Private Journeyman to Flame

[Syd Celsius]

Wearing: 90 Suit

Armed With: Flames Claws (Twin Orange Bladed Curved Hilt Lightsabers

Objective: Train Starlin Rand in Jar'Kai, Juyo, Slow, and Magic Spells

Current Location: Kashyyyk (Crystal Cave)


She had labored for so long.

Her experience on Zeffo had given fruit. Not only did she acquire an apprentice, she had at last uncovered the means to remain flesh permanently through study of the Zeffo Constructs and Their Force Cores.

As she was already so highly skilled at magic, it had been a relatively simple matter to prepare the proper rituals.

But not before she had shed her old appearance.

The farther she went, the more she wanted to distinguish herself from her old identity. In the end, Syd had chosen to completely abandon Phyre's face, resculpting her magic flesh in flames, so she could enter a new, fully organic life with as much of a clean slate, a clean break, as she could purchase.

The new form was considerably different. She was noticeably more elderly, and didn't look anything like her prior appearance. Her body was still highly muscular, but far thinner than Phyre's curvy, yet athletic physique. She had been training Starlin using this appearance for about a week, so he would not be caught off guard by her new face.

The real benefit was that this appearance gave her a matronly guise. Laertia Io trusted older figures who recognize her skill.

Syd floated in a meditative position just outside the crystal cave on Kashyyyk, surrounded by forest and stone markers left by ancient Jedi. She was clad in her skintight gold and navy blue, chromium catsuit, her elderly face partly framed by her suit material, yet letting long, dark brown hair escape and flow in the wind as she waited for Starlin to arrive.

By Syd's estimate, she had felt Starlin had advanced enough for slightly more elaborate lessons. She really had been going slow with him since Zeffo, and as they were not currently under the shadow of death and thus there was no need to rush things. But she felt certain Starlin was ready.

She had left a note to meet her at this location. She had certainly prepared a test to challenge him. She hoped he was up to it...

 

[Starlin Rand]

Wearing his padawan robes and carrying his lightsaber, Starlin traipsed through the wilderness of Kashyyyk, following his master’s call.

He had been training here for weeks, though progress had been much slower than the crash course he had received on Zeffo. Some things he still struggled with—his telekinesis was improving, but his telepathy was lackluster and his attempts at magic were just plain bad. He had a feeling Syd would spend this particular meeting ironing out the kinks in that area.

Making his way through the forest undergrowth, he spotted Syd hovering in midair just outside the entrance of the crystal cave. She had gotten a makeover. It took some getting used to (and he’d be lying if he claimed not to miss her old flamin’ hot redhead getup) but by now he no longer found himself startled by the older, wiser, more mature appearance of her new organic body.

Her behavior was slightly altered as well. Starlin wasn’t sure if he could call it happiness, per se, but she did seem calmer and more certain of herself. Conversations between them were becoming less awkward. She was getting used to her human body, and the innate humanity that went with it.

He closed the distance between them, walking up to where she floated. “Meditating, huh? Sure picked a nice place to do it.” He gestured to the serene woods around them. “So, what are we gonna do today?”

Syd Celsius

 

[Syd Celsius]

Syd smiled as she sensed Starlin's presence, asking what they would be doing today.

Her feet lowered to the ground as she left her meditative position.

"It gladdens me to see you Starlin. I'm glad you asked. We are going to advance your training." Syd answered, smiling. "I promised I would touch up on the subject of you learning Juyo. That's part of today's lesson. The Cave behind me contains an ancient chamber that was used by Pre Clone War Era Jedi to contruct their lightsabers and spar in. We are going to go in there and have you construct another...but after you fight me with what you already know of Form 007, and have actively improved your skill and control. I also intend to show you a few other abilities in the Force, but for now, Lightsaber training is the focus."

One of Syd's newly constructed Curved Hilt Lightsabers floated to her hand, a slender, pale orange blade snaking out.

"To touch up on what I spoke of before on Zeffo, there is a reason apprentices are not typically taught Juyo. It requires intense emotional control. Constant offense is its chief principal, combined with an unpredictable attack pattern. The most strenuous physical power and athleticism is required to master it fully. Many lack that discipline, and some accuse it of being a purely Sith Style, due to its pure aggression. It lacks defensive options, and it leaves one highly vulnerable to Force attack. Don't use it on Inquisitors. Most masters would forbid you from learning further. I am of the opinion that you should know all of it, because not fully understanding your new ability is even more dangerous than you knowing everything there is to know." she explained, holding her blade aloft over her head.

