Obi-Wan felt like howling with a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. He was lying on his back with Buffy bent over him looking at him with an expression akin to a predator holding down it's prey just before it eviscerates it and it felt like half the Temple were watching his defeat.
It wasn't the first time in this session that she'd used an unusual and unexpected move to throw him to the ground but this time during the fight he'd sneaked in the tiniest of force pushs and it seemed to send her into whole new level of ferocity. Yet he sensed that even then she was holding back some of her Slayer strength in order not to hurt him.
His body had begun to feel like one big aching bruise under her constant onslaught whilst she'd been bouncing around with hardly a mark on her and he hadn't held back in this last bout. Whatever strange power source fed these Slayer abilities was like nothing he'd ever seen before in a human – and all from what appeared at first glance to be a small and slightly irritating girl.
He'd have thought she was magnificent if he hadn't been so embarrassed by his defeat.
It had all started innocently enough. On reaching a training room he'd been stopped by several acquaintances wanting to congratulate him on his new status and as Buffy had been nagging Andrew about his fitness level they'd agreed to work out without him and spar later.
Buffy and Andrew then began to go through a routine of complex choreographed hand, leg and body movements that at first seemed so slow and controlled they were almost as soothing as meditation but then went on to incorporate a series of kicks and blows that could be used in defence or offence during combat.
Intrigued by the Katas he'd sat down, along with a number of padawans and more than a few knights who'd wandered in and then stopped to watch the blondes performance. Andrew he immediately saw was a beginner, his stamina soon gave out and he took a seat, but Buffy continued on turning the series of complex moves into almost a dance with her fluid and graceful ability.
"We can try unarmed combat first if you like." Obi-Wan suggested, in hindsight stupidly, when she'd finished her routine. Mistakenly thinking that even without using the Force his years of practice in the temple would soon have her beaten into submission. Not to mention an unarmed spar would delay the unveiling of the Sith lightsaber that she had in her possession. He was really hoping he could persuade her to let him dismantle that at some point, preferably sooner rather than later so the Council didn't see it.
So now here he was lying on his back (again) and Buffy was leaning over him with that predatory expression that almost made him think a large feline had him in her claws
"You had enough yet, Ubi-Doo?" the predator had gone and was replaced by Buffy, green eyes sparkling with her victory.
He nodded and jumped to his feet in one move trying to hide the pain in his back, and legs from all the falls he'd taken. "You have been well trained and deserved the win." But he couldn't resist adding, "However, a very powerful Sith could overcome you during a fight by use of chokes or Force Lightning which they would have no compunction using against you."
"Well said, Knight Kenobi." Yoda appeared out seemingly out of nowhere. Buffy noted he was flying round on a trash can lid.
"Interesting fighter, Buffy you are. Victory to you everything is. Fight with emotions you do. Hmm?" Yoda was half smiling at Buffy but with a deep and unreadable expression in his eyes.
"Thanks, I think. I was chosen to protect the world so kinda need to win. Plus a friend told me, the day a Slayer stops wanting the victory is the day we die. He should know, he killed enough Slayers since he'd became a vamp."
Buffy had been in far too many life or death fights over the years to not know the importance of winning. Not that she was gonna explain all that to the flying toad though.
" I know you lot aren't big on the emotions thing. In fact you all seem to be scared of them for some reason but well, I am an emotional type of girl not Stone Girl. So I draw strength from my emotions and yeah, my anger as well during a fight. If you control your emotions and don't allow them to control you, it's all of the good."
Buffy explained carefully, watching the little creature's face. She had a strong feeling he distrusted her but she wasn't here to cause trouble for the Jedi order, they were cooking that one up all by themselves if what Andrew had told her was right.
"Trained you, who did?"
"My Watcher's. They worked for the Watcher's Council," she made a face at the thought of the council remembering how they'd treated her over the years. "Those who ran the Council were all pompous and overbearing and didn't like me but they sorta got dispersed."
"Dispersed, how. Hmmm?" He was still wearing that half smile but definitely venturing into interrogation territory.
"By explosion. I did warn them about the Big Bad and the know-it-all ass-hats refused to listen but it all came good at the end. I'm on the Council now and help run it with my friends." She smiled brightly at Yodel before turning to Andrew.
"Andrew, I'm going to head back to the apartment as I need one of those blast shower things as I feel all icky. And you look more icky than me but you'll have to wait your turn." She gave the flying toad her best, false smile, "Excuse me while I go and get all extra rinsey in my non-rinsey shower."
As they walked away Buffy leant in and whispered to Andrew. " Not sure why you thought this lot would help us, they obviously don't trust us. Maybe we'd have been better off asking Lord Voldemort."