All in the Footwork (Open to SSC, others PM to join)

[Sorel Crieff]

She saw him posturing. Perhaps because he knew she was a counter-puncher and needed his action to feed off? Or perhaps he just enjoyed the lack of action, a way of softening her up in other ways before the inevitable onslaught. Later she would ask him but for now he was the hostile and if he said it was day, she’d check the sky to make sure.

She gave him a look of disdain. “I follow the Code and listen to the Force. How could I let myself down?” Was that arrogance or just an entirely honest assessment from a Jedi that took being on seriously? “I have nothing to prove – to anyone. I am quite simply a Jedi and I do what the Code dictates. How difficult can that be? In my limited experience, it is those that look to justify not following it that let themselves down. If in doubt, the way forward is simple. To err on the side of caution. Not to be defeatist but to never look to push the boundaries. They’ve survived for millennia intact, who am I to try to re-design or re-interpret them?”

Without warning he moved, a full swing that would add to the power but slow his attack too. She would look for that if he repeated the effort. She parried easily – the saberstaff offering her far greater reach and with two hands the deflection was easier than with one. His power was slightly negated – although the full circle swing gave him impressive strength in the blow.

“I cannot fail myself again, if I’ve never failed myself in the first place,” she countered. She would simply refute his jibes, not with clever words but the truth – something that could be relied upon. “And the Force? I trust in it. If it chooses to not be my ally, then so be it. I shall join it and there is no shame in that.”

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

”Good – now it’s time to show your true Jedi strength and not your personal arrogance!”

With that, the talking done and the psychological battle touched on, Connor drew the Force in from those around him; the students, the Voss nature – and he let it move him fluidly.

Countering her deft strokes with the blades, he batted them from the top, and swept them from below. Small ducks back and to the side were used, in an attempt to let her follow-through work against her and he could assert himself.

Only now was the adrenalin starting to course, and he was going to enjoy this for the long haul as far as she could last and the daylight shone down on them in the yard with the others.

He moved again with a use of the Force after the blades had struck their tune; he reached out and clenched his fist, aiming to wrap her active legs almost around themselves to fall with a burst of Force energy. It would be a move to knock her over and he would then, if she fell, work to dis-arm her and subdue the combatant with a blade to the throat.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Keira Priest]

A few steps back was all it took Keira to right herself, and she dissipated the remainder of the energy with her own static pulse of the Force. Nodding once in appreciation of the offensive taken she didn't retaliate just yet, studying the stance of the other for a moment. No matter how much she looked down on the more defensive forms as a whole, she grudgingly agreed that they had their time in place, not that she ever utilized them personally. "Good, but don't let yourself sink too far into the defensive. Counter when and where you see an opening, not just when you think your opponent is worn down. Especially when it comes to fighters like me." Sure, Connor might have wanted her to take a more aggressive approach, but she had grown into the role of a teacher faster than expected of late.

Her focus briefly centered on [member="Connor Harrison"], and she afforded seconds of her attention to send him a single telepathic message, "I still want that fight." That would be her opportunity to pull all stops and hold absolutely nothing back, but until then her central motivation would be doing what she could to better [member="Setzi Lunelle"] and hopefully grant her some sort of knowledge she hadn't already picked up along the way. That was easier, she found, with her own students that hadn't grown up with much of any dogma. "Sometimes the best defense can be a strong offense." Those were the words she left the Padawan with before finally beginning her attack, reigning in her speed in strength to far more manageable levels, her opening sequence those short, sharp and fast swings that characterized Ataru. There would be no acrobatics. Yet.

 

[Dravis Rosilla]

Tyyni didn't make the first move this time. He shrugged at the girls, his breath still heaving. "After you, ladies." Tyyni was not Ataru master. He rather enjoyed Soresu for the little effort it required to maintain it. That, and he figured he would have to try a different approach. That different approah might be to counter-attack instead of attack this time. Tyyni performed a few simple orbits, his blue lightsaber a flash across his supple form. Plus, he needed to catch his breath before his next burst of energy.

[member="The Wicked Truth"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

She sensed the time for talking was over. Either he’d proven his point or he’d grown tired of the banter. On one hand she was pleased as it meant no more uncomfortable conversations. On the other, she was about to find out how far from a competent saber duellist she was.

She felt the power of the Force as he drew I to him – far more than she could tap into. Which meant she had to use some natural attributes to keep this spar going. Thoughts of defeating the Master were long gone.

And it was clear that although she had pace, he was clearly looking to use it against her – looking to make her over commit and then open up her defences. Yet knowing what he was doing and countering it were two different things. Her mind knew what to do. Her reflexes were fast enough to do what her mind wanted – but his command of the Force was more than enough to negate not only her apparent advantages but to undermine her basic application of the Force.

