Friendly Fire

[Jaron Lesan]

War. It was the only constant the First Order knew. Those who had seen it from the fledgling movement it had been to the mighty empire it was today knew that constant all too well. Jaron certainly did. His life had been dedicated to the Dark Side to ensure there would be peace in the galaxy. This was a peace that would only come about through total domination and control. The Supreme Leader deemed the civilizations of the galaxy unfit to govern themselves rightly, morally, ethically, and this is where the First Order had the duty to step in. Peace would be known through war. War would be the drumbeat in the ear of every loyalist until the quiet sound of peace could be free.

This mean every skill had to be sharpened. There was no room for rusty soldiers, and Jaron was certainly not one to be an exception. He hated sparring to a degree. Combat for the sake of betterment was okay, but the rush which came from the actual battle always seemed to be missing. Droids were only so skilled, and rarely could they account for his use of the force. It was time for trusted opponents, ones he knew would give him a good fight, but let him live. Though should they fight like his life was on the line all the better.

Jaron had one such companion. [member="Isla Ashen"] was fellow Knight, skilled in her own right with the force and with a lightsaber. They worked well together on several scouting missions, and when it was his choice, Jaron always selected her to accompany him. There was a rapport and chemistry that had been built which ensured they worked well together, fluidly. He still remembered the first battle they found themselves in, how easily they had been able to weave about the other as though it had all been a dance. Perhaps there was something more under the surface, but Jaron had never gone digging. The constant beating of the war drum had seen them apart for a time, and the invitation to spar was as much about training as it was an excuse to reconnect with a friend, of which Jaron had few.

He was dressed in a loose set of gym clothes which would allow him to move unrestricted. Jaron was set in the middle of the room he had reserved for the spar stretching and warming up for the fight. Regardless of whether she answered the invitation or not, he was going to be working out. His two lightsabers were by his gym bag along the east wall of the room. He would wait for Isla to arrive.

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla Ashen approached the designated sparring area that [member="Jaron Lesan"] had reserved. Today her appearance was far more casual than it normally was, as her shoulders were not draped in a dark cloak, and she lacked the rugged weapon-laden belt that she liked so well. However, that did not mean she was completely unarmed. The black saber hilt was present and simply attached to the waistband of her loose fitting trousers. The redhead had her wild mane of hair swept up and away from her face, readily revealing the three scars that marked her left cheek. This claw mark left behind from her skirmish with the Ssi-Ruuk forces that had come to Virgilia, a reminder of the night she had spent defending the Bastion with her brothers and sisters. It was a new addition to her collection of battle-scars, and one that her friend would likely notice straight away.

Life had been quite busy as of late, and Isla had lent her powers to forward the will of the Supreme Leader. But it seemed that war was a never-ending constant for them now. If they were not currently fighting, they were preparing for it.

After all, victory did favor the prepared.

A flicker of a smile touched her lips as she paused outside, recalling the last time she had seen Jaron. Somehow, looking back at those memories, she remembered the care-free and slightly wild woman she had been. How things had changed. The Knight of Ren had been forced to grow, forced to improve, and to be a shining example of their organization. It brought with it an air of responsibility, and perhaps a bit of ridged stiffness. She smiled less these days, and laughter was difficult to come by anymore. Somewhere inside, the feral spirit remained, but Isla had most assuredly been tamed. But now, there was a glimmer of life, and perhaps a bit of mischief that was moving to the surface.

Reaching out slowly, she could sense the presence of her friend within. Shrinking down her own force presence, she began to concentrate. In a swift movement, she pulled the door open and shot her palm out towards her friend. If he sat still, a force wave would wash over him. Not enough to send him flying, but just enough to knock him over.

Of course, she could always have said a simple "hello," but that was no way to make an entrance.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

He could sense her, standing outside the door. Isla waited long enough to mute her presence that she had given herself away. There was something different about her, almost as though the playfulness he sensed from her was a last minute decision. Had the constant fighting made her so calloused that the spontaneous and care free spirit was gone? It would be a shame if that were the case. Jaron had loved the freedom she had always felt at liberty to take around him, and he had enjoyed doing the same. Perhaps that was why he didn't make any move to guard from whatever she had planned. The mischief he was starting to sense before she came busting through the door should have tipped him off, but he let it pass.

