Ask Ajan Kloss [Lesson 3] Flow Like Water

[Oren Zapan]

Teams are: (@TWD26,@Eden,@TRook ) vs (@ModernMarvel,@Cero Serat,@Fantasy Liver) - My team will post first, post in blocks of your team, 48 hours per team. Death Disabled, Dismemberment Disabled. Minor Injuries like a bruise, etc. are all fine.

The journey across the jungle had been tough, it had rained in the morning causing the dirt paths that lead from the temple and into the uncharted wilderness to become a mixture of mud and slop. Luckily for the Jedi Knight, he had opted to not wear his long flowing brown robes, but instead went for his black tunic and loose brown trousers, which had been tucked into his once jet black boots. He was leading the trail, the backpack containing all of the blast helmets and training sabers caused him to lose his grip a few times and slide. He sometimes wondered why he was the one carrying everything, yet he would often remind himself that he was the one in charge of the class.

He wouldn't be alone though, fellow Knight Lanaamer would be instructing opposite of him, he knew next to little about her and was optimistic about getting off on the right foot with her. He had taught or knew several of the students from encounters past. He enjoyed his time with them and he was looking forward to continuing to grow with them. The group would walk for several miles before arriving along the bank of a wide expansive river that ran through the jungle.

The water was murky and the sound of unknown alien birds could be heard from the canopies. The Jedi could only assume what sort of large creatures lurked in the murky brown depths of the river. Chaos, yet harmony. He told himself as he set the bag down and began to remove several helmets and training sabers--handing them to each and everyone of them. With little to no time he'd jump out towards a lily pad, landing softly against the top as he stood out within the river. All around them were giant pads that floated along the surface.

Smiling, he'd place his helmet onto his head, dropping the blast shield--blinding him from his sight. He'd take a deep breath, feeling out to feel the force and everything around him. He could feel the water running underneath them, as well as the gentle buzzing of insects, a nexu off in the distant prowling for its next meal. Life and the force flowed all around them. "You will use the helmets for this training session during our spar. The force will guide you, feel out to it, accept it and connect with your team. Balance yourself and everything around you and you will begin to truly see." He'd smile under the blast helmet.

He'd raise his hand, balancing himself as he felt out towards an adjacent lily pad, with a soft leap he'd hop across to it, using the force to balance his landing. "Come join me upon the river and we will begin our session."

 

[Giran Latt]

Giran had been nervous about this lesson all day. One-on-one sparring sessions were one thing but team sparring! That was two whole extra people he had to disappoint. The walk up hadn't helped his nerves, he'd been slipping and sliding the entire time and only through the force had he stopped himself from faceplanting in the mud.

Seeing instructor Zapan make the leap onto the giant lily pads hadn't done much to calm his nerves. Seeing him drop the blast visor had all but sent him into a panic.
Emotion, yet peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Giran took a deep breath. He just needed a strategy. He wasn't the most dexterous man or particularly strong so he was going to need to draw heavily upon the force to make the landing but that shouldn't be a huge problem. Once the visor was on the playing field might be a little more even as he'd always had a particular affinity to opening himself to the force. Lastly his form III would probably shine whilst fighting on these unstable platforms, requiring others to most of the movement, whilst his fluid saber movement kept them from touching him.

Feeling a little more confident Giran leapt to the lily pad that Oren had just vacated. Giran pushed down hard with the force to slow his descent. The lily pad wobbled precariously for a second but he managed to maintain his balance as he landed upright on the leaf. A huge grin split his face, maybe this will be fun. He slammed the blast shielding shut and opened himself to the force. He could feel the lily beneath his feet, feel the bugs skittering across the surface of the lake, feel the various creatures living under the waters surface. He let the connection overwhelm him for a second basking in its beauty before reaching out to Oren and his other team mate Hiranikorssa.
"Hi, I hope I'm not too much of a burden on you guys" Giran called out

 

[Hiranikorssa]

Hirani'korssa was exhausted. In the past few weeks, she'd come face-to-face with two separate companies of violent slavers, and had pushed herself in training with Master Goordayr until she couldn't walk. And yet, walking was precisely what she found herself doing; weaving past hanging branches, and ducking beneath the massive leaves of exquisite alien flora. Her boots, knees and hands were black with mud from the occasional slip, and her cloak too was in need of a wash. But she loved it all the same. In her poor upbringing, the indoors were for sleeping... but the outdoors were for adventure, for living. The forests of Ajan Kloss felt like home to Hirani, more so than anywhere else in the galaxy.

