Learning the Way of the Rancor [open]

[Mara]

((Okay, cool.
And I hope I am understanding Elsie's movements right.))


She caught Elsie's surprise in the Force as she ducked out of the way just in the nick of time from her slash to the Echani's neck. Xierra didn't allow herself to get overconfident, though, just because she had gained an advantage for the briefest moment. That was something her master kept drilling into her, to keep thinking ahead, to not dwell on the last completed move. It was the past; she must think to the future.

And so the Falleen swung her attention back to the fight and the lightsaber in her hand. Hers had barely made contact with her opponent's, with the Echani focusing more on moving out of the way than with defending at that second. But then her blade was moving fast, coming downwards, and Xierra quickly shuffled her feet to get a better stance. Where she was expecting her blade to knock together again with Elsie's to defend her midsection, she felt her training saber hit air. Right away she pulled tighter on the Force and found the other Jedi's blade in movement again.

Xierra was about to twist her weapon hand to block the move, but quickly dropped the idea, realizing it would not make her wrist feel very good. Instead she moved both of her arms up and sprung, using tendrils of the Force to aid her movement. She somersaulted in the air above the Echani Jedi and landed about a meter behind her, turning almost immediately to face Elsie's back. Instead of the attack that came more instinctual to her--spinning her weapon and jabbing the other in the kidneys with the back end of her saber--she instead aimed a slash at the other Jedi's side, hoping that her acrobatic move had kept her opponent on her toes, hoping that she was incorporating Niman and Ataru both well enough.

[Tao of Baransu]

(Hope the open invitation is still in effect. If not just let me know and I shall depart.)

The day promised to be another uneventful one for young Jaden Cain, he had been kept busy since he was informed that he would be taking his trials soon, but since he no longer had a master and assigning the young man a new one for a week or two was deemed as a waste of resources Jaden had a list of other tasks and jobs that needed to be done.

Of course not all of his time was taken up by his 'chores', very little time was actually since he was expected to be preparing for his trials, he expected them any day now. He often came outdoors to train, finding it much more relaxing then the confines of a training room. The force flowed through him easier here, there was something peaceful about it.

It was to his own surprise when he rounded the corner to head into his favored courtyard, one that was normally more empty then the rest, and saw two Jedi training. His first instinct was to simply back out and find a new area to train...but..

Though he was technically still a Padawan Jaden was very adept in Niman and recognized it for what it was after a moment of watching. Entranced by what he saw Jaden quietly stepped off to the side, not wanting to disturb their concentration, and took a seat on a stone bench to watch and study the two.

Of course being the way he was Jaden couldn't sit and simply watch, he had to learn as well. Perhaps pick out something new, see someone use Niman in a way he hadn't thought of before.

[sparrow]

To the Echani, a key aspect of combat was being able to predict the movements of your opponent. So when Xierra somersaulted, Elsie could make a good guess as to what was going to happen next. As she felt the blade slicing towards her waist, she jumped, focusing the strength of her legs and letting it out in one explosive motion. However, unlike Xierra, Elsie's jump went straight up, with a little twist so that her body turned around 180 degrees in midair. As Xierra's slash came cutting through the air, Elsie was facing her opponent once again.

Her jump also hadn't been as high as Xierra's, but for her purposes it was high enough, and she raised heer knees, tucked her legs in so that Xierra's attack cut through nothing but empty air, only an inch or two beneath Elsie's toes.

Elsie had to admit that Xierra was doing well. Very well. This wasn't going to be an easy fight for her. Xierra's movements were fast, her techniques crisp, and she seemed very focused, applying basic Niman principles into her Ataru bladework. Yet at the same time, there was a certain amount of hesitation from the other Jedi. Very slight pauses between her movements told the young Echani that her opponent wasn't still completely confident with the form. That wasn't unexpected. She was still learning the form, and confidence would come with practice and time.

That greatest strength of Niman, the adaption and thinking while fighting instead of relying on rote reflex, was also a source of one of its weaknesses: Think too long and the opponent would make mincemeat of you. It was a delicate and often difficult balance.

