A Whole New World... (Torgeir)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

After a productive day (http://theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?56885-Diamond-in-the-Rough), and a restful night, Lilaena De'Ville stood outside the heavy freighter Stormfalcon. Her socialite guise from the day before was gone, replaced with a utilitarian jumpsuit in navy blue. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, her face free of makeup. She felt confident that the technician from the day before, Torgeir, would be arriving shortly, and his strength in the Force would be added to the collective of adepts that she was gathering.

It was strange to be in a position of leadership. She had followed others for so long... yes she had trained apprentices before, but leading a small army and a group of Force users was something else entirely. As long as everyone remained on the same page, the group would stay together. If it began to splinter, if those she brought together decided to seize power for themselves? She would have to decide how far she was willing to go to keep the group together, and under her control.

Droids were loading up the cargo bay with crates of consumables, suitable for long term storage and greatly needed for her large capital ship. "Hey," she shouted, jabbing a finger at an errant heavy droid who was rolling away empty handed. "I need these packed up as soon as possible! That means you help!"

"Apologies, gentles," the droid wheedled in a low voice. "This one is needed elsewhere." It continued on it's way, leaving her with a pile of crates and only one droid to work it.

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Packing up his toolkit, Torgeir ensured that nothing was missing as he went over the inventory again. Having to buy all his own tools to work for the hangar meant that anyone else that needed something they had broken or lost would go looking for a convenient replacement and then he would have to beat their ass to get it back. Sometimes. He had seen it before, but luckily for those here on Naboo they were spared that fate. Closing up the olive drab satchel, he shouldered it and then grabbed his duffel bag and threw that over his prosthetic shoulder and headed for the door. Leaving the locker room behind, he had a tinge of regret that still plagued him from time to time as the same scenario had played out back home on Corellia. Saying goodbye to the veteran mechanics there who had been friends of his grandfather's, watched him grow up and had become his own friends and mentors. A third beginning was on the horizon and this one he couldn't pass up.

Besides that, Lilaena was very attractive and he was going to be spending a lot of time with her.

Grinning to himself as he pushed the door open, he nearly missed the supervisor reaching for it. "Sorry, Tang."

"Nah," the older man shook his head and backed. "Need a window on this door, even though the females would be peeking in while we change all the time."

"That or train everyone in telepathy," he chuckled and continued out into the hallway.

Smiling, a gnarled hand held the door open. "Gonna miss you around here, but I understand. Take care of yourself."

"Yeah, you too. Been a pleasure."

Nodding to him the older man continued into the locker room as Torgeir departed. Within a half hour, he arrived at the private hangar at the starport and overheard the droid as it was leaving, passing it in the narrow hallway meant for personnel entry. Continuing into the hangar, steel-blue eyes noted the disappointment on her face as she gazed to the stack of supplies. Continuing toward her, he scanned the rest of the hangar and then had an idea. Taking out his comlink, he dialed in a supply manager that he knew here at the port.

"Hey Tor, what's up?"

"Not much. Leaving here shortly, but was wondering if you have any lifter droids on hand that my friend could borrow for about a half hour?" Torgeir waited for a moment as he approached the ebon haired pilot and his new trainer, winking at her.

"Yeah, got two that I could spare for that long. Where at?"

Grinning at Lilaena, "Fourteen A. Appreciate it."

"Not a problem, they'll be there shortly."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena inclined her head in a nod as Torgeir put away his commlink. "It is much appreciated." His easy going demeanor, coupled with all the grinning and winking, would be an interesting dynamic to see operate with the others. What would he think of Lyydea, for example, the cute-yet-homicidal former slave? More importantly, how was she going to stop him from continuing to flirt with her? His attraction to her was plain, and it made her a little uneasy. Lilaena had spent her life with a singular focus - one that had no room for indulging the desires of the flesh.

