Combat Training (Mora, Rhoden, Desade)

[Rhoden Carbine]

Rhoden woke up quickly, as he always did. He sat up and got dressed, simple clothes which would not give him bother in the days events. As he went through the daily routine of making himself presentable he felt a pang of regret. It had been many years since he had enjoyed waking up properly--slowly and with many silent curses directed to the star in question. Of course his training with the Shadowguard had beaten it out of him--as well as any semblance of a normal sleep cycle along with it--but that didn't mean he liked waking up, it was his lot in life to live as a warrior. He sighed, his thoughts turning to the work ahead of him and he smiled.

Today he would train Mora in the art of combat, in its various forms. He would begin first with the basics, unarmed combat in various forms, several tactics to turn odds to her favor, and much more. When she had gotten that down--and he hoped it would not prove too difficult, for she had lived on the streets for some time--he would move into bladework, possibly trickier for her but nothing that couldn't be worked past with time and effort from those involved. Following the bladework he'd begin introducing her to blasters, several variations to be sure but his primary goal would be to ensure she was proficient with at least on type of blaster.

Once the basics of those were down they would begin the more challenging work of honing the skills and adding to them--unarmed against an armed foe, or combat on difficult terrain. Further still they could and would introduce vehicles to the fight--possible taking time to cover fighter craft but focusing largely on speeders.

If Mora was both skilled and eager enough to last that long--however long it ultimately ended up being--they could move into more difficult challenges on the holodeck, and begin integrating strategy and tactics into the mix. If she was so inclined she might become quite the formidable woman--he rather hoped she sought such an end, and he could feel the Other One's quiet interest in the matter as well.


Rhoden walked into the holodeck and awaited Mora's arrival, examining the non-lethal training weapons they would eventually be using and ensuring they were, in fact, non-lethal. He heard the door slide open and he turned, a smile on his face and a gleam in his eye.

"Ah, Mora. Right on time. Most excellent." he said. He gave her a quick look, "Hmm. We might have to get you some better clothes for what we're doing in the future, but you should be fine for today." he clapped his hands together. "Today unarmed combat, hopefully not too difficult. By the end of this first session I'll want you to at least pose a challenge for a basic/easy opponent." he said, manipulating a control on his wrist and gesturing to the holographic man that had appeared there.

The man took a swing at him, but Rhoden caught it easily. There was a brief flurry of movement as the false man attempted to free his arm and Rhoden snapped it, a commendably realistic crack coming from the move. Rhoden swept his leg back easily and sent the figure to the ground, stomping precisely and receiving another satisfying crack--the image faded as the opponent "died".

"Simple." Rhoden said, smiling again and smoothing his clothes. "Physical fitness is a must in this sort of thing, but you're very well off in that regard." he gave her a small nod, "Any questions, comments, concerns before we begin?"

[Mora Norith]

Mora wakes up on the bedroom floor with the blankets in a sort of nest making up her sleeping space. She lays there pondering the day before her, the green eyes sparkle and she smiles. Today is training day with Rhoden. Getting up from the nest, Mora swiftly pulls on a pair of pants that go down to her calves and a simple black shirt. She laces up her black combat boots and pulls her red hair up into the ponytail she's adopted since arriving at Utopia.

Stepping out of her room, Mora briskly walks up to the holodecks where she finds Rhoden waiting for her with a rack of weapons behind him. She smiles in greeting to Rhoden and enters the cool room. Mora raises and eyebrow at Rhoden's comment and looks down at her clothes.

Rhoden demonstrates today's lesson with a holographic man. As he cracks the man's arm Mora winces at the very realistic sound. Rhoden finishes, a second crack resonating through the room, and looks up smiling at Mora. He asks her for any question, comments, or concerns but Mora just shakes her head.

"Let's do this." She says while bouncing on the balls of her feet.

[Rhoden Carbine]

Rhoden felt the pressure in the back of his mind lessen as the Other One became more comfortable with the current actions. The annoying presence of the Other One would never disappear, he knew, but it was gradually fading--going to sleep, he mused, until it saw an opportunity to rise up and strike at his true self. It would not succeed if it did so.

"Right then. Static opponent, practice. Position One, Form One." he said. There was a beep as the computer acknowledged the order and a slight hum as a new holographic figure appeared. It assumed a ready position, "Simple combat position, you've probably seen it before. Common, nothing special about it, allows for quick and easy defense--and if you don't know what you're doing it allows the enemy an easy offense." he turned to the figure and assumed a ready position of his own, "Animate opponent, difficulty minor." he said. Another beep and the opponent unfroze, taking careful steps back and sideways, Rhoden matching the moves.