Plus she found she was having to think too much. Against other Padawans she could allow movements to flow, to fight with limited conscious effort. Here and now she was having to engage her brain far too much – and this was becoming her undoing, wondering what he would do next as well as deal with what he was throwing at her.

So when she felt her legs clamp together involuntarily she realised he’d slipped through her defences. With that motion and her own momentum, she knew there was nothing she could do except fall. So she pushed down with the Force and leaped backwards. She landed in a heap and dropped her saber in the process, but at least she was out of his immediate range – albeit she was sitting on her now bruised bottom.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The girl fell back with a violent crunch, losing her weapon. Connor was impressed with her resolve, but felt all the gaps in her knowledge; the biggest one was very evident to him.

”Come on!”

He kicked up the ground with a swing of his saber as he walked towards her, body twisted slightly, not taking the easy option of calling her saber hilt. This would be a time for her to act and act fast if she could.

Until she told him, this duel wasn’t over as long as they both had fight left in them. Even in fallen on the battlefield, the enemy wouldn’t stop attacking until you were dead. Connor moved quicker and went for an underhand slice, foot to shoulder, on her right side which would, if in battle, take limbs and leave her crumpled on the floor if she didn’t move in time.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Her mind was quick and once she got over the initial shock of being dumped on her behind, she acted. She could call for her saber but she instantly anticipated she would not have time. Evasive action was what was called for, but she couldn’t scrabble indefinitely and had to buy herself time.

She was adept at using improvised weapons but none obviously presented themselves, until she realised he had given her one to use. On purpose? Probably not, and she was going to use it regardless.

He had kicked up the ground with his saber. With a simple Force Push, she simply propelled the dust and dirt upwards, into his face. It was not like she had to dislodge the ground, he’d done the hard work for her. And as the dust went towards his eyes, she performed a simple back-flip and focused on her landing – on two feet this time, and then quickly scanned the area, looking for her saber. All she wanted to do right now was locate it.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The dirt swirled around, causing him to batter his eyelids and look away to focus himself from the quick thinking of the Padawan. When he to, she was on her feet and on the back step. Now it was time to show that she was still too slow, and had to trust in the Force to fuel her ability and precognition; not to think at the expense of the moment.

She was stood where the incline was, the fauna around her growing from the ground below. It was only a 4ft drop all around and cushioned, but it was enough.

He pulled his arm back, looking at her, then pushed out, palm forward, calling the Force around him to push the elements towards her in another attempt to weaken her; this time with a stronger amplification of power to knock her off both feet like being pulled backwards by a rope.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

No sooner had she found her feet than she felt the Force take them out from under her. She was falling backwards – no she was being pulled backwards and she could do nothing about it. So she didn’t try. Instead she did as she was trained, to allow the momentum to dissipate by itself. And then she relied on some very simple tactics that it seemed too many Jedi overlooked. Even though a former Grand Master of the Order used it to great effect. Perhaps ancient history was no longer cool?

You see she was taught that a lightsaber was not a weapon. Weapons might be taken, or destroyed. Weapons were unitary entities. Many people even gave them names of their own. Sorel would no more give a name to her lightsaber than she would to her hand. It was fair to say, however, that her lightsaber reflected all she knew. All she believed.

All she was. For she was the weapon.

Which was why it required no effort, no thought, to grab her lightsaber's hilt through the Force and fire it like a bullet.

It screamed through the air as it closed in on the Jedi Master’s body. As fast as she was falling backwards, her hilt was speeding towards the Jedi Master’s back.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The Padawan sent a tremor through the Force as she fell; a powerful one at that, and the projectile that was her hilt was heading to Connor for a direct hit to which he wasn’t expecting at all. He dropped his saber and cupped both hands and pushed out as the hilt hit him – he recoiled to absorb the blow and fell back with a crunch.

It was quiet for a moment, until he peered up at the blood and hilt in his hands.

The burning in his palm had taken of some skin to the raw muscle, and there was blood around the skin and on her hilt. He gritted his teeth – the Force energy to absorb the hilt worked, but it was a move he hadn’t foreseen and it had hurt.

Rolling over, he licked his lip and bit down. He was in pain – a horrid burning, stinging pain that now impeded his ability to hold a hilt properly. He was annoyed at himself, and at the deceptive efficiency and attack of Sorel.

He was also impressed.

Walking over the yard, watching the others to try and shake off the incident, he stood atop the fauna and held her hilt in his hand. He called over his own, the slap of the metal kissing the raw flesh and forcing him to hiss in pain. He tossed her weapon to the fauna beside the Jedi Padawan, looking rather comfy where she lay.

”Get up. We still stand – we carry on.”

