Private Hurricane Catechism

[Oola Ven]

Location: Minntooine
Weather: Heavy Rain
Attire: Oola Ven’s Bodysuit │ Waterproof Cape
Equipment: Mirage Starlight │ IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tag: Skyria Kyrtan Teckla Tane

Oola Ven took a deep breath as the Lambda-class shuttle touched down after a brief, yet turbulent trip down to the surface. As much as she tried, her attempts at calming her nerves for her upcoming interview had thus far failed. However, the fact that said interview was with an Imperial Moff made the situation of her relentless anxiety almost incorrigible. Teckla Tane—or as Oola would refer to her, Moff Tane—was a name that had immediately seized the young Squire's breath upon receiving the message informing her that an Imperial Moff had called her to Minntooine for an interview. And yet, the first thought which had crossed her mind was why. What could she, a newly-promoted Squire of the Imperial Crusaders, possibly have to offer to one of the most powerful Moffs in the Empire. Surely, there were others who were stronger, more experienced, and more capable than her. One such being was Captain Zoltidas , who had overseen her training from the moment she was brought into the Crusaders. Would he be invited to see the Moff? Or perhaps one of her peers?

Nevertheless, such thoughts were quickly set into the back of her mind as Oola set to preparing for the interview. She took care of her research on the Moff first and in doing so, the Twi’lek studied what she could of her background and homeworld. In the process, Oola had learned that Pakuuni was a world with notably backwards, patriarchal social systems, a fact which made Moff Tane’s rise to power that much more impressive.

Moreover, it was a testament to the strength of the woman who she would soon meet. It was a strength that Oola did not see reflected in herself.

And so, Oola blinked five times in quick succession as the ramp slowly descended to reveal the landing area. All the while, heavy, torrential rain pitter-pattered against the hull of the shuttle, compelling the Twi’lek to draw her waterproof cape up and over her lekku before stepping out into the elements and making her way towards the entrance to the base.

Above all else, Oola hoped that she might soon learn what had compelled one of the Empire’s most powerful figures to take such a direct interest in a Squire such as her.

 

[Skyria Kyrtan]

Objective: Meet with Crusader Squire
Location: Minntooine
Outfit: Dark Dress Uniform covered by a rain poncho
Equipment: IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tags: Oola Ven

Skyria wasn’t entirely sure why the Crusader squire was invited to Moff Tane’s office on Minntooine. As tensions with Sith and the Empire have risen Teckla Tane has come to the realization the Empire would need more than clones to combat their rivals. The Moff’s disdain for the gray areas that the Inquisitors work in led for an increased interest in the Imperial Crusaders.

Sky had spent weeks gathering every document that pertained in any way to the Crusaders. The Moff spent another week going over them and most likely adding her own search to what was provided. How that research resulted in calling a low ranking Crusader into instead of someone closer to the Moff’s level. But, Moff Tane was one of few people that Skyria didn’t question. If this squire was who the Moff wanted there must have been a reason.

On her way to meet the visitor some of Skyria’s questions were answered. The squire was not to be brought right away in front of the Moff. Instead Skyria was to greet the squire, show her around and get a brief idea of what the Crusaders did for combat training. Skyria took that request to mean that she would challenge the visitor to a spar and then ask what lessons were used to teach the fighting method.

As Skyria stepped out of the building and onto the landing pad she grumbled under her breath at the continued dreary weather on this planet. She had done a good deal of amphibious training so it wasn’t the fact that so much of the planet was water, but that it never seemed to stop raining. But maybe that was just Skyria’s luck.

The young Sergeant watched the figure descend the shuttle’s ramp. A sigh came from Skyria’s lips as she started to slush through the rain soaked landing pad to make her greeting. ”Squire Ven I assume?” she questioned wiping streaks of rain from her forehead wishing that the dress cap she wore was better protection. But at least the top of her head would be dry. Her blonde braid would take quite a wringing out however. ”I am Sergeant Skyria Kyrtan. The Moff has asked me to show you around.” She waved towards the opening she had just come from, hoping to end her stay in the elements as soon as possible.

