The Next Generation (Neezuela)

[Vaulkhar]

Am I ready for this task?

Vaulkhar stood silently within a room of the Sith Academy on Coruscant. He only recently returned to Coruscant after his self-imposed exile, purely to meet the man he considered a father. But since his return, he decided it was a time to take on a student. Maybe it was due to the time he spent training under his former master once returning, or maybe it was just the drive to shape the next generation of minds within the One Sith, but it did not matter either way. It was high time for Vaulkhar to find an apprentice and pull some weight outside of war.

He studied various students within the Sith Archives, determining who would be the best fit for him. Similar to himself, he was seeking a student who sought to be trained in the basics of nearly everything. Someone he could mold and train to become a better and stronger person. Someone who did not desire a certain path, but instead would determine their path as he or she walked it. And after days of research, hours of visiting and watching classes with young acolytes, and an unknown amount of meditation, he found his student.

[member="Neezuela"]

This young acolyte sought to be molded through their training. To learn everything that they could be taught, without necessarily seeking out a certain path for themselves. And this excited Vaulkhar greatly. He himself walked a path he wasn't entirely sure of. It could lead anywhere at any moment, and that was what made life so exciting for the young man. Finding someone else who could possibly walk this path with him, while also learning under him, was an exciting prospect.

So here he stood, silently awaiting the arrival of his future student within the empty room.

He was ready.

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

Neezuela the Jawa was walking down one of the many corridors in the Sith Academy on Coruscant, his small leather boots making a noise against the fine metal flooring, training saber moving a little with every step. He had finally done it, he had finally found a master willing to teach him the ways of the Force, a master to shape him into a person worthy of being called Sith.

He had been contacted earlier by a knight named [member="Vaulkhar"], who had wished to train him in the basics of nearly everything. He then was told to meet the knight in one of the empty rooms of the Academy, where he was about to arrive at, partially giddy, picturing the things he was possibly going to learn,

He arrived outside of the room and prepared himself of what was going to come, he then opened the door and entered, brown cloak swishing as the automatic door closed behind him, he walked up to the knight and bowed.

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar sat upon the floor, legs bent beneath him whilst sitting upon his knees. His head was bowed low in meditation, something he very rarely found time to do anymore. At the sound of the door opening and the soft leather boots scraping against the metal flooring, Vaulkhar lifted his head to face the acolyte that now approached him. His eyes opened to reveal to empty orbs, pale gray eyes staring out at the man. It revealed two things about Vaulkhar directly. First of all, he was blind. Second, less important but somewhat impressive I suppose; he could see, or so it appeared. The pale man before the Jawa studied every inch of his new apprentice, taking in the truth of the matter.

His apprentice was dripping with excitement, similar to himself. Perfect. Vaulkhar slowly stood up, dusting off his gray robes before lowering himself into a bow in return to the man before him.

"Greetings [member="Neezuela"], I am Vaulkhar. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

Neezuela nodded to [member="Vaulkhar"] and spoke in Jawa Trade Language in an attempt to communicate "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, I have been hoping to find a master soon." He spoke in his own language, as he straightened himself, noticing that the knight was in fact a Miraluka, a species of blind Humanoids that could see using the Force, except this one did not wear the signature mask that shielded their eyes.

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar was not surprised in the slightest when his apprentice spoke in his own language. If anything, he expected it. And as such, he perfected his knowledge of the language, or at least attempted to. After many visits to the planet of Tattooine for reasons that were questionable at best, Vaulkhar found himself interacting with the Jawa people more often than he had originally expected. As such, he learned to speak with them specifically for trading and questioning them when he'd make visits to the sandy and dusty planet he hated, oh so much.

"I can say the same, except of course for a student."

He'd grin before straightening. This was about the right time to start the lesson, but in reality he wasn't entirely sure how to go about approaching his new apprentice. He knew what it was he wanted to learn, basically everything, but that was quite a bit to cover. Quite a bit indeed. Vaulkhar would then turn his attention to [member="Neezuela"] to study him once more. With a short nod, he'd raise his hand and motion upwards. The lightsaber at his left side would slowly float upwards. He'd gently push outwards and the lightsaber hilt would float over towards the Jawa, where it would hang within the air effortlessly.

"We'll start simple. Here is your lightsaber, or at least, the lightsaber you use until you decide to get your own."

Vaulkhar would shrug before motioning around the room.

"Within this room our first lesson will be held. And this lesson can be anything you so desire, or the beginnings of it at least. I cannot guarantee you that I can teach you everything you want, but I can get you started down the path you desire. Of that much I am sure."

