Staying Sharp

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The training room was empty as Kaalia Voldaren stepped inside. A face the redhead hadn't seen before, a young woman going by the name of [member='Smej Ren'] had agreed to get some sparring in to keep the two sharp. Her eyes bothered the redhead somewhat when they first crossed, the sulphur yellow orbs indicating the Dark side was strong with her. This was a great opportunity to learn new things however, and so the Knight of Ren made her way to the training room where they had agreed to meet.

The two lightsabers she normally wielded were replaced with training sabers. They felt a little awkward at first, but after giving them a few swings young woman got used to the slightly different properties of the hilts. Similar to her normal choice of weaponry, the saber in her left glowed in an azure blue while her right hand carried a beam of crimson red. Having felt out her equipment, the beams of light retracted as Kaalia sat down on the floor in a meditating position as she waited for her blonde-haired sparring partner to arrive. It was a habit she had picked up in her years as a Padawan, and helped her greatly calming her mind down when needed. She hummed a melody.

 

[Zmej Ren]

[SIZE=10pt]The academy housed a great deal of various beings. Despite the popular belief prevalent outside of the First Order, many non-human members have found their home with the Supreme Leader’s followers. Even the secret organisation serving as Sieger Ren’s hands, eyes, ears and mouth was no exception, housing aliens and pure humans alike, treating all who faithfully served the First Order as equals. As Zmej Ren’s booted feet strolled through the academy’s halls, the teenager found herself lusting for battle, having heard rumours of war brewing on their doorstep. She’s been trained for that very reason, heart filled with pride at the opportunity of proving her worth. Like a dog, ready to be unleashed upon its beloved master’s targets, the young Ren was an eager creature, all too enthusiastic to bite into the Galactic Alliance. All in due time though – while patience wasn’t one of Asenath’s virtues, she had a substitute for real combat.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]There was no need for the door behind her to hiss and declare a new arrival – Zmej Ren could be sensed like any other being, barely aware her Force presence could be hidden through several techniques. Those gifted or advanced enough would even find it possible to identify the blonde’s signature correctly. That went the other way around, too. [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] had a particularly strange shape in the Force. Zmej could not quite put her finger on it, too inexperienced to solve this mystery, but something about the flame-haired colleague was off. Upon entering the sparring room, the corners of her lips finally curled into a smile, giving off warm, genuine joy. While the two did not have the opportunity for a prolonged interaction yet, Zmej always found meeting her fellow Ren to be refreshing. There was little need for deceit and lies among the Supreme Leader’s agents, for their trickery was reserved for others.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Kaalia,”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] nodded Zmej before shifting over to the wall, examining the weapon racks.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The younger teenager’s gloved hand ran across the different weaponry presented, occasionally gripping a hilt, feeling the weight, and finally placing the tool back to its place. She did not change her force pike for a training sword, albeit the weapon known for the infamous royal guards was in its lowest setting and thus only threatened to sting. Quite a lot, actually, easy enough to use as an effective torture device, discharging shock upon contact, but not deadly per se. All in all, a perfect too to use while sparring, and the black-clad Ren needed to hone her skills against lightsaber blade users.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Are you ready?”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] asked the teen, gripping both ends of her pike, thumb resting upon the button to unleash pain, smile turning into a grin.[/SIZE]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The Force presence of Kaalia's sparring partner was a particularly dark one, but she couldn't discern more than that. As the door opened up to reveal the smiling [member='Zmej Ren'], the flame-haired woman returned the smile. There was no doubt in her mind she would at least be an equal, as Kaalia felt the power of the Force around the fellow Ren. Her build wasn't as imposing, she looked fairly frail, but the young woman knew that didn't mean all that much. Kaalia would keep in mind the height and slight strength advantage, hoping it would help against her opponent's likely stronger power in the Force.

Kaalia rose, using her telekinesis to lift up the two training sabers that were laying on the ground as she stood up. the Blonde-haired woman that stood before here wielded a force pike, a weapon she had no experience facing. It would be a valuable experience. Kaalia let the beams of the hilts in her hand loose, creating brilliant blue and red colors at her side. The beams created a short flurry of color as the young woman spun around her blades to loosen her wrists.

"As ready as you are. I've been looking forward to getting some practice in." She took a stance that was comfortable to her, and with setting her right foot forward she gave away she was left-handed. "I've been curious to see what you're made of." Kaalia knew getting the first strike in would be beneficial, having the slight advantage in brute strength, but the 19-year old rarely had such an advantage. This advantage was also diminished by the fact she practitioned self-taught Jar'Kai. She'd have to adapt to it as the sparring match went on, possibly reverting to the single-saber style of Makashi.

