A Different means to an end (Nagisa's training continued.)

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Nagisa finished setting up her makeshift bed and responded to her master. "I have had much worse sleeping situations in the past and did just fine master, do not worry." She then cleared her throat as Haven brought up the bag and she glanced over her shoulder at the other woman. "Deception isn't the jedi way master, I would nev..." then when the tickling started she let out a squeal. She had actually never been tickled by anyone before and there for did not know how ticklish she actually was "M-Master! stop please!" she said in between laughs as she squirmed. Her new master was indeed an odd one.

Nagisa managed to squirm away from the tickles for a moment. "My story will not make any sense to you since I presume you still have not read my file." she retorted. The padawan quickly attempted to regain her composure. "I suggest we both get some sleep master, we are going to have a busy day tomorrow and it will no doubt start rather early." she stated as a reminder. Then she laid down on her makeshift bed and tugged her backpack towards her. She frowned lightly, a small embarrassed blush spreading across her cheeks as she pulled out a small old teddy bear, which was the item she was hiding, and quickly hugged it against her chest, turning her back to face her master. she was obviously embarrassed about the trinket and let out a large sigh, muttering just loud enough for her master to here. "Please do not mention this to anyone, master..."
 

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Nagisa's guess was correct. if Haven recalled correctly, the file should either be still in her drawers, or possibly thrown long ago into the garbage pile. Nevertheless, Haven agreed that it was indeed time for bed, once Nagisa showed her what was in her backpack that was. Having withdrawn from her tickle attack, Haven plopped herself back onto her bed, sighing with relief as she made herself comfortable. Keeping her eyes fixated upon Nagisa as she removed the mystery object, Haven eyes widened as the truth as revealed. "This... this is wha-" Haven burst out laughing, unable to finish her sentence. She flipped over on her back, tears building in her eyes as she tried in vain to stop her hysterical laughter. Finally, regaining some self-control, Haven stopped, likely because she could sense a few knocks on her doors in complaint if she didn't.

Nevertheless, there was still a wide grin on her face, though she made it clear that she had not been laughing in mockery. "Excuse that!" Haven apologized, her face still rather red from the outburst. "i'm really sorry for having questioned what you had been hiding. But really, a lot was on my mind, so i was laughing partly out of relief..." Haven raised an eyebrow after having said this, and rested her head on her hand. "Ok, well, who would have expected a teddy bear?" Haven chuckled, making her pillow more puffy before laying her head on it. "By the way, tomorrow morning, though i will try my best to wake up earlier, we shouldn't be as optimistic as to hope that would actually happen. Therefore, when you wake up, make sure to shake me awake before anything else!"
 

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Nagisa kept her back towards her master as she laughed, huffing lightly. "It's embarrassing having something like this at my age, and as a jedi none the less..." she muttered. "But I will make sure you are awake on time master." She honestly had never met a jedi knight that was anything close to what haven was like, and she probably would never again. All the other knights where what you would expect of a jedi, though Nagisa could not help but find it a bit entertaining. With that she went to sleep, fairly confident she would indeed have to wake her master up. "Have a good night master."

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Nagisa was gently shaking Havens shoulders as she slept. "Master... it is time to get up, if you continue to sleep we will have to rush a lot more then I would like." Her hood was down covering her face once more, but it was rather noticeable that she had her brow furrowed as she attempted to wake her up. She had all ready gotten herself ready, changing out of the cloths that were worn out and dirty, and now all she had to do was wait for her master.
 

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Haven resumed her sleep rather well, having fallen asleep seemingly the moment Nagisa finished talking. Which was why it was rather distressing when she was awoken after what had only appeared to be a few minutes of sleep. Nevertheless, Haven remembered what had happened during the night, and what they would have to do this morning. She sighed, opening her eyes. "What, no good morning?" Haven stated, in the hopes that humour would replace her morning fatigue. Having got out of bed, Haven dressed into her black Jedi robes, knowing that she should make the effort for formal occassions such as this one. After all, this did not simply involve herself, Nagisa's future with the Jedi was at stake. After gazing towards the mirror, Haven straightened her hair slightly before turning to face who would hopefully remain her Padawan. "And let us be off!" She said, motivating both of them with a wide grin.

