Full of Actual Fire

[Joza Perl]

“I’ve never thought about it in that way before. Using shaping in conjunction with saber play.” Joza figured that elemental control would add some potential ranged abilities to her repertoire, especially seeing as how she was a close quarters fighter. She fell silent for a few moments, reflecting on her own reasons for seeking out Saki as a teacher. “I obtained a holocron a while back. The Jedi Master, Streen, had a knack for alter environment, specifically controlling air. He was even able to force air into his lungs while being force choked. I don’t think I would have thought that element shaping was an option for me, but after I learned a bit of air manipulation from him and did some research, I found out how interesting and useful it can be.” A small smile flickered onto her face as she pulled a stream of air from the ball in her hands, watching as it unraveled like a ball of yarn. “I’d really like to learn as much as I can, but I don’t want to push my luck.”

[member="Saki"]

 

[Saki]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Looking at the girl with a raised eyebrow it was her turn to well not know who she was talking about. Though that wasn't really a surprise as she barely paid attention outside the temple and training what jedi she could. With no more ways for now or a real need that was pressing for her to go out and fight. She could handle most of the things before her attention went to a couple of the things. "Well you won't be pressing your luck, you got to just be ready to be very careful with your emotions. That is the most important part, control and focus, get to angry and you'll just draw from the darkside and then you'll be something I punch normally into a paste. Don't use any emotion and you'll be unable to really feel the power."

 

[Joza Perl]

With the talk of controlling emotions, Joza’s demeanor hardened visibly. Being a Zeltron naturally warranted a mild empathetic connection with most sentients, not to mention that Jedi had her own issues when it came to keeping a leash on her emotions. The young woman had…dramatic tendencies. Jedi training had helped to a degree, but she had a feeling that she was slowly unraveling. “Well…in all honesty, I’m not the greatest at keeping my feelings in check.” Perhaps it was best to admit this to her teacher. “But maybe this will help me to find a balance, lest I get my face smashed in a thousand times over….” Joza offered Saki a grin, finding that the threat of being smashed into a goop by a teenaged elemental Master was actually really good incentive not to lose herself.

“So, what about fire shaping? Does it have anything to do with cryokinesis?”

[member="Saki"]

 

[Saki]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"No, cryokinesis is taking the heat from the bodies of others and is mostly used by the sith to try and scare people but taking heat from things can help in some cases. You just have to know how to work with it and understand it can kill people same as being left out in the snow or in the water." Turning some of her attention while she stood there. "Fire is highly destructive, quick and difficult to control but when you fight with it you can have a lot of skill. It goes well with movement as well as the attitude." She moved up while focusing on it and for the most part was calm and collected for the empathy but flicked at Joza in the ear. "The first step is the controlling yourself, my master wasn't the greatest and sent me to fight on Metalorn when i was twelve. I learned to control emotions in the heart of the then sith empire."

 

[Joza Perl]

“Ow…” Joza winced slightly as she was flicked, more taken aback by the motion than in pain. “I mean, when I’m in the right state of mind I can have a pretty good grasp on myself. All of the Jedi philosophy and meditation sunk in to some extent, I think. It’s more when I’m faced with a difficult situation.” Though, Joza’s difficult situations were subjective. Facing a bloodthirsty Sith warrior and chipping a nail could measure on the same scale if she was having a very bad day. “But I—wait, you were twelve?!” Joza gawked for a second before straightening herself back out. If Saki learned to control herself at that young of an age…the Zeltron almost shivered thinking about how powerful the Master was now, and how much stronger she could become, already being so young.

“Alright, so what’s first?” She asked simply, a bit eager to learn more about fire shaping. “And if I end up going even just a bit dark side, feel free to punch me.” She’d probably regret saying that.

[member="Saki"]

 

[Saki]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"Yeah I was twelve and with everything there, Dac, Korriban, Manaan, Alderaan both times, Empress Teta, Togoria, Ossus and a few other places I have gotten used to it." She looked at Joza and well was looking to try and push her to her limit and stress her out but now it was a matter of how best to do that safely. She couldn't just start hitting the girl to make her mad... that really wouldn't help. She needed her to get frustrated and be focused on some of the things. "We'll just have to push you to your limits but if you start going dark, don't worry I'll punch some smarts back into you." She gave a smile while moving a little with her arms crossed over her chest. "Now lets get you into some efforts." She was moving over a few of the things showing the landscape of Rhen Var while stimping a foot to bring up a wall of ice. "Lets see how well you can used what you learned to crack and shatter the ice."

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza nearly whistled as Saki listed all of the places she’d fought in. Unlike many Jedi, the Zeltron hadn’t started training until she was a teenager despite early detection of her force sensitivity. Her mother hadn’t wanted her to leave home, but eventually she found a way off of Zeltros and onto Sullust. “Gotcha. I’ll hold you to that.” She returned Saki’s smile, hoping that it wouldn’t come to blows but if it had to, then it had to. As the wall of ice rose from the frigid ground, Joza nodded and dropped into a wider stance. Grasping a light current, she tossed it towards her target in a whip-like fashion. No cracks appeared in the ice, though some of the residual wind caused a few small rocks nearby to scatter.

