[CIS] Knowledge is Power

[Anastasia Verd]

Anastasia had arrived to the meeting later than most people, hearing her mother speak as she did, opting her to remain behind rather than meet everyone in the center of the courtyard. Instead, she remained behind, knowing full well both Phoebe and Isley were more than capable of knowing she was here while others would probably not bother with an ordinary apprentice. She did take into account that her mother was offering to teach Drain and alchemy along with healing and animal friendship. Her mind stored the two possibilities though her mind swiftly worked out through her memories and knew none of those had once been in her skill set. She had no use of such powers.

However, alchemy now didn't seem all that far fetched from her current goals. And thus, Anastasia considered it.

The figure that rushed through the crowd, taking quite a bit once she bumped into the shirtless male, Anastasia recognized as her Aunt Ginnie. She wanted Force Power. Like kaBOOM? Apparently, that was a thing. Anastasia paid no mind to her beyond that, slowly, making her way closer to the crowd. She tuned in only when her father began to speak, assigning people to various Masters.

For a short moment, she caught her Aunt speaking again to someone but she quickly let herself focus on others there. People she did not know spoke to each other, some to her Father. And once she could have some attention, Anastasia said: "I am sorry for my tardiness. I could use a Templar teacher, preferably one would teach me lightsaber forms of Makashi and Soresu along with Templar oriented powers and whatever else you can provide that would be useful for a Templar Duelist." That was all. Anastasia knew exactly what she wanted. She didn't talk about how she knew it, that was a little secret best shared with no one. But the lightsaber were too important to her so she had to find someone who could focus her attention to that.

@[member="Phoebe Verd"] @[member="Siqa"] @[member="Marek Starchaser"] @[member="Krest"] @[member="Sophia Walsh"] @[member="Ket Van Derveld"] @[member="Manu Xextos"] @[member="Keter"] @[member="Feena Mason"] @[member="Isley Verd"] @[member="Nima Ven"] @[member="Ginnie Verd"] @[member="Alliera Nakamura"] @[member="Valarr Vaelaros"] @[member="Felix Emer"] @[member="Voroll"] @[member="Tycho Shorn"]

 

[Feena]

Feena remained silent and stood aside. Verd had already spoken for her. Good. She hated to have to be the one to state the obvious. Healing. Of course she could teach healing. Anyone who did not already know that was hardly going to be interested in healing in the first place.

She placed her hand on her hips, waiting. It was a rare few who took the time to learn even the basics of healing. Of all the abilities one could have, it was probably the most complicated. Very difficult to learn even the most simple healing techniques. When she had learned it took her months of study before she would even attempt it. In this, failure could mean death for your patient.

 

[Darth Metus]

With the influx of additional faces to the Courtyard, the Mandalorian took a moment to take stock. There were now a small crowd of apprentices drawing near to the Echani, each seeking to augment their skills in the blade and lightsaber through his guidance. The beginnings of a smirk formed upon the edge of his lips as Isley than delved into his specialty, mentalism, in order to brush his consciousness against that of the Echani. 'Twas far from invasive, but simply relaying a message without the utilization of vocal words. "It seems as though you've got quite the following on your hands." he began, drawing attention to those both there and heading his way. "With the addition of Ginnie and Alliera shortly, you'll have eight individuals to work with. Perhaps you could pair them off and guide them according to their level in skill? I know @[member="Tycho Shorn"] and @[member="Krest"] would benefit from training against one another, and the others could be paired according to your discretion. Just a thought."

With that "said", the Mandalorian turned his attention to his beloved sibling and the cousin he was now being reunited with. "Ginnie has indeed grown up. She's fought as fiercely as a rancor at my side on numerous occasions thus far; and I think that you'd have much to learn from training under @[member="Manu Xextos"]. By all means, accompany Ginnie!" Isley said this with a hearty smile upon his face before placing his attention briefly upon his apprentice and his sibling. "I do believe there is ample space for you to show @[member="Devorah Verd"] the basics of telekinesis over by those training in lightsaber combat." that was his gentle nudge to get @[member="Nima Ven"] moving in the right direction whilst he placed his focus his daughter for a moment. "There is a group working with the Ser Xextos in order to grow their skills in the blade, perhaps you can start there my child." he said gently to @[member="Anastasia Verd"] before turning to Curupira. Motioning for her to follow, the Mandalorian strode calmly away the group and came to a halt several paces away. He then faced the woman and started with the basics. "Well, before we begin, tell me what you know of Force Lightning. That's where we will start."

