The Art of the Blades (open challenge to a fellow skilled swordman)

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

Kindo quietly walked through the combat segment of the Jedi Academy, hands held behind his back. His focus remained upon the ongoing lightsaber duels taking place within various arenas.

He was one of the finer swordsman at the Order, very adept when it came to wielding the blades. It was a skill he had carried all throughout his life, ever since he began fencing with his father at an early age. Many of the great discussions he and his father had toghether were over swordfighting, for his father always said an elegant Count should know how to wield a decent blade.

Ki himself found a rare peace within swordfighting, the precision of the art always appealing to him. When his father died and he took the position has Count, whenever stressed or bored, he would engage in dueling with some of Serenno’s best warriors.

Once entering the Greater Jedi Order, he realized his sabre dexterity was signifigantly increased by the power of the Force. One of his best Force skills had become premonition, which aided him greatly when fencing. Combining his sabre expertise with the Force made him an astonoshing swordsman.

Though he owned several weapons, he had two in particular which he worked best with; his father's lightsaber, and his Count fencing sword (http://www.swords-online.com/data/shop/images/K-1142_large.jpg). Through tenacious practice and actual experiences, he had grown proficient with both blades.

Peeking inside a random arena, he noticed it was vacant. He strolled towards the midway of the hollow structure, taking in a deep breath. Peace could be felt in his quiet ambience and seen in his sapphire-blue eyes.

[Sejah Haversh]

His trip home had been a disaster, and Sejah had considered never picking up his sword again. But, it was part of him, something he couldn't leave behind. That, and he was restless, and needed something to occupy his mind. Snatching up his edgeless tulwar, the mongoose left his room and headed down to the training center to burn off some steam.

He didn't expect to see Kindo, though, and he came to attention as he saw his newly knighted friend. Nodding hello, Sejah said, "Hello, Ki Adi, what brings you down here today?" The mongoose tried to smile, but it still hurt to do so, His left eye was healing from a serious blow that had blackened it, and the rest of him looked as if he had been put through a wringer.

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

Kindo turned towards Sejah, who to say the least, appeared in horrible condition. He grew concerned for his mongoose comrade.

" Sejah, what happened to you? "

[Sejah Haversh]

"Vacation," was all the Nehantite replied to Ki Adi's question. His gaze drifted down to the blade on the Knight's hip, and Sejah looked it over appreciatively. "That's a nice bit of steel you;ve got there. I take it that's what you learned with befor the lightsaber?" He tried to change jubject.

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

" Ah, you are refering to my fencer. "

Kindo drew the blade from it's black sheathing, the metal glimmering in the light. He slowly ran his finger across it's smooth surface and engraved designs.

" This is the sword I received when I became Count of Serenno, finely crafted and given to me by the Naboo. It helps me remember my roots, where I came from. "

[Sejah Haversh]

It truly was a fine blade, Sejah could hear the tone of the steel as it rubbed along the scabbard tip, and it reflected in a flashy manner along the ha of each side. To purchase one of such caliber would be to pay a small fortune.

"Excellent craftsmanship, I can tell from here," the mongoose said, "The sweep of the hilt is elegant, but not hampering, and the blade tapers nicely. I would wager it has good balance as well with that handle and pommel." He knew a good amount about swords, having to learn from them how swords were made as to learn their strengths and weaknesses when facing opponents with them.

Looking down to his own sheathed blade, he once more felt the place he had been hammered back into jsut recently. Low. It was a quality sword, that was for sure, but it was wrapped in a much-repaired brown velvet-wrapped scabbard that was missing some of the original brass trim it once had, and was stained and brushed in other areas. A zip-tie held a tear shut in one place, and only one of the original two hanging rings were left, so he couldn't even hang it from a shoulder sash or belt as it was intended to. But still, it was not what was on the outside that mattered, it was that which was on the inside that counted.

His tulwar was crafted by a master smith, a blade he could have never hoped to afford even if he lived and worked a hundred years. He was not even of social status enough on his homeworld to own one of its class, but he would not give it up for he won it rightfully in competition where it, and a sharp-edged duplicate of it were the grand prize.