Jaron fell onto his backside as the wave of force energy had hit him. He smirked as he stood. "Ha Ha," he he said pretending to have been mortally offended. The smile would give him away however. Dark eyes looked over the simple attire Isla was wearing. She was not in the usual layers he had been used to seeing. The attire was much more casual. His eyes lingered over the scars however. They had not been there the last time the two had seen each other.

A few steps were taken to close the distance between them. While Jaron did not get too close, he was closer than normal. Gentle fingers traced the scars on her cheek as his head canted to the side. "They define you somehow, make you more attractive, if that is even possible," the warrior in him said. They were Ren, wielders of the dark side of the force. It was through combat their chains were broken, and they were warriors because of it.

They were not there to exchange pleasentries though. His hand dropped and Jaron took a couple steps back to a more natural distance. The campaigns of late had become more dangerous. More combatants were having closer calls with death than Jaron was comfortable with. It was the ones who trained that survived, and Jaron intended to be in pique condition. His eyes went to her light saber hilt. "You will have to tell me the story after our spar," he said as his eyes lifted to hers. "It has been far too long and too much has happened since the last time I saw you. We must catch up!"

[member="Isla Ashen"]

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla peered into the doorway, watching as [member="Jaron Lesan"] fell backwards. He was likely just being a good sport, but the slightly comical sight was enough to make her smirk linger for just a moment longer. The flame-haired woman’s tall form moved into the training room, she offered a nod in greeting to her friend. Her feet came to a halt at the edge of the mat, and she watched as Jaron approached. Of course, she had noticed the way his eyes focused on the left side of her face. True, she had had these marks long enough for most to see, but she could not help but feel a bit self-conscious.

There were few that could get close to Isla, and though there was an inkling inside that wanted to step away, she remained. But as Jaron’s hand drew near her face, and then traced along the scars, she turned her gaze to the side. Holding her breath slightly, she edged away just so. Isla had heard his words, but said nothing in response, and blinked a couple of times. Affection was quite absent from her being, and she always felt awkward when tenderness was shown to her. She was not sure how to respond. Her heart was a cold and stony place, as far as she was concerned, there was room for no one there.

The tension in her shoulders released as Jaron stepped back, and her hand found the hilt of her saber. With the flick of a small switch, she set it to stun. There would be no use in seriously harming each other. Indeed, she had seen battle in recent times, but she needed to hone her skills. She let her emerald gaze meet his as she stepped onto the mat and began to make a wide semi-circle. Isla’s hunter instincts were beginning to take over, and she watched her prey closely.

“Yes,” She bowed her head, “We shall catch up.”

Isla added a tiny smile, trying not to appear too cold in the eyes of her friend. With that, she pushed off her right foot and advanced quickly. Her crimson saber ignited in a swift motion, and the blade began to come down in a graceful arc, aiming for her opponent’s right shoulder.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

The nervous recoil at his touch did not go unnoticed. They were Ren, dark siders. Their lives had little room for affection, kindness, and compassion. Most of the time they didn't know what to do with it. Jaron could lie to himself and come up with an excuse that he did not knw where that came from. Truth was better than a lie however, even if it was kept to himself. Jaron had never been a heartless force user. Everything he did was because he only thought of the betterment of the galaxy. For a Ren he was certainly unselfish, a tragic hero in his own mind. He liked Isla, and war made people behave differently. It was a cruel and inconsistent world they lived in.

He smiled when her blade came screaming from its hilt. Jaron quickly set his to a training setting before letting the crimson color of his own blade snap to life with a hiss. His wrist rotated, arching his blade clockwise in a circular motion. Jaron kept the contact of their blades engaged until he had created an opening across the fiery woman's midsection. He quickly took advantage and slashed his blade in a motion which would carry across her entire waist if she did not defend herself in time.