As Elsie reached the peak of her jump, she swung her saber over and down, and as her body came down her blade came slashing down towards Xierra's shoulder.

[Mara]

((No, it's fine... but I would ask that if anyone else wants to join, to please check out the thread first. )


She was good, but Xierra forced her impression of the Echani out of her mind. There were much more other things on the forefront of her mind that needed her attention. So Elsie had anticipated her; that was the only reasoning that made sense to her for the quickness of the other's jump. A jump that made her practice blade slice through nothing but air.

It had been a while since she had had a one-on-one lightsaber combat with another member of the Order. And even though they were not using real functional lightsabers, it was as close to any duel she had ever fought in her life, and Xierra was taking it completely seriously. She had to if she ever wanted to use Niman as successfully as she did Ataru. And to eventually ascend to Jar'kai and efficiently wield her master's lightsaber with her own. But that day was far from near, as she knew. Seriousness notwithstanding, the Falleen Jedi was having fun, an emotion she didn't allow to show on her facial features.

Right after she had felt her blade make no contact as Elsie sprung to the air, Xierra had quickly moved her blade upward, waiting for the Echani's next move. As Elsie came down, so did her lightsaber, aided by her move's momentum. But she was ready and brought her blade up to slam into her opponent's blade, the two practice weapons meeting with a soft crack.



((The crack is just a sound; I don't mean that they actually break.))

[sparrow]

The lightsaber was the primary weapon of the Jedi, but it wasn't their only weapon. There was also the Force, of course, and with such effective tools at their disposal, it was often easy for a Jedi to forget that hands could still strike and feet still kick.

They weren't full-power lightsabers, but they still crackled and sparked a bit as the blades collided. Her feet touched the ground, and she quickly twisted her body. As their two lightsabers continued to push each other, Elsie foot was moving through the air, striking towards Xierra's torso.


(( by the way, how long do you want this fight to last? Maybe Jace should come and break it up... ))

[Mara]

((I don't have a set length or anything... It's up to you.
Perhaps you could nudge Jace if you see him?))



Xierra had had to bring up her other hand to hold her practice saber in a double-handed grip when hers knocked together with that of her opponent. The strength in the Enchani's arm's were unmistakable, and she had to pull a little more on the Force to hold her ground. But then Elsie started twisting her body, putting more pressure on her grip on her own practice blade.

She set her jaw and immediately began looking and thinking for a way out of their current stalemate. With the way they were pushing at each other with their weapons, it would be hard for her to slip her own lightsaber away for an attack without her opponent's blade coming to hit her in the chest or face after the release. Her next move would have to be one that didn't rely fully on her lightsaber.

But the Falleen Jedi Knight didn't have a chance to think much farther, when the Force alerted her to Elsie's movement. Her foot was coming up towards her; Xierra belated realized the true reason for her moving her body. The Echani wanted a better angle to kick up at her with. Still gripping her lightsaber tightly, she jumped out of the way again, this time straight up to avoid the leg of her opponent, releasing her weapon at the last moment to avoid injuring herself.

Having backflipped out of the way after her jump straight up, Xierra landed a couple meters behind where she had been standing, immediately bringing her lightsaber into a defensive ready position, not quite Ataru, not quite Niman, but a mixture of both. Her other hand came up as well, palm pointed outwards. If Elsie wanted to bring in other weapons besides their practice sabers, Xierra would not disappoint.

Xierra pulled on the Force and pushed her palm forward with a sharp movement. Manipulating the Force like this wasn't her strong point, but she was well above a rudimentary skill as well. She hoped she had timed the Force-assisted push at a time when her opponent would be coming towards her to reengage her.

[sparrow]

Elsie's foot traveled through empty air, as Xierra had already leaped out of the way. Quickly she brought her foot down, shifting into a more solid stance, just in time to extend her hand meet her opponent's Force push. She slid backwards about a meter, her stance wide to keep herself from falling. Her heels dug into the ground, bringing her to stop.