The image attacked and Rhoden blocked, nothing fancy, but nothing got through. There was a beep and the difficulty scaled upwards--it was a pre-programmed result when running exercises of this kind and he had not thought to disable it. The opponent gave a kick, Rhoden caught it with his leg, caught another with his arm. Then he went on the offensive, again, nothing special.

The opponent blocked his initial attacks and another tone sounded before Rhoden decided to end their little game. He threw a fast punch from the left but stopped and surged forward with his right as his opponent attempted to dodge the left. Before the holographic man could react he had taken a hit to the midsection and folded over slightly. Not giving him the chance to recover Rhoden surged forward again and swept his legs out from underneath him. Another stomp. Another crack. The image faded.

"Cease auto-scaling." he said. The computer beeped and he nodded. "Static opponent, practice. Position One, Form One." he said. "Now, we'll keep him static and I'll run through what I just did a bit slower now." he said. He did so, the explanations not taking particularly long.

"Ok. Now assume the stance and practice the moves, when you're ready we'll unfreeze Mr. Lightshow and see how you do." he said upon the conclusion of his explanation. He stepped back.

[Mora Norith]

Mora studies Rhoden's movements, taking in the steps and positions of the body. She takes up the ready stance and begins to mimic the moves. Slowly at first, Mora feels out the motions of her arms and body. After repeating the motions a couple of times, she begins to move faster slightly. Again and again Mora practices, being careful not to push the movements to much. Mora finishes the final move and stops, her heart beginning to beat faster.

"I think I'm ready." She tells Rhoden. He instructs the computer to animate the holographic man and there is a beep in response.

Taking the ready stance in front of the man, Mora tenses up, ready for the first move. The man attacks quickly, catching Mora off guard. He hits her shoulder, sending her spinning. Mora steadies herself and grits her teeth, settling once more into the ready stance and watching the man carefully for the signs of another attack. The man attacks, aiming for her shoulder again. This time Mora blocks the punch. Another attack, another deflection.

Mora begins to block the attacks faster and faster, leaving her room to prepare for the next one. Then, on a whim, Mora ducks under the man's next punch and delivers her own blow to his abdomen, cautiously flitting back to a safe distance. The man bends over in pain just as a real person would then continues to go after her. Sweat beads on Mora's forehead, yet a slight smile tugs on her lips. In the next opening she attacks the man again, throwing in a kick to the back of his knee as well.

A beep resonates in the room and the man begins to throw in kicks of his own, quickly. Mora frantically backs up, trying her best to block, as the man quickens his attacks. He kicks out at her and Mora doesn't react fast enough, resulting in her falling to the floor. Another beep and the man freezes above her, an arm cocked back to punch. Mora breaths deeply and looks up to see Rhoden standing above her.

[Rhoden Carbine]

"I think I'm ready." Mora tells Rhoden. He instructs the computer to animate the holographic man and there is a beep in response. She assumes the ready position, tensing up as she prepares for the first move. The hologram attacks quickly, catching her off guard. She takes a hit but steadies herself. She begins to get better at blocking but there is little offensive action on her part--no, she ducks and throws a punch.

Rhoden smiled and instructed the computer to scale up the difficulty one level. The hologram begins to throw kicks, Mora backs up clumsily under the continued assault. He gives another order, to pause the program, and moves to stand over her as she falls to the floor.

"Not bad." he said, offering her a hand "But you need to push the offense. Remaining on the defensive can be productive, but never fail to strike back, if you do not retaliate the enemy will eventually prevail." he held up a finger, "It should also be noted that you've got a less imposing stature than, say, myself." he said, gesturing first to her skinnier, shorter frame, then to his six and a half foot frame. He himself wasn't what one would call bulky in terms of muscle, but his strength and speed were augmented on top of an already more formidable level. Combined with the skills of a Shadowguard it usually proved a most lethal edge.

"You have speed on your side, not to mention you present a smaller target. If you build up stamina or strength, or both, you can focus on fast devastating attacks while avoiding and dissipating those of your opponent. Keep moving." he said. "Again." another beep, another hologram. "Whenever you're ready." he said.

