Saberstaff of the Hawk-Bat

[Kassa]

((This is set after The Midnight Grounds of Hunting, which has yet to finish.))

Tessa was young and not as experienced as some. She however, had received many years of training from the Jedi Order. In fact, she received more than most. Having underwent training at 4 years old, she had at least seven years of experience under her belt.

However, her choice of weapon and complimenting style was unorthodox to most. She would wield a saberstaff. For now, however, she trained with a double-brand until her right of passage came to her.

The young girl had requested audience with Battlemaster Augustus to learn of how to properly function with one. Much to her surprise, she was accepted with a minimal wait time. With her tutor's blessing, she was dropped off on the Will of the Force for training.

The large double-brand was gripped fiercely in her hand. The young girl didn't expect any nonsense and would do her best to remain as respectful as possible. Only 11 years old, her strength wasn't that great. However, as a Consular in training, her wisdom and intelligence would always come into play as she developed crafty tricks to combat waited opponents.

Such as distracting that abomination Matsu, Lamia, and herself had faced off against. A nicely timed Force Blinding had blinded his mortal eye, while the artificial, Sith-seeing eye allowed him to move. Thanks to the quick distraction, the bridge caught up with him and he fell. Not to his doom, unfortunately... Sithspawn were very hardy.

As she approached a room, the young girl knocked gently and opened it. Inside was something along the lines of a private dojo room where she could learn by watching the man move fiercely and competitively. With any luck, she'd learn a lot from the battlemaster.

 

[Kit]

Augustus watched the girl closely as she entered. She was part of his plan, to surround himself in work, that he wouldn't be able to focus on... other things.

He noted several things about her as she entered. First, that she seemed unafraid. He was aware of his reputation amongst the Jedi, and was impressed. Though, he had to consider the fact that she might simply have never heard the rumours. She was based elsewhere, after all.

Secondly, she was young. Very young. But clearly ambitious. A worthwhile trait, though one that must be kept in check. Every Jedi knew the story, of Jedi who were carried into darkness by unchecked ambition.

"Welcome, youngling," He called from where he had been sat trying, and failing, to meditate, "You are the Padawan wishing to learn how to properly use a Saberstaff, correct?"
​

 

[Kassa]

The young girl bowed respectfully. Rigid legs and a rigid bow generally make the politest means of entry to a superior. Tessa followed the practice, doing her best to remain respectful to an entity such as the powerful Battlemaster.

"Indeed. I seek to further my training in the ways of Ataru through the use of a Saberstaff. I find saberstaffs very ethical and principal to use. They form a hardy defense as well as a surprisingly good offense. However, every teacher I've seen only uses twin or single sabers. I know that you of all people know how to properly use a weapon such as this,"

She held out the double-brand for him to see more clearly. It had long blade edges and a very thin handle. It was the perfect replica of a saberstaff. And it was made of cortosis so she'd have a better chance if it came down to her battling a Sith.

"I also have several concerns of my pureblood, Sith companion. She's in training to be a Padawan, however I've seen her harness the dark side in our battle against a monster Sithspawn when we attempted to locate a long lost holocron. I also wish for your wisdom when it comes to this,"

 

[Kit]

Augustus listened closely to the girl. She was asking for training, nothing out of the ordinary, indeed, given what she was asking, this would appear a fairly simple task.

Until she mentioned the Sith. Augustus was aware of the fact that the former Grandmaster had allowed a pureblood Sith into the Order, a decision he had not agreed with, nor been able to protest.

He shook his head as the girl spoke, showing that he shared, to a certain extent, her concerns.

"The Saberstaff won't be an issue, youngling. I can instruct you in the proper use with ease, though it will take time."

He paused, slightly unsure of how to proceed with his answer to the girls other question.

"If that is the case, I suggest you take your account before the Council, and raise your concerns with them. Concerns I share, Padawan. The Dark side is dangerous enough, without being a Sith by blood. I will also ensure that she is monitored."

