Can You Spar Some Time for a Conversation?

[Vyr'ago]

[member="Ar'ekk "]

Location: Jedi Sparring Room, Jedi Enclave of Deneba

​Vee stood firmly upon the floor within the room, her eyes closed as she listened to the faint hiss of her mask. The air, cool upon her skin, gave her goosebumps. Her bare feet were smudged with dirt that was practically ingrained into her soles. In the girl's right hand was her wooden staff, smoothed over from years of practice. Vee was weird about a few things, one of them being her insistence upon only​ using this wooden staff for practice. Hey, she liked the way it felt in her hand, and moved with her; nobody had sued her yet.

The young human breathed in again, listening to the accompanying ​hsssssssssk ​of the complex filters. Over the years she had come to both love and hate her mask. It was the only reason she wasn't confined to a single cell within some desolate hospital; but as a child it had ostracized her; the younglings hadn't shunned her, exactly, but she knew she still stood out, separate and curious. Or maybe it was all in her head. She had been told more than once by Jayce ([member="Zephyr Carrick"]) that she had a penchant for being overdramatic and exaggeration.

​Pffffft, what did he know?! He was as much of a drama queen as the rest of them!

​Not why you came here, Vee.

​Oh, right.

​Taking another moment to recollect her thoughts, Vyr'ago inhaled, exhaled, inhaled again, and then began whirling around with her staff, slashing and slicing at invisible targets. Perhaps no good for actual combat, but the practice did wonders for her coordination and agility.

 

[Arekk]

DENEBA​

The Jedi Enclave​

​

Years after the Galactic Republic's fall, Ar'ekk found himself in a dire to find a new place to call home. Hiding in the planet of Sanctuary for months was not something he felt very attracted to considering the place was very remote and the lack of communication with anyone but his master did not sit well with the young Jedi. However, his training continued to be as hardous as it did back in the Jedi Temple of Yutan back in the early days as a youngling.

Deneba was the new home for the Jedi Order and he felt the necessity to visit the Enclave. The trip did not take him too long as the Ebon Hawk was cleared for landing in the nearest port and with him walking down a rocky mountain that led straight to the entrance. The halls of such a magnificent structure were very nostalgic, him reminiscing of old times.

The training facility was nearby and because of that he decided to head there. Only one person was visible upon arrival but he did not want to interrupt her. Ar'ekk moved quietly and sat in the middle of the room and his lightsaber laid in front of him, adopting a meditating stance. His eyes remained closed as he attuned himself with the Force, clearing his mind from any thoughts or memories as the lightsaber started to levitate. The hissing of his mask was the only thing he could hear, breathing in and out.

[member="Vyr'ago"]

 

[Vyr'ago]

[member="Ar'ekk"]

Midstroke, Vee sensed the newcomer arrive. Ordinarily she would have turned to greet the stranger, but... When one is midstroke, one's momentum is difficult to stop. Thus, she carried on through her motions, though admittedly putting a little more "oomph" into them.

The human's dance ended with a rather loud "HUH!", front foot slamming down, the soft whistle of the wooden weapon as it swung about to face the stranger, approximately four feet away. Her heart thumped loudly in her ears, and sweat rolled down her spine. Beads dripped into her eye, forcing her to squint. "Oh, damn," she mumbled.

Spinning the staff so that it came to rest against her shoulder, Vee padded over to her possessions, digging around until she found what she was looking for - an L-shaped device, with medical markings all over it. Attaching the short end to one of the "ports" on her mask, Vyr'ago twisted it, pressed the top, and inhaled as much of the vaporized medicine as she could.

A second later, she was pulling her mask off and furiously rubbing her eye and blotting her face, making sure to wipe the inside of her mask as well. An observer might notice that her movements were hurried, yet experienced; rightfully so. The medicine she'd inhaled was designed to counteract her respiratory attacks; even using it to get a breath of fresh air only granted her perhaps five minutes or so before she would have one.

Taking another rare gulp of non-filtered air, Vee put her mask back on and sighed. One day, it would be nice to not need such a thing, but that day was not today.

Putting her medicine back, the Knight walked towards the stranger, stopping about ten feet before plopping down. Resting her staff across her lap, she studied the (masked!) man. Vee soaked in every little detail about him, before finally exclaiming, "I like your mask! How long have you needed it?"

