"He was a few years ahead of me, but kind enough to tutor me in mathematics when I needed it. I consider him to be a friend, certainly." Mireska replied. "And his 'defence' can tire out most opponents before he unleashes his more offensive moves." She sighed again. "I was the first Healer on site on Geonosis, so I have a vested interest in his recovery. Unfortunately, being a 'Jedi General' means that I'm rarely back in-Temple to see how he's doing." **** this war. And whatever they did to him on Geonosis.

After spending some time meditating Ker'see knows she now needs a new lightsaber and remembers one from her padawan days. Spanner could build her a new one but she would need to show him how best to sculpt one. Taking one of the sniper rifles recovered from one of the enemy snipers she goes for a walk.

Ker'see goes to visit his friend Mireska.

"Excuse me, Jedi Mireska," starts the devaronian, "Could I borrow your lightsaber?"

Ker'see finds Mireska washing her hands and otherwise finishing up at Medical.

Mireska blinks in surprise. "Errr, why?"

"That **** Bounty Hunter took mine, I'm going to ask Spanner to build me a new hilt and training emitter until I can get it back or a new crystal."

"Ah, I understand," Mireska replied to Ker'see. "I believe that there are Order rules about not letting non-Jedi get their hands on the construction details of our lightsabres, seeing as they have the ability to pierce even vehicular armour. However, I'm sure that Ethan, myself, or even young Jorin could help you with constructing the hilt itself. Maybe this evening, after dinner? It would be a good supervised exercise for Jorin.

"As for the training emitter - that's probably not considered to be sensitive information by the Order. I might even still have the blueprints for that in one of my datapads, seeing as I'm going to improve my own lightsabre at some point. Those I'll happily share with Spanner."

Seeing the SAM site coming up on the scope, with the transport not far behind it, Camouflage starts to call up to Condor when he hears the distinctive, heavy sound of the mass-drivers priming and figures he's got this.

He swings the ball turret back inside the gunship and steps out, grabbing onto one of the handles as he enters the troop compartment, "Hang on to your buckets! We're coming in hot."

He can feel the sweat soaking into the padding in his helmet as he braces for the fight. I wonder how the kid's doing... the clones each hold on to a handle with one hand as they wait for to final countdown at which point they'll drop the handles and get ready to rush out guns blazing. '65 doesn't know about the commandos, but his men have never had a hot-drop quite this hot except in the sims, and not that many even then as the Kaminii didn't expect them to attempt something so desperate. Shadow balances lightly on the balls of his feet, rocking back and forth slightly, the waiting doing a number on his nerves, and Fury unconsciously flexes his trigger finger where it sits next to the trigger guard of his carbine. Then comes the thud of the massive mass-drivers firing again and he barks to his men, "That's the last of them. Get ready!"

17 hours ago, Bellona said:

"Ah, I understand," Mireska replied to Ker'see. "I believe that there are Order rules about not letting non-Jedi get their hands on the construction details of our lightsabres, seeing as they have the ability to pierce even vehicular armour. However, I'm sure that Ethan, myself, or even young Jorin could help you with constructing the hilt itself. Maybe this evening, after dinner? It would be a good supervised exercise for Jorin.

"As for the training emitter - that's probably not considered to be sensitive information by the Order. I might even still have the blueprints for that in one of my datapads, seeing as I'm going to improve my own lightsabre at some point. Those I'll happily share with Spanner."

If Ker'see supervises whichever Jedi constructs the hilt for her, then that could add +1 Boost (unskilled assistance) to the crafting check. It would also be a good reason for why results like Personalised Design could turn up on a hilt crafted for her by another Jedi.

"That sounds fine, thank you Mireska." The devaronian looks awkward having to rely on her peers and turns to walk away...

Jorin rubbed his upper arm at the memory of a rather aggressive youngling used their training saber like a club, repeatedly hammering Jorin's arm until he was forced to drop his saber from his numb hand. Is there a tactical advantage you hope to gain with a training emitter, Master Ker'see?

"It's to replace my missing crystal until I can get a new one," explains Ker'see. "I foresee the bounty hunter using by saber in combat and I need to be able to defend myself against it."

Master.. if I may, Jorin began tentatively, You might be able to use two of them at once.. There was a small youngling in my clan who insisted on using two Shoto style sabers, they became very proficient at blocking and counter strikes. Perhaps you could implement that style if you were to face the bounty hunter again..?

"Hmmm, interesting," muses Ker'see. "I've not practiced two bladed style in some time. "

"Jar'Kai is way beyond my skill set, to be honest," Mireska commented. "But I could probably do with brushing up on some of those moves. Maybe I should consider making another hilt myself, one with a training emitter."

She checked the time.

"At the very least I should practise parries and the like in the gym before dinner this evening."

"There's a gym?"

"This is a GAR garrison, so there is a gym for indoor physical exercise. It's not a real training salle like the ones at the Temple, but it will do." Mireska replied. "Maybe you've been too busy on the shooting range to notice all the other facilities?"

"It'll be a good place to take The Duchess to burn off some excess energy..."

Ethan just stood there just listening to the conversation. "Do any of you feel that we jedi rely too much on our lightsabers and less on the force? We have extreme power with the force I feel if we used it to our full potential we wouldn't even need our lightsabers. Though it does make it easier."

"For some, the practice of a lightsabre kata can be a form of moving meditation on the Force itself, and not everyone reaches their full potential in the same way," Mireska replied to Ethan. "But I do think that, ideally, weapons should be a last resort, not the first."

She paused in thought, then continued.

