You Never Knew

[Caid Centurion]

Caid's lips curled into a mischievous grin at [member="Decima Fortan"]'s words of risk. "Am I?" The young dark sider feigned introspective thought before shrugging his shoulders. "I suppose I am adopting a level of risk in conveying the truth to you. I think, perhaps, you should be more concerned with the risk you take, sequestering yourself on my personal vessel for an extended trip." The smile on Caid's lips slowly faded as he continued his retort. "There are some whom might kill someone for the mere conceptualization of an alleged weakness in resolve or dedication...regardless of the cause."

Waving a dismissive hand, Caid merely offered a soft laugh. "I'm not one of those people, however. Further more, I rather assure you that the Supreme Leader knows of my history. My father was his direct representative among the Knights of Ren not long ago." Caid didn't add that he was rather certain the Supreme Leader resented Caid's general existence for that specific reason. Friends close, potential enemies closer? Caid did not know. For now, he was merely content to advance his own goals. A true depth of devotion to the Supreme Leader just might develop over time. Until then...he could content himself in the opportunities provided by the First Order.

Caid had started to withdraw something from his bag just as Decima explained her own lineage. Abruptly, Caid froze. Slowly, the Ren tracked his silver-green eyes in the direction of his colleague. "Really? Now that is interesting." Removing his hand from the bag, Decima would note it was now casually clutching the glossy black hilt of a lightsaber. Placing the hilt of the weapon in his lap, Caid arched a curious brow. "I'm sorry. I just...suppose that I do not see it. You are far more attractive than your half-sister." A platonic statement of simple truth from his viewpoint. "Is this common knowledge?"

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Decima couldn't help but recoil slightly, sitting back in her seat, at the explicit manifestation of what had been an implied threat. She raised her eyebrows, and then they furrowed together indignantly, and suddenly the Fortan family resemblance was quite strong. She stared at him, her jaw setting stubbornly. "Forgive me for offering a credit's worth of free advice," she said coldly, fixing her gaze above his left shoulder. "Certainly you have nothing to fear from me, of all people. I'm here, aren't i?" This was a largely rhetorical question; she didn't wait for a response, instead continuing on: "Perhaps until we start facing external challenges, we should simply be content to let each of us be concerned for their own risk," she said, reaching up to guide a tendril of her chestnut hair behind her ear.

She was perhaps speaking out of turn in her observation before, but she hadn't expected this reaction, exactly. Nor did she expect the rest of his reaction.

"Yes," she answered primly, something about his answer causing her to thaw -- minimally -- with a smirk. "It is common knowledge that I am more attractive than my half-sister. She always looks as if someone has just punched her in the gut just after killing her dog. It's perplexing. Richer than God -- well, ish -- noble, not bad looking, but still -- perplexing." She crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knees. "If you meant, is it common knowledge that we are siblings, then -- no, at least, not outside of Galidraan. It was rather a spectacle there, but since Galidraan isn't in the First Order and nobody important outside of my family has ever been there, it has not yet made it to the media on Dosuun. I think she'd die of shame, even though she had nothing to do with it." Decima stifled a chuckle.

[member="Caid Centurion"]

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid's neutral expression remained throughout the duration of [member="Decima Fortan"]'s reaction. He had thought that he made it rather clear he was mostly teasing, but it wasn't as if Caid had a great deal of experience telling jokes or even approaching being the class clown. No...his life had more or less been a compendium of serious and deadly tasks up to this point. He often wondered if he had much an emotional spectrum at all. No. He didn't even wonder that.

"Not so common if knowledge of your shared lineage is, more or less, non-existent." Caid waved a dismissive hand at the comment, not wanting the woman to think he was attempting to channelize her response into his own perception of the societal norm. He was doing precisely that, of course, but he didn't want her to think that. It could turn into rather a long journey. "Also." Caid came to his, lightsaber in his left hand as his duffel traveled up to this right. "With regard to your earlier request..." The young Ren was referring to Decima's suggestion that they, more or less, worry about themselves. "I had no intention of concerning myself with your own personal safety. We're adults." There was little left to be said before Caid rather unceremoniously departed the room.