For that matter, no one had ever seriously tried to make a move on her. A random stranger in a bar, perhaps, but they were easily ignored. As much as she'd grown into her own skin over the last year, this was one part of herself that she had no plans on exploring any time soon.

Lilaena forced herself not to think about ... Him ... and turned her attention to directing the new droids on where to stack the crates when they arrived. She and Torgeir were standing inside the hold observing the droids work. "Perhaps you can help as well," she said softly, looking at him directly. "You are here to learn about the Force. Have you ever opened yourself up to it before? Some find the Force calls to them in quiet moments, others during times of heightened emotions. It flows through us all, and through everything around us - even these crates," she said, indicating the stack closet to them.

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Noting her obvious discomfort with his wink, the Corellian did his best to tone down his natural swagger having grown up around men that always appreciated the game. Though he at one time already had someone that wished to be with him, Torgeir had walked away from her as well and as he unloaded his duffel and satchel on the open ramp, he listened to her explanation as his eyes drifted to the crates. Brow furrowed lightly in thought as he pondered how exactly to perform this feat that she was asking.

"Never knew how. Those dreams that I had just happened," he shrugged, returning his attention to her. "I've seen some holovids about Jedi where they talk about all that stuff, but I thought it was mostly some dude's imagination. Never seen anyone leap up to the roof of a four story building or anything like that." Turning to her more squarely, "How do you open yourself to something you can't see?"

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"You close your eyes," she said simply. "Do not trust in what you can see - the Force is much more than what your eyes can process. Yet your mind, your body - it already knows and understands the Force in a way your rational side refuses to allow. Cast aside your doubt. Breathe deeply, and exhale out the past, the things that you've been told and think to be true. What is possible? Everything is possible. There are no longer any boundaries. Physics are a mere suggestion to you now, something you need not be bound to.

"Release your limitations, and embrace your freedom. Then open the eyes of your mind."

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Though he wasn't a simple man, Torgeir felt like she was talking in riddles and fantasy, but he also wanted this so quietly nodded and hoped she just didn't read his mind. Grinning, he closed his eyes and emptied out all his thoughts and just focused on the black within his eyesight. Imagining the crates, he then thought about a hand picking them up and moving the load toward the open cargo bay. Opening his left eye momentarily, they remained in place mocking him. Taking in a deep breath, he closed his open lid and again tried to focus even more of his mental ability, trying his best to believe that he could do this regardless of how amazing and fanciful it seemed. Moments lingered as he pushed everything he could muster into the feat, hearing the droids performing what he couldn't in the background, moving to and fro from the supplies to the ship's cargo bay.

Sweat beaded on his forehead with the effort and he again opened his eyes. Nothing.

Getting frustrated, his hands now on his hips, Torgeir shook his head. This shouldn't be so hard, he thought. Especially if she could do it. Steel-blue eyes looked at Lilaena, "I understand what you said, but you're making it sound so much easier than it is."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"It is both easier than I made it sound, and harder. In time it will be as simple as breathing to you." She reached out with a hand and one of the heavy crates that had been stacked in the hold lifted out of where it had been placed, moving up and then slowly toward them. "Can you sense anything about what it is I am doing?"

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Her touch to the Force was both amazing and baffling as he felt something stir within him, the feeling an almost out of body experience. Nodding, he watched as the box floated toward them as if on it's own, but the longer she concentrated on the feat he could feel the unique, unsettled discord within. "Yeah, almost like when your foot falls asleep. Kind of like that, but all through me," he stated, steel-blue eyes still fixed on the gliding container.

[Ireen Cole]

Ireen was bored. She was perched atop a crate in the cargo hold, watching the listless relay of droids. Whenever a new one appeared, she made a log entry into the small datapad in her hand. Eighteen, so far. She imagined that they were full of ripe shuura, or brightly-wrapped candies. Inside, she ached for chocolate - a single piece would do - rich, and dark, like velvet on the tongue. With a groan, she reeled from another wave of hunger, and climbed down to walk it off.

