Accerso quamtotius balatros. (Open)

[imported_J'ktal Anajii]

Gray-furred fingers clenched around a curved stave of old hickory. J'ktal's breath was slow and even, his eyes locked straight ahead on his opponent--a training droid. For ten minues each of them had remained perfectly still, the small orb-like droid hovering, anticipating the mongoose's moves, and J'ktal churning over possible attack routes that the droid might take.

Finally, the droid made its move. Snapping off a quick tasing shot, it darted to the left, and fires another. J'ktal moved quickly, the bokken in his paws a blur of motion as it intercepted the red beams, then swung for the droid, only to connect with air. More shots were fired, but the Death-Shadow's senses were on full alert, and his wooden sword caught them before they could hit as well. The pair faced off, almost evenly madtched due to J'ktal's uploading of one of the most challenging trainign programs he knew, and for several minutes the dance continued, each of them attacking, but neither gaining ground.

Finally, the droid's programming failed to properly interpret J'ktal's movement as he faked, and suddenly met its doom from a hard blow by the wooden blade. Its smashed, sparking and smoking husk hurtled across the room to ricotchet off the durasteel wall in several pieces. Wiping his brow, J'ktal exhaled a breath of victory and pulled himself to a relaxed stand, the bokken hanging at his side. There had been so few in the Order lately with any time to spar with him on a level he found challenging that he had resorted to droids, though he had racked up quite a bill for having destroyed so many. Still, it beat putting others in the medical ward, which he had already been reprimanded for.

He still didn't think it was his fault that the fellow hadn't thought to duck, and needed to have his jaw wired shut for a month as it healed from the multiple fracture.

[Shade Magus]

His blonde hair gleamed in the sun as the Jedi Knight finished his morning workout. He smiled as he ran his muscles through a Force relaxing technique. It let him cool down without the chance of accidently cramping up. He pulled his robes back on as he walked back towards the doors that lead inside.

Shade felt a small shiver go through his body as he went from the warm air outside to the cool air inside. He sighed as he passed on the sparring rooms; it had been so long since he had had a decent spar. The Jedi Knight hated to admit it, but he was actually itching to square off with someone who had been training as long as he had. Well one can dream...

The thought passed through his head as he walked by an open door and paused as he heard a small crash against the wall. He peered inside and what he saw was most amazing. The person looked very similar to a Padawan that Shade had met awhile ago named Sejah, but this couldn't be him. His fur wasn't the right color, unless the mongoose had decided to change his appearace.

He was about to walk in, but paused at the door way. He hated to be rude. There, Shade knocked on the inside of the wall before speaking. "Excuse me..."

[imported_J'ktal Anajii]

J'ktal wheeled about, his bokken whizzing through the air to come to an aggressive defensive stance. He had let himself become too involved in his training exercise, and mentally kicked himself for it. A Death-Shadow should always be in control.

The hickory sword in his paw lowered, and J'ktal brought himself to a casual stand, nodding in greeting to the blonde-haired newcomer. "Yes, may I help you?" he answered.

While Sejah and J'ktal may have been of the same species, they were still highly different when it came to appearance. Thanks to his heritage, J'ktal had inherited the trait of two long strands of headfur near the front of his head, and an angular, chiseled face. The icy-cold look of his pink eyes, however, was a result of the training program which had made him what he was. He was also taller by nearly two inches to his brown counterpart, standing at an even six foot, and tipped the scales at 189 pounds, not including his fur. It was also evident that J'ktal paid more attention to his physical training than Sejah had lately, for his musculature was tight and well-developed, but not so large that he seemed bulky; instead he was lithe and powerful all at once. Various scars latticed his visible body, though most were hidden under his coat of gray fur.

"If you are here about the droid, I already have an agreement with the Council about their replacements," he added, pointing at the sparking wreckage on the floor near the wall with his bokken.

[Shade Magus]

Shade chuckled and shook his head. In truth he could have cared less about the droid. He himself had broken more than his fair share over the yeas since coming here.

"No no no," he said taking a few more steps inside the room. "Actually I was just passing by and happened to catch the last few seconds of your little spar with the droid. Most impressive I must say. It is quite difficult to find a person so talented in fighting skills anymore."

The Jedi sighed as he thought about some of the older Jedi warriors that he just didn't see around anymore. He glanced at the droid again. Prehaps...

Without taking his eyes off of the droid he started to talk to J'ktal. "I wonder...are you as skilled against an opponent made of flesh and blood instead of metal and oil?"

[imported_J'ktal Anajii]

"Many would tell you yes, sir," J'ktl replied cooly. "Were they still drawing breath." A small, dangerous smile turned up the corners of his mouth. It was very rare that the mongoose smiled, and it usually was not for the benefit of others' feelings.

Waving his bokken to bid Shade enterance, J'ktal then tucked it under his arm like a pace stick and adopted a casual military stance. "Why, would you venture a round or two, say, with a catch. No Force abilities allowed?"

[James Prent]

Walking through the corridors, James was deep in thought about her new padawan, Iaura. She'd just gotten her settled into the living quarters, and felt humbled to be teaching her about the Force. At the same time, she was excited to be able to share her knowledge...