So, when Oren Zapan invited her to a spar by the river with four other Jedi, she knew she had to participate—much to the disappointment of her aching legs. The trek was longer than she had bargained for, but it made the joy of arriving at the river all the more satisfying, as she got to clean her hands in the water, prepare her mind for the lesson to come. Once everyone had arrived, the young Padawan watched on with intrigue as Zapan revealed the contents of his bag, handing out training sabers and blast helmets to everyone present.

Well, this should make things more interesting... Hirani thought while glancing over the blast helmet, absent-mindedly spinning the unignited lightsaber through her fingertips with her free hand. She had only held a real lightsaber once, and although calling a training saber a true lightsaber was far from accurate, it was closer to the real thing than the staff she was used to wielding. Snapping back into focus, she would soon realize this lesson was to be even harder on her legs, as Zapan gracefully leaped out onto one of the lily pads on the river.

"Come join me upon the river and we will begin our session."

Hirani watched on as the Mirialan—Giran, was it?—was first to take the jump. She tried not to notice, but he had slipped over the most out of the padawans on the path to the river, so she wondered how he would handle the landing. And while it was a little wobbly, his landing ultimately proved successful, and he bursted into a smile. Even though they had just met, she felt more than just a twinge of pride for him. With that, Hirani was inspired to be the next to take on the lily pads.

Here goes... The Twi'lek padawan thrust herself through the air, using the Force to slow her fall. She landed on the tips of her boots, streaking a small patch of mud against the green of the lily pad, and let her weight onto it as gently as she was able. Around it, the water rippled. Hirani wondered what creatures lived beneath, taking in the million sights, scents and sounds that her new vantage-point presented. It was gorgeous in every way, and part of her wanted to leap off her lily pad right then, and—

"Hi! I hope I'm not too much of a burden on you guys." She whipped around to see Giran standing on an adjacent lily pad, blast helmet on. Oh yeah. Blast helmets. Shaking her head at her own memory (or lack thereof), she placed hers over her head, and lowered the visor. Then, she reached out in the Force, immersing herself in the lively wilderness surrounding them.

"You should have more confidence in yourself," Hirani responded in a reassuring tone. "Your leap was impressive. If anything, I hope that I am not a burden to the both of you: I may have some skill with a staff, but I have never used a training saber before..."

Hirani turned her head to face the three Jedi by the riverbank. Smiling, she realized she was already having more fun than her legs should have permitted, and she called out to them.

"Your turn, y'all!"

[ @ModernMarvel @Cero Serat @Fantasy Liver ]

 

[Drow Venn]

The walk had not bothered Drow Venn too much. He'd always liked hiking and having decided to forego his Trooper armor and make the hike in civilian clothes was a good decision. He was eager to learn with his fellow students had to teach him. Though combat was something he felt comfortable doing - he'd been doing it much of his life - he was aware that he had much to learn about the Force anad about lightsabers. He'd only been studying the Jedi way less than a handful of years since he'd left the mercenary lifestyle and was not at all self-conscious about being one of the oldest people here; he just wanted to learn.

"Very well!" he called out to the Twi'lek as he readied his jump. He opened himself to the Force, letting it flow through him as he made the jump. His landing was a bit rougher than he would have preferred but he made it onto a lily pad. He used the Force to pull a helmet to him. As an Ishi Tib, Drow knew his head size and shape were most unconventional in the galaxy so he was grateful the Jedi had provided him with a helmet that was specially fitted to accomodate his features. Nodding thankfully, Drow slipped on the helmet and was met with blackness. He let the blackness wash over him for a bit before that blackness gave way to the pulse of life that every organism around him radiated. He could see now. He undid the lightsaber from his belt and waited for the rest of his team.

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

The forests of Ajan Kloss seemed to come alive after a rainfall. Small creatures scurried through the trees, eagerly looking to spot an insect meal turned out of the dirt by the rains; birds chirped to each other in conversation; and Jedi, well Jedi trained and studied, though these tasks were less dependent on the weather. Thus, Brienna Lanaamer found herself, along with a fellow Knight and four Padawans, on a training exercise. While Bri was technically one of the instructors for the lesson, she didn’t know much about her counterpart, Oren Zapan, and kept her mind open for anything that should could learn herself.

