Post by Jedi Master Kabraka on May 31, 2006 15:50:19 GMT -5
She spun away from the bolt of energy and rose on the balls of her feet. She stretched her arms and her saber over her head. It gave her a momentary respite. Lepri scrambled to avoid or defend against three remotes shooting at her. All while having to deal with Kabe’s own assault. He’d started by keeping his saber lit and striking at her every once in a while. It served to distract her and force her to be aware. His attacks came more ever faster, making her keep defending against the bolts and his saber. It made her keep from sticking to defending for bolts or the saber making her adapt and use both equally. Blaster bolts need only to have the saber there for a split moment. A lightsaber required a longer amount of time to parry. Forced to focus on them both under the pressure her defenses had to adapt, to grow stronger. And she had to trust the Force even more, letting it guide her. It became an intricate dance and a dazzling flow of blocks, parries and flourishes.
Kabe then did something devious. As a bolt lanced toward him, his saber swept up and deflected it toward Lepri. She squeaked in surprise and found she didn't know how to react. The bolt took her along her left ribs as she instinctively twisted to avoid the bolt. With one hand she held her side while holding her saber in her good hand. “Not fair,” she hissed, fighting past the painful stinging burn on her side, unable to feel the flesh there now.
They were using Kabe’s personal remotes, which had a stronger blast to get through his long, thick fur. Lepri only had a fine layer of fur, so to her, the bolt was quite harsh. “It doesn’t have to be. There are no rules in a fight, in battle. You must learn that, if you want to survive,” he said back smoothly. The remotes fired again, two at him then one at her, and then began firing in earnest. Lepri spun into action. She batted aside the first shot at her stomach, then swatted aside two more, coming across to swipe at Kabe. He blocked low and was about to strike back to find that Lepri was already striking again. It wasn’t surprising; with how much she’d sparred with Jeryndi. That didn’t take into account her study of Ataru and Makashi. She’d made the blow with a loose wrist which was typically a mistake. She’d let her saber slide against his. Then the point of her blade was aimed directly at him, and as she should, she lunged. He twisted to his left so that he presented his right side to her, her blade in front of his belly. Both were in a bad position. She just had to sweep her blade to the side to take care of him. He only had to swipe his across to finish her. Instead he made a right-handed thrust with the saber at her exposed ribs. She let go with her right hand flipped the grip in her left so that it was held in her left, sweeping it around, tip down. Blades clashed and sparked. She pushed off of his strike, using it for extra leverage. She her right boot heel in a powerful and graceful sidekick. The blow rocked him back. Mentally he congratulated her. She was learning to use her opponent and everything at her disposal.
Then Lepri set her foot down, and spun counter-clockwise toward him. Her still held her saber reversed in her left hand like an ice pick. The point came around, angling upward as she dropped to a half crouch. Using all the speed and force her lithe frame could generate she drove the tip toward his left ribs and armpit. Kabe took a half-step back and batted her saber away smoothly. His saber kept hers going in its path, but making sure it only air, sliding past him. She twisted over and swiped out her right leg, trying to sweep him off his feet. He simply lifted his front leg up, then turned sideways. As he did so his foot snapped out, heel first, his body driving behind it to connect quite solidly with Lepri’s head. She was completely ‘flat-footed’ so she had no chance to dodge. She slammed into the floor head-first. The world spun and tried to go black. Instinctively, she clutched at the Force.
Wakefulness and brightness flooded back into her, despite how painfully her head pounded. She groaned and glanced around for her saber. It was nearby so she reached out with the Force and called it to her hand. She reignited it just in time to roll away from a saber stab. Combat began all over again. If Lepri had thought the fights with Jeryndi were competitive then this was at a level far beyond. Strikes, parries, blocks, and bolts were everywhere.
Kabe gave no quarter, forcing Lepri to draw on all that she knew of the Force and the saber. She would attack fiercely and he would give ground only to counter. Too long defending and he’d breach her defense. She used her grace and agility to the max. Kabe fought like a warrior poet. Lepri was poetry in motion.
