Versus

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

OOC note: this is a multi-duel thread, so if you have a character that you might want to have duel s'Il, send me a PM and I'll slot you in :)











The sun over Ossus was at its' highest point, hanging directly overhead with the intensity of a brilliant, shining jewel that thrust its' rays outward for all to see. It wasn't an oppressive heat that beat down towards the planet below, but rather something pleasant and comforting. The breeze that wound through the buildings and stalls and cargo sleds and general foot traffic was refreshing. It was welcoming, and felt of home for so many of the ones who had come to live among the Jedi.

While there were still vestiges of the temporary buildings scattered about, there were also a larger portion of permanent structures that seemed to have taken on an architectural theme - something earthy, simple, and homespun. And yet, there was also the small little touches; the brightly-colored handwoven rugs that hung here and there, the equally vibrant awnings... small cushions where men and women sat around low tables outside to discuss the comings and goings of daily life; clay pots that rested upon raised doorsteps, each one lovingly carved and patterned around its' surface.

But, there were also the trappings of technology melded in as well. Those who discussed among themselves the happenings of the galaxy often held datapads with the latest holonet news articles, hoping to show others their findings. An outdoor caf establishment had put up wonderfully intricate flutter lights on a spiderweb of vibro-glass strands, each one strung across an assortment of poles anchored into the dusty ground by nail-sinks. It was an illusion that created the most beautiful of seemingly crystal-studded skies, and it was a place that was often full of patrons.



Out of all the wonderful places that Sanctuary had to offer, there was one place that - right now - held the full attention of Loklorien s'Ilancy.

It had started out as a prodding tease, but surprising even herself, she had agreed.

And so now, she was standing at the edge of one of the many sparring rings that the Jedi students and their teachers used. Gone was her normal uniform; in its' place was a garment that she'd not worn in a very long while. It felt... well, she wasn't sure how to describe the feeling of wearing the brown and tan vestments of a Jedi once more. It certainly felt strange, after so long. The wide leather belt, the spun cloth... it was different. She had waved away the boots that Zem had offered her, instead choosing to forego convention by simply being barefoot.

Her saber gauntlet had been fitted to the familiar harness on her arm, and the Lupine pulled in a deep breath of the pure air around her. Her entire body felt loose for the first time in a very long while, and it was something that she found a surprising amount of peace in.

She felt light on her feet, and even found herself gently hopping in place. Her arms hung limp at her sides, then seemed to ripple; a motion starting in her fingertips and ending at her shoulders.

Her neck angled from side to side, and as soon as the need to release her energy arrived, it left once more. She whirled about on the ball of one foot, looking to Zem with anticipation that seemed almost foreign just days before. Now, there was a light in her eye that gave away her excitement.

She smiled, one hand going out to grasp his and pull him with her until the two stood within the confines of the sparring ring.

"It's not dodging over-ripe fruit on a mountainside, but it may prove to be just as enjoyable, yes?"

[Zem Vymes]

"Enjoyable?"

Zem gave her a look, shaking his shoulders out of his robe, which he collected to neatly fold into a parcel.

"It's not a good shave and a cup of caf, Lok. And you're old enough by now to know better."

He shifted his feet with a grin and a shrug.

"Still, you're never too old to learn. Learn about other people and yourself. If it costs a few bumps and bruises along the way, well, I guess that is what it is."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Sitting cross-legged at the far end of the ring, Teagan watched with a small bit of amusement; she'd never seen her mother in such clothing, and watching with a bit of fascination at the interaction between the elder Lupine and Zem, the girl found her attentions held fast. This was different than how her mother had acted with her... with Dan (it was becoming easier to think of him as a name rather than someone who had once been her everything). What was between her mother and Zem, it was something lighter, yet deeper and far more meaningful - the way each looked at one another. One could see the history between the two, and the culmination of that history had now formed and brought together two individuals that danced around eachother like how she and Wyl had been... so devoted to the other, willing to give everything for a smile and a hug and closeness. The light grin on her features faded at the thought of the boy, but she soon enough pushed the memories of him back, choosing instead to focus on the two that now stood in the sparring ring.

So many times she could remember having to stand at the perimeter, glumly watching the other padawans as they went about their spars. She'd always ducked out of having to participate, and somehow thus far had managed to still avoid having to construct her own lightsaber. However long she'd be able to keep pushing that task away she had no idea, but for now she was happy to sit and watch her mother and the man that she was steadily beginning to think of as 'dad'.