The boots of the six Jedi formed into a rhythmic ‘slop’ as each stepped through the muddy dirt at their own pace. Silently cursing the amount of time it would take to clean her boots later, Bri tried to instead focus upon connecting with the resonant Force of Ajan Kloss, calming her mind and spirit. Knowing their lesson would be more physical in nature, Bri had styled herself in standard leather boots with a pair of form fitting light brown trousers, and short-sleeved khaki tunic, with a brown leather belt completing the ensemble. She had tied her hair up in a ponytail with two loose braids on either side. She was grateful that Oren was carrying the equipment as the walk to the forest clearing took a bit longer than she had anticipated. Nevertheless, in the spirit of fairness, Bri made a mental note to remember to carry the equipment on their way back to the temple.

Their journey concluded rather abruptly as the small pathway they had been following opened up into a clearing with a river softly gurgling through the middle. The normally clear water had taken on a more brown-ish hue from the muddy runoff of the recent rains. At that moment Bri resolves decidedly not to end up falling in the river, yet, somehow, she sensed such future action may not be totally within her control. All is as the Force wills it, right? Bri thought silently to herself, Even if that includes ending up soaking wet in muddy water, she added, finishing her inner monologue aloud.

Knowing that their morning session would be training saber sparring, Bri got a better idea of what Oren was planning, as she watched him gracefully jump and land on one of the large lily pads that practically covered the river. At that moment, the Jedi muttered to herself. “Yep. I’m definitely getting wet.” Still, she picked up her own training saber and blast helmet and followed suit, jumping with a mid air somersault to land on one of the large pads. Her landing caused a ripple on the water and it took just a few seconds for Bri to find the balance of the floating vegetation and remain stable.

Listening to Oren’s words of wisdom, Bri figured to offer her own message of advice to the two Padawans she would be assisting. “Don’t put to much thought into your movements, feel the Force and let it be your guide.” Pausing before adding with a smile. “It’ll never fail you if you have a the right connection.” Feeling herself sounding a bit too serious, Bri finished with a joke and light laugh, “it doesn’t make any guarantees about keeping you dry, though!”

She then slide the slightly too large blast helmet over her head and slid the shield down to cover her eyes. Finding it more comforting to keep her eyes closed instead of looking at the painted darkness of the helmets visor, Bri took a few deep breaths, in and out, feeling the connection with her surroundings begin to strengthen as she concentrated. The smell of the rain. The sound of the creatures, the resonant Force of her fellow Jedi. Feeling suitably prepared, she called to her two students, “Good luck!” and gripped the training saber in her left hand.

 

[Moza Aban]

Moza appeared to be in high spirits by all accounts. The lesson for the day was lightsaber training, and while he had some proficiency in the basics and Niman. He knew his more meditative nature had hindered his progress in the more martial traditions of the order. Hence his elation when the class was being offered by Masters Zapan and Lanaamer, and why during their little hike he held such a vibrant mood. Even the jungles of Ajan Kloss seemed to mirror his good humor with a chorus of birds in conversation, rich aromas of the plants after a fresh rain wafting on a playful breeze, and the chattering of some Sciuromorpha of some sort alerting the other fauna of their presence was all music to Moza. The tall plodding padawan didn't even seem to mind the mud that troubled one or two of his fellows. Although considering his previous outing the fresh muds held more amusing memories to him.

When finally they arrived at the banks of the river it they would come to a halt. It seemed their destination had been reached, and so Moza would look out with those yellow eyes of his and scan the location. Of course the river flowed, languidly it seemed, for the massive lily pads proved relatively stationary. With them though were various insects both in flight above the surface and skittering along the water's edge. In the distance a few water fowl idling along, likely looking for food of some sort or another. It was all so perfectly tranquil in Moza's mind, and the others could see his neck extend as he filled his four throats with a nice hearty and oh so deep breath in, and then slowly out in stereophonic sound.

<<This place is beautiful.>> Moza reflected in his native tongue, though he was unsure at all if he would be understood by anyone present.

