[D9 MM] Friendly Bout

[Deonis Harik]

"It can change. Is very difficult. The dark side comes from emotions, passion, anger, rage, hatred, fear. The light side comes from control, balance, tranquility. They are opposites in a way so difficult to change." He thought for a moment "Well difficult to go from dark to light, dark is more natural, easier, but needs moderation, can be too easy sometimes. Light takes time and training."

He leaned against a wall "the forms are different styles yes. Some use particular weapons most are just the way you fight. Form one is basics simple strikes basic blocking solid but..predictable good for fighting multiple opponents though. Form two is more....elegant. graceful. Meant for one on one duelling. Three is defensive, tight and controlled. Four is speed and acrobatics many had to use the force to be faster to learn it. Five was a hybrid between defense and all out Attack. Six was the combination of all the forms taking pieces from each. Leaned more toward defense. And seven is aggressive and unpredictable. One attacks with so much speed and ferocity a single blade becomes many."

[Raven Cadera]

"... I would make a terrible jedi," she said, deadpan. Not that she had any affinity for the Force in the first place, but if the Jedi were the Light-side, Raven saw more of herself in the description of anger, rage, and most of all fear.

"But that sounds pretty interesting. I didn't know there was so much variation to how one could fight with a lightsaber. Do you apply those techniques to fighting with that sword too?"

[Deonis Harik]

"As would i." He said with a chuckle "I use too much passion in the Force draw on anger and rage when I fight. Also my species has a unique connection to the dark side that I'm not even sure I understand. I call on it by base instinct most of the time."

He thought on her question "when I can. They are based around using a lightsaber so some of the moves are difficult with a heavy blade. But the principles transfer some."

[Raven Cadera]

"Yeah... that too." She wasn't sure what to think what it meant for someone like her, to have those feelings in combat.

"What's it like? Wielding a weapon that has no weight to it but the hilt?"

[Deonis Harik]

"It is hard to describe. More than other weapon you have to be very aware of it. Just as a sense. Many theorize that one must be Force Sensitive to use it safely. Not sure I buy that but it can be as dangerous to you as you opponent"

He paused and looked at her for a moment "Would you like to try? Obviously it's not a toy but of anyone I trust you to be responsible with it."

[Raven Cadera]

A sense of trepidation came over her as she considered it. "... Are you certain? I... wouldn't want to accidentally hurt myself or anyone else."

[Deonis Harik]

He nodded and took a few steps to the box his lightsaber sat on. He returned and held it out to her on an upturned palm "only if you want to. Don't try anything fancy. Holding it. Simple swings. Should be safe enough."

[Raven Cadera]

"Sounds more than enough, yeah," she chuckled a bit nervously, attaching her helmet to her belt to free up both her hands.

Raven hesitated somewhat at accepting the weapon. "Which side is the dangerous one? I don't want to accidentally ignite it and stab myself."

[Deonis Harik]

He indicates with his thumb the end that the blade will come from "this button turns it on." He said gesturing to a small button in the metal actually somewhat elegantly laid into the cylinder to be somewhat hard to see.

Should she pick it up Deo would take two long steps back. it would be lighter than it appeared as it was full of electronics and a crystal rather than solid metal, the metal was cool to the touch and still had a solid weight to it speaking to its quality. It was almost two feet in length. Once ignited the weight would not change and the blade would be about five feet of crimson energy.

[Raven Cadera]

Accepting the weapon, Raven handled it cautiously, as expected of someone who had grown up with weapons around her and were used to treating each one with the respect it deserved.

Still, she couldn't help herself from taking a step back in surprise as the blade ignited. It was... quite a weird sensation, to see such a long blade only made of... whatever it was that lightsaber-blades were made of... and it weighed absolutely nothing.

"Wow." There really were no other words for it.

[Deonis Harik]

Deonis smiled at the tone of amazement "You forget how amazing they are to others." the wonder of the weapon was sometimes lost when you train and fight with it for years. Seeing someone else experience it for the first time was a fulfilling feeling, something akin to holding it for the first time himself. Is this how parents feel? the question rattled around his head for a second before he focused back to Raven.

"People think it makes it a fully superior weapon but there are challenges one has to train through. especially if they have training with other weapons. Balance is different. How much force behind a swing. Things like that."

[Raven Cadera]

Very carefully, she moved her wrist in a delicate and slow motion. That there was no resistance or weight still amazed her.

"I... can imagine. How easy it must be to injure yourself with a weapon like this before you've learned to use it. And here I thought people thought Mando'ade were crazy for letting their children play with knives," Raven chuckled, still looking in awe at the weapon.

"How long did you train before you first got to wield one of these?"

[Deonis Harik]

Deonis thought for a moment "I used a training saber for about 3 years before I built this one." he said thinking back to somewhat happier, simpler times, at least in memory "it is intensive training learning how to wield the blade. I had...stern instructors."

[Raven Cadera]

"Stern instructors are needed to train warriors," she said with some understanding, though for her, the sternness had always been mixed with familial support when it came to those who had trained her.

Cautiously Raven moved the blade through the air, making a very soft 'vwoom'-noise as it wasn't moving very fast. "Is it a rite of passage then, to make your own weapon?"

[Deonis Harik]

he nodded slowly "You're right. discipline is important." though she probably doesn't know the depth of what he means when he uses those words stern and discipline.

"It is in a way. For my training it was more practical. One has a better connection to the weapon if they built it themselves. better able to do maintenance on it. to improve it. From what I understand of Jedi it was more spiritual. They treated their sabers as more than just weapons." he chuckled a little "Not sure about putting that much meaning into it."

[Raven Cadera]

"Like... a symbol of sorts, or something else?"

With her eyes on the weapon, she turned it off and waited for a moment to be sure that it was indeed no longer active. "That one I can understand. Did you know that there's a Mandalorian weapon, called the Darksaber? I've never seen it, but I've heard it's like a lightsaber. It's something of a symbol for the Mando'ade."

[Deonis Harik]

"A symbol, I've heard of some saying an extension of themselves. Even their soul. Phroth would know more about that since he trained with them." Raven described the darksaber and Phroth nodded thoughtfully "can't say I've heard of it. Not surprising other weapons like these exist."

[Raven Cadera]

"Stories say that it was made by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order, over a thousand years ago. And the stories also said that the Jedi kept it in their temple as a treasure, until members of Clan Vizsla retrieved it." A pained expression passed over her, and she returned the weapon to Deonis. "For a time, it was a symbol of leadership and strength, sometimes wielded by the one who was Mand'alor - the supreme leader of the Mandalorian people."

Her shoulders rose with her sigh. "Now it's been disgraced and stolen. As happens to much of our symbols and treasures."

[Deonis Harik]

The big man nodded "sorry to hear that. Maybe you can reclaim it one day. Restore a piece of your people." He offered with a vague tone of hope.

[Raven Cadera]

"I hope so one day, but... all things in time. Patience is a virtue difficult to learn, I've found," she said with a small chuckle.

"What about you? Anything for you to reclaim or restore?"