She could still remember stumbling upon a slim envelope in one of the nightstand drawers in his bedroom while he was out. She couldn't remember what it was she had been originally searching for, as what she found was enough to squash anything else on her mind. The envelope was buried beneath a collection of medical files and other flimsis. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, especially since her mother's handwriting had been on the front. Small letters that spelled out Zem's name. She had flipped the tab open to pull out the few sheets of actual paper held inside, haltingly reading down the paragraphs. A lot of it was confusing, but there was enough she could make out to understand that he'd accepted guardianship of her and her brother.

His familiar signature on the bottom of the last page was what she remembered the most about that mid-morning.

Teagan had never told him what she'd discovered, but it was still burned into her mind regardless.

And watching now, at the two ahead of her, she felt her smile return. She also felt enough bravado that she cupped a hand to one side of her mouth before calling out to both.

"Am I allowed to put credits on this match?!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She was in the process of stepping back, when the shouted question sounded out, and s'Il halted her movements. Her mouth fell open ever so slightly as she turned good-natured yet mildly surprised eyes to Zem.

There was a teasing note that wound through her next words.

"Have you been teaching my daughter to gamble?"

[Zem Vymes]

The Jedi Master gave a stern sidelong look to Teagan.

"I have not."

Then a grin, and a wink.

"But, she's curious by nature. And it's a big enough settlement for a light amount of trouble."

Zem pivoted to Teagan now, his posture easy and casual.

"But doesn't it take two to wager, young lady?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Her mouth opened to answer, but his words made her pause as she thought back to the finer points of betting credits on anything. He was right, and for the time being, she was the only one at the sparring ring who was actively spectating.

"Well... "

She made a puzzled face, flummoxed for a short bit before her expression lightened up.

"How about, if I bet that one of you wins, and whoever I choose does win, then the loser gives me fifty credits. If not, then... " she thought for a moment before continuing.

"... if not, then I'll do the dishes for two weeks."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

One shoulder hitched back as her opposite arm lifted to rest a hand on her hip. The elder Lupine fixed her daughter with an incredulous stare.

"Fifty credits is a lot of money, Ma'am."

A sideways glance to Zem, then she looked back to the girl.

"Twenty-five."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She wasn't about to accept any less than thirty, and Teagan thought for half a second before giving her counter-offer.

"Forty."

[Zem Vymes]

Lok was having fun with this, and the corners of Zem's mouth turned up slightly as he crossed his arms."

"For forty credits, you're gonna have to sweeten the pot a bit more than just washing one or two."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She mulled over his words, rocking back slightly. If doing the dishes for two weeks wasn't good enough, she wasn't sure what could possibly help to... what was it some of the folks said around here? 'Further grease the wheels'?

"I suppose I could also add in laundry- " a single finger shot up then in illustration.

"- for one week."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Now it was Zem's turn to haggle, and s'Il blinked as she turned her head to look at him. She had no real mind for whatever chores got placed on the line; it wasn't often that she was here as it was. Duties kept her away mostly, and her presence on Ossus was only whenever she could get her leave approved. Now was one of those times.

Relaxing her stance, the Lupine let her arms shake themselves out yet again as she started back once more, putting a small bit more distance between herself and Zem.

"Seems a good deal for you," came the poking nudge sent his way with a cheshire smile even as she crouched low, stretching leg muscles.

[Zem Vymes]

The Jedi Master made a show of balking at the offer. He shifted on his feet, grimacing as he pushed his fingers through his hair.

"I don't know. I don't really have that many clothes that need washing. Feels like for forty credits, you ought to split the firewood too."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She was ready for his counter-offer, and the girl made a show of ponderously considering what had been added to the table.

"Well... " a deep breath to accompany her thoughtful expression, "... make it fifty credits and I'll do the firewood for two weeks."

[Zem Vymes]

"That's a lot of firewood, youngling." Zem checked the cinch of his tunic belt briefly before offering his hand to Teagan.

"Remember, I like the house warm at night."

Vymes waited for Teagan to seal the deal, while smiling with his eyes over her head toward Lok.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Looking up at him, the young Lupine gave a mildly perturbed look at his offered hand. A few more seconds later, and she let out a groan while levering herself out of her cross-legged sitting position so that she could stand. One palm wiped at the leg of her dusty trousers, and she took hold of Zem's hand.

"And I can sure use fifty credits."