She gave her saber a quick flourish before deactivating the blade, and smile. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

"The basics are pretty much all there. Just practice often and you'll be solid." They had not trained together for a very long time, but the fact was that there were large amounts of overlap between Niman basics and those of other forms. Of course, knowing how to do the basics and being able to do them perfectly were two different things, and the latter wasn't something that could be accomplished in a day, a week, or maybe even a year. But Xierra had a solid start and a solid foundation, and given time and dedication, would no doubt one day be quite proficient with the form.

"As you spar with more opponents, take note of how they fight. Think of ways to counter their style, or integrate beneficial elements of their form into your own." Her own preference for one-handed strikes had come from many practice duels during her padawan years with her late friend Arlen. He had been a practitioner of Djem So, utilizing powerful, two-handed strikes. Not possessing the strength to block his attacks directly, she learned to use the saber one-handed to achieve greater speed and flexibility. Over the years, bits and pieces of the Echani blade forms that she also practiced had found their way into her lightsaber style as well. That was Niman, always adapting, always changing.

"Looks like we have a watcher," she said, noticing a number of figures who had gathered to see what they were doing.

(( Tao, Jace, if you're reading this, here's your entrance. ))

[Mara]

She changed her stance when she saw that her Force push hadn't had exactly the desired effect she had hoped for. Xierra made a quick mental note to herself then to practice her telekinetic skills when she had the chance. And, well, to practice all her Force-related skills. Though the Falleen Jedi was a guardian and most used to engaging with her lightsaber skills, she couldn't entirely forget the Force, either. Xierra needed it for more things than just assisting her acrobatic Ataru moves.

Seeing the flourish from Elsie's training saber, Xierra tightened her grip, not being able to feel through the Force the Echani's intentions. Could be a trick, could be showboating, could be...anything. Anything but giving up? A little confusion flowed through her own Force aura as her opponent deactivated her blade. But when she realized the practice spar was over, Xierra turned off her own weapon, letting fall to her side.

Xierra had thought the practice lightsaber duel would go on much longer but she nodded at Elsie's words in understanding. It did make a lot of sense for her to fight with other Jedi; she could increase her repertoire instead of merely fighting with the Echani. Being more well-rounded was her goal in the first place with learning Niman, especially after the debacle on Metellos trying to wield two sabers in Ataru. She made herself a promise to engage as many Jedi as possible, or watch other duels progress, hoping to pick up a few more skills. So that hopefully, on her next mission, she would be better able to defend herself as a Jedi.

She walked forward closer to Elsie and smiled at her. "Thank you for the lesson." Thinking they were done for the moment, Xierra was partway through a turn to gather up her robes and real lightsabers when she heard the other Jedi speak again. Quickly, she extended her Force awareness. Yes, there were more presences in the courtyard; she had been too focused on the duel and concentrating on her opponent that Xierra hadn't noticed them.

Along with Elsie, she looked in their direction. Mainly, it was just a few padawans and younglings come stumbling into the courtyard, not expecting a duel with two Knights using practice sabers. But there was one familiar presence...

[Jace]

It was quite a pressing time to be the Grandmaster of the Order. So much had happened and no doubt much more was soon to come. Each council discussion was accompanied by a heavy atmosphere of the likes he had never known. Even he had to admit that it was causing a significant amount of strain on him. A strain he had not known since his days as a Shadow, always under the constant threat of being exposed and possibly killed.

Jace strolled the corridors of the Temple, enjoying one of his rare breaks for the day. Many of his peers remained in chambers to continue to meditate or refresh themselves. He preferred to take a stroll through the Temple to clear his mind and check up on the younglings. He couldn't help but thinking that these very Jedi who trained here may be in some terrible battle in the near future. So many lives would be lost, so many gifted Jedi, extinguished in an instant. He knew that the time to go to war may come, and when it did, resolve would carry him through.

