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Ghostie
SMELL LIKE POWA'
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Mar 20, 2012 14:34:52 GMT -5
Post by Ghostie on Mar 20, 2012 14:34:52 GMT -5
Sirius blinked at Master Ka. She wanted him to drink alcohol, get drunk? Sirius wasn't sure about this. Wasn't there something about Jedi not getting drunk and all? Or at least, it didn't seem very Jedi-like. Sirius wasn't sure if he wanted to do this. The few times he encountered alcohol on missions before, he made up his mind that he did not like the smell of it at all, in fact, it made his stomach upset. He wasn't sure if he'd like the taste any better.
But Master Ka had told him this was essential...
Sirius followed her to the bonfire, and sat on her right side where she indicated. The ceremony started soon afterwards. He didn't quite follow anyone who was speaking, they didn't speak basic and they spoke too fast to listen too. Master Ka translated though.
Then came the food. It was mostly meat like Master Ka had said. Some it was raw, some was cooked. Sirius cleaned his plate anyways just as Master Ka had said to do. And then there was the alcohol. Sirius was right, he didn't like the taste of it any better than the smell.
It was going to be a long night...
Later that Night
Sirius staggered behind Master Ka as they walked through the village after the ceremony had ended. All the different drinks had taken a toll on him and his inexperience. He stayed close to Master Ka, staying away from other Togruta from the village. It wasn't that he was unfriendly right now, but that Master Ka had told him not to “mate” with any of the females. He'd rather not get into trouble. Romance could get you kicked out of the Jedi Order, that was something Sirius would rather not have happen.
“I think... I think I'm gonna go sleep on the shuttle tonight. With a nice bed, and a pillow...”
Sirius slurred some of his words. He was really out of it. Hopefully a nice long rest would help.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
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Mar 20, 2012 19:26:44 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Mar 20, 2012 19:26:44 GMT -5
The Jedi Order, as a whole, had little respect for the native cultures of its members. Teer had been advised once by her own master that this was an effort to unite them all under a common culture, but she'd grown to appreciate cultures. As a Jedi, understanding was important, and that meant knowing culture. Knowing culture was easiest to start with your own.
To that end, she'd made a point of learning about her own culture, building off what she remembered from her childhood and always remaining fluent in Togruti. It was, in fact, her preferred language over Basic, though she rarely had occasion to use it. Being on Shili again was a blessing, a chance to savor her own culture, something she rarely had the opportunity to do. Having Sirius there with her doubled the fun, as it provided her with the perfect chance to expose him to other cultures, to instill in him a respect for the ways and traditions of other species as well as the ways of the Jedi.
And nowhere did it say a Jedi couldn't have a few drinks under the right circumstances.
Teer kept an eye on Sirius though, which wasn't hard since he was right there next to her. And, she was proud to notice, he wasn't disappointing her. The foods that were passed to him he tried without exception, and every time his bowl was filled he drank from it. She had absolutely no complaints, and as the evening went on she found herself slightly lubricated as well, though he was hovering more around 'sloshed.'
By the time everyone started returning to their homes and beds, or choosing to sleep under the stars, she was worried she might have to carry her Padawan, who was speaking of soft beds and the shuttle as they walked along. He was doing surprisingly well in her opinion, right until he passed out and fell over.
The Weapons Master chuckled in amusement before sighing. Now she had to carry him, which meant more work than she'd anticipated. Still, she didn't mind too much, even as she hoisted him over her shoulder. It was like having a child, and she didn't mind taking care of her 'son.'
But she wasn't hauling him all the way back to the shuttle. No, she took him back to the bedroll in the dwelling they were based out of. Orange-skinned hands tucked him into the covers and gently pulled an errant lock of hair off his face. Then, with her rather maternal work done, Teer Ka sank to her own roll, laid her head onto her pillow, and promptly fell asleep.
