Originally posted by Nephthys
If you're talking about this:
'The apprentice knew exactly what to expect. They had dueled many times before. He had learned how to fight at the hands of the man in the black suit-the man whose face had been forever hidden from him. He knew the intimacies of his refined version of Djem So, a fighting style that incorporated elements of Ataru, Soresu, and Makashi. He had fended off many wild, slashing attacks that would have overwhelmed even an extraordinary Jedi Knight. He had borne the brunt of many psychological battles.'
Then that does not indicate that Galen was only able to do as well as he did because he knew Vaders style, just that he knew it.
It clearly gave him an advantage he wouldn't have against other foes.
Originally posted by Nephthys
Especially since immediately after that Vader reveals that he'd always held back against him.
...so why are you saying that Marek beat Vader as proof of him being superior to Malgus?
Originally posted by Nephthys
Besides which, Malgus also uses Djem So, so Galen obviously knows a good deal about Malgus' style too.
Fair enough, but if the ''force of her blows surprised him'' then I wouldn't want to see what would happen when facing Malgus who relies almost only on strength.
Originally posted by Nephthys
Those moments you show of Starkiller "being on the backfoot" ignore that they continue to duel for a good length of time afterwards and that she clearly could not overcome or beat him, requiring her to go to such desperate lengths just to try to force a draw.
In fact, the text I ignored shows Marek as ''desperate''. I ignored it because I wanted to focus on the strict duel.
In desperation, he summoned a bolt of Sith lightning and sent it down, into the flesh of the sarlacc. The beast roared and shook, giving him the opening he needed. Shaak Ti's right foot slipped, forcing her to flip elegantly out of reach of his blade. He leapt after her, swinging as he came.
The fight progressed around the sarlacc's center rings, blow and counterblow accompanied by the roaring of the beast. The apprentice cut off teeth and threw the fragments at his adversary's head. In return she took tighter control of the beast's distributed intelligence and sent its food-seeking tentacles flailing for him. He repulsed them and fought on.
Down they drove each other, closer and closer to the very lip of the creature's enormous mouth. The air was foul down there, heavy with digestive by-products and the stink of rotting meat. Ghastly exhalations rolled over them as the sarlacc roared on. The apprentice was running out of teeth to sever, so he resorted more and more frequently to Sith lightning and random slashes of his lightsaber to keep it twitching underfoot. Thick ichor leaking out of the wounds made the footing even more treacherous.
Originally posted by Nephthys
Which he still overcame. She didn't 'spank' him, she lost.
In a strict duel I suppose you're not allowed to use the force except for augmenting physical attributes. For the duel,he was driven backwards, was desperate for the use of lightning and would've had his eye impaled had it not been for him stopping the blade, which isn't allowed in a strict duel.
Originally posted by Nephthys
Besides which, this was at the start of the book, and Galen clearly progresses in strength throughout.
As a duelist? Doubt it.