He was not smooth or charming, really. He wasn't even sure he ever had been. The Dathomir native merely saw things he wanted...and went for them. The personality trait was tempered by the fact that he wasn't some kind of psychotic serial killer.

--------
Nearly Forty-five Minutes Later
CR-90 Corvette Harkening

The flight crew had made an announcement when they had initiated final approach to the Harkening and when they had docked. Caid was already standing in the passageway where the airlock sealed against the hull of the larger capital vessel. He was wearing the same clothing, naturally, but the hilt of his lightsaber was no longer in his hand, having been affixed to the usual spot on his belt just over his right buttocks. He'd not taken it upon himself to seek Decima out, presuming she would be able to find her way on the fairly easy-to-navigate light freighter.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Decima smirked at [member="Caid Centurion"], her eyes leaving him as she looked down at her hands, folded on her lap. She considered responding, but on reflection found that she had nothing left to add to the conversation. She regarded him coolly for a few more moments before she moved off the chair, sitting down on the floor of the room, cross-legged. She rested her palms on her knees and began to breathe slowly. Meditation had not come easy to Decima, but since she had come under training with the Ren, she found herself finding it easier and easier. She enjoyed it and found that it refreshed and centered her, allowed her to prepare herself for her day. This was what she was looking for now. She needed to steady her nerves and prepare herself to face what lay ahead.

There was no indication of how much time had passed when she heard the announcement that the ship would be making its final approach. She brought herself out of meditation and unfolded her legs, standing up off the floor and giving her rear end a few light brushes in case she had acquired any dust or lint or wrinkles. Satisfied that she looked no worse for wear, she picked up her bag and found her way back to the airlock passage. She slung the duffel over her shoulder and held it in place with her left hand while her right hand was folded across her midsection. Her fingers drummed lightly across the side of the abdomen.

"Harkening?" she asked casually, repeating the name she had heard announced. "Did you name it yourself?" She looked over at him finally. "Does it have a special meaning?"

 

[Caid Centurion]

Silver-green eyes lifted to greet the presence of [member="Decima Fortan"] as she rounded the corner. His expression was flat, neutral, but he did afford her a polite, shallow nod of his head. Caid did not immediately respond to the woman's inquiry as his attention was drawn by the soft clicking sound of the airlock being unlocked.

As he hefted the heavy door outwards, he motioned for Decima to enter first. The pressure had already been equalized, so the airlock door on the Harkening had already been opened. "I did, yes." Stepping into the airlock, Caid closed the door to the Phantom behind him. The flight crew would indeed be piloting it on to Dosuun. "I suppose you could say it has a special meaning."

Once they'd entered into the impressively clean interior of the CR-90, Caid's attention was once again pulled by the uniformed crewman that snapped to a rigid attention. With a simple nod, Caid acknowledged them both. "At ease gentlemen. Please, return to your stations."

"Aye, aye sir."

Once the two crewman had sealed the Harkening's airlock door, Caid returned his attention to Decima. "When I was a boy on Dathomir, I spent a great deal of time being trained as a warrior. The Clan that my family hails from is...complicated, to say the least. I never really subscribed much to their method of worship, and I spent a great deal of time hoping against hope that my father would one day return and take me away from it all, listening for any inclination the Force might give. He never came. Harkening was a nickname that my mother gave me as a result. She told me that the ability to listen was the greatest gift any sentient being could hope for."

Caid shrugged slightly as they turned down yet another stark-white corridor that would lead them towards officer quarters. They arrived in rather short order, indicated by the size of the staterooms. Stopping outside of his own cabin, Caid palmed open the door and motioned her inside. It had been thoroughly cleaned prior to their arrival. "That was a long time ago. You can stay here for the duration of the journey. Go ahead and get settled. I will come collect you in thirty minutes. Be dressed for training." A small smile touched Caid's lips at the thought.