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

Neezuela was infact, surprised to find out that his new master could speak his language, it was quite hard to find people, especially the right kind of people, who could actually understand the Jawa when he decided to finally speak to someone, this excited Neezuela, if not more than he had been excited when he entered the room.

He then watched as his master gave a nod and used his hand to manipulate the force around a real lightsaber that was sitting to his left, It floated upwards and then towards the Jawa, where he outstretched his hand to pick it up, admiring the fine metal hilt, it felt heavier but more impressive than the training lightsaber that he had on his belt, he examined it for a few more seconds before turning his attention back to [member="Vaulkhar"], who had said something already.

"Within this room our first lesson will be held. And this lesson can be anything you so desire, or the beginnings of it at least. I cannot guarantee you that I can teach you everything you want, but I can get you started down the path you desire. Of that much I am sure." His master spoke, with the Jawa listening attentively. Neezuela took a moment to think, then decided what he would like to learn this lesson "I would like to learn how to use a lightsaber properly." He said.

 

[Vaulkhar]

Ah, the lightsaber.

The tool of any self respecting warrior who utilized the force. This was something Vaulkhar could teach confidently, as that was what set him apart form many others within the One Sith. Whereas many of his generation found interest in the force, he, like so very few, found interest in the saber. And though he is fully capable of using the force in some departments, he had always held the upperhand in saber duels with those of his generation fo acolytes. Of that, he was completely sure. So when his apprentice chose to learn to utilize the lightsaber before anything else, his heart quite honestly skipped a beat.

"Wonderful!"

Vaulkhar grinned and began to remove the robe around his body. He'd slip free from it and simply drop it to the ground before grasping at his lightsaber with his right hand. Looking at his left arm, [member="Neezuela"] would note the fact from the elbow down, it was replaced entirely be a mechanical arm. Though Vaulkhar did not pay much attention to it as he moved about.

"Considering you are of a smaller frame, there are very few forms that you can utilize to there full potential. Form seven, Juyo is almost entirely out of the question. Form five, both of them, Shien and Djem So are similar in nature. So that leaves a few options. Shii-cho is one. It is a balanced lightsaber form that'll allow you to move about both offensively and defensively. Next of course is Soresu, form three. It's a defensive form, one that will allow you to maximize on your opponents mistakes." Vaulkhar clears his throat and begins to moves his arms about, simply pretending to combat an unseen opponent. "Many will look upon your size and underestimate you. Soresu would allow you to capitalize on those mistakes and properly defend yourself, whilst getting the better of your opponent energy wise. It would be intelligent to learn a more offensive form along with it though, that way when your opponents do slip up, you'll be there to take care of them."

As to prove his point, he pretends to sweep upwards to knock away an unseen blow and stab at the air, where an average humanoids heart would be. Vaulkhar would then turn back to Neezuela and would shrug.

"Form four, Ataru, would be good at that. It's entirely offensive, utilizing sweeping blows, flips, and turns; but it's very taxing on your stamina. It could tire you out very easily. Another good one is Makashi. Similar to Soresu, it's a continuation of Shii-Cho, but based entirely around offense. It goes hand in hand with Soresu." The blind man moves to sit down once more, in his meditative position. "If you'd like, I can give you my opinion of what you should do. Or you can follow your instinct, it is entirely your decision."

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

Neezuela grinned under his face cloth when his master got excited about him wanting to learn the arts of the lightsaber, the Jawa was slightly surprised by the cybernetic left arm that his master had, but it made little difference on how he could teach him. He listened to [member="Vaulkhar"] describe which forms would disadvantage Neezuela's small stature, taking mental notes on which forms to learn, and which forms to avoid.

When his master finished talking, after pretending to duel an imaginary opponent, he had sat down in a meditative position. Neezuela took a moment to think about which forms to learn, and which forms to avoid; Makashi would be a start, it was defensive, very well so against opponents with lightsabers. Soresu was also defensive, more so against blasters, but possibly more advanced than Makashi. Ataru would make use of the Jawa's small frame with aerobic leaps and attacks. It was a truly hard decision, "I would think to learn Makashi first, but I would also like your recommendations" He spoke in his native language, directed at [member="Vaulkhar"]

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar nodded in response to the Jawa's answer.

"Makashi is definitely a good choice. It's a hybrid form that focuses mostly on offense, while also creating a defense that is nearly impossible to break. That is of course, if you are capable enough to actually utilize it." Vaulkhar's gaze began to move about the room, seeming to follow something that was unseen by the Jawa. "We'll begin with Shii-Cho training. It is my firm belief that a warrior should be proficient in the basics before they begin advanced training. Once you have the general knowledge of Shii-Cho covered, we shall move you along to Makashi."

Once more the blind man would stand. As he did so, he'd remove his saber from it's place at his side and activate it. A vermilion beam of energy would burst forth from the hilt, activating upon his command.