 

[Oola Ven]

Location: Minntooine
Weather: Heavy Rain
Attire: Oola Ven’s Bodysuit │ Waterproof Cape
Equipment: Mirage Starlight │ IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tag: Skyria Kyrtan Teckla Tane

Oola moved quickly, not wanting to linger in the rain even with the protection afforded by her cape and bodysuit. However, in spite of the haze of the gray clouds, the Twi’lek saw a little of Minntooine’s beauty on offer, which she hoped might become more clear once the rain had settled later on. For now however, the Squire focused her attention on the uniformed figure ahead, her pale, blue-eyed features becoming more clear as she got closer. She initially thought that the woman was Moff Teckla herself, but the blonde braid she had in her hair quickly dispelled that notion. After all, it went without saying that Oola had gone through the effort to make sure that she knew what the Moff looked like before arriving for the interview.

“Yes, I am Squire Ven.” Oola answered, giving a quick salute as she did. As the woman introduced herself in turn—Sergeant Skyria Kyrtan—Oola studied her features, taking in the scar struck across her left cheek and her blonde pigtails. The woman towered over Oola, though that was not unexpected. Even so, the Squire could tell that she was not tall in the conventional sense. Especially compared to one such as Captain Zoltidas.

Nevertheless, she carried the disciplined, fit physique of a soldier, lending credence to her rank.

“Sergeant Kyrtan.” Oola repeated. “It’s lovely to make your acquaintance.” The Twi’lek continued. “Do you mind if I address you as Sergeant? Or do you prefer a more informal title?” She added, before proceeding into the building at the Sergeant’s direction.

Suddenly, the rain ceased to affect her as Oola found herself embraced by the warmth of a climate-controlled interior. She quickly pulled down her cape to reveal a pair of plump, blue-hued lekku, the tips of which were slightly wet from the rain. After drying them off with her cape, Oola took off the garment and offered it to a droid which had arrived to attend to her, before nodding towards the Sergeant to indicate that she was ready to proceed.

 

[Skyria Kyrtan]

Objective: Meet with Crusader Squire
Location: Minntooine
Outfit: Dark Dress Uniform covered by a rain poncho
Equipment: IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tags: Oola Ven

Skyria was grateful that the squire did not dilly dally in the rain. While Oola wondered about the beauties that the current rain might hide, Skyria knew that the rains were constant enough that it would take braving the downpours in order to experience said beauty. Beyond that there was also the fact that Skyria was Moff Tane’s right hand in seeing that troop training was commencing as planned and what amounted to Teckla’s personal secretary. There was very little time for any pleasures.

The squire’s salute made Skyria smirk and chuckle a bit, though she did a good job of stifling it and the laugh was probably not heard above the sounds of raindrops hitting the landing pad. Skyria did return the salute. Though Sky was higher in her organization than Oola, the documents that the Sergeant had acquired made it clear that the Crusaders were to be viewed with respect by the Army. Even the squires.

As Oola gave a pleasant greeting and asked if Skyria could be referred to as “Sergeant” or something less formal, Sky gave her a smile. Things had been difficult getting back to a military state of mind for Skyria after a few years spent in the Atrisian Commonwealth. She had insisted that anyone under General Tane’s command address her formally. And she almost never spent time with a peer who was not in General Tane’s command. ”I echo your pleasure in a new acquaintance. I’m unsure of the level of formality you are used to. I’d much prefer being less formal if that is within your own guidelines. You can call me Skyria or Sky. If I can call you Oola.”

Once inside the building Skyria also removed her rain poncho, folding it up and placing it on the deck officer’s desk to be stored for her next use. Afterwards, Skyria turned her attention to Oola and smiled at the blue-skinned Twi’lek. The reason why Skyria was sent to be the welcoming party was a bit more evident, though the squire’s name should have been the first hint. Moff Tane was getting better at dealing with “aliens”, but Pakuuni culture was quite xenophobic and that was something that even took a rebellious Skyria a bit to conquer. ”Since it seems that the Empire will need to answer challenges from the Sith as well as continue our current dominating expansion, the Moff has taken an interest in the Crusaders and what they do. As a recent trainee I assume she would like a first hand account of training practices. Also, she has asked me to spar with you after showing you around the base.”

Skyria smiled and again made a motion with her hand for Oola to follow. ”Just a friendly match. I have extensive hand to hand training, and I’ve been working on my melee combat as well. More than likely she means to test your training and mine in concert. I hope that does not bother you.”