------
Thirty Minutes Later

Dressed in a simple black jumpsuit, Caid stood outside the door to Decima's quarters and rapped his knuckles twice on the door.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Decima listened thoughtfully to the story that [member="Caid Centurion"] told. In her chest she felt an odd combination of yearning and envy. He seemed to have let adversity shape him in a remarkable way. He was successful, impressive, and determined. Decima, on the other hand, had let adversity make her bitter and angry and longing for a place to belong. She reflected back to her meeting with her half-sister and felt herself sag internally. Not a Stralland. Not a Fortan. Perhaps in the Ren she would find a name that finally fit, a brotherhood to which she could really belong. It all remained to be seen. She nodded, but didn't speak, not trusting herself to speak around the lump in her throat, and instead nodded as he directed her to the cabin.

Standing in the doorway, she glanced up at Caid and cleared her throat. "Ah -- thanks," she said and stepped inside. Then she was alone. She set her bag down on the bunk and plugged her datapad into the charging port, then looked around for a few moments, then splashed some cold water on her face before changing out of her traveling clothes. She put on a de-logo'd version of her Knights of Ren training outfit: black leggings, black sleeveless tunic, braid pulled back and pinned so it wouldn't be caught, pulled, etc. She strapped a lightweight belt around her waist and clipped her lightsaber to it -- just in case -- and then began stretching. She always stretched before training when she could -- to loosen the muscles and get the blood flowing properly.

It hardly seemed like thirty minutes later when Caid knocked on the door. She straightened from her pose and strode over to the door, activating the door to open it. "Will I do?" she asked, looking down at her training gear.

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid's silver-green eyes dropped slightly such that he was actually looking at [member="Decima Fortan"]'s face when she answered the door. Her question and subsequent drop of her own gaze only forced his bright orbs to sweep the length of her body. A thought occurred to the larger Ren, but he forced it to the back of his mind with no small amount of mental effort.

Perhaps a hair before his visual appraisal of Decima's appearance made the transition to gawking, Caid forced his gaze to return to Decima's eyes. The tiniest of smirks threaten to pull at the corner of his lips, but he mostly hid it by turning his body. "We shall see," was the bass-infused response he offered. A response that barely even made sense relative to the implication of her question.

Walking casually along the stark-white corridors of the Harkening, Caid more or less immediately got to business. "I mentioned hiding or at least reducing your force presence during our earlier conversations. This technique is not truly one of difficulty, but it does require focus. As you well know, the Force moves and shifts in response to our will, our desire." By way of confirming example, Caid waved his left hand just over Decima's side, allowing the energy to react with the cells in her body to create a brief prickling sensation. "It interacts with every cell and molecule of both living and non-living entities. Sensing one's potential to control this is a result of focusing on specific traits."

Arriving just outside an unlabeled room, Caid palmed open the door before stepping inside. The training room was relatively simple, easily large enough for two people to spar if they so desire. The floor was matted simply to help prevent injury during training, and there were a number of training aids along the walls. Once he stood in the center of the room, Caid turned to look at Decima once more. "Midi-chlorians, I mean. As you well know, every living organism has them, but those that have them in greater mass can influence the Force even without knowing they are doing so. Controlling the intensity of your presence in the Force is a matter of isolating the activity of midi-chlorians in your system."