 

[Arekk]

The trance and focus Ar'ekk had gotten himself into was way too deep to be broken easily, his mind wiped from any thoughts whatsoever. A technique taught by his Jedi Master not so long ago in the remote planet of Sanctuary by the rocky mountains with a direct view of the sea. The only thing that could be heard was the hissing of his mask as he breathed inside out, his eyes closed to the outside world for what felt like hours but were mere minutes of meditation.

All of the sudden, a presence could be felt in front of him and his concentration seemed to lack then fade away in an abrupt instance. A young masked girl was sitting in front of the young Jedi with a wooden staff resting on her lap, her voice evidently regulated because of the mask that she used. Ar'ekk's eyes opened widely as he revealed a smile to the girl, acknowledging her presence with a firm nod.

"For a while now. You're the first one that asks me about the mask, you know?" he patiently explained to the young girl who seemed to have taken an interest on the Padawan. Not only the mask that Ar'ekk carried on his face made him different but a cybernetic arm as well, to fill in the void of a lost extremity which was a sad thing to see for a young man like Ar'ekk. War made him do sacrifices no one else should face and did what was expected of a soldier but the consequences came to a great cost.

Ar'ekk offered a clean towel to [member="Vyr'ago"] as he had noticed her bare feet smudged with dirt.

"I'm Ar'ekk." the young Jedi said in an amicable tone to introduce himself.

 

[Vyr'ago]

[member="Ar'ekk"]

Vee accepted the towel, blotting at her chest and neck. She completely ignored her feet. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintence, Ar'ekk. My name's Vyr'ago, but most people call me Vee. Well, except for the Masters. Most of them seem to insist upon using my full name." Though it was unlikely her fellow Jedi would notice, the young human rolled her eyes. "But, that's the old people for you."

She nodded at his mask. "You said I was the first to ask about that? Figures. Seems like nobody has the courage to ask me about mine, I suppose it's all due to 'being polite' or whatever." It was difficult to do air quotes with a towel in her hands, so Vee set it in her lap. For a brief moment, she considered handing it back, but.... She'd also, um, dabbed at her armpits, and she wasn't sure if Ar'ekk would appreciate it being returned after that.

Settled, she continued on. "So if you don't mind me asking, how'd you get it? If I had to wager a guess, I'd assume it wasn't for a congenital condition? Seems awfully unusual." Vee let out a short bark of a laugh. "Look at me, calling your mask unusual! Not like I'm giving off the vibes of chemical warfare or anything."

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk couldn't help but laugh at her mention of older mentors referring to her by full name just like himself years ago,

"Our masters will always refer to us by full name. It's just them being attached to older behaviours, that's all." he said in a friendly tone.

His intentions with the towel were so she could use it to wipe the dirt of her feet however she used the soft clothed piece to clean parts of her body that Ar'ekk wasn't expecting out of politeness. Who could blame her anyways, right?

"You can keep the towel, Vee. I saw that your feet were dirty, it was something I got used to see on the battlefield with innocent civilians and always tried to help. I was injured during battle, you can see now." he went on a short monologue, explaining in specific details how he got the mask in the first place. It was a story he didn't feel bad to tell others no matter how gruesome the details were, things happened.

Ar'ekk removed his mask and revealed the scarring left by the explosion of a thermal detonator which burned the left side of his face. Also, he lost his right arm during the same moment which explains the cybernetic replacement for that extremity, Vee could notice both things easily. He handed his mask to the young girl so she could inspect it further, should she wish to.

"I like your mask. You shouldn't feel bad about using it, I think it makes you look brave."

[member="Vyr'ago"]

 

[Vyr'ago]

[member="Ar'ekk"]

Vee grinned under her mask when he mentioned what the towel's intended purpose was. "Oh, sorry." She wiggled her toes. "I've always preferred going barefoot; I feel like it helps me connect with my surroundings easier."

The young Knight shifted until she was comfortable, listening to Ar'ekk as he recounted his tale. She couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. Vee was no stranger to fighting, but never had she been in a true war. It had mostly been skirmishes and stakeouts, collecting information for her Master and the Council. Vee's dedication to her missions and ability to collect data while on the run was one of the reasons her own Master had deemed her ready for her trials. And yet, she still couldn't help but feel like a Padawan next to this man. His story was a painful reminder that, though Knighted, it was a fresh promotion, and one that she had yet to truly earn.

