though not with many, I don't want to get too attached to people. I already know what attachment is like to just one person. It's horrible. I get really clingy to people.”

[ [member="Dux Pontus"] ]​

 

[Darth Veles]

A slicer! And the Jedi apparently did courses for it at their Temple, which was most surprising, as the Mon Cal often considered them to be out of touch with reality. Avreet would not have expected any Jedi to be into slicing, but then again, Kana had mentioned something about joining the Jedi Order just about a week before the liberation of Alderaan. Other than that, the blonde Knight seemed fairly ordinary, just like the Sith Lord imagined a Jedi to be. Her schedule was not entirely different from the Sith Lord's; despite studying different subjects, he could see himself doing the ordinary things around the Sith Temple when she spoke of what she normally did. What caught the Mon Cal's attention was the mention of Zeltros and Darth Praelior.

"I am sorry for what you had to go through on Zeltros," the Sith stated, blinking, his piercing gaze turning away from the Knight, "That had to be hard, especially since it was your first time, no? All the death and suffering in the Force, knowing innocents were dying everywhere, all of that making the Dark Side stronger and subtly influencing your actions..." He paused for a moment and let the silence sink in. "I hope that murderous witch did not use the situation to poison your mind? Darth Praelior is not above such tactic."

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

“I could handle it.” Kana wasn’t completely honest. “I try not to think on it too much. It’s a very blurry memory for some reason.”

“All I can remember is that we met her aboard a ship of some kind. She had just woken up every single sithspawn in the city.” Kana went back to the same emotionless and blank stare as before. “Stormtroopers arrived. An acolyte tried to be cocky and got himself handed to him. Before you know it they opened fire and Corvus blocked it all as a friend of ours came to help.” Her head bent down and her gaze burned through her knees. “That is all I can remember.”

“I don’t want to talk about Zeltros.”

[ [member="Dux Pontus"] ]​

 

[Darth Veles]

"Alright. I... understand. I apologize for opening the wound," the amphibian bowed his head slightly. He shouldn't have brought the events on Zeltros up after noting the Jedi's obvious discomfort the memory of it had caused earlier. This appeared to be a sensitive topic for the young woman, so in the moments of awkward silence that followed, the Sith Lord poured more tea into his cup and also refilled Kana's, thinking of something that would surely make the young woman think of something different. What else can help one relax if not a cup of tea, anyway? The Sith Lord lost himself for a minuty by gazing into the dark liquid, thinking of just how much the battle of Zeltros had affected most of the participants. It was full of hardships and fateful decisions. Despite all that, Avreet did not feel particularly uncomfortable when thinking about it. He actually felt quite good. The decision to leave the One Sith was not easy and for a while he found himself doubting it, but he ultimately came to a realization he had done the right thing. Anyone the One Sith sent after him would have a hard time locating the Mon Cal due to the amphibian's experience as an infiltrator and assassin, which gave him a good idea of how to mask himself.

"Hmm, whould you be interested in learning something from me? How to mask your presence, for example? It does not require the Dark Side to work," Avreet said, smiling at the woman, as Force stealth was one of the few powers he had truly mastered over the many years of practice. That, and who else could teach it better than a Sith Assassin? "Or maybe you could teach me something of the powers of Light Side? We could also spar if you'd like." Immediately after finishing the sentence, his hand took the cup and he sipped the tea, his eyes still looking at the blonde Jedi.

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

It was a strange thing that. To contemplate learning not just of your enemy but from it. Maybe she was a bit hard on the man. He had proven himself friendly, she had told herself that repeatedly already. The man was clearly not hostile in any sense yet she kept second guessing him. She sighed and focused on continuing drinking her tea. What was she supposed to say? 'No I don't want to learn'? Was there even a correct answer here?

“It’s a generous offer, I admit I am a bit unsure what to say.” It was a lot to take in and she let the moment slide for a moment. “If we spar I take it you have training equipment for such a thing, right? I’m not that keen on explaining to the academy how I might have ended up cutting myself - or died.”

She placed her cup on the table and got up to stretch her legs. Maybe a bit rude but it felt really good to get the blood pumping again.

“I’ve never dueled a Makashi user properly before.” If you didn’t count during sparring, of course. “Would be a good experience if you’re willing.”

[ [member="Dux Pontus"] ]​

 

[Darth Veles]

"My lightsaber has a training setting. I don't want to mutilate those I spar with," the Sith assured [member="Kana Truden"] with a nod, watching her stand up and stretch her legs. He had to wonder how she managed with her cybernetic limb since Makashi users relied on footwork quite heavily, possibly more than those who favoured other forms. Whether it affected her in a significant way or not, he was glad to see the young woman willing to give the training fight a go. "I haven't fought anyone in a while. It is possible will defeat me," admitted the young Sith with a soft chuckle as he placed the cup down on the desk and got up, waving at Kana with his webbed hand and motioning for her to follow him. The former Lord of the One Sith led the blonde Jedi through the ship's hallway, turning left and opening the door that locked away his meditation/training room. Even more empty that the one they had shared tea in, it presented an excellent place to spar. Spacious and large enough for two to practice their fighting abilities, the two would not be restricted by the few pieces of furniture on Avreet's ship. The Sith Lord walked to the middle of the room, his boots gently tapping on the floor, and unclipped one of his lightsabers, reducing the power to its bare minimum by playing with the hilt of the weapon.

"No Force powers, please," he said, "If you want, you can have my other lightsaber. It has a, uhm, proper hilt. You may be used to your weapon, though... Your choice, Kana." The crimson beam of pure energy sprang to life with a characteristic hiss of a lightsaber and Avreet practiced a few moves against the air, a few stabs and light cuts delivered by his right hand holding the weapon before he got back into it, or so he thought. Turning towards Kana, he performed the Makashi salute by bringing the blade up vertically directly in front of his face and swinging down, the tip of the blade pointing towards the floor.