Drawing it slowly, Sejah held the blade up and looked it over. It did not shine and glint, but merely shimmered, the lettering engraved on it catching the light and flicking small reflections here and there. Though he couldn't actually read it, he knew what it said, and recited as he drew his paw along it as to indicate to Kindo what it meant. "To some, Garfife grants, wisdom, others strength, and others grace. To the swordsbeast he has bessed with all these." He smiled in mocking respect of what it said, then spat, "Mine reminds me of home, too. I won it, but that was a lifetime ago."

<center><img src=http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/nehantish/sejah5C27s-tulwar.jpg></center>

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

The Jedi Knight was stunned by Sejah's extensive knowledge of swords, obvious by the wide grin across his face.

" I must admit, you know a great deal about the blades, much more than I. "

The room grew quiet for a few moments. Kindo stared at the mongoose with intrigue, has if he could sense something wrong. He wasn't real good with mind-probing, but he could feel a unusual heaviness coming from his comrade. He decided to give it a shot.

" What bothers you so much, Sejah? "

[Sejah Haversh]

Rotating his wrist with his tulwar in it, Sejah limbered up his arm before replying, "Personal matters. Nothing that would interest you, I'm afraid." It was a rather weak excuse, but enough to keep Kindo from prying, he hoped.

It was then that he felt a light pressure beneath his skull, a light headace of sorts. Raising his left paw, he tapped his temple with it and said, "I'd advise you to keep out of here. You won't get anything but a headache, trust me."

Setting his scabbard down off to the side, Sejah flicked his sword wirst twice and then looked back to Ki Adi. "Would you care for a match? Mine's edgeless, so don't worry, it won't hurt you. Only had one steel match since I've gotten here, you know."

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

Kindo glanced down at his own drawn weapon, then back at Sejah. His answer was made clear when he nodded his head in agreement.

" I've never been able to turn down a match. "

Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he began to gather his concentration and focus his attention on what was going now. Still remaining silent, he gradually elevated his sword out before him. Tilting it to a diagonal position, he stared back at the mongoose and waited for him to prepare himself.

Ki Adi hadn't fought with his Count blade for quiet a while, and he was glad to get an opportunity to rekindle his fencing skills against another adept swordsman, one probably better than he.

[Sejah Haversh]

Sejah was quick to start. He had more than his fill of blade matches in recent days, but he wanted this one.

Instead of his normally structured opening stance, Sejah snapped a step in and caught Kindo's rapier on an upswing, their steel clashing together hard. It was followed by a second advancement that carried a back and forth stroke which battered Kindo's control around. Sejah was on the offensive at the moment, but he knew that Ki Adi would soon realize that continual retreat would back him into a wall.

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

Kindo payed close attention to the wall that with only a few more retreats, would prevent him him from going any further. While Sejah continued drawing closer with each of his strokes, Ki Adi sidestepped a random lunge. Because Sejah was forced to follow through with the attack and Kindo had already sidestepped the rapid strike, the Jedi Knight was now standing before at mongoose's left side.

With his colleague's back exposed, Ki Adi advanced with a swift, accurate horizontal slice towards the back of his opponent's neck.

[Sejah Haversh]

OOC- Sorry for the delay, I got sidetracked, then had to consult a few books to make sure this move works and would be legal.

---

The Rho'istaan fencer knew his opponent was good, but the move Kindo pulled was further proof that he had been well trained.

His back was exposed, and judging form Ki Adi's foot placement, he was going to go for a high strike. Out of caluclated instinct, Sejah reached his right arm over his head and held his tulwar out to protect his back. Kindo's blade clashed off of it, and the moment he felt their steel seperate, Sejah ducked and wheeled about, pivoting on his far footpaw to gain some disance in which to parry Kindo's rapidly coming strikes.

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

OOC- To make sure my move was legal?
---

Kindo followed Sejah has he tumbled off, and once the nimble mongoose began to stop, quickly raised his blade above his head and brought it down in a forceful diagonal arc aimed at the Nehantite.

[Sejah Haversh]

OOC- My move. It wasn't as odd as I thought, actually.

---

Whipping his swordblade back up, Sejah caught Kindo's strike high and pushed it to the side, passing under his arm as he did so to wheel about and lash out a stike aimed at his opponent's torso.

