Dragon of Kiribi

[Sheila]

[member="Arisa Yune"]

It was always a proud day int he enclave and the order when a young padawan through hard work and dedication to the lightside of the force. The hulking form of Sheila was there super imposed on the screen for all of them to see and she stood next to an image of the grandmaster of the order Mako had been a mysterious one to see, someone she had really know idea of who he was but he was the other master in the order when she was trying to help out where they could. It got the jedi master paying attention to the larger things before she spoke. "I think we are ready to begin.... Maybe... I don't know but the padawan should be ready." She said it while looking at the man who spoke. "Oh we are ready, the trial chambers here are far better then some of the older ones from when I was a padawan. We can let Padawan Yune begin when she is ready." Sheila watched him as he seemed to pull a cup of tea out from somewhere for both of them to watch. "Padawan Yune, welcome to Yutan and thank you for coming. We have a special surprise for you here."

 

[Eugen Aker]

After the better part of a decade fighting the Sith across the galaxy, Arisa decided it was time to undertake the trials, proving that she was capable of leading the next generation of upcoming Jedi within the fledgling Republic Order.

As for all her recent Jedi related activities, her trials would take place at the Jedi Enclave on Yutan. She answered the summons by Master Sheila and Grandmaster Mako. For this encounter, she had eschewed her normal casual wear of street clothes for a pair of traditional robes, cream and navy blue in color. Lacking a proper lightsaber of her own since her accident, she had dug up an old lightsaber from storage, claimed from the first Sith she had slain. As part of her earliest experiment in alchemy, the original red crystal had been replaced with another synthetic one of her own construction, producing a silver blade, and the hilt had been cleansed of any residual contamination from the previous owner.

She bowed low before the two Jedi Masters. (Well technically one, as Sheila was just a blown up image on the monitor.)

"Thank you for honoring my request. I don't have much experience with either of you, so it means a lot that you trust me enough to just to give me the opportunity today."

"A surprise?"

She wasn't sure what to make of that. The Padawan had a general idea about the basic structure of the trials, but the details were only known to the proctors themselves. Maybe it had something to do with that. The thought just increased her anxiety a little more.

[member="Sheila"]

 

[Sheila]

[member="Arisa Yune"]

Sheila was watching her as she could hear the grandmaster clear his throat. "Padawan Yune, you have been granted a chance for the trails however it has come to my attention that some of them have been different. You showed great courage on Togoria facing down a servant of the darkside and you have been injured showing your knowledge of the flesh. Two trials that are difficult for some jedi to pass. All that you have left is two trials, skills where you will show to us what you have learned and insight. I wish to hear what you have learned and confronted about yourself." He seemed to be serious but at the same time leaving a little relaxation in it. Watching a padawan show their skills in her experience could be awesome if they were cool as Sheila was watching from her little perch on the table showing her face on the monitor. her voice came out. "We'll start with the trial of skills, when you are ready please."

 

[Eugen Aker]

Arisa exhaled slightly in relief, and her stomach stopped turning in knots. The surprise actually turned out to be good news, it seemed like she was about partway through her trials before even stepping foot in the temple. She was glad that this order was flexible enough to allow real world events as qualifications.

However, the remaining tests wouldn't be easy, particularly the Trials of Spirit and Insight, the former requiring much introspection. That could cause some real grief at that stage.

First up was the Trial of Skill, mostly a test of feats and technical skills. Arisa considered herself an experienced fighter, so she didn't think she'd have too much trouble with this test here.

"I think I'm ready, but can you give me the conditions of the test before we begin?" If there was going to be a fight, then she wanted to make sure that she was adequately equipped for the task.

[member="Sheila"]

 

[Sheila]

[member="Arisa Yune"]

Sheila waited for a moment as the grandmaster nodded to her on the screen and seemed to fade out while she remained there. Fluttering around for a moment until everything was ready. "The trial of skill will be a test of your skill with a lightsaber and force powers.... and it shall be decided. In Mortal Kombat." She said it while nodding her head and hopping there would be music starting up just to make it clear but it never came as the grandmaster stepped through the doorway holding a saber. The robes somewhat opened to show the underrobes and what was in his other hand. A cup of tea that was steaming as he spoke. "It will be alright, just show what you have learned, winning is not the objective."

 

[Eugen Aker]

"Alright." She didn't like the sound of this concept of mortal combat, but a test was a test.

Arisa took a few steps backward to create some space between herself and the grandmaster, unclipping her saber hilt from her waist belt. Before activating her lightsaber, she made some adjustments, strengthening the output of the containment field to keep her blows from being fatal. Not that she was expecting to really tag Grand Master Mako. Just survive, really.

She turned slightly to her left side to expose less of her body for an attack and took a slight bend at the knees. She held the blade in two handed grip just above waist level, pointed forward at the grandmaster at a slight angle. She remained still as she waited for Mako to set down the tea and also take a stance. At least, that's what she was assuming was going to happen. This man was a complete stranger to her.