"Loser buys the drinks then," he commented with a smirk. Whether it was welcome or not, Jaron intended on keeping up with the witty banter.

[member="Isla Ashen"]

 

[Isla Ashen]

Even though Isla was already in motion, she had seen Jaron’s own blade ignite with a sharp hiss. As her saber came down towards her intended target, she found his blade there to block. She had not placed all of her strength into this move, it would simply have been unnecessary. For the moment, she was merely testing the waters. There was much insight to be gained about an opponent in just a few short moments, and a couple of attacks. For instance, she already knew that her fellow Ren’s reflexes were quite quick.

As his blade slashed horizontally, she tipped her wrist down quickly. The tip of her saber went towards the floor, parrying his attack. For a brief moment, their blades were locked. With a bit of effort, she used her own strength to attempt to push him back again and give herself a bit of room to work with.

“Very well,” She nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Then I shall see to it that you buy.”

Despite the cold in her tone, there was still an inkling of humor to her words.

Instead of backing off completely, she lingered nearby. Isla decided it was time to take a chance. She moved in a pattern similar to her previous move, her blade arching down swiftly, as if meant for the right shoulder. Her arms began to carry her blade down further, aiming for his leg. There was power behind her movements, but it left her a bit exposed.

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Was Isla attempting to flirt? Jaron couldn't be sure, but despite her cold exterior there was an attempt at playfulness in her response. He'd almost be inclined to buy just because of the attempt to meet him half way. The Telosian born, Corellian raised Ren could appreciate it when people got past what made them uncomfortable. It was a bright spot in otherwise bleak times. Maybe that's why he enjoyed Isla's company when they could work together. The natural way they worked efficiently together was something that could never be taught. Trusting her in combat did not come natural for the paranoia of any dark sider, yet here they were.

Isla had made a risky move. Jaron contemplated pointing out how deadly of a risk it could have been, perhaps he should have. Instead he leaped backwards and threw a wave of force energy toward her. Any attempt to block it would have sent his blade into his leg. Even with his strength, Isla had the momentum. Looking in her direction after the attempt she had made Jaron quirked a brow.

"Are you trying to lose with a risky move like that?"

She was trying to throw him off, and he knew it. However, the best moments came when least expected. Jaron didn't intend to change his pattern until he was certain she was expecting him to stick to it.

[member="Isla Ashen"]

 

[Isla Ashen]

The flame-haired woman had been expecting [member="Jaron Lesan"] to block her attack and had not been prepared for him to unleash a force wave upon her. She felt the powerful blow wash over her, and her body flew across the room, landing towards the edge of the mat. Isla sat up as Jaron spoke, eyeing him with interest. Perhaps it had been a bit of a risk, but battles were not won by standing still.

“Just trying to keep things interesting.” She shrugged, and moved her head from side to side.

Pushing back to her feet, she gathered her composure again. It was likely that he knew what she was attempting to accomplish. She had attacked twice now, this time she would merely continue to walk back towards the center of the mat. Isla did not come to a complete halt, but rather kept moving in a slow circle around her fellow Ren.

Slowly, she began to gather the force in around her. She could have been focusing for an attack, or just trying to build up her own defenses, at this point… it would be difficult to tell. However, she wanted to see what her friend’s attack patterns were like, so she would give him this chance to move first. Her brows arched just slightly, as if to invite him to attack.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Jaron shrugged. It was rarely fun to train, and most partners simply made it about the business they were at. The Ren couldn't help to think the two of them were having fun with this. Yes they had their strategies, and it was primarily for the training and betterment of their skill, but there was a level of fun with the risks they were taking. Jaron would not be risky with someone he did not trust, and he liked the fact Isla had felt she could take the risk. She hadn't accounted for his use of the force though, something that he could capitalize on later if he stayed away from using Niman.

The form was a favorite of his uncle and relied on force and saber combination attacks. Many disliked the form for the fact is had no apparent strengths, but it also had no apparent weaknesses to exploit. History was full of those who had mastered the sixth form, many of them deadly bladesman. Jaron would see the form mastered in his lifetime, and was already working on the Jar'Kai variant of the form.