Finally, she began to lose her calm and began to grow more aggressive, pressing her onslaught. Kabe let her come. He was as placid as a high mountain lake. He could end it at any moment. Lepri barred her fangs, finally letting her frustration show on her face as she snarled. His calm rubbed her fur wrong as she hammered at him. He paid careful heed to her emotions. The moment frustration turned to anger he turned off his saber. “Is that it,” she shouted as she came on. Effortlessly, Kabe evaded and defended. When he didn't dodge he used his hands to stop her strikes at the wrist or arm and block her wild kicks. “Stop running and let me hit you,” she roared. She went to strike from his head to stomach. He stepped in and caught her wrists. He turned, stripping her saber from her hands while flipping her neatly. She hit hard, and before she could move he pinned her with a knee to the side of the neck. The knee pressing into the side of her neck cut off the flow of blood and oxygen to her head but only partially. She struggled to remove his knee, but it didn’t budge. “Get off of me!” He refused, and stayed there until her anger fizzled. It died as she edged toward unconsciousness. He let up a little bit so she would stay conscious.
“Look at where your anger has gotten you, Lepri. You’re at my mercy. Had you maintained your calm, you might have won. Your anger blinded you and made you predictable. It only took a few moments too. You have to be on your guard,” he said softly. She glared up at him. “Let it go. You don’t need it. You might think it makes you better but it’s an illusion. Trust me, I know,” he gently admonished.
“What would you know? You’ve got your family and friends. You’ve probably had it the easiest out of all of the Masters, too! I bet they made you one just to shut you up!” She snarled once more, using words for weapons instead of her body.
It stung. He had wondered the same thing himself more than once. That doubt had gnawed at him. But no, they wouldn't have named him a Master without their sincere belief he'd earned it. Not that he needed their approval. Only the Force mattered in that equation. “Lepri, everything I have is because of my blood, sweat, and tears. My skills with the Force, saber, and my Mastership, my wife and children… everything has been at a high cost. Do you think you’ve had it hard? I’ve been through more things than you have by the time I was an adolescent. Wookiees are known for being peaceful, but strong. Pray you never see a Wookiee in Battle Rage. I know about anger. I’ve been down that road. I know where it goes. I’m telling you not to go down it. I can teach you how to handle it, and use it in the right way, but you have to let me help.” Lepri slowly relaxed the glare dying. A moment later she murmured an apology which he accepted.
Lepri felt guilty for getting so angry with him. She hadn’t even understood why she yelled at him like that. The words didn’t even entirely make sense either. After a few moments, she asked quietly, “Master if you’re so ... peaceful and gentle, how do you know anger?”
Kabe sighed and her saber off, handing it back to her. She clipped it back to her belt, puzzling over the mix of emotions that flickered through his eyes. He sat down in the bay, against the bulkhead and gestured for her to join him. Lepri sat down gingerly, resting against the wall. “I've been a soldier, a hunter, a smuggler, and a slave, as well as many other things. I’ve lost friends and family… loved ones. I’ll probably lose more yet. I’ve seen the indignities of war.”
She looked at him, watching his as they became distant, remembering. "I’ve watched Imperial slavers mow down fellow clan members. Seen them beat other Wookiees to death with their laser and neural whips. I’ve watched first the Empire, then the Yuuzhan Vong, and then the Protectorate burn entire planets to the ground." Still distant he spoke as visions of Obroa-Skai danced before his eyes.
As he spoke, Lepri’s eyes had gone wide and were now brimming with tears. “I had no idea…” she trailed off. As he’d relayed some of what he saw, she’d felt the pain there. He might have walled it off, but it was still there inside, and in his voice. Suddenly she felt even more guilty than she had before.
Slowly she drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She rested her chin on her knees, sighing softly. Kabe sighed as well and looked over to her. “Well, I can't dwell on the past though. Neither should you,” he spoke quietly rubbing her back gently, soothingly. Lepri sighed and smiled softly. “I suppose you’re right, Master. May I be excused to meditate on this for a while?”
He nodded and watched her get up and head elsewhere onboard the Legacy.
Holes in her mind. Holes in himself.
A short time later, Lepri sat huddled in the airlock of the Legacy. She had seemed to find staying in there was a comfot. In there she wasn’t bothered much, especially if she kept it shut. It allowed her enough room to move if she wanted to train solo, but remain isolated from the rest of the ship. She didn't spend all her time there, but at this moment she was wanting to be alone with her own thoughts.
She sat there, arms wrapped around her knees, staring at the bulkhead. Her inner vision turned toward memory and reflection.
In the back of her mind the arguments, the fights among her family echoed in her ears. She remembered the day she left, both hurt and angry at them… and the injustices she felt. Instead she turned her skills to the streets, racing, and fighting… making her way as a city rat. Those had been some hard years. The struggle of having to do nearly everything to make ends meet, besides selling herself. She at least had that much self-respect that she’d never done that.
