A Hawk's Tale

[Arekk]

​

Outer Rim Territories​

Sanctuary​

​

Their last brush with death obligated Ar'ekk and Tugoro Taidarious return to Sanctuary to seek for shelter and proceed with the repairs for the Aleph. The journey to Nar Shaddaa ended up being a horrendous idea although they managed to come back alive and with a new ship on their hands, having to escape a Sith squadron that almost managed to put the duo out eternally if it wasn't for the Wild Bantha's help, piloted by their friend Cheedo. They had agree if anything happened, everyone would reunite in the Rodian's planet to plan out their next move, in case there was any. Ar'ekk and his mentor knew that Cheedo would rather remain on his village than having to help the Jedi once more, so he would be someone tough to convince.

After their miraculous escape, the jump to lightspeed left them somewhere in the Outer Rim Territories which was certainly lucky enough to reach Sanctuary safe and sound. They remained hidden until a potential search for the Ebon Hawk was concluded, so it was decided the safest option would be going back to the village that they had been prior to the trip.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

One of the only landing pads on the island had been cleared, the one that [member='Ar'ekk']'s transport had touched down on upon his first arrival to the planet. The Ebon Hawk was a much larger freighter, but there was still enough space as the site was not too close to the settlement. Vapor poured from the underbelly as the loading ramp lowered, allowing Tugoro and his Padawan to set foot upon firm ground once again.

While it may have not been Ar'ekk's first choice of location, Tugoro did not mind in the slightest, knowing that there was still unfinished business to attend to. Surprisingly enough, Cheedo was at the landing pad already, having been expecting the return of the two Jedi for some time now. "What took you so long, huh? Forget that you'd dumped that old wizard on me?" the Rodian complained, clearly in tune with the thoughts of Tugoro.

"How is he?" the Jedi questioned, pulling his leather jacket off to feel the breeze upon his stinging arms. All of these encounters with Sith and gangster had really exhausted the man, though he only realized it now that he had a moment to relax. His undershirt was soaked with sweat, though luckily the material did not show it. "We've got a few doctors here, even mechanics too. He's resting now, you can see him soon. Well? What happened, and where did you find that piece of junk!" Cheedo exclaimed, still puzzled as to how the duo had gotten a hold of the freighter. Just by looking at it you could tell the design was ancient, though it looked like it had been maintained and retrofitted recently.

 

[Arekk]

"This piece of junk just saved our lives and well, you too. Regardless, this ship seems to be known in space. We must learn where it comes from and why is wanted." the Padawan replied to the Rodian. He was exhausted just like his mentor, having just escaped several brushes with death by the hands of the Sith and a dangerous criminal organization such as The Exchange. This Nar Shaddaa trip wasn't as fruitful as they had hoped, desperate for credits and parts to rebuild the Aleph. However, they returned to Sanctuary with a wanted ship and a death mark on their heads.

"I know someone who might help us. Zavik used to be a sergeant in my unit during the war and he's the most knowleadgeable person in the galaxy that I know of. He's an expert in spacecraft so he might be able to help us." Ar'ekk suggested.

The breeze was getting colder as the sun settled in the horizon.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

"Well, don't count on it happening twice," the Rodian spoke, referring to Ar'ekk's comment about him saving the day. "All I got out of this escapade was another mouth to feed, not to mention the patrol that damaged my ship." Cheedo replied, trying to get his two cents in before the Jedi moved on. They were almost too much to handle for the Rodian, as he had only been a simple chef most of his life. It was obvious that he was used to space combat, though as for why and how was unknown to the duo.

"A Silver military officer, huh?" Tugoro mused aloud, having had his fair share of militaristic factions for the time being. Still, if he wanted to get his old starfighter up and running again, it would probably be a task worth undergoing. "Did he arrive with you here, on Sanctuary? How do we contact them?" The Jedi questioned, hoping [member='Ar'ekk'] still had a connection to his old comrade. There was a communications station on one of the more developed island settlements, if the Ebon Hawk's array as it was could not reach Silver space.