She dashed forward, looking for a stabbing maneuver with the blue saber in her left hand, while keeping her red saber behind for blocks. She wouldn't be able to completely stave off such an attack by Zmej as her current attack, the commitment to getting the first strike in meant her strength advantage wouldn't help. After all, she distributed it over two hands by practicing Jar'Kai. This move was meant to test the waters; see how the Ren before her would react.

 

[Zmej Ren]

Zmej gritted her teeth, frowning.

[SIZE=10pt]Two lightsabers were definitely a dangerous thing, especially if wielded by one who obviously knew what they were doing. Once again, the disciple of Ren wondered about her sparring partner’s origins, but only shortly, steering her focus towards the situation at hand, silently judging the length of Kaalia’s blades and the same proportions of her own weapon. The lengthy shaft offered better reach, but the advantage was worth nothing when pitted against real lightsabers. Not for many blows, anyway. While made by the finest craftsmen in the First Order, force pikes stood no chance against blades of superheated plasma. But even that one hit before breaking could mean everything – and with that in mind, Zmej formulated a basic tactic focused around dodging, avoiding her fellow Ren’s blow and picking the right moment to strike. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Both the Force and Zmej’s natural agility worked in unison to propel her backwards. A single jump, just a few feet to the side, but even this change in direction meant her opponent’s stab cut through empty air. Taking a step forward, the blonde lunged the pike at her red-haired opponent’s chest in a feint, only to retract the staff – with one hand. Freed, the other swiftly moved, weaving invisible threads around Kaalia’s right leg before the holder tried to pull the lightsaber wielder’s foot from under her, which would lead to fatal loss of stability and balance, immediately followed by the force pike jabbing at the red-head’s form again, this time for real.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10pt][member="Kaalia Voldaren"][/SIZE]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

No parry, but a dodge. A logical move in the redhead's mind, but definitely not what she had hoped for. Kaalia quickly turned to face Zmej again after the blonde lept sideways. There was no time for another attack however; a Force pike quickly lunged at her. Given Kaalia's wish to have breathing room to reassess the situation, the redhead quickly lept backwards. She wasn't as agile as the one before her, but during her leap it was clear the lunge wasn't meant to hit at all. She felt tugging at her right foot as Zmej made a pulling motion with her hand. A trickster.

Kaalia stayed calm and collected, electing to keep her mind clear. If the young woman wanted out of the situation, she needed to act quickly but effectively. Step one: Regain balance. Gathering the Force around her right leg, she anchored it with enough strength that she wouldn't fall. Step two: Stave off attack. Kaalia, with the red saber in her hand, swung down in front of her right leg, with the tip hitting the ground. The training saber wasn't nearly as powerful as a regular one, but the threads had to be thin. The young woman wasn't able to see them. The swing relieved the pressure from her leg. Step three: Regain bearings. The focussed Force around Kaalia leg dissipated as she retook her stance. She looked at her fellow Ren. "Not bad." the redhead commented, revealing a grin.

Kaalia didn't attack however. The Disciple wasn't completely sure of the slightly younger woman's tactics. Instead, the former Jedi shifted into a defensive stance while still at a distance, waiting for the next strike. What was Zmej going to do with the initiative?

[member='Zmej Ren']

 

[Zmej Ren]

[SIZE=10pt]While the attack did not succeed, it provided Zmej with some valuable information on her opponent. The task of catching [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] off guard wouldn’t be an easy one, yet even the strongest of shields could crack if one applied enough pressure in the right spot. Her eyebrows furrowed, sulphur hued eyes watching the taller woman recover swiftly and efficiently. Now her opponent stood still, no doubt on guard and ready to parry or deflect, possibly dodge. There was no strike to follow though; she just stood there, giving the blonde Ren an opportunity to create an opening. It was time to use the pike’s greatest advantage – its length, which greatly translated into its prolonged reach that could be used to poke the readhead without ever placing the blonde Ren in danger. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Zmej breathed deeply and kept their gazes locked, distracting the opponent. While the younger Ren’s face continued to maintain the façade of serenity, the dark side violently burned inside her irises, providing an unsettling sight. Gloved fingers gripped the pike tighter, ready to execute the Ren’s mental scenario and birth it in reality. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Swiftly, the blonde raised her pike and made a daring step forward, moving the pike’s tip towards Kaalia’s head and stopping mid-way. The feint was followed by another; Zmej lowered the silver shaft, immediately going for a downward stab destined to impact her opponent’s knee. Instead of going through with the motion, she lifted the pike’s pointed end to turn the motion into an angled jab headed for the flame-haired Ren’s mid-section.[/SIZE]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The pike of Kaalia's opponent moved in a flurry after the two stared each other down, quickly feinting two attacks to her head and knee respectively before aiming at the redhead's midsection. With the speed of attacks, she had little time to react. Moving back, the Ren was able to dodge the brunt of the shot but she could feel a shock as the tip came in short-lived contact her. Kaalia winced for a second, then shook her head as to shake it off. "Alright." was the only word that came from her mouth, but her mind was shifting from calm to something more aggressive. It was now clear that [member='Zmej Ren'] liked her feints, and the fellow Ren was keeping that in mind.

