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Post by Argia on Feb 27, 2014 18:11:08 GMT -8
"But there is no death, only the Force."
? There was so much more to say than that. But Argia felt that the most important thing had to be this. It had to. Everything else pales in comparison. The Whills, as if their will takes precedence to the very essence that they rely on so heavily? No. The 'brethren', as if the concessions of a weak breed make passivity towards evil allowable? No. It all does not matter, even a little, next to these words. Let nothing further be said than:
There is no death. There is the Force.
This is the thing, though: stop for a minute and ask what that really means. Death is an inevitability of life; there is nothing in this universe of ours that has a beginning without an end. So if it is true that there is no death, only the Force-- then that means that there is no life, either. Only the Force. Now, what does that mean? There are two interpretations that Argia accepts: that the Code describes what will come to pass, and that the Code describes the way a Jedi should act. As a prophecy, the Code's meaning is obvious. Sometime in the future, the utopia that will exist is the Force, and nothing else. All life will have ceased. As a guideline, the Code's meaning is equally obvious. No being can supersede the Force. Life, death: equally meaningless. The Force is all that matters. And we ask what the Force has to say about this man, but the answer is given by the previous thought: soon, there will be no life at all. It is just that this man will come to perish a little sooner than the rest.
Do you know why the Force declares that all life will end?
It is because no life is innocent. No one can exist without the sacrifice of another. You live, right now, because you killed someone else. You live because you have eaten today, while elsewhere someone starves for that very food you nourished yourself on. Your extravagance of living spends the equivalent to hundreds or thousands of lives of those less fortunate than you. The situations seem distinct, but the very notion of separability is meaningless in the eyes of the Force. You are entangled in the blood of those you have purchased your vitality with-- and how much more so, the man here who not half an hour before killed three Jedi with cumbersome purpose!
So you see, the very existence of life causes unimaginable pain to the Force. So much death happens on a daily basis, that-- much in the same way with a bandage that adheres itself to raw flesh that it wants to protect, there is the option to slowly peel it away, or rip it all at once-- Ashla has come to realize that she will only rest when there is no life remaining. When she is all that is left, and all have become one within her, then and only then will there be no more passion, but instead serenity. Serenity. Knowledge. Peace.
These are the motifs which describe existence. When all there is left is the Force.
Argia shares her feeling. His Life Sense has caused him pain to no end since he was a child. Since the first time he felt a life extinguish. But, like the raw stump of a limb severed at a lightsaber's bidding, he has grown calloused to it. He seeks to put it to an end, too. Just like the Force does.
And so. Argia is not lying at all when he says that he is attuned to the will of Ashla.
Hasten the end. Rip off the bandage and be rid of it all.
No one is innocent. They shall become free when they are made to become one with her.
This is all a very roundabout way to explain what is happening next.
Argia takes Lux from his belt, and without hesitation, ignites it with a press of the appropriate button to its 1.5 meter length. This lighting of his weapon happens without flourish, but he permits himself a bit more care when assuming his stance: from head to hip, his hands drop steadily-- tip never ceasing to point at Jud'dayus. Right hand, right foot forward, while the left remains at the pommel. Two-handed saber, typical (perhaps?) stance ... unusual wielder.
He expresses his desire wordlessly to Ashla: that he would be able to do her will, with the power of Force Light at his beck and call. ?
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Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase
Retired High Councilor 
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Post by Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase on Mar 1, 2014 9:04:19 GMT -8
The Sith scoffed at the utterance, knowing full well that there were both. There was death, the end of the material... which led into the Force. And there was just the Force, the governing body by which everything was tethered to. He knew more than most would think, and he definitely knew more on the matter than some damned holy crusader angel. "Ah, now now..." Jud said to himself with a tisk tisk. He'd been a crusader too, at one time, a very long time ago. He'd been a fanatic - some might have said - so, he couldn't judge, or rather shouldn't judge this being's zealot-like demeanor.
He was still a zealot himself... but his beliefs stretched past the light and dark, and their pettiness. He had glimpsed the truth, given to him by the Whills, and he had never forgotten his vows. His orders. His destiny.
"I've never crossed blades with an angel before." Jud started, with a sad shake of his hooded head. "And I see no point in doing so now; though the proposition excites me to the point of giddiness." He admitted, the prospect of testing himself always a perverse source of pride and pleasure. "Your people are the pinnacle of Ashla's light in this galaxy. I'd hate to snuff out such a fascinating creation of beauty." Jud continued, looking at the blade that had been drawn against him, to bar his way once more from his own business. "But, I surmise that you're set in this endeavor?" Jud asked, not really expecting an answer. "And I must continue my journey, even if that means I help you in yours to Ashla..."