 

[Oola Ven]

Location: Minntooine
Weather: Heavy Rain
Attire: Oola Ven’s Bodysuit │ Waterproof Cape
Equipment: Mirage Starlight │ IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tag: Skyria Kyrtan Teckla Tane

”I echo your pleasure in a new acquaintance. I’m unsure of the level of formality you are used to. I’d much prefer being less formal if that is within your own guidelines. You can call me Skyria or Sky. If I can call you Oola.”

“You may call me Oola.” Oola answered with an easy smile.

Then, at the mention of a spar, the Twi’lek felt her body relax. For Oola, a friendly match was somewhat easier than an interview. While she wasn’t the best hand-to-hand fighter (and was extremely undersized as well), she had a working proficiency with martial arts, enough to hold her own, for a time. However, as Skyria removed her poncho, revealing a fit, muscular form that seemed to be honed like a sword, the Oola felt her heart begin to race. The woman’s taller, toned stature would prove a significant advantage. Nevertheless, the Squire straightened her posture and offered a playful, if slightly competitive smile. She had beaten taller opponents before. And even if she ended up losing, at the very least Oola hoped to make a good showing for herself.

Doubtlessly, the Moff would be watching.

“It does not bother me. I think I would enjoy it, actually.” Oola answered, in response to Skyria’s mention of the spar. “And…how extensive was your training? If you do not mind the inquiry.” She added, cocking her head to the side as she did.

All the while, Oola followed after Skyria, silently observing how the taller woman seemed to move with the grace of a nexu, which was apparent even while walking. In that regard, the Twi’lek immediately recognized that the woman was a fighter, and likely a very experienced one, to boot.

Oola swallowed. This was going to be harder than she thought.

 

[Skyria Kyrtan]

Objective: Meet with Crusader Squire
Location: Minntooine
Outfit: Dark Dress Uniform covered by a rain poncho
Equipment: IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tags: Oola Ven

The diminutive squire agreed to being called Oola. That was a relief to Skyria. Discipline and formality had been drummed into her far too often by Moff Tane. There was a fear that the Crusaders would be the same and its squires being the most in need of sticking to a strict formal line. Though the young blonde knew that the task of “testing” the squire was a serious thing, she also didn’t have a chance to interact with many beings her own age. Especially with the increasing dependence upon clones. The troops that Teckla had “ordered” from the Emperor were female (using Jango Fett’s granddaughter’s genetic template), but they were programmed to be perfect soldiers. Skyria would make no friends there. ”Great. The base isn’t much to be honest. But I’ll show you around.”

Skyria smirked as she saw Oola sizing her up after the mention of a spar. Many times in her fight career on Atrisia, Skyria had found herself in the position of Oola, looking over at a taller, bigger opponent and wondering how she was going to overcome that disadvantage. There were times when Skyria was about on equal footing as her opponent, but never had she had an advantage as she did on Oola. But she also knew that Oola had talents that she did not. So the idea that Skyria could be overconfident never occurred to the young Sergeant.

Skyria gave a bit of a giggle as Oola confirmed that she was not bothered by the competition. ”I could see it in your eyes Oola. You like competition just like me huh? Just have to remember at the end of the day we’re on the same team and we’re just testing each other. Maybe after the fight we can go to the galley for a meal or a drink…”

When her training was questioned Skyria blushed just a bit. She had been in the military academy, but her gender most times only allowed her into the basic classes. She gave a playful smile however before answering. ”I’ve studied a bunch of martial arts. Never anything to an expert level. I fought professionally in the Atrisian Commonwealth. They don’t discount the value of a woman fighter and they have some interesting rules. I had a trainer there who mixed up everything that I knew. Managed to keep my opponents off guard a lot.”

Skyria pointed out the galley, onsite cantina and barracks before they came to the center of the base. She pointed to a door and explained that it was Moff Tane’s office and then led the way into an adjacent doorway. Inside was a small but top rate training room. ”I assume what you’re wearing will work well for our exercise. I’m gonna need to change. Have a look around. We don’t keep the fancy Force weapons on hand. But anything else for training is probably here. I’ll fight with anything. Or bare hands…I’ll be right back…”

Skyria departed the training room through a different door than they had come in through. She was gone for a short time before returning in an outfit more conducive to the competition. She smiled at the squire and tossed aside the blue “jacket” that hung loosely from her shoulders and cracked her knuckles. ”So, did you pick your weapon?” she asked with a giggle bouncing around a bit in a warm up exercise. ”Or just want to start with the basics?”