Caid fell silent for a moment. As was the case when he learned the skill, the explanation sounded more complicated than the actual action. "What works best for me, is retreating into my own mind, allowing the aura of the Force to fill my mind as I slowly reduce my presence relative to the immense existence of everything else around me. In doing so, I effectively suspend my body's own force activity to a point where it is barely perceptible." Motioning towards Decima, Caid eventually took a seat on the floor. "Give it a try."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Decima followed along, glancing down at her side with furrowed brows as she felt a sort of prickling sensation, as if she had some kind of burr in her tunic. It was gone as quickly as it began, and she looked up at [member="Caid Centurion"] with a look of mild incredulity. "Right," she confirmed, running a hand along her side for a few moments before hurrying to catch up with him. When they arrived at the training room, the young woman stepped inside after him and heard the door slide closed behind her before turning her attention fully to the man in front of her --

But only for a moment. Her dark eyes flashed to the walls where all manner of training aids lined the bulkheads, then to the mats on the floor. She half-expected to see it replicated on the ceiling.

"This is... quite the affair you have going on," Decima said with admiration evident in her voice. When he began speaking, she again returned her attention to him, and this time it stayed there. She listened intently and studied his actions, sitting when he did, cross-legged opposite him on the mat. She blanched when he told her to try. "But... how?" she murmured. "I mean, how do you reduce your presence?"

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid didn't really have much of a response to [member="Decima Fortan"]'s indications of admiration. For him, it was all habit having been raised in a society that rewarded only victory. A society that had molded him into being a warrior and little else since the day he was old enough to walk. Such thoughts faded, however, in the light of the woman's inquiry. Caid had no real litmus test as to what she may have already known or not.

"Focus on the Force." It was just a wordier way of telling Decima to meditate. "Allow it to become your every sense, then imagine yourself to be a small, infinitesimal part of the Force. See yourself fading into the background until it's almost as if you aren't there...as if you are indistinguishable from the rest of its aura."

The moment Caid had finished speaking, he realized how much like his former master he sounded. It was quite a different experience, attempting to be the teacher than being the student. It required knowing the student almost as much as it required knowing the content. Unfortunately, for the moment Caid knew Decima...very little.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Well... why didn't you say so? Decima thought wryly. It seemed so simple the way he put it now, she was sure she should have gotten it before. She looked apologetic as she nodded at his instructions. "I think I understand now," she said, and worked to put his advice into practice. She opened herself up to the Force, her dark eyes settling closed naturally, and felt the energy and power of the Force surround her, pouring into her like cold water into an empty glass.

She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth, visualizing herself becoming paler, greyer, fading away.

It wasn't a complete success, not on her first try. There was some wavering of her presence in the Force -- certainly a dampening, but not very impressive. She had no way of knowing that; she just concentrated, focusing hard, until she felt herself gasping and lightheaded. She realized she hadn't been breathing; sweat beaded on her brow and she felt dizzy. Decima's hand reached back to brace herself up as the other went to her head, touching her temple. "Sorry," she muttered.

[member="Caid Centurion"]

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid's silver-green gaze remained focused on the woman before him with a resolute kind of intensity. In his own state of tranquility, he allowed himself to evaluate her efforts through every means at his disposal. A deafening silence fell upon the room as the Ren sensed his associate's struggle. [member="Decima Fortan"] was certainly pouring a great deal of effort into following his instructions. He appreciated that and recognized it as the inclination of just about anyone attempting to learn a new skill.

However, as was often the case, the more active effort she utilized...the tougher it would become to mask. Initially there was success as Caid sensed her presence diminishing much more than he'd expected, but it was like the first drop of a roller coast, soon followed by the inevitable rise. When Decima opened her eyes, exhausted, Caid permitted himself a thin smile. "For what? You have not failed me." Quite to the contrary, she had not failed at all. She was merely weak with the ability, inexperienced. "Your initial inability to encounter complete success is expected, natural."

Smoothest talker...never.