He considered the matter finished, until he remembered a detail, an important one, that he had overlooked. The Sith was Matsu Ike's student, who had shown a worryingly blase take on the Dark Side. Council or not, he would keep a close eye on the Knight and her associates, including the Sith.

"Now, onto your training, unless you have other concerns? I am more than happy to deal with them, Padawan, if you so wish."

 

[Kassa]

"Only one more concern, Battlemaster Augustus. When we went to retrieve the holocron as we were asked by the council, we came into contact with a Sith abomination. He was coated in cortosis and durasteel. If we weren't battling on a bridge with Force powers, I believe all three of us would be dead by now. I request your wisdom in how to deal with something so dangerous. And then I will be ready to under go your training regime," the young girl chimed. She dropped into her preferred stance using the echani double-brand. The stance was loosely a combination of different forms. It was shown that she had studied the majority for a brief amount of time in the academy.

The double-brand was fitted loosely in her open palm. It was wedged between her middle and ring fingers to provide an easy twirling capability. Her thumb was an oddity. It moved across her palm at an approximately ninety degree angle if you used the index finger to compare.

The reason for her thumb being moved so oddly was simple. A strong flick from her thumb could help in moving the double-brand in a circle to help defend against side-ways and upper attacks.

Tessa looked at the Battlemaster, ready for him to tutor her.

 

[Kit]

Saber-resistant monstrosities were always bad news, particularly when they owed allegiance to the Sith. He had faced only a few foes where his blades had been largely negated, and had struggled with them.

"I find, in situations like that, where your blades cannot pierce the hide or armour of a foe, that you must step back. Take the time to study your foe, look for weak spots, and if you cannot find one, do not be afraid of running."

It wasn't an option he could ever consider, but for others, retreat was often the wisest path.

"It is always better to survive, even if just to pass word on of your monstrous foe, than to throw your life away."

With that, he held out an open palm to his side, and into it flew the hilt of a double bladed saber. A training blade, that would pose no risk to the girl's weapon, but be perfectly suitable for instruction purposes.

"Now, we shall begin your training. To start, we will simply spar, so that I can gauge your progress."

 

[Kassa]

Tessa nodded. She had skill in using an actual saberstaff, however, because she had yet to make her own, she commonly used the double-brand in combat scenarios. This time, however, would be different.

The girl followed the battlemaster's lead. A practice saberstaff came flying into her hand and the girl replaced the double-brand she was holding with it. After having ignited the staff, she gripped it in an all too familiar position. Just like the double-brand.

The blonde then patiently waited for the Battlemaster to turn his own on. It was common Jedi practice not to strike an unarmed opponent. Stretching out her own free hand, the girl prepared herself.

Then she rushed.

Through the use of Force Speed, she closed the gap between her and the Battlemaster quickly. And with that, she brought her free hand down on the hilt of the saberstaff and rapidly flipped it throughout her two hands, creating a vertical oriented circle aimed toward his left, which she suspected to be his least dominant hand.

 

[Kit]

Augustus nodded as she pulled a saber to herself. He was never really a fan of conventional weapons, and was pleased to see that hers was likely a stop-gap until she had constructed a blade.

As she waited, his only movement was the tiny shift of his hand to ignite both blades of his weapon. The brilliant blue eruption came just as the Padawan began her rush.

It had been a while since he had last used a double bladed saber, but remembered the sage advice that he had received whilst learning to use one for the first time;

"Know where one blade is, and you already know where the other will be."

He was so focused on the Padawan's blades that he had not realised he had himself spoken those words, mimicking his memory.

As Tessa charged, he slapped down on his hilt with his free hand, beginning a similar spin to the Padawan's own, though in the opposite direction, and thrust outwards, hoping to arrest Tessa's blade's momentum, if only for a moment.

 

[Kassa]

Tessa was only eleven; the parry had proven more powerful than her initial strike. She had to sturdy herself to keep the saberstaff from flying from her hands. While she was one of the best of her age group, she knew she didn't have the slightest chance with a Battlemaster.