 

[Oola Ven]

Location: Minntooine
Weather: Heavy Rain
Attire: Oola Ven’s Bodysuit │ Waterproof Cape
Equipment: Mirage Starlight │ IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tag: Skyria Kyrtan

A professional fighter?! Oola did her best to remain straight-faced as the woman gave her background in a manner that was frustratingly self-effacing. However, a brief twitch of one of the Twi’lek’s microbladed eyebrows (if Skyria was perceptive enough to catch it) eventually betrayed her surprise. She had more expected the woman to be something within the realm of an amateur boxer or martial artist. But a professional? That history alone carried implications which all eventually led to one conclusion.

This was going to be the spar of Oola’s life.

“So you say you never fought at an expert level, but…” Oola paused, her features forming a slight smirk as she did. “You also turned pro in the Atrisian Commonwealth.” She added, the playful, yet complimentary irony apparent in her tone.

“Although in retrospect, I guess what you said makes sense. You never fought at an expert level because you were so good that you skipped that level entirely!” Oola finished with a playful giggle, her eyes drawing in on Skyria’s blue-eyed gaze as the woman spoke.

From there, Skyria showed Oola the galley, cantina, and barracks, before leading her to Moff Tane’s office, causing the Twi’lek’s manner to shift back towards more formality, expecting the Moff to walk out at any moment. Fortunately, she didn’t, but Oola sensed that she was still being watched and silently reminded herself to conduct herself accordingly. Thus, while Skyria got ready, the Twi’lek unholstered her blaster pistol and placed it within the nearby secure armory, before taking out her lightsaber and turning down the power dial until it was locked to training mode.

Unfortunately, Oola’s previous thoughts of restraint and discipline were briefly lost when Skyria emerged from the changing room clad in an outfit that could only be described as captivating.

”So, did you pick your weapon?” she asked with a giggle bouncing around a bit in a warm up exercise. ”Or just want to start with the basics?”

“I…” Oola coughed, her eyes widening as her gaze briefly shifted down towards the woman’s eye-wateringly toned abs. All the while, Oola had started working on her stretches, making her flexibility quite evident in the process. However, the fact that the Twi’lek had been caught distracted was even more apparent.

“I guess we could start with the basics!” Oola answered, quickly nodding her head as she did.

Maybe getting beaten up by Skyria wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

 

[Skyria Kyrtan]

Objective: Meet with Crusader Squire
Location: Minntooine
Outfit: Workout Outfit
Equipment: IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tags: Oola Ven

The nonchalant description of her fighting career came with a reason. Skyria was not exactly the type that was brought in to make sure that an opponent put her on her back for an easy victory, however her career was not good enough to turn down Teckla Tane when she came with an offer for Skyria to return home and earn a name for herself in the military. The fact that Oola seemed to be listening intently was amusing to Skyria, but she didn’t let it show. The young fighter turned soldier was not good enough at reading people yet, so the slight bit of surprise that Oola showed was missed.

Skyria was quite glad when Oola’s response was in a playful tone. Though she expected to have to fight a little bit, she did very much hope that Oola could end up being a friend not a rival. ”As a pro it’s not like I was a champion or anything close to it,” Skyria responded with her own smirk. ”What I meant is that my fighting style is well unorthodox. I don’t have a favorite school of fighting, I know a little bit of a lot. Not sure there is anything in my repertoire that will wow anyone. And I was never going to be the best, so don’t let the fact that I got paid to fight be too intimidating,” with this Skyria gave a playful wink.

Skyria was shocked that Oola stammered just a bit when asked about a choice of weapons. Was the young Twi’lek checking her out? Or just judging Skyria’s physique? Skyria smiled broadly as she would be happy with either. She knew that she was in tip-top shape. Though the fact that Oola was doing some looking made Skyria look too. Oola had been covered in a rain poncho and walking to the side or behind for most of her visit, so Skyria had yet to take a good look at her competition.

Oola was…well she was Twi’lek, so of course she was gorgeous. The bodysuit she wore was tight showing off that Oola was both fit and had curves. It also showed just enough skin that make Skyria a bit nervous she could possibly become distracted. When Oola finally stated that they should start with the basics Skyria smiled and gave a nod. ”Well then, let’s see who ends up with their back on the mat,” she gave a playful challenge finding her way to the middle of the training mat, cracking her knuckles and gesturing for Oola to come meet her and adding a wink.