The Sith extended his left hand, and a ornate hilt leapt to it from the confines of his robes, blading his body left side forward, right side back. It ignited into an equally lengthed blade as the angels'. Its amber-orange blade came up to Jud's face before slashing down towards the floor in a proper Makashi salute to his opponent. It was a show of respect for him not to have done something underhanded or outright cruel to be on his way. He'd test his merit and mettle against the angel in a "civilized" manner. It was only right and fair.
"May the Force be with you, brother."
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Post by Argia on Mar 3, 2014 9:04:55 GMT -8
? Argia responded to the benevolent Dark Sider's opening salute with just a slow nod.
And then, deeming things to have gotten to a sufficient point of readiness, he acted.
With a stiff wingbeat he initiates a step-in. Gauging the range, he sought to exploit the half-meter advantage his weapon held over that of his enemy. His knees bend accordingly, dropping his center of gravity-- an important thing, when facing a fencer-- to mitigate the height disparity between the taller angel and the shorter foe.
Lux flicks up, aiming for the left shoulder and pectoral region of Jud'dayus. It rose from Argia's hip, so there isn't much momentum to the strike. With a lightsaber, such things as a backswing are unnecessary. It is quicker, far far quicker, to just lift and touch. Even a glancing shot to this region will cause some important muscle damage. Which is good-- because it's a backhand-style blow from Argia. The amount of power that can be generated for this attack is limited from the very beginning.
But it does target the inside-upper portion of Jud'dayus's body in his left-side-forward stance. That's useful, since the only saber he has out is in his left hand, and he'd just concluded a Makashi salute with his arm to the outside of his stance and the tip of the saber pointing down at the floor. It is Argia's intention that the execution of a cross-body block will be all that he can do-- and therefore he will yield to further aggression without riposte.
There is, after all, a reason behind every strike. ?
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Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase
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Post by Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase on Mar 5, 2014 11:09:24 GMT -8
A forward strike, a jab to his leading shoulder. How interesting...
Why would the angel try for an inside strike when both men were bladed off opposite to one another's stance? right to left, an inside strike was actually easier to parry than an outside one. Jud shrugged inwardly, he was over thinking this maybe? The strike was well aimed and showed a skill in placement that Jud hadn't seen very often in the dull-minded Jedi as of lately.
As the strike came in, both of Jud's feet shifted back - in the same style as a fencer's - giving the Sith just the right amount of wiggle room before his counter. The game of momentum, pacing and placement was afoot, and Jud licked his lips at the thought of dancing with the angel. As soon as the Sith's right foot slid back, he sprang forward, his blade catching the angel's blade mid-jab as it made the journey for the Sith's collar bone region. With a curt clockwise flick of the wrist. Just enough to use his opponent's momentum to coulé down the length of the blade, while pushing it off to his left side, opening his opponent's body to a nasty riposte.
It could take a moment for the Jedi to regain his two handed strike's composure, as it was only redirected to allow Jud access to the Angel's vulnerable body. Jud's feet stepped in, closing the gap that he'd made between them in a heartbeat. His left-held saber came down to strike at the Jedi's saber arm (cho sun).
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Post by Argia on Mar 19, 2014 8:23:33 GMT -8
? To Jud'dayus' credit, this is a very good attack. This is what he has to do, after all. An opponent with a longer blade must be closed in on, and the best time to do so is while you have his blade in a known location. As a counterexample, the wrong time to do so is when he has his saber drawn back in preparation to strike. So just after Argia's attack is halted with a careful play on distance and saber placement by Jud'dayus is perfect, and his demonstration of the precision that is demanded for skillful employment of Makashi likewise excels.
However. There is no one who is more keenly aware of the strategies that must be employed against a longswordsman than the wielder himself.
And so the question this begs is, 'was Argia prepared for dealing with this kind of strategy?'
And the answer is 'yes.'
But maybe the word yes is a little bit underwhelming. What is the most emphatic way to say yes? That's the way we should respond to this question.
We'll review Argia's stance as Jud'dayus' saber pushes his to the outside-- that is, Jud'dayus has the saber of his opponent on his left side, beyond his shoulder, just as he begins the coulé. Argia has crouched. His saber is held in both hands, arms at the waist. His blade is on the inside of his own body-- that is, in the right-side forward stance, by his stomach rather than his back. Jud'dayus is pushing the blade towards Argia's right, which is where the first advantage becomes clear: the saber can only go so far without Argia taking a step. The hilt itself can only pivot a little before it comes to a stop on his hip. His body is closed off to the possibility of it going too far-- so how 'open' to a riposte he could possibly get is questionable. But we won't even get that far.