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

The scene played out in slow-motion yet it was still over in the blink of an eye. She had far more bruises than she started with, as her back took the brunt of the fall – but she figured that the lack of acute pain meant no breakages – and that the dull aching in many spots would indicate bruising, bumps and scrapes. But then this was sparring after all – and not a non-contact sport.

She was surprised he’d taken the hit with his hands, but figured it was a reflex, especially as he’d looked to stop the saber hilt with the Force. But she was in no mood to crow, or rejoice. Nor was she so incapacitated that she’d stop either. He had both hilts now of course, not a great position to be in. But she was alive still and had other options if it came to it.

And then he tossed it down to her. Part of her wanted to leave it there, it felt almost like pity, to return it to her. But that would be childish – even for her, so she called it to her hand as she carefully stood. She might be stiff but she could stand. And if she could stand she could spar. So the twin golden energy beams activated with a snap-hiss as she stood and faced the Jedi Master. “I am ready.”

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

As Connor watched Sorel get up, dust down and prepare herself, he closed both hands and internally focused on repairing the damaged tissue. Speeding up the cell repair was easy, and he only wanted something to help take away the raw stinging sensation to last this duel which was far more brutal than he’d thought.

It painted Sorel to him as a fierce warrior who was strategic and cunning, but still had a lot of internal aggression and a point to prove – but to whom, and for what?

Connor ignited his blade and rolled the hilt in his palm to acclimatise himself.

”Use the Force as an ally in this – it’s not just to fuel your body, but to fuel your mind and actions also.”

He raised the blade to point at her, signalling he was going to strike; and he did. Jabs towards the torso that would require a more defensive position, not just facing forward. She would have to twist her body whilst maintaining her strength and control of the blades whilst protecting and countering.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

She nodded an accord to his words. They were not sparring to see what was the better with a saber – she knew his skills far outweighed her. No, they were here to learn – and she figured that meant both of them. She, for one, was picking up a lot of tips and not looking to impress, but to improve. The Force was her ally, but he was right, she typically saw it as an aid to the physical and rarely the mental.

As he pressed a new wave of attacks, she parried and began to realise that although she was still in one piece, the constant physical demands and impacts were having a toll on her. The one this she had above all was pace – and that was beginning to ebb. Not quickly, but inexorably she was indeed slowing.

She was in two minds. Press whilst she was reasonably fast still, or wait it out. Perhaps in a face to face encounter with the Sith, she might do the former, but she was here to learn and so focused on protecting herself, spinning and turning, using her dancer’s grace and poise to keep his blade up and out – but if he presented an opening, she would take it.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor moved in a way that would push Sorel back, but also tempt her forward, using her head to not only balance on her feet and maintain a strong grip to counter and deliver hits, but also to keep her alert.

A few dummy steps here and there, a teasing lunge in one direction turning into another, it was standard stuff but it was quick, and she never seemed to let up with her youthful energy.

”This may sting a little bit – believe in your ability and use the Force and your blade to counter this attack.”

He skidded back a few steps and pushed out with his hand, and sent a small arc of green Electric Judgement towards her. It wouldn’t do much except numb and sting her muscles, which wouldn’t ne nice, but she had to learn the hard way. In battle, this could be a blast of Force Lightning that would mutilate or kill her.

Here, she had the chance to repel and absorb the attack, or use her energy to evade it and more for an attack.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

It wasn’t her lack of faith in the Force that was her undoing. Nor was it her tiredness, minor injuries or even lack of speed or abilities. Rather it was the nature of the attack. Green or otherwise, the last time she’d seen a Jedi use a form of Lightning, it was her old Master and his was red. Sith red. And as memories of that moment came rushing back to her, she felt her cheeks flush from the awkwardness of the memory and a small amount of anger rise within her.

It took all of her effort and concentration to remain calm – so much so that the Electric Judgement hit her on the arm as she moved it out of the way too late. The hand holding her saber dropped from it, meaning she was holding a saber staff with a single hand and the imbalance made her almost drop it.

With her useless arm now dangling by her side, she called on the Force and pushed it into the ineffective limb. Using her still limited abilities with Force Heal, she pushed the pain away and set the Force to work to repair the minor nerve damage – simply speeding up the natural process. Meanwhile her eyes locked onto the Jedi Master’s, as she mover her working hand along the hilt to ensure she had it balanced once more. She twirled it between her fingers, picking up some pace and took a few steps back, doing her best to give herself room and time to recover before the Jedi Master’s next attack.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor bit his cheek, a little sad for Sorel it had hit her fully and taken out her arm – the worst pins and needles you could imagine! With a hilt down, she still moved with speed, but she was weaker, and an enemy wouldn’t hesitate to strike and Connor knew he had to push her to unlock that natural instinct to survive.

