"Faster Zel! Faster!" Arman shouted as the twilek tried force speed. She was near the jump point where she would have use force jump. She kept her momentum and leapt to the farther catwalk, narrowly missing the handrail.
"I did it!" Zel said.
"Good, now you know how fast you need to be. Focus on making it easy, natural, so that it doesn't drain you." Arman said.
The next time the twilek was in the air, Arman caught her midflight with the force and plummeted her down to the water below. Zel screamed and kicked into the air until the water engulfed her.
"That was unfair!" Zel shouted as she surfaced for air. Arman smiled at her from the catwalk's guardrail, hands clasped together, enjoying himself.
"I had to test out your shield." Arman shrugged.
"I'm not there yet Arman." She shook her head as she exited the water.
"How's the water down there?" Arman asked.
"Colder than it looks." Zel answered as she shot the human a look of mischief.
"I'll get you back one of these days." She said simply as she tried to drain some of the water from her clothes.
"I look forward to it. Now try again." Arman said.
Zel ran faster than the previous time. She leapt un into the air, but something went wrong as she jumped. She traversed the room awkwardly and struck the second guardrail. She instinctively hung onto it with her hands as she almost toppled over the other side of it.
Arman reached her in a blink of an eye and helped her onto the catwalk.
"Are you alright?" Arman asked.
"My knee." She said as she cradled herself in pain.
"I couldn't make the jump." Zel said.
"You went too fast, tried too hard. Now I heal you." Arman said soothingly as he pressed her torso gently down to the floor of the catwalk and laid his left hand around her wounded knee. Even through her wet pants, she felt the warmth of his hand. Then it became very warm, and then it was burning.
"Ouch, it hurts." She let out a cry between her clenched teeth.
"It's almost done, hang in there Zel." Arman said softly.
"Are you modifying me?" She asked.
"No, just healing. I'm not putting you through what I go through." Arman assured her.
"How often does this kind of injury happen to you?" Zel asked as she couldn't resist propping herself up on her elbows and watched the human work his healing on her.
"For me? Every day since I was 14." Arman said honestly.
"You keep injuring yourself and then healing like this for seven years?" Zel was dumbfounded.
"The modifications feel much worse, but you don't need to be like me Zel." Arman said seriously.
"Yikes. It must hurt so bad." Zel said compassionately.
"For me, my training is all about limits. My limits of power, speed, strength and tolerance to pain. It's all connected to what makes me into the fighter I am." Arman said as he let go of the twilek's leg.
"It's done?" Zel asked as she bent her knee to test it out.
"All healed up. Better than new; it won't give out so easily next time." Arman confirmed.
"I keep forgetting that, behind that weaponized body of yours, there's a sweet Jedi healer. I feel much better now, thanks Mr. Standard Form." Zel smiled as she held the human's shoulders.
Arman held her in an embrace and pulled her up to her feet.
"I'm a healer at my core Zel. I just have many layers protecting that core of mine." Arman smiled.
"We have only two months left to practice Arman. Do you think we'll be done by then?" Zel asked.
"In two months, you'll have to learn how to slow yourself down as to not attract too much attention to yourself." Arman said seriously.
"I'll be Grand-Champion. I'll have all the attention." Zel smirked.
"Not this kind of attention. Our sessions here need to remain secret, as will your new-found powers." Arman cautioned.
"Hey!" Zel said as she put her hand on the man's shoulder.
"I'm just messing with you Arman. I'll never betray you." Zel smiled reassuringly. Arman was very pleased.
A month passed, Zel's progress was impressive. Her human companion brought her over to the famous droid combat training room.
"What are we doing here?" Zel was excited. It had been some time she had done combat against droids. She found them much easier to deal with then other Jedi.
"It's a test of speed for us Zel." Arman said.
"Yea, I got that part, but I mean droids are easy." Zel said.
"I take it you've done this too many times already?" Arman asked as he could read the twilek's pride.
"I got up to level 29, but that was long time ago. The current record is level 31." Zel said pridefully.
"Then it's time to set the bar a little higher, don't you think?" Arman asked rhetorically.