Argia's second and more important advantage is two hands on a long hilt held on the inside versus one hand on a short hilt held outside. In fencing, the idea of leverage is essentially limited to "where on the foil the opponent's blade is"; towards the hilt is more rigid than towards the tip, so stronger parries can be executed there. But the word leverage means so much more when it comes to zweihander combat, and combat with fully-rigid blades. And Argia has all of the leverage right now. With both hands on the hilt, spaced apart like a batter choking up on his swing, he can push far harder than Jud'dayus with his arms alone.
But let's not leave the legs out of this.
Compared to Jud'dayus, who is currently lifting his front foot to charge in, Argia is much more rooted in space. Both feet are down, his center of gravity is low, and his legs are fully prepared to move by virtue of the bent knees. He straightens the rear one, pushing so that his weight comes forward. It all sinks onto the front big toe as his hips twist in the early stages of his counter. The weight addition fully complements the leverage advantage that he holds here.
As Jud'dayus begins to run, Argia's countermove is to push, hard, back towards the inside and (perhaps more importantly) down. What may happen next is mere speculation on Argia's part. Jud'dayus has more than a thousand options of movement available-- the take home message from here is that Argia is testing him to get a first approximation of what sort of mental character this guy has.
An overambitious Jud'dayus thinks that Argia's saber is unable to move. The push catches him by surprise and his own saber is forced inward, severing his left arm at the shoulder. But that is the least of his concerns, as Argia's saber bisects his torso, putting an early end to things.
A quick-to-react Jud'dayus feels the shift in Argia's stance. He stiffens his arm and his saber does not betray him. But, due to his commitment to coulé, his balance is overtaken as Argia's push comes in full force from the outside. To maintain his balance, he must step to the right with his front foot. Unfortunately, this further complicates his weight situation, and the follow-through from Argia's lower center of gravity causes him to fall forward. But he avoids bisection.
A cautious Jud'dayus arrests his approach early as he senses that it is a trap. He places both hands on his saber to stabilize and even steps out with his back foot to place his own weight against Argia's blade. Given the lightness of the angel's frame, he can counter the angel's push as soon as he switches to a stationary stance. This is not Makashi, though; he will soon need to get things back on his terms, because fighting at the opponent's pace is a lousy way to fight.
A smart Jud'dayus ducks to let Argia's blade slide over him. But this is really hard to do, since Argia's push is also trying to go down. He would have to get really, really low to do that.
In the end, I suppose it just remains to be seen what his answer to Argia's question will be.
?
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Post by Michelle Calmcacil on Jan 9, 2015 0:03:29 GMT -8
*Raine stood up and followed after the two. She was somewhat alright with the fact that a master wasn't present at the time. Searching for one gave her the chance to explore the temple some more.* So, both your brothers are Master then? What's that like?" It's great! *Shells, however, was shaking her head, not seeming anywhere near as enthusiastic as her friend.*Maybe for you. Bix is a good brother and he takes care of me, but sometimes he can be a little tough on me in training...*Michelle only grinned at this and nudged her.*He probably wouldn't if you took it a little more seriously! *Shells initially began to pout at Michelle, then decided to shrug instead, trying and failing to hold back a smug grin.*What can I say? It's funny.*Michelle rolled her eyes and giggled, then decided to supply her own side of the story.*My brother's good. But then again, I usually keep up with my lessons and my training, so he doesn't really need to bug me about it. He says I'm pretty good at everything, and... well, I guess I am. I'm not trying to brag, honest! I don't want to, but at the same time, I don't want to think I'm not good, so I try to... acknowledge it, I guess. *She did indeed try her best to be humble, only occasionally cracking jokes about her skill level when being competitive or teasing Shells, who surprisingly didn't contradict Michelle by revealing this bit of info. Michelle was counting her blessings...* |
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Raine Bralor
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Post by Raine Bralor on Jan 11, 2015 20:54:11 GMT -8
*Raine followed the two girls down the hallway, listening to their conversation as they went. Even though she wore combat boots, her foot falls made no sound. Her grey eyes took in every detail, every person and every place of person worth noting. Michelle and Shells conversation wasn't they only one she was listening to. As people passed, she would pick up bits and pieces of information, if there was one thing she learned in life, it was that information of any kind was invaluable. She might not have been living in the streets anymore, but she still used everything she learned from that experience and applied it to everyday life. She turned her attention back to the two.*
"It must be nice having older brothers to rely on. Are they your only siblings?"