Still, the young girl persevered. While the two's rapidly spinning saberstaffs clashed often, the young girl worked her less dominant hand free from the staff. She continued rotating and clashing with the Battlemaster, although she was more of less the one parrying by now.

With her free hand, the girl concentrated on two nearby chairs. She lifted them through the use of the Force and grabbed at them, which sent them rushing towards the Battlemaster's head. Without waiting to see if they came into contact, the girl placed her hand back on the saberstaff and lunged toward his chest. If the staff made contact, it would only leave a light burn on his clothing, for the two's saberstaffs were on the same level of power. And with that, the girl hoped to withdraw herself with a quick leap backwards aided through a Force Jump.

With any luck, Tessa's version of the Hawk Bat Swoop would work.

 

[Kit]

Augustus hesitated. He had countered the Padawan's assault far too viciously, he had allowed his emotions, his concerns to get the better of him, and had failed to hold back as he ought to.

As a result, his hesitation caused him to question himself, and his parry faltered. He failed to heed the warning the force was screaming at him, until it was far too late to effectively neutralize the Padawan's three pronged assault.

He snapped back to his senses just in time to realize what was happening, and why. It was all he could do to flourish his blade around him, transferring it from one hand to the next, carving the chairs into smaller pieces, and limiting the pain of the impact.

The Padawan's blade he could do little about, and simply accepted the small burn it inflicted. Painful and embarrassing, but not too limiting. At the same time, he was hit by a shower of relatively small debris.

He stepped back. Was his mind really in the right place for this, right now? Wit the events of the council meeting only hours behind him? His focus was imperfect. Would he be any use to the girl?

He shook his head. To Tessa, it would look like he was simply shaking off the impacts, when in truth, he was clearing his thoughts. This was not the time for this.

Augustus flourished his blade, ending by holding the blade parallel to the ground, in a single hand before him. He would allow the Padawan to attack again, she had earned the right to press her advantage.

 

[Kassa]

Did... Did she just actually make contact with the Blademaster? The young girl seemed extremely surprised. Such a powerful opponent would normally keep their guard up. Tessa shrugged it off as pure luck, however how he moved suggested that it wasn't just luck.

When he didn't retaliate, she looked at him strangely for a second. Wasn't the point of Ataru to overwhelm your opponent? He should have came at her, if anything. The girl began to ponder his angle. Perhaps he was observing her more closely than she thought. Allowing her to aim for his weak spots.

The small girl was becoming paranoid. And she didn't realize it until she released an onslaught of distraught attacks.

Having rushed forward using her Force Speed once more, she skidded to a stop just in front of him. Her body was turned sideways. She then released a fury of onslaughts with a single end of the saberstaff. It was a Saber Swarm combo. They were launched toward his throat and shoulder area.

About four strikes in, she made a slashing motion, then attempted to continue her Saber Swarm with the other end. All the attacks she were releasing were a tad bit farfetched. She was tiring herself out and would have to revert to singular blows soon.

 

[Kit]

As Augustus struggled to regain his composure, a process that he was unfamiliar with, one that worried him deeply, apparently Tessa was losing all of hers. He sympathised, all too often, those he trained expected him to be constantly testing them, setting up a trick or trap. Some expected him to humiliate them, simply because he could.

He had never been comfortable with that, the aura of fear that some Padawan's had created for him. But then, there was little he could do to truly dispel it. He was resigned to being feared, rather than loved, respected over liked.

Augustus was, despite his focus still being slightly elsewhere, ready and aware of the Padawan this time. He saw her rushing, and as she unleashed a flurry of jabs, he once more span his blade, creating a whirling shield, knocking each jab in turn off target, before catching the blade as she slashed.

This time, he was less merciful, his parry carried enough force to knock the girl off balance, if she had dedicated too much to the swipe, as he thought she may well have.

