"We're having a little vote." Fox announced to the others, "Today, we're all doing something together, whether it be training or a one day vacation. I'd like to hear some suggestions and then we'll vote on it."
"Training." Falco suggested, "Katt's friends have been more active lately after hearing reports of a 'blue feathered cheerleader'."
"But what kind of training?" Fox asked, "It's not enough to train individually. As a team, we also need to train together."
"I'm okay with teaching them Cerinian fighting." Krystal told Fox, "After a few lessons, they'll be able to take out a platoon with just a mop or broom, assuming they have more than one day's worth of lessons."
"Yeah, you fight with that stick." Falco told her, "What the heck. You'll never know when you'll wind up in a battle with the only weapons being whatever's lying around."
"I've got nothing." Fara admitted, "So I'm voting for Krystal's thing."
"And Falco's uncomfortable with someone potentially being able to best him in a fight." Fox deduced, "Okay, let's have a vote. All in favor of Krystal's suggestion?"
"Aye." The three said in unison.
"How soon can you start training?" Fox asked.
"As soon as I can get a pair of staffs for them." Krystal replied, "And practice dummies can't hurt."
"There are a few dummies and a spare mop and broom in storage." Fox told her as she left for the storage room. A few minutes later, she returned with a pair of handles missing their mop and broom heads as well as a few dummies.
"I think we might need to go to a planet if we're to have enough room." Fox told Krystal.
"We can land by one of Sauria's Krazoa temples." Krystal suggested, "The Krazoa's... Krazoa energy or whatever could help with the practice."
"Load up a dummy in each of your ships." Fox told Falco and Fara as Krystal headed for her room, "Wait for Krystal and I just outside the Great Fox and then follow us to the surface."
After Falco and Fara left with their dummies and 'staffs', Krystal returned with their staffs and they headed for the hangar. Krystal loaded the staffs while Fox loaded the dummies. Then they boarded their Arwings and left the Great Fox. Falco and Fara followed as they landed by a temple far from any reported Andronian activity. Each of them grabbed a dummy. Krystal led them inside the temple. Fox set up the dummies while Krystal planned out her lesson.
"This is your weapon." Krystal began, "Rely on brute strength alone and your weapon will be almost useless. To use it most effectively, you must work on your technique."
Krystal walked over to a dummy.
"Pay attention." Krystal instructed as she gave the dummy a good strike, "The power begins in the feet and works its way up the body and down the arms. The whole body is used."
Krystal struck the dummy again, this time more slowly so the others could see her technique.
"Falco, you're up." Krystal told the bird, "Visualize the force starting in your feet and moving toward the staff as you strike your dummy."
Falco awkwardly tried to follow her instructions, striking the dummy with minimal force.
"Try it again." Krystal instructed, "it may take many attempts for your body to master the technique."
"Can I at least take the heels off?" Falco asked, "These things weren't exactly made for 'technique'."
"No." Krystal told him, "You knew the rules when you did the bet."
Falco grumbled and struck the dummy again.
"Visualize the energy move from your feet, up your body, down your arms, and into your staff." Krystal told him, "It may take a few tries. It may take a few thousand tries. The only thing that stops a good warrior from improving is death. Anything less than that merely offers opportunities."
Falco repeatedly struck the dummy, trying his best to follow Krystal's instructions. Krystal then turned to Fara.
"Your turn." she told the fennec, "When you strike, visualize the energy traveling from your feet to your hands."
Fara tried Krystal's technique, but struck with no more force than anything Falco managed.
"I'm goind to have to agree with Falco." Fara told Krystal, "These boots don't offer enough stability for your technique. Can't we just put the 'punishment' on hold?"
"No." Krystal told her. Krystal didn't want to admit it, but there was something amusing about watching the pair struggle. No matter. On Cerinia, Krystal's had to practice under significantly more unfair conditions. She likes to think the unfairness made her a better warrior, better able to take whatever life threw at her. Besides, Falco can't learn he can get out of an agreement just because he doesn't like the consequences.
"We should work on our techniques too." Krystal told Fox. Together, they began striking their dummies in near perfect unison, causing Falco and Fara to stop and watch.
"You've got your demonstration." Krystal told her audience, "Now get back to practicing. When we get back, if you aren't better, you should at least be tired."
"Don't make me add on another week." Fox warned Falco, "I'm sure Katt wouldn't mind if I made this your uniform."
"You wouldn't." Falco scoffed.
"I'm team leader." Fox warned, "I expect my team to improve."
Falco grumbled as he returned to striking the dummy. Before long, both he and Fara had shown noticable improvement.
"Good job." Krystal told the two, "Now keep practicing. Experiment a little with different strikes. Don't be afraid to thrust it like a spear. It may not be sharp, but your staff will concentrate the force in a small area."
"Do you think you can teach them other aspects of Cerinian combat?" Fox asked Krystal as the two vixens practiced their strikes.
"Maybe." Krystal told her, "It may require a trip to Cerinia."
"I'm sure we can schedule a little trip." Fox told her, "After a few weeks or months, I'm sure we'll have enough time for a week or month of training."
"Speaking of training..."
"You'll be ready for your test soon." Fox assured her, "Maybe a week. Likely less than a month. I still need time to design it."
As the two continued to practice their strikes, Krystal couldn't help but admire Fox's technique. The orange vixen had practically mastered the staff, delivering perfect swing after perfect swing with seemingly no effort. She then watched the other two and found their swings to be... decent. They still needed a lot of improvement, but they could still do some damage.
A few hours passed and Falco and Fara were exhausted. Krystal ended the training session and the four began to pack up.
"You two did good." Krystal told them, "Definitely good enough to fight off experienced attackers with just a 'stick'."
Falco was too tired to offer a sarcastic reply.
After the dummies were loaded into the Arwings, the four boarded their ships with Krystal entering the pilot seat of Fox's Arwing.
"I've been thinking." Krystal told Fox as she flew the ship into the atmosphere, "By the time I've taken the test, we'd have been away from Cerinia for... how many weeks?"
"I've honestly lost count." Fox told her, "Just been focused on your training and whatever Andross's goons have been up to."
"Maybe after my test, we could return to Cerinia and resume our priestess training." Krystal suggested, "I mean, we could resume it anywhere, but it's best with an experienced teacher."
"We could do that." Fox told her.
"And bring Falco." Krystal added, "The priestess training could do him some good."
"I'll think about it." Fox said, laughing to herself, "Though we should leave out the 'priestess' part until after he 'graduates'."
Krystal giggled softly to herself. With the bird, the teacher might have to be extra strict. The teacher would likely enjoy the challenge, though.