[member="Sheila"]

 

[Sheila]

[member="Arisa Yune"]

He was watching her while taking a sip of the tea holding his finger up for a moment. Pinkie up while the other held his lightsaber with a small nod of his head sitting the cup down. "Ah there we go, would you like some tea?" The man watched her looking over a few of the other things taking a moment. Then he moved forward going into place taking a balanced stance that seemed to less show some of the saber stances with niman. Hand out while the sabers blade activate with one hand loose while he was watching her. "You may begin when you are ready padawan Yune." Sheila moved from her location and found a place to sit and watch the padawan with a gleam in her eyes clapping a little.

 

[Eugen Aker]

His relaxed, almost nonchalant posture with his saber reminded her of Niman, herself being a practitioner of her own special derivative that involved the use of pistols. Her own stance was a classic opening of Form VI.

As Grandmaster Mako a appeared to be ready to engage, Arisa would fall into a battle trance. Idle thoughts and concerns were pushed to the back of her mind as she shifted complete focus into the present. Her aura began to intensify as her connection to the Force grew with her concentration. It would lance outward from her body like licks of flame at first, but then the energy would stabilize into a shroud that closely followed the contours of her form.

While maintaining her opening stance, she shuffled toward the Grandmaster slowly, pushing herself forward by her back leg. When she came within striking distance of the Grandmaster, she merely tilted her blade downward in a weak horizontal chop, aiming right for the top of his head.

[member="Sheila"]

 

[Sheila]

[member="Arisa Yune"]

Sheila stayed there watching Arisa while the force came off of her with the grandmaster moving faster then his frame looked like it could move. One hand holding the saber when it was brought up to block her blade. His free hand pulling at the force as his foot shifted a little backward bringing his free arm. The force jerking at her leg to try and trip her up more in a playful way then to get her to just fall over while his saber came down using the height difference while coming down to try for the tap contact burns on her should and chest. "Make sure you remember the roots of your stance and the basics. Many padawans try to rush ahead and become masters without knowing why forms are this way or that."

 

[Eugen Aker]

The Grandmaster's combination of Force ability and physical block did not surprise her in the slightest. She extended two fingers from her top hand on her hilt, projecting a focused wave of Force energy downwards to block his tug. When he followed up with his own series of blade strikes, she comfortably parried each one with only a slight shifting of her wrists to pivot her saber from side to side in a swatting motion. Arisa would come out of that exchange completely unscathed.

She was ready to press her attack when the Grandmaster paused to speak about the importance of Form fundamentals. She broke off from the engagement as he talked, taking a few steps backward until she was outside of the range of his saber, maintaining her guard.

"Niman is an eclectic lightsaber form that combines some of the best elements of most of the proceeding forms into one comprehensive style. Practitioners of Form VI are afforded a level of flexibility that one cannot usually achieve with the other forms. Creativity is stressed over technique. In other words, Niman's style is your own."

As she spoke, the tea that Mako had brought with him had begun to chill, fat droplets of condensation now rolling down the exterior of the cup.

[member="Sheila"]

 

[Sheila]

[member="Arisa Yune"]

Sheila gave a nod of her head at the work she was doing. Understanding the style but there was always more you wanted to get into it. "Very good but Niman is not the easiest to use, learning a little from each form to study it. Learning the prospect of each style, its reason for being made. This all goes towards learning how to respect the blade of a jedi, without the understanding you will be like a child swinging the blade wildly." He seemed to move taking the style a little more while shifting and moving fast, the force compacting and focused in his limbs with a quick flank style for juyo. The technique to move for a split second faster then most could see as they swing and strike. "But there is more to a jedi then just your saber, the force, the knowledge you are taught. It can all be used as a way to work on specializing or using all aspects of it to find a balance."

 

[Eugen Aker]

Arisa gave a slight nod of acknowledgement at his words, but she remained vigilant with her guard. This man seemed to like his tricks. Her suspicions were confirmed as he suddenly shifted gears to charge her flank at incredible speed. She could feel the sudden flare of energy welling in his body, and indication that he was using the Force to enhance his movements. She waited until the last moment until he committed to making a swing at her, locking himself into the momentum of his attack. That's when she would drop one knee in a half spin, raising her blade overhead in one hand to tap the elbow of his sword arm as it came flying past her whilst now in a semi-crouched position. Her newly free hand was tucked at her side, palm open for use. This time, she would not stop her attack for him to speak, so he risked getting hit if he decided to impart any more nuggets of wisdom mid-combat.

[member="Sheila"]

 

[Sheila]

[member="Arisa Yune"]

He kept moving with her and remained focused on the girls saber blade. Rotating in his hand the saber saber so it went from a normal to a reversed grip to protect near his elbow allowing himself to defend while standing there. His body planted in place when he moved for a surprise. A kick enhanced with the force to blast downwards and push her back onto the floor. Sheila could see everything from her perch while she was paying attention to have better information on the small mental notes. Arisa was showing some very good skill but there was the challenge of it not being to harm people. The grandmaster was letting loose some of the force potential while still holding back, she had tried facing one of his level training droids and it was not a fun experience.