The ground came quickly, the dryad landing flat on their back right after the tail swipe hit them. "You're way too slow." Gossara said, pushing up to her full six feet of length as though to show off. She hardly had an impressive stature compared to the gargantuan-yet-average imperial, but to Thalictri she possessed the high ground.
"Maybe we aught to have them practice against my stinger." Veedlie had draped herself all around the forest arena, the tip of her tail glimmering in the dappled lights that came from the canopy. "No. No. No thank you." Thalictri insisted, swinging their legs up and then kicking them forward to launch themselves to their feet. Veedlie simply flicked her forked tongue in reply.
These two were bullies, and Thalictri knew it. But who else was there to spar with? The two serthis on the ship didn't see themselves as fighters, and the rest were either too large, too intense, or- like Gossara- totally jerks. They murmur something under their breath, reaching up to make sure their mask was properly affixed to their face. This sucks.
"What was that?" Gossara tipped her head towards Thalictri.
"Nothing."
"Let's go again, then."