Private Among the Shadowbeasts

[Travot Ravenna]

Somewhere in the Shadowlands, Kashyyyk

Little light filtered down through the tiered jungle canopy to illuminate the dirt path in front of him. He closed his eyes, letting his mind wander just as his booted feet meandered through the jungle undergrowth. Every step could be dangerous. A vine could snag his foot and send him down a ravine. A rotten branch from one of the great Wroshyr trees that made most of the canopy overhead could fall on top him and kill or maim him. Any number of katarns or terentareks could be watching him for just the right moment to make their optimal, predatory pounce.

Yet he kept his eyes closed, focusing on his meditation within the Force to guide him. He could sense the life around him - despite its dimness that threatened to engulf him, he could feel thousands of life forms around him, from lowly algae and moss to the giant trees and predators. It was a strange juxtaposition of life and darkness made stranger still by a lack of presence by the Dark Side - Kashyyyk had been home to the Silver Jedi Order for years now. In the process, hundreds of jedi had made fleeting journeys into this wild realm. But few strayed as far as he had or for so long. Yet the man wanted to get a bit further away from the Silver Restj to more and more uncivilized and untouched areas of the jungle.

Here, he hoped to the test some of the techniques he had practiced into a more harsh environment with a worthy opponent.

Soren Dar

 

[Soren Dar]

Between Coruscant, Kashyyyk, Tython and Issues, Soren Dar could and would not make up his mind what he called home. He did not really believe in the word, it was one of the subtle bonds which can result in more issues than benefits. The New Jedi Order was proving that right now by a rift appearing between pro-Order and pro-Alliance members. For all he cared, the Force made him feel home where he was.

Kashyyyk was a special place, a lot of his later training was happening on the world and it was not his first time in the Shadowlands. As a padawan his enclave had come here and as a knight he had led students here. The deepest jungles had a calmness and beauty only a place far from civilisation and engulfed by the Light Side could have.

Having left SU-R0C in the Silver Rest, Soren had made his way here several days ago. Ultimately he wanted to meditate and train some physical skills and try to utilise Form Zero with some of the more dangerous beasts. Ulteriorly, he wanted to get away and enjoy some clarity.

In his perfectly white attire, a light leather armor over a white tunic and a hooded coat above both, he was doing some exercises as he sensed a presence approaching. A sentient. A person. A Jedi. He continued his gymnastic workout, though smiling and shaking his head in his mind.

Travot Ravenna

 

[Travot Ravenna]

He's here. The large man deftly made an abrupt turn down one of the many side paths of the old trail, managing to squeeze past a gnarled Thyrwosh bush before entering a more relatively clear cut area of the jungle. Among the viridian and ebony hues of the woods around them, Soren Dar 's white livery stuck out almost like an orchid flower. Travot himself blended in only slightly more than the other jedi, wearing his tabard green side out over his plate armor. He briefly paused his progress and regarded the other man - he had never actually met the other jedi before, though it seemed like they were slowly walking on converging paths to master the battle abilities that could only a jedi could every master. Still, their paths before this had been different enough that he was willing to bet that he could at least learn something from the other man.

He offered a brief smile as he walked forward again, "I am Travot, and I'm guessing that you are Soren? Not too many of us make it out this far into the Shadowlands?"

 

[Soren Dar]

Soren came up from his horizontal handstand in a fluid and smooth motion in which his feet set down between his hands and he raised slowly. He turned his attention to the arrival and offered a deep nod. The contrast between his pure white and the dark grey cybernetics could not have been bigger.

"Well met Travot. Indeed I am."

The voice of the white knight was very friendly, just from his voice he seemed like a genuinely honest and nice person, charming but not lying, direct but not insulting. Soren did not seem to carry any hidden motives, just by the sound and tone of his voice.

"Few enough do and more should. It is a wonderful place to be alone with yourself." He would pause a moment. "Or to do some elaborate exercises."

As far as the mask could reveal, he was smiling, the single visible eye met the smile and supported the impression of Soren being a rare sight of warmth, good nature and sympathy.

Soren Dar jumped down from the large wooden root and landed smoothly several meters away from Travot, approaching right after, just to stop to extend his hand.

Travot Ravenna

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot watched as Soren Dar descended from his perch with a show of athletic grace. That was an encouraging sign. He recalled meeting one older and highly experienced Jedi master who was able to teach him some techniques of sokan, but who had not been able to provide meaningful sparring practice on account of his old age. The other man's unusual appearance with his cybernetics gave him a brief pause - but only in that it awakened some curiosity within him - surely there was a story to be had in that, but it would likely have to wait to a later time, perhaps when they were better acquainted. Some people found talking about the reason for such enhancements uncomfortable, especially if it came at the hands of a traumatic experience.

Travot slowly took the other man's hand, gripped it with confidence, and made a few seconds of eye contact with the other man before turning his gaze to sweep across the area.