As he offered his little remark, his attention returned back to the group and specifically Master Zapan as the Knight unloaded the pack he had been carrying. With it came an assortment of goodies, training sabers and...blast helmets. The former Moza collected easily enough, and while he had his own lightsaber set at his hip it made more sense for the exercise to use what was provided. The helmet on the other hand, well that was a different matter entirely. Picking up the thing it would take just seconds for Moza, and likely anyone else, to realize that this type of helmet would not fit on an Ithorian eye stalk. The shape of their heads and how their eyes set was just too different than human biology that the thing was more likely to fall off than not. He wouldn't even be able to strap the thing down to keep it from rocking with the movement of their inevitable training.

<<Umm, Master Zapan, Master Lanaamer...I don't think this helmet will work for me.>> Moza offered out hesitantly, his yellow eyes glancing back down to the helmet in hand before setting it back down by the pack.

<<If it's all the same to you, I'll just blindfold myself.>> He added, his slender fingers reaching down to the hem of the sleeveless blue robe he wore. Drawing on the force Moza would enhance his strength just a touch to be able to rip the fabric in one clean stroke; and while he would have to mend it later the padawan would tear a decent sized strip from the bottom of his robe. This he would hold in one hand, and with the training saber in the other, he would make his own leap out onto one of the floating lily pads. Unlike the others his landing wasn't what one would call...graceful. In fact he hadn't quite cushioned the landing enough with the force and so his pad rocked and swayed a little bit. Causing the padawan's arms to immediately fly out to the sides and try and balance himself. But eventually it would calm and settle, and Moza, after another heavy breath, would straighten up and proceed to close his eyes and blindfold himself.

<<Right...okay then...>> He sounded, speaking more to himself to begin with as he reached out his senses into the force, <<Alright, I'm ready.>> He added as he ignited the training saber and entered into a low guard stance for Niman. His blade pointed downward at an angle to his right side, and with his senses open he waited.

@TWD26 @Eden @TRook @ModernMarvel @Fantasy Liver

 

[Oren Zapan]

One by one he could sense the group of them leaping out and landing on the pads. He could sense his own students abilities, but he had no doubt in his mind that they would indeed succeed. He was unsure of all of their abilities, but life was about experiences and failure was often the best teacher. "You'll be fine, trust in yourself and your teachings..and remember that we are always together."

He could sense the unease from the Ithorian, a slight frown forming on his face. The markings on his face pulsed bright red, fortunately for him his face was hidden away under the blast helmet. "I'm...sorry about that," he'd say awkwardly, "It slipped from my mind," he'd say with a deep breath.

He'd feel out around him, focusing in on the sound of a distant bird skimming across the surface of the river, centering himself around his surroundings. He'd grip his saber, igniting the training blade. Feeling out and focusing on the humming of the blade he would quietly explain, "A lightsaber is the weapon of our order," he'd gently swing the blade, "It is a last resort, one that you must use sparingly in my opinion. You should never attack first, always give someone a chance to make the right decision." He'd say with a soft voice, "Yet, you must always be willing to jump in for what's right, to stand up for those who are weak and cannot defend for themselves. Take no enjoyment from battle, understand that there should be no emotion. Hate nothing for your enemy, but feel sympathy and sadness. It is a shame to take a life, attempt to wound if you can, but understand that sometimes you have no other choice."

He'd let the words linger through the air, letting the sounds of the jungle fill their ears, to let the words seep into their thoughts and consider the justifications and implications of such a blade. But, he wouldn't wait too long. He'd reach out, feeling the fellow knight out, she was to the left of him.

Reaching out with the force, he'd propel himself into the air, his blade above his head as he came crashing down with a downward thrust of his blade towards her direction. He made his presence widely known towards her that he was coming, he hated attacking and believed in defense. Regardless if the woman did not manage to ignite her lightsaber in time, the blade would come crashing down into her helmeted head.

tag: @Eden @TRook

 

[Giran Latt]

Giran considered master Oren's words as he said them. He mostly agreed, defence was almost always the better option but surely there were exceptions to the rule. Times when a preemptive strike could save more lives than evil it would do. If the Jedi of old ,he'd read about, had discovered Palpatine earlier surely then a preemptive strike would be warranted. Of course his own blade was on the river bank and he had not yet raised it in anger. The meer thought of doing so making him shrink inside, so perhaps it was never an option. He pondered for a moment and just as he was going to ask a question he felt Oren leap from his lily.

maybe later then

Giran reached out with the force once more. He felt his teammate -Hiranikorssa- to his right. There was an echo of an emotion there - directed at him - was that... Pride. It was lucky Giran's face was hidden under his blast shield as his face went a bright shade of orange. The Jedi were a good people. Next he felt the Ithorian directly in front of him.
"Coming your way ... Um Moza?" Giran called awkwardly
Giran made the leap, letting the force guide him towards his target. Of course the force couldn't make him any less clumsy or if it could he didn't know how. So, Giran still had to push down hard to soften his landing. Hopefully it wouldn't be to much trouble for Moza to keep his balance.