Clearing his throat slightly, Caid leaned forward just enough to lightly place a finger against Decima's forehead. "You use your brain too much." Rather immediately, he removed his finger and lightly placed over the area containing her heart. He was, of course, aware of his appendage's proximity to simple features of flesh, but it was not a concern, for him. Nothing about his body language in that moment hinted at any inclination other than the pedagogical. "Use your feeling, your inherent connection to the Force more. Yes...envision yourself a mere microscopic entity in the Force, but don't just use your brain." Slowly, Caid leaned back to his original position and leaned back on his hands slightly. "Allow it to spread to every aspect of your being, permit the Force to carry your will throughout your body to every cell it contains. Oh..."

An almost playful smirk touched his lips now. "...you should also breathe. I would prefer you did not die."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Decima's eyes tracked Caid's finger as it advanced towards her forehead, her eyes crossing until she couldn't see anymore, after which point they flicked over to Centurion's face, her eyebrows furrowing as she listened intently to his instructions. You use your brain too much. That was true, as far as Decima knew. She sometimes had trouble turning it off. When his hand moved and pointed directly at her heart, she inclined her head, listening to his instructions. It was all easier said than done, she knew -- and she was sure he knew as well, having been in her position at one point or another.

Well. Maybe not exactly that position.

She took a deep breath and nodded, her dark eyes drifting shut once more, and continued breathing. "Agreed," she muttered dryly before she began to try again. She reached out, touched the Force, imagined it connecting to her, to come within her influence and control. She inhaled deeply, but also pulled in deeply on the Force, felt it filling her, flowing through her, carrying with it her will. She imagined her presence in the Force, saw it and felt it, and then began to limit it, drawing in on herself, presence fading. She saw it as the color in her Force signature getting duller, less saturated. Grey. Soon, she was a shadow of her former self -- still visible, still tangible in the Force, but much diminished. But it seemed she had met a plateau, and couldn't seem to convince herself -- or the Force -- to go any further.

[member="Caid Centurion"].

 

[Caid Centurion]

Closing his own eyes, Caid stretched out with the Force, groping around her field of energy in search of presences. Given their proximity, it was very easy to pick out Decima. Her potential to manipulate the Force surrounded her metaphysical representation like a cloud on a gloomy day. This was not so much indicative of her mood as the raw, unrefined potential it represented.

Gradually, that cloud began to dissipate, fading away into nothingness. It was only a matter of time until the effect began to fade, and what remained was a mere shadow of the otherwise very obvious unnatural force activity that surrounded Decima. For a first day attempt, Caid considered it a success.

Opening his own eyes, the large Ren allowed his deep voice to roll forward towards Decima. "That is good work. If you feel yourself approaching the point of having to force the effect, simply stop and back off. You flood the Force with more unnatural movements trying to forcefully command its obedience than merging with its subtleties and simply allowing it to do your will."

After coming to his feet, Caid extended a hand, offering to help Decima to her own. "You understand the basics...now it will merely take time and practice. However, I feel as though your interest ran much more towards combatives."

[member="Decima Fortan"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

It was an intoxicating feeling, being so in touch with the Force. She felt warm and safe, yet refreshingly cool. She felt accomplished, and yet rested. It was a strange, wonderful feeling. Decima couldn't get enough of it, of the Force and what it could do, and how it made her feel. Her fingers clasped together as she allowed herself to retreat from the plateau, rolling her neck as she returned to the real world.

Decima opened her eyes and looked at [member="Caid Centurion"], her dark eyes widening a little at his acknowledgment of her work. She suppressed a smile and instead listened to the rest of his commentary. "Thank you," she murmured. "I'll keep that in mind." She knew that she had to work on control of the Force; it was something she struggled with despite her practice. But these were still comparatively early days, so she wasn't hugely worried. "I'll work on it. [member="Darth Veles"] has been teaching me well but oftentimes I feel thick as two short planks. It's a learning process," she added with a depricating smirk.

She placed her hand in his and stood, brushing her behind off of any possible lint or other detritus. "Well, combat is power in many ways. I understand there are other frameworks but -- well, yes. I am."