============

The meeting had been an interesting to say the least, though Haven would still need to talk to Nagisa in the future about some of the details. For now, Haven was intrigued to see how well Nagisa had maintained her conditioning during her time away. For all her normal behaviour, she was certainly no slack teacher. The Jedi were taking a more active part within the war, and no matter what one's individual attitude towards fighting was, knowing how to defend yourself and others is crucial. Haven had been surprised when she learned of who Nagisa's previous master was, the former Grand Master of the Jedi order, Rev Ultor himself.

Nevertheless, the training was not completed fully, and though Nagisa had achieved well with force training and the history and beliefs of the order itself, it was rather evident that the usage of a lightsaber was not something that particularly appealed to her. But Haven had insisted on this aspect, which is why the two of them now found themselves within a training room of the Monastery. Smiling still, Haven stood still in the center of the room. "Learning to use a lightsaber does not mean you have to kill. Though your reluctance on that part will definitely lead to some conflict, keep the Order's ideals inside your mind at all times."

Haven activated a training saber, rather than using her double-bladed one that she normally utilised. "The form i will instruct you in is Soresu, form three. it is the most defensive of the forms, something that will suit you better i believe, allowing you to use personal judgement at all times." She brandished the saber, whirling it in the air in defensive circles. "What do you know of this form?" She asked before further proceeding.
 

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Nagisa ignited her training saber. "I know the literal definition and description of the fighting style Master, as it was required to study the styles as a youngling, but I have very little to no experience in actual utilization of that style." Nagisa had done some extra studying on her own accord of that particular style as it was indeed the one that interested her the most. The Kiffar padawan held the blade back in a one-handed grip, extended forwards so the tip of the saber was pointed towards Haven, while the opposing arm was held parallel to the blade in challenge. Her dominant foot is held back. "The opening stance is the extent of my knowledge in the form master."

Nagisa had a rather serious look on her face. She was not one to take training lightly, always giving all the effort she could muster. "I promise to explain more about myself and some events that you probably have questions about in my past when we finish Master... I feel it unfair that I am leaving you in the dark and I apologize." She said, feeling rather bad that Haven had mostly been in the dark at the meeting.
 

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((By the way, do remember to update her profile once the training is complete :D))

"Don't feel any obligation to explain anything if you do not feel comfortable about it." Haven waved the issue away. "We all have things in the past that we would prefer to avoid unless we have to. These things cannot be removed from our existence, for our own experiences will forever be the best teachers. That said, our pasts should not be used as a factor of judgement. With each event, we start anew, for it is what we are doing now that will truly be important." Haven tossed aside her outer layer of robing, preparing for the physical exercise. "Very well, first of all, it is important to note that the mindset that one must hold is unique to every lightsaber form. in particular for Soresu, one must never simply see what the matter at hand is, for that is the easiest way to throw your actions into chaos." Haven said, moving into the starting stance of the form.

"Patience, patience, patience." She repeated for emphasis, demonstrating an exercise. Rather simple, it consisted of keeping the blade as close to one's body as possible, bringing the blade across the body so that it covered as much area as possible. "Keep your grip firm yet flexible. A stagnant defense is just as useless as a stagnant offense. Always maintain your awareness, and prepare to react for whatever may be thrown against you." Some other trainers may prefer to use training droids which fired blaster bolts, but Haven found it to be more effective when the training involves actual blade to blade clashing. "This form is particularly effective when it comes to defending yourself against the most common of weapons you will face, projectiles. Nevertheless, it truly shines against other lightsaber users when you have immersed yourself within it."

Haven let her lightsaber point downwards for the moment as she explained the applications of the form. "The environment is something that we practicioners of Soresu must always keep in mind. Do not allow yourself to drift into unfavourable areas, let the environment aid your efforts rather than impeding you." Haven explained. This was probably the only time Nagisa would have seen when Haven was not all laughter, but lightsaber training in particular was something which required full concentration at all times. "Try to repeat the drill, understand how your lightsaber and body works. When you are ready, i will be testing you in practical terms." Haven said, giving Nasgisa an encouraging smile as she stepped back to observe.
 

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Nagisa was indeed suprised about her masters change in attitude during the training, but felt confident she would receive very good training from the usually odd Jedi knight infront of her. her eye's were glued to her master as she was explaining the style and she was nodding every now and then, cataloging all the info into her brain as quickly as she could process it. "I understand master..." She still felt it was unfair to leave Haven in the dark and decided she would indeed share her story with her at a later time, but for now she must concentrate on this.

