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Jazen
Beelzaboot
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Jun 14, 2010 23:00:00 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Jun 14, 2010 23:00:00 GMT -5
Jazen made a note in his head to always assume Talau would be one step ahead of him from now on. For she usually was. This time was no different. He should have noticed it when he straightened his form and spun from her grasp. It had been almost too easy, which Jazen had contributed to catching her off guard. He should have known from his sparing matches with Locke that catching a Jedi Knight off guard was extremely rare for padawans to do. When he went off instinct, snapping his leg to knock hers off balance for his shoulder tackle, he didn't catch her move until it was too late.
Only now did he realize how quickly Talau could read his attempts. Her stance was already firm, protecting her from his knee jerk attempt. And by the time he was shoving forward with his shoulder, Talau was dropped so low that his shoulder would be hitting nothing but empty air. The gears clicked inside his mind, his eyes seeing that his continued move would send him tumbling over her back. If she wanted, she could shove upwards when he did, sending him sprawling to the floor. He searched for an answer within his mind. He had been leaning towards using his momentum to tilt forward, allowing him to roll over her and land on his feet on the other side when Talau's words rang inside his head. React, don't think. So Jazen did his best to react. Planting his right foot, Jazen twisted it to pivot, using his own momentum to swing his body around to his right. He risked exposing himself, but he kept his eyes on Talau in case she did attack. To his surprise, she darted away herself, slinking away from him with a burst of speed. Jazen sighed in relief at the sight and was about to bring his lightsaber to him when he noticed what Talau had been really doing.
Jazen groaned as Talau spun his stolen lightsaber in her hand. He wasn't completely defenseless without it, but he felt naked when it wasn't within his grasp. Flicking his eyes to the wall, Jazen summoned two training seekers to him, snapping them to life. A poor attempt, but they would serve as a distraction in which he could hopefully find a way to regain his lightsaber. He was tempted to use Force Pull, but Talau was probably waiting for that. He was about to send the seekers to do their job when he heard a voice inside his head. Her voice. Then an image of her suddenly filled his mind. She now wore a stunning white gown, one that Jazen had only seen figures of importance wearing. Never a Jedi. Wings glittering with green, blue and purple stretched out from her back, making her appearance even more amazing. Confused as to how he was seeing two images of Talay, one with his eyes and one with his mind, Jazen shook his head to try and clear it. It was still there. She was playing with his mind again. And just as suddenly as the image had appeared, it was gone, hiding behind its shining wings. Shaking his head again, Jazen changed his tactics. He silenced the remotes, then suddenly launched them at Talau. His discarded robe came forth, flinging itself at Talau as Jazen focused on one thing and one thing only; calling his lightsaber back to his hand.
"I know your trying to teach me what a true enemy would try against me. But I ask you out of respect, please don't go digging where you shouldn't. It's not something I want dug up."
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Jun 21, 2010 16:26:53 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Jun 21, 2010 16:26:53 GMT -5
(sorry for the delay, I was seriously stumped on what to do with this so…it’s really short and erf…)
She watched passively as he pulled the training remotes to him and started them up…he was taking too long again, thinking about his actions, but with what she was doing she couldn’t just go charging forward while he was off balance…though that time was swiftly coming. At his words, she shook her head slightly to his request. ”I am, and because of that I can’t do as you ask. If you want me out, expel me.” This was how she had been taught…how things in battles were…you couldn’t politely ask your enemy to ‘please stop’ you had to make them. She wasn’t a true enemy, however, and so she wouldn’t dig deeper, as she had originally planned, but he would have to do the work himself if he wanted her to leave his mind in peace. It wouldn’t be horribly difficult, after all, she wasn’t exactly clinging to his mind with an iron grip.
As he launched those remotes and his robe at her, she dipped and tumbled forward, rolling up to her knees then feet as she felt him working to wrench his saber from her hand. He nearly had it when she blurred forward, his saber igniting in time with Talon, both blades sweeping in to attack him. The padawan was lucky, actually…she was giving him a break, a chance to attempt to best her. She was far from fully skilled in jar-kai. She was, in fact, only now learning the form…but she knew enough to keep from injuring herself or getting tangled in the movements. The point was, however, that it was flawed, and she would have to work twice as hard to deal appropriate damage to an enemy while wielding dual blades, it would handicap her, keeping her thinking about what she was doing with the weapons and doing anything further to him. She was challenging not only Jazen, but herself…testing her skills with the force as well as her ability to use what she was learning from the Jar-kai style.