@[member="Curupira Hawk"]

Spoiler

Alright, so, let's get this thread moving a bit, shall we?

• Tycho, Krest, get sparring
• Voroll, Felix, same thing
• Alliera, Ginnie, spar away
• Sophia, get Lauren motivated~
• Manu, do your teacher thing with the swordsmen/women
• Phoebe, get your healing training from our lovely Feena
• I've got Curupira for Lightning
• Nima, get Devorah going with a little TK
• Keter, go ahead and start Valarr off, I'll help you out step by step in PM
• Anastasia, get some 1-1 time with Manu

Questions? XD

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Alliera Nakamura"]'s presence did not go unnoticed by the man whose life's goal it was to go unnoticed. He slipped through the crowd, caught @[member="Isley Verd"]'s eye, and enfolded his daughter-in-law in a powerful hug.

"I wish I'd come back sooner. I didn't know you'd gone Confederate, Alliera. I haven't heard tell of you in...ages. How are you? How's Alex?" He wasn't one for public enthusiasm, but this was something he'd hoped for a long time. And it had been a very long time since he'd seen his daughter-in-law, or heard news of his only grandchild.

 

[Manu Xextos]

OOC: I'm trying to catch up, so tell me if I missed one of you and I'll give individual attention for the Lightsaber Learners. Thanks, Lizzy.
The blades man Echani was in no place of ignorance when it came to the sabre arts. Manu caught sight of a spunky pink armoured mandalorian amongst the others, and it quirked his interest. Why would such a girl be coming to him for training when she obviously belonged in some way to the unfortunately steaming @[member="Isley Verd"]? Amidst the commotion of the pink armoured girl @[member="Ginnie Verd"], Manu continued showing the students who came to him the basic angles of Shii Cho. Again and again sweeping through them, he began to connect them together and then turned to watch the students collected act.

"@[member="Krest"], you are doing well. Shii Cho, Ataru or Soresu? Which do you want to learn most? Ataru pairs most with feats of super humanoid acrobatics. Feel the Force around you. Identify it, identify with it. The Force must flow in and through you. Do not demand of it, as in all acts of artistry the act itself must flow without struggle. The Art of Ataru is the Art of Becoming. The Art of Flying, of present and future with no past. The Past matters not at all. Show me your handle on the flow of the Force and I'll get you working on speed.

Soresu is the art of the Chessmaster, the ultimate defence and one which is best used with the nobility of bearing only the assured of self can found. You must distain the slings and arrows going your way, as if their very presence in this reality is an affront to the Force itself. You are the Force's Instrument. @[member="Felix Emer"], follow the nine blocks and strikes of Shii Cho. Once we have you competent with that, we'll get you a foundation in Soresu. It'll fit your style, my Paddie-One." He winked, bending down to give the dog Max a pet and a hearty hello. That dog was the best thing going in the CIS. Their veritable wonder-pooch.

@[member="Voroll"] came by and Manu gave the boy a nod. "Ignite that saber, start following through the nine blocks and strikes. They're basic and formative. Master those and you can begin toward being a duellist. Put your feet a bit more than shoulder width, bend your knees and angle yourself in your stance. Relax your shoulders, and above all else, breathe. Even the weakest hand is just as diligent in striking through metal with a saber. Trust the beam. Not your strength. Save it for speed. Save it for when blades collide." He cuffed Voroll on the shoulder with a large pale hand, a quick grin on his face.

@[member="Sophia Walsh"] came over and Manu gave her and her sister a nod. "Do you have a Lightsaber, Ma'am? Going to join the fun? How much duelling have you done?"

Manu watched @[member="Tycho Shorn"] for a moment. The smirk which had been peaceful and rather stoic in the empathic Echani's concern became a scoundrel's grin. "Oh, Sir. You and I. We are going to have a fair bit of fun today." Manu nodded. "Pick your poison. Djem So? Jar'Kai? Ataru? Soresu? Shii Cho? What do we want to duel with and show these Aspirants what the quality mettle of Nobility may produce?" It would be a treat to train with one such as Tycho Shorn.

The little pink Mando @[member="Ginnie Verd"] came running back up, Manu stifled a laugh and nodded to her. She quirked her head and lit her lightsaber trying her best to stand proper. Manu tapped at her foot with his, dwarfing the girl by a good three feet of height. She shifted her foot with his non-vocal prodding and Manu stood back. What was this strange Beskar'Gam wearing child? The Mandos had no love for his people, and it was mutual, but in this small slip of a girl Manu found an expression of the Light's mercy. Manu nudged and mimicked for her, until the girl was competent and he led her to the front of the group. "Students practicing Shii Cho, follow her. She's got it. I'll be round to help you individually as we go."

