Today we Train, Tomorrow we fight

[TheMorrigan]

The sound of marching feet echoed throughout the hallways of Imperial High Command. Despite the disturbances outside, Vrist had managed to allow his body to enter a trance like meditation cycle, as he performed various combat kata. His mind drifted to wars won and the strategies used in them, the battles fought between mighty warriors wielding nothing but edged steel over small continents as opposed to our warfare, the war among the stars. He was content to practice and think, letting his mind reminisce about simpler times. This was the only time that Vrist allowed his mind to wander at all. He needed to practice his combat skills with something beyond the air that surrounded him, and so he continued to Kata as he awaited another with which to contend.

 

[Alhon]

Austin leaned lazily against the wall, watching with more than a passing interest as a squad of recruits jogged out into the yard. They were fresh-faced and highly focused, their booted feet pounding the concrete in unison.

It was good to be back.

The Academy and High Command had been his home not that long ago, and a good home at that. Phase 1 training had been long and arduous and gaining his commission as an officer harder still. But though the Legion's standards were high and unyielding, he and his fellow recruits had forged lifelong bonds in their battle to meet them. Many had fallen along the way, but for the few of them that had made it through, High Command always had a warm embrace. Aside from the bridge of starship, this was one place where Austin felt he belonged.

He took a swig of his water bottle, wiping a few stray drops on the arm of his grey sweatshirt. He might be on R&R, but the Empire never let fitness rest; he'd just done a quick circuit around the perimeter and the real work was still to come. Command offered a multitude of training rooms, team sports and recreational facilities for off duty personnel to keep in shape. He'd put himself down for a straightforward sparring class, planning to keep things simple. Besides, he planned to hit the studio later if he had anything left in the tank; his rare breaks planetside were the only chances he got to nurture the first among his talents.

He made his way down towards the training room, stopping to check the name of his sparring partner on the display. An overly long jumble starting with a V, it had more consonants than Austin could take in at a glance. Part of him cringed at the thought of having to make small talk with one of the Legion's more exotic members; Verpines and Karkarodans made great warriors, but they weren't all that fun to look at for an hour's sparring. With any luck, this V character would be a nice affable Zabrak instead.

Austin keyed open the door and sidled into the training room, whistling gently as he glanced about for his partner.

@TheMorrigan

 

[TheMorrigan]

A pitched whistle caught Vrist's ear in the third phase of his Kata, and he carefully listened to the footsteps of the being it came from. The steps where paced and slightly jagged, space walk. Naval Officer. His feet also didn't cause much noise, and his weight distribution couldnt be more than 200 pounds, leading to the conclusion that he was humanoid. His tone suggested that he was also a human, but one should never assume. He opened his eyes to see a man in a naval uniform looking around for what he assumed to he his sparring partner. He matched the description of the man Vrist was partnered with, Austin Viett. An up and coming Lieutenant like himself, someone he has heard quite a bit about over his limited time in this facility. A faint and undistinguishable smile caught his lips as he projected his voice with crystal clarity.

"Lieutenant Viett, I presume."

@Alhon

 

[Alhon]

"That's me" the Lieutenant replied, "Austin Viett, the one and only". He offered his Chiss counterpart a smile, not yet convinced he'd accept a handshake; there were few things worse than being left hanging. "I'm going to take a stab at Vrist?" he ventured, doing his best to articulate the name from the gymnasium display. "If I've got that wrong do tell; these sessions tend to go better if we're on the same page."

Austin glanced about, feigning a survey of the room while taking stock of his opponent. They were of similar height, but the Chiss' posture was impeccable; he stood a fraction taller through effort alone. Smart and smooth-skinned, there was a pristine quality to him, carried through every aspect of his appearance. Though hair and uniform were perfectly presented, his red eyes were alive with energy and focus and there was no mistaking the muscle tone beneath the pressed fabric. The man might look like he was on parade, but Austin had a feeling he knew how to spar well enough.

"So what's your branch, comrade? I don't think we've crossed paths before now."

@TheMorrigan

 

[TheMorrigan]

"Officially, I'm simply listed as Imperial Forces. I serve in whatever capacity I can, be it aboard a starship or on the frontlines."

The response was iterated as though he had perfected the explanation long ago. He nodded to his peer's smile and motioned to the sparring room floor.

