Resilient Practitioners

[Apocrypha]

"It seems useful," he replied to his fellow Padawan; the question had been Why Soresu? "I'm doing my level best to pick up at least the rudiments of each form -" a particularly useful task, given his affinity for Niman "- and I have to admit that my bolt deflection and defensive capabilities are woefully understated." Rorik unhooked his red-and-silver lightsaber from the sash across his midsection - a part of his informal, light training garb, a simple tunic and pair of pants, as modest as they were functional - and thumbed the emitter switch; with a snap-hiss the brilliant orange blade jutted outward from the focal point of the hilt, illuminating the early morning-dim of the training room around them - that is to say, glow rods and light fixtures set to lower settings to avoid drawing unnecessary power at more awkward hours of the night, when the majority of their colleagues were fast asleep.

"So let's go over the basics," he said, taking the hilt into both hands and holding it at an angle in front of him, facing Ahrim. "I'll confess I don't even know the basic stances of the form." He understood its theory; poor offense, in exchange for an unrivaled defense - even Shien, with its comparable focus on blaster bolt deflection, couldn't compete with Soresu, the original master of defense. It bestowed upon its practitioners the freedom to avoid conflict, primarily, and focus on protecting themselves; for a being in excellent physical condition, able to draw upon the Force for sustained endurance, mastering Soresu could give one an air of invincibility. Gaining the direct upper hand in a fight was nigh impossible, but unneccessary; an aggressor would tire themselves out long before a Soresu master even broke a sweat, giving them the time to target critical and skirmish-ending points, once their attacker was sluggish and on the verge of collapse.

 

[Intratec]

"It is useful," Ahrim stated as Rorik ignited his blade, holding it at an angle before him. "Many believe Soresu to solely focus on defensive movement when engaging an opponent." The younger Padawan walked around Rorik, studying his stance; the positioning of his saber. "Its core tenants are based around fighting mentality rather than practical requirements. To learn Soresu, one must practice their meditations diligently. Because it is the most inward directed of all forms and therefore requires clarity of mind as well as patience. While our opponents storm, and rage around us, we are the calm eye and center of that storm. For now we'll work on your stances."

"Right foot back here in a crouch," Ahrim tapped his heel against the cold stone floor. "Left foot slides forward there," Walking to stand before Rorik once again tapping a heel to an indicated point. Stepping back from the older Padawan, the Corellian turned to his side; initiating his own stance as guide. "From there your saber-dominate hand is in a backhand stance like so, " His own lightsaber's hilt was in hand now, the green blade having sprung to life seconds after drawing. "Keep the blade pointed forward and parallel with your other hand and arm."

From the look of it, Ahrim was in a semi-crouch with his right leg, and the left slid out along with his left arm, blade pointed ahead of him, his other arm and hand extending outward. The blade did not waver, nor did the man holding it. "This is the classic opening stance for, Form Three. It looks like something from an archaic and offensive fencing opening stance. There has been debate as to why Soresu's stance is so. My own personal opinion is that it goads the target into initiating the opening strike. We've left ourselves somewhat open to attack. With our left hand, or right if you're a left-handed duelist, we can further goad them." Turning his hand over, he made a 'come here' motion to the air before him. "From this stance I can transition into a block," His hilt-bearing hand dipped down, the blade pointing skyward for a split second as the one-handed motion rapidly became two-handed just as the lightsaber nosed downward. Ahrim's stance had gone into reverse. His left leg now in the crouch, his right leg and foot swept behind him. It had been almost too quick to follow.


"I'm not overly fond of the classic opening stance myself but what I showed was one of the transitional blocks from that stance. Personally, I believe it leaves one too open initially." Ahrim soon stood straight, the bright green blade dipping toward the ground. "But it can help ensure you're not pushed back when facing a physically stronger opponent just from the reversal of your footwork. Except if you are not careful, or lack the stamina you can be brought to your knees quickly if you don't break contact. There are other transitional blocks for it. But for now, try the stance out on your own."