He could not afford to let self doubt sully his resolve. When the time came, he would do what needed to be done. The Jedi Master usually had two on whom he could rely on the most for reprieve but he had not been able to lately. Their differing views on the possibility of going to war had caused them to drift apart. Jace knew he could trust his friends but he could not deny that at this time he was not able to confide in them.

Mid way through his stroll, Jace heard the familiar sound of lightsabers clashing. Drawn by curiosity, the Jedi made his way towards the source of the sound. As he turned to look into the courtyard, he saw quite an unusual pair sparring. An Enchani and a Falleen, both females, who seemed to have been training in Niman. The pair had already garnered an audience, mostly padawans and younglings.

Jace had arrived just in time to see the final two attacks of the battle. From what the Jedi could see, it had been quite an invigorating training session. Only moments after the last blows had been thrown, it was over. It seemed that the Echani was the first to recognize the presence of others.

"Well met Knight Therin, and you also Knight Zalq" He suddenly spoke with a nod of his head and a light smile.

The other spectators turned around to see who had spoken and almost jumped in surprised. No doubt the appearance of the Grandmaster behind them was enough to throw them off. They quickly sputtered greetings which Jace returned with a smile. He wondered if he had been the same as those before him.

"Elsie. Xierra" He said, moving to more informal terms."How was the sparring session?"

[sparrow]

Elsie had known that people were watching, but she didn't know who, and the Grandmaster was probably the last person that she would have expected. "Master Beleran! I didn't expect..."

Touching right fist to left palm, she bowed forward slightly in greeting. Elsie had a great amount of admiration and respect for the Grandmaster, and not just because of his current title. Years ago, Grandmaster Beleren had been a renowned Jedi Shadow, traveling the galaxy, battling the Dark Side, accomplishing the sort of mission that she could only dream about. She had only met him once or twice in the past, and this was probably the first time that he had addressed her outside any sort of formal meeting or briefing.

"Our sparring session? It went well. If you have any pointers..."

[Mara]

Xierra smiled when she recognized the Grandmaster and nodded in respect after he addressed them. She hadn't seen him since before she left on her first mission, before his recent promotion, when they met on Ilum to help her build her first lightsaber to complete the Trials. His presence had been a great help to her, especially so soon after the loss of her Master. Master Revisc had gotten her 95% of the way; Master Beleren was there just to nudge her the rest of the way. The Falleen Knight had an enormous amount of respect for the Grandmaster and thought he deserved his new title.

Seeing that he was going to engage the two Knights in conversation and that the duel was essentially over, all the other passers-by and onlookers trickled out of the courtyard, going back to their business. Xierra quickly finished donning the rest of her Jedi clothing, attaching her belt with her lightsaber, before jogging over to join Elsie and Master Beleren.

Hearing his question about their practice Niman session, she looked over at Elsie, determining that the Echani was the best to explain how the spar went. She nodded at the other Knight's answer in silent agreement. Xierra stood in a relaxed pose, content to listen and garner any tips that the Grandmaster may have.

[Casual]

[Before Forging Fate]

It was routine, and he'd fallen right back into it. The standard morning routine after breakfast dictated some form of sparring or practice in the feild of lightsaber combat. It was a fun time for Cree, as Niman was absolutely a ball for him. Though Soresu was enjoyable, he found that Niman could really get his mind off things. He had his cyan blade strapped firmly to his side, ready for action.

He made his way to the courtyards, looking for a bit more relaxing and enjoyable place to practice rather than the routine sparring rooms and detected a presence he had not expected to find. The Grandmaster was speaking with a few knights, who, upon drawing nearer, he recognized as Elsie Therin and Xeirra Zalq, young Jedi Knights who he'd seen Knighted in his time on the High Council. This was a pleasant suprise for him, as it seemed the two had been sparring for a spell. He decided to draw closer to learn more about this development, perhaps train with these two ladies.

Why hello there! Pleasant surprise, Grandmaster Beleren. Cree said with a nod, And you two must be, Knights Therin and Zalq, if I'm not mistaken?

