To Air is Mortal, to Control is Sith (Dara Gola)

[Zion Mirtis]

Feeling the small but apparent prod Sophie's eyes opened before she saw her way back up to the surface. Once her head emerged she let out a gasp, needing to take in fresh air after circulating all of the stores air for so long. It did leave a little tole on her as she felt cramp but at least she wasn't dead or didn't break. Swimming over to [member="Dara Gola"] she hoisted herself up from the water and took a moment to regain herself. Once she did she fixed herself a little, taking her wet hair and pulling it over her shoulders while fixing it somewhat.

Looking to her apprentice she said "Thank you, Dara. Now your turn. And the exact same time. But, if you fail, you will have to do it all over again? Clear?" Once she gave her answer Sophie stood and said "Good. Off you go."

She would wait until Dara jumped in before ordering food for herself. Three hours of nothing but air did leave side effects. When she did she also wanted something else: a balance beam. While she waited she sat on one of the chairs, looking back to the book she was reading, while glancing at the clock now and then.

 

[Dara Gola]

She watched as [member="Darth Raven"] made her way back to the surface and out of the pool. She smiled as she saw that her master had easily completed the task that she had set for herself. She felt the pressure of it weigh down on her as she heard her master's words. They weren't mean or laced with venom, but the threat was well implied. She flet even more resolve not to fail. She had already embarrassed Sophie once today, and she wouldn't do it again. She closed her eyes and focused on creating the force barrier around her nose and lungs. she was going to attempt to keep the air she had fully in her lungs while keeping the pressure of the water at bay. With her eyes still closed she took the single step to the right and dropped straight into the pool. She allowed her body to sink to the bottom as she focused on remaining as still as she could. If she used very little oxygen then she would have as much as she needed for this test. Her thought were on completing this task and regaining her master's faith in her.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Enjoy the time for herself Sophie sat and ate the small finger foods the staff of the bathhouse could provide. Often she would check the clock and look down to check on [member="Dara Gola"] in the water. She seemed to be doing fine. In the meantime she continued to read on other possible abilities and skills to teach both herself and her apprentice in the future. Some had seemed more useful than others but she wanted to be careful. Not all abilities were meant for a mere assassin who'd true power lied in stealth. Eventually the balance-beam she requested was brought as well, still with only an hour left on the clock. She told the staff to set it up that it would be across the pool; obviously nowhere near where Dara was sitting at the bottom. Finally, after the long wait, Sophie had sent a Force prod to indicate Dara was done.

 

[Dara Gola]

Dara felt the slight prod and opened her eyes, she pushed off the bottom with her legs and as she broke the surface she took in a deep gasp of air. She stayed there treading water for a few moments as her body sucked in the much needed air. She gracefully swam towards the edge of the pool, her lekku floating behind her. as she pulled herself out of the water she looked over to [member="Darth Raven"] and smiled, " That was really tough towards the end, but it's manageable. I must find a way to be ready when I emerge from the water. This could be very useful for me if I need to infiltrate someplace with water." She was beaming with pride at completing the task in one try, she felt as if she had made up for her earlier failure. She stood off to the side, still dripping water, waiting for whatever was next.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

"Good. Very Good." Raven nodded after seeing and hearing [member="Dara Gola"] finish the task. "You never know when a target or enemy may only be reached by a long swim. Or if you need to protect yourself from some deadly gas. Best to have this sort of ability on hand in case of such an occasion." She stood, putting everything in her hands down, before saying "Take some time to eat or drink. We have one last thing I wish to test before we're done." To answer she indicated the balance-beam over the pool and said "Combat practice."

 

[Dara Gola]

Dara smiled at the praise, she was glad that [member="Darth Raven"] was happy with her effort. " Thank you master, I believe this will be very beneficial to my work." She nodded as she grabbed a few bits of food and a glass of the water and sat on the floor with her legs crossed. She knew that she could have used a chair, but she wasn't done for the day wit hher lessons and she didn't want to become comfortable while she trained. It was one of the few lessons that she had retained from her old master. she glanced over at the beam tilted her head but remained silent. If her master wanted to practice longer, she she would work until she dropped. she sat for a few more minutes and ate rhe food quickly, when she was finished she stood and stretched her legs, " I'm ready when you are, master."

