Halcyon 🪐⋆｡°✩ Paul Arteides ✩⋆｡°🪐 / A Star Wars Story

18.

Sidra didn't know what to expect from Paul. She hadn't seen him fight, but being an Atreides, she had to assume that his family had made him do some form of self defence. He also wouldn't have survived as long with the Fremen if he had been subpar, so Sidra couldn't underestimate him.

'Stop it with this, Stilgar. This is not your training ground,' Chani was heard over the Fremen's chatter. The teenager turned to her uncle as soon as he made the statement, but the man appeared to be oblivious to her concerns.

Ahsoka wandered back over to Sidra to exchange weapons. Once the Chihari had her silver canister back in her possession, she looked to Paul who was hesitant to enter the sparring ground. Chani was seen reassuring him that she didn't have to do what Stilgar says, but the young boy appeared to be past the point of doubt.

'Can I have a knife at least?' Paul asked of Chani, and she huffed loudly. She pulled her own Crysknife from her robe, which Sidra hadn't realised the Fremen carried when not in their stillsuits.

Paul mumbled a 'thank you', before he met eyes with Sidra. She took the space that Ahsoka had been in while Paul went to stand in her place. 

'Good luck,' Ahsoka offered to Sidra. 'Go easy on him.'

'Him? What about me?'

Her friend let out a laugh, but little did Ahsoka know, that Sidra wasn't joking.

The Togruta went to join her Master on the sidelines while leaving a lasting look on the Atreides across the cavern. She looked over his slim stature that she doubted held much strength, so Ahsoka didn't feel the need to object to the spar.

Beside her, Anakin wasn't overly interested in the choice of the Fremen leader, but Obi-wan was already prepared to step in.

Unlike Anakin's viewpoint, the Kenobi did not see sparring as an opportunity to boost ego or to display the best skills. It was to improve and make mistakes so that when the time came, you would be at your best potential.

'Would you like me to change for a knife?' Sidra asked, holding out her lightsaber in uncertainty. Paul gripped Chani's Crysknife in his bare hand, but made no move to even out the playing field.

'You're trained in swordsmanship, right? We'll play to our specialities.'

A shrug was all she received. She was surprised to watch Paul cross his arm with the knife over his chest, displaying the blade against his shoulder. He then raised his elbow to hold the sandworm's tooth across his forehead, saluting Sidra in the Atreides signature respect. When Paul spread his feet and assumed a combat position, Sidra's stomach dropped.

In her research of House Atreides, Sidra had read about their success in previous wars. Despite their merciful nature, the Atreides were skilled and have been known to take enemies without even a blaster. It was only now, when she saw Paul take a stance of defence, that she remembered these facts, and doubted her training in combat.

With a feigned confidence, Sidra stepped one foot back and ignited her lightsaber. She saw the yellow light drown Paul in its hue, and she wondered if he was as nervous as her. It had to be daunting to face a Jedi when all you had done is seen them in hologram films. Sidra hoped that he was equally as unprepared, but was covering it well with his unwavering eyes and steady knife.

Paul stepped first. He tried to go for her forward thigh and Sidra was able to anticipate his attack. She bent her knee to the right and went to use the hilt of her saber to crack at his temple. Their was slight hesitation in her blow, but it would have stunned him if it had landed. But Paul had ducked in the mere milliseconds that the metal was coming his way. His neck rotated to appear on the follow through of Sidra's swing and his free hand came up jab her neck.