Learning the Basics (Dasquian)

[James Prent]

James walked into the sparring room, dressed in light beige leggings and the traditional belted Jedi tunic. She'd had to rummage through the young boys clothing to find a sparring outfit to fit her diminutive stature, but she was relatively pleased with the result.

Jedi Knight Belargic had asked her attendance for some combat training. Her master, Salemn Lysce, had agreed, as she was busy healing from her injuries, and spending time with the distraught padawan Lillian Snow. So here was James, on time and slightly nervous.

Her injuries from the professor's lab were healed, and she was eager to learn how to 'open a can,' as they say. Dasquian was waiting in the center of the room. The walls had floor pads stacked up and leaning against them, but none were out.

"I'm here, Master Belargic." It was customary for any student of the Force to call their teacher 'master,' whether or not the Jedi had earned the title.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian bowed his head in greeting, “Good afternoon, James.”

The Knight was most pleased that his fellow Jedi had accepted his offer of a lesson in combat today. After literally being knee-deep in trouble together, he felt he knew the Padawan on some level and, for dragging her through such a fight as was had in the bowels of the professors’ compound, was indebted to her. His way of apologizing, and hopefully too helping James, was to impart some of his own knowledge into her.

“Now,” he began, “I know you have some skill with a lightsaber, if minimal, as it was shown to a degree during our … chase. However I am otherwise unaware of what training you have gone through. Please, tell me.”

[James Prent]

She shrugged lightly. "I've done a lot of meditating, and learned some hand to hand combat, although not much. Master Lysce has been mostly opening my mind to the Force. I've done well with telepathy, although I haven't learnt any illusions yet, and my telekinesis isn't too good." James folded her hands together in front of her.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“I see.”

For a moment, Dasquian turned this over in his mind, thinking on his feet as he tried to plan a suitable session.

“And is there a type of combat you would rather practice over any others?”

[James Prent]

The visions came to mind, and she nodded, "Lightsaber dueling. I think it's pretty important I learn how not to cut myself." She stood easy, legs apart for balance, and her arms still folded.

"I don't have a lightsaber though."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“It’s best to make your own; however for the moment one of the academy’s training sabers will have to do.”

In all of the training rooms, for convenience sake, there were crates pushed against the sides of the walls. Though they were locked with a key code, once opened they yielded a great amount of equipment ranging from remote droids to wooden dummies that could be propped up and fought. Dasquian picked out one of the small hilt sabers that was clipped against the top of the chest, before locking it securely once more and handing the weapon to James.

“What I was taught is that before even thinking about using the saber as a combat tool you have to become comfortable with the blade. For the best possible results with this kind of weapon, you must learn to think of it as an extension of your own body, so that its reactions will be as quick as your own can be when enhanced with the Force.”

[James Prent]

James turned the saber the right way around and activated the blade, swishing it gently from side to side. Extension of my arm...it is a part of me. It really didn't feel like it was. It would probably take a long time to learn how to get really good with the saber.

And it wouldn't feel ...right, until she'd constructed her own lightsaber. But she didn't have the training in concentration necessary to complete such a daunting task. Yet.

James' face reflected grim determination as she twirled around, flashing the saber across her body, and ending up in the defensive position Salemn had taught her: one foot out to the side and the saber pointing down in front of her.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“One of the most difficult things to grasp with a saber is the feel of using it in combat. Where a metal sword would stay comfortably locked with another sword, light sabers are a deal trickier.”

The glow of the training saber was met with another of an orange hue as Dasquian ignited his own saber at his side. He rose the hilt, held in a two handed grip, and angled it off to the side slightly whilst keeping it vertical.

“To get a feel for this, I just want you to meet my swings with your own. I’ll keep them in a regular pattern to begin with,” the Knight waited for some recognition from James before moving the blade in sideways towards the Padawan.

[James Prent]

She brought her saber up to block his swing, trying to remember what Salemn had already taught her. Dasquian used a quiet rhythm that was easy enough to keep up with. The blades sizzled as they touched, and she found that he was right...they slid around a bit where the sabers connected.

The feeling was almost like two magnets with like polarizations trying to come together, but the description didn't do it justice. The blades had no problems coming together, and they didn't paticularly slide apart, but they didn't lock up. James remembered to move her feet a little, adjusting her stance as Dasquian changed up his pattern.

She bit her lip in concentration as she met the next swing, and her fingers tightened on the hilt of the training saber.

[Dasquian Belargic]

One of the most difficult attacks to fend off was the one Dasquian act out next. It began by swinging in a normal upper-body hit, though as the two blades crackled together, the Knight drew the blade out and downwards in a cleaving action that would cut James in two if not defended. What made it difficult was that the blade became such a thin beam, making it hard to target.