 

[Hiranikorssa]

"Very well!" Drow Venn replied, before being the first member of the opposing team to join them on the river. The others leaped onto their own lilypads not seconds after. No one had yet fallen in, but Hirani sensed that was going to change. Soon.

Of all the padawans involved, the Ishi Tib named Drow was the only one Hirani knew from prior experience. They both fought in the Ord Radama skirmish — a haphazard defense of a village plagued by slaver raids, in which, if she was being honest with herself, she really should have died. But now was not the time for such dark thoughts; now was time for Hirani to enjoy herself. In her mind, she walked out, upon the rippling skin of the river, taking note of every detail that she could feel through the Force — every fleck of an insect's wingbeat, every breath made by hunted prey. Then, gently, she let herself fall back into the present, and was herself once again.

[ @Fantasy Liver ]

"I hope you can swim, Drow!" She teased, igniting her training saber in a Makashi salute. She had never actually trained in Makashi (only Shii-Cho and Niman) but it was a fun show of intimidation nonetheless, assuming he was paying attention to her movements in the Force. And while she knew as well as anyone that lightsabers were not be used lightly, it felt like the right time to just have some reckless fun, and bond with her fellow padawans. It felt good. Hirani hadn't let herself unwind in a long, long time.

All of a sudden, Vapan began the first attack on the opposing knight, Giran quickly followed suit on Moza, while Hirani paused to size up Drow in the Force. Where she was short, nimble, and athletic, he was taller, stronger, older, and more experienced in combat. But she only smirked. Despite the Ishi Tib's obvious advantages, Hirani had one edge over him that could well make the difference in their spar.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

She lept from her starting lilypad to one much closer to Drow, albeit not quite within striking range. Just close enough to hop onto his, and make keeping balance an entertaining challenge... which she quickly did, prepared to flourish her blade defensively if he were to attack preemptively. If he didn't, she would make a diagonal sweep with her saber, targeting the shoulder on his left, and hopefully she wouldn't slip into the water in the process.

Regardless, Hirani was having all too much fun.

 

[Drow Venn]

Drow nodded solemnly at Oren's words urging for pacifism. Drow knew all too well how easy it was to slip into violence and how much devastation that violence could cause. While he relished an opportunity to train himself up, Drow was fully committed to the idea that the only violence he would enact for the rest of his life would be for the defense of others.

"Good to see you again, Hirani! Hope you're healing up nicely!" Drow said genuinely. He was fond of the Twi'lek as she'd been one of the brave few to respond to his call for aid in Ord Radama. Anyone willing to put themselves on the line like that was good in Drow's book. Win or lose, he'd have no issue with her.

He gauged the young Padawan's movement. A practicioner of Makashi himself, Drow smiled at the salute and then wsa impressed when she made a large leap to another lily pad. Drow met her own diagonal slash with a parry and locked sabers with her, using his larger size and strength to try and off-balance his opponent.

@Hiranikorssa

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

Bri nodded along with Oren’s explanations of when a Jedi should engage in lightsaber combat. Never to seek it out. To use the Force to protect and M being a good Jedi also meant to be prepared. And there were plenty of beings and forces in the galaxy that would seek to do them harm and endanger their lives. Thus, being proficient in the art of the saber was critical. Those who failed to understand this fact often didn’t live to regret it.

Rather than trying to scare the padawan’s Bri resolved to show the more fun side of what training could be, setting a fine example of where hard work, dedication, and perseverance could get you. Force knows how poor with a saber Bri was when she began her training. If it was possible to be worse than bad, Bri even surprised the most experienced Master with how uncoordinated she was with the traditional Jedi weapon. However, with the Masters guidance, the entirety of commitment, and many, many scratches and bruises, Bri found herself excelling, and actually enjoying her saber training.

