Ask Ajan Kloss Practice Makes Perfect

[Mila Tesara]

Location: Ajan Kloss, Abandoned Temple Ruins



Mila was not familiar with the lands of Ajan, but she did know enough about the world to find a nice and secluded area for training. She had brought a fellow Twi'lek with her, a relatively new padawan truth be told, as the woman would be best served to practice her saber combat. Once she felt she had the basics, maybe she'd introduce her to her padawans for future training; after all, Giran and Fiach would be helped by having new training partners. She had traveled light, after all, the Jabberwocky wasn't too far away, and they only needed their sabers and rations for today's session. Turning back to Riz'kacha, Mila smiled slighted and nodded to the young Twi'lek, as she set her pack down upon a nearby boulder.

"This place will do I think, is it to your liking?" Mila asked, as she took a gander of the arena. It was a tad rough, rubble was strewn about the place, and ancient tree roots seemed to have long since called this place home. It would serve as a good place to set up for practice, nothing too stressful, but enough to allow one to take in the environment around them. Mila removed her robes, setting them on a rock after taking the time to fold them. Her saber still hung on her hip, as she hummed quietly to herself. The area here was nice, it felt at ease in the world, a calmness seemed to emanate from within, and the songs of the birds could be heard not long from here. "Feel free to get yourself confortable Riz'kacha, no need to rush. We have...quite literally all day." Mila nodded, as she took a seat on a rock and looked to her to see what it was she wanted to do.

@WiffWaffs

 

[Rizkacha]

Having only recently gotten her lightsaber from a successful gathering, Riz'kacha was more than happy to undergo some training at the hands of a much more experienced Jedi. She hardly knew how to use any melee weapon, much less a lightsaber. The closest thing she had before was just a stun baton, but she didn't really use it before. Now was the time to accept her place as a Jedi, using its tool of the trade.

"Yes, I believe this will do nicely. It is quiet, and allows much for much in the ways of peaceful practice." She set her bag down nearby, along with the belt that normally contained her blaster holster and stun baton. Likewise, she made sure to wrap her lekku with her scarf, and retrieved the newly minted bronzium hilt that contained the crystal she had tried so hard to find. Looking to Mila, she nodded, "I am ready to begin when you are, Jedi Mila."

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Mila canted her head at the young woman, smiling as the padawan seemed eager to go; which suited Mila just fine, though she only hoped the younger Twi'lek wasn't aiming to impress anyone. Mila was about this womans age when she began her pursuit into the order and knew well enough how difficult the change in lifestyle could be.

Mila rose and grabbed the hilt of her blade, as she took several steps forward, her feet patted against the stone surface as she turned to face the padawan. "Very well, take your stand Padawan Riz'kacha." Mila stated, as her aqua color bladed sprung to life and she took up the standard stance for Makashi; after having dialed her saber to it's practice setting. "I dont know what saber forms you have practiced, let me know if you need help learning their basics." She advised, before giving a small nod to the younger, but far taller Twi'lek. "I'll let you have the first blow, start whenever you are ready." She added with a smile, as she would await what her sparing partner would attempt to do. Ger experience with Vayla earlier had given her insight into how to better conduct herself as an instructor, and she hoped that it might pay off here and now. Here in the ruins of some long lost temple, the spark of the jedi order yet burned in spite of all it had undergone. Mila took in a deep breath, as she cleared her mind of distractions, and centered herself. Though her eyes were closed, the jedi knight was very much aware of the world around her. It was up to Riz'kacha to chose a response, as her opponent stood at the ready.

@WiffWaffs

 

[Rizkacha]

Likewise, the other Twi'lek let her golden blade hiss to life as well, and dialed it to the appropriate setting before offering a nod to Mila. She didn't really know any formal stances; at least not yet. Instead, she settled on a rather basic one that she felt would be something easy enough to maintain if she needed to. She held her lightsaber towards Mila at a 45 degree angle in both hands, her right foot forward and her left foot further back. Before she did anything though, she spoke up, "...I have not formally practiced any lightsaber forms. Learning the basics would probably be for the best."