[James Prent]

She tightened her lips into a thin line, and as Dasquian moved, bringing his saber back from hers after only offering a slight resistance to her desperate block. James' momentum took her along, her saber continuing on its path as Dasquian brought his back around for another hit.

Her eyes tracked his blade, but the angle made it hard to see. She had a split second instinct to kick out at the blade, but that would have only cost her a foot. Time seemed to slow as she found her side exposed to his blade.

Gymnastics lessons from secondary school made her muscles contract as the Force flooded into her in a sudden wave of panicky fear. James leapt up, twisting and throwing herself to the side, carrying her tiny body over the attacking blade. Dasquian connected with nothing as she managed to stick the landing, both feet together.

Her lightsaber had fallen out of her hands as she had tucked her arms into her chest prior to leaping. James looked at it on the other side of Dasquian a little helplessly.

[Dasquian Belargic]

The display of agility had impressed Dasquian, even if the execution had left James weaponless. For a moment he consider calling up the weapon and handing it to her, although after a second thought he decided that this would be a chance to tie in some use of the Force itself to the less.

“Can you call things to you with the Force?”

Passing his saber into one hand, he lowered it slightly, nodding the tip at the still ignited training blade on the floor.

[James Prent]

James set her jaw, and nodded slightly. "I'll try." She put out her hand and concentrated....

....and nothing happened.

She deflated a little, and took a deep breath, closing her eyes and lowering herself into the Force. The saber twitched on the ground, skittling towards the Padawan, but then it stopped as a bead of sweat popped out on her forehead. Her eyes opened in frustration. "It isn't working!"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Calm, it’s all about being calm. Just visualize the movement of the saber and the movement of the Force around it and it’ll come to you… it just takes a little time. It’s not something that can be rushed, at first.”

[James Prent]

The padawan huffed out her breath, and then drew in another deep one, blowing it out slowly as she allowed her eyes to close once more. Calm....calm...think about it coming to you...

There was a pregnant pause, and then the saber skittered across the floor once more. It hesitated a few times, and then smacked into her hand finally. James opened her eyes, and stared at the saber. "Hey, it worked!"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“See? Easy as that.”

Dasquian smiled, though this momentary pause ended quickly as Dasquian slid one foot forward – hooking his saber around a semi-circle horizontal swipe, ending in a the tip of the blade suddenly jerking upwards.

[James Prent]

The saber in her hand flared to life as he made his move, and the padawan grunted as she blocked, the practice saber flashing to the side and down to counteract his upward hook. Her tongue poked out from between her lips a tiny bit as she concentrated, remembering something she saw on a holomovie once.

James shoved down on his blade, deciding not to try to replicate any fancy moves she half rememebered, and then twisted her blade slightly, getting an edge on his and flicking up and away from her body. The sabers separated, and Dasquian was left back where he'd started. James grinned in what might have been surprise.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian nodded encouragingly as he took a step back, swinging his saber upwards into a steady two-handed grip once more.

“Bravo. You’re catching on quickly. We’ll have you fighting effortlessly in no time.”

Defending this time, the Knight motioned for James to move on the offense.

[James Prent]

James frowned, finding it hard to switch from defensive to offensive. She swung half heartedly at Dasquian, as if afraid he would forget what he was doing and let her cut him in half.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian parried James’ weak swing with a strong one of his own, stepping forward as he pushed his saber against hers – she had to boost her confidence, and practice was the only way.

[James Prent]

James gritted her teeth and stepped backwards with his block. She twirled her saber to the side and tried to come up undeneath his saber, aiming at his stomach.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian leant his weight backwards slightly as he twisted his wrist – bringing his saber down to meet James’ just in time, to push it to the side. Now he stepped forward, right into James, forcing the two saber blades right up into the air. There was no way either could defend without backing off quickly, and it didn’t appear Dasquian was going to make a move.

[James Prent]

She almost stood toe to toe with the much taller Jedi, and knew she had a distinct disadvantage from this position. He could simply lean down and smush her, burning the lightsabers into her body. If he were an enemy, that is.

The padawan quickly stepped back, pulling her saber away from his, and then sweeping it in front of her, forcing him to keep his distance.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian stood with the tip of the beam a short distance away from his body, glanced down at the beam, then back up at James’ and grinned.

“See? You’re getting better.”

[James Prent]

She laughed at that, and blushed. "Maybe a little." James feinted towards Dasquian, making him back up a bit more. "So, am I a saber master now?" She asked tongue-in-cheek, knowing full well she was barely getting started.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Oh, I think you could rival even the most accomplished swordsmen, James,” he quipped, grinning a little as he returned the feigned lunge forward – a little further than he would have wanted, knocking at James’ saber.