Wishing her padawan students luck, Bri tiled her head to the side, hearing Oren start the skirmish. igniting the training saber in her left hand. She felt the familiar hum of energy in her grasp, and prepared to react to Oren’s incoming attack. Bri did not know what his skills with a saber was, but she assumed that as he was older than her, Oren was probably more skilled. The training sabers obviously wouldn’t dismember or impale anyone, but it certainly stung quite badly if you were touched by one.

Bri both felt and heard Oren launch himself off his lily pad, looking to begin his attack from above. Having enough time to react, the Knight hopped to an adjacent pad, dodging the attack. Quickly looking to find an opening to attack, Bri rushed to engage Oren from his left side, looking to slash down diagonally.

@TWD26

 

[Moza Aban]

There was a degree of hesitancy within Moza as he waited for the match to begin. While he had his own lightsaber, and had practiced with the blade. He very rarely sparred with another and was anxious to find out how his work had been paying off for the past few years. There was also the fact that his preferred form of combat was Niman, as he felt it incorporated the Jedi philosophy the best and allowed him more time to study on the force itself. But with that style came a blending of both martial technique and force ability, and in that blend came the second aspect of his hesitation. If this were merely an exercise on blade work was it then bad form to utilize the force? But in doing so it limited Moza's options in his style; and thus trepidation set in.

It was that feeling of unease that held his thoughts as Master Zapan gave his speech, and while Moza agreed with the message he was only partially paying attention. After it was over the mood turned and one could feel a shift in the collective mood of those gathered. The sounds of the natural world formed a white noise that covered the tension. Moza remained at the ready, feeling out into that world and holding for the inevitable break. When it came, it came like a lightning crack. Moza could feel the Knight launch himself forward from the lily pad and to Master Lanaamer. He could sense the rush that came with the motion and found his own heart racing to match. Diverting his attention back to the rest of the field, he could feel Giran before him and Hirani to the side. While he didn't know who was coming for him he knew he would be ready.

"Coming your way ... Um Moza?" Giran called awkwardly

Or, that could happen.

<<That is most kind of you to tell me. >> Moza offered as his focus shifted almost entirely on Giran the moment the other padawan announced his intention. It certainly made things a lot easier for the Ithorian, and fortune took another favorable turn as he felt Giran leap forward towards him. After all Moza had been in a low guard, and so attacking an opponent who came from above and in a direction he knew meant his blade would carry more momentum. He also stood a good six inches taller than Giran and had a much better height advantage over the smaller man. So the Ithorian slid his right foot back in expecting Giran's approach and stabilizing himself for the descent. At the same time he would swing that blade upward, going from the downward right angle he opened with straight up in a leftward slash. His massive form adding leverage as the training saber would come to meet the descending Giran faster than he might have anticipated.

 

[Oren Zapan]

If Brienna expected him to be an extremely skilled duelist, then she was sorely mistaken. The knight had sometimes lacked on training his skills, and thus he could be considered woefully average for his time as a knight. He'd feel out in the force descending down towards the pad that the fellow knight had been at, his blade came crashing down towards the air, but he'd quickly readjust, his mind and body focusing in on her presence.

He'd grip his blade with both hands as he centered himself on the lily, his right foot sliding back as his knees bent slightly and his blade shifted in front of him at at a 45 degree angle pointing upwards. He'd sense out, feeling her dashing towards him from the left. He'd shift his body, pulling his blade up and angling it upwards passed his chest and out towards her blade.

The blades would clash and he could feel her pulling down on it, causing him to smile as he pulled away slightly, the two of them sharing the same pad. "It's finally a pleasure to meet you," he'd say in a muffled tone under his helmet. He'd shift his feet, his left foot in front as his right stayed to the back, moving slightly to her right. "My name is Oren," he'd say as he shifted in for attack.