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Ghostie
SMELL LIKE POWA'
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last online Aug 19, 2019 9:17:21 GMT -5
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Apr 2, 2012 21:47:54 GMT -5
Post by Ghostie on Apr 2, 2012 21:47:54 GMT -5
Sirius woke with a start. His head was pounding. The pain was right behind his eyes and sharp. Sirius kept his eyes closed, but he could tell it was light. Perhaps morning time? He didn't know for sure, there was no way to tell without opening his eyes. But Sirius kept them shut. The light was already too much.
The Padawan simply laid there for awhile. His head hurt so much. What exactly had happened last night? He remembered coming back from the hike, then the bonfire. Ah, that's what happened last night. The bonfire and the celebration and the alcohol. So this must be what a hangover felt like. Like crap. Sirius wasn't sure if he enjoyed the experience after all.
Sirius tried to get a feel for where he was without opening his eyes. He tried reaching out with the Force, but everything felt sort of blurry. It must have been an effect of the drinking. So hey couldn't rely on the Force too much. But he could rely on what the bed felt like. It felt like the bedroll and the ground. Perhaps the hut that Master Ka was using? That was a very real possibility.
Sirius reach out a hand to look for his glasses, but then remembered that they still laid broken in his pack. Instead, he felt his lightsaber next to him. He left it where it was, not needing it for the moment. He opened his eyes and rolled over onto his stomach. Sirius was definitely in the hut that Master Ka was using, but he was the only one there. The morning light shined through the open doorway. Sirius grimaced and closed his eyes again. The light didn't help his head any.
He stayed still for awhile, if anyone walked in on him they would probably assume Sirius was sleeping. Things were only peaceful for awhile, however. Soon, there came a whole mess of noise. Sirius heard screaming, and although it wasn't in Basic, screaming was universal language. He grabbed his saber and headed for the doorway of the hut to see what was wrong.
People were screaming and running past the hut, scoping up little children and other things along the way. Some of the male Togruti ran in the opposite direction, carrying weapons. They were heading towards whatever danger the villagers were running from. Sirius looked, harder without his glasses, to see what was wrong.
There was a very large, very orange animal on the edge of the village, near the shuttle. It looked like a cat, but was large. Very large. It seemed to have already killed a couple of people and done some damage to the nearby structures. Luckily, it seemed unable to hurt the shuttle too much. Sirius thought back to what Master Ka had taught him. Surely she had told him something about animals on Shili. Yes, he remembered now. This was an Akul, a very dangerous predator that could take out whole settlements or hunting groups.
The hunters were attacking with all the weapons they had, from spears and bows to even a slugthrower from one particularly small hunter. But they didn't seem to be doing much. Adjusting the grip on his saber, Sirius decided that they needed help from him, even if he wasn't at his best. He would have preferred more sleep, but no one said being a Jedi was the greatest job in the galaxy. He headed off, running through the retreating crowd and igniting his saber. It seemed like a large bronze beacon over the running villagers, but heading the opposite direction.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
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Apr 20, 2012 22:53:23 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Apr 20, 2012 22:53:23 GMT -5
"Sirius!" Master Ka yelled out as she spotted her Padawan running towards the akul, where she'd arranged a defensive perimeter. Her own saberstaff was lit, giving off a pale blue glow that bathed her angular features in an otherworldly light. "Attack from the left, I'll attack from the right! Make sure to avoid the jaws!"
In this case, as with many others, Teer Ka was the voice of experience. The teeth in her headdress came from an akul not all that dissimilar from this one, which she'd succeeded in killing by herself, which was a feat even for a Jedi. The task didn't hinge on any particular form at all, since forms were reliant on facing opponents with weapons. Facing an animal, any animal, was vastly different. Everything, in fact, was different.
There were no parries, no blocks. You had to dodge every blow from arms and legs, and you had to remain in constant and rapid motion to prevent anything from landing on you. If you lost mobility, you died. Or you were maimed. There were Togrutas to be found on Shili without arms or missing legs thanks to akul attacks, who had gravitated to the cities for a life of begging, cast out from society. They had to be left behind, it was the way of Teer's people. Those who could not keep up and contribute to the society had to be left behind. That was the sad reality of life.