"I've been researching some techniques related to sokan," started the large man, "and while I've been able to learn some from holocrons and an older master, I've not quite had a good chance to put to a good test against an experienced duelist. What form, or should I say forms, do you prefer to use yourself?"

 

[Soren Dar]

The white knight mustered the man for a few seconds as well, trying to get a grasp of his character and personality. He is a fellow Jedi and without any second thought or doubt, Soren would share knowledge with one of his kin. His conscience only forbade him to freely teach the Seventh Form, but that was to be expected.

"I have been a Soresu practitioner, but expanded my knowledge to both aspects of From V. Yet I follow the Vaapad philosophy and utilise it in combat if it should become necessary."

He pauses a moment before continuing.

"Sokan comes kinda naturally, but with some agility or a keen eye it should be adequate in no time."

He smiles and tilts his head slightly.

"Do you sport Ataru when being interested in taking initiative through manoeuvre?"

Travot Ravenna

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot nodded as Soren Dar talked. Soresu was a common choice for jedi, both from a practical and philosophical standpoint - it had been the style that Travot had first learned as well, and was the one he continued to most commonly use, either as an opening to better understand an opponent's fighting style before turning to something else, or simply to survive the swarm tactics that some Sith commanders and marauders tended to use.

"I think that Ataru and Sokan have a great commonality in the general acrobatic style," said the wanderer, "but I think that whereas Ataru tends to be more offensive in spirit, Sokan has to potential to flower into a full blown defensive style, using acrobatic maneuvers to complement blocks and parries in allowing someone to simply survive. But that's something of a hypothesis, I suppose. Care to help me test it here?"

 

[Soren Dar]

Soren opens his arms wide and slightly tilts his head, a slight smile appealing on the edge of his face.

"Be my guest, brother."

The masked Jedi was pulling down his hood and in a smooth and fluid motion his lightsaber appeared in his hand from somewhere behind his back. It was a finely decorated hilt, not overdone but resembling the appearance of himself, a dark metal body with white-gold engravings and casing. It was elaborate, but not screaming beauty. His fist closed around the hilt of the unignited weapon came to his chest, where his heart is and he bowed slightly, signaling combat readiness to the other Jedi.

"I would suggest you start on the defensive, implementing Sokan the way you imagine against my attacks."

Travot Ravenna

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot nodded Soren Dar and drew his own lightsaber, a relatively utilitarian design with a worn trimantium hilt and a dual-phase blade. It had been his master's, but sometimes he wondered if he had ought to really make one of his own after all of these years. He tapped the saber's activate stud, producing the characteristic hum of the weapon as a dark blue blade sprang forth. Gently gripping the saber, he brought its tip up to point to the sky in the traditional duelist's salute before he simply jumped.

Using the Force to enhance his rigorous physical training over the years, the knight jumped over to a slightly taller stump before leap frogging almost haphazardly to other stumps and low-lying branches to ascend into the jungle canopy above. For a training exercise, it'd be a relatively dangerous one. One misstep could sending falling dozens of meters onto the ground below or he could very well blunder into one of the jungle's apex predators. He cleared his mind by focusing on the hum of his saber and submerged his thoughts into the current of the Force, allowing it to guide his steps as he sought to defend himself from the other jedi.

 

[Soren Dar]

Soren observed as the other Jedi quickly made his way upwards into the jungle. It gave him a few seconds to consider his attack. The idea of Sokan for the defensive would be directly countered by the idea of Sokan on the offensive. Using the terrain is nothing unusual in combat, warfare evolved around the better positioning of fighting forces, the possibility to dig in or to lay an ambush, to raise a city or to avoid fighting at all. The same applies here. Dar did not like war, he did not pursue command or the destruction of any hostiles. He is a protector and guardian and the Force put a spirit for combat in him, the philosophy of Vaapad refining and forging it into a serene strength instead of an uncontrolled passion.

In mere seconds Soren jumped after the other Jedi, his movements powerful but very elegant and smooth, he was used to acrobatics. Strange that he had never applied Ataru beyond basic training. But even now he moved precisely and his last jump seemed to carry him on the branch of Travot, yet his ascend grew short below it. The bright yellow blade appeared in an ignition sound and would quickly cut through the branch the other man was standing on before Soren landed on one of the lower branches.

Travot Ravenna

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot sensed Soren Dar's presence - a strong, calm force that seemed focused on stopping him. Even as he registered the other man's presence, his eyes flickered across the jungle canopy as he made his dance around the ascending branches before he heard the characteristic sound of the other man's lightsaber igniting. Perhaps out of his past experiences, he expected the other man to attempt a strike against his body himself, rather than the branch he'd just landed on. A smarter move. Losing one's footing is a good way to lose this fight...Travot didn't attempt to fight the other's action, but instead stayed briefly on the falling branch until it hit the branch that Soren stood on...until his own branch started to slide off. Travot tumbled forward and down his falling branch to land on another branch that was now below that of Soren. He'd have to keep moving if he were to follow Sokan's principles, but he was sure that the other jedi would not be far behind him.