"I like interesting," he said with a smirk, "If that what you're going for then let's see if you can keep up..."

Extending his left arm toward the direction of his second blade, Jaron used the force to call the hilt to his hand. The familiar snap hiss of the sapphire blade came upon contact with the force users palm. The dual colored blades reminded Jaron of where he had come from, and the path he had chosen. It was odd to see a Ren running around with a blue blade, but Jaron had never been the typical Ren. His path was to see the galaxy saved through order, and was not as religiously devoted as the others. His master, and traitor, Belis Ren had been the same. The difference was Jaron was not a traitor.

Jaron nodded before he crossed the distance between the two. His red blade jabbed forward toward Isla's chest as he pivoted and spun to follow up with a horizontal slash of the second blade.

[member="Isla Ashen"]

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla watched as [member="Jaron Lesan"] drew his second blade, and she gave herself a silent reminder not to get distracted by one or the other – she would need to keep both of them within her awareness. Her feet had never stopped moving, and continued to carry her in a slow semi-circle. As her opponent began to close the gap, she watched his movements closely. The way his right shoulder was positioned did not seem to say that he was about to slash, and her suspicion was soon confirmed. The red blade thrust straight towards her chest, and Isla brought her own crimson saber up to block. There was a hissing sound as the two blades met and remained locked.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught a flash of blue as the second blade began to slash in a clean swipe. Isla pushed off Jaron’s saber, using the motion to propel her backwards and away from the attack that would have slashed her waist. Still, she felt the saber move through the air just in front of her. It was close, too close.

Her gloved hand formed a fist, gathering up energy and powering it with the dark side. Isla’s hand shot forward, sending a small crackle of lightning towards his right shoulder. It was not enough to permanently damage, but it would certainly sting if it connected. Her foot pushed off the padded floor next, a diagonal slash lit up the air – focused on the same target. Perhaps she could break him down, little by little...

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Isla kept up with the challenge of a second blade, which only made Jaron smile. His smirk was short lived though as lightning came for his shoulder. His moment of cockiness cost him as he could feel the sting. In a moment [member="Isla Ashen"] attacked the same spot. Both blades came up in an X to catch he blade as he kicked her in the gut.

Stepping back from the attack Jaron sent another wave of force energy her way. The man could not afford to take another hit like that and expect to continue.

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla was pleased to see that her lightning had hit its mark, but the smile the formed on her lips was only present for a short moment. As she launched herself forward, she found her saber blocked by both of her opponent’s. Their blades were locked momentarily, the connection then suddenly broken as Jaron’s foot connected with her middle. Isla felt the air push out of her lungs, and then a wave of force energy washed over her, carrying her away from [member="Jaron Lesan"]. She landed in the middle of the mat, flat on her back. Slowly, she pushed herself up to sitting and looked across at Jaron.

It was possible for the exercise to continue in this fashion, but perhaps it was time for a breather.

Standing to her feet, she brushed herself off and deactivated her saber. She figured that her companion would not mind the chance for a quick break. Practice was good, but sometimes it was just as helpful to catch up with a friend.

“Shall we take a break?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Jaron's attack had landed but it had been a move of desperation. The Knight had not expected the lightning coming in a light spar, but it was something he should have expected. The man looked up as [member="Isla Ashen"] fell back onto the mat. She offered a break, and that was something Jaron thought wise. The last thing he needed was her trying the lightning again. All that would happen if they continued was more of the same. They had proved they were evenly matched.

He nodded as the sabers were retracted.

"Yeah, that's better than more lightning," he smiled.

Jaron reached for his water canteen with the force and took a drink. He offered it to the redhead. "So is this a draw, or do you owe me that drink for stopping?"

The teasing comment came with a smile. For the short length of the spar Jaron had broken in a sweat. It had been an exertion of his will, just another sign that they were evenly matched.

"So what have you been up to lately?"