Even if Sirius were to fall, she'd have to leave him behind too. The way her fallen Padawans were in her past. Well, now was the leap of faith. She had to prove her training of the boy had been correct, had to prove he was skilled enough and resourceful enough to prevail even in this wholly unanticipated situation.
The aging Togruta master sprang into action, only peripherally aware of Sirius, aiming a quick swipe at the akul's hind leg. With a longer time to act, she might have severed the limb completely, but time was in short supply. She knew only a light and fast blow would enable her to withdraw from the inevitable counterstrike before it fell like a hammer down onto her head.
The sky blue blade of her saber lanced out and streaked along the leg, sizzling as it crafted a long gash. Almost immediately, the toothy head of the orange-furred creature spun around, gaping jaws looming towards her. Teer dropped and rolled, spinning away from the teeth with a foot to spare.
She hoped that Sirius would seize the opportunity and strike from the other side, then she could strike again at the wounded leg, and hopefully sever it, or else blind the creature as it came around for another pass after the next strike.
Every fight unfolded in a unique way, and only time would tell how this one would evolve.
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Ghostie
SMELL LIKE POWA'
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last online Aug 19, 2019 9:17:21 GMT -5
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May 6, 2012 20:07:26 GMT -5
Post by Ghostie on May 6, 2012 20:07:26 GMT -5
Sirius listened to Master Ka as they both ran for the akul. She ready had a plan, and had experience fighting these creatures. It was only right to follow her lead. He ran to left as order, while Master Ka made a break for the right.
Sirius’s head hurt, and the light from the early morning sun made his eyes water. Without his glasses, Sirius could only make out shapes and colors ahead of him. So all he saw of the akul was an orange blur. Sirius made his way through the village to the akul as fast as he could, running in Master Ka’s wake.
Unfortunately, the soonest Sirius arrived the Akul made a swipe at him. The large animal brought its powerful jaws down to take a bit at him. Sirius couldn’t see well, and had to rely on the Force to know the danger was coming. He rolled under the animal’s mouth at the right time, towards the front of the animal. As he came back up, Sirius aimed a swipe at the animal’s retreating jaw which seemed to be ended Master Ka’s way. However, the slice was not long or deep enough to cause any real damage.
As the animal focused on Master Ka for the time being, Sirius was able to aim a good attack at its front left leg, almost severing the limb before the animal spun back around. The Akul brought it's right leg around in a sweeping motion, and Sirius had to jump back quite away, using the the Force to help him, to avoid the attack.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
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May 24, 2012 1:38:57 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on May 24, 2012 1:38:57 GMT -5
Speed.
If Teer had to name any one aspect of combat that she felt was the most important, it was speed. Whether through the Force or through physical prowess, she prized that asset above others, and she rightly realized how crucial it was to condense a battle into as short a time as possible. The longer a conflict ran on, the more likely a party was to make a mistake, and that was true in this case as well.
A strike here and a strike there could eventually topple the beast, but it would take bold action to truly end it. It would take teamwork and a pair of moves to end it.
"Distract it!" Teer yelled to Sirius, as she enacted the next phase of her plan.
The Togruta Weapons Master deactivated her lower blade and rolled under the massive creature, carrying her saber up towards its belly in a rolling arc. The light blue blade hissed as it cut deep into the stomach of the creatures, and it merited an immediate response. The rear leg lashed out with great speed and caught Master Ka in the arm, sending her skidding out the other side and rolling to an abrupt halt against a rock. Crimson blood stained her sleeve, and she could tell at once from the feel of her arm that it was broken.
But the akul was now making sounds of pain, with slower movements. It was clear that the end was fast approaching, and that there was no way the akul could survive. The question was how much damage its death throes would cause.
"Finish it Sirius!" Teer cried out as she propped herself against a boulder.
