Itching for a Fight (duel/spar)

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira drew his arms across his chest in a high, tight cross, drumming his right fingers against left bicep as he analyzed the new front Kazahan put in front of Ndonsa. The strong authority of movement was hallmark Djem So, but done in a curious single-handed form that he'd never seen and only heard of.

"Did you teach him this technique?"

Anbira glanced sidelong to Solomon, rather curious at whether the Trianii had received some interesting combat insights or was taking preordained martial dogma and evolving it himself. Either way, the Hermit could sense a hidden jeopardy to Ndonsa's current approach.

"Don't overextend! Look how he's holding his center!"

[Kazahan]

As quick as lightning, Kazahan sidestepped, sweeping his saber wide to parry her blade and immediately turn it back on her while her defence was open.

[Rev Solomon]

Solomon's eyebrows lowered like stormclouds at this new innovation, not because he feared it wouldn't work, but because Kazahan shouldn't have known to try it. His fluid movements were studied, not merely improvised, and though the preacher could see elements of his form that needed refinement, there was no mistaking its origins.

"I haven't taught him this," he confessed.

Rather than call out more advice, he stood silent and waited to see the outcome.

[Ndonsa]

She was beaten. Ndonsa could see it happening, his blade battering hers aside and coming back to finish her. She shouted -

- and Kazahan was shoved backwards with the Force, his lightsaber missing it's mark. She returned to a guard position, breathing heavily.

[Kazahan]

Kazahan staggered, but thankfully Ndonsa seemed to be content with standing at her guard position and allowed him to regain his equilibrium.

"So that is how that works!" he exclaimed after a moment, doing that same move again; a quick sidestep and a two part sweep that opened the defense and ended the fight if performed correctly. "Most interesting. This is mostly new to Kazahan, you see. This one had learned mostly from manuals, and it is very confusing. 'Stand so,' it says to Kazahan, so Kazahan stands so, but does not understand why. The manual says 'Powerful strike,' but this one is unsure if that is meant in a purely strength metric or if there is some other measure of power, perhaps using the Force. There is terminology that this one does not understand, and the manual does not explain."

Kazahan's tail flicked from side to side.

"But if you are this good like this, with a spear you must be deadly! Could you show me that wonderful parry you did? This one put much strength behind the blow, but you redirected it very well, and Kazahan is curious."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa nodded. "When the lightsaber comes at you, you meet it with your own." She swung slowly toward him in an overhand strike, as if she was teaching a child. Kazahan blocked lightly, and she pressed harder against his blade. "A stronger enemy can overpower you. Turn their strength along your blade..." she struggled for the words to explain, "and present a new path for their weapon to follow."

[Kazahan]

"Another path..." Kazahan hummed, and then straightened. "Oh! Kazahan understands this now!"

He practiced the move and then moved his wrist.

"You explain things well. Thank you. Would you like to continue sparring, or would you rather rest a short time?"

[Ndonsa]

She cocked her head to the side and then thrust her muzzle in the direction of the weapons rack. "If you have trained with the spear..." The Jedi of course did not stock spears for practice, but there were long staves that were almost the same. "I do not want my skill to become... Rusted." She frowned lightly, wondering if she used the word correctly, and then smiled.

[Kazahan]

"Of course!" the large Trianii said, and taking the moment to practice, focused on two staves. For a moment nothing happened, and then as if something had snapped, the two staves came hurtling towards him at far higher speeds than he was prepared to deal with. One he managed to catch, but the other smacked him in the face and went tumbling off to the side while he fell backward to hit the ground on his back.

For a moment, everyone was silent.

"That hurt very, very much," he said. "Yes. Very painful."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa put out her paw and the wayward staff flew at her and smacked into her palm. She stood over the fallen Trianii. "Do you need help?" Her face showed concern, and yet a twitching at the corners of her mouth betrayed a great deal of amusement that she was feeling, despite Kazahan's possible injury.

[Kazahan]

"This one does not need both of your assistance," the big cat answered blearily. "One will do fine."

[Ndonsa]

The smile was swallowed, and Ndonsa reached down and took his paw, pulling and helping him up. "We should continue later, Kazahan. You are bleeding."

[Kazahan]

"Oh no," Kazahan replied. "This one is quite all right. One cannot always fight in the best condition."

Once he was on his feet, he felt along his face and found a bruised cut just below his cheekbone. A soft hiss of pain, and Kazahan looked at Ndonsa with so small amount of amusement.

"There is already only one of you once more. Just a few moments, and Kazahan will be ready to spar."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa nodded, and stepped back, twirling the staff between her hands, slowly first, and then faster and faster. She stopped the staff while it was upright, in front of her face, and then thumped one end of it to the dirt, giving the two masters a formal bow. "A demonstration, Master Anbira." She knew Kazahan was up to the task.

[Kazahan]

Kazahan held the staff a bit awkwardly, but settled it into the ground as Ndonsa had, and bowed to both Solomon and Anbira.

"Do not judge this one too harshly, yes? Staves and spears are not this one's best weapons."

With that, he bowed to Ndonsa, and swinging the staff like a sword, advanced on her.

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa grasped the staff with both paws, blocking his attack with one end and then flipped the other end up to try and hit him in the shoulder.

[Kazahan]

Kazahan shuffled back, regaining his reach advantage and avoiding strike to his shoulder simultaneously. With a quick step forward, Kazahan jabbed with one end of the staff before swinging around the other end low to sweep Ndonsa's feet from underneath her.

[Ndonsa]

She leaped away from the jab, getting enough height and distance to avoid the sweep as well. Grasping the end of her staff she spun in a circle, the staff whirling around at high speed as she moved back into hitting range.

[Kazahan]

Kazahan did not allow Ndonsa to build up much speed; as soon as she was within range, he barred the staff to stop the whirling attack and stepped in close, bringing the bottom end of the staff up to jab at the mongoose's face.