It's Been A While.....(Terran)

[Xazor Elessar]

The Knight Xazor walked throughout the jungle, letting her eyes wander about here and there. It was a beautiful day filled with the Suns' light and the heat that they offered to Yavin IV. It warmed her skin and made her feel new again after the recent rains that they had had. Still, the ground was soft beneath her feet as she walked toward the clearing where she had been trained. Pushing through the brances of the trees and brush, the Knight came to the area where the falls thundered into the river below, giving life to all that grew around. Thousands of flowers dotted the landscape and the scent filled the air like an intoxicating perfume. Smiling as she went, the Garou removed her cloak to reveal her training clothes.....black pains and a white tube top. It was a lot cooler that way, rather than training in traditional robes.

The weapons belt she wore was around her waist and upon it were three Lightsabers, four throwing knives, two daggers, and a Rail Gun. Upon each theigh was a blaster in its respective holder.....and upon her back was the sword that her Soul Mate had given to her once. The name upon it, 'Chase', caught the light and bounced it out....leaving a reflection upon the tree trunks and the ground as she moved toward the water. Stopping at a large rock, she hopped up on it and let her eyes fall to the river......looking at her feflection in the flawless mirror. It was something she did everyday when she woke up to meditate out here and watch the Suns rise. Tradition, one could call it.....but she knew that there was something about the river. One could see other things too besides the reflection. She smiled to herself and then turned around to sit down upon the large boulder, crossing her legs like a pretzel. Closing her eyes, she fell into a light meditative trance as she awaited the one with whom she wished to spar with this day.....someone she had not done so with in a long time.......Chase, the Bearer of the Sword.....

[imported_Terran Starek]

"Waiting for someone?" The voice interrupted her meditation. She looked up to see the figure of Terran standing about 20 yards from her. Wearing a pair of dark green pants and boots, his body was a stark contrast to the trees behind him. His blond hair fell upon his face. A strap was all that was worn across his chest connecting in the back. It held the sheath at his back in which a large broadsword rested. It was much like the one Xazor had...but newer. Mabye just recently crafted.

At his side hung the hilt of his saber, Halcyon. On his opposite thigh was a dagger. Of course, as Xazor would have guessed, he balanced a freshly cut branch across his hands. He had an old tradition of spending time completely alone for a good while before any training. He would spend time with the trees and the living Force. Then, at the end of each session, he would cut off an appropraite branch--about staff size--to start the training with. It was something Xazor was well used to.

He looked at her...his breath leaving him for a moment. Even now, he was still awestruck by her beauty. She was...stunning. And her current apparel only made it harder to concentrate. He would--of course, he'd been here several times before--be able to focus. It would take thought.

The sweat and moisture of a soft river bath dotted his bare chest and abs as he stretched his torso out. His eyes were firm and hardened--he was ready when she was. They had always started out these sessions with an intense staredown. He almost lost himself in her eyes--as he had done so many times--but managed to stay on task, staring her down...just like old times...

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor's eyes shot open and she looked up to see Terran.....in his usual training garb......no shirt.......and she couldn't think. Suddenly memories came flooding back to her....things she did not feel comfortable telling anyone else for they had shared some very close and personal moments, of course....and now she was recalling it all in her mind.

"Indeed.....you have arrived....."

She said softly, rising from her seat upon the rock. She hopped down and looked to a tree near the edge of the falls. From its resting place....a leaning position against the large willow....Xazor called a wodden staff to her hand made from a tree limb as Terran had also done. Ritual....something that was a part of their past and something that had stuck with them. Now they began to stare one another down. The Knight moved closer to him, and as she walked, her bare abs flexed. She was very muscular and her physique seemed flawless as she circled around the Padawan. Grinning as she did, she held the rustic staff in front of her in a cocked angle.....yet another thing that she was custom to. The anticipation grew between them.....second guessing each other as to who would begin this fight.