Then, she’d answered the Call, and gone to Dathomir to begin training as a Jedi. Though she didn’t know it at the time. She’d been hesitant but eventually had come around. It had been hard for her to let go at first. Breaking old habits had taken the longest, and perhaps they still weren’t entirely broken. Now she knew when to use them and when not to at least. She’d taken an interest in saber skills. As a Cathar she had natural fighting instincts. Over the years she'd picked up basic martial arts and self-defense training. These skills served her well so far. She began blending and building the two along with the lightsaber training.
Even as she tried to advance in her training, she’d stagnated. Sure, she’d sparred with other students, but she really didn’t identify with them much at all. As a result, she didn’t have a need to push… and without a teacher, there was no one to push her either. So, she didn’t advance, even as she continued to work with what she had.
Then Jeryndi came along. That had changed everything, in a lot of ways. She’d found a kindred spirit, as well as a fellow Jedi. The two became fast friends and training partners, especially in the absence of Master Cato’s presence. Whenever they could they trained together. He challenged her abilities and made her try harder, and vice versa. They learned from each other, and began to grow together, both in the ways of the Jedi… and more.
Watching him struggle with the Vision was hard. As was watching him try to deal with both the loss of Cato. Especially his conflicting, and self-assured knowledge that he was dead. Lepri didn’t have the heart to tell him that Cato was gone, knowing it was a stage of coping. Instead, she’d just spent her time doing what she could to be a comfort, and a solid rock to hold onto.
When the attack came on the Dawning Hope she thought she might have lost him. Finding out that he was alright and in good health had given her great relief. Having Master Kabraka finally take her on as a student was like the first moment of freefall. Feeling your gut leap into your throat, then it turned out to be much better than she feared.
She couldn’t help feel somewhat ashamed and guilty at losing control of her anger at him. She’d had no right, and no real reason. She knew he’d did what he did to bring it out, but at the same time, show her something. He wanted her to learn. The conversation sparked up memory of Jeryndi telling her about what happened to Kabe on Ord Mandell. Master Kabraka should have died, but he didn't. Barely. She was betting that the only real reason he survived was his determination. That and the state of mental tranquility he’d taken on before that incident. Many had seen it. Even her, though it was from a distance. It seemed that every time the Wookiee found some peace, life and the Force threw something new at him. But, he always was cool, calm, and collected, and here he was, still alive and kicking.
She wondered what he had meant about a Wookiee being in Battle Rage… and perhaps if he meant himself. She might ask him about it sometime later. With a sigh, she shook her head and checked the chronometer. She’d been there for hours. Time to go eat… Idly she wondered what Malla was fixing.
Kabe then did something devious. As a bolt lanced toward him, his saber swept up and deflected it toward Lepri. She squeaked in surprise and found she didn't know how to react. The bolt took her along her left ribs as she instinctively twisted to avoid the bolt. With one hand she held her side while holding her saber in her good hand. “Not fair,” she hissed, fighting past the painful stinging burn on her side, unable to feel the flesh there now.
They were using Kabe’s personal remotes, which had a stronger blast to get through his long, thick fur. Lepri only had a fine layer of fur, so to her, the bolt was quite harsh. “It doesn’t have to be. There are no rules in a fight, in battle. You must learn that, if you want to survive,” he said back smoothly. The remotes fired again, two at him then one at her, and then began firing in earnest. Lepri spun into action. She batted aside the first shot at her stomach, then swatted aside two more, coming across to swipe at Kabe. He blocked low and was about to strike back to find that Lepri was already striking again. It wasn’t surprising; with how much she’d sparred with Jeryndi. That didn’t take into account her study of Ataru and Makashi. She’d made the blow with a loose wrist which was typically a mistake. She’d let her saber slide against his. Then the point of her blade was aimed directly at him, and as she should, she lunged. He twisted to his left so that he presented his right side to her, her blade in front of his belly. Both were in a bad position. She just had to sweep her blade to the side to take care of him. He only had to swipe his across to finish her. Instead he made a right-handed thrust with the saber at her exposed ribs. She let go with her right hand flipped the grip in her left so that it was held in her left, sweeping it around, tip down. Blades clashed and sparked. She pushed off of his strike, using it for extra leverage. She her right boot heel in a powerful and graceful sidekick. The blow rocked him back. Mentally he congratulated her. She was learning to use her opponent and everything at her disposal.