"Attack me. Do not hesitate. Look for every weakness of my own offense. But you must maintain strict control. If you start to slip, I will pause the training and give you a few moments to collect yourself."

The muscles on Syd's body wriggled as she sprang forward at twice the speed of a normal athlete, training blade aimed for his chest.

"Focus your emotions into the attack, but do not be overwhelmed. Let the Force help you guide them properly." she said to Starlin Rand as she attacked him, capable of the same startling physical prowess in this form as her old.

 

[Starlin Rand]

Building another lightsaber? Starlin’s eyebrows rose. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with the one he made on Zeffo—everything about it functioned properly—but probably Syd thought it needed something extra. Higher quality components, maybe, and an extra crystal with special properties?

As her lightsaber flew into her hand, Starlin reached for his, igniting the blue blade. They were doing Juyo again despite Syd’s reservations. He remembered her fearful reaction when he first tried the infamous martial form. “Welp, we aren’t standing in the middle of a Dark Side Nexus now, so hopefully I won’t slip into the Dark without noticing this time,” he said.

He centered himself, then launched into a series of ferocious attacks. Outside of the Dark Side’s direct influence, his Juyo was brutal but far from vicious or mean-spirited.

Dueling had yet to lose its thrill for him—perhaps it never would. Even practice brought him some level of excitement. With the Force, he could channel his eagerness into a laser focus, concentrating on his opponent. Sometimes he became so intense that he started to forget it was only a training exercise, but he would always blink back the encroaching veil and remember it was just Syd and him practicing in the woods.

Syd Celsius

 

[Syd Celsius]

Syd patiently observed Starlin Rand , attacking at the same time he did, their blades swatting eachother in mid attack. He started to slip, and at least 007 times Syd had been on the verge of pausing the training, but Starlin would always pull himself from the brink.

He was controlling himself. He was actually doing it! The more she taught Starlin, the more able she was able to quell the memories of Darth Phyre. The more able she was to seperate her current life from her old one. The more she was able to seperate, the better she was able to draw on the Light Side of The Force.

That might not have been possible, had she never met him.

Syd decided to up the difficulty. Mid slash she leapt back and spoke a spell.

"Ashla, grant me the strength of the Rancor.

Her muscles shifted and melted disgustingly until they were the purportions of a female body builder, her strength five times above its normal limit. Fighting an athlete was one thing, and Starlin proved he could do that well...how did he do against someone many times stronger than he was?

"There is a technique in Juyo called Assured Strike." Syd spoke "It sacrifices much of the power of your strike for the near certainty of landing a hit. Lets see if you block it."

Syd sprang forward, and tried to execute the move in the form of a technically weak stab for his torso.

Keep in mind however that weak is in relative terms when you have superhuman strength.

 

[Starlin Rand]

By now Starlin was familiar with the concept of the Ashla. He could accept that it was simply another older name for the Light Side, and he understood why others continued to use it out of a desire to stay connected to the past and the older traditions of the Jedi, but the primitiveness of personifying the Light into a “goddess” figure that could be called upon by name didn’t appeal to him personally.

Still, he had to admit that it certainly worked for Syd. Blue eyes widening as his master suddenly developed, well, the strength of a rancor, Starlin instinctively took a step backwards. He had developed some muscle as his training progressed, but he was still very conscious of his smaller size.

Syd didn’t ask him to perform the same spell—instead, she instructed him to block her Assured Strike. He stepped up to the plate and assumed position, his blade held at the ready…

When the blow came, he made a solid attempt at deflection, but it wasn’t enough. He was no match for the brute strength behind it. Syd’s blade glanced off his and he only managed to avoid getting impaled (or prodded—was her saber still on a low setting to avoid any such accidents?) by rolling his body out of the way. The blade still singed his shoulder, provoking a yelp from him as he hopped away. And he had been doing so well.

“Damn it!” he swore. "Feth, chit, son of a schutta!"