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk gave the Rodian a brief pat on the shoulder, giving him some relief. "We'll get yours and master Tugoro's ships fixed. Don't worry about anything." he said, as he nodded off Cheedo. Turning back to Tugoro, the young apprentice shook his head negatively.

"Zavik is a businessman now and resides on Manaan, working independently but with the backing of the Selkath. It shouldn't be too difficult to find him." the Padawan assured firmly. If anything told him, his old friend and war brother would be more than pleased to assist him in anything they needed in exchange of nothing. The conflict made them tight-knit as ever, having their back during times of extreme duress.

"If we want to find my friend, we'll have to depart right away. Let's gather supplies first, make sure the old man in Cheedo's ship is taken care of before we go. We'll have to speak with him when we return."

The day was unequivocally beautiful with sunrays warming down everyone on the planet. At least things looked more positive than before, for their sake.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Cheedo shrugged off the hand of [member='Ar'ekk'], seemingly against the offer the young Jedi had proposed. "I hardly fly that old rust bucket. Now, your ship, that's an interesting one. I'd fly it any day." The Rodian was less than subtle about his interest in the Ebon Hawk, intrigued by it regardless of that fact that it was probably older than his own freighter.

After listening to his apprentice, Tugoro paused, bringing a palm to cup his chin as he struggled to recall the star charts he had studied in depth long ago. "That would take us through the Mara Corridor... The Empire uses that route, I believe it runs through a few major territories," Tugoro speculated, unable to remember exactly which regimes had direct access to the route. "Might be risky."

Having heard Ar'ekk's last comment, Cheedo decided to pipe up again, not wanting to lead the duo back to his old ship for nothing. "The old man's already among our people here, couldn't keep him in the ship forever. He's in one of the medical tents, if you care to visit. If not, I can get some of those supplies, if you want."

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk had totally forgotten about the old man they rescued from the slums of Nar Shaddaa. He would be in the need of urgent rest so it wouldn't be a good idea to visit him at the medical tent as of now, definitely. He shrugged off the idea with a brief head shake and instead turned towards Tugoro.

"We could change ships and go through these routes as a merchant tripulation. Pretend we're carrying cargo towards the planet of destination." He suggested another idea for the planned course. It'd be difficult to take the Ebon Hawk back for another trip, so they'd have to improvise the next move.

"Zavik is our only option should we want to get anywhere in the near future, just saying."

The clock was ticking and the sun had already set in the horizon, if they were to depart it would be in the early morning.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

"I'll get those supplies ready, then." Cheedo simply said, looking between the two Jedi briefly before walking off. The Rodian figured they would need a bit more cargo, if they intended to disguise themselves as a simple transport.

Tugoro watched Cheedo depart, nodding silently to himself after hearing [member='Ar'ekk']'s plan. Who would have thought getting his ship airborne would be so difficult? If only Tugoro had kept in touch with all of his old contacts, things might have been much easier. Now that he thought about it, Tugoro did know of one person that could possibly assist them. He would work on contacting them later.

"Well, I suppose we should head back to my hut for now. We can eat, and then resume our training if you like." With that, the man turned, waving for Ar'ekk to follow as they headed toward the island shore, where a repulsorlift raft awaited them. "Is there anything in particular you'd prefer to practice?"

 

[Arekk]

He followed his master suit as they headed back into the island and towards the place he called home. It was getting cold out there and they needed a good night's rest before leaving early in the next morning. Continuing training was a key thing to all of this and that'd keep their minds busy for the time being.

"I'd like to see more stances, master. Having a wide amount of options is always viable for me in battle."

Ar'ekk wanted to dominate the arts of the lightsaber completely and become one of the most exceptional bladesmen out there, even if that idea sounded sort of utopic. He was an eager learner and quick one too, so they'd have little to worry about when putting things to the test.

"Plus, keeping my head clear could help too. I haven't been getting any sleep lately."