"Vrist. You're pronouncing it correctly. And yes, you are to take a swing at me. Under normal circumstances I would talk before beginning combat, but a polite conversation in the heat of battle is a perfectly acceptable substitute."

Vrist went to the far right of the area in which they would spar and took off his dress overcoat, placing it aside and settling himself into a combat pose, arms poised forward and guarding his face. He had noticed Viett's unusual manner in which he sized up his opponents. It seemed that he used conversation to discover his opponents caliber. A wise strategy.

"We can begin whenever you're ready."

@Alhon

 

[Alhon]

"the frontlines eh..." Austin was impressed if it was true, but that remained to be seen. Besides, he'd played his own part in half a dozen key battles, ensuring the Empire pressed its advance. He could recognise the Chiss' achievements without detracting from his own.

Vrist calmly made his way to the far side of the room, taking off his jacket and moving into position. Everything the other Lieutenant did was calm and measured, as if there were no circumstances that might disturb his inner peace. He took up a ready stance, broad shoulders set and two blue fists raised to strike or defend. He looked quietly confident, as far as Austin could tell, but what more hid behind that stern visage was impossible to tell.

Time to break the ice.

Austin made his way to the opposite corner of the sparring area, pulling off his sweatshirt in favour of the grey vest beneath. He kicked off his heavy boots, flexing his socked feet on the spring-loaded floor. Even after his Imperial Academy training, much of the former dancer survived; speed and dexterity would be his allies, more than capable of defeating strength and brute force any day of the week.

"So polite conversation then..." he said, drifting closer to his foe and raising his fists, "Do you come here often?" He didn't wait for an answer, going straight in with a right jab aimed at Vrist's left temple. If he moved to block, Austin would strike low with his own left fist and find out how hard that chest really was.

@TheMorrigan

 

[TheMorrigan]

His head bobbed backwards, avoiding the jab. He noticed the stance was ready to strike at his chest, and used his agility to almost glide backwards

"Not as often as I would like. You?"

Vrist saw the strike coming as the words left his mouth. The cross to the chest was a very good strike, and under normal circumstances would have struck, but he had positioned himself in such a way that although he was just barely out of reach, a kick would hit him. In response, he swung his leg down towards Viett's kneecap.

@Alhon

 

[Alhon]

Vrist dodged both attacks with apparent ease, but Austin had half expected that. They were an opening gambit only; designed to test the Chiss' basic competency.

"When I get chance" he replied, "but I'm out with the Fleet eleven months of the year". He was about to strike again for the man's upper body when he lashed out with a sudden kick. Austin leapt aside to avoid it, narrowly escaping the full force of Vrist's foot. "I've a second tour with Wraith Squadron coming up soon. Space is my thing, as much as anything else". The Lieutenant dodged a couple of blows from his opponent, crouching low to build momentum.

"How..about...you?"

With that, Austin sprang, leaping into the air and spinning a move that would bring his right leg around, square into Vrist's exposed ribs.

 

[TheMorrigan]

"Ground seems to be were I lay most of my expertise. I've heard of Wraith Squadron, a division within the Emperor's personal fleet. Prestigious position."

Vrist swung a couple of basic punches, aiming mainly to strike at the chest area, but Viett was aware and moved fast to avoid and guard against the strikes.

"Ive found myself working with Sith, mostly. There where a few fellow Shocktrooper on recent missions, and I'm to be deployed with Grand Moff Andredd to hunt down the one responsible for the Moff massacre."

He managed to blurt out the response as a kick hurled itself towards his ribcage. There was no dodging this, so Vrist did the only move available to him. He crossed his arms in a V and absorbed the impact, sending him a few centimeters backwards. He straightened himself up once more and allowed himself a smile.

"Impressive. You are a skilled combatant, more so than most other naval officers. But such is to be expected from graduates of the Academy on Lianna. There is no more point in holding back."

Vrist stood, deadly calm, awaiting his opponent's next move.

@Alhon

 

[Alhon]

Austin managed a smile in response to the prestige comment, too taken up with his attack to get his words out. His kick connected, but Vrist stood his ground, blocking it with crossed arms and maintaining his composure. The Chiss was shoved back slightly, but held it together, going as far as complimenting his technique.