The Garou decided to leave it up to him and began to make her circle around him a bit tighter until they were nearly shoulder to shoulder.....their eyes still locked. She narrowed her own slightly, adding a bit of fearlessness into her silent message of intimidation. She grinned and could not hide her happiness for they were together once again....but not in a way one would think. To watch them fight would be almost like watching a dance. Their movements were fluid and they flowed together as one while fighting. After years and years of training together and fighting against one another for practice....they came to know the ins and outs of eachother's styles....but her own had changed now. She still fought dirty....but not with anger. A purity had taken over Xazor and many new things came from her training. She was one of the best Mentalists in the Order and acclaimed to be the best Illusionist. So now she would get to test her strength against his once again.......

[imported_Terran Starek]

WOOSH

He started it out, swinging straight at her head. It seemed that he was always the one to give in. It was much like the anticipation of the kiss--he couldn't take the pressure and he had to act.

CLACK

Xazor blocked it perfectly--rythymicaly--and countered with her own swing.

CLACK...CLACK...WHOOSH...CLACK

Staff to staff, the two warriors dueled. The battle was extremely close--the two seemed never to get more than a meter or two apart. Even as their history together and their friendship stood, the battle was not friendly. They were both very fierce warriors and took great pride in their own combat. That had never changed.

CLACK...CLACK...CLACK

Still raging, Terran decided to make his move. He blocked an attack from her staff and went in low for a kick to her mid-section, sending her stumbling back. As she made eye contact with him--a few meters away--he smiled and twirled his staff across his body and brought it into a defensive position. He loved this combat and, even though it was indeed serious, his eyes probed hers for pain. They were watchful--he never sought to truly hurt her. She knew that if, at any time, she was hurt of injured by the training he would be the first to jump to her side, maybe even before the pain hit. He had always been that way.

_______________________________

"You want some of this?" A young Chase gloated, holding his brand new sword that he had recieved from Master Kama. "Come get it, Xaz!" He laughed as she got mad at him for laughing at her.

"I will! You better be ready!" She charged him with the weapon of her own. He blocked her and stepped to the side. She swung again--she was trying to scare him at least--but he was thinking clearly and she was obviously flushed. As she swung he ducked, and, thinking to be smart, he decided to use his new found control over the Force to push her back.

He reached into it and shoved her with the Force in the air. Only, he had misjudged his own control. The pushe was violent and lifted her from the ground, She was thrown into a tree, smashing into it sickly.

"XAZOR!" He ran to her side as her eyes came open and closed several times. "Oh, no, no, what did I do!" He felt the sting of tears as he feared for her safety. He had been stupid, careless. If she was hurt, it was his fault, and in that moment he wished to hurt himself.

"I...I'm fine..." She spoke softly, coughing. His face lit up as she talked, knowing that she was ok.

_______________________________

WHOOSH

In the midst of his memory, he had forgotten that she was here now with an eye on his head. He barely ducked her swipe, keeping low and defensive.

[Xazor Elessar]

They fought fiercly and closely as they had many times before. The rhythm had not changed....and they seemed to flow perfectly together once again. She blocked several strikes but he kicked to her stomach and she was caught off guard.....and then she fell back a few paces. Holding her ground with the Force, she dashed at him again and struck several times with the staff.....only to have her moves guessed and blocked as he used to do so many times. It was almost a form.....a set pattern, the way they began.....but it would all change in just seconds.

She would start easy.....a little bit....and then work her way up of tricks and other useful things she had learned. He had no idea who he was messing with now, and would be in for quite a shock. The Knight spun around and faked a blow to his head, then labeled him in the chest with a back kick. That was not it though. She ran back and as she did, she drew four throwing knives with one hand. Quickly she called up the sand upon the ground and spun around, throwing the four knives at him all at once. With that, she concentrated deeply and created the illusion of thousands of other identical knives intermingled with the real ones.....and flying straight at him. The sand was gone....now being used as the Illusive tool she had created. It was a simple trick to her.....yet a very complex illusion for one who was still learning. It was something only done by her thus far, though, and she rather liked it that way.


_____________________________________


"CHASE! Come on......that isn't FAIR!"