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest rubbed his chin a little. The concept of Ataru was something he liked, so he chose it. "Ataru it is." He nods to @[member="Manu Xextos"], a grin on his face.

 

[Manu Xextos]

"Ataru it is." Manu switched to the Ataru ready stance, lightsaber vertical and to the left side of his body, feet slightly closer together than his Shii Cho square-off. "Quick strikes, multiples in varying directions are one of the call signs of an Ataru practitioner. But, the main call sign of Ataru is force-aided acrobatics. If you can't flip and fly, keep your feet on the ground and try another style."

The octocentarian sprung into the air and curled into a backflip, barely touching down before he sprung up in a completely different direction, wheeling with his lightsaber always in perfect control zipping and slapping at the air. The whole thing took maybe 4 seconds. "Again, let the Force flow through you, let it move you. 'Cause it's not about @[member="Krest"], it's about discerning the quality of the battle and giving yourself room to breathe. Room to move. So, show me how high you can jump."

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest raises a brow to @[member="Manu Xextos"]. With an even wider grin then before he flips backwards, flying neatly through the air. He does nothing with his blade, but the point was to show he knew how to jump. "Jumping was something I learned during my training as an Iridonian. I figured out how to augment it with the force some time ago." He took his saber in his hand, holding it aloft. Now he just needed to learn how to use his blade while jumping.

 

[Anastasia Verd]

Father turned to her, telling her of Ser Xextos who was helping a group with their skills in the blade so perhaps she could start there. Anastasia glanced through the group before she noted the very tall man talking about forms. She turned back to @[member="Isley Verd"] for a quick second and nodded to him silently before walking over to @[member="Manu Xextos"] who was already talking to @[member="Krest"].

She remained quiet while the man addressed other people, listening explains what each form was. Another one he spoke to had a lightsaber already and he was quickly given a task. Then a female came and then a man. Ser Xextus had a lot to work with right now.

Her Aunt @[member="Ginnie Verd"] seemed to have already started. The Knight gave instruction including Shii Cho but Anastastasia didn't, that form had never intrested her. Instead, when all had stopped talking, she approached the man. "I don't have a lightsaber. And the forms I'm looking for are Makashi and Soresu."

@[member="Felix Emer"] @[member="Voroll"] @[member="Sophia Walsh"] @[member="Tycho Shorn"]

 

[Curupira Hawk]

The redhead waited while @[member="Isley Verd"] assigned everyone again. And while she waited, she swung back and forth on her feet, her hands following the movement and coming together for her palms to touch before going around her. She was kind of getting bored right now since Ket was busy with the kid and her new trainer was dealing with others.

Thankfully, that ended soon. Which was really a good thing because a bored Cura was never a good thing. For anyone.

Finally given some attention, Curupira stopped her moving. She was asked a question. What did she know about Force lighting. "It's like electricity. When Ket uses it, it looks like actual lighting coming from the sky. It's nifty. It's also good for roasting..." and she paused for a second before she giggled. "...you know, things that upset me." Things. Humans. Aliens. All things.

"Lighting is fun." She finally said and grinned.

 

[Manu Xextos]

@[member="Anastasia Verd"] walked up and Manu could have sworn that somewhere the Force was giggling senselessly at him. All… the…. Mandos! Thankfully he was a good little Echani and a training sabre veered into his hand. He held it aloft for the girl. "Makashi and Soresu, like all the sabre forms, rely on Shii Cho for a foundation. It's the building block of all of them, even a devout duellist's form like Makashi and the incredibly defensive Soresu. I'll be going over Soresu with @[member="Felix Emer"] in a minute or three. See that little pink Mando? Follow her through the basic blocks of Shii Cho as a warm up then I'll get you working on Soresu.

Stay light. Light on your feet, free in your head. Nothing should come into your duelling, or your weapons work but the thrill of the battle. This light sabre, although a training sabre, should be treated like an extension of yourself. Now open your stance and bend your knees. Keep your hands relaxed but tightly held to the grip. Especially for Soresu you need to be grounded and calm. Anger doesn't come into it, fear has no place at all. The mindset is just as important as the moves. I'll leave you to it for the moment." Manu nodded and went off to check on another of his students.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

The Tapani nobleman finished his kata in an elegant flourish uncharacteristic of Shii-Cho and more akin to the Saber Rakes of the Tapani Noble Houses. Air-head fops with their lightfoils, so quick to challenge others to duels of honor. He'd enjoyed spitting those arrogant bastards upon his sword. The length of mysterious alchemical metal came to a sudden stop in the air. Shorn returned @[member="Manu Xextos"]' grin with a lupine smile, then brought his blade up before his face, blade vertical.