Another crate drifted by, and she absently tapped the datapad. Then, she froze. A feeling, like a cool breeze, drifted over her skin, making her hair stand on end. This was someone new. Alert now, she descended the loading ramp to where Lilaena was joined by an unfamiliar man. One of the crates was floating in the air before them. So this must be the guy. She listened to him speak; his voice was like homemade soup for the soul.

"Another Corellian?" She sounded pleased. The stranger was offered a hand in greeting, and her... Lilaena was given a look, "Are you starting a collection?"

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"I appear to be," she replied, a trace of amusement on her face. The heavy crate settled slowly down, sitting on the deck quietly. De'Ville released her hold on it, looking between the two adepts. "Ireen, this is Torgeir. Torgeir, Ireen."

[Torgeir DeHaan]

So transfixed on the ability being displayed that Torgeir almost missed the addition of the blonde, but once he heard her accent and caught the blue eyes, he forgot the crate altogether. Grinning, he leaned in and reached out a calloused hand. "Pleasure," he stated. Backing again, he glanced to Lilaena and chuckled lightly. "Have a thing for Corellian's, huh?" He nodded playfully, "That explains a few things."

Steel-blue eyes turned again to Ireen, "How long you been with the group?"

[Ireen Cole]

His hand was rough - the hand of a workman, probably some heavy duty manual trade, Ireen imagined - which went no lengths to explain the luxurious brown locks cascading from his head. That was the hair of a Nabooian pleasure boy. Ireen suppressed a smile. Maybe, during tougher times, Torgeir put in some extra work hours on the side.

"A few weeks," Ireen said, in response to his question. Also in response to his question, she clasped the datapad to her breast, for fear of looking like some nobody secretary, and not an adept. That's what Lilaena kept calling her, but so far, she didn't feel adept at anything other than working up a sweat. It made her wonder about this steely-eyed Corellian's own level of adapt... ness.

"I hope you like pain." Ireen raised a hand to her mouth, and spoke in a half-hearted undertone, as if to guard her words from Lilaena's ears, "Lilaena has a talent for helping you discover muscles you never realised you had, and then wish you hadn't."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville hid a smile at Ireen's words, leaning in toward the other woman. "When you can defeat the twelve year olds in Battle Circle I will be so proud." She did smile then, and laughed. "Not everyone is gifted in hand to hand fighting, but everyone should know how to defend themselves."

She gestured toward the out of place crate. "Do either of you wish to move this back for me?"

[Torgeir DeHaan]

He grinned at Ireen's comments and knew he was going to definitely enjoy this new life, especially if the scenery continued to be like this, he mused as they seemed to be contesting for him already. His natural Corellian pride wouldn't let him think otherwise as Lilaena did her best to knock the blonde down a peg. Though he had worked all his life, he knew this training was going to be a true test and didn't doubt he was going to find new muscles again. Enduring saving friends in the cantina's back home, he had his share of fights, but not with the Force which was going to test him more mentally than anything.


His new master's challenge didn't go unnoticed as Torgeir then focused once more on the crate on the floor between them. Sighing, he closed his eyes and cleared his mind and fed off of the need to please as well as impress these two females. Black gloved hand rose in time with his demand that this stupid box move finally. Seeking that out of body feeling once more, the fledgling Force user began to sense something else. At first it remained in the background, but as he concentrated on it the dribble began to intensify and before he knew it a wash of incredible energy flowed through his strong frame, rushing down his prosthetic arm and outward toward the large box. Picturing the cargo bay's opening, he commanded the crate to rise and move toward it. Keeping his eyes closed, the strange flow of energy continued for what seemed like an eternity. Sweat beaded on his forehead with the effort and he finally opened his eyes to see the square object moving through the air and though at a snail's pace, eventually reach the cargo bay's open ramp where he then focused on setting it down. Tired now, Torgeir drew in another breath and slowly let it out knowing he couldn't lose it right near the end. Slowly descending, the box dropped the last few inches as he relinquished his hold.