Briefly, she tipped to the side, looking past him and over to her mother. A moment later her eyes returned to him.

"I bet she wins."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

There was no mistaking the confidence in her daughter's tone, and s'Il ambled her way closer to the two.

"And how do you know I won't just throw the match?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The girl was ready for that.

"If you lose you have to cook dinner every day for your next three visits."

Which was a suitable bit of incentive to not simply lay down and let Zem have the day. Her mother's cooking skills were... well, legendary was a healthy stretch. It was entirely possible that the elder Lupine would put down a bowl of sajoi and demand everyone be happy for such an exotic 'meal'. Which, if that happened, it had the very real possibility of inciting a family riot.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"Is it in a Jedi's naturre to place wagerrs?"

Draiya spoke up next to Tak as if she'd been standing next to the girl all along. She may have been, considering the nature of her talents. The Syragori padawan kept her hands tucked into the sleeves of her dark tunic's arms, eyeing the Jedi Master and the Alliance Captain with serious dark eyes.

"I believe in Masterr Vymes."

[Zem Vymes]

There was a sudden sense that they were not alone, a moment before Draiya spoke. That it had been so seamless was met with the smallest of grins from the Jedi Master.

"Your skills have improved, young Padawan. And while you are in a sense correct, there is no harm in a small bet between friends."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at the appearance of Padawan Naaianeya, though her thoughts were on the worrisome prospect that Teagan had put forward if she lost. She was certainly no chef, and it was a strange turn of events that these days she preferred the same sort of culinary disasters that Cirr had partaken in years ago. Of course, that was mostly because she was beholden to the whims of her stomach, and that often meant the cooler unit in her billet on Dac was stocked with a... strange assortment of foods, to put it in gentle terms. At least on her ship she was given decent food - far more decent than the normal rations that other ships in the Navy had to endure.

One of the advantages of having a dedicated cook posted aboard.

Now however, the thought of having to provide dinner was a strong motivator.

She turned a peculiar look to Zem then, rolling her shoulders as her bare feet shifted on the hard-packed sand.

"I hope you like your dinners on the rare side, hGe'leh'te."









hGe'leh'te - loved one in Bast'yr

[Zem Vymes]

There was a cryptic expression on the Jedi's face - almost a smile, or at least a smile with eyes only.

"Oh, I think a Jedi makes a poor epicurean. I will trust in the force and the cook to provide."

Vymes gave a glance to his opponent, and the small audience.

"If everyone is finished?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Eager to begin, the Lupine shook out her right arm one last time, and in the process, the twin orange blades burst to life with a reverberating hum. It was a non-verbal answer, and rather than wait for the two girls to give their own, s'Il was eager to begin. When had it been, the last time she'd sparred? Her memories told her that it had been back before the Jedi had come to Ossus - when they were still traveling and flitting about from system to system. When it was simply The Wheel. Her last partner had been Sol Iman. Back before the terrible duel on Generis.

A deep breath expanded her chest, and the ensuing exhale deflated it once more.

She brought her arm up, the saber blades slicing through the air as she re-acquainted herself with the familiar motions. A quick slash up, down, then to the side as she felt her body fall back in to the familiar motions.

She could almost feel Master Windu behind her, his presence reassuring and guiding hand swift in its' corrections of her form.

Guard yourself, but do not shun the feelings. When you do that, they become insistent and angry. It is best to let them pass through you.

Another long inhale, and s'Il allowed her body to relax into a lowered stance, her feet shifting as she faced Zem with her side. The blades came to rest behind her, pointed downward yet ready, as her free hand lifted, palm turned skyward.

[Kaie]

Hearing of the contest of arms, Kaie left the infirmary behind for a bit knowing that her previous patient had endured a lot already. Though she came to admire the spirit that s'Il had, the health and well being of those the white witch had come to care for were paramount. Teagan's mother had endured enough torture, both mentally and physically, already. As she meandered through the small compound that now surrounded the new temple, Kaie knew that Teagan's training would need to get underway in earnest as well. Perhaps this small, private gathering would be another avenue to pass on some of the wisdom that the ex-Pachmari witch had gained over the years.

Being a Jedi was not an easy life, after all.

Soon, Master Zem's home came into view and the brunette soon heard the voices around back. Birdsong echoed through the trees bordering the island compound, large, barren and rugged mountains in the background painting quite the picture. One of the few selling points for building here, she mused.