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Post by Michelle Calmcacil on Jan 12, 2015 0:47:13 GMT -8
*Raine was indeed right: It was nice to have an older brother there to guide her, teach her, and protect her when she could protect herself. They were always a good team, and none of these things had she ever taken for granted. When asked if they only had one sibling, she shook her head, but Shells nodded and spoke first.*
Yep, just got Bix.
*Michelle nodded to affirm this, then spoke herself.*
Yeah, but I also have a twin sister. And uh...
*Well this was the part that often confused others; the Calmcacil clan wasn't exactly the average family, after all. Still, she hadn't actually talked much about her family to others, so she just wasn't entirely used to it and seeing their reactions. So she continued slowly, trying to ease Raine into this bit of knowledge.*
... another twin sister... and older brother... Who are clones of me and my brother... It's complicated.
*Michelle watched Raine's reaction, hoping it didn't confuse her too badly, but Shells only shrugged.*
I get it.
*Michelle smiled, suppressing a titter and instead waited for Raine's response.*
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Raine Bralor
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Post by Raine Bralor on Jan 12, 2015 19:57:30 GMT -8
*Raine's pace slowed for a second as she took in that last bit of information. Her face screwed up slightly as she tried to picture the information in her head, as confusing as it was, it sort of made sense. She was less worried about the way they were related, but the why.* "So...why did some one clone you and your brother? Are you sure your other twin isn't a clone? Or maybe you're a clone." *Raine had several different theories running around in her head. But none really added up as to why someone would clone a young girl.*
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Post by Michelle Calmcacil on Jan 13, 2015 1:42:43 GMT -8
*Raine's reaction was about what Michelle expected: Initial confusion, though it seemed to dawn on her exactly how that worked. She supposed it wasn't that complex, just weird and different. However, what seemed to have Raine stumped the most was the "why" of it all. She even questioned whether Annabelle was a clone, or even Michelle itself. While the "why" was a sensible question, these last two sentences made her giggle aloud.*
I know we're not clones! We have the medical records to prove it!
*She giggled again, before Shells looked at her with a stare and raised her hands, wiggling her fingers as she tried to appear spooky.*
Or maybe I'm your clone...
*Michelle laughed again and reached up to pull Shells' hands down, shaking her head.*
If you are, then something got lost in translation.
*Shells grinned, then, after realizing Michelle had yet again made a playful dig at her, frowned, but Michelle had already turned to address Raine's wondering of the "why" with a more serious expression.*
The truth is, my brother and I were cloned by a Sith. He and his "empire" were trying to take over our homeworld but we opposed him. He thought the best way to beat us was to clone my brother into a Sith, and me into its apprentice.
*Humor returned to Michelle's expression, this time in the form of a smirk.*
Unfortunately for him, both of them ended up on our side instead, and he got wiped out at Belkadan.
*Michelle remembered it vividly, the scene in the "emperor's" throne room about his Executor. Watching the fight between him, her two brothers, and Master Mallan with Samantha, seeing Ambar refuse to give into hatred and strike him down, only going so far as to remove his hands in defense of her brother; the Sith himself lost his life when he triggered the ship's self-destruct, but they had escaped and he hadn't... Then and there, their longtime foes finally crumbled. It was a climactic moment, and it had freed so many of them from past demons. It felt good to only have to worry about keeping on top of her training and education. And making new friends as well!*
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Raine Bralor
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Post by Raine Bralor on Jan 13, 2015 17:19:02 GMT -8
*Raine knew very little about the Sith, then again she little about the Jedi as well. From what she could tell though, the Sith weren't the good kind of people, and she had learned to avoid those. Raine paused for a moment thinking about the whole situation.* "So...your clones retained some of your personalities? Is that why they turned on this Sith?" *Raine had run into clone troopers before. They were rare anymore, but she had met a few. Some of them displayed close personality traits with the people they were cloned after, even if they never met that person before. Maybe the same was true here.*
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Post by Michelle Calmcacil on Jan 13, 2015 18:45:35 GMT -8
*Michelle thought about that a moment, whether Ambar and Samantha retained personality traits of Aerandir and herself. Samantha did seem a little similar in personality to herself, though her aim to improve seemed to have different origins than Michelle. That, and she was a touch more abrasive and belligerent, though that no doubt came from her original Sith training. And Ambar... well, he certainly seemed to have a sense of justice like her brother, but he was much, much quicker to aggravation, and didn't hide his emotions as well as her brother. He also seemed less inclined to devote himself to "fate" and preferred to believe in carving one's own way.
