Combat Training (Mora, Rhoden, Desade)

[Rhoden Carbine]

Rhoden's smile returned to full power as Mora killed the hologram. "Excellent." he said, "That should about cover what you need for today. Now since I have other duties." he rolled his eyes in annoyance, "I will not be able to return until a week from today," he held out a datacard, "I have, however, created an advanced training regimen for you." the card had information and opponents of scaling difficulty all the way up to standards Rhoden found acceptable for his own training. It wasn't likely to bring her up to Shadowguard standards--certainly not within a week--but it would be good enough for her needs.

"Now, I expect you'll be practicing--and you really should," he said, smiling again, "Because when we meet again I'll be your opponent." he took a step back, "Now, anything else before I head out for today?" he asked.

OOC: Now, unless you've got something else for this current moment we move on. You can make one post or several, just notify me once your week of stuff's up and we'll hop back in. Of course aforementioned datacard can be referenced/used in the future for any training stuff you require.

[Mora Norith]

Mora takes the datacard and looks up sharply when Rhoden says she'll be fighting him next week. If that's the case she definitely has some training to do.

"Where will you be going?" Mora asks.

[Rhoden Carbine]

"Oh I won't be going anywhere." he said, his face contorting. "Datawork, meetings, all the boring stuff which doesn't involve slipping a knife into someone's stomach." he said, shrugging.

"Those programs aren't capable of killing you, of course," Rhoden said, "But they could break bones if you make some fairly poor choices." he smiled again, "Good day." he left the room and headed towards the briefing room to get started on what would be a fairly boring week.

[Mora Norith]

Rhoden briskly walks out of the holodeck leaving Mora with the datacard and a bemused look on her face. By the way Rhoden talked about his less enthusiastic duties it would be a miracle if he came out of the upcoming week without punching someone.

Mora looks around the deck contemplating whether she should leave for today and go listen to the Utopia gossip everyone seems all to keen to share to each other. She slides the datacard into a pocket in her pants and begins to fiddle with the control board in the holodeck. Eventually, the deck walls shimmer and change into the familiar streets of New Jedha City.

She looks around and smiles at all the familiar buildings. Despite the rough and trying conditions, Mora misses it. She misses the open air and unrestricting emptiness that comes with it. With ecstatic joy, Mora starts to run down the street, weaving in between the people and heading straight for the wall at the end. Just like that day Rhoden and Desade found her, she sprang up the wall and pulls herself onto the roof. Mora looks over the playground of roofs. If she truly is going to be fighting Rhoden, a trained Imperial soldier, than her most valuable skill will be her speed and stature. Where better to push herself than on familiar ground.

After a few hours, Mora sits at the edge of the city, a leg dangling off the building and sweat shining on her face. She watches as the sun sets, the sky turning orange, then red, than softening into the purples and blues of night. The computer beeps and the hologram disappears, leaving Mora sitting on the ground in the middle of the holodeck. She sighs and stands up. The walk back to her room feels long and with every passing moment her eyelids seem to be drooping lower and lower. Finally Mora stumbles into her room and immediately falls onto the bed, not caring to take off her clothes.



The days after that first one see Mora waking up at what would be the crack of dawn and change out of her clothes from the day before to fresh ones. After eating a rushed breakfast in the mess hall, it was usually empty at the time she would go, Mora spent the rest of the day in the holodeck working on the moves she learned the days before as a warm-up and progressively made it through the datacard. Each day ended with her running around the roofs of the holographic Jedha and the slump of her falling onto her bed, sleeping until the next day where she repeated the whole process again.



It's the day. Mora wakes up earlier than usual and eats a quick breakfast before heading instantly to the holodeck. She doesn't know when Rhoden will arrive so she decides to conduct business as usual. She found out how to turn on the automatic level increases and has been using them to gradually build up her stamina and power.

The first opponent is laughably easy, the holographic man doesn't land a single punch on her and got visibly beat-up in the process. Mora is surprised to find that all the early levels are like first one, she doesn't have a single bruise on her and easily deflects the man's attacks.Then the computer hits the level she started a few days earlier. Only when Mora begins to feel her body beginning to work and her heart speeding up does she finish the man with a powerful kick to the jaw and a crack of his neck. She doesn't want to tire herself out completely especially since Rhoden will probably come in fresh, but most likely unworked. Mora walks to the edge of the room and leans up against the wall, her eyes boring into the holodeck door, awaiting Rhoden's arrival.