When he handed Vee the mask, she took it gingerly. Turning it over in her hands, she studied the battered old thing. The girl trailed her finger down the front, then looked up, her brown eyes flickering over the scars. "So you wear this to hide your scarring? But why? Things like that, earned on the battlefield? They make one look braver than anything some dumb breathing mask could do."

Vyr'ago had allowed more bitterness in that statement than she intended, but it wasn't directed at her newfound companion. Rather it sprung up from her refusal to believe that something which obscured her face and set her apart could even remotely make her look brave. Yet, at the same time she was the one who refused to change unless it was necessary.

Talk about circles.

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk shook his head negatively at the mention of concealing his scars for a shameful reason,

"My scarring requires constant treatment and the mask helps me with that. My lungs were also affected during the blast so it acts as a regulator as well, I can stay without the mask for a few minutes before I run out of breath." he explained with a grin upon his face.

The experience that the young Jedi had gathered throughout the passing of many years would make more than deserving of the Jedi Knight title however there were many things to learn yet from his Jedi Master whom remained in the planet of Sanctuary handling his personal business. Ar'ekk was a fully fledged warrior and condecorated war hero, only lacking the title itself but this did not affect him personally in any way.

He knew she did not mean any harm with her commentary and acknowledged that with a small nod. It was necessary to accept oneself if they were to truly succeed in whatever goal they set themselves in the future.

"What do you hide beneath, Vee? You shouldn't feel bad about it if that's the case, not saying it is." the young Jedi said, carefully and gently touching her mask with his fingers.

[member="Vyr'ago"]

 

[Vyr'ago]

[member="Ar'ekk"]

Vee gently pulled away from his touch, handing back the mask as she did. It wasn't so much that she didn't want him to touch her as it was...she was sort of picky about who did. As as fond as she was growing of Ar'ekk, he...well, he wasn't quite on the short list of Approved PeopleTM.

"Congenital respiratory defect," she murmured. The girl's hands balled into fists, resting on her knees. "It's like asthma, but worse. Unless I'm in perfect or controlled atmospheric conditions, my lungs will get irritated by the particles in the air. It'll then trigger an attack, and I could die. Hence the mask, and my medication." She relaxed her hands. "I guess we're in a similar ship, aren't we? I would probably die without this mask, and you...well, maybe not so extreme, but close enough, huh?"

She looked down, picking at a loose thread on her pants. Honestly, Vee had mixed feelings about telling people her condition. On one hand, it usually made her more personable to the people she met, knowing that there was a medical reason for it. On the other, it was also met with looks of pity, or sympathy - none of which she wanted. Or needed. But Vee's hope was that Ar'ekk, being in a similar situation, would understand without need to assure her everything would be fine.

It was then that an idea occurred to the young Jedi, and she looked up again. "Here, let me take off my mask. You.... You took off yours, so it's only fair. Besides, then you can look at it too." She grimaced. "Unfortunately I have to hold my breath, so...Don't take too long, alright?" With that, Vee inhaled deeply, nimbly unclasped the locks on her mask.... And took it off.

 

[Arekk]

The quick realization that touching her mask was more than an invasion of personal space made him pull his fingers away gently thinking he wouldn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. It required a certain amount of trust in the first place and he he hadn't earn that, at least yet.

He listened with utmost attention to the girl's story, acknowledging every detail with briefs nods and without skipping any details at all. Ar'ekk would understand that she did not need empathy or pity for her condition just like he didn't need such things from others, it would only make things more complicated than they already are. The duo shared an identical condition and nothing else had to be said.

"That sounds really complicated. I'm glad we're provided technology to aid our conditions." he murmured after she was done explaining, not wanting to interrupt her storytelling.

Ar'ekk took a brief moment to ponder before continuing,

"My energy gets depleted quickly, that's why the mask and my lightsaber are attuned to assist me otherwise I'd be out of air like an old man trying to go for a run." he explained in a nutshell, laughing at the last part for some reason. Despite looking like a menacing individual, his personality could vary between quick-witted and friendly to angry and vicious which was the perfect explanation for his constant struggle to stay between the light and the dark side.