 

[Apocrypha]

Mimicking the opening stance with little difficulty - it was rather basic, after all - Rorik nodded, grinning. "Goading isn't the most Jedi-like behavior," he mused, "though I suppose that's a matter of perspective. A defensive posture meant to tire one's enemies into sloppiness would, after all, require that said enemies attack." He transitioned into the first blocking stance smoothly, the rudiments of the form beginning to come together in his mind - he had studied Soresu, briefly, before their lesson; the archives were still rather sparse, compared to the collection of knowledge found in the halls of the Coruscant Jedi temple, or even the ancient, refurbished temple on Tython, but there were a handful of entries on Form III. Brushing up on the form's theory had given him a bit of an edge.

"Not to impede upon your lesson," he said, straightening out, "but a practical display of the form's defensive capabilities might be more helpful. I've studied a bit of Niman with Master Von Raythe, and I could stand to practice more with the form - so perhaps you can exemplify the blocking power of Soresu against Niman?" He wasn't sure if he was a more capable aggressor than the younger man; after all, if the only form that Ahrim had studied extensively was Soresu, even Rorik's limited knowledge of Shii-Cho and Niman might give him the aggressive edge. Though, of course, if he had become fairly proficient in Form III, he might also have enough talent to keep Rorik at bay.

"I won't use some of the more intense techniques against you - to my knowledge, Soresu has no defense against the more complex theories of Niman - but the bladework should suit."

 

[Intratec]

Allowing a bashful smile to creep up, Ahrim nodded a little. "I appreciate it, and would be happy to give a practical display as you put it." Holding a hand out to forestall anything further. "Just, give me a moment." Ahrim inhaled deeply; soon exhaling and repeating the process several times with his eyes fluttering shut. The younger Padawan obviously clearing his mind of troubling, and more emotionally distracting thoughts. The whole process taking less time than one would've expected given the situation.

The dull hum of his lightsaber sang while being twirled once, then twice before coming to rest at his side once more with him dimming the power setting to that of a training saber. Blade tip pointed toward the stone floor. He'd changed a little. Gone was the smile, replaced instead with a thoughtful countenance steeped in introspection. "Whenever you're ready." He uttered, dropping into a stance different from the one he'd shown moments before. Both hands were upon his lightsaber's hilt, the blade being held at waist height; extending upwards at an angle while his forward foot extended to the side. It was called the: 'Brace-Ready' stance, appearing strong yet flexible, the blade position providing excellent coverage across the torso and lower body. While his leg placements afforded him much in the way of transitional versatility.

"Although I'd advise turning the power down on your lightsaber however. Neither one of us likely want to have to explain to the Masters if we suffer a serious injury."

 

[Apocrypha]

A thin grin twisted his lips, and Rorik centered himself similarly; drawing upon the comforting powers of the kasha focusing crystal embedded in the hilt of his lightsaber - an exceedingly useful tool for maintaining one's calm in combat, and for general meditative purposes - and cooling his mind. An abrupt and almost startling sense of calm collected itself about Rorik and radiated outwards; though he was a Padawan, he was clearly strong in the Force. Years on the lam - many of them spent without his lightsaber, having lost the original to a Jedi hunter - had taught him to hone his prowess with paths not pertaining to dueling. Now, however, he was determined to make up for lost time.

"Good point," he replied, lowering the strength of the pure energy-blade of the lightsaber; should they strike each other it would, at worst, leave some bruises, maybe a handful of cuts. Not the most uncommon thing to see on Jedi - particularly Padawans, with their focus so heavily on training. "I'm sure the sages would be less than please if one of us maimed the other," Rorik said, chuckling.

Without warning, the older Padawan sprung into action; first a rapid, half-power strike from the right, segued into a heavy spinning blow from the left, followed by an aggressive thrust towards Ahrim's center-of-mass, driving him off-center. Rorik's attacks came in varying speeds, at unpredictable vectors to even more spontaneous zones; Ahrim had probably studied the most common points of attack in his defensive training with Soresu, but Niman would quickly turn his theories and practice inside out - at its core, Niman was about creativity and improbability. It exploited weaknesses, confused enemies, and was generally an exceedingly powerful form; even the lowliest practitioners were a reasonable threat to equally untrained opponents, and a master of Niman could be considered nigh unstoppable. Rorik refrained, however, from several of the other tenets of Niman - bodily strikes, either from the legs or the fists, sweeps, and the use of the Force to distract and unbalance your enemy. They would help him "win" the sparring session, but he was far more concerned with studying Soresu's stances, examining its strengths and weaknesses, and simply learning; whether or not he could disarm or injure Ahrim was inconsequential.