Then Lepri set her foot down, and spun counter-clockwise toward him. Her still held her saber reversed in her left hand like an ice pick. The point came around, angling upward as she dropped to a half crouch. Using all the speed and force her lithe frame could generate she drove the tip toward his left ribs and armpit. Kabe took a half-step back and batted her saber away smoothly. His saber kept hers going in its path, but making sure it only air, sliding past him. She twisted over and swiped out her right leg, trying to sweep him off his feet. He simply lifted his front leg up, then turned sideways. As he did so his foot snapped out, heel first, his body driving behind it to connect quite solidly with Lepri’s head. She was completely ‘flat-footed’ so she had no chance to dodge. She slammed into the floor head-first. The world spun and tried to go black. Instinctively, she clutched at the Force.
Wakefulness and brightness flooded back into her, despite how painfully her head pounded. She groaned and glanced around for her saber. It was nearby so she reached out with the Force and called it to her hand. She reignited it just in time to roll away from a saber stab. Combat began all over again. If Lepri had thought the fights with Jeryndi were competitive then this was at a level far beyond. Strikes, parries, blocks, and bolts were everywhere.
Kabe gave no quarter, forcing Lepri to draw on all that she knew of the Force and the saber. She would attack fiercely and he would give ground only to counter. Too long defending and he’d breach her defense. She used her grace and agility to the max. Kabe fought like a warrior poet. Lepri was poetry in motion.
Finally, she began to lose her calm and began to grow more aggressive, pressing her onslaught. Kabe let her come. He was as placid as a high mountain lake. He could end it at any moment. Lepri barred her fangs, finally letting her frustration show on her face as she snarled. His calm rubbed her fur wrong as she hammered at him. He paid careful heed to her emotions. The moment frustration turned to anger he turned off his saber. “Is that it,” she shouted as she came on. Effortlessly, Kabe evaded and defended. When he didn't dodge he used his hands to stop her strikes at the wrist or arm and block her wild kicks. “Stop running and let me hit you,” she roared. She went to strike from his head to stomach. He stepped in and caught her wrists. He turned, stripping her saber from her hands while flipping her neatly. She hit hard, and before she could move he pinned her with a knee to the side of the neck. The knee pressing into the side of her neck cut off the flow of blood and oxygen to her head but only partially. She struggled to remove his knee, but it didn’t budge. “Get off of me!” He refused, and stayed there until her anger fizzled. It died as she edged toward unconsciousness. He let up a little bit so she would stay conscious.
“Look at where your anger has gotten you, Lepri. You’re at my mercy. Had you maintained your calm, you might have won. Your anger blinded you and made you predictable. It only took a few moments too. You have to be on your guard,” he said softly. She glared up at him. “Let it go. You don’t need it. You might think it makes you better but it’s an illusion. Trust me, I know,” he gently admonished.
“What would you know? You’ve got your family and friends. You’ve probably had it the easiest out of all of the Masters, too! I bet they made you one just to shut you up!” She snarled once more, using words for weapons instead of her body.
It stung. He had wondered the same thing himself more than once. That doubt had gnawed at him. But no, they wouldn't have named him a Master without their sincere belief he'd earned it. Not that he needed their approval. Only the Force mattered in that equation. “Lepri, everything I have is because of my blood, sweat, and tears. My skills with the Force, saber, and my Mastership, my wife and children… everything has been at a high cost. Do you think you’ve had it hard? I’ve been through more things than you have by the time I was an adolescent. Wookiees are known for being peaceful, but strong. Pray you never see a Wookiee in Battle Rage. I know about anger. I’ve been down that road. I know where it goes. I’m telling you not to go down it. I can teach you how to handle it, and use it in the right way, but you have to let me help.” Lepri slowly relaxed the glare dying. A moment later she murmured an apology which he accepted.
Lepri felt guilty for getting so angry with him. She hadn’t even understood why she yelled at him like that. The words didn’t even entirely make sense either. After a few moments, she asked quietly, “Master if you’re so ... peaceful and gentle, how do you know anger?”
Kabe sighed and her saber off, handing it back to her. She clipped it back to her belt, puzzling over the mix of emotions that flickered through his eyes. He sat down in the bay, against the bulkhead and gestured for her to join him. Lepri sat down gingerly, resting against the wall. “I've been a soldier, a hunter, a smuggler, and a slave, as well as many other things. I’ve lost friends and family… loved ones. I’ll probably lose more yet. I’ve seen the indignities of war.”