That being said, Mila had told her to strike first. So after taking a moment to steel her nerves and quench the anxiety that gnawed at her, she settled for a fairly basic horizontal attack coming from the taller Twi'lek's right side towards the more experienced Twi'lek's left side. It was... Perhaps a bit too fast for something that was supposed to be just for practice, but Riz'kacha was eager to prove herself. To prove that she belonged with the Jedi.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Mila only offered the young woman a small smile, as there was hardly a shift in her stance. "Nothing wrong with that, continue at your leisure." Mila took no action against the Twi'lek as she ignited her blade and took a stance. She would give the padawan ample time to get ready, and once that golden blade swung towards Mila, the knight swung upwards and intercepted the strike midway. Ri'kacha was eager, it showed in what seemed like nervous energy she was giving off, but other than that she was golden. "Not bad, but try and keep your feet moving. In combat, you will want to stay mobile as well." Mila advised, as she would give a little resistance back on the blade.

"Now, I'm going to strike back okay? So do your best to parry it." Mila stated, as she would slide out to the padawan's left and bring the saber down to strike the inside of Riz's left leg. If she had succeeded, Mila would move to give a few feet of room between herself and the padawan, smiling as if the woman managed to parry it or not, the lesson was merely to try and fathom your opponents movements. She hoped she wasn't being too harsh, after all, she knew just how frustrating it could be dealing with a superior in an exercise like this.

@WiffWaffs

 

[Rizkacha]

Riz'kacha watched as the knight deflected her blow without too much difficulty, her eyes following the blade as it was sent out of harm's way. An upward strike to counter a sideways one at chest level seemed effective. She'd have to file that away for practical use later. She took note of Mila's words as well, nodding a little as she recognized that she was indeed remaining stationary. How to move, then?

She didn't have a lot of time to think about it, though. She'd have to think on her feet. At Mila's words, she nodded, awaiting the strike and watching it come in. A lightsaber coming in low on her inside. Perhaps the best way to not get hit would be to deflect it downwards? She took a step back with the leg that was getting targeted, and brought her golden blade down in an attempt to parry the aqua one down away from her. Her blade managed to connect with the other one, but further movement would be lost in the padawan's eagerness to block as she almost tripped over herself. After regaining her balance, she simply looked to Mila and took a step back, "...My apologies, Mila."

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Mila studied the woman's movements, and knew that Riz felt awkward in her stance and the idea of repositioning while in combat. That was normal though, Mila would teach her how to get past such things. The padawan's mind seemed hard at work though, as Mila followed the woman's eye movements for only a moment, but could see the signs of deep thought occurring behind them.

As Mila made her strike, she found the young woman had indeed managed to parry her strike, only to stumble her own feet as she was not used to the movements. Mila turned towards the woman and gave a small nod of understanding, knowing all to well that irritation that came from one's own failings. "No need to be sorry Riz'kacha, this is why we practice. Here, let me help you." She said, deactivating her lightsaber and moving towards the much taller Twi'lek. "Take a stance, and hold your saber up." Mila started, before taking a step back. "Now, I want you to watch me okay? I'm going to use my lightsaber and try to strike your feet. Don't jump,or try to block, just side step and keep your saber in that position. I'll go slow, and move faster, but I want you to keep your eyes on me, follow my muscle movements. Okay?" Mila would ignite her aqua colored blade once more, as she would start by a slow swipe at Riz'kacha's right right, then would follow it with a swipe to her left. Hopefully the padawan would understand how this was to work. Thankfully this was already going better than the time she tried to teach this to Brahe.

@WiffWaffs

 

[Rizkacha]

Riz'kacha watched the other Twi'lek as she moved, a bit of doubt still stinging the back of her mind from her previous failure. Well- partial failure. At least she had managed to parry the saber away. At Mila's words of consolation, she nodded, recognizing the truth in them. Logically, it made sense. Nobody was just inherently good enough to master lightsaber combat. She doubted that even General Skywalker was that good when he started out.