It was a stupid thing to get mad about, he knew. Clamping a hand over the stinging welt, he stopped jumping around like he was stepping on hot coals and breathed deeply, calming himself. It was going to hurt either way, but if he didn’t stay calm, chances were high he’d screw up worse the next time and enter into a world of pain.

Syd Celsius

 

[Syd Celsius]

"Annnnd that's why its called The Assured Strike..." Syd joked as Starlin jumped back. Good thing she had it on training setting...he'd be missing a whole lot more than an arm if this had been the real thing. But she could afford to pace him now. Plus, he would know what to look for in a real duel now. Failure was bringing him knowledge.

She shut off her blades, waiting for him to stop cursing and prepare himself.

"Look on the bright side, Starlin: when you teach your student someday, you'll be able to derive the same amusement from hearing all the expletives leave his mouth when you use Assured Strike that first time. Let's try that again. Remember, do not hesitate, even in training, of taking full advantage of a Style's weakness. Juyo's is Force Powers. Remember when we first dueled on Zeffo and I used the Force to 'slow' you? If you are faced with a physically superior opponent...to be blunt...cheat..."

She tossed one of her lightsabers up in the air, and slowed it to demonstrate. The lightsaber seemed to be surrounded by heat waves as it slowed but did not stop until the effect ceased and it fell into her hand.

"You try it." she said, tossing it at Starlin Rand .

 

[Starlin Rand]

Cheat.

...Cheat?

That was probably the last thing Starlin thought he would ever hear coming out of a Jedi Master’s mouth, but his antennapalps never lied. Syd had just told him to cheat in a fight. Granted, it was clearly only meant to be a last resort, but still. Jedi honor and all that.

Despite his surprise, he had calmed down enough that he was able to ‘slow’ the saber almost as soon as Syd tossed it. Where she saw something resembling heat waves, Starlin’s perception of the world abruptly turned into a quick time event. The leaves on the trees around him stopped rustling, and he could no longer feel the wind ruffling his hair. The lightsaber was still spinning toward him, but veeeery sloooooowly…

With one empty hand extended, he gave the weapon a slight telekinetic nudge, sending it spinning back toward Syd.

“If only it were raining right now,” he commented aloud. “The raindrops falling in slow motion would look so cool... wait, is everything supposed to slow down, or just the saber? Oh man, did I screw this up too?”

Syd Celsius

 

[Syd Celsius]

The use of Force Slow that Starlin Rand had given out had done more than just slow the blade. Syd's flesh shuddered as her skeleton tried to move independent of magic infused skin and muscle, and the Witch only managed to break the lock at the last second, to catch the blade.

"Very good, Starlin. No, not everything is supposed to slow down. But you're still new at this ability so we'll work on it. Slow is an ancient ability, reliant on telekinesis to heavily restrict the movements of molecules, even those of a person in a localized area. Along with Force Deflection its one of the most useful powers in a Jedi's repertoire of knowledge.

She activated her lightsaber again.

"Round Two, Apprentice. Use what I have taught you to score a hit against me. Do not worry about harming me. This suit is alchemized to take quite a lot of damage from lightsabers. Should you think about using anything else...that is cheating. Cheating is a very good thing in a duel...just look at Mustafar, where Obi-Wan used the out-of-bounds Arena exploit to gank the boss after perfect-parrying him."

Syd had watched many modern adaptations and recreations of the Legendary Duel that created Darth Vader. Of all the ones they had made she felt only a small documentary on a local channel was the most accurate...all the other ones had too much dialogue, or they went on well past the amount of time most historians say the duel actually lasted.

Syd sprang for him, saber swinging in chaotic sequences for his torso...

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin flinched, then whistled in relief as his master narrowly managed to break free and catch her spinning blade in midair. For his first application of Slow, he had definitely laid it on too thick.

As for using whatever he had to score a hit, including cheating...

As Syd drew near, Starlin thrust his free hand, palm splayed, toward the ground at her feet. Soil, leaves, and other debris lying on the forest floor was flung up by the telekinetic blast, spraying in the air. The intention was to (quite literally) put some dirt in her eye.

If his dirty tactic worked, he could take advantage of her momentary blindness/surprise to land a jabbing blow aimed at her stomach—or if that didn’t work, to follow it up with an elbow to the face. Assuming he could reach that high...

