Getting to know you

[NightSister]

Location: Corellia, in a hangar bay

It was a funny thing, really, how beliefs could have an impact on your life. If Aria hadn't been raised by the Echani she would never have found her passion, and even if she had gotten into the combat Echani were the best teachers and their combat form was exquisite. Her adoptive parents had trained her, along with their more experienced friends, since the moment she could stand up - after all, it was the Echani way to get to know somebody. One could hardly thrive in a planet without following their culture, and it was a surprisingly effective method for learning about people/

Now, it had been two years since she'd set foot on Eshan. She'd paid a visit to Corellia to 'get to know' a fellow Echani. Aria hadn't fought the Echani way since she left the planet, and was anticipating the duel now as she waited for him. No weapons of any kind - that was not the way it was done.

[member="Cole Dagos"]

 

[Kenrath]

Corellia,

Cole had been wandering around the Galaxy picking up jobs where he could. Occasionally accompanied by his sister [member="Kaia"] though she was not with him this day. After a short reunion she had gone back to seeking her own path.

He was dressed as he always was hood over his head, cloth mask covering his face. His sword in a sheath on his back, blaster pistol on his hip. Just another lowlife arriving in another hanger bay on another planet for no concrete reason what so ever.

As he made his way through the hanger bay he spotted [member="Aria Vale"] off in a corner. He didn't recognize her and had no idea who she was or why she was there. But his curiosity got the better of him. Making his way over he spoke.

"Are there not better places to hang out on Corellia than a Hanger?" "Surely there is a Cantina nearby that would be better."

 

[NightSister]

"Perhaps, but not for a duel." Two Echani duelling in a cantina - that would be something for the Corellians to gossip about the following day. "I heard an Echani was on the planet and I hoped I could get to know them." She smiled to herself - really, after two years travelling from society to society, the Echani way of getting to know one another seemed rather odd.

"That wouldn't be you, would it?" she asked, observing his features. He looked like an Echani, but then again she certainly didn't - she wasn't, to be fair, but in this context she was as much an Echani as the man in front of her appeared to be.

[member="Cole Dagos"]

 

[Kenrath]

He look at her for a moment like what the feth.

"So you spend your time standing around random hangers on random plants waiting for Echani to show up so you can pick a fight?"

Cole pulled down his hood and mask his pure Echani heritage now visible like a light beacon in the darkest night.

"I don't know who told you Echani are like that but you were told wrong." "We don't go looking for fights with random people."

He sighed.

"Fighting is not for fun, it is not a cheap thrill." "It does however verify the true nature of a person to separate truth from the lie."

He frowned.

"What you are doing is dishonorable and offensive." "I am not sure how you found out I was coming to Corellia when even I didn't know until the last minute."

He looked around.

"If you knew anything about the Echani way of life you would know such things are not done in such a public setting." "There is a right and a wrong way to do it." "I will entertain your request but only to undue what ever it is you think you know about my people."

Cole started walking towards the exit of the hangar his new destination a more appropriate place for a duel.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

"I don't think I know anything. I was raised by Echani until I was eighteen. Fighting can be for fun, but it is also the Echani way to get to know somebody and it works. Nobody told me you would be here, the Force told me. And a hangar was where I chose to wait because it is spacious, it is free of obstacles when empty, and it won't attract unwanted attention. Lastly, picking a fight? Perhaps that is what it is in some other cultures, but for Echani it is no different from going up to someone and starting a conversation with them." Aria was not an arrogant person, nor was she easily offended - but she always felt the need to settle out false claims. There were worse weaknesses to have. She followed the man because she honestly enjoyed combat and could always use a few friends, but she couldn't help wonder how long it had been before he'd been in Eshan. The people she'd known there were so much more peaceful. Perhaps the duel could reveal something.

[member="Cole Dagos"]

 

[Kenrath]

Cole was silent until they had made there way out of the hanger and over to some speeder bikes for rent. He tossed the guy enough credits for two of them and hopped on the first one briefly looking back at her.

"Save you words.............soon we will know the truth."

He hit the throttle headed out of the city and towards the plains outside the city. It would be a quick journey since once he found an open spot only slightly out of the way he stopped and dismounted the speeder bike. He looked around for a moment taking in the area before he turned back to her.

"Yes much better." "Here your education will begin."

He paused.

"I am Cole Dagos of House Dagos born on Eshan." "A veteran of the Echani Militia attached to the Grand Army of the Galactic Republic until the Queen announced the Succession of Eshan from the Republic." "Currently in service to the Queen as auxiliary to the Queen's personal Guard."

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

"Education? That certainly isn't what I bargained for. Nice to meet you though, I suppose. I'm Aria Vale."

She paused for a minute, considering how she would introduce herself.

"I was raised in Eshan and I currently train with the Order of the Silver Jedi. If there's anything else you'd like to know about me, perhaps we can duel now and you'll find out."

[member="Cole Dagos"]

 

[Kenrath]

He smiled.

"That explains it." "Jedi always tend to warp things." "We fight not as a form of communication but as a form of expression." "So sing, some paint, we fight."

He sighed removing his outer clothing revealing Echani Fiber Armor and removing his Echani Vibrosword from it's sheath. Then he turned back to her.

"Since you are familiar at least on some level with Echani tradition I see no need to require you to fight without armor or a blade." "Unless you just really want to......then I will oblige you."

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

"Communication, expression - they're both ways to learn about a person. And you don't need to lecture me on Echani culture. Believe it or not I was raised Echani, same as you. And of course I don't want to fight with armour or weapons."

Aria was not even wearing armour and her only weapon was her lightsaber, which she took out of her belt and placed on the ground.

[member="Cole Dagos"]

 

[Kenrath]

Cole smiled.

He took the sword and placed it back into the sheath. Then he removed his armor setting them both on the speeder bike. Once he was down to the form fitting one peice jumpsuit he wore under the armor he turned back to her. He stood only a few feet from her his posture relaxed.

"Your move Miss Vale."

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

He had let her go first - that was the first thing she noted, the first way in which combat told her something about this man. She nodded her head, accepting the challenge, and moved slowly towards him - in was not uncommon, in Aria's experience, to trick people in this manner. However the gesture had been sincere, and so she moved closer and went for a rolling throw. It was a hard move to escape but something told her that whoever he was, Cole Dagos would be able to take it.

[member="Cole Dagos"]

 

[Kenrath]

Cole watched [member="Aria Vale"] move in. As she did Cole would slightly drop his center of gravity in a slight crouch his right foot sliding back just a bit. When her hand went to shoot to hook his head he took a step in his right hand balling into a fist keeping his arm bent into a 90 degree angle and swinging towards her stomach stepping into it with his right foot. His left hand moving up to grab the arm that moved to hook his head as his left foot slid back to maintain his balance.

 

[NightSister]

Aria twisted the arm [member="Cole Dagos"] had taken hold off until it was free again. As his other fist came towards her she stepped sideways into the punch and brought her right elbow around his upper arm, locking it in place. She moved to bring her free hand up to his jaw and push it upwards, keeping her posture level and jutting her elbow out in case he brought up his free arm. Her heels dug into the ground - she couldn't do much in her current position to block a leg attack and if she fell over he would have a huge advantage.