[member="Saki"]

 

[Saki]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Saki was ready for it, she doubted it would come to blows and blow for blow against a matukai trained force user was not exactly smart. She had seen Fabula when she was barely trying in a fight and that woman who had inspired her was able to punch doors without a real thought or throw an airspeeder. With the right motivation she imagined some intense levels of destruction for all of the things they could do. "Alright, keep at it." Her work was there now to see how far joza could go and then push her further along the path... while keeping herself ready to stop her should the worse happen... but she had some decent instincts and so far the people she has met have not just gone onto betray her in awhile so that was a plus.

 

[Joza Perl]

Nodding, Joza re-solidified her stance and fixed the block of ice with a harsh stare as if it were a sentient opponent. She wasn’t going to let frozen water make her look stupid!

Gathering herself again, she took ahold of the air around her, grasping at it before tossing it towards the ice. Again, a similar result—no cracks surfaced, and the ice didn’t even show any signs of moving. Irritation simmering at the back of her mind, Joza tried again and again to no avail. Finally she had the idea to twine the current around her arm, letting it build in strength before lashing out. This time, not only did she manage to damage the ice, but nearly toppled it in her frustration. Unfortunately, a chunk of ice exploded outwards upon impact and smacked her square in the face.

“Ugh!” Unfortunately not a stranger to taking face shots—thank you Jericho—Joza reeled back for a moment before covering her nose with her hand.

[member="Saki"]

 

[Saki]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Saki looked at her going about it and quickly bit her lower lip painfully on the inside of her mouth when she got a piece launched back at her face. It wasn't completely funny but that was one of the things that could happen when you got frustrated or careless. "You alright?" She said it just in case she hurt herself while she looked at the ice that had been knocked over touching it. "So how did that feel?" She was curious what Joza's limits were emotionally and well with this stamina wise. She knew zeltrons had natural stamina compared to many other species but it could still be tiring if they were careful and she had worked on many of the things like matukai meditations. Those being for herself to have the constitution of the warrior monks who could resist poison and make their bodies like armor on top of having near infinite stamina.

 

[Joza Perl]

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine…” Joza grumbled, more embarrassed than hurt. Pulling her hand away, she noticed a few specks of blood against her pink skin. Retrieving a cloth that was tucked between her robes, she idly wiped at her nose while pondering Saki’s question. “Honestly, a little frustrating. But satisfying when I was able to break the ice.” A small smile appeared on her face at the realization. Glancing down at the cloth, she noted that the bleeding was less than she had expected. Nothing more than a bloody nose. Tucking it back into her robes, the Zeltron cleared her throat. “I don’t frustrate as easily as I did when I was a Padawan, thankfully. I’ve got a better handle on my emotions now…I think.”

[member="Saki"]

 

[Saki]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"Well emotions are a tricky thing, see I have learned and this isn't wisdom. I don't promise to have that, I am far to young to have wisdom. I just have some experience and am usually there with my ear to the ground. Your emotions are going to be one of the easiest things to exploit because it is the same for all of us. There is only a handful of jedi i know who actually choose to control their emotions but they are rare now. Everybody has a previous life story before they come to the order and that is why they have emotion and anger and are better because they know. The darkside is dangerous to everyone who feels it so." Saki looked at her and held her hand up while she backed up a little igniting some flames. "Lets throw some fireballs at you and block them with your air shaping."

 

[Joza Perl]

“I suppose you’re right…” Joza gently clenched and unclenched her fist, looking down at her hand as she did so. For a moment she was lost in thought. Emotions, as one could guess, were both a strength and weakness to the young Zeltron. Naturally emotionally driven as many of her species were, Joza had gained decent control over herself after coming to the Jedi for training. But in a way, she wasn’t really that different than most of her fellow Jedi. Like Saki said, many of them had faced emotional trauma either before or after they started training, sometimes both. Turning back to the task at hand as Saki produced a lick of flame, Joza nodded. “Alright, ready when you are.” Bracing herself, she sank back into the proper stance.

[member="Saki"]

 

[Saki]

[member="Joza Perl"]

She watched the girl and focused on the force, on shaping the air as she pushed the air to clear it. The small valley they were in while the gleaming black of the citadel was in the distance. The reconstruction had been going on and the metal with stone shell on the mountain below it where they had hangers and barracks showed defensive guns and turrets. Saki moved giving them a clear area so she could really move and get Joza to push herself. "Alright, there are no limits here, defend however you can with airshaping and movement. Allow yourself to feel the energies all around you." She backed away a little more and had the fire in her hands before focusing. Saki moved tossing a fireball as Joza while she twisted to throw the second with flame jetting in a long line from her feet as she twisted to bring it them down.