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
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Jun 21, 2010 17:27:26 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Jun 21, 2010 17:27:26 GMT -5
Jazen hadn't expected the robes or the remotes to stop Talau; heck, he didn't even think they would attract her attention for more than a second. But it had and for the briefest of moments, he had his lightsaber firmly gripped in his mind, its body aching against Talau's grip on it to response to his call. And just when it was almost free, when the grip that clasped onto it like a beast holding its prey was close to breaking, the beast chomped down once again, dispelling any hope of freedom. At least for the moment.
Sweat dripped from Jazen's brow from his attempt to free his sword and it was only his complete concentration on the device that allowed him to notice the incoming attack. His concentration lashed out, spreading itself so that it no longer focused on just the weapon, but the room as a whole. He wanted to mentally smack himself for that, for it was a stupid thing to do, getting so deep into focus on one thing that you didn't notice another. Within the temple, while meditating, it wasn't a bad thing. On the field of battle or even during simple training sessions like this, it could be painful or fatal...or both.
Talau was almost on him by the time he managed to focus enough to turn his attention on her, his ice blue blade coming together with her purple hued one. The light of the blades filled his eyes, knowing exactly what style she had switched to use upon him. And it gave him an idea. The two blades came in together, blending into one as they crossed together in an attempt to swipe Jazen from either side. But his body was no longer there. Instead, it was almost directly above her, vaulting over her incoming form in order to buy himself time to make his next move. First thing was first. Even as his body had entered the air, Jazen had called his robe to him again, placing it directly between them to blur line of sight. To Talau, his was just another minor inconvenience. But it would hopefully give him the moment he needed.
His vault, while large enough to carry him over Talau's form, had little power to it, allowing him to land almost directly behind her. Every move he made now was on instinct and trust in the Force, hoping that her momentum would give him the slight opportunity to strike. Already his hands had gathered the needed Force energy and as his feet touched floor, Jazen released that collective energy. One at her back, the other at the arm that held his weapon. Then he pulled as hard as he could with the Force on that arm, on the hand that held his weapon. He wasn't a TK master but by hopefully knocking her off balance and combining it with the weakened concentration on her grip on the weapon to focus on Jar Kai, Jazen aimed to regain his saber. If this didn't work, he'd simply have to try something else. One more thing occurred during this maneuver, acting in complete accordance with her words about forcing her out. He lacked the willpower for the moment to shove her out, not while she was focused and his mind was set on his task. Instead, he opened the floodgates of his mind, gave her access to the darkness that lay in wait behind them. He'd never try this against a true foe, he wasn't that foolish. But if Talau wanted to play around his his mind, so be it. Let her regret what she found in there.
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Jul 1, 2010 23:09:10 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Jul 1, 2010 23:09:10 GMT -5
By the time she’d reached him, Jazen was gone. Good…he was learning after all. Without glancing up, she shifted her attention to the force and instinct. While he wasn’t in her direct sight, she doubted he had darted off to the side. She heard the sound of material above her as he tried to obscure the vision which he expected to be tracking him. She was good, but she wasn’t all knowing…besides, she had other things to think about. One boot planted in front of her to stop her momentum and pivot her around to face where she believed he would appear next. Sure enough, as she came around, those brown robes fluttered to the ground to reveal Jazen following close behind them. For the briefest of moments she flinched as her bruised leg threatened to buckle beneath the strain she was putting upon it by her turn.
His first blast caught her in the side as she turned, forcing her to put more pressure onto that leg and attempt to catch her balance as the knee and ankle started to give way as she brought up one arm to help absorb some of the blast. That blue saber was pulled free as he let that darkness flow outward toward the links she’d established in his mind. Previously blue and green eyes shifted to a startled orange laced with a dangerous yellow as she clamped down on his mind and brought up the full front of her mental barriers. It was an instinctual reaction, on her part, to the darkness she felt flowing from him.
From her years as a shadow, Talau had more than a few learned reactions and rules. 1) Always keep your cool, dark practitioners will go to great lengths to upset you in any way possible to force your hand or make a mistake they can take advantage of. 2) Never hide your force presence completely when in populated areas, you’re more conspicuous if you’re just a body with no force presence than if you’re seen and felt as a regular person. 3) Subtlety is key, never cause a commotion if you can avoid it…it only draws unwanted attention. 4) Learn from your enemies, what better way to outwit dark practitioners than to learn from them, learn to think like them, so you can stay one step ahead. 5) When faced with a potential attack, shut it down as swiftly as possible…NEVER allow your attacker to gain the upper hand if presented with the option. They all had their own set of reactions and skills attached, but those were the general rules, and she had simply acted in accordance with the last. His perceived mental attack with that, very obvious, darkness had her mind clamping down on his with an iron grip and the tenacity of a trained attack hound.