At the sound of voices, James paused in the hallway, seeing a Jedi she couldn't quite put a name to. The blond man walked into a training room, and she hurried down the hall towards him, intending to ask if there was some sort of sign up for training rooms. She'd only been involved in using them with her former master, not in making sure there would be an empty one when she needed it.

As she reached the door the knight had entered, she peeked inside to make sure she wouldn't interrupt anything. Oops. James started to tip toe away from the door, hoping no one had noticed her looking in.

[Shade Magus]

The Jedi cocked an eyebrow at the mongoose and smiled.

"Interesting terms. I believe I'll have to accept," he said. His ears picked up a small clicking of boots behind the door before he could finish. He turned just in time to see someone move back behind the door. "Hello?"

[imported_J'ktal Anajii]

"Come in if you wish, Ms. Prent," J'ktal called, having caught a glimpse of her face for he was facing the doorway.

"This gentleman and I were just discussing terms for a spar, was all."

[James Prent]

Frell it, caught! James edged up, and then stood in the doorway hoping she wasn't blushing. "I don't mean to interrupt, but since I already have... Knight... Magus," by the attentive look on the blond Jedi's face she'd remembered correctly, "I was hopin' you could tell me how to reserve a trainin' room, for my padawan. An' then I'll be outta your hair."

She nodded to J'ktal, remembering the run in they'd shared in an all night diner, months and months ago.

[Shade Magus]

"Reserve a training room? To the best of my knowledge, or atleast the way I have always done it, you just have to find an empty room and there should be a sign on the inside to the right that says 'Room in use'. Just place that outside the door and that should be it. If there is anything else then I really am not sure."

[imported_J'ktal Anajii]

"Escuse me, Mr. Magus, but there is actually a sigh-up terminal at each end of the hallway. Rooms may be reserved six months in advance, and equipment configurations and needed supplies can be addressed at the same time," J'ktal said.

Turning back to Shade, the Death-Shadow returned to their previous topic, "Now, would you care to go about this unarmed, or shall we use false weaponry?" The mongoose twirled his bokken illustratively. "You are welcome to watch, if you wish, Miss Prent."

[Shade Magus]

I'll have to remember that little tid bit about reservations for rooms, Shade thought as he walked over to the table in the corner of the room and shrugged his cloak off. He placed it along with his lightsaber on the table before turning back to the dark furred mongoose.

He took a few steps forward, and stretched his arms across his chest and cracked his knuckles, trying to get his blood flowing. "I think we could always start out with false weaponry.. Atleast we would have more options open to us and it would make the game more interesting."

[imported_J'ktal Anajii]

J'ktal nodded in agreement, letting his bokken hang slack in his paw, awating Shade's choice of weapon from the rack on the wall. Whatever his opponent chose, the mongoose felt confident that his current hickory blade would be sufficient to face it.

"Best of three, or shall we make it five?" J'ktal asked, already limber and in his element after the spar with the droid.

[Shade Magus]

Shade cocked his head as he paused near the weapons rack.

"Hmm...let's make it five for a test of endurance as well," he replied looking carefully at the rack before finally picking up a bo staff.

"Ahh...this should do nicely. Haven't held one in such a long time. Let's see if I still have it," he said as he went to stand in front of the mongoose. He stood approximately five meters from him and bowed. He twirled the staff around a few times before holding it straight out behind him in his right hand and placing his left hadn in front. He bent slightly at his knees, slide his left foot out to the front, and leaned back so he would have a great reaction distance when the mongoose moved.

[James Prent]

James nodded thanks to J'ktal for the information. Although they didn't leave room in their conversation for her to verbally acknowledge the invitation to stay and watch, she picked her way to sit on the floor against the wall. She had been the one interrupting, anyway.

She might pick up something new for her technique. J'ktal was a master swordsman, and even though he was a padawan, he was certainly not learning swordplay from anyone at the order. The lightsaber had a different heft than a regular blade (she'd been told), but the Nehantite had probably picked up the difference and compensated for it months ago. She might have a larger grasp on the Force than he, but in an out and out battle... James hoped she never had to face the Death Shadow in a fight.

It was comforting to know he was training to be on the same side as her.

[imported_J'ktal Anajii]

The bo had been an unnexpected choice, evidently Shade wasn't as much of a firebrand as J'ktal had originally pegged him. Jitching his right paw up on the handle of his bokken, J'ktal let the fingers of his left curl around the wood at the base, and he took a deep breath before sliding his right footpaw back, sinking into a defensive stance with his blade pointed down and away from Shade.

There he stood, stock still, the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed his only movement. Even his cold, pink eyes were unwavering in their lock on his opponent. It was unfortunate for Shade that he had not witneessed the whole bout between the mongoose and droid, for he would have learned that J'ktal's patience could be nearly legendary. He would remain still until he saw the perfect moment to strike, and would not be moved beforehand for any reason.

[Shade Magus]

For a long time nothing happened. Both of the combatants were perfectly still. Shade could tell right away that J'ktal was good. He had learned patience. Not something many fighters knew, but the best mastered. Finally he stepped forward slightly, testing the waters so to speak. He brought his bo around the left side of his body and swung it like one would swing a stick or a bat, at the mongoose's head.