"Setting a new record for me would be child's play." Zel said as she crossed her arms confidently.
"You won't be setting any records Zel: I'm disabling the recording protocols. I'm also getting you started at level 35." Arman said as he fiddled with the programming.
"You've done this before, haven't you?" Zel asked as he looked at her fellow Jedi, who seemed too comfortable tampering with Jedi computers.
"Many times." Arman confirmed as he finalized all the settings.
"So, you practice here a lot then?" Zel concluded.
"Not recently, but I have practiced here often, yes." Arman said.
"Off the record?" Zel asked.
"Always." Arman confirmed.
"So how far did you get? What level can you get to Mr. Standard Form?" Zel asked.
"50" Arman said.
"But Arman, it only goes to level 35." Zel corrected.
"Not when you disable the safeties. In any case, the difficulty at this point depends on the droid count and there are only 50 droids; I added 15 of them myself to up the challenge, but I haven't tried getting more." Arman explained.
"50 droids..." Zel was humbled.
"This is just a game for me Zel, don't let it bother you." Arman said as he felt the twilek's intimidation.
"Right. This is my turn to shine, not yours." Zel smiled and walked to the preset starting point. The droids powered up and awaited the start of the level.
Zel's goal was to avoid being hit by the stray bolts the droid fired at her. After level 20, the droids were immune to their own weapon's fire. That meant that the Jedi in training had to go strike the droids with their lightsaber in order to disable them. Every time the Jedi used their blade to strike a droid, there was a chance a weapon's bolt could hit the Jedi. The more droids there were, the more chance they had to strike her down. She never made it past level 29, but that was two years ago and now, she had Arman Clash in her life.
Zel Tal'ok switched on her lightsaber and the level started. The combat droids fired all their weapons, lighting up the room and ionizing the air all around the twilek. She quickly deflected the more dangerous bolts and activated her force speed. She was able to run into safe spots between droids where she was mostly covered by droid chassis. The droids fired on one another indiscriminately, as they were immune to their own damage.
Zel slashed all the droids near to her with ease and proceeded swiftly to another group. With force speed, she felt invulnerable. Suddenly, Zel was struck by a droid frame from behind. She fell forward, unharmed. She was able to deflect the blaster fire and get off the floor before getting overwhelmed.
"Focus Zel!" Arman said, feeling guilty for having flung a droid at her with the force to keep her on her toes... though not literally, it seemed. Zel glanced at her companion, worried she could not defeat the droids if Arman intervened with the force.
"Keep your shield up! You can do it Zel!" Arman encouraged her. Zel always worried she didn't have enough power in reserve to counter the human's attacks while simultaneously engaging in a fight of her own. With her power already flowing through her muscles, she had enough speed to surpass all previous records.
She slowed down a little fearing another push from Arman, keeping her shield up as well as her focus. She had to become strategic like Arman. She snuck in between more droids, nearly getting hit by some bolts fired at close range.
"Just a little more speed Zel!" Arman shouted
"But my shield will be drained." Zel contested.
"The fight is almost over. I won't interfere. I want you to use all of your power. Drain it all away into speed." Arman said.
"Ok." Zel said as she did just that.
In a short time, Zel completed level 35, a new record for the academy, but they would not be keeping this record.
"Why did you change your mind back there? Why have me drop my shield and use all of my power?" Zel asked as she wiped the sweat from her body with a towel.
"I'm going to have you drain all of your force power at each session and then I'm going to have you do all of your physical exercises." Arman explained.
"All while being depleted from the force?" Zel was insecure.
"We need to learn how to fight without the force and sometimes without weapons, if we are to become true warriors." Arman confirmed.
"Do you always train this way?" Zel asked.
"Always. I make it a point to be completely drained from a worthy challenge, and then I train my body without the force. This way I generate a deeper well of force power for the future while making my body capable of using it more efficiently." Arman explained.
"I can see you teaching a class someday. Or maybe a padawan." Zel said.
"I can't have a padawan, and neither can you." Arman said, almost disappointed.
"Because of our bond?" Zel asked carefully. Arman nodded.
