Form I- The Novice's blade.

[RC 212]

Location: Hangar bay on the Gypsy Caravan

Vassara had read the datacron Karen had bestowed upon her. She had received her first saber, a bright blue synthetic crystal within. It had been a long time since she had fought hand to hand with her knife and even longer still since she used the force to do so.

But today was a different day and the galaxy was changing. As a Jedi knight she must adapt with the times. So she had purchased a training droid and two remotes. The droid, outfitted with a magna guard staff from a recent plunder stood across the bay deactivated.

Vassara held the saber in her hand at her side and breathed deep, centering herself in the force. As the cool waters of the current filled her body her senses expanded.

The droid snapped to life, it's switch being activated by her soft touch.

"Execute training directive one alpha?" It asked.

Vassara brought the smooth metal cylinder up, remembering what she had read.

"Yes do so."

BUZZZ the magna guard staff buzzed to life and Vassaras own blue blade extended, reverberating in the small space.

Her stance was spread equally, both feet planted shoulder length. The blade in one hand whirled up to her natural guard position, holding diagonally across her torso.

"Attack!"

The droid stepped forwards now, staff spinning. Vassara stood still, waiting for it to strike.

With deadly force it launched an overhead cleave. Her blade came to meet it, her arm coking to the side and blade turning parallel. The two weapons met with sparks and a crash.

Vassara pressed into the druid, asking the force for assistance. As she travelled forwards she swept the saber up, pushing his weapon far back. She came down now, launching her own counter strike.

Blazing Saphire swept from right shoulder to left hip, coming infast. She felt a rush as the blade was about to connect.

But then her opponent stepped back, recovering. The staff whirled, punching straight out in a thrust.

*Zap*

Vassara felt the surge of electrical current burn her midsection and stepped back, eyes alight with pain....

 

[RC 212]

Round Two

Reeling back she centered herself again. The sapphire blade came to rest at her natural guard position. But his time she was on the offensive. Stepping forwards and keeping her form tight she launched twin strikes upon the droid.

One was a slash from the overhead. As the droid blocked she withdrew and slashed upwards, trying to catch her blade underneath the staff. It worked and she hooked its weapon. With a savage snarl she pulled back and ripped the wepon towards her, propelling her blade down the shaft of the staff towards the droids hand.

Then it did the unexpected and punched, straight out.

Vassaras blade met the droid hand, electrifying it with the stun setting. Her open left hand turned into an open strike and batted the punch away. She pressed the advantage stepping in and twirling her blade in a circular motion.

The droids staff fell, with a clank and she smiled. The disarm was complete.

"Run it again, offensive manuevers."

The droid retrieved the staff and Vassara stepped back, returning her blade to the guard position.

 

[RC 212]

This time the flurries were intense, one left one right. Both caught her saber as she made herself a small target. She tightened, closing her stance and brining the saber closer to her frame. From the guard position her wrist rotated, keeping pace with the droid, force propelling her limbs.

Both parries knocked the satff away. The sudden thrust of the droids magnastaff caught her off guard and she hopped back, brining her arm high and circling the blade before her in a rhythmic motion. The staff caught and again was repelled. As it flew left Vassara stepped right, spinning a full circle and grasping the saber hilt with both hands.

Her motion transferred her power into the saber like a bat and she swung full velocity, connecting in a savage strike with the droids back.

The training droid lifted off the ground and was flung into the wall with a crash. Vassara recentered her guard, waiting for it to recover.

This time when it arose it turned on her, raising it's staff to mimic her. Then the staff split in two and the combat form switched. Now she had to track two weapons as well as her own.

"Attack!"

She let herself fully into the force now, keeping her body tight once more. She could feel a little heat in her face, sweat prickling down her neck. Her blood roared and she almost envisioned the droid as a Sith.

With the small amount of passion she stepped forwards with a long stride, pressing into the killzone, guard solid.

 

[RC 212]

Both ends of the staff swung now, trying to bracket her in. The useful parts of Form I was that it was basic and adaptive, relying on no trickery and focusing on disarming.

Disarming.

As the staffs swung in she moved her arm left and right, driving her strikes with fury. The blade remained vertical, catching each and batting them away. When she returned to the centre she was well inside the droids swing zone.

The saber whirled, moving to her left shoulder and a cyclical slash nailed the droids arm, incapacitating it with the shock function of the saber. The droid tried to retreat but she was too close. One foot slipped in behind its leg, and her rear foot slid forwards a bit.

Now with the droids ankle hooked it stumbled and she found her second opening. again she moved her blade right and repeated the cyclical downwards slash, incapacitating the other arm. A savage growl escaped her as she felt the dark side edge in.

She raised her blade high, gripping it with both hands and stared into the lifeless photorecptors of the droid. For a second she stood poised to strike. But she remained still, looking at the droid. She wondered, what if this were a human, or a sentient being.

The saber lowered and she backed off, allowing the sapphire blade back to her guard position yet again.

She would not strike an unarmed sentient, it was not the Jedi way. Again she centered herself in the force, breathing deeply, letting its serene touch do the work for her. The hotness of her brow cooled, though sweat remained.

"Again, Attack!"

 

[RC 212]

This time the droid moved to the side and swung with mighty force. Vassara jumped into the air, launching a kick at its chest as the swing was evaded. The droid stumbled back one step and she landed.

Her attacks were a little more wild now. One strike with tempered velocity at it,s shoulder. Her saber met the staff and it blocked. Vassara slid the saber down the length of the staff moving to strike the hand again.

But the droid pulled back, and swung vertically.

It was a faint. As it swung it retracted the staff, and suddenly her parry met air.


The staff thrust straight out, hitting her plain in the stomach again.

"Frak."

Vassara stepped back, a burning sensation on her midriff. The training was over for today, tommorrow was another day....