But, he did it.


A grin arced upon his strong features as he lowered his arm and then felt like a real weight had been lifted rather than an imaginary one. Steadying himself, the mechanic took a moment as he felt dizzy, easing his breathing before he fell on his ass.

[Ireen Cole]

She smiled at Torgeir. The smile she wore like a mask. Behind it, her face twisted with bitter resentment. How she had longed for him to fail, all the while thinking "Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it," as if she could will his failure into reality in the same way he had willed that crate into the air. A glance at Lilaena was futile - she remained wholly unreadable - and when their eyes met, Ireen averted her gaze. Did she expect the same of her? Why not ask her to pull the moons from their orbits, too?

"You will fit in well, Torgeir." She gave him a nod and resumed logging cargo.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She was surprised, but kept her face smooth. Not that he could levitate the crate, but at the control he displayed in not only lifting it but in putting it in front of the stack. It was out of place, but one of the lifter droids quickly picked it up out of their path and started a new stack. Ireen was jealous of the man's ability; Lilaena could read emotions easily even though thoughts remained something of a black box for her.

She nodded at Torgeir, "A good start. In time you will be able to lift a heavy crate with no more effort than lifting a spoon. To the Force the size of a thing means nothing." De'Ville nearly smiled. "The droids are almost done, and then we'll be on our way. Did you bring anything with you?"

Lilaena looked pointedly at Ireen, who was trying to bury herself in the datapad she was holding. "Show him to one of the empty cabins. We will be leaving as soon as possible." She walked through the cargo hold into the rest of the freighter, joining Jeng in the cockpit. The handsome Mandalorian brushed his blond hair out of his eyes, looking at her with a question on his face.

"As soon as the droids are done, seal the hold."

"Of course, Manda'lor," he said, touching his fist to his chest. It was unusual to see him without his armor on, but he carried himself with the languid grace of a drexl. Even without the armor he radiated deadly competence, as did most of her Mando'ade. After generations on Onderon, living in the wilds where a misstep meant you were dead, all of the survivors were well honed warriors.

[Torgeir DeHaan]

The competitive spirit betrayed the fellow Corellian as Torgeir let the out of body discomfort finally wash away, clearing his eyesight as he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, not wishing to appear weaker in front of the two. Straightening, he nodded to Lilaena's directive as he then moved to the ramp and reclaimed his duffel bag and tool belt, shouldering the larger pack and keeping the belt in his hand. Watching their apparent leader head up into the ship, steel-blue eyes turned to the blonde. "I take it you're new to all this as well?" Hoping she hadn't been studying with this mysterious group for years, Torgeir kept his tone more curious than judgmental.

[Ireen Cole]

"Greener than a Drexellian sea cabbage," she said, punctuating her confession with a stab of the stylus. The last of the crates had been loaded, and the droids dispersed, burbling tunefully amongst themselves. And, with her own task complete, Ireen lowered the datapad and considered Torgeir for a second time. She didn't hate him for being able to float a crate across a room, that was silly. But he had the spark of confidence in his eyes, and, in her experience, that meant one of two things: either he was a monumental ass, or he was overcompensating. The two weren't always mutually exclusive.

"That was an impressive display," she nodded at the now immobile crate, "It usually takes me that much effort to get out of bed in the morning."

A thin smile, "Let's find you a room."

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Torgeir chuckled, liking her spirit already and as he watched her work the mechanic was beginning to like her. In some way, reminding him of his mother and grandmother on her side, it seemed to be a cultural thing, he mused. Strong personalities were apparently necessary to keep up with Corellian men and no matter how strong his father always tried to be when with his friends, mother's call always brought him running. Though never admitting that to anyone else outside the family, no matter how much they ribbed him about his love for her. The more he thought about home, the more homesick he was becoming, so shifted gears as Ireen turned to him once more.