 

[Kana Truden]

She withdrew her own saber and adjusted it to be a bit more spar-friendly. This was her saber, there were many like it but this one spoke to her. To lay it aside wouldn’t feel right. She flicked it on again and the green beacon and the hum associated with lightsabers made itself heard. This was as close she would get to battling a sith since last time.

She did the bow, saber in front of her face before bowing down and holding it in horizontal angle to her back. It was good to have the pleasantries out of the way. Whether she would let the game go to her head as usual or not remained to be seen.

“I’m not looking to defeat as much as practice.” She got into stance. “Focusing on victory is the surefire way to having it deny you.” With a nod she let the Mon Calamari know that he was free to take the first velocity. “To expect victory is detrimental to your effort. The outcome is always up in the air until the last man has made their final move.”

[member="Dux Pontus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

"If you say so," the amphibian commented as he swung the weapon up in a fluid motion, the superheated plasma gently humming through empty air, pointing the blade at the Jedi's chest, his arm fully stretched out. Slowly and carefully, he paced towards the Knight, closing the distance between them a bit as he placed one foot in front of another, ready to take a quick step back if necessary or launch himself at the woman if an opportunity presented itself. While Makashi had the excellent range advantage over other forms, this hardly mattered when dueling another Makashi user. Another being who understood how to conserve energy, waiting for him to make a mistake that would give her a great chance to deliver a precise strike. Such were the ways of Makashi.

Since superior reach meant nothing when fighting against being who possessed the same advantage, Avreet quickly considered his options and came up with a plan. Flicking his wrist, the amphibious Sith moved his blade up and down, up and down, repeating the pattern as he advanced closer to [member="Kana Truden"] and suddenly introduced a change to his moves; his entire arm moved down in the direction of the Knight's emerald beam, tapping the energy with his crimson blade before quickly flicking his wrist to the right and moving the blade away. And again, he repeated this, slightly hitting the Knight's blade and moving his weapon away. He had yet to strike, waiting for the prefect opportunity. One more step closer and his weapon might be able to reach the woman's body.

 

[Kana Truden]

She put her game face on. It was go time and time to do the one thing she had always enjoyed - Sparring. It was against a whole other opponent though, but judging by his previous affiliation it was close enough to the real deal that she could feel at least a small bit content with it. Almost like a preparation for the next time she fought a Sith Lord.

“As long as you don’t poison me, we’re good.” She spoke after twirling her blade from one of the hits. “It’s what happened on Zeltros.”

She let her eyes wander aside for a second before she realized she was losing focus. She began avoiding the man’s blade. As he thrust it toward her a last time she pushed it away with her own. She didn’t attack, she never did the first attack. She preferred circling around her opponent and she did just that.

“I find that the intricate footwork complements the usage of force power.” Banter was nice and good in a spar. Made it easier to get over the shame if you beat them or got beat yourself. “I am all about outlasting the opponent and I find that Makashi is the form that let me do that.”

“Overall I try to stay proficient in each form so I can keep myself safe from them.”

[ [member="Dux Pontus"] ]​

 

[Darth Veles]

Although quite surprised and confused by what the Jedi said about being poisoned on Zeltros, Avreet did not allow it to distract him. Focusing on the Knight, the amphibious Sith Lord spoke as well, his large eyes following the woman as she tried to circle around him. "I know all forms of lightsaber combat enough to recognize them and know how to capitalize on their weaknesses, but I can effectively fight with only three, Makashi being the only one I have mastered," the Sith commented, moving as well as he rotated his body so his blade pointed at the Knight's chest again. Just as her, the Mon Cal started pacing around to to always face the Jedi, no matter how hard she tried to circe around him. He could not allow her to get to his side or his back.

"Once you learn how to deflect blaster bolts effectively, you don't need any other form," Avreet said and returned to doing the same thing as before, giving Kana's blade light hits with his own weapon as the walked in one large circle that slowly started to get smaller as the Mon Cal's pace brought him closer. It was time to change the pattern and attack. Avreet's blade dove under the emerald beam of plasma and lightly hit it on the outer side, diving under the blade again and doing the same thing on the inner side. His blade repeated this, diving under [member="Kana Truden"]'s weapon, but this time, he put more strength into the hit to slightly push it aside, closer to the woman's body. In split second, Avreet's right foot made a step forward, a well-practiced move the Makashi user had done thousands of times before, bringing the Mon Calamari much closer and giving his blade the necessary reach as he made a stabbing motion towards Kana's wrist holding the blade.

 

[Kana Truden]

She didn’t let her eyes off her opponent for a second. He changed his approach to go for the inner and then outer sides. Then the inner and the outer side of her blade again before trying to go for her wrist. She spun her blade around as to block his attempt before taking a step back out of his range.

“I recently learned Shien for that very purpose.” Kana went for the high road in a jab at the mon cal’s face. “Can’t say I use the form much, not a fan of the whole ‘overpower’ aspect of it.”

She too repeated a chain of attacks. Legs, arms and face. That was just how she worked. Occasionally shifting the order but she never once went for the torso or back. Kana circled her opponent while doing it, she was quite the fan of doing that.

“So, how many Makashi users were there amongst the One Sith? Because I feel like I'm the only one on that front with the Jedi.”

That’s when she did it. A quick thrust for Avreet’s heart. A painful thing had this been real, but not as painful as a cut - or punch - to the leg.

[ [member="Dux Pontus"] ]​