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Once [member="Dara Gola"] was ready Sophie nodded before standing and walking over to a table where she'd left her lightsaber. Taking it she walked to the opposite side of the pool before stepping onto the beam. Waiting for Dara she made she her feet were positioned correctly and that she was dry enough that no water would drip during their little spar. "Since you have a saber of your own I'm more interested to see how well you handle it." She explained. "Nothing too fancy. No force abilities. A single fight to see how well you are. Of course if you fall in you lose. Same rules apply to me of course. This lesson it more about balance than anything else." Once Dara was on the beam and ready Sophie nodded before holding her saber up and activating it. With one hand behind her back she came forward, carefully stepping, before trying to prod at Dara with a small thrust.

 

[Dara Gola]

Dara stood there for a second and watches as [member="Darth Raven"] walked over to take her lightsaber, she followed suit and retrieved her own lightsaber from the pocket of her robes. She slowly walked on the toe beam and tested her footing carefully.She thumbed the activation switch on her lightsaber and the orangish/yellow blade sprang to life. She wasn't sure what to expect but found that her feet were dry enough that she would be able to move without falling. " I understand master." she said as she glanced down at the water. Her kills with a light saber weren't perfect, and she relied a lot of her anger and rage to push her through her fights. she was a practitioner of Juyo, and it gave her a very unorthodoxed style, one that would be hindered greatly by the rules of this fight.

She stepped forward one foot at a time, she wasn't a dancer, but she was a twi'lek and she knew how to dance because it provided her with a cover for her jobs. s she hopped back as the first thrust from Sophie's blade. she moved forward again lightly, her focus on her opponents blade. She quickly slashed down from left to right, in an arch that would take Sophie across the shoulder if it connected, her body never stopping its movement as she spun on the small beam and lashed out with her left foot, hoping to catch her opponent at the legs and finish the fight quickly. She knew the danger in not only taking her eyes off her opponent and turning her back, but she understood that long fights would always spell trouble. She was a being of daring tactics and this was as daring as it could get. If this worked she could win the fight, if not, she could be lose or be killed in the process.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Sophie felt as [member="Dara Gola"] parried her trust before trying to take a swing at both her shoulders and then her legs. The first she stopped easily, the other she had to quickly bounce off by turning her wrist in an awkward manner. She could see that Dara was clever enough to try and make for her legs first. A very good sign. However this wasn't going to be as easy as that/ Once she recovered Sophie came forward, showing how careful she was with her steps. Once close enough she attacked with a few little overhead sweeps before adding another thrust for her apprentices chest. She wasn't aiming for her legs as Dara had, mainly because she was trying to make her fall from her own accord.

 

[Dara Gola]

Dara frowned as her attack had been batted away as easily as if she told her it was coming. She watched as [member="Darth Raven"] moved forward gracefully and wondered exactly what to expect from her next attack. She didn't have to wait long as Sophie's blade flashed at her several times and she quickly countered and parried the angry red blade out of the way. She was forced to back up several steps to keep from losing her balance and the final thrust at her chest caused her to jump nback slightly, her left foot almost missing the beam and causing her to stop and regain her balance for a second. She didn't want to lose the fight so she kept her eyes on Sophie as she fought to get her foot firmly back on the thin beam.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Sophie, seeing Dara's recovery, nodded before smirking. Her free hand that she'd kept behind her back had come forward now, taking a spot on the hilt of her saber. She looked like she was ready to give a mighty swing but, instead, dropping the tip of the blade into the pool water. The heat caused a great deal of steam and mist to come out, enveloping the both of them. Now it was a matter of testing [member="Dara Gola"] and her senses. Once there was enough that they were both practically blind Sophie, already seeing through with the force, tried an overhead strike followed by a few sweeps from the left.

 

[Dara Gola]

Dara regained her footing and watched as [member="Darth Raven"] moved forward again, she got ready to counter the incoming strike and was taken back the sudden wall of steam that engulfed them. she knew that they would both be blind to what was going to happen next and she decided to close her eyes and let the force see for her. she blocked the first blow easily and she stepped back another two steps back to avoid the sweeping attacks from the left. She waited until the last sweep was finished and she pushed her saber forward in a thrust at Sophie's chest. She wasn't sure it would work, but it was her best shot at winning. She followed up the attack with a strong side kiss directed towards her master's knee.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Both blind and relying purely on the force. Sophie and [member="Dara Gola"] were proving to each other how well they were at combat as much as either adaptation with the Force. Sophie had to admire that, wondering if she was this good with her master then they sparred. The sudden trust to her chest was stopped when she managed to bring her blade up, blocking the strike but was surprised when the twi'lek made for a kick to her knee. She had to risk the chance and, in the commotion, seized her foot mid-air. However this had also caused her to lose her own balance and start to lean too far off the beam But if she was going down she'd take Dara with her, grasping her foot tightly so she would go in too.