She looked at him, watching his as they became distant, remembering. "I’ve watched Imperial slavers mow down fellow clan members. Seen them beat other Wookiees to death with their laser and neural whips. I’ve watched first the Empire, then the Yuuzhan Vong, and then the Protectorate burn entire planets to the ground." Still distant he spoke as visions of Obroa-Skai danced before his eyes.
As he spoke, Lepri’s eyes had gone wide and were now brimming with tears. “I had no idea…” she trailed off. As he’d relayed some of what he saw, she’d felt the pain there. He might have walled it off, but it was still there inside, and in his voice. Suddenly she felt even more guilty than she had before.
Slowly she drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She rested her chin on her knees, sighing softly. Kabe sighed as well and looked over to her. “Well, I can't dwell on the past though. Neither should you,” he spoke quietly rubbing her back gently, soothingly. Lepri sighed and smiled softly. “I suppose you’re right, Master. May I be excused to meditate on this for a while?”
He nodded and watched her get up and head elsewhere onboard the Legacy.
Holes in her mind. Holes in himself.
A short time later, Lepri sat huddled in the airlock of the Legacy. She had seemed to find staying in there was a comfot. In there she wasn’t bothered much, especially if she kept it shut. It allowed her enough room to move if she wanted to train solo, but remain isolated from the rest of the ship. She didn't spend all her time there, but at this moment she was wanting to be alone with her own thoughts.
She sat there, arms wrapped around her knees, staring at the bulkhead. Her inner vision turned toward memory and reflection.
In the back of her mind the arguments, the fights among her family echoed in her ears. She remembered the day she left, both hurt and angry at them… and the injustices she felt. Instead she turned her skills to the streets, racing, and fighting… making her way as a city rat. Those had been some hard years. The struggle of having to do nearly everything to make ends meet, besides selling herself. She at least had that much self-respect that she’d never done that.
Then, she’d answered the Call, and gone to Dathomir to begin training as a Jedi. Though she didn’t know it at the time. She’d been hesitant but eventually had come around. It had been hard for her to let go at first. Breaking old habits had taken the longest, and perhaps they still weren’t entirely broken. Now she knew when to use them and when not to at least. She’d taken an interest in saber skills. As a Cathar she had natural fighting instincts. Over the years she'd picked up basic martial arts and self-defense training. These skills served her well so far. She began blending and building the two along with the lightsaber training.
Even as she tried to advance in her training, she’d stagnated. Sure, she’d sparred with other students, but she really didn’t identify with them much at all. As a result, she didn’t have a need to push… and without a teacher, there was no one to push her either. So, she didn’t advance, even as she continued to work with what she had.
Then Jeryndi came along. That had changed everything, in a lot of ways. She’d found a kindred spirit, as well as a fellow Jedi. The two became fast friends and training partners, especially in the absence of Master Cato’s presence. Whenever they could they trained together. He challenged her abilities and made her try harder, and vice versa. They learned from each other, and began to grow together, both in the ways of the Jedi… and more.
Watching him struggle with the Vision was hard. As was watching him try to deal with both the loss of Cato. Especially his conflicting, and self-assured knowledge that he was dead. Lepri didn’t have the heart to tell him that Cato was gone, knowing it was a stage of coping. Instead, she’d just spent her time doing what she could to be a comfort, and a solid rock to hold onto.
When the attack came on the Dawning Hope she thought she might have lost him. Finding out that he was alright and in good health had given her great relief. Having Master Kabraka finally take her on as a student was like the first moment of freefall. Feeling your gut leap into your throat, then it turned out to be much better than she feared.
She couldn’t help feel somewhat ashamed and guilty at losing control of her anger at him. She’d had no right, and no real reason. She knew he’d did what he did to bring it out, but at the same time, show her something. He wanted her to learn. The conversation sparked up memory of Jeryndi telling her about what happened to Kabe on Ord Mandell. Master Kabraka should have died, but he didn't. Barely. She was betting that the only real reason he survived was his determination. That and the state of mental tranquility he’d taken on before that incident. Many had seen it. Even her, though it was from a distance. It seemed that every time the Wookiee found some peace, life and the Force threw something new at him. But, he always was cool, calm, and collected, and here he was, still alive and kicking.
She wondered what he had meant about a Wookiee being in Battle Rage… and perhaps if he meant himself. She might ask him about it sometime later. With a sigh, she shook her head and checked the chronometer. She’d been there for hours. Time to go eat… Idly she wondered what Malla was fixing.