The flame-haired woman knew enough for now. She channeled the slight pain of the shock she received earlier into passion, fueling her next strike. Her more relaxed gaze turned serious, staring the blonde right into her eyes. "Time for something di-" She didn't finish her sentence, instead breaking it off to quickly dash towards her sparring partner. Wasting no time, Kaalia then went for a precise strike aimed at her upper left leg with both sabers, sweeping from left to right. She went down to one knee during the strike, making herself as small as possible to make it tough for Zmej to hit her. After the attempt, Kaalia then would roll to the left to dodge any potential counter attack.

 

[Zmej Ren]

"Oh, no you don't!"

[SIZE=10pt]As [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] charged forth, her opponent really only had to adjust the pike’s direction to remind her of the long shaft’s superior reach, enough to keep the higher girl away lest she wanted to end up nailed on its tip. Unwilling to let the redhead get close enough to even have a chance of reciprocating, Zmej released two short jabs her way in quick succession before decisive, yet calculated steps proved the younger fighter far from immobile. She paced in a clockwise circle, swift on her feet and trying to score a hit by stabbing at Kaalia’s sides, testing her defences and pulling the pike away just in the nick of time, almost playing with the older Ren. These attacks were far from overly threatening, but a good swordsman would recognize the blonde’s tactic was merely to lull her opponent before breaking the pattern and unleashing a devastating strike. Such as when Zmej’s feet suddenly carried her counter-clockwise and the pike shot at the red-head’s waist like a very long projective, breaking the trickery of feints with a more straightforward attack.[/SIZE]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

As Kaalia was stopped in her tracks by the pike, she quickly readjusted into a parrying position. Quick jabs made her way, but this time she wasn't falling for [member='Zmej Ren']'s tricks. Knowing they were going to be mere feints once again, the redhead quickly moved in after another testing strike at her side while the pike was making its way back to its wielder and struck back with the blue beam of light in her left, this time a sweeping motion making its way towards the other Ren's ribs.

That wasn't the end of it, however. As her blade made its way to her opponent, the sound of a saber going back into a slumber was heard as the red beam of light in her right hand retracted. The flame-haired woman let the weapon drop to the floor, using the now freed hand to send out a Force push in front of her. It didn't have too much power behind it, most of her focus was on her bladework, but it would be enough to at least warrant a reaction lest she loses balance.

Voldaren started seeing through her tricks, and the blonde would have to start readjusting if she wanted to keep the advantage.

 

[Zmej Ren]

[SIZE=10pt]Blue light mirrored in the blonde’s eyes when [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] attacked, her azure blade too much of a problem for Zmej’s comfort. Without any other option left, a hop back was meant to solve the issue in an attempt to evade the scything flash of blue. It was then that the Force hit her with its energy send her way by the flame-haired Ren. As it connected, engulfing the younger teen in its power, Zmej did not resist the invisible current that soundlessly carried her back, letting its push bring her further away until she stood on the ground again, safe, yellow gaze sighting the considerable space between them. A new idea’s been birthed by her devious mind.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Enough with your mockery of lightsaber combat! Stop dancing around and hit me!”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] Zmej spat in hopes of baiting Kaalia into a mistake, gloved hand reaching out and entangling the fallen lightsaber in telekinesis. As ordered, the small cylinder shook, moving on the ground as if suffering a seizure – and then obediently flew towards the Ren’s outstretched hand. It was time to level the playing field and provided Zmej’s fingers coiled around the desired training sword, she’d drop the pike and fully adapt to the weightless blade of the lightsaber.[/SIZE]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Bingo. Kaalia merely smiled, looking at [member='Zmej Ren'] without saying a word. Despite disagreeing with the notion that all emotion should be subdued, her Jedi teachings of keeping them under control were coming in very helpful right now. Instead, she feigned carelessness, letting the relaxed look in her eyes return. She twirled the saber that was still in her hand around while whistling an innocent tune.


