"When she fights, she embraces the Force instinctively. When trying to achieve that state consciously or removed from that context, she struggles."

"Hm. All right. I can work with that."

"Good. She's available to you at your leisure."

Nod.

She considers possible tacts for helping Brin open up to the Force. Hmm. It's tempting to take her on a field trip, let her embrace the Force in a combat situation while surrounded by life. For once, the fact that Dromund Kaas is a murderous unpleasant deathworld might come in handy. Instead of just being a stupid waste of infrastructure and resources. At last, she can take advantage of a singular good reason to be on an unpleasant deathworld. It only costs, oh, incalculable economic losses to the rest of the Empire, just so the Sith can get to say they conquered a deathworld and can maybe occasionally tromp about in the wilderness, no she's not bitter. But when she thinks about it, taking Brin on a field trip would involve her also tromping around in the murderous jungle deathworld that is Dromund Kaas. In the mud. Bitten, constantly, by swarms of blood-sucking insects. Interrupted by malevolent wildlife approximately every fifteen minutes. In the rain. This does not sound like her idea of a good time. Alas. Dromund Kaas will not get to have even this minor redemption. It's just too fucking impractical.

Instead: Brin is invited to spend an afternoon in a training room with Callida.

She shows up precisely on time.

She's expected nothing less!

"Hello," says Callida, pleasantly. "Occlus asked me to help you with Force techniques. I have a few ideas, but I think to start with... would you like to spar again?"

It sounds like an honest question, not an order.

"Yes."

"All right." Training sabers are summarily retrieved. She doesn't want to have to worry about live lightsabers right now.

"This time," says Callida, tossing her a training saber staff, "there's no pressure to succeed. No need to prove yourself to other people. The point of this is to help you improve, not repeat the trite Academy dogma of proving your worth every five seconds."

Brin nods as she catches it, and settles into a ready stance.

Callida salutes Brin (she likes being polite), then enters a ready stance of her own. This time, she doesn't immediately launch an attack. She waits, watching her opposition calmly.

"So, what do you want?" she wonders, tilting her head slightly.

"To win."

"Straightforward. I like it. But win where? Here?"

She circles Brin, still not attacking. Just - observing. Prepared for an attack, but not initiating.

Brin matches her in the opposite direction, keeping a constant distance.

"Yes."

"Really? That's it?" She raises her eyebrows. "Awfully short-term. And you haven't even started at it yet. Are you waiting for me to make the first move?"

"You started talking."

"And? You're letting that get in your way? I thought you wanted to win."

Okay then. She leaps at Callida, staff pointed like a spear.

Oh, look, someone's been paying attention to Occlus. Downside to this plan: Callida might very well get her ass kicked. But then, the point of this isn't to avoid getting her ass kicked, the point of this is to help Brin improve. Anyway, she could use the practice.

She parries the incoming attack, and dances away.

"Is it just the winning itself? Or are you after something that winning here could get you?"

Brin doesn't answer, attacking again instead. Her Force presence focuses just a tiny bit more with Callida's second question.

That's progress. Probably. It's probably progress.

Callida parries again, then counterattacks, tripping up Brin's footwork and capitalizing upon it immediately with a strike of her own.

"Because I think if you're after anything from beating me besides self-improvement, you're rather shortsighted."

Brin parries ably.

"You say that."

Of course she does. Callida strikes again, aiming to begin setting up to attempt to box Brin into a corner.

"It's true. I'm not interested in stupid in-fighting; I'm here to help you improve. There's no assured safety in knowing you can beat me, because I don't see any reason why I should try to threaten you."

She declines to cooperate with being boxed in. Her control of her movements has increased since last time they fought.

"Why?"

Well, good. She's glad Brin's improved this much in such a short time. It's slightly annoying, but this is a good thing.

Stab.

"It's pointless, and an utter waste of our time and energy. I'd rather be doing better things than squabble over who's Occlus's favorite. If I were worried about fighting with a rival, I wouldn't have pointed you out to her at all."

"Maybe I'm not worried about you, then."