His blade would be angled out in front of him, his eyes completely shut, as he waited for her to strike again. The best attack was defense in his eyes.

tag: @ModernMarvel @Eden @TRook

 

[Giran Latt]

Well that was hardly fair. Giran hadn't even ignited his training blade yet but, he supposed, in a real fight you take every advantage you can get. Why had be chosen to take the initiative, he never initiated. He wasn't good at Ataru or Niman or any of the flashier forms.
Stupid.
Well he'd have time enough to berate himself later. Giran ignited his blade and barely caught Moza's well prepared swing. Unfortunately, Moza's stance and momentum had allowed him to put a lot of power into the swing. Giran on the otherhand was still mid-air, at an awkward angle, with a hastily raised blade. As the blades connected Giran felt his whole world lurch as he was launched sideways off the safety of the lily pad and, with a crash, into the piercingly cold water. The blast shield still down and the oppressive cold was closing in on all sides, panic threatened to overcome him.
The walk home was going to be hell but right now his teammates still needed him, he hadn't been hit yet.
He focused his thoughts and reached out with the force again. He could feel his teammates in their own individual duals, he could feel the creatures in the water shying away from his sudden invasion into their domain and he could feel another lily pad not a few feet away. Using the force to jet through the water he scrambled onto it.
"Th-th-that wasn't very f-f-fair." Giran shivered adopting the soresu pose. Side on with his left hand out in front, his right hand holding his saber horizontally parrell to his body

 

[Hiranikorssa]

The two Padawans locked sabers, and it felt good. Hirani had hated sparring when she first began her training: but after practicing with just a staff for all those years, it felt so right to finally put her skills to work. And, she had to admit, it was a lot more fun than she expected... If only dueling wasn't so often to the death?

[ @Fantasy Liver ]

When Drow put his weight into his weapon, she would have easily been the first in the water if she tried to push back. There was no doubting he had the upper hand in the strength category, so Hirani had to think fast if she wanted to keep herself dry.

Even strength can be a weakness...​

The young Twi'lek would let their sabers lock only for a few moments; only long enough to try to bait Drow into pushing more weight into the clash. Feelings more atuned to the Force than ever, she sensed that, to their left, one of their fellow Padawans was about to fall into the water. In that moment Hirani decided to time her counterattack accordingly, in hope that his arrival in the water would prove a beneficial distraction.

SPLASH!​

Freezing water sprayed on both Drow and Hirani, and she made her move. Hirani would flick her lightsaber off — in an attempt to use Drow's own strength against him — and slip by, on the elder Padawan's right, before reigniting her weapon. In one smooth stroke, she would sweep her blade horizontally from her left to her right in a backhand motion, hoping to land a blow on the Ishi Tib's potentially-exposed back. After all, the best defense was offense in her eyes.

[ @Cero Serat @ModernMarvel ]

 

[Drow Venn]

The Twi'lek was stronger than Drow would have thought, which was good. He hoped this would be a mutually beneficial learning experience for both of them and he was glad this was going to be a challenge. A few seconds later, the Twi'lek proved she was tricky as well as strong. She turned off her saber, no doubt attempting to off-balance.

It was a good move and it worked, to an extent. But Drow was a practitioner of Makashi, a Form which instilled the idea of never sacrificing one's footwork. As such, he had more been pushing with his arms and not his whole body. So when Hirani turned off her saber, his arms did go forward but his body stayed put. He turned his arm movement forward into a quick parry of Hirani's swing to what would have been his back had he gone forward.

 

[Moza Aban]

Moza honestly wasn't sure why Giran had lept towards him without igniting his blade. But when he felt the approach he didn't hear the thrum of the training saber, and figured the other padawan had a plan. It turned out though that in reality that wasn't the case; and only through quick reactions could he get the blade ignited in time to defend against his attack. Moza could feel their blades make contact, and the point of resistance told him everything he needed to know about the next few seconds. Without his feet grounding him, and his momentum carrying him, Giran's inertia would be altered by the strength and momentum of his swing. With no measure of friction or resistance that shift in motion would take him directly into the river.

SPLASH!

A spray of cold water would rise from the drink and spray in the area around them. The Ithorian could feel a little of it wet at his feet, and there was a degree of pity that filled him for Giran in that cold. Still, this was training and so he shifted in the direction in which Giran hit the water. Moza's feet were angled slightly so he could shift his torso to the right, presenting his left shoulder and decreasing his observable body mass. The training saber would end up in Moza's right hand and he would move it out to the side, parallel with his body. All the while his left hand was brought in towards his chest and rested there for the moment. The blade itself was pointed upwards and angled slightly back, in part showing another of the opening stances of Niman that Moza had favored. But with the added benefit that if Giran decided to pop up onto his own lily pad again he would be positioned to strike him.

