Lightsaber Training 101: Gifts of the Sith (Baralai)

[Sasha Kovalev]

The gift of a lightsaber was one thing that Sasha had never forgotten. He had attempted a very long time ago when he had first joined the order to construct his own. His skills had been marginal then, and not quite adequate enough to build a saber, for force abilities were a part of creating the piece of weaponry of a Sith warrior. He had not forgotten the words of the woman who had gifted his first saber to him – nor had he forgotten the pain she had inflicted upon him.

Sasha had done this to his own apprentice – brought severe pain upon him in their last meeting to teach him a lesson about many things – about being cocky, about understanding the abilities to cause and control pain, and about the darkness that surrounded the life of one who lived the philosophies of the Sith.

He was not sure his apprentice had forgiven him entirely, but he knew that over time Baralai would come to realize that all was done with a purpose in mind. Knowing the pain that could be inflicted, knowing how to continue despite the pain, would be a great skill. It would keep Baralai from being surprised by it later on. Rather he would recognize it immediately and be able to persevere.

And now it was time to begin his training with a saber. They were deep within the catacombs of the Order on this day. The cavern in which they stood was graced only with the light of candles and the glow flickered off of the crevices of the ceiling.

“Tell me of your skill with weapons….” Sasha suggested as he pulled a blaster from within his robes and tossed it to the floor of the cavern.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai smirked with an unknown aura about him, he knew weapons well enough. Those that were made for shredding and mass destruction and those more delicate weapons, the more beautiful ones. Baralai looked at Sasha through the dimly lit caverns, his face almost hidden by its darkness.

He began to speak, "I am a master with the butterfly knife and I also know a variant form of Capoeira, an ancienct martial art. But my most beautiful and favorite weapon," he pulled his whip from his jacket and slammed it into the ground. The chain unraveled and Baralai chuckled softly as he heard it clink on the stone floor.

"Is the whip. . .and this one, I have crafted myself. Deadly, beautiful and most importantly. . ." he threw the switch on the handle and the fiery red blade hummed to life. The red beam carried itself along the chain, illuminating the dark cavern. "The greatest weapon of the force user, with some adaptations to fit me." He looked over at Sasha, "What do you think Sasha? Beautiful isn't it. . .just like everything I create." Baralai smirked and looked at his beautiful weapon. . .it was his pride.

[Sasha Kovalev]

Yes. It was beautiful. Its beauty was marred by the grating cockiness of the speaker, but indeed the weapon was one to be admired. And wary of, most certainly. It had a longer reach than a saber – but it would not be able to move so quickly as the steady blade.

“Impressive that you could create it.” Sasha responded, for it did take a certain level of ability within the force to be able to create weapons that employed it, such as the beam of a saber, or the one within the whip.

Sasha moved toward one of the walls of the cavern where a small stream of water poured down over rocks gone smooth with age. It fell below into another cavern deep within the structure of the Sith Order. Sasha brought a hand out to touch the water, watching it run over his hand for a moment before he withdrew and leaned back against the wall beside the stream of water, his arms crossing over his chest.

“How often have you used it?” He asked.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai looked at Sasha, wondering where these questions were leading. "I've used whenever I had the chance. Quite handy really, capable of doing lethal damage, ensnaring the opponent and disarming them." He watched as the lightsaber scorched lightly into the ground, his whole body shivering with the power in his hands.

He ran his hands over the switch, trying to expect anything from Sasha. It was almost impossible to predict what he was going to do next, but Baralai had a plan should Sasha strike out. Baralai would make sure Sasha didn't catch him off guard this time. He smirked, the same cocky smirk as always, "Why do you ask?"