FORSAKEN II - Eternal Dawn

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Elynn's training and innate in combat talent impressed Quinlan. He could see Syrran's teachings in her Mano Cerrada and Blind Alley styles, but Elynn had adapted them to fit her own idiosyncrasies. Rather than instructing her from scratch, Syrran had sparred with her and then focused on addressing her weaknesses, while building up on her strengths—such as her solid foundation in Shii-Cho and Baran Do, her daring, speed, and creativity.

"Syrran has taught you well," Quinlan said. "Let me show you a neat Makashi move I learned from Count Dooku himself."

"He taught you at the temple?" said a fascinated Elynn.

"No. I became his apprentice during the war, when the High Council tasked me with assassinating him."

"They did what?"

"Don't worry. I didn't do it. Dooku almost killed me, and instead I fell to the dark side and became his Apprentice, serving as a Separatist admiral and scoring a series of victories for them until I returned to the light side—your Ashla."

"Thank you. And, oh, yeah; that sounds much better. He was Sy's first real lightsaber fight and he almost killed him too. I've seen the scar; it's pretty gnarly."

"The Force willed him to survive that time. Dooku was one of the greatest duelists ever produced by the Jedi Order and Syrran was yet to become the fighter you came to know."

"How did you break away from the dark side?"

Quinlan's expression saddened. "Asajj Ventress."

"Dooku's actual Apprentice?"

Quinlan nodded. "She sacrificed herself to save me and that brought me back—we were in Christophsis, now that I think of it. How ironic."

"Why would she do that?"

"We became lovers during my mission. Don't give me that look. The Jedi weren't perfect and that was one of the Order's many mistakes."

"Hold on. Wasn't Ventress also a Nightsis—Ooh..."

"What?"

"Nothing. I just remember Jar saying something about events in the universe repeating like stanzas. Show me the move."

A tickled Quinlan shook his head, swinging his deadlocks. "Alright, when you touch blades, push mine slightly to the side and cut my wrist, and then you can either lunge at me, or strike my head."

"Like this?" Elynn tried the move, but Quinlan blocked it.

"Too hard; you're revealing your intention. Move my blade aside just enough to expose my wrist; subtle and quick."

Elynn tried again.

"That's it," Quinlan said. "Don't hold your lightsaber so tight; relax your hand. Don't wind back your strike."

"I've been working on that."

"Clear my blade and strike from where yours is. There. Better. You're a fast learner."

"She's the best." Syrran was watching from the entrance of the common deck with the Tedryn Holocron in his hand. "What are you doing wrong?"

Elynn went through a checklist in her mind. "I'm not checking his other hand with my free guard shoto."

"Is that it?"

Elynn thought some more. "I'm stutter-stepping."

"Why?"

"I'm moving my forward leg first, instead of pushing with the back one."

"That's right."

"I'd be dead before I can use my other hand," Quinlan said.