"Your opening stance," he called, his voice surprisingly calm; he was centered, and in excellent physical condition - despite their aggressive dance, he was, as yet, unwinded. "It's excellent - firm, with a good range of motion and movement capabilities. It would be difficult to skew your center without the strength of a more aggressive form, such as Juyo." The commentary was effortless, his mind humming busily even in the heat of battle. A small smile, in fact, began to creep across his face; he was growing to enjoy the physical nature of dueling.

 

[Intratec]

The opening strike quickly met Ahrim's own green lightsaber, both blades making their characteristic whines and pops upon the meeting; quickly transitioning into another vortice as a quick, yet harder blow contact smashed into his weapon only to meet a 'Deflecting Slash'. It missed however. Ahrim's stance had only changed with a slight shifting of his feet at the two opening attacks, now sliding a foot backward from the thrust; sending himself into a pirouette with his blade spinning with him into a contact with the oncoming thrust to send it wide.

He knew Rorik's physical strength was greater than his own, and had utilized the momentum from the spin to bolster the block's power. All had come close to striking his otherwise more slender form. The varied speeds and strengths of the blows had kept him on his toes, but they had failed to penetrate the close-knit barrier of spinning orbits and rapidly changing footwork that erupted from the remainder of the sequence. Niman's method of 'madness' was not wholly unfamiliar to him, his prior master had often came at him in a manner similar to the style using unpredictability in an effort to expose gaps in his much younger student's defenses. The old man having tried to hammer in the fact that by its very nature, Soresu could put up a nigh-invincible defense if practiced at its highest form. But to do so one must be observant of their opponent, quick to respond, and maintain a calm center in spite of the unstable torrent of energies swirling around them. Or so what the current meager information in the Archives said on the form. Ahrim had been pushed to his breaking point for the eight years he'd studied it.

At first the younger Padawan failed to respond, exhaling a long breath he'd been holding in for the short bout. Even now he was taking meditative breaths it seemed. "Thanks, not a bad bit of bladework on your part either. You nearly prodded me in the abdomen there with that thrust. It was quick, precise. Though, I should warn you. My master was a crazy old bantha who often came at me in a manner similar as you do now. So I'm used to chaos."

 

[Apocrypha]

"My thanks," Rorik called back, "and I'm certain your tutor's training was particularly helpful." Continuing his onslaught, observing Ahrim's defenses, Rorik went on: "I don't know if you've ever been in a genuine combat situation, but it's hectic - a thousand sparring matches can't prepare you for it. Your environment can shift and change in the blink of an eye - but it can be used to your advantage, as well - and you'll find that drilled techniques and stances break down and flow into more practical, useful iterations in the free-flowing frenzy of a battle." It was clear the man spoke from some level of experience.

The duo locked blades for a long moment, and Rorik abruptly disengaged, drawing back several paces and lowering his lightsaber; he shut the blade down, grinning. "That was an excellent display - and quite helpful. What other specific forms and techniques do you have to share? Seeing Soresu in action is helpful, but it's difficult to piece together a full template on sight alone. Not to mention the other, quite as handy benefit of Form III; bolt deflection."

 

[Intratec]

"Only saw actual combat once," The green bladed saber quickly extinguished itself and was promptly returned to his belt. "Except then I didn't have a lightsaber, or knew how to use one. Just a scuffed up old blaster and a ten-year old's resolve to hit a Sith between the eyes. Got a dose of Lightning to the chest as a result." Appearing pensive in that moment, Ahrim turned his attention to the far wall. "But it was still combat." The Padawan quickly seemed to quickly bounce back despite the melancholic turn in his way of thinking.

The Corellian rubbed his hands together; promptly holding them aloft in a mock gesture of 'I surrender'. "Only know the one form, friend. But I know it well enough considering I've been practicing Soresu since I was ten. So, eight years now?" Looking up a moment in question, he eventually returned to more earthly thought process with a nod. "Eight years, four months and fifteen days now. He was a master of the form, along with Juyo and some smattering of something else I believe. But that's what he taught me. Soresu, from dawn till dusk in a musty old speeder garage on Nar Shaddaa while the galaxy turned over on its head."