At Mila's further instruction, Riz'kacha nodded, this time taking a much more relaxed stance and raising her saber back to its previous position once more. All she had to do was sidestep the blows that came her way. It seemed simple enough. The first swipe proved her wrong as she very nearly got caught off guard by it. Moving around whilst maintaining a stance was rather difficult, it turned out. By the third swipe she started to get into a rhythm though, closely watching Mila's movements as she began to deftly sidestep the slow-moving swipes. Whether she would be able to keep up the pace was to be tested.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

She was getting it, and Mila was rather happy to see that. Sure, the first two times she struggled, but it was to be expected. "Yes, exactly like that." Mila nodded, as she continued the motions, and would get doing so until she felt that Riz was comfortable. That foot work was getting better, but this little game they were playing wasn't going to help her in the field. It was time to push it on a little further "Alright, now we're going to get a little more advanced okay?" Pulling her saber back, Mila took up a Makashi stance, gesturing to Riz with her open hand. "I'm going to strike back at you now, but I want you to try and parry it. My goal will be to drive you back as we spar, so you can get used to fighting while moving. If you think you can land a strike, feel free to attempt it, but focus on moving and blocking." Mila smiled a tad, before giving a nod. If Riz understood, Mila would press the attack, starting with simple strikes to the outside, as she would step up to close the distance.

The first strike came to Riz's left side, and if that was parried, Mila would draw the saber back and go for a lunging strike towards the woman's right leg. These strikes would be easy at first, and the more difficult blows would be enough to move out of the way for. If it looked like the padawan was getting overwhelmed, Mila would slow herself down, or stop if Riz seemed to be getting flustered; but she doubted that would be needed.

@WiffWaffs

 

[Rizkacha]

Advanced? Riz'kacha wasn't one to get excited easily, but she must be doing pretty well to be going to advanced lessons on her first class. Her eyes followed the other Jedi as she took up her more advanced stance, and nodded. She was ready. She was sure of it. "Understood, Master Tesara. I will do my best to parry your attacks." She once more took up her stance, and prepared for the strikes that were to be coming her way.

The first strike she was ready for, at least. Her golden blade went over to meet it, swiping upwards to bat it away. Just as she had thought; sideways strikes batted away by upwards ones. A slight smile made its way to her face, confidence beginning to build in her being. Confidence that was quickly shattered as a strike she wasn't sure how to parry came in. She hadn't been taught how to deal with lunges yet. Her lightsaber went down to swipe the blade towards the ground, but she failed to account for her own blade's length and instead it touched the ground before hitting Mila's blade. That wasn't good. She tried her best to step away from it, but by now it was too late. The blade connected with the woman's leg, sending a stinging shock through it that was accompanied by a slight cry of pain. Still, she figured that she had learnt a lesson. Moving and parrying happened simultaneously, and she needed to be looking for new strikes as soon as the first one was dealt with. The Sith certainly weren't going to wait until she was ready. With that, she nodded her head at the other Twi'lek, "Can we start this exercise again, master Tesara?"

 

[Mila Tesara]

She could see that the word 'advanced' got the young woman excited, which was all well and good. Mila was rather happy to know she had gotten the padawan's enthusiasm, typically there would be whining or complaints about moving too slow. Clearly Riz was on another level, perhaps she was actually taking this seriously, which if that was the case would be a blessing; so many people didn't. There was a bounce to her step, a bit of energy as the younger Twi'lek took up a stance. It reminded Mila of her days of being a padawan, though those days had long since passed.

Riz had kept up rather well, this whole change up was difficult for many unaccustomed to it after all. She wasn't used to the length of the blade, nor adjusting for her strikes as she moved. There was nothing wrong with that, everyone struggled with such things. She witnessed the stumbling, which lead directly to Mila making contact with her aqua blade. Mila immediately pulled back, seeing the woman give out a sign of distress. Pulling the blade back and shutting it off, Mila looked to the padawan, unsure as to what to expect as a response. Asking to try again had not been among them. She certainly was determined, that much was clear. Mila was tempted to add some motherly words of advise, but stopped herself; that probably wasn't what Riz needed after all. "Very well, we can go again. Prepared yourself." Mila replied, as she would ignite her saber again, and repeat the same attack strikes that she had done previously. Stike to the left side, lunge towards the right leg. Hopefully Riz would be able to parry the strike this time.