[sparrow]

The day was turning out to be full of surprises as another Council member appeared. The courtyard was a public place, but Elsie hadn't been expecting that many others to be watching, most certainly not two of the highest ranking and most well respected of the Jedi. The new arrival was Creemor-Lek, another Jedi Master that she had heart lots about but had never actually met. She wasn't sure just how to respond to all the sudden attention, and she felt her cheeks flush red for a brief moment.

She quickly bowed to Master Cree in the same manner she did for Master Beleren. "Good morning, Master Cree!" she exclaimed. "We were just practicing here. Just finishing up, in fact." She paused, brushing back a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face during the spar, waiting for his response.

[Mara]

(((FYI, Cas, we're in a courtyard, not a training room. ))


She had been waiting for a response from the Grandmaster when she suddenly felt another strong presence coming towards the courtyard, easy to feel with their spectators having gone. When the Ongreen came into view and joined the trio of Jedi, she greeted him in same as she had Master Beleren: with a polite nod and slight bow to acknowledge his presence. Xierra hadn't had the chance to ever engage personally with Master Creemor but had heard great things about him.

Xierra looked to Elsie as she answered, nodding in agreement to the nearest member of their group. Though, feeling it was disrespectful to keep remaining silent, she decided to speak up, to explain herself. "Yes, Master. Knight Therin was teaching me some moves in Niman," she said with a polite smile.

[Casual]

{OOC: *facepalm* Aight, I'll fix that in my previous post and keep it in mind, I really should have read the first three and last three instead of just these past few. Also, concerning the dismisal of Jace, I think it would work if Cree offered to teach them, and Jace, seeing that they would potentially be recieving instruction, would decide that would be a good time to take leave. Suggestions?}

Good morning, Master Cree!

It was quite the cherry response brought to him by Knight Therin, and brought a smile to his face. What perked him up even more during their greeting was Knight Zalq's response.

Yes, Master. Knight Therin was teaching me some moves in Niman.

Well, now, you can't be just finishing up if your here to practice Niman! -- he chuckled -- I would like to ask that you stay at least a bit longer, as I myself am a Master of the form, and would be delighted to instruct you further! If that is alright with you ladies, and yourself Grandmaster?

Cree had instructed some on Niman before, but it was simple things, and mostly all it ever was was pointers and tips. The oppertunity had never arisen like this before, where he could jump in and volunteer. It was, of course, up to the lady Knights, but he would be practicing it regardless of their decision.

[sparrow]

Elsie had always thought that the beady-eyed council member that stood before them now as a bit of a stuffy scholar. Of course, having never met the fellow, that opinion was based entirely on word of mouth, and judging by current appearances, false. In fact, he seemed rather open and cheerful. Elsie certainly wasn't going to complain.

She smiled. "Of course it would be alright." The spar with Xierra had been intense but short, and she still had a good amount of energy left. She looked towards Xierra to wait for her response.

[Mara]

(((Sounds good.)))


Xierra's ridged brow raised, a gesture that she couldn't stop before she realized it was happening. It showed her surprise at having a Master from the Council ask to instruct them. Surely a Jedi with his status had more important matters to attend to, she thought. But then again, Master Beleren, now Grandmaster, had taken her to Ilum to finish her Trials, to complete her lightsaber. She felt good that the older more experience Jedi in the Order still didn't forget about their roots, no matter far they increased in rank.

Thankfully Elsie answered before she could, hopefully disguising her brief fluster at Master Creemor's offer. She nodded in response along with her fellow Knight's answer. Xierra looked over at Elsie before turning back to the Ongreein Master. "We would be honored, Master."

[Casual]

//OOC: Sorry for the slight control over Jacen, Jace, but I thought we'd just have him understood as leaving before moving on. If that's a problem, I have no problem removing that from the post //

The positive feedback given to him from the ladies gave the old Ongree a good jolt of joy. He hadn't seriously trained or instructed anyone in Niman before, and was much obliged that these ladies would show so much interest in him doing so. He decided that it would be good for him to do so immediatly. He watched as the Grandmaster left, bidding his farewells and recieving them in turn, before he began.