"Well thanks" he replied, "but if I'm representing the Navy here then I might just have to take things up a notch". He risked a brief shoulder stretch, reflecting on the mention of Lianna. Unlike Austin, Vrist seemed to have done his research. If he knew the Lieutenant's homeworld, what else did he know...?

"I still can't quite believe the bombing happened" he continued, "so many Moffs, so much security, even the Emperor himself was there. I wouldn't like to have been the officer in charge of security that day..."

He decided the accept Vrist's invitation, bouncing lightly on his feet as he closed the gap between them. Feinting left, he struck low with a right jab, planning to lean back and aim a high kick at his opponent's upper body. He was more flexible than most and the unusual reach might just catch the guy off guard.

@TheMorrigan

 

[TheMorrigan]

"The security could not have anticipated a spy within the highest ranks. The Moff we knew was a Jedi spy, and the blame for his ascension lies in the foolhardy pride of the Sith present. The Emperor cannot be blamed, he has more pressing matters. The Sith on the Council, however..."

He saw Viett close the distance in a regular fighter pattern. Typical Imperial combat training would suggest he would strike with his fist. The rotation of his waist however suggested a feint, and so it was as Vrist gently leaned forward, tapping his opponent's left strike aside. He saw the leg twist only seconds before a kick struck him in the upper rib cage. He let the momentum push him back, dropping low with a sweeping kick towards the legs. With his proximity to the wall, Vrist would follow up with a jumping side kick to the chest directly afterwards, capitalizing on his opponent's strange and overextended strike pattern.

@Alhon

 

[Alhon]

"All true" Austin replied, unsurprised to discover Vrist was forensic with detail. "The whole thing was very unusual. Still, shows you how anything can happen these days...the shift back to a military-led Moff Council might be good; it's not like me or you can turn up in someone else's body."

Austin went for the jab, but Vrist parried it without undue difficulty. It seemed he wasn't expecting the kick though, which hit him hard in the ribs. The Lieutenant watched for a flash of emotion of on the Chiss' face, but he wasn't so lucky. Instead, his opponent dropped low, catching Austin off guard. A sweeping kick came his way and he narrowly jumped aside, more on instinct that anything else. He tried to recover, but knew already that he was on the back foot. He'd no sooner found his feet than Vrist's foot hit him square in the chest, throwing him backwards.

Austin landed on the floor with a thud, gritting his teeth against the impact. His back would ache tomorrow that was for sure, but his pride took a hit too. The Chiss had him on his back without even breaking a sweat.

"I take it you're not holding back either" he groaned, looking up at the towering Lieutenant. "Looks like this naval officer has still got some work to do..."

@TheMorrigan

 

[TheMorrigan]

Vrist winced silently. These strikes where much more vicious than he allowed Viett to know. The only thing he had over his peer was sheer creativity, using strange and alien moves they don't teach in any Academy. He was impressed with his opponents tenacity, always returning with a stalwart attack pattern. But therein lied the issue. If he was anyone else, the attacks would have connected without issue. But Vrist had studied Imperial combat, memorizing it.

"You are most proficient in combat, Viett. You follow Imperial combat tactics much too closely. Your fighting style should be unique to you, that way no-one can anticipate it."

He walked over to some training weapons, grabbing the mock sword and spinning it forward.

"Let's see how your weapon skills are."

@Alhon

 

[Alhon]

As this Chiss turned his back, heading towards the weapons rack, Austin found it hard to argue. His fighting techniques were indeed Imperial-trained, hell they were Imperial through and through. They'd served him well enough thus far though; Vrist only had the knowledge to counter by having undergone the same training. How often was he going to fight a fellow officer?

Vrist returned, holding out the weapon and the young Lieutenant took the hilt in his hand. Rising to his feet, he weighed the blunted blade in his hand. It was short, sturdy and well-balanced. Not half as heavy as it looked.

"Unique....alright then" he smiled, already working on a strategy. His opponent was not just an Imperial officer; he was cautious, calculating and had done his homework. Any adversary could do the same in the future. If Austin was going to best them, he should maybe listen to the blueskin.

He leapt to the right, drawing on his skills as a dancer to add flair to his attack. Spinning in the air, he held the sword straight out, an extension of his arm as he swiped for Vrist's midriff.

@TheMorrigan