Grinning, steel-blue eyes glanced to the lifter droids momentarily before returning to the attractive blonde. "Sure you know how much of a handful Corellian guys can be," he chuckled. "Grandpa taught us that if you do something right the first time, then you don't have to do it again. Kindof stuck with a lot of things, especially with work." Knowing she was going to test him as much as she could, their playful tension was going to make for an interesting future, he mused as his demeanor became more serious. "All this is new to me, so I have to try and get all this down. Especially with what I've heard about certain governments cracking down on... us." Scanning for any spying ears, he hoped none of this was being recorded by any Port Authority official.

Following her up the ramp as the servomotors on the cargo bay door whined, closing it, he knew this new life was definitely going to have a lot of bumps in the road. But, the scenery was definitely worth the trip.

[Ireen Cole]

"Cracking down?" Ireen repeated, with a frown, "That's certainly one way of putting it."

Hunted. Trafficked. Tortured. Exterminated. Pick an atrocity at random and you'd be closer to the truth. That Torgeir had described the looming shadow of Imperial horror in such a tepid and quaint kind of way suggest to Ireen that he had no idea what they were up against. She could educate him, of course, but with that came the awkward questions she rather went unanswered. So she remained mute on the subject, and kept things casual as she led the way deeper into the ship.

"So whereabouts are you from, anyway? You don't sound like you're from the city. The way you speak about grandpa's folksy wisdom... farm boy, right?"

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Passing another maintenance droid, he avoided a collision with the R2 unit as it hurried along, apparently on a mission. Her query met with another wry grin. "No, actually we're from Coronet. He did grow up in the suburbs though and got me into the maintenance business. Was studying to be a technician, but," his voiced started to drift off as the memories of the accident returned again. "Now I'm here instead."

"So," he changed the subject as they moved through the galley and turned right, heading toward the berthing area. "You from the city?" Of course there were many cities on their homeworld and by the looks of her, she could be from any one of them. She was definitely well educated, so that narrowed it down a bit.

[Ireen Cole]

"Coronet, just like you."

She gave him a measured glance, as if summing him up again, all over. He didn't sound like the other big city guys - sure, there was a swagger in the way he carried himself, but that was a Corellian for you - Torgeir seemed somewhat earthier, and more sensitive, even. Not that she'd tell him that: guys hated to be considered sensitive where she was from. Brave? Sure. Charming? Absolutely. Humorous? Without a doubt. But sensitive? That was a quality reserved for women, or men not attracted to women. How she hated the knuckle-dragging troglodytes of home.

"When my dad became a professor at the University of Corellia, we moved deep into the city, where its all crowds, and noise, and rush rush rush. He hated it there. Still hates it, I'm sure," she added, with a whisper of a smile. "My other dad, well, he's a cop, and he thrives on the buzz. Like me. We would go camping in Bela Vistal, and spend time on the lake, in the woods. It was hell."

She rolled him a look of exasperation, and this time, she smiled for real. Between them, the unfinished comment he'd made about studying to be a technician was left hanging in the air, and it had not gone unnoticed. But people didn't say things for a reason, so she gave him his space, and instead gently probed the surface.

"So, what about you? Is there anyone in your family who's... gifted?"

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Chuckling lightly as she talked about the resort town which he had only ever seen in holovids, he could imagine her laying out on the beach sunning herself while being served by a droid or employee of the hotel. Complaining about dinner and what she didn't have to wear were all familiar complaints for Elaine usually did the same thing when they wanted to go out. But, that was another time and place as well. Nearing the entry for the berthing area, he slowed his pace and eyed her as she asked about his family. "Not that I know of. Grandpa may have," he shrugged, shifting the weight of his duffel bag onto his broad shoulder again. "He always talked about having dreams come true and stuff like that, but never heard of him talking about moving things with his mind or anything like that. Typically he thought those kind of people had all been wiped out, then we hear about the Imperial Knights," his demeanor melted with the title.