[Rhoden Carbine]

The week was mind-numbingly tedious as Rhoden had expected, he found his attention wavering, allowing the Other One to slip to the forefront and essentially running on autopilot. He remembered every detail of every meeting, down to the most insignificant asides the other members thought he couldn't hear. It was both a curse and a blessing to have such memory, but he did not complain, it proved useful in the long run.

He woke up at the end of the week smiling. He was prepared for some exercise after a week of the profanely dull and he intended to be warmed up for Mora.


There was a chime at the door and Jorvan rolled over cursing. "What?!" he called. The door slid open and he groaned as the lights came on, "Rhoden! What?" he whined into his pillow. "Up, up up!" Rhoden said smiling wickedly, "Time for a little sparring." Jorvan cursed into his pillow again. "Fine!"


Jorvan walked into the holodeck with Rhoden--grumbling and cursing under his breath, of course--and stood across from Rhoden. They both assumed ready stances, Rhoden's relaxed and loose, Jorvan's tense and professional. Jorvan launched the first attack, a flurry of punches. Rhoden shrugged his shoulders back, allowing the blows to hit only air, and blocked those that came closer. He jabbed out and hit Jorvan's arm as the man brought it up to block the blow.

Then the fight began in earnest, flurries of blows, fist, foot, and anything else that happened to be in range of the opponent. It was both brutal and fast, each man scored a number of hits but nothing substantial enough to gain an edge either way. There was a lull in the fighting as Rhoden ducked under Jorvan's arm and rolled out of reach. He pulled a wooden staff--a hologram, of course--from the air and Jorvan quickly did likewise.

The room quickly filled with cracks as the two old friends beat at each other with the sticks. Rhoden swung his in a flurry of movement, striking from numerous directions as though it was a choreographed fight. Jorvan swung his own to block--not quite as elegantly, not nearly anticipating half of Rhoden's blows, but in a technique which still caught all but the most glancing strikes on his arms and legs. Anyone who observed the fight would have thought that they were truly doing their best to murder each other. But they were simply having a friendly fight, a warm up more than a true sparring session. They knew each other well enough that they could have fought with true swords and been in as little danger. Rhoden's only regret was that Garrus could not be there with them.

There was a beep as their allotted time ran out and they ceased fighting. They bowed to each other. Both breathed heavily, neither were sweating.


Ten minutes later Rhoden walked into the private holodeck he had prepared for Mora and Desade's use, which was serving now for Mora's combat training. "Shall we begin?" he asked.

[Mora Norith]

Mora looks Rhoden up and down, he wasn't sweating but that doesn't mean anything. She pushes off the wall and cautiously walks up to a safe distance from him. If she's learned anything from the computer holograms, it's that you never know when or how your opponent will strike and that you should always be ready.

"Ready." She tells Rhoden, dropping into a loose ready stance.

[Rhoden Carbine]

She observes him, confirms readiness, assumes ready position. She has more confidence, more poise. He can see the look in her eye, she knows what she is doing but too is wary of a more experienced opponent. Good. She will not win. Cannot win.

Rhoden strikes out fast with his left hand, stopping short as Mora reacts in an anticipated manner. He leans lazily to the side, taking a long step and jabbing his hand towards her exposed side. As he pulls back from the quick attack he sweeps one leg across both of hers.

[Mora Norith]

Mora ducks under Rhoden's hand and goes for his side. He steps easily away and hits her in the side. A bit out of breath, Mora quickly back-pedals nearly missing Rhoden's leg.

She has to be faster. Gritting her teeth, Mora reenters the fight and takes a swing at his face. She lets herself follow through all the way and uses that momentum to kick him.

[Rhoden Carbine]

Rhoden turns sharply as she attempts to punch him and puts his weight on one leg, pivoting to easily absorb the force of her kick. He grabs her arm and lifts her easily, throwing her onto her back.

He steps back. If she acknowledges defeat she will end the battle. If she desires to continue she will get back up and resume their fight. Either case is acceptable to Rhoden. He smiled slightly, she wasn't bad, but she still had a long way to go.

[Mora Norith]

Rhoden throws Mora on her back with a thud. She lays there stunned for a moment, then a growl comes from her throat and she rolls right up. Mora rushes Rhoden with a flurry of attacks. Fire pumps through her veins and she punches quicker.