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

" Whoa. "

The Nehantite stuck rapidly. There was nothing Kindo could do but fall, barely avoiding Sejah's steel. He wheeled backwards just has quick has he went down, back on his feet in no time at all.

With the mongoose now behind him, he spun around with his right arm extended outwards, in his right hand's grasp his sword. The traveling blade created a shimmering blur has he now faced the Nehantite, swinging out at him at high speed.

[Sejah Haversh]

OOC- I could swear this was a steel blade duel, at least it started out that way... *chuckles*

---

With his right arm lashing out from a spin, Kindo's blade was already on a slight upward arc. Sejah quickly shot out his tulwar and his opponent's steel clashed hard with it, though he was only barely able to keep it from striking him.

Skipping back a step to allow Ki Adi to gain footing and advance again, Sejah parried a few more strikes, and bad a few of his own dashed away by Kindo's nimble blade.

"You're good, Ki Adi, better than our last match," The mongoose admitted while playing at swordtip length, "You'll have to show me a few moves sometime. But until then..." he cut of stomping a step forward while knocking Kindo's blade high, then snapping out a kick to his opponent's upper thigh. "Let me show you a few!"

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

Sejah's sturdy kick threw the unsuspecting Jedi off of his feet and forward, colliding face first against the floor. Rubbing his aching chin, he felt something wet. From this he knew he was bleeding, but that wasn't about to stop him. There was no time to stop. If there was anything he had ever learned about swordfighting, it was that if you let your guard down even for a second, the match was over.

Rolling over, Kindo kicked back up on his feet and with his blade gripped tightly, which had oddly remained in his hand during his fall, took a few small steps backwards.

Positioning his sword overhead, Kindo performed a rapid 180, gradually lowering himself has he did. When he came back around, he extended his saber outwards, aimed for his opponent's knee.

[Sejah Haversh]

OOC- Sejah is in bad shape, but he really wants to win, here. He did just recently beat the best swordsmen on his planet, so, he's no slouch, but he's also very angry right now, and would very much like to beat you pretty badly. Possibly injure you to vent his rage. If you can get him mad enough, he'll mess up, and you can take him down. But, that is going to be a trick to do.

---

TANG!

Sejah was a step ahead of Kindo, and stepped back while lashing out with his balde in the same direction as his opponent's, catching it low and sweeping it aside. He could have skipped a double step forward and landed a lash across Ki Adi's back, but he wanted to prolong the fight.

He had taken the title of the best Rho'istann form swordsman on his planet only a week before, but it had come with a terrible price. The things doen to him created in his heart a lust for vengange, and he did not see Ki Adi as his friend, or even as a Jedi. He saw him as another opponent he had to beat in order to regain his honor. But it had to be a fight that tested his every skill, not a simple technicality win.

Their blades clashed as Ki Adi advanced again, beating back and forth between them, each with counters for the other's moves, and both not yeilding more than a few feet in either direction as they tussled back and forth. The swelling around Sejah's left eye made his hard stare almost comical in a way, but the rest of his grim expression relayed his true feelings. He was cold, calculating, and unwilling to let up until he had the win he desired. It was very possible that if Kindo called a draw or a time out, he would not listen.

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

Somehow, in the midst of the spar, Kindo could tell that something wasn't right. Sejah was really getting into it, and not like you would in some difficult game of chess either, but almost as if he were really fighting. Ki Adi was there simply to enhance his skills through loads of practice, just as he always was, but it seemed as if Sejah was taking it much more seriously.

As the mongoose parried one of the higher strikes, Kindo slid his blade off the other and barely scratched past his opponent's chest, leaving a slight tear in his clothing.

[Sejah Haversh]

Sejah uttered a deep and gutteral snarl as he felt Kindo's blade whip at him, and he launched his body in, smashing a punch with teh steel handguard of his tulwar to Ki Adi's chest before stepping back out and winding up for anotehr strike, though that time with his blade.

His voice was rich with a growl as he narrowed his now red eyes. "Come on, Kindo, I thought you were a good swordsman, where's this skill of yours now?" Rocking to his right, Sejah lashed out a fierce strike that was aimed for Kindo's side, specificly his kidney.