 

[Joza Perl]

As [member="Saki"] cleared the area and gave them a better view of the citadel and reconstruction in the distance, Joza took a moment to pause and take in the natural landscape of the area. But her gaze didn’t linger long before she turned back to Saki and the task at hand, not wanting to take a fireball to the face because she was too busy staring at the scenery. “Alright, I’m ready.” Joza gave her instructor a decisive nod, inhaling deeply and allowing herself to reach out into the air around her.

As the first fireball came at her, the Zeltron whipped up a current by bringing her right hand up towards her left side in a diagonal movement, intercepting the ball of flame. Noting the stream of fire from the Kro’var’s foot, Joza performed a spinning leap to the side, effectively dodging the whip of flame narrowly. “That all you got?” A smirk tickled her lips as she straightened out, though her stance reflected her tenacity. Using quick and graceful movements to dodge was her forte.

 

[Saki]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Saki stayed at it as she came down touching the snow with her hands and feet for a brief moment but not stopping when she spoke. "Is that all you have." Focusing it while she moved forward quickly jumping with a sharp inhale of breath while fire shaped around and pushed out from her. Going in more a circle with the master behind it she stayed focused and intent letting her speed increase with rapid fire punches that sent for a brief moment a jet of flame from her fists to try and knock back Joa when she was getting in closer, her feet moving until she lept to go for a spin kick with an arc of flame and slammed the other down into a wave as her fists turned to propel her into a corkscrew from the raw intensity of it. Saki let the cone of fire spin in different colors and some beauty before sending it to try and enclose around the knight. "Remember your movement."

 

[Joza Perl]

Nope. Nope. I do believe that wasn’t all she had. Me and my big mouth…

As Saki kicked it up a notch, Joza prepared for the incoming assault the only way she knew how—move around a lot, but minimally so as to not expend too much energy. But sometimes, there was only so much graceful bobbing and weaving could do. As the semi-circle of fire was exhaled towards her, Joza’s primary instinct was to wrap herself in a Force barrier. Mindful that she was here to practice shaping, the Zeltron whipped up an undercurrent of air to redirect the flames upwards and away. The punches came almost on top of her previous attacks, catching Joza off guard with Saki’s rapid fire intensity. The Knight relied mostly on her artful dodging skills here, letting her body sway from side to side to avoid the flame.

The tight corkscrew of flames was unexpected as it began to wrap around Joza, having caught her off guard to the point where she nearly tripped back. Extending a hand behind her, she buffeted her potential fall with a layer of air, pushing herself back onto steady feet. Now nearly enclosed in the tornado of fire—which looked rather beautiful, actually, Joza needed to find a way out. Raising both arms in a cross pattern, the Zeltron clenched her fists and gathered all the concentration she could for a moment. Extending her arms out to the side quickly, she conjured a violent blast of air from each side to dissipate the flames of the vortex. Huffing, she kept her eyes on [member="Saki"], now aware of her sharp and masterful movements. The Knight was fully on the defensive.

Sure would hate to face her on the battlefield…

 

[Saki]

[member="Joza Perl"]

She could see her and watched Joza while she was standing there, smirk on her face in a tight line while her eyes were gleaming. Focused and ready for anything while waiting for her. "You are getting it but remember with the air shaping you want to move around me, you want to move in random movements to keep going in circles." She stayed there for a moment but brought two fireballs to her hands as she tossed the first one again but moved to the side and round spin she could spin on her boot lobbing the another one and another like a pitching machine while she found that internal place in her head. Matukai meditations were in the thick of combat and shaping fire you wanted a calmness to go with the intensity. "SHaping the air is one thing but you want to be on your toes at all times."

 

[Joza Perl]

“That’s right, circle walking.” Joza repeated as if she just realized that she could use the technique to apply in combat. Her first instincts were to just go with the flow, something that could allow her to be cornered easily. She had to consciously remember to employ techniques, forms and combinations that weren’t already second nature to her. Give her a saber and she could perform Soresu and Makashi drills in her sleep, hence why she was trying to branch out.

Before she even had time to let those thoughts absorb, [member="Saki"] was at it again. Nearly jumping from the rapid fire, Joza moved to the side, edging around Saki in a semi-circle with careful footwork. As she went, her hands moved in an almost abstract circular pattern, keeping the air around her at the ready, flicking a wrist or palm outwards to deflect the incoming fireballs. An intense look of concentration masked her face as she went, trying to balance careful movements with power and precision.

 

[Saki]

[member="Joza Perl"]

There we go, she was getting the idea as Saki twisted and turned to keep and follow her. Inhaling sharply as the force energy expanded outwards down into the snow to melt it and leave the water in a ring around her. The snow and water wasn't what she wanted it was the rock and ground that was frozen beneath it while she moved into position pounding a boot onto the ground. The earth moving in response as a piece came up shaping into a ball of partially frozen dirt and she kicked it. "Earth shaping is about being solid, you generate great power from your stance over your movement and become like a rock. immovable, solid and hard." As she spoke Saki made another ball of dirt levitate with a stomp before kicking it and her skin shifted from soft to solid the tattoo's taking on a new rigid look over looking like flesh and the natural force armor was there to defend.