"I take it you haven't met any of them yet," he posed as more of a question.

[Ireen Cole]

"No," Ireen's eyebrows leapt at the thought, "No, my days have been blissfully free of Her Majesty's Imperial Knights."

The words oozed out, thick with derision. The self-styled Knights were a perfect personification of Imperial hypocrisy, and yet, as always, it seemed to be the Empire, and only the Empire, that remained entirely oblivious of this fact. Though she had walked amongst them, and dressed like them, talked like them, and even acted like them, Ireen knew in her heart it had been nothing more than a survival tactic. The others, the ones who served the Empire with pride, she often found herself wondering what it was they saw when they looked in the mirror every day.

"The Empire seems to think it can hold a monopoly on the Force itself. It is people like Lilaena De'Ville, and now you, and me, who must see that never happens."

Eyes front and hard, she was surprised to hear the edge in her voice, as sharp and unyielding as any durasteel blade. The poison of her experiences was beginning to pollute even her speech. She sounded different, and she liked it.

"Look at me, now. I'm such a badass. Grrr!" It sounded more like the growl of a puppy, but all the same, she socked him a gentle thump in the arm. This stranger. What in the galaxy was she doing!?

"Um," she cleared her throat, turning pink and sheepish, "This is your room."

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Laughing as she lightly punched his prosthetic arm, hidden beneath the jacket and glove, Torgeir then noticed the blush in her cheeks and began to realize what was truly happening here. Humor still in his smile, the mechanic glanced into the room and though small, very comfortable. Nodding, he moved to step into it, turning slightly as it seemed she was now more than eager to leave him. "Thanks." Facing her more directly now as he set his duffel bag onto the floor to his right, "And whatever it takes, I'm eager to get the training underway and help you guys." Glancing to the inset dresser on his right, he set his tool belt onto it and returned his steel-blue gaze to her. "Not going to be much use in a turret just yet, but if anything on this ship gets broken, I can take care of that." Even though he had noticed several droids onboard, Torgeir was certain they had at least one maintenance droid to help already.

Not all that willing to let her go just yet, he stepped back toward the doorway, "So, how's Lilaena as a trainer?"

[Ireen Cole]

"She..." Ireen's gaze found a spot on the ceiling, as if she would find there a helpful list of adjectives. Then, in silent agreement with herself, she gave a nod, "She's tough, and she has high standards, aaand equally high expectations. Stick to her rules and you will see results. When I started, I was made from cookie dough, now... now I'm made from cookie dough that's been in the freezer a while."

Self-deprecation was her armour, and it was becoming cumbersome. She shrugged off its weight.

"It's not all about fitness, of course. Lilaena has seen things. There's not a word she says that doesn't come from personal experience: listen, and she will equip you with the tools for survival. You're going to need them. We all will."

[Torgeir DeHaan]

It seemed they had all seen a lot, though Torgeir knew his own experiences varied quite differently with what Ireen was referencing and though he had only met Lilaena recently, he could tell that she had been through a lot. Nodding, he backed finally. "Thanks for the insight." Glancing toward the galley, he imagined their captain about ready to leave. "I'll put this stuff away and meet you guys in the cockpit here in a sec." Turning, he moved to the duffel bag and lifted it once more and opened the tall, slender door to his modest closet. Noting a top shelf and rod for hanging clothes, the mechanic instead hung the long, dark green bag on a hook suspended to the inside right wall. Grabbing his tool belt, he stuffed that onto the shelf, then closed the door.

After one last scan of his room, and door to the refresher, Torgeir moved back out of the suite and took a closer inspection of the ship's interior as he headed toward the cockpit.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"Settled in?" asked De'Ville, looking up from where she was sitting in the co-pilot's seat. Not that she was co-piloting - she could fly the ship in a pinch, but if there was someone more qualified for the job she would let them do it. Jeng was punching in the coordinates from the navicomp as Naboo fell away beneath them, a curl of smoke rising from the small, homemade cigarette between his lips.

