Teaching the New Guy (Xavka)

[Aidan Moonrunner]

Nox meditated in the middle of the small arena, her eyes closed in concentration.​

She had been approached by Darh Ferus to train one of the Initiates, [member="Xavka Duquo"], in swordplay.​

Wanting to earn her place in the Assassins, she had agreed.​

​

So now she waited, readying herself for the coming session.​

Hopefully she proved to be an effective teacher.​

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka strode through the ship the group he had only recently joined. A group full of assassins affiliated with the Sith. Upon arrival he had been directed towards a training room to meet a teacher in the art of the blade.

His black jacket was fully fastened up to his neck, strapped to his right thigh, above his slightly too small trousers, was a pouch containing his assassination based weapon. His nearly bare feet, clad only in wraps around the middle of them, made barely noticeable sounds as he moved, the sound easily over shadowed by the taps of his cane. On his back was a bundle of wraps, contained within them was his Zhabako while a chain was wrapped around his waste, making barely there clicking. Hidden within the stitching of his pockets were Deer Horn Knives.

Stopping before the door he took a deep breathe before stepping through, towards the presence he had been using as a guide.


[member="Nox"]

 

[Aidan Moonrunner]

She sensed him long before she heard him.​

As a teenager, she had been extensively trained in the art of sensing her opponents. He wasn't making an effort to conceal his presence in the Force, but then again she supposed he didn't need to, here.​

As the door opened, she smiled under her hood and mask.​

"So, you're the Initiate."​

Her voice was slightly muffled by her mask, but still audible.​

"The one I am to train?"​

​

[member="Xavka Duquo"]​

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka bowed his head minutely in greetings before entering the threshold. Already his eyes were skimming around the room, committing it to memory. "Indeed, I am." His slightly gravelly and deep voice echoed slightly around the room, almost giving the effect that he was speaking with two voices. He reached back and undid the strap holding the cloth bundle to his back before lowering said bundle to the floor, making sure not to jolt the objects inside. "I take it you are," he paused to rerun the memory of his arrival, "Nox?" Apart from the short time his eyes had ran around the room, Xavka's yellow eyes, one dull and foggy the other sharp and piercing, never left the figure of the female before him.


[member="Nox"]

 

[Aidan Moonrunner]

Nox watched as he set his bundle on the floor, her expression indiscernible from beneath her mask.​

"That I am."​

She slowly rose from her meditative position, looking up the Zabrak.​

"I will be teaching you the art of swordplay."​

She gestured to his bundle.​

"Is that where you keep your weapon?"​

​

[member="Xavka Duquo"]​

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

"It is where I keep one of my weapons, yes." Despite what he said he made no move towards the bundle, only leaned slightly forwards with his weight resting on the cane he held before him. Xavka let his lopsided smirk grow on his lips, exposing his pointed teeth, "How will we be starting, Jenorkeyn*?"


[member="Nox"]
Translation:
*

Spoiler

Jenorkeyn = Teacher/Student

 

[Aidan Moonrunner]

Nox scoffed before drawing her short blade from her back, twirling it in her hands.​

"I was raised to learn by doing, and I believe this is the best way to learn."​

She took a deep breath before settling in a combat stance.​

I want you to attack me, with all you have."​

She stared at her student, beckoning with her free hand to come and attack.​

​

[member="Xavka Duquo"]​

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka stood stock still for a small amount of time, simply staring at Nox. After a long moment a bloodthirsty smile crept onto his face and twisted his scars. Bending his knees slightly while curling his toes, driving his claws into the decking below. Before he let out one slow exhale of breathe while he twisted his right hand, the one holding the handle of his cane, ever so slight and gave himself fully to his feral mind set.

Extending his legs suddenly, Xavka drove himself towards his prey. His left hand reached out towards Nox's face, palm bent so as to face the tips of his claws towards his target. His right hand came around, followed by a high pitched ring as his blade left it's disguised wooden sheathe, which fell to the floor with a clatter, and was directed towards Nox's neck.


[member="Nox"]

 

[Aidan Moonrunner]

He was fast, she would give him that.​

But as fast as he was, she was an assassin trained in the art of killing from a young age.​

As his claws came towards her eye, she moved her head to the side, his claws sailing past.​

Simultaneously, she moved her blade up, catching his in a shower of sparks.​

She smiled under her mask.​

"You're fast, I'll give you that."​

Nox shoved him off, twirling her blade.​

"Never go for the head first unless you're confident in your immediate victory."​

She beckoned once more.​

"Again."​

​

[member="Xavka Duquo"]​

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Dropping into a crouch, he once again dug his claws into the decking so as to gain extra grip. He flashed a feral grin at Nox, as he launched himself at her again, barely suppressing a howl of challenge. He was purposely letting himself dangle over the abyss, barely keeping purchase of his ability of logical thinking.

