Out of Time [Star Wars Story]

28. Lightsaber in the Moonlight

Lorash clicked the last piece of the lightsaber together, tightening a screw with the same subtle articulations she'd used to stack pebbles. A much more difficult exercise, but Nabeila helped, guiding her through the motion in the Force. The jedi master had manifested beside her, glowing with a soft blue light that seemed almost to blend with the light of Tython's twin moons, making her somewhat indistinct. The shrine was open to the sky, a series of twelve pillars arranged into a circle even though the roof had long ago collapsed and rotted away with neglect. At the center on a raised dias stood a singular statue, no doubt once of some ancient jedi, but the features were utterly obliterated by the elements.

"What now?"

Nabeila's eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled, a hint of warmth and approval mixed with her amusement. Now we begin. Ignite it when you are ready.

The young woman got to her feet, taking up the basic balanced stance that was the first she'd learned of Niman, holding the lightsaber at an angle across her body. With a single flip of the switch, both blades ignited in a brilliant golden glow. There was just a tinge of amber to it, but the heat pouring off the burning blades was incredible. Lorash moved it experimentally. The handle was long enough to mimic a staff to a degree, though there were certain movements and manipulations she wouldn't be able to do without burning a hand off. "But how are you going to–?"

A rock whizzed at Lorash's head and she stepped off line in a single angular movement, striking it down with the lightsaber. Most of the stone completely evaporated, but a few spatters of molten rock hit a pillar of the shrine and clung, cooling slowly.

I told you, Lorash. I can still manipulate the Force. Now strike me if you can. Nabeila took up a different stance of Niman and the ghost of a lightsaber appeared in her hands, burning blue in the moonlight. It was a double blade as well, the hilt a mirror image of the one Lorash was using.

Lorash dodged the next rock, this one slightly larger, and jumped to clear the distance between herself and Nabeila. When she swung at the ghost's head, the phantom saber parried with a very real force and heat. It was the first clash Lorash had ever felt and she almost dropped her saber in astonishment. Nabeila threw out a palm and a wall of force hit Lorash in the chest, sending her flying backwards.

The young woman barely managed to catch herself, keeping her feet even as she slammed hard into the pillar. It hurt, but it was a love tap compared to Seia's bind. The specter she was facing whirled closer in the moonlight, sweeping at Lorash's legs. She dropped one end of the lightsaber, parrying like she would with a staff.

A rock struck her in the hip on the other side, one she hadn't even heard coming. Lorash staggered a little, but recovered quickly enough to kick out at Nabeila. Her foot connected with the handle of the jedi master's lightsaber, shoving Nabeila back out of her face to a further distance. While her first reaction at Nabeila's dirty fighting was shock, it quickly faded to determination and a hint of gratitude. This was a test of what she could handle, but Nabeila wasn't coddling her any more than Seia would have.

Lorash let her sense of the Force and the world around her expand. She couldn't see Nabeila clearly when the jedi master was in the moonlight, her silhouette much more defined in the darkness, but she could feel the Force ghost's presence. With a flick of her lightsaber, she destroyed the next two rocks, each one about the size of a fist. It was an impressive display of coordination, since one had rocketed towards her feet and the other her head, forcing her to use both ends in a singular movement while also using distance to keep herself safe from Nabeila's phantom weapon.

There was a definite difference in style, however. Where Seia would never give her a moment's peace under the brutal onslaught of her training stick, always in motion, Nabeila spent more of her time playing a defensive game and forcing Lorash to constantly shift her focus, attacking only whenever she saw an opening or a slip.