Syd Celsius

 

[Syd Celsius]

Syd smiled as Starlin Rand cheated...and cheated magnificently.

The soil and rocks flew upward but Syd could cheat too.

Just as the rocks were about to hit her face, she phased and the debris passed right through her body, making it ripple like water as it glided past her now loosened atoms.

She caught his punch more on instinct than actually spotting it moving her head out of the way of his attempted follow up with the elbow.

She slipped into her Dragon Style too easily, delivering a leg sweep attack that if he dodged she was prepared to follow up with a heavy claw attack to his rib cage. If he dodged that she was ready to follow up with an overhead saber attack.

"Your enemies cheat as well..." she mentioned. "You must always anticipate for attempts to cheat as well as looking for ways to cheat yourself. I guarantee they will be doing the same thing."

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin had somehow forgotten that Syd could phase through objects with ease. The realization startled him, made him despair—and he consequently wasn’t prepared for her leg sweep.

His solution to avoid getting his knees singed this late in the game was to flop over on his back, landing with a thump on the ground. Leaping back to his feet a moment later with the aid of the Force to propel him forward, he caught the claw attack aimed at his ribs, but not the overhead sweep. A welt from her lightsaber formed on his cheek, bright red and stinging.

Rather than cursing up a storm and hopping around some more, he stayed focused. He couldn’t seem to predict his opponent’s movements, even when she signaled them. Were his reflexes just not good enough? Maybe he needed a new strategy.

When next he heard their lightsabers crash together, he held his weapon with both hands, pushing Syd back. He started to move forward, pressing her on, always bracing against her and shoving her away every time their blades met, doing his best to overwhelm her. It was a form of cheating that nobody liked, spamming attacks one right after the other, but it usually worked. In video games, at least.

Syd Celsius

 

[Syd Celsius]

Starlin Rand could certainly take a beating. But he gave as good as he got. Syd was genuinely caught off guard by his follow up attacks. For a moment, he had perfect focus in Juyo, every offensive move bent solely on pushing her back and winning. So caught off guard was she by Starlin's moment of perfect ferocity that he eventually completely smashed through her defense, knocking a lightsaber free and scoring a strike at her shoulder, leaving a black scorch mark on the gold and blue metallic body glove that covered the ancient witch, which only served to highlight her completely unnatural nature as a Force Spawn.

"Well done Starlin...you nailed all the QTE's! Never be afraid to spam if you think it will work...but be wary as you do...the opponent may be luring you into a trap. I was caught off guard. A real opponent might not be. Your sheer focus in your attack just now does you credit...but it can also be your undoing."

Syd floated her fallen curved hilt back into her hand and gestured for him to follow her into the cave...

Ten minutes later...

The cave had Adegan crystals growing literally out of the walls in nearly all hues as Syd entered a large chamber with many doors all around them. The crystals stretched to the very top of the cavern.

"I have a gift for you, Starlin. It's a relic I recovered from a recent visit to Atrisia. To a place called Mount Muspelheim. I'm not entirely sure where it came from but its magical nature is something I felt would be of use to you since you are still struggling with it as a concept. Magic, you see, is empowerment..." Syd trailed, opening a box atop a pedestal at the center and pulling out a Lightsaber Shoto of Atrisian design and origin and handing it to him. It was dark green, with a flat emitter, the hilt only large enough to fit one hand, the emitter portion lined with ancient jewels.

"Now I want you to meditate. Understand the magic of the crystal that powers it, and trust in the Force to guide you to understanding, Padawan." Syd explained. "When you are ready, ask me to learn a spell."

 

[Starlin Rand]

After his lightsaber scorched Syd’s suit, Starlin took a startled step back. He was panting and sweating, his blood hot and his muscles on fire even as she spoke to him, unharmed by the blow.

Wiping the perspiration trickling down his brow, he followed her into the cave. He’d been too focused? Well, everything had its pros and cons, he supposed...

He’d already had time to get over the sharp difference in environment between the vertical city of Coruscant and the green forests of Kashyyyk, but this was his first experience with a true crystal cave. Part of him was afraid it would dredge up memories of Zeffo and being trapped in suffocating tunnels, but the natural formation held no such bad impressions. The inside of the cavern was cool, well-ventilated, and smelled faintly of salt and wet earth.

