The morning sun had barely pulled itself over the mountains, beginning to shed light upon the clearing he had selected to train in. As usual, lani's stance was a mirror of his own. She had been careful to study every movement, every position he took. Of course, when she failed, she was corrected with a harsh hit, or bruise that took several days to heal, even with the bacta treatments. However, she had managed to hold of a number of attackers that felt the need to try Travanix. His purpose was that if they couldn't get past a slave girl who had advanced training in only a few forms of combat, they were not worth his time and effort.
lani had practiced every hour she had free to practice. And he had watched her. She was groing stronger and faster. She was indeed becoming an expert in "steel hands".
Then there was the whelp. The apprentice. She hadn't even earned the right to have her name spoken by him. She had been backtracking in her old lessons, to undo that which she had been forced to learn, to take the lessons that would make her a true power to deal with. He would not teach the apprentice everything, but he would teach her enough that he could split his focus if it became needed. By default, Romax would still run the business. There were times, however, that it was not only his voice, but his power and his strength that would be needed to be represented when he was unable to attend a meeting.
He had drapped a towel over his neck as lani had knelt next to him. He watched the apprentice practice a few strikes against a tree. She was covered in sweat, he making her run in full gear - He was going to build this girl up even if it killed her.
"No, that's enough. You still aren't doing it right, you are still trying to rely on the Force for your strength. If the Force is not available, you will be dead." Without looking at her, he spoke darkly to the pet at his side. "Kill her, lani."
Without question, without hesitation, lani was on her feet, taking a combat stance. Her arms out, slightly curved, one hand flat, one hand a fist. Her first blow took the apprentice by surprise as she was eating dirt in less than a second. The slave girl moved light lightning - she had been under his teaching for some time.
The apprentice stood up, taking a defensive stance. She felt a tugging on her belt, as her saber was ripped off, the blade resting in his hand. "You are not allowed to use the Force. If you do, I'll cut you down before you can lay hand on lani." The apprentice was angry, turning back to the slave girl who had murder in her eyes. The apprentice blocked one incoming hit that surly would have sent her to the ground again, only to find that she defended against the wrong attack, and a starline sweep took both of her legs out from under her.
When the apprentice fell, lani's foot thundered down, slapping the downed one in the chest. The apprentice released a cry of pain, and grabbed lani's leg to fling her off balance, only that didn't work out, as lani fell, driving her knee into the chest of the apprentice once again. Another scream of pain was released.
"She is not defenseless. She is a killing machine, she will continue to attack until either you are dead, or I order her off." He slowly circled the two in combat. lani grabbed the girl by the hair, only to drive a punch into her face. The apprentice did get a good blow to the chest in with her fists, then shoved lani off of her. It didnt' take long for lani to recover. The apprentice finally gathered her wind and recovered as well. Only to be met with another high kick to her cheek. lani's form was perfect, the blows were controled and powerful.
The apprentice was spun once again, falling to her hands and knees. lani took advantage of it, driving her elbow into the spine of the apprentice, tracking her again to the ground. lani sat on the apprentice, straddling her, taking the apprentice's head into her hands and begining to turn it. Several small pops were heard before he said "Stop." lani froze there, prepared to end it, her eyes looking to the chest of Travanix, but never beyond. lani was breathing heavy, but not hard. He leaned down, lowering himself to the apprentice's eyes, lani's eyes looking to keep away from his. "She's prepared to kill you, and would have snapped your neck. Nothing is as it appears, apprentice. There is no such thing as 'defensless'. There is no honor in combat. There is the winner, and there is a corpse." He paused a moment, letting his words sink in. "lani, well done, your practice continues to improve your skill. Go prepare breakfast."
At that, lani released the girl, hearing the disgust in his voice for the apprentice, and bowed humbly to her lord as she stepped back and made way to the towers to attend her instructions. "You...need to stop failing, apprentice." He said nothing else, leaving the girl in the dirt, her saber being dropped to the ground behind her.
lani had practiced every hour she had free to practice. And he had watched her. She was groing stronger and faster. She was indeed becoming an expert in "steel hands".
Then there was the whelp. The apprentice. She hadn't even earned the right to have her name spoken by him. She had been backtracking in her old lessons, to undo that which she had been forced to learn, to take the lessons that would make her a true power to deal with. He would not teach the apprentice everything, but he would teach her enough that he could split his focus if it became needed. By default, Romax would still run the business. There were times, however, that it was not only his voice, but his power and his strength that would be needed to be represented when he was unable to attend a meeting.
He had drapped a towel over his neck as lani had knelt next to him. He watched the apprentice practice a few strikes against a tree. She was covered in sweat, he making her run in full gear - He was going to build this girl up even if it killed her.
"No, that's enough. You still aren't doing it right, you are still trying to rely on the Force for your strength. If the Force is not available, you will be dead." Without looking at her, he spoke darkly to the pet at his side. "Kill her, lani."
Without question, without hesitation, lani was on her feet, taking a combat stance. Her arms out, slightly curved, one hand flat, one hand a fist. Her first blow took the apprentice by surprise as she was eating dirt in less than a second. The slave girl moved light lightning - she had been under his teaching for some time.
The apprentice stood up, taking a defensive stance. She felt a tugging on her belt, as her saber was ripped off, the blade resting in his hand. "You are not allowed to use the Force. If you do, I'll cut you down before you can lay hand on lani." The apprentice was angry, turning back to the slave girl who had murder in her eyes. The apprentice blocked one incoming hit that surly would have sent her to the ground again, only to find that she defended against the wrong attack, and a starline sweep took both of her legs out from under her.
When the apprentice fell, lani's foot thundered down, slapping the downed one in the chest. The apprentice released a cry of pain, and grabbed lani's leg to fling her off balance, only that didn't work out, as lani fell, driving her knee into the chest of the apprentice once again. Another scream of pain was released.
"She is not defenseless. She is a killing machine, she will continue to attack until either you are dead, or I order her off." He slowly circled the two in combat. lani grabbed the girl by the hair, only to drive a punch into her face. The apprentice did get a good blow to the chest in with her fists, then shoved lani off of her. It didnt' take long for lani to recover. The apprentice finally gathered her wind and recovered as well. Only to be met with another high kick to her cheek. lani's form was perfect, the blows were controled and powerful.
The apprentice was spun once again, falling to her hands and knees. lani took advantage of it, driving her elbow into the spine of the apprentice, tracking her again to the ground. lani sat on the apprentice, straddling her, taking the apprentice's head into her hands and begining to turn it. Several small pops were heard before he said "Stop." lani froze there, prepared to end it, her eyes looking to the chest of Travanix, but never beyond. lani was breathing heavy, but not hard. He leaned down, lowering himself to the apprentice's eyes, lani's eyes looking to keep away from his. "She's prepared to kill you, and would have snapped your neck. Nothing is as it appears, apprentice. There is no such thing as 'defensless'. There is no honor in combat. There is the winner, and there is a corpse." He paused a moment, letting his words sink in. "lani, well done, your practice continues to improve your skill. Go prepare breakfast."
At that, lani released the girl, hearing the disgust in his voice for the apprentice, and bowed humbly to her lord as she stepped back and made way to the towers to attend her instructions. "You...need to stop failing, apprentice." He said nothing else, leaving the girl in the dirt, her saber being dropped to the ground behind her.