Estelle-And so I am a Knight.. (Oriadin)

[Estelle Russard]

The recently promoted padawan walked into the Training Academy, outwardly showing herself more confident than she felt.

She had with her a lightsaber obtained from her Master ReaperFett's living quarters - herself in the process of building one of her own.

Did she deserve the honor of Knight. Could she? Would she be able to defend herself if necessary against a Sith? Or more importantly, protect someone else from the Sith?

It was time she knew for sure. She had sparred only breifly with Master Anibra Hichoru and was in sore need to test her ability and relflexes.

Hopefully soon, someone would begin their day by a workout in the Academy this morning and she would have an opponent with whom to fight.

[Oriadin]

Oriadin was passing by. He was taking a walk throught he Jedi training grounds as he did occasionally. He was watching all the padawans in training. He then saw Estelle Russard. He had heard of her recent Knighthood and thought he would introduce himself. He was stood still and looked as if she were waiting for something. He walked over to her.

--Hi there, my names Oriadin--

[Estelle Russard]

Estelle didnt recognise the voice that came up behind her, but when she turned she remembered Oriadin and his kind words of congratulation at the Bar & Grill.

"Nice to meet you Oriadin. I am Estelle."

She looked him over - he didnt appear to be dressed for a training session...but that could be training in itself. Being prepared for anything, anytime.

"Are you here to spar today?"

[Oriadin]

Estelle greeted Oriadin. He could tell she remembered him from the time they briefly met at the Bar and Grill.

--Well, I hadnt planned on sparring.--

Oriadin thought for a moment, then a smile came across his face.

--But if your looking for a partner?--

[Estelle Russard]

She smiled back at him.

"Choose a weapon from the rack, or use your lightsaber, and we can begin."

She jokingly cautioned him, smiling, "Im not very proficient yet so, hopefully, you wont get hurt"

[Oriadin]

--Well, go easy on me. This is my first spar here! I dont have a lightsaber so I'll get a weapon from the rack.--

Oriadin walked over to the rack of weapons. There was a fairly large assortment of old weapons. Oriadin looked over them for a second before picking up a fairly hefty sword. He held the grip firmly with both hands and stared down the blade to the tip.

--Perfect!--

Oriadin looked at Estelle.

--Ready?--

[Estelle Russard]

Estelle followed behind Oriadin and selected from the rack a long solid staff with a barbed point at one end, deciding not to use a lightsaber this time around.

"Well, sparring is fairly new to me too, so this will be good practice for us both."

She ran a finger lightly over the point as it to test its edge.

"Ready"

The walked over to a training mat, Estelle taking a moment to twist her hair back with a band into a ponytail to keep it from her face.

Oriadin was also standing on the mat, ready, sword held a little forward.

Estelle swung her arm out to smack Oriadin's knuckles clasped around the sword, hoping to hit, but actually mainly intending to get a sense of the reach of the weapon, together with a feel of its weight.

[Oriadin]

Oriadin moved quickly to dodge the blow.

--Nice!--

Oriadin backed off slightly. He circled the sword around almost looking like he was showing off a little. He didnt do it to show off however, he was begining to feel comfortable with the sword in his hand. He certainly didnt look like as if this was his first spar. He lifted the sword above his head and brought it down on Estelle as he stepped forward. It was a fairly lame strike but he didnt feel entierly comfortable taking strong blows against a sparring partner, especially since this was very new to him.

[Estelle Russard]

Estelle lifted the staff high, holding it with both hands some distance apart, and blocked the hit from Oriadin.

With a slight pushing motion of the staff against the sword, she then twisted away and then jabbed the staff, blunt end, toward Oriadin's stomach.

She was a little nervous too...violence did not come natural to her, and it felt odd to be trying to attack a friend. But they had to spar in order to learn, so learn she would. In the back of her mind, she didnt want to hurt him in anyway and tried to get her mindset that it was only training. Training. And tried to make herself aggressive.

[Oriadin]

Oriadins blow was blocked by Estelle, as she blocked she twisted awayand then jabbed the staff, blunt end, toward Oriadin's stomach. Oriadin moved swiftly to bring his sword down in a sweeping motion across the front of his body to block the attack. As he blocked he spun round and swung his sword aiming at Estelles middle.

It was a warm day but Oriadin didnt seem to be sweating. He was very alert and very focused at the job in hand.

[Estelle Russard]

Oriadin's maneuver left her body exposed to the sword attack and Estelle had to react quickly.

She jumped back as far as she could, while at the same time focused her will to Oriadin's striking hand, pitting the force against his natural strength and staying his arm in midstrike. It took a great deal of effort for her to do this and her concentration was completely focused on holding the sword from making contact with her.

"You have good fought before.." she observed.

[Oriadin]

Oriadin backed off slightly as Estelle spoke to him.

--Your not to bad yourself!--

Oriadin jumped about three feet in the air and towards Estelle. As he did so he brought a powerfull strike down on her as manovered his sword from above his head.

ooc: Sorry its been a long time in replying, a hectic f

[Estelle Russard]

Estelle's legs crumpled beneath her at the force of the attack and the forward momentum of the sword as she held the staff to block it. Landing on her behind, she kicked out hard with both legs one striking Oriadin in one shin, the other a direct hit to his knee.

edit:ooc - not a problem <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/image/emoticons_classic/smile.gif ALT=":)">

[Oriadin]

Estelle had caught Oriadin off gurad as he fell back. He blocked out the pain and quickly jumped to his feet. He regained his composier and shook his head at himself. He knows he can fight better than that. He circulates his shoulders to loosen up a little and stands in a fighting stance ready for Estelle.