Eventually he folded his arms over his chest, "Bolt Deflection in Soresu is a derivative of Form One's bolt deflection training. But where as Shii-Cho's method relies more on sweeps and slashes to accomplish the deed. Soresu relies on saber orbits and vortices to keep the lightsaber close to the body at all times unless blocking powerful strikes. However we also employ what you may have heard of. The Deflecting Slash. It allows us to serve the dual purpose of redirecting the momentum generated by deflecting an enemy projectile into a slashing attack at an adjacent target. It also affords us the ability to advance, closing the distance before our attackers can get another shot off."

Ahrim's countenance took on a more smug, if not mischievous look then. "Used to use it to deflect the practice bolts back at my master when he got too cheeky. But that's more common amongst Shien practitioners from what I've heard. Still, useful way for Soresu to ply a little offensive advantage from its purely defensive focus right?" Pulling a hand forth and rolling it he continued. "We apply the Force to heighten our awareness of our surroundings to amplify our defensive capabilities as well. One skill in particular making heavy use of this is falling into a moving meditation. Soresu Practitioners call it the Circle of Shelter," Moving rolling his hand as he was, he nodded toward it.

"By maintaining a series of tight orbits or 'spins' around our body; relying on the Force to perceive the various positions of any shooters gunning for us it allows us to also perceive the necessary techniques to evade or deflect the fire. With it we can hold off as many as twenty men firing at us from different angles just by maintaining an ever changing and present movement of both ourselves and our lightsabers. But since we fall into a meditative state prolonged usage can open our minds to visions of the future."

Raising his hand, he began to scratch at a cheek. "Do the Archives really lack all of this? They that fragmented?"

 

[Apocrypha]

Rorik focused on Ahrim's descriptions - theory, more than anything, until they applied it, but he still enjoyed the learning process. The ability to return deflected blaster bolts to their rightful owners seemed useful, but possibly not strictly adherent to a Jedi's proposed mindset; while lightsabers could sever whole body parts without levying lethal damage unto its victim, a blaster bolt could end its' victim's life with ease, positioned properly. Perhaps focusing the return fire upon the extremities, thus preventing fatalities, would help - but even then, the blaster was like to cause quite a bit of pain. Granted, having your hand severed by a lightsaber wasn't particularly pleasant, either. It was a complex path they walked as Jedi.

"Couldn't tell you, to be honest," Rorik returned. "I haven't scanned the archives here on Arbra yet - I've only been here about a month, and I've spent the majority of that time in training sessions or out on missions... though, given the fairly transient atmosphere of our base here, it seems likely that the Light of the Force might have a more permanent and expansive listing of archives." Crossing his arms, the Padawan frowned; "You'd also be surprised how few adept I've been able to find in defensive forms - there's the odd Master, here or that, but they tend to be busy more often than not. When I was a boy on Coruscant, and later on Tython, I neglected my duty as a Jedi to become proficient with the lightsaber; I intend to make up for that, now, but it's been more difficult than I had thought it would be.

"Granted, I've managed to pick up the basics of Niman from Master Raythe, but aside from you and your Soresu, that's about it. Not that I necessarily need to invest in another Form, at the moment; I still need to brush up on my Shii-Cho to some degree, and I promise you that Niman will be taking up a lot of my time to truly comprehend and be effective with. Soresu may take a bit of a back seat, but it seemed worthwhile to learn the basics, at least; sure enough, Niman is typically a composite of each of the forms." Now that he thought about it, seeking out somebody with some experience in Makashi might be worthwhile.

"Now," he continued with a wry grin, "do they keep any blasters around here?"

 

[Intratec]

"Niman utilizes bits of everything up to form fiv-," He stopped mid-sentence, pushing everything else Rorik had said aside for the moment, Ahrim eyed the taller man, a little aghast. "Wait, hold on. You want to shoot at me. With a blaster?" Rubbing the bridge of his nose now, the Corellian padawan waved a hand. Evidently resigned to his fate.

"Your guess is as good as mine on the blasters. They keep [url="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Marksman-H_combat_remote]Combat Remotes[/url] around however." His hand having waved toward a series of plastoid containers off to one corner of their training room.

 

[Apocrypha]

"Don't be silly," Rorik replied with a chuckle.