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid arched an eyebrow at the mention of the Mon Calamari Sith, but the expression rather quickly faded. "You are correct. More importantly, in combat we learn the true measure of ourselves and others. There is a simple reality to the fact that in failure we become stronger, and in victory...we gain confidence. A true warrior can find the balance in the two. I do not speak of light and dark...as that is to course an example to apply to a reality vested in so many subtleties."

Pausing for a moment, Caid extended both his arms just as two training sabers flew into his hands. "The most powerful of any sect understand that peace and passion are required. The crutch that many fall into during their early stages of their training is simply allowing their emotions to take over, becoming an unstoppable fury. Key word...unstoppable. You may win several battles in such a state, but you will fail spectacularly when confronted by a well-trained foe. Until you can master your own thoughts and emotions, you cannot master anything else."

The hilt of the training saber in his left hand spun briefly in his open palm before he grasped the middle and offered the device to Decima. "In the end of the day, however, it is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. So!" Caid paused as a took a few steps backwards from [member="Decima Fortan"]'s position on the mat. Holding the training saber somewhat innocently at his side, he moved into the lesson proper. "Sorry for the...monologue. This is what the bulk of my life has been. At any rate, a couple concepts. One, never run out of time, space, and options all at the same time. If you feel yourself potentially getting overwhelmed, do not be afraid to great distance through any means possible. There is no cowardice in regrouping to extract yourself from a bad position. Two, try to always keep your body squared to your opponent...in more advanced stages...this can be modified as you've seen. Three, know your enemy as best as possible, this is as much a mental game as it is physical. Eventually, you will develop a keen sense of understanding weaknesses and be able to exploit them. For instance..."

Caid activated his training saber, red in color, before taking a step and a half closer to Decima. Raising the weapon casually, he displayed that the tip of the blade was perhaps two to three inches past Decima's head, an ideal striking range. "Now activate and raise your weapon, see how far it is from my own."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

The look that [member="Caid Centurion"] gave on mention of Veles was brief, but not lost on the young woman. She felt her own eyebrow loft curiously, but filed the question away for another time. Now wasn't the time or place for that, and at any rate, there were other things to worry about now. She watched him intently, finding something oddly compelling -- perhaps mesmerizing? -- about the soft emerald glow to his eyes, and even more fascinating the information that he imparted, the guidance and tools. "Thank you," she said, taking the training weapon from him and testing its weight in her hand.

"You need never apologize for a monologue," Decima told Caid with a polite smile. "I have much to learn from you. There is a saying on Galidraan -- perhaps it is also elsewhere -- that beggars cannot be choosers. So think nothing of it," she said and clasped her hands behind her back, around the practice weapon. She continued listening, trying to absorb the information he was providing. It was a lot to take in, and she was sure it would take much longer to learn it -- to really know it -- than listening to it once.

She obeyed. The blade jumped to life in her hand, extending towards Centurion. She raised her blade to fighting stance; hers nearly touched his as she remembered to square herself to Caid -- as much as she could square her frame to someone taller and more muscular. "Like this?" she asked.

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid nodded in response to [member="Decima Fortan"]'s statement and inquiry. "Yes. Now - notice the distance that is between us. From this position, you can attempt to block or parry my strikes, yes. However, the advantage remains mine because unlike your own, my blade is within reach of your body. This is a crude but effective demonstration of being in a purely defensive positions. Avoid this if you can." Lowering his weapon, Caid took another step closer to Decima. "From this range, you can defend and strike out at my body."

Deactivating his weapon, Caid raised a single finger. "Larger individuals have a harder time fighting in close. This is a weakness you can exploit quite well over time, but you must always be ready to create distance, as I said. Otherwise..." With speed aided by the Force, Caid's body practically blurred into action. Surging forward, he seized Decima's wrist that was holding her own training saber. At the same time, he placed his left leg to the outside of her right and grasped her left wrist with the hand still holding his own training saber. A sweep of his right leg to her left and the two Ren went crashing down to the soft mat.

