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"I see Master Dooku," Harry said thoughtfully, then his eyes widened. "Is that why you've also started teaching me tactics and strategy as well? I hadn't made that connection before."
"You are young yet, and you have not had the formalized lightsaber training which includes tactics, strategy and other lessons of that nature," Dooku said with a shrug. "In that manner you are, despite your incredible Force abilities, playing catch-up when it comes to direct combat."
Though it isn't as simple as that, Dooku thought dryly. If Harry could keep the range open, Dooku doubted that there was a master in the Order that could defeat him. Admittedly Dooku could do so now, but that was within a training salle. If Harry could simply teleport, say to the top of a nearby building and rain down his techniques, Dooku would be very hard-pressed to be able to close the range. Even his own Force Shield and other new techniques would be unable to stop that kind of assault.
Aayla snickered, nudging Harry with her elbow. "Maybe the two of us should spar, and I could show you how far behind in lightsaber dueling you are?"
Harry's eyes narrowed challengingly. "Don't underestimate me!" he said haughtily throwing his hair back with one hand as he glared at her, and Aayla laughed aloud.
"That will do for now children," Quinlan said, shaking his head internally at how the two acted around one another. They had thankfully gotten that whole spacing out thing out of their systems, but frankly he was a little bemused by the simple feelings and emotions coming off the two in moments like this. He was unused to being around Force users who were feeling such emotions let alone letting them show.
For three hours Harry and Aayla practiced their Force Stealth abilities, mixing in a few other spells or techniques in order to hide Harry from anyone looking for him physically or through the Force. Yet they still couldn't sneak up on either of the two men well enough to pass muster.
Master Fay did not make an appearance. She had left a message with Harry that she and Lily would be working on something. Knight Vosa and Master Unduli had gone out with her to purchase something, but that was as far as Harry and Aayla knew what they were working on.
That afternoon, Master Dooku once walked more stood across from Harry, their lightsabers on training mode, nearby Quinlan and Aayla also stood across from one another, their eyes locked as Aayla activated her twin lightsabers, holding them down low to either side of her body arms crossed slightly.
Standing along the side of the training salle Master Unduli stood by, watching this interestedly. She had not actually met any Jar'kai users other than Master Giiett, and had never sparred with the man so she was interested to see how Aayla would do. "And begin," she said calmly, backing away quickly so she could watch both battles. And they were battles, not just spars. Despite the fact that they were only using their lightsabers, none of the quartet seemed inclined to hold back further than that, and the sound of lightsaber's striking against one another filled the heretofore peaceful gardens.
Harry immediately sprang forward, his lightsaber coming up in an attack from Djem So, smashing into Dooku's lightsaber and trying to drive the older man back, using his Force abilities to empower his body's speed and strength as Master Fay had taught him. Dooku however while not having nearly as much Force to call upon as Harry, was better at manipulating it, despite Master Fay's excellent instruction. He was also a Master duelist, and simply deflected Harry's blow before his lightsaber came up into an attack of his own which nearly took Harry through the head, but Harry blocked that in turn and again swung in, moving this way and that as Dooku did the same, one hand behind him the other wielding his lightsaber like a fencer, using a modicum of movement for the most effect as always.
Master Unduli had seen that before, and so was not surprised. The other match interested her more, and she watched as Aayla pressed in on her Master. Both of them were using Ataru, the way of the Hawk Bat. This form emphasized movement, jumping, leaping, attacking from all angles and sides, with a wide flurry of movements, none of them designed with much power behind them, but with swiftness and speed.
Thus their match was a display of acrobatics that would've made any non-Jedi gasp in envy. But within two minutes Master Unduli could see that Master Quinlan was a very good lightsaber duelist. She had not run into him before this, but the way he anticipated his opponent's moves spoke of excellent Force Precognition, and the way his body, despite having been battered a mere day ago by his duel with Aurra Sing, was able to handle young Secura easily enough.
Aayla used both of her lightsabers in a blur, swinging this way and that, taking to the air as often as she could to attack from above, using her opponent's blocks to fling herself around and up over him occasionally, coming down to rest and then attacking from a new position. She was mobile and moving all the time as Ataru demanded, and her Jar'kai form was decent enough. Whoever had taught her how to mix Jar'kai into Ataru had done relatively well, Luminara decided.
In contrast Quinlan remained on the ground, but used short hops, rolls and dodges quite often. He rarely tried to block his opponent's lightsabers unless he had to, and then for a as short a time as possible before disengaging, while when he attacked and had the leverage he always tried to lock their blades in an effort to overpower the young Twi'lek.
But generally speaking he stayed on the defensive, pointing out little mistakes occasionally for the first few moments, before taking advantage of Aayla's mistakes, his lightsaber smacking into Aayla's legs and feet more often than the rest of her.
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