With her bracing leg throbbing now, she’d dropped to that knee with another pained wince. Looking up at him, she waited silently to see if she would need to truly defend herself. Unfortunately, she had the sinking feeling that she would. Despite that, she spoke. ”Much better, Jazen…that is enough for now.”
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
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Jul 2, 2010 12:01:24 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Jul 2, 2010 12:01:24 GMT -5
Joy or relief, Jazen was unsure which, flooded into him as his plan worked. He saw Talau stumble from his blow to her back, quickly regaining her stance as she spun to face him. But the move had served it purpose. A familiar item shot from her hand, its icy blue touch fading as it came to him. The blue returned in an instant, as Jazen thumbed his lightsaber back to life the second it reached his hand. His body was relaxed and yet tense, half expecting Talau to make a follow up move.
To his surprise, she didn't. He did feel something though; a momentary lapse in the being who had intruded on his mind. It remained still, but for the briefest of moments, it had retreated. He had been able to feel Talau there before, had known she was weaving her way through his mind. And like he knew, he lacked the power to overcome her will, to push her from his inner being. So he had let her in, had let the carefully sealed doors around his emotions slip open. He had expected her to try and reach into those doors. She was trying to play the bad guy and Jazen didn't doubt for a moment that a foe that could fiddle with his body and mind could resist grabbing the chance to inflict damage on the greatest scale. All they would have to do is get through the thing that had become the gatekeeper, the guardian of his darkest secrets. His darkness, born on Umgul in the pain and rage of torture, always lurking. Waiting for a chance to influence his mind once again.
He could see her eyes change color, but whatever curiosity he had about their change was lost on him. He had another problem to deal with. While Talau hadn't reached into his mind, he soon discovered the possible reason. His darkness didn't need her to come to it; it burst free like a wild animal finally realized from a cage. Alarm triggered across Jazen's face for a moment, as the tide of never ending black swarmed his mind, tainting everything it touched. It took it only a moment to twist his thoughts to its dark desires. His eyes shot to Locke, to Talau. He saw the twisted Locke he remembered from Umgul, laughing at his weakness. At Talau, the woman who had so playfully toyed with him, who toyed with him still. She sat there, eyes still locked to him. She didn't move against him, merely sat there panting. As if she was hurt. In fact, he did feel her hurt. But this, he knew, was the trap. So easily had she influenced his mind to seal his arms; how easy it must have been to transmit false pain into his thoughts. It was a feint; the second he moved to help, she would strike. And then she would laugh at him for being such a fool.
Well, he would show her who the fool was. She was just a few steps from him, just within reach. His saber swung back, crossing across his chest. How easy it would be to simply swing the blade, to remove mind from body. No, that wouldn't do. That would be too easy; she wouldn't be released from pain that quickly. He'd take a limb instead. Without even knowing it, he thumbed the saber to its very real form, the one that could cleave flesh with a twitch of the blade. And for one mircosecond, the blade started to move. And to all those that were really looking, they would see the slight flutter of color in his purple right eye. A flutter that turned it a sickly yellow.
It never got the chance. The light within Jazen, the same side of him that had come forth to stop his hate on Umugl, slammed into this darkness like a wall to stop the flood. His eyes shot open with surprise, then raged against the foe it realized had stopped it once before The darkness was weak; it had nothing to draw strength from other than speculation and that gave it just enough to influence his thoughts. Logic, rationality and true care for his fellows surged against the tide, forcing it back towards its cage. Oh, how it howled against this, tried to find something to power its advance. It found nothing. With one last roar of cursed taint, it was shoved back behind the floodgates and sealed once again, locked down within the deepest canyons of his mind. Jazen's saber halted, the light within it died. His arm dropped limp to his side and he grabbed his head, shaking it like one did to clear a headache.