She didn't stop the blonde from taking the lightsaber; instead she nudged the Pike further away from them with her hand. She now took a Makashi stance, letting her blade lead her steps as the brilliant blue made its way forward, inching closer towards the blonde. Her approach was slow but steady, careful not to lose eye contact. It was then when she opened her mouth to speak. "Oh no, whatever shall I do now that you took my weapon?", the redhead commented in a sarcastic voice. Kaalia didn't bother hiding her smile, as genuine joy made her lips curl, seemingly amused by her own comment. "Surely you will teach me a lesson for my mockery, won't you?"

The redhead didn't mind Zmej using her saber against her. It was quite the opposite in fact, feeling more comfortable facing another lightsaber wielder due to her basic Makashi training. Kaalia then swiftly struck, slicing down towards her leg. Another feeling-out strike, hoping to see what style her opponent would bring to the table.

 

[Zmej Ren]

[SIZE=10pt]Snap-hiss![/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The characteristic sound of lightsaber springing to life was accompanied by a beam of crimson energy, casting its light around the room and bathing the blonde Ren’s face in the red brilliance as well. It felt strange to hold – while she had practiced combat with training sabers extensively, switching between the weighty pike and this imitation of a real lightsaber did not feel natural. Quickly burying the sensation before her mind focused on it too much and lost confidence, Zmej swung down in a flourish and kept the blade pointed at the mat. Instead of rushing at the sparring opponent, she wanted to see her technique and style when wielding only one weapon.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Come. I’ll show you.”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] The Ren commented with a suppressed smile, tapping her foot in impatience.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She watched the way her opponent approached, blue bladed weapon striking down. Once [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] went through with her manoeuvre, Zmej Ren pinned her blade to the floor, leaning against her training saber slightly to overcome Kaalia’s physical prowess with her weight. With the blades locked, the teenager’s free hand curled into a fist, one driven straight into the red-head’s face. Not only to catch her off guard and deliver injury – Zmej wanted to knock her off balance, using the locked blades for denying Kaalia the opportunity to dodge.[/SIZE]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Time stood still for Kaalia as the fist met her face. A blatant show of disrespect, something she should've seen coming. First came the pain. She didn't flinch or lost balance, her head merely moving to the side a bit as the punch landed. "So that is how it is." were the words that formed into her mind. No more serenity, no more peace. The pain turned to anger, the anger turned to passion, the passion turned to power. Enough is enough.

The redhead let out an almost feral yell, then released all the internal anger she collected that moment to send out an all-out Force push into [member='Zmej Ren']'s direction. There was no holding back here, pouring all the young woman had into the push. Would the blonde be pushed back, potentially losing footing, Kaalia would dash after Zmej and try to land an overhead strike.

 

[Zmej Ren]

[SIZE=10pt]Nothing in her hands could possibly spare the blonde from resisting her opponent's attack, fully seized by the sudden influx of power. Her short-lived flight was stopped by the immovable wall that refused to yield, resulting in the young Ren getting the wind knocked out of her. It was not pleasant, but training was supposed to be harsh, push her to the limit. Better face hardship during a spar than suffer evisceration on the battlefield. Bruised ribs and broken bones here and there were a low price for surviving real fights. Just like in real fight though, the redhead did not wait for the opponent to recover and charged like an angry animal. It seemed Zmej had succeeded – now she only had to turn the higher teen’s anger into an advantage. Once the blue blade came crashing down, so did the red one move to meet it. White flash of light sparked when the two impacted, neither willing to give in. Locking their gazes, the blonde smirked at her opponent and one foot moved to tangle with Kaalia’s, which, in combination with Zmej pushing her blade against the redhead’s, would hopefully result in toppling the older Ren over on the mat. Better yet; with the ball in her back, Zmej could lean against it if necessary to prevent the loss of stability, making her immune against the same fate. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10pt][member="Kaalia Voldaren"][/SIZE]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The push, the body in front of her being launched, and the subsequent impact against the wall; it was all extremely satisfying. It did not temper the redhead's anger however. She relished the anger swirling inside of her, and as the two sabers locked [member='Zmej Ren'] could almost see fire burning in Kaalia's eyes. She put all her strength in trying to break through the blonde's defense as she felt her legs being taken from under her. There was no way she could keep her footing as she came crashing down back-first to the mat. Kaalia came down with a thud, unable to breathe for a quick second.

