The Old Sith Wars (IC)

[Rtron]

Vrantin relaxed. Slightly. He wasn't sure if he was out of the danger zone yet, but the worst appeared to have past. Rablaaz kept up his constant sharpening of his Ryyk blade, for far more than just simple equipment upkeep. He was ready to act at a moments notice, should Vrantin slip up and Volisk attack. Not that he expected to be able to do anything to the Sith, but he would at least by Vrantin time to begin his escape. "I was not 'brought' to this side of the Force, not in the normal sense anyways. This side is all I've ever known.

"My master found me to be a force adept and took me in at a young age. From then on, all I learned was the power of the Dark Side and the ways of the Sith. When it came time for me to go beyond the rank of student, my master tested me. I passed that test, but my master sadly died the next day, challenging a Jedi far stronger than him. He taught me a few final lessons with that act. It is far better to win by 'dishonorable' means than it is to die by honorable means. And arrogance will destroy all. Do not be to sure of your own abilities, and do not underestimate your enemies."

[RainTheifAustin]

"Ah, good lessons come in many forms, and often are perceived differently by everyone. To Each His Own. That was one of the key statements in my years as a mentor." Volisk replied. "But, enough of this, we must rest, for soon my fellow, we strike the heart." Volisk then began to leave the Cargo bay and strode towards his quarters.

[Knighthawk]

Omwot finished copying the records of the Dragite crystal to his datapad from the jedi library, he would later have to ask his master for permission to travel to the D'olop Mountain Range of M'haeli. He collected his black outermost layer and placed them over the bright ivory robes, a reminder that no matter his purity to the force, the darkside was always around them. In the wake of the war, he had taken to wearing clone thigh plates as shin guards since shoes so rarely came in his species size and shape. This wasn't a matter to him as Ithorians could go their entire lifetime barefoot in a temperate climate like their homeworld and herdships.

The extra leg weight was odd to get used to, but his style of defense did not need complex footwork so he felt assured this was a wise decision to protect his lowest extremity from the farthest point of his defensive saber. Part of him pondered to develop his sabers to be better at deflecting blaster fire, such as Jenruax with Lorrdian. But to focus of blaster fire might leave him open elsewhere. Focus or broad, the plight of anyone in any skill anywhere.

He ascended the ramp to his masters ship for this mission and took a place near the navigation console to enter the co-ordinates to see if they would even remotely close to the planet from his datapad. He took care not to enter them as the destination itself but just to see where it would be in their course and left it up for his master to see in his own time. For now he would head to the engine room and listen to the engines, trying to harmonize the sounds with the actions of the ship.

It would be some time before they arrived at Coruscant, and his master intended to be productive with their time. He left the cockpit and approached his Padawan in the main hold Just as the Ithorian exited the engine room. "We are en route for Coruscant. Once we are there, we will meet the Jedi we are going to be working with at the Jedi Temple in the capital, as well as the mercenaries that will be joining us. From my understanding, they work with the Republic often, so they are trustworthy, or at least as trustworthy as mercenaries can be. In the meantime, I believe it is time for another training session. I would, however, like to skip our normal meditation. I cannot overstate how admirable your dedication to resolving conflicts peacefully is, but I fear words will not suffice for this mission. We are going into battle against a well armed and professional army, so I would like to run a few drills with sabers. Come, follow me to the cargo bay so we may begin." Xan before leaving the room.

Omwot obediently followed, reaching up into his sleeves to draw his sabers from their wrist sheaths. He kept them on his forearms to provide a few centimeters of defense against anything attacking his arms as well as keeping his saber on hand even if he traveled with his hands in the sleeves. It might be seen as deception, but he had to admit the sad fact that this was war.

"Master, I seek to enhance my blades. My question is that shouldn't my first saber be good enough? Why do some decorate their sabers with rare metals if it serves no purpose. My saber is my life and my identity, but isn't the desire to improve my saber show a material tie to this world?"
He spoke to his master as they traveled the hall in fluent Tiss'shar, his masters language that was mainly formed of hisses, shrieks, and lisping vocalizations.
On one hand I look to the Dragite crystal, I like the idea of a crystal that adds sound to my saber if I need to attack. But I shouldn't look forward to causing someone more pain. I have seen there are several crystals and equipment to enhance blaster deflection. ut I do not know if they would weaken my saber in other ways much like the ways of the saber have strengths and weaknesses.

[EliteCommander]

"There is no problem with improving your blade for functional purposes, though a Jedi should not choose to do so purely for aesthetics." Xan responded to Omwot's question. "As for how you should improve it, the advice you receive on that subject would vary for every Jedi you asked. There is no one answer to the question, and there are well-formed arguments on all sides of the debate. My own strategy is one of versatility."

Xan took both of his blades from his belt and activated them, then held the blue and green blades side by side. "For my primary saber, the blue one, I am currently using an Opila crystal. As you can see, the blade is more intense and can cut through tougher materials more quickly. I rarely change this crystal as it makes for a well-balanced and versatile blade with no notable weaknesses. For my green saber, however, I change the crystal depending on what I am expecting to encounter. If you remember from our last mission, we encountered dark Jedi relatively frequently, so the blade contains a Rubat crystal, which allows me to move the blade more quickly, a useful trait in a lightsaber duel. For our next mission, I still expect to encounter dark Jedi, but I also expect that there will be far more non-force users opposing us. The Krayt have recently formed an alliance with the Mandalorians, so their numbers have been bolstered by battalions of trained soldiers. As a result, blaster bolt deflection will be more useful."

Xan deactivated his sabers and clipped his primary back to his belt, then reached into one of the belt's pouches and removed a small crystal. He levitated his green saber in front of him and started to take it apart with the force. Given his familiarity with his blade, the process took merely seconds. He reached out and grabbed the Rubat crystal, replaced it with the new crystal, then reassembled the saber, allowing each piece to fall seamlessly into place until the entire device was once again in one piece. "The crystal I am using now is a Jenruax crystal, which makes the blade wider and allows for easier blaster bolt deflection. Remember, you can can change your saber's crystal at will, so you will rarely need to go into battle without the one you want to use. Some Jedi believe in becoming accustomed to a single type of saber so that you may be prepared if you are suddenly placed in a situation that your current saber is not ideal for, and I can see the wisdom in that belief, but I believe that it is more wise to prepare yourself as completely as possible for the situation you are bringing yourself into. As for your question about Dragite, given your affinity for sound, it is a wise choice if you are expecting to enter combat, as we most certainly are. Sonic damage does cause increased pain in the target, but it can also stun an opponent, which can allow you to neutralize an enemy without killing them. A Bondar crystal can cause the same stunning effect with less pain, so I sometimes use one of those when I am on peacekeeping mission. For wartime, however, Dragite would be more appropriate. As for crystals that improve blaster bolt deflection, some may weaken your saber in other ways, but refined crystals such as Jenruax simply provide a wider blade that is easier to deflect with."