Tales from the Temple

Chapter 2: Lightsaber Training

Anakin was making his way towards the training grounds with hasty steps. He had just heard that Master Ti was sparing and didn't want to miss that. Now that she was stationed on Kamino, it was few and far between that he could get the Togruta master to train with him. So, he fully intended to use at least the opportunity to watch her train. Who knows, maybe he could tempt her for a friendly match.

To his surprise, he found that it was Obi-Wan she was sparing with. It should be interesting, he grinned as he took a seat to watch.

In his youngling days, he spent many an hour watching the duo spar, and he was awestruck. It was many years ago, and both of them were younger and less experienced; although many told him that there were more skilled masters whom he could learn from, he remembered being mesmerized by them.

As with so many things, those sparing sessions faded into the past.

So many years later, both Obi-Wan and Master Ti were regarded as the masters of their respective forms, and they didn't disappoint. What they did was pure art, Anakin decided. It was as if they had been dancing.

Their movements were fluid and graceful, practiced through painful hours. The lightsabers danced in perfect harmony, sometimes teasingly slow, sometimes daringly fast. It seemed nobody was winning. It wasn't about suppressing the opponent. They simply enjoyed the activity and testing the other's boundaries. Master Ti was confident and bold, keeping Obi-Wan on his toes with her quick and unpredictable moves. But Obi-Wan was not regarded as the master of Soresu for nothing. He was patient and observant... if a little bit slower than his opponent, apparently. Anakin laughed when Obi-Wan found himself at the wrong end of his own lightsaber.

He looked impressed, while Master Ti seemed uncharacteristically cocky, her canines showing as she smiled up at her opponent. Then something happened. Master Ti narrowed her eyes at the man who flicked his fingers, and two lightsabers flew into his hands somewhere from the gathered audience.

Yeah, he always pulled that trick; Anakin shook his head. When you would think that you had won, he would push further, and the match would end with him as the victor.

Master Ti was quick, though, and she gave him a run for his credit. What followed was simply amazing. He could actually hear a couple of younglings gasp next to him. Two pairs of lightsabers were slicing the air with such speed that it was hard to follow as both changed their form to the more aggressive Ataru.

It was a sight to behold, indeed.

They were definitely not dancing anymore. It was more like... flirting? Anakin came to the startling realization just as Obi-Wan knocked both sabers from Master Ti's hands.

"That hardly counts, Kenobi," Master Ti stated in a flat tone that made her sound unimpressed, if not annoyed, but Anakin noticed the little smile tugging at her lips, "seeing that you pulled that trick with your throat cut."

"Come now, Master Ti," Obi-Wan placated her with a cheeky grin. "That was pretty impressive."

"Impressive, maybe, but dirty nonetheless."

"Draw?" Obi-Wan went for a charming smile, and Anakin cringed.

"Draw," she bowed, letting her smile show before she turned away and, collecting her lightsaber, left, leaving Obi-Wan to stare after her with a dreamy look on his face.

What the Force had just happened? Anakin wondered and quickly went to snap his friend out of it before anyone else would come to the same realization as him.

THE END

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