He looked upon Talau again, eyes clear and mind free. She had sucked herself back in, sealing off any real feeling in the Force. Well, not completely, but Jazen lacked the sense to find the small touch she probably left. The pain on her face was real and a quick glance showed him she was favoring one of her legs. She was still there in his mind, a presence he could feel but not see nor touch. But instead of the patience waiting of a creature readying to defend itself, he felt only calm anticipation. He felt the pain through this little connection and knew, beyond shadow of a doubt, that it was not fake. Her words indicated that the time to rest was now. Remembering how close he had come to letting a terrible event occur, Jazen had to agree. He clipped his lightsaber to his belt with practiced ease, then bent over to offer her a hand to her feet. He gave her a friendly smile, one that mirrored his next words.
"Yes....I think that would be for the best. I've learned something valuable here today; to force the lesson and cause real harm would be a horrible mistake. Besides, I think I've had my rear handed to me enough for one day."
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Rugs
The ring-dang-doo, now what is that?
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Jul 4, 2010 10:21:24 GMT -5
Post by Rugs on Jul 4, 2010 10:21:24 GMT -5
"Good deal," Locke called when everything was finally done. The short bout between Jazen and Talau had been interesting, and enlightening in a few ways. Definitely a few things I could pick up from this, he thought as he pushed off from his spot on the wall and started toward the two other Jedi. After all, even though he was the teacher, there were always things to learn, right?
The most interesting thing--at least from Locke's point of view--was Talau's method of fighting. It was different than his own, to say the least; or what she did against Jazen here was different than the way Locke normally fought. Most notably, of course, was her use of telepathy. Locke felt it, as he'd been watching both with his eyes and through the Force. Telepathy was an interesting thing for Locke--on the one hand, it was an area he was pretty skilled in, being his second strongest behind telekinesis. But on the other hand, it wasn't something he often actively used in a battle. Oh, it was something he knew how to use in a fight, and he was well versed in the ways of protecting his mind, but still, he preffered employing the more physical methods when he fought, rather than digging around in someone's mind; in fact, for Locke to try that was often a sign of desperation on his end, or frustration. Still, he couldn't deny its potency when used skillfully.
Talau also had pushed Jazen. Pushed him a good deal harder than Locke normally did. Locke was still new to the whole teaching thing, so perhaps it was that he believed that his sessions with Jazen were to be more focused on the technique side of things, rather than training Jazen to fight as he would against an actual opponent. And, he could admit freely, that was a failing. Jazen wouldn't fight people that wanted to make him better; he'd fight people that wanted to kill him, or turn him. Talau sparred with Jazen as one of those people, working to demoralize him through taunts and jeers, and to create doubt that would work against him. Obviously, it was something Locke would have to work to do, though that didn't mean completely forgoing the sessions that were meant more for technique than 'real' fighting, or that the two couldn't be combined. Finding the balance would be something that Locke would have to work out on his own.
Of course, Jazen's near breaking at the end hadn't gone unnoticed. Locke had seen the threatening motion with the saber, short though it was, and beyond that, he'd felt something changing within the boy, much like what happened on Umgul. Locke had been on the verge of calling out to Jazen, but the padawan seemed to be able to get himself under control this time, diverting what could have been a disaster, or, at the very least, another traumatizing experience for Locke. Still, Locke would have to keep an eye on Jazen, until this particular storm was weathered.
"Very good, very good," he said, hiding his trepidations as he came to a stop near his two fellow Jedi. He offered a hand to Talau, who was on one knee after putting her weight on one leg so awkwardly. "Your work was insightful Talau, and I thank you for that." Locke gave a slight nod of his head to her, and then turned his attention to Jazen. "And what have we learned today, kiddo?"
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Jul 9, 2010 1:30:29 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Jul 9, 2010 1:30:29 GMT -5
For one agonizingly long and drawn out moment, Talau waited…
It was a wait that she had faced before, and had despised every single time. Being linked with the boy in such a way, she could feel the darkness pumping through his mind like a black, poisonous, vapor. Like acid it ate away at his reasoning capabilities and restraint, the sickly feel of it attempting to dissolve the strong, anchored, links she had to his mind. Each one of her senses vibrated, those eyes watching the intangible threads of the force weaving between them become a discolored and putrid, like algae, blood and tar covered strands of razor wire. The consummate sentinel and shadow, she held her composure outwardly as she rearranged her tactics inwardly, ready to strike should this poison reach too far.
Calmly she faced that blade as he pulled back, ready to swing. Already she was drawing the force around her to shield her body from the blow, bolstering her strength and dulling the pain in her leg to press past it and end the danger. The air around her prickled and shocked through her senses as one finger on her left hand twitched slightly as his thumb dialed up that power again, and that purple eye flickered yellow. In turn her own flashed a brilliant, gold laced, violet color, hardening and sharpening as her body tensed, muscles coiling to drive her to a motion that, thankfully, she wouldn’t need. The moment her left hand flexed open, the saber behind her called into it, those threads she watched so keenly vibrated dangerously.