"Better strap in," the blond Mandalorian said around his cigarette as the freighter turned toward the jump point and he dialed up the sublights. Jeng pressed the intercomm for the benefit of Ireen, who was somewhere else in the ship. "Jumping in two minutes."

Lilaena motioned Torgeir into one of the extra seats in the cockpit. "We will have a few hours to kill while we travel. How are you at fighting?" She made two fists and held them up in a classic boxing pose, raising her eyebrow.

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Entering the more cramped compartment, full of panels of lights and switches all alive with energy, it seemed, steel blue eyes instead gravitated to his new teacher in the Force noticing in his peripheral the trail of smoky wisps rising from the pilot's seat, then heard his voice announce their departure time. Nodding to Lilaena, he stepped left to the proffered seat and claimed it, then buckled up. Though he had worked on many ships in the past few years, his fascination of how all those parts grouped together in a large, sleek contraption such as this could actually get off the ground and take them to far flung worlds that he had never heard of, or seen.

Relaxing in the padded chair, he turned his gaze to the copilot and grinned at her query about his fighting ability. "I grew up on Corellia," he replied as if it was a no brainer, though not everyone would be so bold, especially to someone that knew the Force like she did and after what Ireen had told him. "But, yeah, I can defend myself when it comes to it," he winked. Even though he was a bit apprehensive about his own abilities when stacked up to a war veteran, Torgeir would give it his best when asked. The only thing that she wasn't aware of yet was the prosthetic arm concealed underneath his jacket and glove, though he recalled now eluding to it some time ago. Even though the arm was a part of him, it still felt foreign to the proud mechanic.

[Ireen Cole]

Ireen remained silent in her seat, content to listen, watch, and potentially learn from the exchange.


(OOC: Please feel free to continue posting without me. I will certainly chime in from time to time, but I don't want to post for the sake of posting and hinder the chemistry.)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"Do you prefer to fight with your fists, blasters, or..? Words?" Lilaena's eyes tracked to Ireen as the girl joined them in the cockpit, but returned to Torgeir.

"Hold on," said Jeng, and the great hand of inertia pressed them all into their cushioned seats as he pulled the hyperdrive control. Stars stretched into lines, dissolved into the swirls of hyperspace. De'Ville unbuckled her restraints and swiveled her seat around so she could see Torgeir more clearly.

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Glancing to the attractive blonde, Torgeir smirked at her, then returned his attention to Lilaena as she inquired about his past conflicts. Chuckling lightly, a quote came to mind. "My Uncle Sebastian used to say, you can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word. Personally, I leave it up to the ones that I'm confronting. If they can be swayed with words, then by all means. But, if they're hard headed then I have no issue with knocking some sense into them."

At that statement, even the pilot now turned in his chair and eyed the brown haired Corellian, amusement in his eyes as he puffed on the cigarra hanging from his lips.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena almost smiled at his bravado. They would find out soon enough what sort of bite the Corellian had. "Any experience with bladed weapons?" She didn't wait for his answer, standing up and holding herself steady with a hand on the back of Jeng's chair. "We have a battle circle in one of the common rooms. Care to try it out?"

[Torgeir DeHaan]

"No, but first time for everything," he replied and unbuckled himself, then rose and followed her from the cockpit. Studying under someone so attractive could potentially be a hazard, especially with someone that could read his mind. But he was definitely going to try his best, anything less wasn't an option. Moving through narrow corridors, passed rooms that were either bedrooms or full of communications or other gear, they soon arrived in the appointed dojo, of sorts. An assortment of weapons concealed within a display case came into view as both doors opened wide, revealing their secrets. She wasn't kidding, he mused.

