Learning the Contention Form

[AuroraRogersSkywalker]

Saerina Avrikana was waiting outside her master's house on Naboo. The Jedi Knight who was to get her started on learning Makashi should be arriving soon, she realized. As the petite fifteen-year-old braided her long, golden brown hair she was contemplating what this Jedi Knight would be like as a teacher. Saerina's Master, Kai Sera, had told her good things about Alanna Noymara. He had said Alanna was, for her young age, a skilled and experienced Makashi user. But Saerina wondered what Alanna's temperament would be like; the Padawan had easily gotten used to her Master's relaxed and easygoing nature. He corrected her when she made a mistake, but wasn't uptight or judgmental by any means. This worked well with Saerina because she was rather high-strung and very critical of herself. Would Alanna be particularly strict?

Saerina decided not to think about it too much. The training today would go well, she told herself, and worrying about things was never good for a Jedi. With a sigh, she finished her braid and closed her eyes, meditating in order to be properly connected to the Force. As always, it took her longer than it probably should have to calm her active mind down. The Padawan had a bad habit of overthinking things, and this made the Force not come quite as naturally to her as it probably should have. It was a fault she was aware of and working on, but it was still a fault nonetheless.

Then, she could sense the approach of someone else, someone who was surrounded by the Force. A Jedi- not one Saerina had known before- obviously Alanna. Saerina stood up, excited to get started on this new lightsaber form and to meet someone new.

 

[Oncaro]

Alanna had heard of Kai's new apprentice-- and had heard that she was wanting to learn the second form of lightsaber combat, Makashi. There were few people Alanna knew of in the Order who relied on that form exclusively; and this made sense. Makashi was a rather demanding discipline, requiring utter focus and precise movement. Despite the advantage it held as a purely duel-centric lightsaber form, very few of her contemporaries in the Old Order had bothered to dedicate themselves to it due to the near-extinction of the Sith in her timeline. And even in this era, with the Sith in resurgence, Alanna doubted many Padawans had the willingness to adhere to the form and stick with it enough to overcome its weaknesses like she had done.

Alanna was not really one for combat, being a Jedi. What had actually drawn her to Makashi was the elegance, the refinement and artistic flow of the style. She had wanted to use her lightsaber in a way that left others in awe of her skill and precision, and Makashi offered just that. And she was happy to pass on her knowledge.

She looked to this new student as she approached; the girl didn't look much older than Alanna did physically, and was half a foot shorter than the redhead herself, which was surprising. She also didn't look particularly strong, which could be a liability that would need to be overcome.

"Hello, Padawan Avrikana," she said, smiling gently. "I'm Alanna Noymara. I hear you've wanted to learn Makashi."

 

[AuroraRogersSkywalker]

Even though Saerina had known ahead of time that Alanna was young for a Jedi Knight, she was still surprised to see how young she actually was. Though quite a bit taller, Alanna didn't look to be too much older than Saerina. "Hello, Master Noymara," she said in response to the Jedi Knight's greeting. "Yes, and I'm eager to get started on it." She wondered where they would go to work on this form. Would they go to the docks, like she had during her first session with Kai, or to the meadows or somewhere else?

"Eager" was practically an understatement. Learning lightsaber combat was Saerina's favorite part of Jedi training, probably because that was what she was best at. She constantly had to remind herself to rely not just on her blade but also on the Force- not just in lightsaber combat, but in general. But she felt that the movement, the precision and artistic nature of using a lightsaber, made it easier for her to concentrate on the Force instead of just sitting there and meditating. And Makashi was no exception. Makashi incorporated pretty much everything that made Saerina like lightsaber training, and she felt that it would suit her careful, precise nature very well.

 

[Oncaro]

"Master" was still a title that Alanna had to get used to hearing. Not that long ago, she had been still been a Padawan. And before that, back in her home era, she had expected to remain a Padawan until she was at least twenty. Nevertheless, she smiled to Saerina and motioned for the girl to walk with her.

"I'm quite happy to show you what I know. But before I teach you, I'd like to ask you a question that was asked of me when I dedicated myself to learning this style: What is your reason for learning this form? In this case, do you expect to be able to fight the Sith more effectively with it, or are you seeking instruction due to something else?"

It was Alanna's belief that a person's reasons for learning a particular form of lightsaber combat would be reflected in just how much dedication would be shown to it: All seven forms of lightsaber combat, as well as their derivatives, were effective in combat situations, but each was distinct and thus suited to certain people or style. A person of short stature, like Master Yoda, would generally choose Ataru to compensate for their lack of height. Others might choose Djem So to take advantage of physical strength in their blows, or the flashiness of the form. So discovering whether this form would work for Saerina at all was important.

 

[AuroraRogersSkywalker]

Saerina answered without hesitation, since she had thought long and hard about using Makashi as her fighting style, but she still hoped her reply would sound reasonable to Alanna. "I suppose it's a difficult way to learn to be effective against Sith, but I've always wanted to do it because of the balance, the structure, and the calmness. I feel more at one with the Force when my fighting style is controlled and precise. I know I'll have to work hard, maybe harder than some-" she gestured to her own small, less-than-powerful frame- "but I'm willing to do that." Out of curiosity, she asked, "Why did you choose this form, and stay with it through all its difficulties?"

The Padawan also knew that, unlike most people, she could focus best when her mind had a lot to do, so she thought the difficult nature of Makashi would actually come to her advantage. Besides, Makashi wasn't demanding in the same way Djem So was- it wouldn't require so much power and aggression. She also didn't expect to take on to the form right away- it would take a lot of work, but her goal was to one day be able to perform it to the full extent of its artistic nature.