A young man ran through the woods, closely followed by another who was seeking back the lightsaber she had built as an Apprentice. Now they were Warriors.....just below the rank of Sith Knight.....and they were not getting along at the moment. She secretly liked him.....and she knew he felt the same....but neither dared to admit it. Grinning to herself, she ran and ran faster....using the Force to give her speed and swift feet as she did so. Finally she caught Chase, and lifted him up with the Force....then without thinking about the reprucussions.....she slammed him into a large cliff wall.

"That will teach you NOT to take my things from me EVER AGAIN!"

She screamed the words in his face, then ripped the saber from his hands. Placing it back upon her belt, she released the Force hold and he dropped to the ground in a slump. The Warrior turned away until she heard a slight groaning sound from his lips. Turning around with a racing heart, she rushed to his side and grasped onto his shoulders......realising that the impact had broken both of his arms at the elbows....and cracked most of his ribs.....all but two. She shook her head and a few tears welled up in her eyes.

"No.....no, I didn't mean to! Kama.....he'll kill me if he finds out...."

Chase closed his eyes tightly and shook his head.....then opened them and looked up at her. He smiled throughout the pain and drew upon it for the strength he needed...then he slowly rose from the ground and grasped his stomach, the pain so evident upon his rugged features. It broke her heart to know she had done that over something so trivial....he would have given it back to her. And now her Master would hurt her......he would hurt her so badly for what she had done.

"I'll just tell him that I.....fell off the cliff....."

And so he did.....and he received a harsh punishment for stupidity. Xazor felt terrible about it.....and wished to tell the Master.....but Chase would not have it.....and so he saved her again........


____________________________________


The Knight crossed her arms over her chest and smiled as she could see a bit of shock in his eyes. This would be interesting to watch....for no Padawan had ever escaped The Knives.....

[imported_Terran Starek]

She fought him back very ferociously--just as he would have thought. And, just as he would have thought, she used the same moves he had grown to block. When he didn't block them--and there were times she had suprised him greatly before--he paid the price. She was no weakling.

The fight went on and then something happened. She went high--no, a fake--TOO LATE

SMACK

He took the back kick right to his chest, sending him stumbling a bit. Then she took steps away from him. Interesting. Without wasting time, she turned her back on him and, when facing up with him again, she unleashed a brutal assault. hundreds of knives flew at him at once. His eyes widened--this was not in the "Book of Xazor Technique" he once knew very well. He didn't know how she threw that many, but it was no matter. He had to act quickly--

He let the Force surround him and slow time. Little by little, the life around him and the aura shifted, allowing him time to act. He looked into the knives--they couldn't be real. He would not believe it. He knew she had become an illusionist, and it seemed no wonder that she would try something on him.

Coming back to life he sprung into action. he let the sun guide his eyes as he now noticed that not all of the figures cast a shadow. Only--four or five, maybe. He couldn't tell. Concentrating, he pulled his staff into defense and blocked two of the blades, one sticking into the wood. A third, he dodged by jumping to his left. The forth--

SCHTICK

Right into the shoulder. Pain seared through his body as the knife pierced his flesh. He kneeled to the ground as the wound screamed at him. Xazor seemed to take a step towards him--wanting to make sure he was ok. But she could sense that he would be fine. Not wanting it to get any worse, he jerked the knife from his flesh, blood dripping with it. Then, closing the wound with his hand, he concentrated on healing it. He couldn't fully heal it now--he didn't have the time nor the energy. But he sealed it--to stabilize it.

"Wasn't expecting that, Xaz," he grunted, making eye contact with her. He had tricks of his own, though. He had learned some new skills as well. He let his mind leave his head as it searched the forest for power. The wind seemed to come alive at his command, and the trees began to rustle.

"Master Verse and I have spent much time with nature." He stood, holding his shoulder, as the wind rose behind him. "I have become an Elementalist. I think it is working well for me--" he said with the roar of the wind around him. It shook all of the nature nearby as it roared, picking Xazor up and throwing her with its currents. She was tossed through the air--and where she would stop...he hadn't worked that out yet.