 

[Kassa]

The eleven year old wasn't surprised that he began to parry all of her attacks. However, the fact that he managed to see through her and grab the saberstaff's hilt made her all too surprised.

The attack he unleashed on the blade was unforgiving. It launched Tessa backward. His strength began to overpower her, but she pushed back. In the end, his blade was clashing with her own, the young girl slowly sinking closer to the ground.

The girl knew if he was a Sith, there was a chance he could kill here easily. Still, she had to improvise. She reached out her hand and quickly attempted to perform the Force Blinding technique as a distraction so she could regain herself. She expected him to be able to see through the Force, however those accustomed to using their eyes might take a little bit to adjust.

 

[Kit]

Augustus noted the build up of the force in the girl. Unfortunately, since it was, relatively speaking, his weak point. He had little time to react, and with his limited knowledge of applications of the force, little he could do with that time.

He broke the Saber lock, and with the aid of the force, flipped backwards, putting some distance between him and what turned out to be a flash of blinding light.

He cursed inwardly, this girl seemed to be quite adept at hitting him in ways he was unprepared for. With his eyes screaming in agony, and his vision basically ruined for the moment, he was quick to open his mind to the force, the world rendered before him in shimmering, translucent and insubstantial forms.

Augustus would be ready if she chose to attack again, but he was certainly impressed with her prowess, particularly for such a young Padawan. He reminded himself again to keep a close eye on Knight Ike, as he brought his blade up before him, slipping into a Soresu stance whilst he waited for whatever was to come next.

 

[Kassa]

The girl narrowed her eyes. While she couldn't fair against his strength at all, she could perhaps use her agility against him, like she did with the abomination. The thing could barely turn. Or move, for that point. It's dexterity levels were the lowest of the low. This man seemed pretty dexterous, but her frame should allowed an appropriated strike sequence.

The Soresu stance he entered was mildly intimidating to the girl. Soresu and Ataru were polar opposites. Whilst a Hawk Bat strike quickly and precisely, a Mynock drained energy forms until they were depleted.

Really, this would be a test to see who was more capable. It would definitely be the Battlemaster. However, if we he was going to play at her level of proficiency, Tessa may be able to win.

She leaped forth, spinning her saberstaff in front of her as a shield until she got close. With that, she began the basic, whirling attack. With her stance sideways, she lunged the blade toward his mid-section and began to twirl it, hoping to get off one or two hits before she was forced to back away by his superior defense.

 

[Kit]

Her mistake, Augustus couldn't help but think, was that she had had a great deal of success so far, but had not realised why. Tessa attacked again, blade spinning and slashing, his own flashing to meet her's with flicks of his wrist, the force giving him the speed for the small movements to be enough to meet each blade when it was required.

She was neglecting that tool that had brought her her prior successes; each time, she had exploited his weakness in the force to her advantage. He surmised that she was either waiting for the opportune moment, or more interested in acquiring skill with the blade.

He hoped it was the latter reason.

Eventually, he saw his moment, after meeting her blade, he lashed out with his own; a thrust, even as he began to pirouette away, towards her hand on the hilt.

With a true blade, a devastating attack, capable of destroying both weapon and hand, with a training blade, it was capable of no such thing, and would, with the fleeting contact he planned, be only moderately painful.

 

[Kassa]

The girl felt her face contort and cringe as she felt her knuckles and above heated up from the lightsaber's sting. Luckily for her, it was only a practice saber and the man hadn't been able to hit her directly.

Thanks to a last minute twist of her wrist, the blade had turned at caught part of the saber on her own. The grinding wasn't quick enough to prevent considerably damage to her left hand, however.

Slowly weaseling her fingers painstaking away from his staff, the girl hoped to aid herself in shoving the male away with a Padawan-leveled Force Push. The most it would do was send him backwards into the wall. No dent or anything would be made.

If successful, she'd follow up quickly with a lunging motion towards the male's neck.