Shortly after, Vee decided to reveal what laid beneath her mask and show Ar'ekk how she truly looked. The young Jedi knew that a lot of courage and bravery was required to reveal oneself to strangers, specially when everything goes beyond personal. There was no need for him to speak at the moment, it wasn't needed. His eyes laid upon the mask held between her fingers as it came off the girl's face, unveiling her true identity. And then he looked up again to clash glances with Vee, offering her a warm smile.

There she was.

[member="Vyr'ago"]

 

[Vyr'ago]

[member="Ar'ekk"]

Vee would've smiled back, had she not been holding her breath. A little known fact about her: she could hold her breath for almost a minute and a half. Sometimes longer, if she really tried, though she was unaware of how to do it with the Force. How? Because, since she was a wee one, Vyr'ago had practiced holding her breath so that she could snatch glimpses of the outside world without her mask. As a child the Masters would scold her for putting herself at risk, but the headstrong young girl was not deterred.

So while she did not smile back, she did feel her face get warm. Barring a select group of medical professionals and Jedi administrators from her childhood, the only other person who's seen her without a mask was [member="Jayce Amoren"], and even then it was rare. Thus, being unmasked was for her the equivalent of stripping bare. Vee felt vulnerable, exposed - even though she knew there was no danger here. Regardless, her skin still crawled, and it was hard to resist the urge to cover her face. This time was different than when she removed her mask to wipe her sweat; much, much different.

About a minute later, Vee could feel the pressure building up, so she held out her hands for Ar'ekk to give back the mask. Once he did she'd be able to put it on and breathe again.

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk appreciated the gesture Vee had done in return by removing her mask off just like he did in the first instance, knowing that it meant so much for her and could be a very personal thing to do. Even more if it was with a stranger however, the young man feeling fuzzy and honoured to bare witness of such disposition of trust towards him. It meant a lot although he didn't show much of it through emotions as he seemed to be very reserved when you don't know him personally.

He held the mask in his hands for a few seconds to give it a thorough inspection and keeping in mind that Vee wouldn't last long without it so he'd give it back just in time for the young girl to breath easily and not have one of the respiratory attacks she mentioned earlier. It was all a smiling game from here, Ar'ekk for one side to meet someone with a similar condition such as the whole mask ordeal and whatnot. A very prolonged time had passed ever since the young Jedi felt this peaceful and serene.

"I appreciate this, Vee. I know you didn't have to do it but do know that it's a gesture that takes courage." he finally mentioned.

The man watched the young girl put her mask once again, the hissing of the breathing regulator making its signature sound. On her lap, a wooden staff rested which caught his attention. His eyes wandered about the sparring room, getting acquainted with the sorroundings.

[member="Vyr'ago"]

 

[Vyr'ago]

[member="Ar'ekk"]

As soon as he handed the mask back, Vee put it on and took several deep breaths. On the one hand, she was glad Ar'ekk was conscientious enough to be mindful of her limited time without it, but at the same time, she.... Well, she almost wished he'd taken longer. Rare were the days she was without her mask, and she enjoyed those brief moments even if it wasn't good for her.

Once she was situated again, the girl asked, "So how long have you been with the Jedi?" The obvious answer would've been all his life, but... Vee knew that while many Jedi had grown up with the Order, there were others still who had joined at a later point in their lives, whether from a simple ability to evade detection, or...conversion to the Jedi.

Vyr'ago felt a slight chill go down her spine. She'd never encountered a darksider face-to-face, but she'd heard the stories, and was old enough still to remember the aftermath of the Netherworld. The man before her didn't seem like a darksider, unless he was exceptionally skilled at masking it. However, she quickly dismissed the notion. Regardless of his past, he was here now and the Jedi Council seemed to have trust in him, so why couldn't she?

She caught his eyes looking at her staff, before wandering off. Underneath her mask, Vee grinned. "Have you ever fought with a staff before?"

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk kept in mind she couldn't spend more than a minute without her mask so the rushing thought made him rush his view of both, although it was soothing to see the way she looked with and without it. It went over his head unfortunately because mere seconds felt like a whole minute. Regardless, the young Jedi spent a considerable amount of time to make the personal exchange meaningful.

The girl asked him for how long he had been with the Jedi. Oh man, what a long story that was that started only a few years ago unlike other fellow Jedi. He knew many of them had different stories and came from many places throughout the galaxy with a single idea on their heads, leaving loved ones behind. He wasn't the exception to that.