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The raft came to a stop, and the two began to make their way up the slope that eventually would lead them to the dirt clearing they had trained in once before. Having changed his mind, Tugoro would come to a halt, deciding that they would train first, and then eat later on in the evening. Tossing his jacket to the side, the man would clip his saber onto his belt restraint, letting it rest peacefully for the moment.

"You have a firm grasp on the basics of forms one to three, so we'll move onto the next one. Ataru is a taxing style to use, for it involves powerful strikes and quick acrobatics to overwhelm your opponent. It can have many applications, but only a true master of the style would be capable of such," Tugoro paused, knowing that even he could not use the fourth form to its fullest potential. It was best not to get into that at the moment.

"The opening stance is a balanced two handed grip. Hold your saber on whichever side of your body you are most comfortable with, as it will make transitioning into combat much easier, allowing you to carry more momentum with each blow. Now, attempt to strike me." The Jedi beckoned his apprentice forth, arms relaxing by his sides as he waited for [member='Ar'ekk'] to initiate.

 

[Arekk]

He acknowledged the advice and instructions provided by his Jedi Master with simple nods. Once they came to a halt and touched steady ground, Ar'ekk followed Tugoro suit. His lightsaber training had gotten slightly better over the last few months as he continued to train in self imposed regimes.

As he unclipped his lightsaber from the belt that held it and ignited, he didn't skip a heartbeat and attacked his mentor as instructed. His dominant side was the right one and as such, Ar'ekk positioned himself to attack predominantly on that side.

He moved towards his opponent to deliver the initial blow in the core of his body during this sparring session in a running motion, as instructed.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Remaining still, Tugoro watched as [member='Ar'ekk'] approached, his movements indicating a basic understanding of the fourth form. Ataru was one of the most aggressive styles of lightsaber combat, but it was not all about brute strength and speed. While these traits were key to executing the form efficiently in battle, there was far more to it than simple agility and brawn.

The world around Tugoro began to subtly slow down, his apprentice's form moving in slow motion due to the force energy that was now constantly flowing through the Jedi's body. The world that Tugoro perceived was changed drastically, his actions now guided almost by instinct alone. The force was the answer, in a lot of cases you just had to listen.

Taking a few steps when Ar'ekk was within range, Tugoro moved with great speed, his body propelled forward in an acrobatic leap, that carried him over the deadly beam of plasma that was his apprentice's lightsaber. The force was at work here, and had his instincts not guided him in the direction he had gone, things could have been very different.

Tucking his legs and arms around his body tightly, Tugoro somersaulted over Ar'ekk, and landed swiftly on his opposite side, having avoided the attempted attack completely. He did not turn to face his apprentice either, all of this having happened in the brief span of a few seconds. Hopefully Ar'ekk would realize the next step in learning to hone Ataru, after the brief demonstration by his master.

 

[Arekk]

He watched Tugoro's movements unfold through an amazing demonstration of acrobatics and speed, clearly of someone who had mastered and trained Ataru for a prolonged amount of time.

The apprentice felt like his opponent was a blur when he decided to perform that amazing acrobatic technique. He was in clear awe during the demonstration yet reacted properly by moving a few steps back once the Jedi Master landed on his feet. His body shifted rapidly to face his mentor and through the Force did a backwards flip once his opponent got too close to him.

Ar'ekk quickly realized that the Force not only allowed him to perform athletic feats not possible otherwise, but it also helped guide his actions and movements in combat and once his boots touched the muddy ground, the young Padawan rained quick blows with his lightsaber at Tugoro.

The realization sunk in rapidly as he learned that Ataru relies heavily upon one's ability to run, jump, and spin using the Force instead of being a "mindless" aggressive stance. He stood his ground as the Force's aura flowed throughout him.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Having yet to activate his lightsaber, Tugoro focused more on appraising [member='Ar'ekk']'s performance than anything else. It was apparent that Ar'ekk was catching on, as his movements became more natural, the force allowing him to perform an acrobatic leap over Tugoro's head. A somewhat common mistake made by duelists, as the maneuver was difficult to pull off if unguarded.