The violent tremor through them had those ghastly, and muck covered, threads shaking to the point that the grime covering them dripped and was flung away, or seeped back from whence it came. Warily she eased down again as he did, eying the aura around the boy studiously, watching the black and red marring it fade away and cover over with the more natural dark purple she’d attached to him. As he clipped his saber was clipped back to his belt, she did the same with Helluin…reattaching the rarely used saber to the back of her belt once more, and Talon to her side. Nodding to Jazen, she eased herself down the rest of the way, looking over to see the green and silver nimbus that shown about Locke as he spoke also, nearing them. Taking the hands of both as they offered them to her, she allowed the power she’d gathered around her to slip away, causing that pain to burn through her leg full force once again.
Grimacing, she made sure to keep her weight off of it as much as possible as she half limped over to one of the benches along the wall and carefully ran her hands over the offending leg, probing it for what further damage she might have done. Sighing, she shook her head and allowed that silver-blue glow of her healing to form in the palms of her hands and fix some of that damage once more. ”I'm not so sure about ‘insightful,’ Locke, Master Shoal would have put my fighting and my instruction to shame,” she replied, her voice a combination of amusement and old sorrow, long buried but still bringing a painful throb to her soul. ”Then again, he had been well on his way to giving the Battle Master a run for his money when he was teaching me,” she added, chuckling slightly.
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Jazen
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Jul 9, 2010 21:53:29 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Jul 9, 2010 21:53:29 GMT -5
As Jazen and Locke assisted Talau to her feet, Jazen's thoughts went to what had just happened at the end of the spar. At how close he had come to lashing out at an injured party, one who might not have been able to fight back. Jazen suspected that Talau probably could have countered the blow, or evaded it like she did before. But that was besides the point; the point was he struck when he shouldn't have and that the possibility of harm had been present. And the worst thing about it was that he didn't even remember why he had done it. One minute he was looking at the downed Talau, wondering if he should put a stop to the fight like she suggested; the next, he was standing over her, his saber moving to remove her head from the rest of her. The time between those two points was a dark blur to him.
It was like on Umgul, where he had given into his pain and anger in order to fight the Dark Jedi who had held them captive. While he remembered fighting his darkness in order to regain control, the events leading up to his return to conscious thought had been like this. A dark blur. Just like any memories he had from the days before the temple. It was something he didn't have an answer for, one he desperately wanted an answer for. Of this much he knew though; the cause of the blank was most likely the result of his darkness gaining control again. If only he could remember what had given it the strength to overpower his normally rational mind.
Sudden realization scrolled across his face for a moment as Talau found a resting place on one of the wall benches. If she had still been lurking in his mind, did that mean she had sensed the darkness taking over? Embarrassment burst to life within him and Jazen had to tilt his head away from the two of them to try and hide the bright red that took over his cheeks for a second. Embarrassment wasn't the only emotion that came as a result of his thoughts though; shame and disappointment in himself came to light too. He shouldn't have let the frail darkness within him take over; he was a Jedi, a defender of light. He would have to work harder to make sure it didn't happen again.
Focusing his thoughts and his emotions, he crossed his arms and shrugged, contemplating Locke's question. He'd learned quite a bit actually. He'd never actually tried fighting based on pure instincts alone; Locke's teachings had taught him to take the knowledge present to him, break it down into pieces and use those pieces to come up with the best course of action. Knowledge was life in some cases. And so far, Jazen hadn't seen much to disprove this theory. Until Talau. Until she showed him what could happen if one took too long to make the next move. His mind wandered back to his earlier days, to when he was just a youngling still. The teachers had always said trust in the Force to guide you; had he forgotten such an obvious strength? He would look into this instinct fighting in great detail later. For now, he pierced together the words he needed, then slipped into a cross legged sitting before the two knights. His face showed joy and happiness in having to give this answer.
"What I have learned is something I should have already known, yet seem to have lost. Jedi are told to believe and trust in the Force, to let its presence guide our actions. What I was just shown, in a way, is that ideal personified. Instead of thinking about what I should do next, I let my body and the Force tell me what to do instead. This tactic, while not as useful when faced with a dilemma, is an invaluable tool when the only thing one must focus on is the foe in front of them.