Nagisa started to copy her master's movements, but at a very slow pace, wanting to make sure her form was correct first and foremost. she knew she could speed it up later. Having her lightsaber blade that close to her body was slightly unsettling at first, and she realized how much control she would need in order to not accidentally injure herself whilst using this form. "This would have been helpful during my mission...I may not have gotten injured by that smuggler then..." she said, more to herself then anything.

The padawan continued to practice the exercise, slowly becoming more comfortable with it the longer she practiced, and she began to slowly increase her speed to that of which her master was doing it. Whilst she was doing the drill she let the force freely flow threw her, helping her creating a sort of flow between her body movements and that of the lightsaber, the two of them feeling more and more connected ina a natural way the more she concentrated on it. Nagisa wanted to make sure she was ready for Havens test so after practicing for a while longer even after she felt comfortable she twirled her lightsaber around her and retook the opening stance, looking towards her Master. "I believe I am ready for your test Master."
 

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Haven nodded, having watched Nagisa refine her movements. "Very good." Haven was pleased, glad that Nagisa was allowing the force to guide her movements instead of simply waving the lightsaber about. Raising the training saber hilt again, Haven ignited the yellow blade, entering into the starting stance of shii-cho. The most fundamental saber form would be the best to test Nagisa's proficiency. "Do what you feel is correct, know when to retreat, when to defend, and when to make your move." Haven smiled, taking quick steps to close the distance between them while she talked. Though Haven wasn't going to unleash a proper assault, she would make it certain that the blows would have substance behind them. But, she would test Nagisa's awareness with a quick 'nudge' with the force, enough to stagger if it hit home, just before she delivered the first strike.

in engagements with other force-users, the force plays as large a role as the bladework itself. Holding her blade with two hands, Haven struck from her left, targeting Nagisa's right thigh with an overhead blow. immediately, Haven would step back from the blow before lunging forward in a sweep targeted towards Nagisa's head. Without continuing the attack, Haven would observe how she reacted before proceeding. The training room had no clutter on it's floor, but footwork would still play just as much of a factor. With small steps, Haven would try to edge Nagisa backwards, towards a corner to see whether Nagisa remained conscious of her surrounding.
 

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Nagisa nodded at her master instructions, preparing herself for her masters assault. She felt the 'nudge' Haven was directing at her with the force but was not to worried about it, as manipulating the force was what Nagisa was best at. The hand that was empty in her opening stance countered the nudge with a small but equal strength blast of the force, nullifying it's effects. She then shifting backwards slightly when her master approached, swinging her lightsaber so she didn't block the first attack, but deflect it off to her right. She was still using the force to guide her movements, as that was almost required when fighting another force user. Using the momentum from the first delected attack she spun around bringing her saber quickly across her own body in the tight formation she had been practicing. It was abit sloppy still and didn't have the full effect that she wanted when she blocked the next attack, causing her to stagger slightly.

Nagisa continued her defense, slowly being edged towards the corner of the room, but she was aware of that fact and continued in that direction. When she was almost in the corner she feinted a slash to her masters left, quickly pulling back and launching herself with the force. She rebounded off the wall behind her, somersaulting over her master. The improvised technique was also a tad sloppy, but would hopefully put her master into the corner if her master did not take advantage of her sloppy technique and counter in some way.
 

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As Nagisa feinted a strike, Haven raised her blade, naturally adopting a high guard position, anticipating the attack. Detecting the sudden force activity, Haven immediately moved her left leg backwards to better react. As Nagisa leaped off the wall, Haven immediately swung her blade upwards as swiftly as she could, aiming for a direct strike upon her midsection. By leaping into the air, one made themselves much more vulnerable to attacks as you could not alter your direction once you left the ground. "Keep in mind not to leave the ground unless you have to!" Haven said as she used her left leg as a pivot, bringing her right leg to the left so that she now faced Nagisa with the right side of her body. immediately, taking advantage of the fact that Nagisa would have to land, Haven took two large steps, dealing a blow with greater force behind it, intent on preventing Nagisa from establishing a steady defensive position. The blow was a sweeping underhand strike, making a bisecting motion against Nagisa's torso.