"I was thinking we could take turns shooting at each other," he went on, grinning. "Though I guess the training remotes might work, too - not quite the approximation of a sentient carrying a blaster pistol or rifle, but close enough." Walking over to the shells, Rorik slid one open and retrieved the tiny durasteel ball, outfitted with a miniature blaster that could fire lower-grade bolts at varying intervals - if one of those bolts hit you, it'd sting, and maybe leave a discolored bruise. It wouldn't kill you, though.

"Care to start?" he inquired of Ahrim as he set up the remote. "I practiced with one of these on Coruscant, but that was longer ago than I can even really remember - and we never delved too deeply into the principles of blaster bolt deflection via Soresu."

 

[Intratec]

Eyes on the floating remote now, Ahrim watched it while Rorik spoke, "Even if you hadn't studied blaster-bolt deflection techniques from Soresu, you still had to learn techniques for it from Shii-Cho." Neither waiting for an answer, nor really caring for one, the Padawan had reignited his lightsaber; falling into the opening stance he had used but minutes ago. "Remember, Soresu's blaster-bolt deflection techniques are an outgrowth of Shii-Cho's."

 

[Apocrypha]

"You're right," he replied, "but as I've mentioned, I neglected my lightsaber training in general; my comprehension of Shii-Cho is passable, but not admirable... besides, there are very clear cut differences in the two forms' handling of blasters."

He wasn't wrong; Shii-Cho, primarily based on the same dueling techniques utilized with swords - the forerunners to lightsabers, in an era where lightsabers were cumbersome and typically ceremonial - possessed very little in the way of effective blaster bolt deflection and redirection. What methods there were for dealing with blaster-armed enemies were thrown in more as an afterthought than anything else, it had always seemed to Rorik; Soresu was far more capable. So it should be: Form III was devised, at its core, to refine those bolt deflection techniques apparent in Form I, given the abrupt emergence of blasters as a dominant weapon onto the galactic stage.

So Rorik watched Ahrim work; the deflection was far tighter, much more controlled. It seemed, in essence, to be a more intelligent application of Shii-Cho's own tenets; more geared towards a galaxy in which a blaster was exceedingly more common than a melee weapon. Thus far, throughout his career, Rorik had avoided blaster bolts through cover and generally avoiding situations in which he would wind up on the business end of a pistol; it would be a pleasant change of pace to be able to defend himself in a direct confrontation with an armed individual intent on doing him harm.

 

[Intratec]

As Ahrim worked, he kept his explanation going. The green lightsaber blurring as he spun it about himself in an ever changing display of blocks. The little Remote thrummed and continued its firing, but every bolt appeared not to hit its mark. In fact they were sent flying in all directions. "The key to blaster bolt deflection is a little tricky. You don't rely solely on your eyes to judge where they're going to hit. No, the eyes..." He grunted, sending another low-powered bolt slamming into a nearby wall with a little *Wzzrt!*

"The eyes can more often than not be fooled." The lightsaber spun low and deflected a bolt aimed at his legs. "We must expand our senses through the Force. Allow it to fill us. To guide us." Another trio of quick-fired bolts went in different directions. "Let it also be our eyes and ears in addition to those we were born with. It isn't meant to take over so much as to form a symbiotic relationship in survival. Reflexes must be quick, you mustn't tire easily as a Form: III practitioner. We're built to last. To outlast the enemy and think of ways to turn the tide to our advantage." He'd been drawing upon the Force to augment both his senses and speed, the younger Padawan almost preternaturally predicting the incoming fire. His blade never strayed too far from his body, Soresu calling for tight rotations and bladework. It was just as much about defense as it was in energy economy. Wide swings, or flourishes cost one dearly in a prolonged duel. Yet with Soresu its minimalist moves were effective and expended far less in comparison to other forms.

A movement Rorik had seen just minutes earlier caused a bolt to fly right back at the training remote, striking it in one of its blaster emitters. The Deflection Slash. Ahrim stood there staring at the disabled remote while his lightsaber extinguished itself. "You must become one with the Force. Trust it, and it will guide your hand in protecting yourself and others when utilizing Form: III." Waving a hand at Rorik, then to the remote he added. "Don't worry about that. It's just disabled. Once someone resets it, it'll be good as new."