Time went by and the Tournament of the Order was finally underway. The excitement was palpable. Zel had chosen Arman Clash as her coach, so that she could have him near if she needed him. Master Olis Tal was surprised by her choice, but Zel made him understand just how much she owed the human for training with her throughout the year.
To Zel's surprise, there were many faces around; despite having the largest population of Jedi, the Coruscant temple only made up for half of the competitors. Zel Tal'ok made it a point to watch all of their matches when she could. She made quick work of all of her matches, gaining favor from the crowds and holo-broadcasts.
The zabrak Tomac was one of her first matches, and despite defeating him, he followed on her heals all the way to the semi-finals.
The first semi-final was up, Tomac vs Babbock Quantaco, the dual wielding iktochi from the Senex sector. 93 seconds in, Babbock defeated Tomac with surprising speed and technique. There was a brief period to allow him to rest before his last match, after which Zel would have to face the last two combatants in a row. Zel Tal'ok was anxious to watch and learn, but she was also troubled that Tomac had so easily been defeated. She held back the urge to call Arman Clash, her coach, over to discuss strategies. She decided to wait and keep her adrenaline high instead.
Tomac's last match was against Graydon Underhill, a human from the Cadriaan province, lasted only 80 seconds. The human lacked the zabrak's strength, but made up for it with Jedi consular level powers that he used to surprise the zabrak twice before finally subduing him.
Then it was Zel Tal'ok's turn to get on stage. She felt breathless and looked around worriedly. Things were moving too fast. She approached the match coordinator and whispered something in his ear. She left the arena in a hurry.
"Time out! A time out had been called for Coruscant's last champion, Jedi Knight Zel Tal'ok, a crowd pleaser and a local favorite around here. We hope everything is well for this twilek." The announcer broadcasted.
Zel was in the prep room. Everyone was asking her is she was alright, but she ignored them and called out to Arman.
"Where's my coach?" She asked.
"Right here." Arman said, following her from behind.
"Everyone else, please leave." Zel said. The twilek escorted the last of the people out of the room. She let out a big sigh as the door closed, but didn't turn around.
"These guys are good Arman. I don't think I can defeat them without using force speed." She said in disappointment, while lowering her head.
"Then use it." Arman said simply. The twilek turned around and looked at the human.
"Really? Arman, it occurred to me that what happens between us after all of this is more important to me than the tournament." Zel said honestly.
"It pleases me greatly to hear you say that Zel. I still want you to win it, though. Stick to the plan; don't show them all of what you can do, keep some in reserve. I don't care what these new Jedi in the finals think of you, my only concern is that you don't make it too obvious to master Olis Tal and our classmates just how far you've come in such a short time." Arman explained.
"I understand. I just wanted you to know that I wouldn't do this without your approval." Zel explained, confused about some new feelings stirring.
"You're my champion Zel. An this is your dream; go fetch it." Arman said as he observed the twilek in a new light, seemingly fragile for the first time.
"I have a few questions about strategies... Babbock Quantaco's two blades and Graydon Underhill's power." Zel asked.
"You are stronger than you think Zel. Use your strength in each swing against Babbock, forcing him to use both blades in defense. Focus on your shield against Graydon. We've worked on this before Zel. Stretch out your final matches using only the power you need to prevent getting hit, and eventually the force will grant you a strike of your own. You won't lose, I promise you." Arman smiled and held her by the shoulders.
"Oh, and Zel, if you need to talk, use our bond." Arman said as he tapped his temple in signal to Zel.
Right, is it working?
Of course.
"Thank you so much Arman! For everything." Zel embraced the human and kissed him on the cheek. She felt emotions stirring until it felt warm and fuzzy inside.
Did you feel that?
I feel it.
"Don't let it distract you Zel. Focus on the match." Arman smiled, holding her shoulders.
"Right! It's time to win this!" Zel said excitedly.
"Now get out there and show them what a true Jedi knight with proper motivation can really do. Go kick ass!" Arman said.
"I'll make you proud Arman, just watch me!" Zel smiled and stepped back out into the arena.