"Speaking of weapons and violence ... to be honest, I'm not entirely certain about what went wrong in the sequence of events which lead to this Force-forsaken war. The Separatists were within their rights to secede. So why did they feel the need to create a droid army, and act so agressively - and secretively? Treating Kenobi in that way, then condemning him to die in such a one-sided arena combat? Jedi used to be able to operate outside the Republic borders - granted, not with the same powers and immunities as within the Republic - without being either subjected to atrocities or used to excuse a full-scale interstellar war. I certainly don't begrudge our troopers their existence - on the contrary, I support their right to full citizenship - but their sudden discovery seems oddly convenient for the war-mongers in the Senate. There's something wrong going on here, and I'm not referring to the war itself." Mireska stared glumly at the crystal trees beyond the garrison walls.

Condor grinned behind his helmet as the last anti-air emplacement went down, and they came upon the landing zone. More then being pleased with himself, he was just happy to have taken them down before they'd fired. He'd seen what one of those things could do to a LAAT. Next up on the list was landing and taking over that transport. As he angled down towards the open hangar however, he grimaced at the number of droids on the ground. There were far too many for them to take head on. " Varactyl! Once we're down, you get that transport in the air. Balyeg will keep that battalion of clankers from getting back on board. "

Condor swept low with the LAAT, sending up a haze of dust as he headed straight inside the hangar. Once inside he immediately threw the engines into reverse and dropped onto the metal surface with a clang as the LAAT stalled in the air a few inches off the ground. " GO! " he yelled, and was glad to see Varactyl squad didn't need much instruction as they were already running into the transport, blaster's firing. Meanwhile, Balyeg was unloading from the LAAT, and heading into cover as he and Bullseye joined them as they climbed out of the cockpit.

He couldn't see anything, but the commandos didn't even bother to wait for the dust to clear before they started firing into the phalanx of droids. There were enough of the clankers they were bound to hit something.

As soon as the LAAT slams to a stop, the doors shoot open and the Varactyls pour out, just ahead of Camouflage. He doesn't have to say anything, they all know their jobs.

With Hawk and Havoc leading the way, they blitz through one of the two clusters of droids, annihilating it as they rush to the back of the lander, ignoring the latter group in favor of speed. Camouflage brings up the rear, firing both pistols into the second group, scrapping all four of the clankers. With Balyeg Squad and Condor hot on their tails, they clear the rear of the lander's gaping maw, Varactyl Squad taking down the few active droids while Camouflage pours fire into the deployment rack they were trying to activate. The system jams from the damage and Camouflage takes a breath and looks around as the commandos send blaster fire downrange at the large clusters of B1s as they try to sort themselves out.

He sees the door to the lift up to the command center and quickly determines that it's locked. "Ghost, Shadow, hang onto those charges and cover our flank. The rest of you help the commandos. I'll get this door open." As he starts examining the lock, the clones split up as ordered, Ghost and Shadow watching their backs as the rest join their fire with the commandos'.

Side-by-side with Balyeg Squad, they spray fire at the droids as the clankers attempt to bear down on the clones. The Varactyls cut down the first row of the second column and throw the newly-formed droid lines back into disarray. Varactyl Squad fights grimly, knowing that if their LT can't get the door open, they'll be overwhelmed soon from the sheer volume of enemy droids.

Camouflage examines the lock carefully before setting to work, but struggles to make any headway. After about a minute of work, he senses advantage. He doesn't have it yet, but surely he'll have it in another moment. Shadow reaches for the charge on his utility belt, "Boss, you ready for us to blow it?" the ARC grunts, shaking his head, "Almost got it, gimme a minute." "'65, we can't hold ou-" "I know, dammit. Hang on!"

Condor and the rest of Balyeg continued their fire, taking down another line of the droids as the B1's kept on towards them. A look over his shoulder told him they still didn't have the door open, so there was nothing to be done except keep firing.

"Well, if you both have time now I would love to start crafting a new saber hilt. I'm planning on using a recovered sniper rifle for the parts..."

The droids returned fire. Blaster bolts missed Varactyl squad but struck condor's right arm causing him to drop his weapon. His armor held but it still hurt. Condor recovered his blaster and prepared to shoot again.

"SHAB!" The ARC trooper slams his fist against the bulkhead as one of the pieces slips back into place when he almost had it . "Keep them back! I'm almost there, just a minute longer!" The drop went so smoothly, why now!? Frustrated, he starts again. If I don't get it this time, I'll have to just blow the shabla thing and hope it doesn't mess anything else up.

The Varactyls dig in as best they can, finding what cover is available as they continue to focus down the droids. With cover as sparse as it is, Anakkona and Fury just lie prone, trying to minimize the silhouette they present to the enemy. "Balyeg, could use some help with these!" Anakkona calls out, as the column they are focusing on manages to get out enough fire to suppress the Varactyls, keeping their heads down. The other column is in relative disarray and doesn't pose as much of an immediate threat to the clones.

On 5/29/2020 at 6:34 AM, MrTInce said:

"Well, if you both have time now I would love to start crafting a new saber hilt. I'm planning on using a recovered sniper rifle for the parts..."

Mireska nodded. "If you're in a hurry right now, then we can move our gym slot to this evening instead of this afternoon. Let's raid the electronics workshop plus any other necessary sources, then find a quiet location for the finer work and actual assembly."

She looked around the GAR garrison grounds.

"Do you want to do some preliminary meditation first? That looks like a quiet spot," Mireska pointed to the front of the main HQ building, where a grove of the iconic Christophsian crystal trees had somehow survived the garrison's construction process. "I've noticed that the sunset's light is particularly spectacular when viewed through the crystals there. The background material on Christophsis says that the trees are just outcroppings of the crystal veins which run deep under the surface, and that one grove is usually connected through the veins to other groves in the vicinity."