He brightened at the mention of a gift, but his blue eyes went wide when he saw the shoto for the first time. So this was what she had meant when she said he would be getting a new lightsaber…

Taking the small hilt in his hands, he whistled, impressed. “Mount Muspelheim,” he echoed in a murmur, running his fingers over the jewel-encrusted emitter. He couldn’t resist igniting it, holding the flat blade far from the walls of the cave as it filled the darkness with fiery orange light.

Deactivating the shoto, he left Syd’s presence, walking to another part of the cavern to meditate. Alone, he suddenly became aware of a subtle hum or quiver in the atmosphere. The cave now felt much warmer with the shoto in his hand.

When he returned to his master a few minutes later, it was plain that he understood no more than he had the last time she’d tried to teach him magic. But he was willing to give it another shot and see if he could learn from experience.

“Teach me a spell.”

Syd Celsius

 

[Syd Celsius]

Syd smiled. Starlin Rand didn't know it, but he understood slightly more than he realized.

"That shoto you wield pulsates with intense magic. You connected with it, just a little. Use that feeling you felt for this spell. Use the shoto to help you focus. This spell is known as the Spell of Kinetic Flames. Its useful for protecting you from solid projectiles...

Syd went out and got a box next to the pedestal. In it were two slugthrowers. One was a bb pistol, near harmless. The other was a massive fifty calliber semi auto with a 007 round magazine and rifle-like action to its firing. Its the sort of pistol Elrond would happily take into battle against Johnny Storm.

She handed him the massive fifty caliber pistol.

She then got back and used The words of power for the spell.

"Ashla, shield me from the slings and arrows."

Dark blue flames surrounded Syd.

"Think of something quippy to say, then shoot me." Syd advised.

 

[Starlin Rand]

“Spell of Kinetic Flames… all right.” Starlin, who had long since gotten used to Syd handing him powerful weapons and asking him to hit her with them, accepted the pistol without further comment. As she stood away from him and uttered the words of the spell, he raised the gun and fired.

Whoa, daddy. Quite a lot of kickback on that one. Only after the bullet bounced off her magical shield like a rubber ball did he remember that she had asked him to say something quippy first.

“Uh… ‘flame on’?”

Not his best line, but then he’d already flubbed the timing. Spinning the pistol on one finger like Robocop, he stood still, watching the blue flames around Syd’s body recede. Magic should have been an easy concept to grasp. It was just saying words of power, right? Magic spells, chants, mutterings. And it wasn’t like nothing had happened when he first tried it back on Zeffo…

“Ashla, shield me from the slings and arrows,” he said, mimicking Syd’s intonation. A field of blue flames sputtered into being around his body, but only for a moment before they went out. He tried again, speaking louder and more clearly this time. The flames flared brighter, but died faster.

Frustration had yet to set in, but he was feeling a little dejected. Through it all he found himself wondering, a little strangely, what words rhyme with arrows. Marrow, sparrow, barrow, narrow, harrow, pharaoh… and what phrases could he construct that would match the spell, like the lines of a poem or the lyrics of a song… To suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune...

It seemed a bit silly even to him, but it wasn’t a completely crazy idea. After all, in the olden days of myth and legend, most spells were really poems and rhymes recited by witches and wizards. Made them easier to remember.

“The way is long and the road is narrow,
Ashla, shield me from the slings and arrows.”

Blue flames erupted around him, burning fiercely and defiantly. Though his poetry was pretty lousy, the words of power blazed in his mind. He gave his master a sheepish grin.

“Hey, if it works, it works.”

Syd Celsius

 

[Syd Celsius]

(Narrator pauses)

(Blinks at the rhyme Starlin made.)

H--Holy Crap.

Starlin Rand went Etrigan.

He went Etrigan right out the gate. Syd was just unnatural enough to be subconsciously impressed by this.

As the bright blue flames erupted Syd instantly figured out how his words of power needed to manifest, and given how powerful they were, Syd realized just how much magical potential Starlin was displaying.

She fired the BB gun and the flames repelled them, as expected.

"Very good, Starlin. We'll have you scamming Arch-Demons in no time."