"I was discovered by a Jedi Master at the age of fourteen. I was sent to Yutan for training and fast forward a few years and with the fall of the Galactic Republic, I'm here with you." he said with a goofy grin on his face.

His constant struggle between the dark and the light was constant and vibrant as any other day but with the help of master Tugoro Taidarious he had managed to control those clouding thoughts and emotions flowing through him. More of a lightsider than any other, Vee had nothing to worry about. The Force worked in many different ways and Ar'ekk trusted it blindly to guide him through the righteous path of a Jedi. But the feeling of dark invading your whole body was frightening, even more on a person who fought in a war and you would think he didn't fear anything to that point but that was a wrong thing to assume.

While broadening another smirk underneath his mask, he nodded back to Vee when she mentioned the wooden staff.

"How do you think I learned to fight with a lightsaber? A wooden staff became my friend during the early years of training."

Ar'ekk was excited to go back to his early teachings with a staff and he felt the need to show Vee some moves he learned during his time in Sanctuary. Makashi had became his go-to fighting style when in trouble and knew a few tricks that could be easily taught to the young girl he had just met.

"Want to give it a go?"

[member="Vyr'ago"]

 

[Vyr'ago]

[member="Ar'ekk"]

Vee couldn't see the smile, but he could here it in his words, and in turn couldn't help but smile back. Mentally, she was running the math through her head. He hadn't gotten any training until he was 14? She had been sent to the Order when she was five years old, around the time her condition was beginning to develop. She had just become a Padawan to her Master when Ar'ekk joined; considering it took her almost five years to become a knight, and nearly ten to become a Padawan... why, he would be a Padawan himself yet! The thought of this made Vee grin again. He had to be older than her, yet here she was outranking him.

It was an entertaining thought, but she would not let it go to her head. Even the greatest of duelists could be defeated.

"There's something to be said for the simplicity of the wooden staff. It's wonderful to practice with." Having said that, the young Knight leapt to her feet, using the Force to call her staff to her hand. (Truthfully, she could've just picked it up herself, but let's be honest here: using the Force was, to Vee, always going to be fun and exciting, besides which she couldn't help but show off a little bit.) Standing up, the staff was nearly as tall as her, but she didn't mind. As it was the same one from childhood, she'd grown accustomed to it, and even secretly considered herself quite adept at using it to train and fight.

Tilting her head at Ar'ekk, she pretended to ponder his question, even though she had known her answer the moment he asked. After all, it was important to practice the "wise and knowledgeable" act for when she became a Master Jedi.

After a moment, she nimbly danced away until she was in the center of the mat. Spinning her staff, Vee then assumed her fighting stance, feet spread and steady, and her staff pointing at him. "Choose a wooden weapon, then feel free to see how long you last," she told him. Had her mask been off, the young man would have been able to see the mischievous look on her face, and the impish fire that danced in her brown eyes.

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk would've become a Jedi Knight years ago if it wasn't for the fall of the Galactic Republic which left him without an Order to follow and not to mention losing contact with his Jedi Master for at least two years which greatly contributed to having a slow progress in his training. The trials were halted due to obvious reasons which explained why he was still a Padawan to this day but surely he'd earn the title soon enough, having demonstrated what's needed to become a fully-fledged peacekeeper: a Jedi Knight.

Following Vee's movements and standing on his feet, his eyes moved towards the many wooden staffs available to pick from the rack. He picked the sharpest one from all, barely passing him in height. Ar'ekk held the wooden center of the staff tightly to get acquainted with the texture and hardness of such primitive yet useful weapon. He swung the staff about to show off a few rapid movements so he could prepare himself for the sparring session about to occur, warming up just enough to last against Vee.

"I'm ready." He taunted to the young girl as he called her over with a hand gesture. The fight was about to ensue and it would be good, years of training and experience being put to the test. In one hand a fresh yet experienced and brave Jedi Knight and in the other one a former war hero and Padawan who had seen his fair share of battles throughout his life. They weren't any different to eachother as both had many strenghts and weaknesses; a perfect balanced fight with two equal forces.

Ar'ekk adopted a more offensive stance as he always preferred when fighting an opponent of any size. A quick end to the fight would mean a fast victory and less of a struggle although he wanted this to last long enough for them to test their strenght.

[member="Vyr'ago"]