It's like what you did on Alderaan. When Blanche fell into the water below, you didn't even think about how strong the water's current would be or how you would get out. You just knew that you had to get to her and you acted without hesitation.
Of course, acting on instinct alone shouldn't be what one sorely relies on. It had faults, especially when there are other matters to consider. Its in those times that some planning and contemplation should occur. And having the faith to trust in your comrades to do the part you can't. So, in essence, I've learned a way to make my actions just a bit faster. And I promise, I will take this lesson to heart.
I've also learned that I need to do some serious unarmed combat training. We're good with a saber, heck, good with the Force. But against someone just like us, relying on just those two things is enough for one thing. To get us killed. Or thoroughly whooped, as Master Talau just proved."
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Rugs
The ring-dang-doo, now what is that?
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Jul 15, 2010 11:53:09 GMT -5
Post by Rugs on Jul 15, 2010 11:53:09 GMT -5
Locke chuckled easily when Talau spoke, trying to shunt away his compliment. "Fair enough, Tal," he said lightly, warmly, "but I think that's something we all feel, y'know? I like to consider myself a good shot, but my Master's sharpshooting puts me to shame." Again, he laughed, remembering the last time the two had one of their friendly competitions, like they'd done when Locke was an apprentice. Locke, even with all of his skill as a gunman, had been slaughtered. "Hell, his bladework puts mine to shame. I'm supposed to be near to being considered a 'master' of Makashi." He snorted a laugh. "Hard to tell when I get the chance to spar with him.
"But that's what masters are for, eh? Show us how little we know when our heads start getting big." Locke chuckled again, flashing a grin to Tal and Jazen. "Not that I would ever get a big head, of course."
As Talau took a seat on one of the benches along the wall, Locke crossed his arms and leaned easily against the wall, looking toward Jazen as the young man spoke. Locke smiled and nodded. The lesson Jazen had been given today was a valuable one, and one that everyone had to learn at a some point. Better to learn among those that only wanted the best for you than those that wanted you dead. Much better. Chances were, if the lesson came in live combat, it would come with a great deal of pain, or even worse, death.
"Aye, Jazen," Locke said, nodding, "he who hesitates is lost, no? Trusting in the Force is, of course, something we all have to do, especially in situation where we don't know what's around the next corner. I know I certainly trusted it in when I jumped off that bridge, especially after I just got cut open by that Dashade.
"But you are right, in saying that you need to rely on more than the magic glow-stick," he continued, laughing. "Don't get me wrong, I love my lightsaber, but that was something my Master put into me almost from day one. It's why I don't use mine unless I have to. He always told me we need to be well rounded in the use of multiple things: our sabers, the Force, normal weapons, our bodies, and yes," he patted at the blaster that hung at his hip, "even these.
"See, that's what makes us Sentinels so good, don't you think, Tal? The Guardians and the Consulars have their place, of course, but if they get into a situation where they can't lean on that one thing they know so well, what do they do? I'm sure they make due, but it can't be pretty. But us? We're well rounded, we're balanced. It's not to say we don't have strengths and weaknesses, because we do, but I dare say we're much more well-equipped to deal with more situations than our focus-oriented counterparts."
Locke's words were true. As an Investigator, he often ended up in places where he couldn't use his lightsaber. And while he was skilled with his saber and the Force, he was just as skilled with a pistol, and pretty proficient in hand-to-hand fighting. He could at least defend himself with a vibroblade or some other melee weapon. He was well-rounded, as he'd said.
"But yes, I do think we'll work in some more unarmed training into our regular routine, among other things."
{Apparently, Locke muse is still stuck on that conversation from the box a day or two ago >.>}
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
Master
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Jul 21, 2010 4:18:07 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Jul 21, 2010 4:18:07 GMT -5
(okay I think I'mma pull Tal from this one so we can set up a new thread. Rugs, hit me up with Locke for an IC thread…I’ll have to talk to you about it in IM tomorr-er-today though.)
Shaking her head, she listened to Locke ramble on about his master, politely accepting her unwillingness to accept the compliment. It had her smiling and snickering at him. Yes…Master Toth still had a way of doing that with her, though she doubted she would ever be as close with the old man as she had been to Shoal, stubborn wolfman that he’d been. His final, joking, comment had her giving a derisive little ‘hah’ in reply. Of course he wouldn’t ever get big headed…oh no, not Locke…he just didn’t seem the type at all.