After this was completed, Haven would keep her guard up while pausing before making her next move. For someone who appeared to have less enthusiasm for saber combat, Nagisa had certainly reacted well to Haven's attacks. She smiled, thinking of ways to further test Nagisa's reactions. With the force gathered around herself, Haven hurled herself forward, keeping her lightsaber held slightly in front of her horizontally with the intentions of directly slamming into the girl. Having jumped from a fair distance away, this would be a good time for a counter attack, as Nagisa should have ample time to prepare herself. However, if Nagisa counter-attacks after Haven's feet have set on the ground again, she would look to spin away from the strike while attempting to dislodge Nagisa's grip upon her saber with Haven's own blade.
 

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Nagisa's leap was a rather large tactical mistake on her part and she took the blow directly to the midsection. Wincing in pain she landed rather unsteadily , knowing if this had been a real lightsaber duel she would have just been killed. As she landed Haven was all ready assaulting her with another flurry of blows before she could recover, still feeling the distracting sting of the blow that landed. The padawan tried desperately to regain her concentration. Her saber came up and just managed to block the powerful blow, but she was still out of rhythm and the strike made her stumble backwards several paces.

Haven seemed to give her ample time after that to recover and she regained her defensive stance, taking a few moments to catch her breath before Haven renewed her assault. She remembered what her master just said about not leaving the ground unless you had to and tried to take advantage. Rushing forward she thought quickly about the best coarse of action and she quickly built up energy in her free hand, sending a strong force push up towards Haven. This meant to off balance her master and keep her in the air for a few more moments so Nagisa could strike before she landed, arcing a slash up wards when she was in range.
 

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Being in mid-air, Haven knew that she would have to do something quickly unless she wanted an ugly landing. Either way, Nagisa would have succeeded in stopping Haven's momentum, forcing her to go on the defensive instead. Gathering force currents in front of her, Haven raised her arm, forming a shield a little in front of her fingers. The impact of Nagisa's force push caused Haven to decelerate immediately, landing after the force pulses dissapated against the shield. Now finding herself at the brunt of a counter attack, Haven quickly ducked, raising her lightsaber with her right hand only to divert the strike away while slapping down on the floor with her left hand. Chanelling the force through her arm, Haven caused a small shock-wave to form, keeping it in control so that the floor would not be damaged, but certainly powerful enough to cause someone to end up lying on their backs. Using the force currents that expanded outwards, Haven allowed them to aid her backflip, carrying her away from her original position.

Regardless of whether the shockwave worked or not, Haven would raise a hand in front of her, while deactivating her saber, indicating a pause to the sparring. Grinning, Haven placed the saber back into it's holding rack, meanwhile making her way back towards Nagisa. "Well done!" Haven began. "Though obviously, this is training, you certainly did not move around like someone with little previous experience." Speaking of which, Haven had not asked about Nagisa's previous mission. Something for later... Haven mused, something else to talk about other in the event that their discussion of the past turns awkward. "Now." Haven said, returning to the present and clamping her hands together. "What did you learn from that exercise?"
 

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Nagisa was caught rather off guard from the shockwave and flew backwards onto her back. She glanced down to make sure Haven was not still pressing her attack and looked slightly releaved when Haven's saber was deactivated. She switched off her own saber and lay there for a few moments, catching her breath. "Getting into the mindset that this was an actual fight helps Master... though I think I just died twice." Her hand absently went to her stomach where she was hit before. It still stung slightly but it would go away eventually.

Hoping to her feet she thought for a moment before answering her masters question. "Avoid being in the air unless necessary... and training sabers sting alot more then I realized, Master." She carefully went over every moment from the spar in her head, going over what she did right, and what she did wrong, thinking of what she should have done instead . "I am still not a fan of lightsaber combat, but I see the importance of becoming proficient in the art."
 

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"Don't worry, real life situations tend to propel us to the best of our capabilities. No matter how 'realistic' this exercise was, it's still only training." Haven chuckled, "Though learning to use a lightsaber to deflect away blaster bolts and the sort is also crucial, competency comes from learning to utilise the force in aiding your efforts. You did that well." She walked over to Nagisa, making sure she was fine after the saber strike and the fall.

"And, there's some other reasons i don't particularly enjoy training against blaster bolts." Haven smiled, deciding to reveal something from her childhood. "First of all, a blaster training probe had exploded when i was 10, and that's how i lost my arm!" Haven waved her cybernetic hand in the air, a wide grin on her face. "Second of all, it's somewhat awkward if the training involved me holding a stun blaster and firing at you."