 

[Oola Ven]

Location: Minntooine
Weather: Heavy Rain
Attire: Oola Ven’s Bodysuit │ Waterproof Cape
Equipment: Mirage Starlight │ IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tag: Skyria Kyrtan

Working through her warm up stretches, Oola fell silent as she finally found her focus. After pushing her body into a full front split, she then performed a side split, followed by a standing split for even more stretching. She tried her best to control her breathing in the process, but that focus was briefly disrupted when Skyria spoke once more, suggesting in no uncertain terms that one of them would inevitably end up with their back on the mat.

”Well then, let’s see who ends up with their back on the mat,” she gave a playful challenge finding her way to the middle of the training mat, cracking her knuckles and gesturing for Oola to come meet her and adding a wink.

On cue, Oola felt the color rush back into her cheeks—a matter which wasn’t helped by the wink that came after! Oola covered her mouth in turn, holding back the urge to snicker before quickly returning to a standing position, her stretch complete.

From there, Oola offered Skyria a brief smile as she placed her lightsaber in the secure armory before taking off her boots, belt, gravity system, neck piece, cloaking device, and the devices integrated into her gloves—thus removing all hard objects from her person. Then, after patting herself down one more time, Oola stepped back onto the mat, taking in the blonde’s stance and disposition as she did.

“Yes, one of us will end up like that...” Oola began as she took her own stance, one which Skyria might immediately recognize as being from Teräs Käsi. “Or maybe both of us!” The Twi’lek said, her voice carrying a playful edge as she suddenly struck out to attack with a graceful, weaving jab delivered with an open hand. The blow was not only intended to catch the blonde off-guard (by unashamedly flirting with her as it was delivered), but also to test her defenses with minimal commitment.

 

[Skyria Kyrtan]

Objective: Meet with Crusader Squire
Location: Minntooine
Outfit: Workout Outfit
Equipment: IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tags: Oola Ven

Skyria watched Oola’s stretching, impressed by the Twi’lek’s flexibility. She had heard stories of Twi’lek that made it less than a surprise, but still it was hard not to watch with interest. Though she wasn’t good at reading emotions just yet, she did know when a fighter was having trouble focusing. It was good for her that in the Atrisian fighting competitions flirtations at the opening of bouts were a common occurrence and even though she’d never faced an opponent as striking as Oola, Skyria was able to keep herself centered pretty well. The fact that her flirtations seemed to be hitting home made Skyria happy on two fronts, this would be quite an interesting bout.

As the former pro fighter waited for Oola to step forward she tilted her head to the side a bit as she watched all the equipment that Twi’lek squire took off, placing it in the secure armory. It came as a relief for Skyria to see that Oola didn’t rely completely on her Force powers to keep herself safe out in the field. Sky was already starting to like the girl and Moff Tane would be incensed if her Crusaders acted like Jedi. Her stance as Oola approached would not give much away, mostly because she was hoping that Oola would make the first strike and Sky could use her broad knowledge to be shifty and unpredictable.

Oola acknowledged that the outcome of the bout would likely have one of them laid out flat and then took up a Teräs Käsi stance. Sky smirked and gave a nod, her hands up to protect herself, but basically maintaining a stiff straight stance of her own. ”Oooh,” Skyria hummed at the Twi’lek’s suggested outcome. ”That would be quite in…” she was going to say interesting but then had to react quickly to Oola’s strike her statement instead ending in a drawn out and unintelligent curse as she raised her arms in defense of one of the Teräs Käsi moves that she was familiar with herself. Blocking the strikes with her forearms she took a step back with each jab to form a plan. ”Impressive, I thought based on your blush that I had you on the ropes. You’re quite impressive Oola,” Skyria grunted as she defended herself before finding an opening and striking out at Oola’s right leg with a sweep of her back leg.

 

[Oola Ven]

Location: Minntooine
Weather: Heavy Rain
Attire: Oola Ven’s Bodysuit │ Waterproof Cape
Equipment: Mirage Starlight │ IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tag: Skyria Kyrtan

Her initial attack was a quick jab, drawn back just as quickly as it had been thrown, allowing Oola to fall back into her stance just as Skyria struck out in retaliation. In turn, as the blonde’s low, sweeping kick came for her legs, the Twi’lek exploded off of her back foot in a short, yet powerful leaping veermok, allowing her to evade the low kick while also propelling her form towards the inside of Skyria’s guard.