Jazen, however, had her sobering…though her smile never left. Good, at least the lesson had been learned, and the embarrassment, shame and disappointment she had felt radiating from him shortly before was a good thing as well. It meant that he had realized what had happened, there at the end of the spar, and the serious consequences it could have had…it was likely that he would work to avoid such things in the future. Now, if only she could say she could as well. That weight, however, was her burden and not his…not theirs. Sighing, she finished tending to her injured leg and mentally rejoined the conversation. Nodding to Locke’s words, she finally spoke. ”Yes. As Sentinels we are well rounded, we must be to survive. Consulars are good, and have their place, but they can only do so much without also having knowledge of saber forms. They tend to be…more prone to being forced into the background of a fight, and if they aren’t, they run the risk of their concentration being broken at an inopportune time, leaving them open to attack. Guardians also have their place…but, like my first master…they tend to be brash and prone to forcing their way into confrontations that sometimes can be avoided with the use of other skills. They’re wonderful fighters, skilled with the blade and offensive abilities or abilities that can protect them and others, but as versatile as they can be, they often limit themselves. Sentinels, however…strive to maintain more of a balance. Our duties require it of us…even the Grand Master understands this, as he was a sentinel and shadow as well. We rely on everything and nothing.”
She snickered slightly and leaned back against the wall. ”I remember the first time Shoal, a guardian, saw me pick a lock…he was furious. He’d been prepared to saber his way through a door and fight his way through the crime lord’s base when I picked a side door and we made it through to the heart of it without raising much of an alert. Got right to our target nabbed him and almost got to the door again before anyone really noticed. It was even more amusing to watch him be all indignant with Master Toth for teaching me how to do it. Toth simply told him that if he didn’t like it, Shoal shouldn’t have let him teach me anything.” She paused a moment gazing across the room and smirked slightly. ”I'm still not sure if Shoal was more upset because I knew how to do something ‘against the Orders standards’ or if he was just upset because I got us in without a big fuss when he couldn’t figure how to do it. Ah well…suppose I’ll not know until I go back to the Winds.”
With that and a slight groan, she pushed herself up and called her robe to her hand, laying it over her shoulder and smiling at the two of them. ”Well, I’ll excuse myself from you for now…I have a mission to prepare for.” Her eyes dulled a bit at that, shading a grey-blue as the thought of chasing down her brother swirled back into her mind. Needless to say, she wasn’t looking forward to this. ”Jazen, it was good meeting you. Locke, next time it’s your turn.” Talau smirked a bit at that and left to go finish her preparations.
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
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Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
Master
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Jul 22, 2010 20:37:54 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Jul 22, 2010 20:37:54 GMT -5
As the three of them gathered near the wall to allow Talau to rest and to discuss the findings of the exercise, Jazen changed his position from one of standing to one of sitting. He wasn't tired, but he found that his head was always a little clearer whenever he was squatted on the floor, legs crossed beneath him. Perhaps it had something to do it being one he could relax in. Either way, it gave him the open mind to listen to the discussion between his Master and Talau.
Their talk, of course, was pertaining to the different kinds of Jedi classes there were. Locke had agreed with Jazen about wanting to find new methods of combat in case their primary mode of defense, their lightsaber, was taken. While he liked the idea of using alternate weapons or physical play, Jazen could only groan a little when Locke patted his blaster. He could see the usefulness of having such a device, but the thought of using one himself made him queasy. Blaster's weren't always as clean as a lightsaber; the wounds were always messy and a good portion of the time, they didn't go down with the first hit. A lightsaber, on the other hand, effectively could disarm and cripple an enemy with just one easy swing and since it could deflect these bolts, getting to their foe was a simple matter for higher trained members.
Jazen vowed he would never use one of those unless circumstances absolutely forced him too. He had plenty other ideas he could attempt first before he had to even think about that course. Turning his mind back to the talk, Jazen ran off the roles they were speaking of. Consular's, he knew, preferred to stay out of direct combat, instead relying on their Force abilities and minds to deal with matters. The best Consular was one who could defuse a situation with their words alone.
Guardians were the opposite; they dealt with matters with their blades. True, they tried to talk their way out of it just like the Consular's, but when push came to shove, they relied on their vast repertoire of saber skills to defuse the matter. They were the best at defending others and openly acting.
Both sides only specialized in those set areas however. And they had shortcomings as well; the Consular's needed support so they could concentrate on their tasks while the guardians often ended up on the wrong end of a blaster for trying to impose themselves. The Sentinel, as both of them stated, was a middle ground between the two. A jack of both trades, but not really a master in either area. But this balance made them perfect to handle almost any situation brought before them, giving them the most flexibility if plans needed to be changed. Jazen hadn't thought much about it before, but now that they were on the subject, he considered what path he had intended to take.