As she rounded the back corner of the modest home, Kaie's emerald eyes fell on the small gathering of four just as it appeared, the festivities were about to begin. Grinning at the comment made to the padawan, Kaie glanced between them, not wishing to interrupt the conversation. Though as she noticed s'Il and Zem ready to compete with one another, the healer cleared her throat. "You sure this is wise," she inquired, though wasn't about to step into the middle of the fight.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The open air of the practice rings was invigorating, and s'Il allowed herself to pull in the raw and pure air of the Order's sparring area.

"It is wonderful," she smiled to Master Kaie, giving the other woman a respectful incline of her head while making sure that her eyes remained upon Zem.

[Zem Vymes]

Zem cut his eyes slightly to the latest member of the audience.

"As years and wisdom increase hand in hand, certainty becomes more and more elusive."

The Jedi Master's brow rose as he returned his attention to his wife.

"It does not change the path."

In contrast to Loklorien's metered test swings and careful posing, the old man did no such thing. He didn't even spark his blade. Instead, the right hand which held his lightsaber hilt met with the left, so that the sleeves of his tunic swallowed up both hands from view. Zem stood opposite his sparring partner in a deceptively-calm posture.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It felt as though they were once more on Pakuuni, and s'Il couldn't help the long, slow breath that escaped from her lungs. She let everyone and everything around her fade into the far background as she let her awareness settle on Zem. He was like a shining pillar of light, peaceful, calm, and unmoving. His blade remained quiet, unlit and just as patient as he was.

And so she obliged, taking the initiative.

Muscles bunching, the Lupine let her body flow forward like a fluid wave, yet her blades remained directed behind her, and her hand that had once been facing up shifted at the wrist, and with a flick she pushed below them, into the ground. A spray of dust sprang forth, and the rocky earth below answered her call, sending up small stepping pillars that she traversed, ascending on a stuttering path that ended abruptly ten feet from her opponent. It was on the last that she launched herself up and over, the orange blades now coming around to meet the older Jedi Master.

[Kaie]

Concernedly, Kaie watched as the pair now began to spar and the more she watched the blonde who had been through so much, she began to admire the woman for her strength. Few would be this eager for competition so soon after recovering. Though her mother would say that some who lived in combat and survival most of their lives sometimes needed this sort of event to remind them that they were still alive. It wasn't how Kaie saw life, but the galaxy was full of a whole variety of unique and interesting people.

Left arm crossing her chest, her right elbow perched upon her left hand, right thumb nail now between her teeth, she watched as they began...

[Zem Vymes]

The Jedi Master equalized his former pupil's advance, pushing through the space she had once been on the ground with a sprinting burst of speed. There was a glimpse of him that then obfuscated as the dust s'Ilancy drew up a moment before coalesced behind him unnaturally, leaving a silhouetted figure behind the shroud.

The stalemate was maintained. Zem continued to measure the distance, now from the other side of the sparring space. The dust began to thin, and he could see the glint of her orange blades.

"I see you still prefer to engage in a bombastic first move."

A swipe of a hand and the remaining dust pushed aside. Zem again returned his hands to meet at his middle.

"I could never cure you of it. Master Windu is a difficult act to follow."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She couldn't help the smile that his words brought to her face, and s'Il rolled her shoulders.

"Well, one of us has to make the first move, and I know you've a preference to react," she started forward, her pace measured and even, "... I'm only making sure that we continue that tradition."

He stood there, waiting for her, and the Lupine obliged his silent invitation. With a last swing of her blades, she brought them around in a textbook side strike that she knew he would easily swat away.

[Zem Vymes]

Zem deflected, pivoting along the approach of attack so that he resisted Lok's blade with minimal force. She did not over-extend into the strike, and did not present an opening he wished to exploit. Vymes appraised his former student's form holistically. There were few opportunities to assign fault.

"I have always found that whoever is hasty to commit has made the mistake in their engagement."

He kept her honest, cutting upward as he took a half step in against s'Ilancy's perimeter. They again locked, and Zem declined to force the matter, melting away to a more amenable range once more.

"A lesser opponent sees this as weakness. It emboldens them and invites arrogance. That won't work on you, so it simply matters from a perspective of tactics."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She felt loose and free, her muscles and tendons limber and relaxed. Their locked blades had crackled for only moments before both pulled away, and the Lupine felt her body respond as it always did.

There was an ease with which she settled into the motions, as though they were an old friend and a comfort. And for her, they were.