"Looks like the timeout is over. Jedi Knight Zel Tal'ok will be facing Babbock Quantaco in her first of two finals." The announcer said.
It was the pink twilek against the iktochi and his twin blades. He mastered the jar'kai better than anyone Zel had met in her life. With all the techniques she learned and her prowess in combat, she should be able to overcome his advantages, but in a single combat without having previously learned from him, she had to trust that what she learned with Arman Clash would compensate for her insecurities. Just how much of her strengthened muscles did she need against him and how much more force speed would she have to use was the question.
Zel stepped into her signature stance. The crowd roared in response. The Jedi gathered around in Coruscant believed in her, and so did Arman.
Ok Arman, this one is for you.
Zel Tal'ok rushed to the iktochi and belted him with very fast and precise strikes.
Remember to put power into those strikes. Speed alone won't be enough.
Super powers coming right up.
Zel' attacks were delivered with the same speed as before, but she used the force to strengthen her more. As predicted, her opponent was kept in a defensive posture without any advantage at all. Zel did as she was instructed, she stretched out the fight to almost three minutes. By then, the iktochi was making plenty of mistakes. Zel finished it with a quick stab at the mid torso and a slice up to the shoulder. The crowd applauded thunderously.
Well done Zel, well done.
A brief moment later, she faced the human with the plentiful force power. Zel focused on her shield and approached slowly against the human. He was known for making those that charged too hard at him trip forward with a force pull. Choosing caution paid off. Graydon fought slowly at first, then built up enough speed to match the twilek's. Zel kept most of her speed in reserve for the sake of her shield integrity and not to betray Arman's teachings.
When the battle reached a satisfying speed and Graydon was making no headway, he forced Zel on a counter-offensive and pushed her both with the force and with his upper-body. She absorbed all of his force push, but tumbled down from his powerful arms. The crowd held their breath as Graydon came chancing her down to strike at her as she tumbled. Zel took in more of the force that she kept in reserve to rebound from the ground with astonishing speed and grace, keeping the human's strikes at a harmless distance.
Once out of danger, she placed all of her power into her defensive shield and attacked the human with her precise and calculated lightsaber form. Graydon stepped aside from the deadliest of the twilek's outreach and force pulled her body in the continued direction of her strike. Zel Tal'ok was only mildly moved forward. She ended up very close to the human, the same distance from which she liked challenging Arman Clash. Smiling at the comfort it brought her to be in her element, Zel unleashed a series of provocative strikes that ended up unbalancing Graydon. Reflexively, seeing the man falter, she used a little force push of her own. The human came crashing down on the densely padded floor, absorbing most of his fall with one hand. Zel was right above him, gripping her lightsaber tightly and, using her well trained muscles with a little assistance from the force, she thrust her blade down towards the human. The strength of her move proved to be too much to deflect with one hand, causing Zel's lightsaber point to slide across his abdomen. With a quick maneuver, the pink twilek slapped the human's wrist with her blade and slashed him in the neck for a clean and decisive victory.
The crowd went absolutely wild. With only one fight left and the twilek already declared Grand-Champion, the crowd took a long time to settle down and allow the matched to proceed. Zel was being congratulated left and right, being approached more personally from the masters and finally, by her classmates.
"I'm glad you claimed victory today. Those new challengers proved to be too formidable for me. You put them in their places Zel Tal'ok. I am proud to have trained with you." Tomac said while shaking her hand. The twilek was living the dream.
Arman where are you? It's your turn to come see me Mr. Standard From.
Trying to get to you isn't easy miss popular. I'm almost to you now.
"Congratulations my champion!" Arman finally reached his companion.
"Arman Clash, there you are! What a day! What a feeling!" Zel jumped into his arms, took him from the back of the head and pulled him into her shoulder. She kissed him softly on the cheek.
"Thank you, thank you so much Arman Clash, for everything." She thanked him.
"You've worked hard on this Zel. You deserve it." Arman praised his champion.
"This memory, this feeling, I will cherish forever Arman, and I want you to know what a big part of this you are." Zel said seriously as she looked into her coach's eyes.
"This is just the beginning Zel; your career will be equally impressive." Arman said happily.