Now, as you may know, Niman, also known as Form Six, or Way of the Rancor, is like the "jack-of-all-trades" form. It allows the weilder to act and react without weakness, but in so doing, also creates no strength. This allows for the practitioner to employ their own creativity and ingenuity to the form, also allowing it to be very applicable to a variety of situations.

Cree then took the opening stance of Niman, placing the blade high at head-height, and held both hands angled slightly inwards, his dominant foot forward. He then explained the stance, and allowed the lady Knights the opportuinity to try it out themselves. He would start with the stance, and then perhaps move up, as he intended to give a bit of a crash course first before setting up the foundations for the ground up. It was in this thought that a question struck his mind.

Will you ladies be expecting to practice this form every day, or were you merely getting a feel for it?

Regardless of their answer, he would continue to go through the crash course, to get their feet wet, per se, before they would move on and begin learning the form piece by peace and build up the basics and foundations.

[Mara]

(((I don't think there was a set posting order, so I'm just gonna go ahead to get this thing moving again. Post when you can, sparrow ))



By the time the Ongreein Jedi spoke again, the Grandmaster had left almost as quietly as he had arrived, taking most of the other spectators in the courtyard along with them. The other Jedi, seeing that no more immediate action was to occur now that the duel was over, had decided to take their leave, headed for classes or other duties. Xierra barely registered this change, though, as her entire focus was on Master Cree standing before her, and on Elsie. She knew it was a rare moment for a Council Member to be instructing two Knights, and in such an informal setting as well.

Master Cree gave an overview of the form, reiterating similar words that Elsie had told her earlier on in their lesson. But she felt it was good to keep hearing it. Repetition was the best way to learn, Xierra felt. She planned to use the versatility of Niman to her best advantage, melding it with her own deftness in Ataru. Ataru was a great strength of hers, but even the Falleen Jedi knew that it had its weaknesses. Perhaps with the combined knowledge of Niman, she would be able to adapt more readily to situations. Though, she knew that was far away, as it took years to master a new form. But, she would learn.

To help with his mini lesson, the Ongreein took out his own lightsaber, ignited it and showed them the opening stance of Niman, explaining things as he went. Wanting to try it out herself but only still holding the training saber from earlier, Xierra used that weapon to mimic Master Cree's movements.

She was getting used to her foot placement when he asked a question of them then, still with the three of them in the opening move of the sixth form. Xierra glanced at Elsie before looking back at the master Jedi. Her reason for learning the form had been merely a means to an end, learning Jar'kai and using her master's saber along with her own, but now she wasn't so sure she wanted to carry on in that road. "As I told Knight Therin earlier, I wanted to learn Niman to advance to Jar'kai.

"But," she continued then. "But now I know that Niman is so much more versatile than that. And I want to be able to grow in my knowledge of it and use that knowledge to increase my effectiveness with Ataru." Xierra hoped her answer didn't sound as lame as it did to her own ears, and she forced her skin to remain its neutral greenish gray.

[sparrow]

Elsie's green practice saber re-ignited with a flash as she assumed the basic Niman ready stance to match Cree's. Her eyebrow raised ever so slightly at the Master's question, but her face remained otherwise calm and expressionless.

"I began learning Niman when I was just a padawan," she answered. "And I have continued practicing it every day."

Slowly, she removed one hand from the saber hilt. As Master Cree said, Niman was a form that relied on creativity and improvisation. It was often considered the gateway to many of the more unorthodox styles, and Niman practitioners were often encouraged to add their own personal elements and style into their form. Elsie personally preferred a one-handed style. It complimented her usual tactic on relying on fast attacks and cuts to the opponent off-balance, and the loss of striking power afforded by two hands was more than compensated for her by the additional flexibility and reach of the blade.

Having practiced the form for many years, she was considered by many of the other jedi to be good. Very good. But not yet a master. "But there is always more that I can learn, and any instruction that you would be willing to give is helpful."