As he launched himself his swung his blade down in a two handed grip, starting from level with his right shoulder and looking to end the swing just past Nox's right hip. However, halfway through the swing he returned the grip to a one handed one while twisting his wrist and flicking it, changing the angle of the new attack so that it was perpendicular to the original.


[member="Nox"]

 

[Aidan Moonrunner]

The assassin stood still as her student charged her, growling. Was he trying to intimidate her? If so, he was not succeeding.​

Nox's eyes widened at [member="Xavka Duquo"]'s display of swordmanship, then narrowed as she reacted.​

She angled her own blade to cross his, a shower of sparks erupting between them. But that wasn't all.​

She brought her blade back, and aimed it at the base of his own blade.​

If her attack succeeded, then his sword would clatter to the floor.​

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka winced as one of the sparks created due to the meeting of blades landed in his eye. This cost him the chance to see the beginning of Nox's attack. His eyes widened when his vision cleared and he reacted as quickly as he could. Punching his fist forwards, he angled the sword back until it rested against his flank. If he had managed to recover quick enough he would have landed a hit on Nox which would give him time to retreat and recover and he would have caused her attack to miss.

[member="Nox"]

 

[Aidan Moonrunner]

Nox let out an audible grunt as his fist struck her, and she allowed him to retreat as she ignored the sweet pain that came from the injury.​

"You have good technique." She praised. "But you are far too reckless. You telegraph your attacks in advance when you charge like that. Perhaps that tactic works on less experienced opponents, but on skilled swordsmen, it's useless."​

She took a deep breath.​

"You must think before you act. Analyze your opponent, their body language, the way they breathe. All this is key to reigning victorious."​

She took up a position with her blade parallel to her side, one foot in front of the other and her off-hand slightly arched forward.​

"Again."​

​

[member="Xavka Duquo"]​

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka grunted once to show that he heard what she had said. Shifting his stance, he once again bent his knees so as to fall into a crouch, curled his toes so as to drive his nails into the decking to gain purchase. Pushing himself towards Nox, Xavka kept his stance side on and delivered three strikes towards Nox. One come from his low right to high left aimed at her knees, one from his high left to mid right aimed at her head and, after a twist of his wrist, one from left to right that looked to bisect Nox.

[member="Nox"]

 

[Aidan Moonrunner]

Nox watched carefully as [member="Xavka Duquo"] charged, her form balanced.​

His first strike was met with her blade, his second hit only air, her head bent back to avoid it.​

His third once more hit her blade, but after the parry, her hand shot out to grab his arm, and pull him past her, his body stopping just short of her blade, resting at his throat.​

​

". . .Good." She said simply. "You have done well."​

She released him.​

"Now get into a defensive position."​

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka smiled a cold smile as he forced his feral mind set to retreat and reinserted his more logical one. Stepping back his lifted his blade up until it rested against Nox's shoulder. "You only parried, you never made to redirect my blade every time we made contact. You underestimate how dangerous that position is. I was preparing my attach when you reacted. All I would of had to do was pivot my blade around yours until it was lined up then lunge."

Lowering his blade, he bowed his head in recognition of her skills before retreating a few strides. Sliding his left foot backwards and twisting his body to the left, he settled into his preferred stance for defensiveness. He was presenting a small target to his opponent, his blade was out front and had lots of manoeuvrability, while he was ready to move in any direction due to the balance of his weight.


[member="Nox"]

 

[Aidan Moonrunner]

Nox raised an eyebrow at his words, and examined his stance.​

It was good, excellent stance.​

She twirled her sword in her hands for a moment, then dashed forward.​

To test his stance, she utilized three slashes; one from the right at his torso, one from the left at his shoulder, and the last from the right at his knees.​

​

[member="Xavka Duquo"]​

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

As Nox attacked him Xavka reacted in a way he hoped was quick and efficient. He greeted the attack to his torso with his blade, which he only moved across the minimum amount of distance needed, enough to meet the attack and push it upwards, while he stepped backwards. He counted the attack to his shoulder by shifting his stance, sliding his right foot back he twisted his body, moving his shoulder out of the way. Resetting his stance he met the last attack, he swung his blade so as to intercept the strike before it could reach before twisting his wrist so that his blade rested on top of Nox's and pushing down, angling her blade towards the floor.

Once the test of is defence was over, Xavka took a few steps back to create distance between the two. "How did I do, Jenorkeyn?"


[member="Nox"]
Translation: Jenorkeyn = Teacher.