 

[Rizkacha]

Riz'kacha nodded, looking to the other Twi'lek and taking up her stance once more. She was confident in her abilities, despite her previous failing. Messing up was a part of learning, after all. As her mother used to tell her: "Messing up is okay. Not learning from the experience and messing up in the same way again was a problem." Her gaze shifted to the brilliant gold blade she carried for just a moment, recognizing its danger and taking in its size. She needed to get used to that, too. But that would come with experience.

Finally, Mila's strikes came once more. This time, the younger Twi'lek was ready. As the first one came in, she once more swiped upwards to draw it away, and immediately took a step back, anticipating what was to come. The second strike came in, and she similarly swiped downward, but kept her wrist high to be sure she wouldn't hit the ground again. Once more, she stepped backwards after her blade connected, trying to put more distance between her and the older Twi'lek and look for the aqua blade that was to come her way. She had to stay on top of things, and if possible, look for an opening.

 

[Mila Tesara]

Mila was hoping that the girl would get it, and it seemed she had. The first block was right on the mark, not the hastily throw strike that it was before. As Mila transitioned into the lunge, watching as the padawan shifted the blade back and intercepted her strike once more. She was learning, good. A small smirk formed on Mila's face, as she withdrew the blade, and moved to sweep under Riz's blade with an upward strike, aiming to knock the blade upwards, and follow up with a thrust aimed at the woman's left shoulder.

It was a bit of a jump in skill, but if Riz found a way to parry this strike, she would see that Mila left an opening; the trust had left her right flank open to attack, she only needed to reposition herself and land a blow; though had the older woman done that on purpose? Mila's footwork was ready to follow up, as the knight was prepared to continue onward if Riz stopped her thrusting maneuver, as if the woman managed to stop this blow she would be ready for another set of lessons.

@WiffWaffs

 

[Rizkacha]

The padawan wasn't sure how to counter the strike that Mila had prepared, instead deciding that since the strike wasn't coming for her, perhaps she just needed to make sure she wasn't disarmed. As the first upward strike came for her, she flicked the switch on her lightsaber, letting it zip back into its bronzium hilt and watching for a follow-up.

Of course, it came shortly after, and the younger Twi'lek's blade sprung back to life and she once more brought her blade upwards to try to bring the other woman's aqua blade away from her. She had to be careful, considering her blade was deactivated. She needed to account for the fact that the blade has a travel time for reaching full-length again. Something the Twi'lek forgot in her excitement, earning her a jab on the shoulder and another uncomfortable breath, "Kriff." She merely said, letting out a disappointed sigh, "I almost had it."

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Mila could see the padawan trying to predict her movements, the strikes. Riz might have had a chance to have parried the strikes, but she was still too green, perhaps Mila was being unfair. The blade hadn't fully extended, not to the point that the student needed it to in order to block successfully. Striking the shoulder, Mila deactivated her blade, putting it back onto her belt as she moved closer to her fellow Twi'lek. "Relax. You're doing great." Mila placed hand on the woman's shoulder, smiling at her. She felt a tad silly, seeing as how much the difference in height made up, Riz quite literally loomed over her. Mila was hoping to perhaps alleviate some of the concerns the woman held, hopefully she could do so. "I think I'm putting too much onto you for you to learn in quick succession. This is your first time no? For that, you are doing remarkably well. Don't be too harsh on yourself." Mila moved behind the woman, circling about her before nodding once again.

"Let's take a break. You've been doing much, and haven't had time to process everything." Clasping her hands together, Mila stood in front of the woman. "How about tea? My treat." She offered, looking the padawan in the eyes, hoping that the woman would be willing to take a break from the lessons for her own sake.

@WiffWaffs

 

[Rizkacha]

The much taller Twi'lek relaxed at the words, still slightly disappointed in herself but recognizing that the woman was probably right. She had gotten her lightsaber and trained with the normal blaster deflector droid, the same as everyone else, but actually fighting other people was another beast entirely. At the mention of tea, Riz'kacha let her blade zip closed and nodded, "...I appreciate the words, Mila. Tea sounds lovely."

Despite the proposed break, Riz'kacha was still eager to learn. Finding a seat on some nearby stone, she attached her lightsaber to her belt and spoke up once more, "Master Mila, how did you learn how to use your lightsaber? Did you train in the traditional forms of the Jedi? From what I have read, there were a few that were popular during the Clone Wars era."