There was even an old Makashi counter to this exact application of Ataru, one that would sear Tugoro's saber through his apprentice's abdomen if executed correctly. "You must continuously strike, from all plausible angles," he spoke, the blue beam of his own saber igniting to catch Ar'ekk's own in a brief lock. "You were open. You must push your opponent until an opening presents itself."

 

[Arekk]

"Yes, master." He replied in acknowledgement, taking into account his instructions. Certainly, he was just beginning to grasp the initial concepts of Ataru thanks to his mentorship and would eventually progress to something greater should time and patience allow him to reach such places.

Shifting his body to face Tugoro, Ar'ekk lifted his lightsaber and adopted the initial stance that the Jedi Master told him to do. The determination and willingness to continue the training was vibrant and something to admire, wanting to keep going until every single detail of this lesson stuck in his head because this was the only way where he could become a fully fledged bladesman just like his mentor.

Without missing a beat, the half masked warrior lounged forward to attack Tugoro with multiple non-stop lightsaber swings.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

A brief frown formed across Tugoro's face. Stepping backwards and exiting the saber lock, the man waited for [member='Ar'ekk']'s next move, wondering just what he had learned thus far in the brief exchange. The constant swinging was far too straightforward, and Tugoro found himself able to block, dodge and redirect all of the strikes sent his way. Holding his blade close to his body, he utilized quick and tight control over his saber, moving it only as much as it needed to be to keep up his defense.

"Too predictable. You have speed and power through the force now, but where is your technique?" He spoke to his apprentice mid duel, getting a few words out at a time. Adding a bit of extra strength to his next swing, Tugoro aimed to direct his apprentice's plasma beam into the ground, hopefully creating an opening in which would be struck at, with a swift and light kick to Ar'ekk's torso.

 

[Arekk]

The technique was not there and the lack of understanding made it slightly difficult to grasp on the concept. However, quick adaption to the instructions eventually would make his attacks more direct, swift and less predictable as they were minutes ago. Taking a step backwards and brining his lightsaber forward, the blue plasma beam reflected on his mask, he studied Tugoro's stance.

His lightsaber was deflected in a downwards movement and his upper torso was left discovered, open for his mentor to strike as he pleased. Yet, he was beginning to understand what Ataru consisted of due to its fast movements and overall acrobatics.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Upon studying Tugoro's stance, [member='Ar'ekk'] would be able to tell it was Soresu. It was the best option in the man's opinion, especially when dealing with rapid, head on attacks. His brown leather boot planted itself against Ar'ekk's abdomen, in order to simply create a distance between the two duelists. Flourishing his saber quickly, Tugoro allowed his body to relax, exiting the stance he had previously been in.

"Be creative. You understand the basics, now you must utilize them with your own instinctual attacks. Try the overhead maneuver again, but do not leave yourself open."

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk set his right foot forward and ran towards Tugoro, attempting the overhead attack once again and striking his opponent's plasma blade against his. However, this time once setting foot on the ground the young warrior would quickly adopt the Soresu stance previously trained with Tugoro which would not leave the empty space that he had given just a minute ago, quickly grasping the idea and the mixture of both styles.

The Force flowed through him swiftly and his body shifted accordingly to now move forward and swing his lightsaber rapidly at Tugoro without stopping, making usage of all sides and moving his feet armoniously.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Tugoro was... Puzzled, to say the least. Simply holding his saber firm, [member='Ar'ekk'] decided to strike it for some reason, not even warranting a defensive maneuver on Tugoro's part. He was not surprised, for Ar'ekk had shown his new characteristics as of late. Far too direct, and far too overextending. The Jedi Master was able to block his apprentice's continued assault, turning to face, once again, the rapid swings.

Tugoro would have sighed in disappointment, if he were not so focused on the duel. Adjusting his blade in brief bursts, he fended off Ar'ekk's onslaught, confident in his stamina levels. While he could sense the connection between the younger Jedi and his lightsaber, there was no way that his energy hadn't been burned through. His moves were fast and power, but not precise and accurate. That was his downfall.