Walking toward the variety of weapons, he glanced at Lilaena as the pilot and Ireen joined them to see how quickly the Corellian would get his ass handed to him, no doubt. "You have all these made, or claim them from unfortunate people that got in the way," he inquired, partially as a joke.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"Why can't it be both?" she asked with a quirk of a smile. Shucking off her boots and socks, Lilaena padded barefoot into the large circle that had been spray painted onto the deck. There were no padded mats - Mandalorians certainly didn't believe in padding - and she reached up and stretched a bit, popping her neck. "Choose what you will, then join me in the Circle. This is not the official Battle Circle, of course, but serves for training. No death blows allowed, and once you enter you cannot leave until the winner is apparent."

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Smirking at her reply, he then watched as she took off her footwear and stepped into the circle without claiming a weapon. Yep, this was going to be painful, he mused knowing that she was going to show him how someone was disarmed and then killed with their own weapon. He had seen it in holovids a hundred times, but now he would get a firsthand look. Nodding, he sighed and moved to the case and removed his jacket and then gloves, revealing for the first time how extensive his injury had been as the chrome-like appendage included his shoulder. Setting the clothing on the floor, revealing his tank, he also removed his boots and socks, knowing it wouldn't be fair to face her unless it was on equal terms. Being Corellian, he had his pride to think about as well as his reputation. Picking the short blade, he turned and quietly stepped into the etched circle and tried to mentally prepare himself. Keeping the blade in his real, right hand, he would use the metal one as a shield of sorts, as he had during fights with all those that his friends back home had gotten him into.

Taking a wider stance, he held the blade at the ready....

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena circled him slowly, and Torgeir matched her pace, keeping the distance between them. As she crossed the circle she held out her hand, pulling a matching blade to his from the rack into her palm.

She spun it in her hand and then feinted toward him to see how he'd react.

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Steel-blue eyes noted the action with the Force and though he still had yet to explore that part of himself, Torgeir knew that natural ability only enhanced what that part of him could accomplish. As she spun the blade in her hand, he moved up to meet her, using his metal arm to block the feint, then fired a quick lunge toward her midsection...

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She swung quickly to block his lunge, the feint pulled back even as he had lifted his prosthetic arm to meet it. The blades rang loudly in the training area, swords sliding off each other as she danced back to the edge of the circle. He followed her, perhaps eager to press any advantage to push her outside the ring, and their blades met again. If it were a battle of sheer strength he probably had the edge, but she was not finished so quickly.

A twist of her wrists slid her blade around his, and she shoved his sword point down toward the ground. Lilaena could have pressed further, aimed her weapon for his belly, but he recovered quickly and she settled for escaping the edge of the circle and starting the dance all over again. This time he could make the first move.

[Torgeir DeHaan]

She was fast and agile and Torgeir's thoughts before they sparred were being justified as he moved and did his best to at least make a good show of it. The clang of metal matched his heartbeat as the mechanic kept as close to his new teacher as he could, feinting low with his blade then moved in with a punch with the metal fist, though keeping his eye on her knife.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena sidestepped the feint, her senses through the Force telling her it was a false move, and bent sideways to avoid the punch, her blade coming up just to force Torgeir to keep some distance. If he got lucky with a left hook the artificial limb might do quite a bit of damage. "You at least know which end of the sword to hold," she said dryly, slicing up at his chest.

As they sparred Jeng leaned down toward Ireen, no doubt trying to entice the scientist into a wager of some kind.

[Torgeir DeHaan]

Instead of dodging the blade, Torgeir blocked down and away with his metal arm in the hopes of at least knocking the knife away from his body, if not disarming her with the connection. At the same time, he then swung the sword downward toward her extended leg, knowing from experience that with having two weapons of a sort he did have some sort of advantage. Even if he didn't win the Corellian would at least be able to save some face in this contest with a trained Force user.

A slender hope.

Ignoring the sarcastic note, Torgeir knew she was trying to distract him enough to wound his pride, intending on pushing him to make a mistake.