"Ready your saber, we will begin with basic swordplay."

[member="Neezuela"]

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

Neezuela activated the lightsaber that was still in his hand after his master had given it to him, it emitted a standard red beam, with the usual lightsaber hum accompanying it, he moved it so that it was infront of him, but in a very sloppy and inexperienced stance, the Jawa had only wielded a lightsaber once before this encounter, but he was hoping to improve, and was ready to learn.

[member="Vaulkhar"]

 

[Vaulkhar]

The lightsaber was actually not the typical red beam! Instead, it was a shade of gold, one that shun brilliantly within the rather dim room.

Vaulkhar could not help but grin as his first lightsaber activated before him. The blade and him had been through hell and back together. Subjugation of planets, invasions of planets that were not under the control of the One Sith, and of course the defense of planets that were. All in all, the saber was already well experienced in the lifestyle of the Sith. And he was proud to once hold the beautiful creation.

"I handmade that saber in my youth, and it hung at my side until this year of my life, to be honest. But I decided it was high time to create another, so I made this one."

Vaulkhar moved towards [member="Neezuela"] and lowered his mechanical arm to the Jawa's arm. He gently pushed upwards on the elbow, before moving his wrist upon the same arm into a ninety degree angle. From there, he positioned the Jawa's hands upon the hilt to hold it firmly.

"Remember, your stance is a key part of combat and if you do not hold the saber correctly, or..." Vaulkhar would then pause and look down. He gently push a foot in between the legs of the Jawa and would seperate them so his left foot is about eight inches before his right foot, which was then facing away from where Vaulkhar was original standing. In front of him that is. "As I was saying. Your stance is key. If you have a faulty stance, you will fail. Remember how this stance feels, as this will be the only time I teach it to you."

The blind man would then step back and raise his mechanical arm. Within it, a small controller would be visible. He'd tap one of the buttons and a nearby sentry droid, with a small blaster attached, would come to life and float towards them.

"Your first lesson will solidify my focus on stance. The droid will be firing shots at you, and if you maintain a strong and proper stance, through the use of Shii-Cho, you will be capable of blocking the bolts. Do not be worried about damage or where you deflect them, as it's not necessarily important."

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

Neezuela allowed himself to be put into the stance, it felt unusual, but he could memorize how it felt rather easily, he listened to his Master as he talked about the stance "As I was saying. Your stance is key. If you have a faulty stance, you will fail. Remember how this stance feels, as this will be the only time I teach it to you." He had said to the Jawa, Neezuela made sure not to move much.

"Your first lesson will solidify my focus on stance. The droid will be firing shots at you, and if you maintain a strong and proper stance, through the use of Shii-Cho, you will be capable of blocking the bolts. Do not be worried about damage or where you deflect them, as it's not necessarily important." [member="Vaulkhar"] continued as he controlled an armed sentry droid to come to them.

Neezuela maintained a firm grip on his new lightsaber, it's standard red gold blade shimmering, waiting to receive the commands of it's wielder.

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar nodded as [member="Neezuela"] retained his stance. He managed not to move and break it, which was impressive. The Jawa's contact form was built for defense, but it was also built for an offense that so few could defend themselves against. And as such, Vaulkhar intended to fully train his student to become a warrior unparalleled within his own generation. And if he could not do so, he would fail as a master. That is something he could not stand for.

"Begin."

Vaulkhar activates the droid and a bolt is fired directly at the Jawa's head. It looked rather deadly and moved at a speed common for a normal blaster. It was about twenty paces before him, so he had ample time to bring his saber up and defend himself, but it was a distance that was cleared in nearly a second. Quite the challenge for a beginner.

I suppose telling him the bolts were set on stun would boost his confidence, but letting him think he faced death would probably boost his performance. I shall see soon enough.

As the first blaster bolt would hit home, a second would follow only a split-second after the defensive movement is made. And so the pattern was set. A bolt would be fire, allowing for enough time to defend. About a half a second after the defense is made, a second bolt is fired. The short pause would allow for the Knight to witness whether or not the Jawa could defend against another.

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

Neezuela heard [member="Vaulkhar"] say to begin, so began the exercise, the first bolt fired, flying towards the Jawa's head, it was about to hit before Neezuela moved his wrists, and therefore the lightsaber to where the bolt was travelling, and it bounced harmlessly off the gold beam, flying and hitting the wall, leaving a small mark where it landed, the same happened to the second, and the third, they all were deflected away from their intended target, with the Jawa deep in concentration.