Then, as soon as she was back on both feet, Oola would truly initiate her assault, unleashing a flurry of open-palmed slashes and strikes aimed for various nerve points.

“I aim...” A breath, and with it, a slash so swift that air itself seemed to whine in answer. “To impress!” The Twi’lek finished before throwing another strike, a playful, yet fierce grin coming over her blue-hued features in the process.

“Suprised to learn I'm more than just a pillow princess, hmm?” Oola purred in a singsong tone, licking her lips in all too salacious fashion as she did.

 

[Skyria Kyrtan]

Objective: Meet with Crusader Squire
Location: Minntooine
Outfit: Workout Outfit
Equipment: IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tags: Oola Ven

Skyria was not surprised in the least by Oola’s ability to dodge the initial leg sweep that was extended to continue the feel out process. Sky was a bit impressed with the quickness that Oola was able to counter into an offensive maneuver. Teräs Käsi had always been a weak point in Skyria’s repertoire, she had studied it long and hard but for some reason use of the form and counters just didn’t come easy. She found the Twi’lek quickly within her defenses, meaning that she would have to move in order to escape as much damage as possible and retreat at the first possible opening.

While the young blonde could not avoid all the contact, she was able to move enough so that her particularly vulnerable spots, that would render parts of her body useless for some time, were missed. But the fact that Oola had several strikes hit flesh sent sensations of pain through Skyria’s body in several spots. As Oola began to respond to Skyria’s words the blonde combatant managed to spin around the strike and created a bit of space between them. Sky danced in place, but her breaths betrayed the fact that she was in no condition to make any of her own strikes just yet.

With her hands raised Skyria continued to bounce in “readiness’ as she returned Oola’s grin. It had been a long time since she had faced a one-on-one challenge like this. And the flirtations only seemed to add to the excitement, which was a bit surprising to Sky. When Oola licked her lips so invitingly, Skyria almost lost all sense of where she was for a moment. It wasn’t enough of an opening for Oola to strike, but the young Twi’lek would be able to tell the flirting was getting to Skyria. ”If you were just a pillow princess there is no way that Moff Tane would have brought you here,” Sky responded having more or less steadied her breathing. ”It would be a lie to say I’m not thinking of what it would be like to have you as the princess of my pillow at the moment though…” Skyria shifted to a Tae-Jitsu stance and then Skyria lunged at Oola’s left knee intent on grabbing hold of her opponent’s leg and driving her backwards onto the mat. Though Skyria had the reach advantage on Oola, she needed to recover from the initial strikes that were landed. The ground was a better place for that. At least that was the blonde fighter’s line of thinking.

 

[Oola Ven]

Location: Minntooine
Weather: Heavy Rain
Attire: Oola Ven’s Bodysuit │ Waterproof Cape
Equipment: Mirage Starlight │ IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tag: Skyria Kyrtan

It was all Oola could do to keep herself in check. Once more, her azure-hued features flushed crimson, lips parting in surprise as Skyria returned her coquettish advances with some of her own. All the while, the blonde was quick on her feet, shifting her body to mitigate the effects of Oola’s strikes as the Twi’lek unleashed her offensive. Several of her strikes still struck flesh, but others were blocked or dodged outright, with her last attack being evaded via a quick and graceful spin that opened new distance between the two combatants.

Then, as Skyria fell back into her bouncing stance, Oola dropped back into the Teräs Käsi opening posture. However, when she finished speaking, the blonde suddenly shifted into the squarish Tae-Jitsu stance, causing Oola to bat her lashes a few times in surprise as she tried to process the implications of the sudden change. Unlike Skyria, she was no professional martial artist, capable of switching from one style to another on the fly. Thus, the move created a brief opportunity, allowing her opponent to lunge forward and drive Oola’s back into the mat with a hard oomf!

And suddenly, with both fighters on the ground, Skyria’s advantages in size would likely give her the edge.

Nevertheless, Oola was not one to go quietly. She cried out, shifting her body to wrap and tighten her legs around Skyria’s torso. If she could do that, maybe she could better control her opponent and ideally, get back onto her feet!

