Another partner might not have reacted as swiftly to the switch as Alethea had.  In an instant, as if she had been waiting for just such a moment, she used her skill to propel herself back towards the wall and back at him in an instant.  Rapidly, Thal-ion had little choice, but to switch back to Soresu to stop this latest twist in their rather interesting duel.  She was quick...not just strong, but quick, and the Force was with her in both of these aspects.  This, however, left Thal-ion at a distinct disadvantage.  He had not bothered to really focus overly much on his physical strength...relying more on his ability to dodge, parry, and attack with such precision and speed.  Now, however, he faced one who had trained her physical strength as much as she had her agility, and she had learned to increase both in the Force.  It made her, perhaps, the single most lethal partner he had ever dueled...aside from a Master.<br/><br/>While Soresu had the ability to keep a duelist in a battle longer - it did have the weakness of never being able to win either.  It was entirely defensive...to passive to actually overwhelm an enemy except the enemy become exhausted.  This did not seem likely to Thal-ion as he kept his emerald blade intercepting her purple and white ones.  This was not a battle he could win through attrition of stamina.  He had to strike back, or fail.<br/><br/>This was the true reason he had learned Makashi.  The other reason was Makashi was rarely practiced anymore.  It was such an archaic form that even in the ending days of the Old Jedi Order it was rarely used.  This form then had the ability to throw others off.  Too many others focused on Ataru or other forms which dealt with blaster deflection, but Makashi was designed for lightsaber duels.  He, however, could not simply switch with the way she was all over him in a blur of white and purple.  He needed to buy himself a moment, and thus, he suddenly Force propelled himself into a swift roll under one of her strikes, and rolled up behind her.  He knew without a doubt she would swiftly be able to follow his movement, but it was all the time he would need in the change.<br/><br/>The very next second he no longer was solely using Soresu.  Now he went almost purely offensive...dancing in against her, and weaving his blade in sudden and rapid emerald lunges and strikes....weaving a blur around her two blades, and attempting to disarm her of at least one.  He dared not let up for a second, and he waited for her to start using Ataru to escape his advance...waited...listening to the Force for the moment she would attempt to roll away, or leap over him.  Onward he pressed her...the clash of their blades humming and hissing against each other as the harmonics changed with each new strike.