He wasn't really proficient with his Force powers, at least not yet. But he was good at improvising if the need arose and even Locke had admitted his saber form was good. Perhaps he was treading the path of the guardian? He mulled this over for a moment, then quietly disagreed with that path. The idea of being brawn first, brain later played to his opposite; he liked to investigate and plan before he acted, not move on his gut everytime. While Talau's lesson had showed him how valuable moving on instinct could be, this only applied to when the choice is act or fail. If he followed the path to balance these two notions, then he would be taking the same path as them; the one of a Sentinel. But he still had time to think about this choice, time to develop his skills and see what it granted him. Till then, he would stick to what he knew.
Lost in thought again, Jazen only caught the end part of Talau's tale, but he figured out the meaning behind it with just that. Learning the Order's way was all well and good...but practical skills that others without the Force used could be just as useful. Like reading a person's state of mind by the actions of their facial expressions or their body language. He was getting lots of practice at that, considering his little ventures to the nearest taffs and bars. And he had to admit, it had its uses. Noting that Talau was excusing herself, Jazen bowed his head to her, a short little one considering he was still sitting.
"Then we shouldn't hold you up any longer. Again, I thank you for your instruction and look forward to the next lesson when it comes. Ah, if you ever need something found out, please don't hesitate to look for me in the archives. I'm quite sure I can find anything you need right away.
Good luck with that Master Locke. Remind me to be present for that session so I can see someone else getting their behind handed to them."
(Poof, done XD)
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Rugs
The ring-dang-doo, now what is that?
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last online Jan 12, 2024 11:24:20 GMT -5
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Aug 2, 2010 9:56:14 GMT -5
Post by Rugs on Aug 2, 2010 9:56:14 GMT -5
Locke smiled amusedly at Talau's story. It was an understandable one, one he'd heard similar stories of from his own master; the tale of the gung-ho Guardian that suddenly got bent out of shape when someone thought with something other than their lightsaber. Well, maybe that description wasn't being entirely fair, but there it was. Fortunately, Locke own teacher had been a Sentinel as well, and an Investigator to boot, so he'd been encouraged to practice a variety of unorthodox skills. All they could do was help him.
Of course, he'd not missed Jazen's little groan when he'd patted his pistol, and when he heard it, he only shook his head a little bit. No doubt the boy thought the same way that so many others within the Order did; that firearms were brutish and clumsy--inefficient weapons that a Jedi had no business using. But, to anyone that actually used the things, rather than having uninformed biases, that wasn't true. A gun could be just useful as a lightsaber, and in the right hands, could take down a foe much more quickly. To down a foe with one shot was a matter of aim, and disabling or disarming was simply a matter of choosing where to shoot them. And, though he favored blasters because they were they were more powerful than slugthrowers, Locke could fire one of the more archaic guns just as well as he could a blaster; and they had a way of being much harder to deal with using a lightsaber than a blaster did; not to mention the fact that with being trained in the use of pistols came the knowledge of how to use other types of firearms of the non-lethal sort, like tranq darts, or even stun shots with blasters.
In the end, though, everything came down to using the weapon in the way it was meant to be used; the blaster was for far out foes, or foes that were out of the reach of his blade, and he could easily deal with most problems when they came in close. Everything came back to balance and being well rounded. And that was why Locke was determined to one day at least teach Jazen how to shoot a gun--even though he knew the boy would never take to the weapons like he did--so if the situation ever arose where that was all he had to rely on, he'd be prepared and able to do more than shoot himself in the foot; refusing to use a weapon on principle was foolish.
But all of that was thinking for another time. For now, they were dispersing, going about their business. Talau had a mission to prepare for, though she left Locke with a not-so-subtle challenge. He only grinned at it and laughed. "I look forward to it, then." He stretched out a bit and chuckled at Jazen's comment. "I think you'll find I'm harder prey than my young ward here, though," he added with that.
In the mean time, he'd head off to do his usual middle-of-the-day report and intelligence gathering. Jazen would have a bit of free time, which he'd more than likely spend looking around in the parts of the Archives that padawans were allowed access to, until the time came for them to meet up again.
"It was good to see you again, Talau," he called to her as she left. "And Jazen, I'll see you again later this evening, eh?" With that, he pulled his coat back on and left, off to take care of his other duties.
{And done :3}
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