Once more Moza waited for his opponent, patience had paid off before and he saw no reason to adjust his strategy yet. Giran on the other hand must have thought better of the action though. For instead of coming back up onto his lily pad he instead swam to a nearby one and climbed up. Moza didn't need to reach out into the force to feel the chill in the Mirialan's bones. No, that could be heard plainly in his voice as he called out,

"Th-th-that wasn't very f-f-fair."

Moza for his part let out a chuckle, it a nice deep sound that fell from both his mouths. His mind feeling out the other padawan, sensing his motion as he readied himself again. Then with a little dip of his head he spoke once more,

<<No, I suppose it wasn't. Especially when you're so kind in telling me you were coming. So allow me to return the favor...>> He called first to Giran before tilting his head towards where he felt the Knights locked in combat.

<<Master Lanaamer, Master Zapan, if our preferred style of lightsaber combat incorporates the force. Would it be bad form to utilize it for this exercise?>> The question had been plaguing Moza since he had blindfolded himself. So while their exchange was a quick one, Moza had so far made sure not to utilize any other force abilities beyond sense. But the blending of force abilities and martial skill was what made Niman more difficult to study, and it was why he had spent the last few years working almost exclusively on it. Either way the question was answered Moza was slowly channeling the force into himself. Although whether it was to attack or to approach Giran was the mystery. Still he had given Giran plenty of warning now to ready himself, and leveled the playing field once more.

@ModernMarvel @TWD26

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

Bri smiled as she felt Oren properly react to her incoming attack, shifting his body to set up the defense to her strike. Their two training blades connected in a pleasing electrical crack, both pushing back with the appropriate force. The engagement bringing the two Jedi in close proximity, Bri heard Oren take the opportunity to introduce himself, as they hadn’t had the formal chance yet.

“Bri Lanaamer,” the young Knight replied back, a jovial tone evident in her voice. Feeling Oren shift his body on the lily pad, Bri stepped back with her left foot, wobbling only slightly on the unstable vegetation, trying to get a better judge of her opponents fighting style. While setting up her next attack, Bri heard a splash, and didn’t need to use the Force to know a Padawan had ended up in the water. Before moving in for another strike, she paused, hearing Moza address the two instructors.

RespondingBri explained, “a Jedi should always be connected to the Force, and you’ve got to rely on it to succeed, especially in this exercise.” Pausing briefly, she added, “Just don’t, you know, force push anyone into the river,” her voice sounding encouraging yet almost as if she was stifling a laugh, imagining such a humorous scenario in her mind.

Sensing that Oren was more prepared to defend than attack, Bri stepped forward to engage, her blade preparing to strike down at a forty-five degree angle from her left. Should Oren parry, she would follow up with a horizontal strike from her right, looking to strike her opponent right at the hip.

@TWD26 @Cero Serat

 

[Oren Zapan]

Oren's blade did not waiver as he waited forBri to finish her remarks. "She's right you know," he'd say in a muffled expression, though he'd quickly fall silent as Bri made her approach again. She was quite fast with a blade and her youthful skill seemed to be on full display as he heard her blade come crashing down from the left towards him.

With a sense of tranquility, Oren's left foot would step forward as he stepped into the attack, his left hand raising the blade so that it angled to meet her downward blade, locking them in place. Instead of pulling back for a parry, a small smirk would form on his face. Maybe it was considered unfair, but with his right hand, he'd reach out with the force, pulling a small bucket's worth of water into the air, shooting it towards her, breaking out into a laugh as he did so.

tag: @ModernMarvel @Eden @TRook

 

[Giran Latt]

Standing shivering on his lily pad Giran waited. Soresu was a defensive form so he should play to its strengths. So he waited. He heard Moza's question and groaned, he was probably going to have to get wet again before this was over.

In Giran's current stance he was ready for the onslaught which was undoubtedly coming his way. He was going to have to concentrate. He completely surrendered himself to the force feeling out in a bubble around him creating a 'circle of shelter'. He'd at least be able to see any attack coming now.His shivering stopped.
I'm ready
He pulled on Moza's lily pad as hard as he could without losing concentration. He hoped that when his own and Moza's lily pads collided Moza would be unbalanced enough for a quick stab to the chest to end the fight quickly. Of course he doubted anything about this next clash would be quick.