[Estelle Russard]

Estelle got back to her feet and took a moment to catch her breath again.

Oriadin was ready for another round. Estelle tried a new different tactic.

She focused her thoughts and soon Oriadin could feel his sword moving in his hand, being tugged by the hilt toward Estelle. She was intent on taking the weapon from him.

As he strengthened his hold on the weapon, Estelle took the staff and struck hard and fast in a sweeping blow to his body.

[Oriadin]

Oriadin wasnt expecting this sweeping blow to his body as he was concentrating to much on keeping hold of his sword. He couldnt understand what was going on. Being inexperienced with fighting a force sensitive he didnt didnt know it was Estelle causing this feat. Oriadin spoke out loud

--Whats going on?--

Just as he did he recieved a blow to his middle. Estelle had caught him off guard and he fell to the floor. She had taken the wind out of the young padawan. As he fell to the floor he let go of his sword which dropped to the ground. He placed his right hand on the floor and his left on his stomache as he gasped for air. He looked up at Estelle and asked what happend?

[Estelle Russard]

Estelle called the sword to her, but her ability wasnt really mastered and she had to jump in the air, stretching out in order to catch it, as she had over-called.

She approached Oriadin, both weapons held loosely at her side.

She crouched beside him, placing the weapons on the ground. Motioning for him to stand, "it will help to get your breath back" and she worried she had really hurt him.

Oriadin was rubbing his side, but other than that, he seemed quite alright. She smiled.

"I am getting used to mastering the force, myself. The ability to see things, not so much as they are - but as they could be - takes some adjustment of the mind. The eyes don't always see what is real. Lucky for me you are hardy enough for me to practice on." She grinned at him.

[Oriadin]

Oriadin rised from the ground as Estelle motioned for him to do so. He could see she was concerned for him.

--Im quite alright. You caught me off guard and knocked the wind out of me.

Oriadin rubbed his side a little and took a few deep breaths. He then thought for a moment.

--That was you I felt as the sword suddenly became difficult to keep hold of it, wasnt it? Im still in my early training days but I'll get the hang of it. Either that or have more than the wind knocked out of me!

Oriadin laughed a little and grinned back at Estelle

[Estelle Russard]

She nodded, "yes, it takes a little focus, but after a while it seems to become a completely natural part of allowing the force to flow through you."

She stretched out her hand toward the staff still laying harmlessly on the floor. With a subtle movement of her palm, the staff responded by rising horozontally in the air and then was held suspended there. Estelle turned her hand and the staff correspondingly moved to a vertical position, still holding free from gravity in the air. She turned to Oriadin.

"Take your weapon - do the same."

[Oriadin]

Oriadin listend intently to Estelle. He was learning all the time. He calmed himself down and his breathing returned to normal. He nodded towards Estelle as she asked him to take his weapon.

--Ive never tried this before, here goes.--

Oriadin took a couple of deep slow breaths and focused. He became aware of all around him, all senses working at the double. Slowly he forgot about his surroundings and concentrated soley on his sword. He felt the force flow through him. He sword jilted slightly then lifted above the ground. Oriadin raised his arm out with an open hand and stared hard at the sword. Oriadin was working very hard to do this and was concentrating as best as he could. Slowly the sword moved towards the padawan. Oriadin lost concentration briefly and the sword fell towards the earth but he moved quickly to catch the sword before it hit the ground.

--I did it, sort of--

Oriadin smiled at Estelle with a shy fashion.

[Estelle Russard]

Grinning back at Oriadin, happy for his success.

"You did very well, Oriadin. You will only become more controlled as you go along. Its funny how after a while, it becomes the most natural thing to allow the force to flow through you and guide it to the physical realm. I am practicing everyday. The greatest hurdle is my own circumspect way of thinking.

I hate the saying "think outside the box".....but it is still a true saying for all its overuse."

She took her weapon again into her hand and doing a force-leap, gracefully lifted herself up into the air and over Oriadin to land behind him.

Striking out at his legs with the staff, intending to up end the padawan, she continued the smile still in her voice, "I hear you have a new Master now...?"

[Oriadin]

Oriadin moved swiftly to block the blow from Estelle. He sweeped his sword round and spun as he backed off slightly.

--Yes, I have a new master. Helenias QDunn. Weve only just begun but I have a good feeling with her. I think she has more time to spend with me than my last master.--

Oriadin lunged at Estelles middle, wasnt a particularly strong attack but certainly one she would have to deal with.

[Estelle Russard]

Fending off her attack, Oriadin struck her weapon hard with the sword, almost breaking her grip on it. It was here she could really tell a difference between them. The force of his strikes were much harder than her own.

He spun around and lunged at her and she had to throw herself backwards to avoid its deadly edge. She miss-stepped and stumbled back, tripping on the edge of the exercise mat and dropped the staff with a clang as she fell.

[Oriadin]

Moving swiftly and using what he had just previously learnt he concentrated very hard on her staff. He lifted it using the force and began to move it slowly towards him. He would have liked to move quicker but he was inexperienced so was a little slow.

[Estelle Russard]

Estelle saw Oriadin calling her staff toward himself and so, using the force, helped it along - accellerating its momentum to a much greater speed and hitting him lengthwise with the full impact of a force push in his chest.

[Oriadin]

Oriadin saw the staff shift quickly towards his middle. He showed a face of complete concentration as he pushed the staff using the force to one side slightly. Given the force of Estelles attack the staff went flying past Oriadin. Oriadin made a quick charge for Estelle and swung his sword towards her arm. It was again a weak attack as Oriadin clearly had no intention of hitting her.

OOC: Thanks for the heads up on your holiday. Hope you have a great time. Just reply to this thread when you get back and we can continue!