Her blades tested his boundaries, and he likewise did the same. It was a dance that both knew well. For a moment she held back, shifting outside of his reach as her gaze searched, eye wandering the immediate space surrounding him.

Seconds later the Lupine pushed in, the twin orange blades of her gauntlet sweeping up in a controlled strike before twisting around in a tight curve and on a trajectory to his left side, catching his saber and holding it away from their bodies. It was a move that brought the two close, and her offhand came up to grasp at the front of his tunic as she pushed against him.

It was a playful advance, as she drew on the Force to give her strength enough to dislodge his footing, and the two shuffled back, his boots and her bare feet swirling up the dust of the sparring ring's usually hard-packed dirt.

[Zem Vymes]

He offered token resistance, then fell back, allowing her momentum to wash over him. Zem fell into a controlled backwards roll, mindful to keep blade-to-blade contact to ward away any incidental strike. As s'Ilancy rolled over, Zem brought his knees up to aid in accelerating her momentum, breaking contact between the two contestants as Zem quickly rolled up to his feet again. He probed with a reaching thrust as Lok also was on her way to her feet, and the two returned to a standoff.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

His little testing stab was swatted away as she twisted away, angling her body to the side while still keeping her forward motion. Her path veered inward yet again, and the Lupine allowed her blades to move almost of their own accord. The hum was more of a song in her ears at this point, and her eyes closed as her thoughts reached out to wash over everyone and everything around her. It was a strange sight that she used now, and her entire body became a fluid thing as each motion flowed into the next.

Orange danced upon blue, and rather than attempt at gaining the upper hand, she found far more satisfaction in the act of maintaining. Of being a partner in this strange dance. Each strike was measured, each parry was precise.

Everything was simply... as it should be.

[Zem Vymes]

One without the insight of the force might have seen dichotomy, but those who understood better could feel harmony in the engagement. Power to serenity, strength to poise, violence to peace. They checked and pressed in rapid progression, but always a flow of energy - as it flowed through all things. This was, at its root, a demonstration of the force. At last they clashed blades into hard lock again. Zem opted to leverage s'Il's blade towards the breaking point of her grip. She repulsed him by chopping her own blade upwards, again separating the combatants. Zem drew three paces back, hoisting his blade overhead and forward with his left hand while his right drew forward with two fingers extended.

"It's good to see you haven't forgotten your training."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Now came the show, the pose. And in that moment she was reminded that even he was bound by the same training as she was; the same old habits. There was vigor in his posture, and smiling energy and light dancing in his eyes. It was wonderful to see. A wild lock of hair that hadn't been trimmed flopped halfway across one of his eyes, and she could make out the barest sheen of sweat forming on his brow.

For her part, her chest heaved with their recent exertions, and she allowed herself a loose gait that seemed more lazy than anything else. She paced around him, then reached up with her free hand to pull slightly at the shoulder hem of the roughspun tunic she wore.

"Some things refuse to leave our memories untouched."

[Zem Vymes]

He quickened his feet, taking the initiative with a succession of fast hit and fade strikes. Zem's momentum remained brisk, but he didn't press in close to contest power against power, but instead patiently moved to flank to gauge his former student's response.

"I hope you've retained more through the years than how to adopt and respond to Soresu."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It was a question that needed no answer, as her motions and movements moved in concert with his own. All of this... it was a dance. It was not so much a test of skill, rather it was a show of compatibility. She did not wish to best him, and her intentions were plain in the parrying swipes and leveled holds that she met him with. There was strength and power behind her blades, but it was something held back with a sort of comforting knowledge that he too did the same. She had engaged him before, in a test of will and strength that had ended so nearly in death; such was not her intention now. Rather, she hoped to simply dance with him. To hear the crashing of blades and the hum of their crystals... it was as music to her ears.

The question that needed no answer was answered, regardless.

"I've learned how to make it sing," she whispered, her voice a pitch that only the two of them could hear.

And in the next moment she moved in an almost blinding fashion, her body twisting past his blade. He let it, and she knew that he would. For there was no intent to harm in her sudden shift inward. Her offhand held his down and to the side, as her twin orange sabers held themselves a scant hair's breadth from his own blade, to the opposite side. They stood chest to chest, each unwilling to give ground, yet begging the other to take.

Both stood immobile, her head upturned as she stared up to lock eyes with him.

They were like a single entity in this moment, standing in the middle of the sparring ring.

She released a long breath, the joy of released energy evident in her gaze.

"It is a beautiful song," she whispered.