Initially, Caid's body was pressed firmly against that of Decima, bodies so close that every physical attribute could be felt almost intimately. However, Caid quickly raised part of his bodyweight off of Decima. "...you can end up in a ground fight, and the more massive individual will expend far less energy keeping you down than you will throwing them off and creating space." Caid released Decima and gradually came to his feet. "We will cover techniques on the ground as well, but they are less important because unlike most, you have the benefit of the Force."

Once more, he offered Decima a hand, forcing his expression to remain as neutral as possible.

The reality of the chemical reactions that had briefly surged through his body before he wrestled them back under control bubbled just beneath the surface of his presence. Obvious to any with the ability or desire to care.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Decima was stunned into silence, her dark eyes staring first over his shoulder as he pinned her to the mat -- feeling for the first time in awhile a touch of embarrassment as she realized that he must be experiencing the same sensation she was, but in the inverse. There was little left to the imagination for the briefest of moments, but by the time she recovered enough to exert herself to push away, he was already pushing off her. A moment later, he was on his feet and offering her a hand. She thought she sensed -- something -- but it was gone before she could make sense of it. She took his hand and stood, giving him a look of reproach as if to say you cheated.

Warily, she took his hand and stood, then stooped to pick up her training blade, straightening a moment later after checking the fastenings on her left boot.

"I can't help but think that the Force can only help me so much against someone with muscle and mass on his side," she observed with a thoughtful frown. "But I suppose if I can create distance -- " at this, she took two steps back from [member="Caid Centurion"], lest he blitz her again. She was wary, like a caged cat, her eyes wide as if to take in all of his movements. " -- I can buy time to find a more advantageous situation. And perhaps counter-strike from a position of surprise."

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid managed a soft smile as he nodded his head. "That is a correct presumption. If you end up on the ground against a larger foe, you will have a hard time prevailing if you are both talented in the use of the Force. For this reason, you are also correct that creating distance when necessary is your best bet. Just the same, however, you are more lethal to any opponent when inside their guard assuming you are not limiting your own reach."

Activating his training saber, the Ren flourished it briefly as he continued on with the instruction. "Now then. Lightsaber combat is as much an art as it is a science. You have to be able to read your opponent and adjust your own style to capitalize on their weaknesses and play to your own strengths. At the same time, you must be able to improvise, to keep your combat techniques varied enough that you do not become predictable." Motioning to the training room they occupied, he continued. "Your environment plays a role too, use it to your advantage when you can. There are an infinite number of variables to track, and you will only be truly great when you've learned to fuse your natural senses with the power of the Force to keep you several steps ahead of all those in your immediate area."

Caid permitted a pause of silence to linger as he allowed his words to set in. "Now all that remains...is to see just what type of fighter, you are." No sooner had the last words left his lips than Caid surged forward in aggressive opening move that he did not typically take. Starting off easy, the Ren allowed his training saber to come slashing in towards [member="Decima Fortan"]'s left side.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Decima's dark eyes focused intently on [member="Ciardha Ren"] as he spoke, watching his mouth form the words, occasionally glancing up to his burning emerald eyes. "And what is my best course of action when I am up against an opponent without discernible weaknesses?" She regarded him curiously, activating her own training saber and twirling it experimentally before bringing it up into defensive position, shifting her weight from one foot to the other and back. Her fingers gripped and regripped the weapon, trying to get comfortable with the blade, but she didn't get the chance, because Ciardha Ren struck.

Decima moved back, her training weapon coming up to block his attack at her left side. Her body twisted and she reached into the Force, hoping it would give her some sort of inkling of her next move. But until it did, she would have to rely on her own instincts and abilities. Her fingers tightened around the blade and she drew on the Force to strengthen and center herself. She used it to imbue her attack and counter-struck, her saber coming across, slashing at his midsection in a left-to-right motion, hoping that his momentum from attempting to attack would leave him open to counterattack.