 

[Dara Gola]

Dara smiled as she felt the subtle movement through the force that let he know that she had won, and then her eyes opened and went wide. She felt the hand gripping her foot and she knew that she had lost. She felt her body being pulled into the water and she tried one last attempt to pull her foot back, but she felt gravity and momentum taking her down into the water. The warm water splashed loudly around her and she felt the bulk of one of her lekku slap hard onto the beam as she entered the water. She finally felt [member="Darth Raven"] release her foot and she hid her smile at knowing that she had pulled a draw with her master. The rules may have limited what each woman was able to do, but she still proved that she was a formidable fighter.

She pushed herself up towards the surface and stopped there treading water, waiting to hear what Sophie would have to say about the combat session.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Both had fallen and both had proven to be equal, at least in terms of the rules set by Sophie herself. At least [member="Dara Gola"] had proven that confiding conditions were too much for her to adapt to. She'd lasted long and only through luck and a need to defend herself did Sophie find it end in a draw. Had this been a regular battle between the two the circumstances may have been far more different. She she broke to the surface the mist and steam had finally cleared, now Sophie able to see her apprentice treading there. She looked angry, her steel blue eyes almost burning at the twi'lek. They were the only thing seen from the surface, the rest of her face and mouth still underwater. When she finally rose, as if ready to yell at Dara, she instead began to laugh, breaking her ore aggressive look into a jollied one.

"Very good, Dara." she said. "Very, very good. You show a lot of promise, my dear."

 

[Dara Gola]

Dara pushed back a bit as the look she got from [member="Darth Raven"] as she surfaced in the water, her terror visible in her eyes. she didn't know what she had done to displease her master, but she recoiled in fear from the possibility of being punished for it. She was ready to run, and it was only her fear of making any punishment worse that she stopped herself from doing anything more than moving backwards a bit. She saw Sophie jump out of the water and smile at her and she let her shoulders slump as she smiled as well. She heard the praise and she was confused for a second, she was worried that she was going to punished and yet she was being praised." Thank you master, It was tricky due to the conditions you had set." She doubted that she would fair as well if Sophie was given free reign to do as she wished with the force.

She made her way over the the edge of the pool and pulled herself out of the water. She was still a bit shaken by the fear that flowed through her, but she was doing her best to hide it from her master. " Had the conditions been different I don't think it would have been as even a fight." She was making sure to show the proper deference to Sophie's abilities, as she would have for her former master. She only knew how to act one way when she was an acolyte, because she only had one experience to reference from.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Sophie laughed a little more at both of Dara's comments, saying "Indeed. You show a great skill in adaptation. Another use for an assassin. You ay find yourself in strict and confiding situations. Best to stay alert and ready to alter your plans if need be. That was the grander part of all these lessons today, and you've done a fine job of it." As the twi'lek swam over and made her way out of the pool Sophie gave a coy smile before seizing her foot again, stopping her. "Where do you think you're going?" she sarcastically asked. "I've still neglected to give you a reward yet. And besides, I want to see how much longer you can hold your breath." she said with a coy wink. Another token of appreciation and another means of keeping [member="Dara Gola"] loyal to her. Sophie had not forgotten than.

 

[Dara Gola]

Dara was almost out of the water when she felt a hand seize her foot again. She was pulled back into the water and the turned in the water to see the coy smile. She couldn't help but smile broadly as [member="Darth Raven"] gave her that look, she knew now that she wasn't in any trouble and she was very familiar with what that look meant. She swam closer to her master and let hand drift up, faintly toucher Sophie's hand in the process. " I promise you master, that my control over my breathing could last a very long time, if you needed it to." She saw the look in Sophie's eyes and she felt her heart flutter a bit. it was the look of lust, and she felt more than flattered that it was directed towards her.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

[member="Dara Gola"] as ever had agreed to her little reward, as Sophie knew she would. When she mentioned about holding her breath Sophie smiled, taking her hand and reaching to grab the back of her apprentice's neck, while saying "Let's test that." She then planted her opened mouth right against Dara's allowing the two to "exchange air" as she forced her head back under the water. And from there, as always, the master and the apprentice embraced for a long period. The water had made for a more interesting location compared to last time and Sophie, more eager than ever, had not held back the advantages to coitus in a pool. Even with them floating to the top now and then it made little to no difference. At one point she'd tossed her saber, and Dara's, onto a chair to dry. Some time later their swimsuits landed nearby. And when it was over Sophie and Dara would eventually return to the Sith temple, paying the staff of the bathhouse for the time and not telling what had happened. All that needed to be known as a lot was accomplished this day and Sophie felt one step closer to helping Dara achieve the rank of Knight.