"It would be a pleasure, Ser Manu," his gentile voice held an undertone of animality. Hunger for the fight.

Electric blue eyes watched as the Knight took a moment to teach the Zabrak the philosophy behind Ataru. The Echani Warrior knew mindsets of the forms, but Shorn was more interested if he knew his way around the blade. Tycho casually rested upon his sword. "Use whatever form you wish, but I? I was tutored by a Masterblade and members of the Mecrosa Order before the Sith duelist Anaya Fen sunk her claws into me. I shall use the Way of the Vornskr." The wolfish grin deepened.

Oft wielded by Sith and shunned by Jedi, Juyo was a perilous form of blade-work that balanced passion and control. Few could walk that line. Yet most of Shorn's life had been devoted to training with the blade at the expense of other abilities, such as the more prominent Force powers displayed by his cousin. Arrogance rolled off the haughty Tapani in waves, but it was a well developed arrogance carefully cultured in the blood and sweat of countless duels. Even so, the Ferocity Form demanded much. Anticipation made his stomach flutter as he came into a mid-guard stance. His feet made a ninety degree angle. Left foot back and pointed out, right foot forward, knees slightly bent.

"On guard," he said pleasantly.

 

[Voroll]

He knew just as little about Shii-Cho as any form of bladed combat and when @[member="Manu Xextos"] mentioned nine blocks and strikes, initially Voroll had no clue what the Echani meant. He usually went his own way with moving the blade, even if it was basic and clumsy and easily defeated. Nevertheless the white beam of the plain lightsaber shot outward following a flick of the switch. It illuminated all the crevices and bumps in his face as if he was staring directly into the sun.

Feet slid apart, to roughly shoulder-width and at first he stood with the lightsaber held in both hands upwards, or what would be naturally upwards – despite being at an angle to his body. It remained there for a few moments until Voroll understood what he would need to do.
The lightsaber flicked downwards and across in a number of ways, which, after a short time, became more refined as they were practiced and practiced. It swung and stopped as if held against something that could resist the intense energy of the lightsaber both above and below his head. The sides had then been practiced and the attacks on each of those sides were practiced by himself.

 

[Ori'Alor Tal'Verda]

@[member="Ginnie Verd"] @[member="Ember Rekali"] @[member="Isley Verd"].

"I'll be along shortly Gi'Ika." Alliera said, her voice already starting to strain against withheld emotion "Just st-start without me."

Alliera returned the embrace, and hugged her Father-in-Law as hard as she could, physically crying from all the emotion that seeing him again brought up. While the reunion with Isley had been a purely happy occasion, with only happy memories and things coming up, reuniting with Ember Rekali brought back almost nothing but bad memories. "Alex is as good as can be expected I think." Alliera said, frowning "She doesn't talk to me anymore really, she blames me for what happened to Rach..."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Alliera Nakamura"]

Rach.

In many ways, his son had been the worst Jedi ever. Busted back to Padawan, serial adulterer, dabbler in Sith arts. But he'd bound Ember, Alliera and Alex together, and that wasn't something Ember could regret or see tainted. So he let Alliera cry it out, left the subject of his eldest son off the table.

"I'd like to spend time with her," he said simply. "It's been too long. Will you allow it?"

 

[Felix Emer]

Felix found his own space in the back of the training area and passed his light saber back and forth in his hands getting used to the feel of it. Closing his eyes he stepped back into the first stance required for Shii Cho, slowly flowing through each attack and block. Opening his eyes he looked down at Max with a sigh "Not much power behind it I'm afraid," he said to his faithful pup. If here were completely honest he didn't want to be here at all, but @[member="Manu Xextos"] had convinced him of the importance of learning some combat skills as a healer. He could feel the presence of more than one Sith Knight and Master and that made him uneasy, even though they were all part of the CIS.