At length, Michelle finally shook her head.*
Maybe. But they definitely act differently than both of us. Samantha—my clone—joined our side because Ambar—my brother's clone—started being really mean to her. I saw it happen, and I hated it, so I tried to go cheer her up, and she hugged me, so we took her away from him. Later, well, Ambar left the Sith because he learned he was just being manipulated by the Sith. He hated that, so he left them, and while he didn't forsake the dark side at first, he did join our side... and eventually helped us destroy them and... well I guess he's not really a Jedi, but he hasn't used the dark side in years.
*There was actually a bit more story to Ambar than that, but Michelle figured it was best to just keep that to herself for now; that was even more complex story.*
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Raine Bralor
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Post by Raine Bralor on Jan 14, 2015 19:01:15 GMT -8
*Raine remained silent for a minute, taking in all that Michelle said. This Ambar didn't sound like the nicest person in her mind, but then again he did turn on the Sith who created him. To be honest, Raine wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to push the subject anymore.* "So, where is your brother now? I mean, the not cloned one."
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Post by Michelle Calmcacil on Jan 20, 2015 0:01:48 GMT -8
*Michelle's explanation was followed by silence for a moment, probably because Raine was contemplating and processing this information, or weighing any new questions she may have had on her mind. When she did ask a question, however, it was on a completely different subject, asking where Michelle's brother was at that moment. Not Ambar, she specified. Michelle smiled, then thought about it a moment.*
Hmm... He's in the Council Chambers... and not really busy. Perfect! This way
*Michelle led the two of them onward, thankful for her bond with her brother that made locating him and telling what he was doing a cinch.*
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Raine Bralor
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Post by Raine Bralor on Jan 22, 2015 0:01:32 GMT -8
*Raine gave a nod, surprised at how quickly Michelle could find her brother. She had to wonder if that was what it was like to control the force. Perhaps Michelle's brother could help her easier then she expected. Without another word, she followed after the other two.*
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Aerandir Calmcacil
The Jedi Order
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Jan 27, 2015 1:42:01 GMT -8
*Aerandir had indeed just finished up a brief meeting in the Council Chambers and was heading into the halls, having felt the seeking touch from his sister. He took a moment to sense her current position and began to make his way toward her. It didn't take long for him to find his sister and Shells, who were with a girl near their age he didn't recognize. He smiled at the girls he knew as he stopped before them.*
Hey girls. You needed something, Michelle?
*If he had to guess, the girl was new to the base and probably needed lodging and information about her training. Instead of assuming, he just let Michelle explain, though was prepared to accommodate the girl based on her previous experience. If any.*
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Post by Michelle Calmcacil on Jan 27, 2015 1:56:10 GMT -8
*Much to Michelle's pleasant surprise, her brother seemed to have ended his meeting early and had come to meet her himself in the halls. Well, that was nice, it saved them the trouble of bothering him in the Council Chambers, or potentially having to wait a bit until he could see them. When asked if she needed anything, Michelle, with a smile, nodded and stepped aside to indicate Raine.*
Yeah, this is Raine, she's new here. She wanted to... well, I'll just let you tell her.
*She smiled reassuringly at Raine, giving her a small nod to urge her onward. Michelle figured the best person to explain what Raine wanted to do was, well, Raine herself, and perhaps this was also a small avenue to helping Raine express herself around people, if indeed Raine had lived a rough childhood on the streets...*
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Raine Bralor
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Post by Raine Bralor on Jan 27, 2015 20:40:26 GMT -8
*Raine was suddenly hesitant when Michelle motioned her forward to speak to Aerandir. She had never meet a Jedi Master before, and now that she had, she really wasn't sure what to make of him. Nervously, she stepped forward.* "I...I was wondering if you could help me. Train, I mean. If that was at all possible."
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Aerandir Calmcacil
The Jedi Order
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Feb 1, 2015 21:36:29 GMT -8
*Michelle introduced the girl as Raine, then allowed her to explain what it was she wanted. Raine seemed a little nervous at first, perhaps a little intimidated. He watched her kindly, putting on a more friendly air hopes to ease her mind a little. When she finally mustered the courage to speak, what she wanted was training, and asked if he could help her with that. Aerandir pursed his lips for a moment, appearing thoughtful, then he replied.*
Well I don't know if I personally will be able to train you, but I'm sure I can find someone who can. How much do you know?
*If he couldn't find a personal teacher for her, the very least he could do was be able to determine an appropriate set of classes for her.*
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Raine Bralor
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Post by Raine Bralor on Feb 2, 2015 19:28:04 GMT -8
*Raine gave a sheepish grin when asked how much training she had.* "None, actually. I...I've been trying to train myself. It's kind of hard to do. I mean, I don't exactly have a family that could help me." *She wasn't sure if she should explain her entire past to him just yet. Given time, she was sure he was going to ask.*
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There is the Force