He goaded her, moving down a little and gripped his hilt with two hands before running a few steps, as if going to strike a ball from a post, and swung violently left to hopefully bat her blade out of the way before coming down to hit her other arm – effectively, if he got through, taking both limbs out of action for enough time to submit her.

It would be a harsh strike, but again, rather she learn and push herself here than do it facing a merciless enemy.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

This was tough – but unlikely to be lethal. A fight against a less effective Sith opponent would be far more dangerous, so for Sorel, the experience was invaluable.

And she had hoped to distract the Jedi Master with the twirling saber, but he was too savvy for that and instead pressed his attack, as he should. She barely deflected the saber and realised he had loosened it in her grip so much that she was barely able to hold it, let alone use it. So his follow up blow hit her arm without hindrance. The pain was real – albeit she would only receive a nasty bruise as opposed to a loss of limb – and it would be so easy to drop the saber, but she gritted her teeth and simply refused to let go of it. As feeling returned to her other arm, she did her best to shrug off the pain in her arm and held her saberstaff with both hands. This was practice but she acted as if her life depended on keeping his next assaults at bay.

She kept moving all the time, her eyes looking for anything around them she could use against him and then she spotted it. Dropping her weakened arm from the hilt momentarily, she Force Pulled her cloak towards him. It scuttled along the ground and just as it was going to wrap itself around his legs, she performed two offensive strikes – both high as if she were holding oars and rowing. With any luck she would catch him off-balance.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Nodding at her resilience, Connor teased with his blade again before taunting her to block in quick bursts with a weak arm, but she acted with the Force and he felt it – she was using it as an ally and not just an enhancement.

However it didn’t come as slow or hard as expected, it was her cloak and was fast enough to get under his feet as he sidestepped up and over without looking. But with it dragging on his boot and not giving him traction, his footing went as her attack came down. The first he swerved to avoid and brought his blade up awkwardly on one knee to block the other, but it was the worse angle to be at, and he fell sideways, a clumsy attempt to block and roll.

Turning on his knees, he leaned his head back and laughed at himself.

”I like that. A swift and decisive amount of deception used, not what I was expecting at all. Taking out my balance and my expectation at the same time. Good move, Padawan.”

He pushed up on his knees, the blade angled down to the gritty ground as he wafted his left hand and brushed away the cloak on the floor as if a gust of wind had lifted it away.

”I’ll be sure to replace that for you,” he said, before moving.

Now to test her reflex in close-quarters again. He ran at her and without stopping swung his blade at head level which, truth be told, would render her out for the count with a god-awful headache if it struck her. This was where she would have to amplify her body to evade the strike, but also find the opening for a decisive attack – all if her stamina, and the Force, would allow her to.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

She was a Jedi and had been taught to plan for both success and failure in equal measures but always in that order. And to expect somewhere in-between was never a bad place to set your hopes. Her move did not go precisely as planned but it had a measure of success. If nothing else it vindicated she was doing something right.

And she drew praise from him. It wasn’t that she lived for positive feedback, but rather that if an experienced Jedi felt she had done something right, it was an indication she was on the right lines. So she nodded to him as he spoke. “Thank you,” she said tersely but politely. She was not about to lose concentration now. So she was not going to explain how she planned to sew up the damage to the cloak as opposed to receiving a new one, even though she wanted to. She had lived so frugally over the past two years, it had become a powerful habit, and not one she felt the need to break.

And then he was upon her again, running at her, giving her limited time to respond, and no time to recover. But the Force, as it sometimes did, gave her a small amount of foresight and she almost expected the attack. And so her response required no thought, it was as instinctive as if it was pre-planned.

She had few skills in her arsenal, but what she knew, she knew well. So she simply ducked under his blade – as if the move had been rehearsed, allowing his own momentum to carry his swing over her head and turn and twist his body through natural forces. Simultaneously she Force Pulled at his feet, looking to quite literally take them out from under him. And as she did, she swung her blade at his knees.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Zac Grayson]

"Sorel!! Kick his Kass!!!" A voice yelled from behind her. A boy, same age as Sorel, was coming up from behind. He was late, but not on purpose. He had misread the announcement and had gotten the time wrong. He was quickly picking up on the fact that he was late so I comment out of no where seemed the best course of action.

He still didn't wear the robes his father had gotten for him and instead wore a black t shirt and brown loose cargo shorts along with a loose fitting jacket. On his back was a short sword and a katana as he really didn't like the look of lightsabers, but really they kinda freaked him out. As he came closer he saw the older Jedi and raised an eyebrow. To him, it looked like the kind of guy to have a 'collective' of young women pining over him, more so than a fighter. He could tell he was going easy on Sorel which suggested this guy was more than what he looked like.



[member="Sorel Crieff"] [member="Connor Harrison"]