[James Prent]

She let him bat her saber to the side, and then brought it back up, coming underneath his and keeping her saber central between them. It was uncanny how much he and his brother looked alike.

James flushed red, and she hoped he'd just assume she was feeling warm from the workout, and not because of the thought she'd just allowed to dance through her head. To cover her sudden embarrasment, the padawan brought her lightsaber back and then slashed diagonally down towards Dasquian's shoulder.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Quirking a brow, with a slight smirk, Dasquian followed James’ saber upwards with his own. It looked like James was getting a good work out from the spar – she’d turned an endearing shade of red.

“Not too tired, are you?”

[James Prent]

Her saber was blocked by his, and she backed away, letting her saber point downwards as she relaxed a bit. "No... used to run track for my school. Long distance. I don't tire easily, y'know."

Dasquian kept his saber in a defensive position, and she attacked once more, trying to find the hole in his defense.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Shifting the blade hilt back and forth, Dasquian asked over the hum of the blades:

“Do you know how to speed up your actions, James?”

[James Prent]

James frowned, and shook her head, not taking her eyes off his blade. She was afraid to lose sight of it. "Nooo... No, not really. Like not at all."

She spared him a glance, and shrugged. "Haven't quite gotten that advanced yet, I don't think."

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian stood with his posture perfectly still, only moving his hands back and forth in sudden shifts of the blades position, as if to set James on edge.

“Would you like to learn?”

[James Prent]

Her eyes flicked back and forth, and then she risked a glance up at Dasquian. "Yes, I would."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Then we shall have to arrange a lesson.”

Dasquian feigned a small left swing before lunging the saber blade forward at a right angle.

[James Prent]

James squeaked and fell for his ruse, already moving to block the left swing as Dasquian switched his attack. She saw it happening but couldn't stop her momentum as his saber caught her mid back. "Dren!"

The training saber sent a jolt through her body and she winced, trying to shake it off as Dasquian returned to a defensive position. "Ach, I shoulda seen that one comin'."

[Dasquian Belargic]

"Yes, but then that's why we're praciting, isn't it? Most people follow certain patterns in combat and they can be easily picked up on after watching them for a short time."

Dasquian set himself into the ready position once more.

"After all, there's only so many combinations of attacks."

[James Prent]

"Only so many..? How so?" James started from a simple defensive stance and then swung her saber out towards Dasquian. The blades came together as he easily blocked, and then she pressed her attack, pushing their sabers as she got closer to Dasquian.

She gasped as he began pushing back, and carefully edged out a foot in front of her. With an heroic lunge she pushed Dasquian back a bit, and he stepped back to catch his balance - and knocked his heel against her foot that had managed to get just behind him. James bent backwards to avoid the suddenly freed saber from catching her in the face, noting that her plan lacked something. Namely, a third leg to keep her from overbalancing herself, and/or stretching in two.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian wobbled precariously and felt himself about to topple over. James too seemed to be trembled as if about to fall. Things slowed down a moment, as the Force gave the Knight some time to think and to react to what was about to happen. He thumped off the saber in his hand and let himself stumble backwards a few steps, arms wheeling at his sides to try and counterbalance gravity. It looked as though he was going to win the battle however after a few more seconds he fell straight on his behind, wincing as he hit the floor.

He muttered, trying to keep his composure, “… We aren’t a very complex lot. We can’t think our way in and out of too much.”

[James Prent]

James squeaked as Dasquian stumbled backwards, her body rebelling against her mind and collapsing onto the ground. The Jedi knight soon joined her, although a few yards away. She carefully thumbed her training saber off, and rolled to her knees. "So, in this situation, the winner would obviously be whoever got back to their feet first, eh?"

The padawan lunged at Dasquian, not bothering to get to her feet, but trying to grab his saber hilt out of his hand.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Well tha-!”

Pounced on suddenly, Dasquian pushed himself backwards, his boots squeeeeaking against the floor as he scrambled away – trying to hold the hilt out of reach.

“Oh no you don’t!”

[James Prent]

He was a lot taller than she was, with a longer reach, and she knew that since her surprise leap hadn't worked, she was out of luck. Then again...

James rolled away from him and held out her hand, trying to yank the saber out of his grip with the Force. Unfortunately, she needed absolute calm to be able to pull that off, and Dasquian wasn't giving her any. He got to his feet as well, and she quickly thumbed her saber back to life. "Worth a shot, I guess." She grinned impishly.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“A dangerous course of action,” Dasquian advised.

“That left you open and unarmed, and since I had the saber…”

He returned the grin, “Think yourself lucky we’re only practicing.”

[James Prent]

She half frowned, her cheeks coloring a little. "I'll try t' keep that in mind. Y'know, lightsaber fighting looks a lot easier than it really is." James cut a half hearted figure eight into the air with her training blade.