"Not to mention, training blasters sting a lot more than the sabers do!" She exclaimed.
 
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Geeva

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Nagisa was fine, the stinging from the training saber was all but gone now after she did a mini meditation of sorts. "Thank you master, I still have a lot to learn though. I think I could do better if I had focused more then I had been and tried not to show off as much with the flip." She ruffled her brow, again making a mental note to avoid fancy maneuvers like that, as they seemed to have little effect in actual combat.

She listened to the brief story of how her master lost her arm and gave a small nod. "I could see how that would influence your decision to use the training probes master. I am fairly confident in my deflecting abilities, I got plenty of practice in the mission I went to. The smugglers did not seem to want to give us a very warm welcome." She tugged at her clothing a moment so her stomach was exposed, showing a spread of small scars on it "I unfortunately lacked the skill to deflect a close ranged shot from a shotgun." She said with a small smile, deciding to share something about herself as well since her master had.
 

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"Eugh, shotguns. So messy and barbaric." Haven made a face, wincing at Nagisa's scars. "Good thing you made it out in one piece certainly! Shotguns and 'plenty of deflecting practice', sounds like quite an assignment." She had shown capability, not to mention character in returning to the Order. Moments or periods of doubt and uncertainty were found in nearly everyone. Though Haven had not said anything, shortly after her knighthood, she had strayed away from the Order. For a substantial amount of time, Haven had hurled away her responsibilities as a Jedi, eventually leading to a self-embarked exile of sorts.

Nevertheless, she too had returned, though achieving redemption is more so for your own heart than what others view of you. "The future will be what you make of it, but the present cannot be allowed to faze you." She said, somewhat abruptly. With a steadfast smile, Haven looked into the tall girls' eyes, placing her hand on Nagisa's hood. Pulling it away to uncover Nagisa's head, Haven's smile turned into a sad one, for this was when it was the hardest for all teachers. "Smile more. There is nothing to hide, and keep in mind that the past should never be allowed to burden you or serve as an excuse." Haven sighed, giving Nagisa's cheek a friendly pinch.

Looking out of the windows, the Monastery offered a supreme view of the Tython landscape. "The world itself will be both the true test and the teacher, and i will only have been one of the many teachers you will eventually accumulate." She said, her eyes quickly darting to Nagisa's face before continuing their observation of the scenery. With a grin, Haven continued. "You are ready, Nagisa. Technical prowess is something achieved through time and hard work, but a mindset that should be held by a member of the Order is something that comes naturally."

She stopped, curious as to how Nagisa responds to this piece of news. For Haven, having each Padawans move on was something inevitable, yet something that demanded every inch of her will-power to allow to proceed. Attachment was something she certainly knew was contrary to the Order, Nagisa had been one who she certainly saw as a younger sister. Whether they meet later on is another matter, each separation was full of pain, for her padawans and a few rare others were the only people who Haven had ever gotten to understand and know, and had formed bonds with.

((And casual roleplays are a must :D))
 
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Geeva

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Nagisa gave a small nod, covering up the small scars on her stomach with her clothing once more. "Mhmm, nothing a small trip to the hospital could not fix though." She paused for a small moment, seeming to be reflecting on the mission. "I was reckless though... my injury could have been avoided had I kept a cooler head and not rushed into the situation without thinking, I needlessly endangered the mission and was lucky he did not follow me to finish me off..." she seemed to say this more to herself then to haven, figuring if she was hard on herself she would not make that mistake again.

Nagisa blinked when Haven began to speak once more, being snapped out of her small bit of daydreaming. She listened intently to what her master had to say, nodding her head every now and then to show she understood what Haven was saying. She did let a small smile creep onto her lips when her master tugged her hood off but it was almost instantly washed away when Haven told her to not let her past burden her. That prospect seemed almost impossible at the moment, but it was something she thought she could keep under control with enough concentration and meditation.

The young jedi's face then wore a slight look of suprise when Haven said she was ready. "You think that I am prepared for what the universe has in store for me master?" she asked. "I am truly honored Master." Once again a smile crept onto her lips, she honestly didnt think this moment would ever come, but here it finally was. "I will always remember your training master, and I will not let you down." She then gave Haven a respectful bow. "And I promise to keep in touch, I figure I owe you that much seeing as I vanished on you before."
 
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