[Mora Norith]

Mora takes Rhoden's offered hand and he pulls her up. She catches her breath as he comments on her fighting. Nodding to show she understands, Mora walks back infront of the new hologram and positions herself.

"Ready."

The computer beeps and the hologram unfreezes. This time the man doesn't come out swinging, instead he circles around her cautiously. Mora turns with the man, aware of any signs of attack.

Bored of waiting, Mora takes rhodens advice and flies at him and punches for his jaw. The man ducks but Mora regains her balance and faces the man quickly. He begins to attack her and Mora deflects the blows fairly smoothly. The man throws a punch and instead of ducking under it Mora grips his wrist and pulls, throwing him to the side of her. The man tumbles to the ground and finds Mora straddling him, an arm on his throat and the other cocked to punch.

The man struggles and Mora punches his face, a satisfying crunching noice coming from his nose.

[Rhoden Carbine]

Rhoden watches the fight. She is aggressive as he so suggested, pressing the attack, she does not move around sufficiently to fully utilize her speed but her current opponent is incapable of keeping up regardless. She knocks the holographic man to the floor and continues the attack, a smile began to spread across his face.

"Good... good!" he chuckled, "Finish him." he said, his face becoming intense.

[Mora Norith]

"Finish him."

Mora hesitates in doubt. Why did she have to kill him?

Then the man lurches up, almost dislodging Mora from on top of him. Her conscience becomes clear. This man is going to kill her if she doesn't kill him first.

She shifts herself back on top of him, her arm pressed onto his throat, the hand gripping the nape of his neck. The other hand gripping the back of his head, the two arms crossed.

Mora pulls in two directions and a solid crack echoes in the room. The man's head now lies in an unnatural position. Mora sits there slowing her breathing, and the hologram dissipates leaving her sitting on the floor.

Mora stands up and turns to Rhoden with a smile on her lips and excitement glinting in her green eyes.

"How'd I do?"

[Rhoden Carbine]

Mora hesitated and Rhoden's lip curled in silent snarl. She could not kill a hologram, let alone a real man. He silently put in a new code and the man attacked her again and with a loud snap it was over. She was not above killing in self defense--but she needed to be capable of more than that.

"Impressive." he lied, "Most impressive." he stepped back. "Now," he said, "We begin learning more precise skills." he began showing her stances, moves, and kicks. Within ten minutes he had given her enough information to kill a man in three different ways, and he continued on. The explanations and brief practices lasted for about an hour before he stepped back.

"And now it is your time to practice." he said, he gave her a new opponent, "This opponent is more difficult." he said, "Whenever you're ready." he watched her expectantly. They could cover this type of combat sufficiently in the next week or so, and once that was done he could move on to blades--those would be easier with the knowledge she was gaining at this moment, but not too easy either. Then he could acquaint her with blasters--a more simplistic weapon, if she had a good eye and maintained the strength and determination he had seen today she would be well enough off in that department. And then he could give her a real test. He could begin conditioning her to be a true warrior. He smiled at the thought.

[Mora Norith]

Killing the man, even if it was a hologram, had a sort of thrill to it. Mora takes in the new moves with overflowing excitement. All her life the only defenses she had were the roofs and her speed when fleeing, but now she finds a rush to being able to fight her enemy.

Mora eagerly goes through the new moves with energy and quickly feels comfortable with them. She nods to Rhoden and drops into a loose stance to meet the new hologram. The computer beeps and before the man can do anything Mora flies forward and hits him with a punch to the stomach. He doubles over and with her other hand she punches up into his face. The supposed bone crunches and the man falls back. Mora begins to circle around him as he recovers and takes up a ready position. The man rushes forward to punch her in the face, but Mora twirls out of the way and kicks him in the back.


Despite the victorious beginning, the hologram was more difficult than the last one. Most of the time Mora was fast enough to avoid his attacks and lay some of hers on him. But some of his attacks do land on her. One of this attacks had him kick Mora in the back of the knee, causing her to abruptly kneel down. Knowing the man will quickly follow up her fall, instead of landing on her knee Mora rolls to the side and into a defensive position.

He quickly comes down on her and instead of ducking away, Mora surges forward and tackles him to the ground. The motion of the man coming at her stops Mora from flipping over off of him and she begins to punch the man over and over again in the face.

She stops and sits on top of him with satisfaction. The hologram is dazed and lays there below her. The blood running hot through her veins and the rush of fighting an opponent leads Mora to the end. Another crack echoes as she twists the mans head sharply.