(Cutaway of Keanu Reeves giving Peter Stormare the finger in Constantine.)

(Cutaway of Keanu Reeves sharing a drink with Peter Stormare in John Wick 2.)

"As you can see, Magic has a longer wind up time than using ordinary Force Powers. The words have to be spoken, the intent clear, the mind focused. The rituals must be prepared. But when done properly, you can achieve great wisdom. These powers must only be used in the defense of others. Using them for selfish ends results only in your own misery in the long run."

Syd then decided to move deeper into the crystal chambers. She asked Starlin to follow her until they reached a much wider area. Crystals of every hue jutted out of the rocks, pulsing with Force Energy. They reacted to her presence as she got closer, making her flesh wriggle slightly on her face, a wriggling which slowly spread everywhere else. She had experienced this effect the first time she had scouted this place but it seemed more pronounced. Perhaps using magic and the Force slow close had put a charge in the battery.

Her flesh was wriggling heavily everywhere as she approached the actual sparring chamber, a golden, birdcage like area positioned near the edge of a cliff that dropped deeper below in the cavern. Crystal's surrounded the cage structure lined with Jedi symbols.

By the time she had reached the actual chamber the powerful force resonance of the Crystal's had forced Syd out of her elderly appearance back into her red headed Atrisian guise. She looked at herself in surprise, flesh still rippling like water every few seconds.

"This place seems able to disrupt magic. Look at how all the Crystal's pulse in the Force." she whispered, fascinated before prepping herself.

"Ah well. It seems this cave would have me face you at Factory Default mode..." she joked. "Now, as to your next lesson."

Syd activated both her blades, flesh wriggling occasionally due to the disruptive effects of The Force Crystals

"Jar'Kai. The art of fighting with two sabers. If you can attack in one hand, block in one, you can block with the other, attack in the other. You can attack and defend simultaneously. Or just attack. The weakness is that sometimes you can become too reliant on your blades, and not on the Force, and without special training, you will have great difficulty both delivering and defending against power attacks. But you can attack twice as fast, and create confusing, high speed attack sequences. Coincidentally, welcome to your first Makashi lesson! Makashi is an excellent skill to combine with this, as it doesn't need power attacks to be effective. It relies on finesse, tactics, and agility. Let's start."

Syd began a two bladed Makashi kata. Starlin had picked up Juyo instinctively on Zeffo due to the lethality of circumstance. She could train his next style at a much slower, more natural pace.

"Mimic my motions..." she instructed. "You'll mess it up, but keep trying."

As she executed the kata she made small talk, flesh melting slightly and resetting everywhere every few seconds.

"This skill saw me through The Gulag Plague's aftermath. That era was a mess, let me tell you. There were so many Dark Adepts to kill it was like every cheesy post apocalyptic action film you can think of, mixed with all the really good sci fi horror flicks. I thought the supply of Dark Jedi practically inexhaustible..."

 

[Starlin Rand]

With his lightsaber in one hand and the shoto in the other, Starlin did his best to mimic Syd’s Makashi kata. He screwed it up the first several times, as she said he would, but he kept trying, falling into a repetitive rhythm. Muscle memory. He would learn it that way. Jar’Kai too.

As Syd began to talk about the Gulag Plage, Starlin couldn’t help but think of Nimdok. He had received a transmission only yesterday from the archaeologist, explaining that he would be coming to visit Starlin on Coruscant soon. He didn't sound good, kind of sickly or weak or something. Moreover, he'd asked if Starlin had met a green-haired SJC Padawan with anxiety. Strange stuff.

“The Gulag Plague—that was centuries ago, right?” He counted mentally. “...Four hundred years, give or take. But you were there when all that was happening?” He tilted his head as much as he could without breaking the stride of his movements. “What happened to the Jedi then? Why did so many go Dark?” Aside from the whole deadly galactic virus striking terror and strife everywhere it touched, of course.

Syd Celsius

 

[Syd Celsius]

Syd paused.

"I, personally was created at the tail end of it. But the reason a lot went dark is the reason many go dark and continue to go dark in times of crisis. They see no hope. No alternative. In some cases the choice is very stark. Either they turn or they die. Sacrificing your life for your beliefs is not an easy sacrifice by any means. That said, a good many of the ones I had killed had more than brought it on themselves. Too many."