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Ghostie
SMELL LIKE POWA'
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May 24, 2012 15:04:37 GMT -5
Post by Ghostie on May 24, 2012 15:04:37 GMT -5
Things happened so fast, Sirius wasn’t sure how this battle had exactly folded out. That was something he would have to work on in battle, focus. Being able to focus on our opponent, and still know what was happening around you. Sirius didn’t lack speed or skill or physical strength, but sometimes he found he lacked focus.
Recognizing you had a problem was the first step to finding the solution, right?
"Distract it!"
The first thing Sirius thought of to distract the akul was using the Force to thrust the beast head to the side. Not enough to harm it, but enough to annoy it and distract it. Sirius found tapping into the Force was still kind of fuzzy. Probably after effects of last night.
Sirius stretched out his hand, using the force to thrust the beast’s head to the side. It had worked, not enough to hurt the akul but enough to make it mad. Very mad. It turned right to Sirius and started to stomp over to him.
Master Ka rolled under the beast, slashing it’s belly with her saber. It lashed out with it’s back leg, and the next thing Sirius knew, she was propped up against a boulder. Now what was he going to do? Sirius wanted to run over and make sure Master Ka was okay, but if he strayed from this spot, the akul would only get him but the rest of the village as well. "Finish it Sirius!"
Sirius was in motion as Master Ka spoke. The akul was charging him, he could only think of one thing to do. He shut off his lightsaber. And then using the Force Sirius leapt as high as he could, flipping over the beast and onto it’s back.
The beast started to buck the soonest Sirius landed. He found himself in between the beast’s front shoulder blades, grabbing anything he could to hold one whether it was fur or bone. Sirius was laying flat, afraid to get up for fear of being thrown off.
The akul stopped bucking, but was still trying to get Sirius off of it’s back. Now was the time Sirius decided. He stood up, placing his feet firmly on the beast’s back. Igniting the bronze blade, Sirius stabbed where he guessed the akul’s spine was, right between the two shoulder blades.
The akul froze for a second. Then it swayed back and forth. Sirius shut off his saber again. Being on the back of a toppling beast with an ignited saber was not where he wanted to be. But before he could move, the beast dove into the ground chest first. As it hit the ground, Sirius tumbled down the top of the akul’s head to the ground, missing the beast’s mouth by a couple of inches.
Sometimes, I hate my line of work...
Sirius landed flat on his back with a loud thud. This was once experience, fighting an akul, he hoped he never had to encounter again. He propped himself up on his elbows, saber still in hand, and looked around. His hair was a mess, and he had a couple scrapes and bruises. But Most of the village was safe. The villagers were safe and unarmed, some of them coming back around to find out what happened. So far so good.
Then Sirius remembered Master Ka. She was hurt, having taken a pretty hard kick from the akul’s back legs. He got up as quick as he could and ran around the dead akul, looking for Master Ka.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
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May 27, 2012 1:54:03 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on May 27, 2012 1:54:03 GMT -5
Master Ka grasped her lightsaber in her uninjured left arm and pushed herself up into a standing position, resting against the boulder as she watched. The fiery pain in her arm was still prominent, but was fast becoming an ache instead. Something was definitely broken in her right arm, but that could be healed by the tribal healers. The real issue was that if Sirius didn't defeat the akul, she would have to. With one arm.
Luckily, before her eyes, her Padawan used an acrobatic leap to position himself. Then he slashed, and severed the spinal cord, bringing the orange-furred beast crashing onto the ground. That brought a sigh of relief and a weary smile onto Teer's face.
It was over. The village was safe, and Sirius was safe. That was the high priority, the real danger, and it had been averted.
Teer returned her saberstaff to her belt and looked up again just in time to see Sirius emerge from behind the bulk of the beast, presumably looking for her. She realized she must have been quite the sight, in her sleeping clothes from the night before, with her arm visibly broken and a trickle of blood streaming from her nose. Mercifully, that was unbroken.
"I'm here Sirius."
Teer might have looked battered, but she was far from broken in her voice and her bearing. She looked as confident and grim as ever.
"I require a healer, are you all right?"
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