Of course the Jawa's concentrated lapsed every now and then, with one bolt hitting his leg, but he maintained his stance, powering through any pain that would come from it, and another hitting on of his arms. He deflected most of them, which would be quite impressive for a first time, but atleast five bolts had hit the Jawa, though none of them had hit critical areas like his head and chest.

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar would watch, most impressed by the actions of the Jawa. He couldn't lie, he did a damn good job. Something very few acolytes could necessarily do on their first time. He clicked the button upon the remote once more, and it simply stopped firing. Looking over the Jawa, Vaulkhar would note there was no lasting damage.

"Alright, you'll heal up. These bolts, though they are damaging, are meant to simply inflict slight pain. They are used to teach the youth who arrive at our training facilities. You held an excellent form and even managed to deflect the majority of shots, even after taking fire. Very good."

He began to pace around [member="Neezuela"] whilst looking him over once more. As he did so, he reactivated his lightsaber and came to a complete stop before him. He raised it, holding it towards the side in a way that revealed his body completely and opened him up to attack. It was clear Vaulkhar was confident in his ability, and was even going so far as to open himself entirely to goad his apprentice towards him into attack.

"For our next lesson, you will attack me. Throughout the lesson, we shall discuss the ongoing combat. I want you to explain to me what drives you to make each attack. And I shall explain to you what you did wrong or right in response."

Vaulkhar would then perform a short bow before loosely swinging his lightsaber to loosen up.

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

Neezuela watched as his master paced him after speaking, activating his own lightsaber aswell and then stopping infront of the Jawa, he had then raised it, leaving most of his body open to a slash, either his master was over-confident or it was a bait tactic, nevertheless, Neezuela reformed his stance again, readying for the upcoming duel.

He listened to his master giving him the instructions on what to do, then returned the short bow that was given to him, and got back into his stance, his tactic would be to do a quick attack then immediately back into his defensive stance, hoping to get offensive without the nasty consequences of a counter-attack.

He took a breath and made a quick leftwards slash at [member="Vaulkhar"] before returning his lightsaber to a defensive posture, ready to receive a counter-attack.

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar's right arm swept forwards at a blurring speed. The blow simply deflected the oncoming slash. He returned his lightsaber to the same position, held pointing at an angle towards the ground at his right side. The blind man nodded in response to the entire instance.

"That was not bad. Though it was a sloppy slash, it was aimed at the side furthest away from my blade, which would of given you ample time if I were a fellow acolyte. And afterwards, instead of following up the attack, you assessed the situation and decided defense was the better option, as a skilled fighter likely would of followed up with a counter. Especially one who is capable in the art of Makashi. Very good indeed."

Vaulkhar then stepped forward and went through a series of blows. None of them had the speed of his earlier defense, but they moved quick enough to pose enough of a threat to actually garner the attention of the acolyte, or at least the master hoped so. The first blow was a horizontal slash at the mid-torso of the jawa. It was then followed up by Vaulkhar quickly pulling back and angling his blade downwards for a forwards thrust at the Jawa's stomach. And then finally, the third attack was a quick slash meant to decapitate the Jawa.

[member="Neezuela"]

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

Neezuela watched as [member="Vaulkhar"] blocked his attack, it was not meant as a genuine attack, more of a way to test the speed of his master, he listened as he received feedback from his attack, he had done well but the slash could've used a bit more precision and strength to it.

He then held his stance as the master stepped forward to begin his barrage of attacks, they were somewhat slower then the defense he had given earlier, but they were still quick and deadly, the first slash was aimed for the Jawa's torso, so he swung his lightsaber towards it and intercepted it before it could impact, then pushed it back. The second one was stab at his stomach, which he moved aside to dodge, pushing the blade out of his way with his own saber. As for the third strike, the Jawa once again intercepted it with his blade, forcing it back, then reformed his stance.

 

[Vaulkhar]

Once more, Vaulkhar was proud to see the reactions and movements of his new apprentice. As for his offense, the defense of the Jawa needed work. But to be fair, he was new and the defense of his attacks were well placed. As any good master would, he held his blows to make sure he wouldn't face actual death, they were still fast paced enough to seem threatening. The new-master drew back and deactivated his saber. Once more Vaulkhar strode around his apprentice, studying his form.

"Return to your stance so I can evaluate it."

It was a simple request, but one that could easily be difficult to follow in the case of an actual battle.

[member="Neezuela"]

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

Neezuela returned to the stance that had already became a natural response to him, arms up in a specific position, and feet away from each other. The Jawa was somewhat tired, but not too tired, he could feel a droplet of sweat trickle down his face, only to be absorbed by the fur covering it, dampening it. Neezuela felt empowered, he had a received a genuine lightsaber, and had learned his first stance, afterwards defending from blaster bolts and a barrage of lightsaber strikes.

[member="Vaulkhar"]