Conveniently leaving out any mention of Phyre, Syd continued the Kata.

"Makashi is about Lightsaber to Lightsaber combat. The style of Count Dooku. It was developed after Form One combat was not winning duels quickly or efficiently enough. The goal is to use footwork, blade defense and offense melding into one another as fluidly as possible, looking for every flaw in offense and defense in your opponent. Parries are better with this style, and has many anti disarmament and disarmament techniques. The best Makashi is executed as a dance. It is very weak against blasters, and as nearly all its attacks are all executed with one hand, it lacks the ability to deliver power. Hence why we use a two bladed approach." she explained, flesh having not ceased its constant melting and resetting as she taught him.

"Do not let this style make you arrogant in a duel. Arrogance killed Dooku. Dooku was the undisputed master of Makashi. Makashi must be approached as though you are a ballerina performing for an audience. Be graceful. Dazzle. But do not forget that all it takes is one misstep, whether in the stage or the duel. Makashi is the opposite of Juyo as Juyo emphasizes total offense. Makashi is more cautious. You can become 'extremely' dangerous with enough dedication. I win most of my duels in this style. Not that you should emulate me in all things, mind you, but I would be remiss as your instructor not to pass this knowledge onto you."

Syd backed away from him.

"Its also excellent for both physically and mentally helping defend against Force attacks..." she spoke. "Try one on me."

Better to approach the arcane aspects first before dealing with the Physical. Starlin Rand was continually surprising her. Not just Force Talent but Magical and Blade Potential. Syd refused to fear it as some masters would have. There are very rarely truly bad students, the fault was the teacher when they refused to deal honestly with the subjects their student needed to grapple with and the brutal realities of their chosen profession.

"Blades are normally only drawn when all other, realistic options have been exhausted or are simply unavailable. Never draw your blade in rage, Apprentice. It must only be done to defend yourself or others, or prevent further loss of life. But never in rage. Ideally, you should offer quarter to a beaten opponent. Or even offer it before a duel. You'd be surprised occasionally--"

A pulse of Light from deep within the cave made the flesh on Syd's body wriggle and bubble violently for a few seconds before going back to its unsettling melting and resetting pattern. Syd's wriggling face flesh scrunched in curiosity, but the sheer power of the Light Nexus was preventing her skin from going still.

"We'll investigate that pulse later. I don't think we are in danger. For now learning to kick someone's ass with Form Two should be your main concern..."

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin had no right to judge others for giving into temptation of any kind. Less understood by him was the pain, grief, and frustration a teacher must feel as they watched their student go astray, choosing to go down a path of self-destruction and evil.

As the conversation shifted back to training in Makashi, he wracked his brain. Count Dooku—he was a former Jedi turned Sith, right? Old guy, lived a long life by human standards. No wonder he was arrogant after surviving decades of violent conflict, only to be killed by Darth Vader.

Nimdok had described it to him. “Anakin disarmed Dooku—literally, since he cut off Dooku’s hands at the end of the duel. Dooku could no longer fight, and so he surrendered. But Anakin was persuaded to decapitate Dooku by Palpatine, reasoning that he was too dangerous to be left alive. This was in violation of the Jedi Code. As far as I’m concerned, Anakin was already Vader at that point. Everything else that came after was simply him going into freefall, slipping further down the slope toward becoming a fully-realized Sith.”

“Is that really all it takes? Just one mistake?” Starlin had asked, a bit skeptical.

“Ideally, no. But historically? Yes. It happens all the time.” Nimdok had sighed in a way that suggested he had often had to explain this next concept to people. “One thing you must understand about Force Users, Starlin. The Force doesn’t take sides. What they call the Dark Side is simply the manifestation of a Force User’s inner darkness. When Luke Skywalker said to his father, “There is conflict within you,” did you think that the Force was warring within him? No. He was wrestling with himself.”

Syd backing away snapped Starlin out of the memory. Nodding in acknowledgment, he aimed a Force push at her, only to hesitate at the sight of her flesh warping. For his part, he could only faintly detect the pulse from the nexus. “Well, as long as it isn’t painful for you to have your skin get all crawly like that,” he said brightly, then went back to concentrating on the Force push.

Syd Celsius