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Hearing that the padawan was willing to take a break, Mila clapped her hands together, before moving to riffle through her bag. "Wonderful!" Pulling out the kettle and tea that she had on loan from Vayla, the jedi knight began to prepare the refreshments, setting the cups and kettle upon a rock as she waited for the water to begin boiling. The pair now had time to talk among themselves if they so desired, and Mila had several questions for this padawan in particular, though she waited for Riz to go first.

It was only natural that she would ask how Mila had learned lightsaber combat, and the truth was rather stranger than reality. "That's a great question. I didn't learn traditional forms initially, it wasn't until several years after I became a padawan that I became aware of them via old jedi tomes. Even then, I didn't fully understand the styles until I met with fellow jedi, and together we managed to work out what they were." Mila looked to the kettle as it began to steam, informing the knight that the tea was ready to be served. Taking up the kettle, Mila began to pour out the servings, handing the drink to Riz, as if the Twi'lek tasted it, it carried the tastes of hints of lemon and sage. "This is....oh what did Vayla call it? Ah, Yerba Mate." The name was so odd, probably why Mila struggled to remember it. "But yes, I studied Makashi and Soersu, and some of the minor techniques of the other forms as well." She wasn't nearly as good in the rest as she was with Makashi of course, but she detected that perhaps Riz wished to learned of some. "Is there a particular style that interests you?" Mila asked, raising a cup to her lips as she sipped from it, enjoying the familiar taste that lingered within; she'd have to thank Vayla for this idea.

@WiffWaffs

 

[Rizkacha]

She mulled over words of the other woman, wondering how long the old forms had been recirculating. Surely most of the knowledge had been lost with the fall of the Jedi at the end of the Clone Wars. For them to finally come back after over a hundred years, there must've been a lot of research required. She took a sip of her tea.

It was good. She took another sip, before speaking up once more, "I'm not sure, to be honest... I don't really know much about the forms besides some of their names and practitioners. What do you think of Makashi and Soresu?" She took another sip of her drink, "I imagine the forms pertaining to lightsaber duelling might become much more relevant in the coming days. The Sith appear to be growing more brazen in their activities. Of course, being able to deflect blaster bolts is always important; the galaxy has no shortage of criminals."

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

That was always the question, what form fit best? Truth be told, it was certainly hard to know for one that didn't know what they were. "Most people aren't, even those who learn one form sometimes aren't aware of the other styles of lightsaber combat." Riz seemed to understand practicality was important in the coming times, but there was also finding the form that best fit one's fighting style; otherwise you ended up with a style that didn't suit you. "Makashi is the form best suited for dueling, it's based on a fencing form, and I believe it is best tailored for being stalwart in the face of combat. Soresu is more tailored towards defense, relying on parries and edging out the opponent, think of it as turtling yourself in combat. Soresu is more based towards blaster deflection, but there is something else to keep in mind. These fighting styles can be used in every situation, you just need to find a style that suits you, your mindset, and how you feel most comfortable in combat."

Mila took another sip of her tea, curious as to what form Riz would end up learning. She'd have to find a teacher of course, unless she wished to know the forms Mila already knew; but even then, she needed to know the basics. "I'm technically teaching you Shi-Cho right now. Shi-Cho is the fundamental fighting form, favors stance and posture over the other forms, but it is also stronger in some way as the form itself can differ based on several shifts that the user can do." The Twi'lek tilted her head, looking to the other woman, curious as to if she had further questions. This was rather alot to unload on someone after all.

@WiffWaffs

 

[Rizkacha]

The other Twi'lek drunk in the information like water, digesting each individual morsel of information as she thought about it. Makashi and Soresu seemed useful, but then so did Shi-Cho, if that was what she was learning. The basics are something that should never be forgotten in her eyes. I mean, you wouldn't want to operate on an injured person without knowing how to sterilize a wound, right? At least, that was the way the apprentice took things in.

"What do you think of the other forms? Ataru and..." She paused, trying to think of their names and failing, "The others. They must be practical too, right? I doubt that they would've been invented otherwise." Her gaze shifted to the lightsaber she carried momentarily, wondering to which form she would take to. There were a few choices, and each choice took a while to master. It was just a matter of time and dedication.

@Algarus