 

[Teckla Tane]

Location: Moff’s Office, Minntooine
Outfit: Work Out Gear
Equipment: See Bio
Entourage: N/A
Tags: Skyria Kyrtan | Oola Ven
Dialogue Key: ”Galactic Basic” | <<Telepathic Communication>>

For the entirety of the spar between her trusted aide and recently enlisted Crusader squire, Moff Teckla Tane - newly appointed Grandmaster of the Imperial Crusaders, had been seated at her desk. Her office was adjacent to the training room and the mirror on the wall of said training room was actually a portal for her to monitor the action in the other room. Upon news that Oola had arrived in the system, Teckla had been shielding her presence in the Force. She was fairly sure that Oola knew this was a test, but she didn’t want her presence to be overbearing for the entire visit.

The beginning of the sparring session produced a few surprises. Teckla could tell that her aide was genuinely interested in the squire. Not knowing the squire very well, and not wanting to intrude on the Twi’lek’s consciousness, Tane did not know if the feelings were mutual. In the end it wouldn’t matter much. If the feelings were mutual she would not stand in the way of things, quite the opposite actually. And if Oola’s flirtations were mere gamesmanship Skyria would need to deal with disappointment. It would make the young woman stronger or render her unreliable. The latter was better to find out now than if the time came that Teckla declared Skyria her chosen successor as territory administrator.

To her disappointment the spar itself went precisely as the Moff thought it would. The two were treating this as a true bout. As if there were a winner and a loser. The truth of the matter was that Teckla intended that both would come out victors. The point of this meeting was to see what Oola, and by extension other Crusader squires, was capable of within the realm of the Force. For Skyria it was a test to see how she would handle one-on-one combat with a being using not just the strength of the muscles of their body, or arsenal of weapons, but also the mystical powers of the Force. Teckla knew that giving their all from the beginning was a bit more than she could hope for. So she let the feel out process go for a few moments and then she decided to give nudges forward to see what she really wanted to see.

<<Ms. Kyrtan, please stop playing with your prey,>> Teckla spoke telepathically to her aide in a playful tone. <<This is a test not a sanctioned martial arts bout. I can tell you like her. Go all out. Give her a real test and I will be sure that you have more time with her.>>

She wasn’t quite as sure how a message would be received by the young Twi’lek squire so it was much more businesslike and direct. <<Use everything you have. This is not meant to be a fair fight. You have skills she does not…>>

 

[Skyria Kyrtan]

Objective: Meet with Crusader Squire
Location: Minntooine
Outfit: Workout Outfit
Equipment: IG-14 Blaster Pistol
Tags: Oola Ven

In a rare moment of social awareness Skyria managed to note the color that formed on Oola’s face. Blushing was one thing that Skyria knew, and whether it meant that she was merely making the Twi’lek uncomfortable by having a retort for each flirt, or if it meant that the flirtations were hitting home was not something that Skyria would worry about until after the bout. For the moment, she would know that continued flirtations would be distracting to both parties. Something that Skyria would keep in mind.

While on the defensive Skyria couldn’t determine much more about Oola’s motivations. Sky was too busy minimizing damage from quite accomplished strikes before she was finally able to spin away and create distance. At that distance she did manage another insight. Her switching of stance seemed to create a bit of pause if not confusion. The result of which was Shyria’s attempt to transition the bout to the mat was successful.

The grunt that Oola made when they hit the mat filled Skyria with satisfaction. Now her mind started quickly moving to what her next move was. The manner of the takedown made Oola’s attempt to wrap her legs around Skyria’s torso impossible to stop. But if she moved fast enough Skyria could make sure that she was in a position that would allow her to attain a position that would allow her to use her size to her advantage. With her torso locked in Oola’s grip it would be something she would have to constantly fight to maintain, but that was something Sky had done many times before in fights.

As Skyria attempted to quickly shift her weight to attain the top position of the grapple, the message from Moff Tane sounded in her head. She of course knew that Teckla wished to learn what sort of combatants the Crusaders trained the squires to be. But every fight had a feeling out period. Even on the battlefield it was wise to see what your opponent had before unleashing everything you yourself could. ”I am going all out!” Skyria muttered indignantly as she struggled to get into the best possible position while Oola’s legs clamped around her midsection. Ultimately Skyria decided to try to make Oola exert herself by blocking forearm strikes towards her face. Skyria secretly hoped not to do any damage, but if she did hold back she knew that there would be consequences. As Skyria released quick strikes with her arms, she looked for an opening to lock up Oola’s arms, or maybe even to get a chokehold applied.