Fury. Nothing but fury. The pain, the anger, it kept building, seemingly without end. As she lied on the floor, the young woman channeled it once more, gripping her saber so tightly that imprints started to form in the palms of her hands. She knew moving now would only leave open more ways of attack due to her opponent's speed, instead electing to pretend she was more hurt than she really was. In reality, she was ready to deflect or dodge the next attack as it came, ready to react on a dime.

 

[Zmej Ren]

[SIZE=10pt]Ultimately, it worked out well for the shorter girl despite the initial disadvantages. Wits and tactic, utilizing the environment - all played a role that brought one of them down to the ground, a position that usually signed defeat unless the redhead managed to turn the tables. When [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] fell victim to her opponent’s strike, Zmej, now with both feet lightly planted on the ground again, swiftly circled the lying girl, energy blade always pointed her way and shining its menacing shade of red over the downed combatant. Keeping a respectful distance was paramount if the blonde wanted to avoid being attacked, that and picking a spot from which the younger Ren could force her opponent to surrender without needing to worry about being surprised or tricked – one such place was by the flame-haired trainee’s head, denying Kaalia the opportunity to effectively keep battling by greatly limiting her accessible angles while granting Zmej a chance to end the duel quickly should her opponent refuse to yield.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Either get up or admit defeat.”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] Zmej demanded, voice stern and commanding, the tip of her practice saber aimed at the sparring partner’s head and ready to lunge in a strike that would be devastating to one's brain matter in real battle.[/SIZE]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

A chance to make it to Kaalia's side wasn't present. As [member='Zmej Ren'] started moving, the redhead quickly rolled away from her, followed by a swift kip up. Voldaren reignited her saber, the azure blue beam returning to its active form. Kaalia kept her distance for now, looking for a quick breather. "Not a fan of your tactics..." The woman cracked her neck, loosening back up to get ready to reingage. "But at least they're effective." Taking a defensive stance yet again, the 19-year searched the library of her mind to find a way to outsmart her sparring partner. For now, she'd look for openings in the attack of her fellow Ren, and react to them accordingly. "Show me your next trick."

 

[Zmej Ren]

[SIZE=10pt]“Wrong move,”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] spat the blonde, frowning as her opponent tried to roll away, [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]“Now we have to do it the hard way.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The red-head already lost – and Zmej Ren only had to prove the defeat. Real fights would be unforgiving, without honour or mercy, and so this sparring match was to imitate that. For every two rolls over the ground, Zmej had to make a single step. With her opponent already down, she wasn’t about to let her get up, opting to capitalize on the unfortunate position [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] found herself in. Like a furiously hitting hammer, she would pound the women’s disadvantaged defences, saber hilt gripped by both hands to make get more strength behind each strike, delivering angry blows, one after another and leaving no room for the downed opponent to effectively recover or retaliate with a strike of her own. [/SIZE]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

It seemed [member='Zmej Ren'] wasn't letting Kaalia create distance that easily. As the saber came crashing down like a hammer, Kaalia did the last thing she could think of. The red beam of light of her opponent met the redhead's blue beam as Kaalia held up her weapon with one hand. It was only to slow the strike down, as her other hand gathered the Force around her, sending out a Force push once again. A stagger would be enough to create enough distance to get herself back on her feet and get back to equal ground. Surrender wasn't something that Kaalia would go to so easily.

 

[Zmej Ren]

[SIZE=10pt]The blades met once more, hissing and crackling like an old, bickering couple. With both her hands holding the hilt and winning the match against Kaalia’s one handed grip, the blonde Ren was too distracted to notice her opponent’s newest strike. Kaalia fought with fury for sure, an animal back into corner as Zmej was about to discover. One moment, the blonde disciple stood there, about to overpower her opponent, the next she sailed through the air like an unwanted toy tossed by an angry child. The nauseating sensation did not last more than a second or two, but to the younger Ren it felt like all eternity until her boots slid over the mat with a screech and stillness finally claimed her body. Sulphur eyes blinked in surprise, unwilling to believe the sudden turn, then the expression turned into a sneer, followed by Zmej immediately reciprocating in kind, one burst of telekinetic energy headed at [member="Kaalia Voldaren"].[/SIZE]