Knock Me Back A Step...[Open]

[Zacharia Dawnstrider]

"Righteous! Now this, I can have fun with." A voice rang out through a large room within the walls of the Jedi Academy. There in the center stood a figure clad in black cargo shorts and a tight black tank top. On it was some funny writing in white that said something to the effect of "Independent". Below it was a symbol that obviously meant something to the wearer, but nothing to those who did not understand, as he thought.

Shifting his weight in his comfortable sandles, the young man looked about for anyone else in the surrounding area. No one. Sighing, he shook his head and closed his eyes and began stretching as he normally did before every skate competition. It was routine and made him feel good. Today was no exception and of course, he was preparing for something. "Today I'm gonna knock a bloke's head off and prove I can handle this Jedi thing." He grinned toothily and began turning side to side, stretching out his stomach muscles.

"So yeah -- like, any dude who wants to go at it and actually face me, c'mon out!" He called in a challenging voice which was promptly followed by his signature cocky grin. Holding his head high, the young Padawan, who obviously needed a lesson or two in humility -- stood awaiting a challenge.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na Rakai had no longer entered the combat halls to work on some balance routines when she heard a very familiar voice. It was the skater boy, Zacharia Dawnstrider, without a doubt.

"I'll face you, Skater Boy." Quay'Na smiled as she entered the room. "How ya doing, Zach?" She asked with a grin and walked up to him.

[Zacharia Dawnstrider]

Zacharia turned around and without thinking, snorted at Quay'Na as she appeared. Blushing slightly as he realized who it was, he grinned. "I'm great, and you?" He questioned as she walked up to him. Somehow, he found it difficult to believe that she would want to face him. Never had he heard of some girl, or rather, young woman beating a man. Now Zach, he was a man and Quay -- she was just so -- dainty.

Laughing slightly as he looked down at the ground, the Padawan shook his head. "You want to face me?" Smiling toothily in a bit of disbelief, his eyes wandered up to meet hers once again, noting the serious air in them. Swallowing hard, he grinned toothily once again. "Right -- chick, I just want this to be fair. I mean, like -- I don't wanna hurt you." He said with a smile.

Somehow, the situation was all wrong. Zach had never been beat out by a girl before, except -- well, he never liked to remember that competition. Something told him this would be like the rest. He would attack and she'd be down. "Wait, do I even know how to attack? What if -- " The thought crossed his mind that he might fail due to his lack of fighting -- at least, the Jedi way.

"Fine -- I'll take you."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

It didn't take Quay long to read this Garou's thoughts, they came to her as if he had spoken out loud.

"No pain, no gain and how am I to learn more on fighting, if I don't challenge or get challenged. I don't expect to be treated any differently, Zach." She told him very clearly.

Quay'Na stood unmoving as he thought about a few things, she smirlked slightly, but no enough to notice. She did need the practice and if she lost, well then she'd have to train harder.

"Fine--I'll take you." She heard him say.

"Perfect, but..on one condition." She smiled as she walked over to the wall and pulled open a small door that revealed a small comp screen, punching in a few codes.

A few seconds later the ceiling opened and a large balancing beam came out of its interior. It was a bit longer than a normal beam, but was still only about six inches wide. Quay'Na often referred to this beam as a battle beam.

Once it was firmly placed and automaticall attached to the floor, it's support lifts disappeared back into the ceiling.

"You're a super skater, so you should have good balance and I am a gymnast. Why not strenghten our skills....up there. Are you game, Zach?" She asked with a smile.

[Zacharia Dawnstrider]

Zacharia laughed to himself as he watched the balance beam lower from the ceiling. Not only was he skilled at skating, but balance was his forte. Obviously, she had never seen him grind -- but then again, the holy rails in the temple seemed pretty off-limits to him.

With a nod, the young Padawan walked over to Quay and held out his hand. "Deal -- but don't say I didn't warn you." He grinned toothily. "Oh, and once we're up there, you can have the first move." He offered, noting in his mind that it was only right that ladies go first.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na nodded with a smile as she took off her boots and socks and stretched out first, she always stretched. Didn't take her long and she stepped back a few meters. With a deep breath and touching the Force, she took off towards the beam and at the last moment, she vaulted into the air. Performing a perfect double somersault, she landed on the beam gracefully and walked down to the opposite end.

"Okay, your turn, get up here." She smiled down at him.

[Zacharia Dawnstrider]

Zach nearly dropped his jaw as he watched Quay. "Wow." He spoke with his mouth hanging open slightly. Shaking his head, the Padawan stopped gawking at her talent and decided it was time to show her up. Oh how terribly wrong he was.

With a cocky grin, the young man ran at the beam as he would have skated at it. In a second, he lept up and locked his feet into a fancy grind stance -- but since he was not wearing any skates, he went no where and the friction from the beam launched him off the other side. Needless to say, Zach came crashing down on his rear-end right on the ground, right in front of Quay'Na.

"Dude! That beam is narly, and not in a good way either, chick." He frowned as he rubbed his hip, noting the pain coming from his backside. Of course, this was probably fully amusing to his fellow Padawan, and so, the skater refused to look at her. Instead, he slowly got up from the fall and shook it off, deciding to rely on a more conventional manner of getting up to her level.

Instead of pulling off something fancy, the young man placed his hands upon the side of the beam and pulled himself up to stand upon the narrow plank. There he felt a little better as balance did not seem to be an issue. "Okay -- you can go first." He spoke quietly in a sheepish manner.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Though it seemed kind of amusing at the time, Quay'na held her gaze and didn't laugh. That would prove nothing more than to intimadate him and she wasn't into that, especially with a fellow Padawan. Besides, she'd fallen many of times, before she learned her own technique, Zach would too.

Once he joined her on the beam, she walked up to him he was a bit taller than her, but it wouldn't matter.

"Ummm, you wouldn't mind if I handicap myself would you?" She asked as she pulled out a black blindfold from around her waist. "I need all the handicaps I can get, I really want to get this fighting thing down."