@[member="Tycho Shorn"] @[member="Curupira Hawk"] @[member="Krest"] @[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

Overhearing the plight of his eldest child, the Mandalorian unclipped from his belt one of the three lightsabers which hung there. 'Twas known by the name Ragnos and was a curved hilt lightsaber. Within it was a crimson, synthetic crystal that would produce a blade as red as blood. Holding it aloft, Isley then gripped the lightsaber with telekinesis and ferried it over to his child; as throwing a lightsaber had bad idea written all over it. "Here you are." he said directly into her mind. "You can keep this one. May it serve you well, An'ika." With that said, he deposited the blade directly into her hands and then turned his focus upon the woman standing before him. She began to prattle on about what she knew about Force Lightning; and it was rudimentary knowledge at best.

Nodding slightly, Isley then drew a breath before speaking aloud. "Force Lightning, as you've said, is a beautiful imitation of natural lightning. It shocks. It burns. It overloads electronics. It does everything that lightning does, except that it is slower in speed and is born of our own Force energies. In order to conjure Force Lightning, you must literally expel negativity throughout your limb. It is a primal process that draws upon the Dark Side welled up within you, drags it out, and manifests it into a deadly display of power and fury. The stronger your negavitity: hatred, anger, passion, etc; the stronger your lightning will be. Observe." Then, as discreetly as possible, the Mandalorian slid his eyes over to the Echani instructing the various Templars in their sword forms.

The mere sight of him, the one who had instructed his sister indirectly...it boiled his blood. Such a race-born hatred of another species was certainly a sordid thing indeed, but in this instance it was enough to teach with. Elevating his hand above his head, the Mandalorian bared his fang and expelled a torrent of Force Lightning directly into the air, born purely of animosity. He then quelled the display by closing his fingers and lowering his arm, then turned to the Witch. "Now then, you try. Draw upon those negative emotions within you and expel them from your limbs."

@[member="Curupira Hawk"], @[member="Anastasia Verd"]

 

[Ginnie Dib]

At the front of the lightsaber training students, Ginnie continued to work through the nine basic strikes and blocks of Shii Cho and discovered one discouraging thing: It was really hard to get the grace and fluidity of motion @[member="Manu Xextos"] used wearing body armour. No wonder the Echani didn't hold on to the same amount of bodily protection the Mandalorians called blessed, it was woefully tricky to start learning swordplay when her body was carrying 30 pounds of excess weight.

Truth be, the girl was getting tired. Through her HUD she saw @[member="Isley Verd"] give his clone-meat daughter one of his precious lightsabers, and felt @[member="Anastasia Verd"] come over to learn. Ginnie was about to smile and walk up to her niece when she caught Isley's helmet peering at her unwitting instructor, the Echani. A wave of the bitter, relentless evil caught up in her brother frothed out of him and through his hand and…. a bolt of lightning hit the sky. Ginnie yelped and jumped. She looked to the Echani and back to her brother.

Isley would never be at peace with his sister's choices, would he? Just like their father, Isley would never let go of the bitter ends. Under her helmet, Ginnie's eyes watered and her lip wobbled. She went back to slicing at the air until Manu Xextos found leave to help her.

 

[Ori'Alor Tal'Verda]

@[member="Ember Rekali"]
"It's more than Ok." Alliera said, smiling sadly "In fact, if you want too, you can ask her if she wants to stay with you...I don't think she wants to stay with me anymore." Alliera disengaged from Ember and walked over to Ginnie

@[member="Ginnie Verd"]'

"You Ok Gi'Ika?" Alliera asked, more interested in the class to help Ginnie then anything else "How're you doing on swordsmanship?"
Alliera pulled out her own blade, and held it in a ready possition, following the Teacher's Instructions. Mostly it was nothing new to her, being trained in the sword as well as she was, but Alliera was here to help Ginnie.

 

[Ginnie Dib]

"Why's @[member="Isley Verd"] have to be such a grump, Allie?" Ginnie sulked under her helmet, chopping at the air with her pink clad Beskar'gam, made so much to look like @[member="Alliera Nakamura"]'s. The girl swatted at the air as if her sabre was a frying pan, she hadn't gotten the grace down and a few times she set fire to the grass. Sure, she stomped it out before many people could see it, but Ginnie could see it and that was enough to crush the girl's waning confidence.

"I dunno, I barely know how to use this thing, I just made it! Isn't it pretty? But.. but how am I gonna learn this stuff with my Beskar'gam on? I feel like I'm gonna fall backward and hit the ground with my sabre stuck between my teeth. Help." She squeaked, trying to square off her shoulders. The girl was tense, her shoulders far too high and her fingers clenched the sabre hilt like it weighted eighty pounds.