A new weapon (Helenias)

[Zeke]

Zeke hd picked it up from an old junker's stall back on Arcan. Why he had bought it he had no clue. He couldn't begin to imagine what to do with it, how to use it. But he knew someone who did. He'd seen her fight with it. Helenias Q'Dunn was a master of the Force Pike. He'd asked her to teach him in its use, and she had consented to show him. Zeke now stood in one of the larger sparring rooms, tapping the tail end of the pike on the floor idly. He couldn't wait to get started.

[Helenias Evenstar]

"Never do what your doing. The tip of a Pike is dangerous"

I had come in from a door behind the Padawan, dressed in my typical green and holding my own Pike in my hands.

"It may accidentally go off and you might find with unexpected results"

A training dummy I swung at quickly, the tip of the Pike grazing the surface of the dummy.... the device explodign into sparks and pieces as the electrical tip arced high voltage, enough to cut the metal. "Many regard the Pike to be the best melee weapon, behind a sabre. Today, I will prove that wrong... it is the best"

[Zeke]

Zeke stopped his idle movement as Helenias exploded the dummy.

"That alone's got me convinced."

He now stood wary, as if his own pike would try to pounce on him.

"So...how do we start?"

[Helenias Evenstar]

"We start witht he basics - what a Pike is and what it can do.

The Pike itself is an Imperial weapon of choice - the Imperial Guards drilled in it's usage and became so proficent that they preferred it to blasters. Although it will not reflect blaster fire, in a hand to hand combat situation it is deadly. Now, the Pike itself is 1.5 meters long, has a energy discharge pont on one end and a power housing on the other. The point can be used as I have just done, and the power housing can become a very effective club if you reverse your strike. You would grip a Pike like a sword, for in some ways that is exactly what it is. The pole can become a vibroblade, cutting through almost anything. Mine has two important modifcations - it fires electricity over a greater range, much like a Dark Master would weild Lightning and it has a section that has a Cortoris covering. Can you thinkwhy I might have that?"

[Zeke]

"The Cortoris would be to block sabers. The lightning I'm guessing would be to give you some long-range capability."

[Helenias Evenstar]

The electricity for long range correct, for I lack that capability in The Force. But the Cortoris does not block sabres, it does something better"

I pointed to the shield to emphasise my point

"It shuts them down. And in that split second, you have a clean and open shot at an unarmed foe. No Jedi can react fast enough to an unexpected shut down of their weapon - and hence, they then wear the pommel across their skull. With this, I have beaten Jedi Master like Yoghurt and Turbogeek. Sith have fallen to it. It is one highly effective weapon"

[Zeke]

Zeke looked at his own pike. It lacked both the modifications of Helenias' own pike. He spoke up.

"Um...mine doesn't do either of those things...it just cuts and stabs and does the electric thing..." He looked the pole over again, then added a question. "How does that electric tip work? Is it automatic? And the vibroblade function, how's that supposed to work?"

[Helenias Evenstar]

"Look where you hand is, near the power cells. There are some controls there. One sets power to on, another selects the vibroblade, aonther controls the tip and you have a power output slide. If you notice, if you hold the Pike correctly, each control is switcihible by a finger touch, which allows you to adjust and change the Pike in mid swing if necessary, to cater for your opponent"

[Zeke]

Zeke shifted his grip on the pike, finding the controls. He moved his fingers in a wave, repeating the functions as he felt each button, memorizing the control layout.

"K, what next?"

[Helenias Evenstar]

"The use of one. There are three particular striking zones on the Pike - along the vibroblad'es edge, so you could use it like a sword, the point so it can be used like a lance and and the pommel, so it could be used like a club. I would also advise that you modify the capacitors and the tip so it may arc like mine can - that makes an effective distance weapon. I would also add..... wear non conductive shoes if you do. In the wet, igniting the discharge capacitors can lead to side effects that you dont want for yourself."

Did I have a malicious grin? Maybe. I was not a standard Jedi by a long shot. Still, an electrical burst into water was a great way to subdue multiple opponents and one I had done in the past. Against a Jedi as well. Sometimes my Imperial background was a bit evident

"Knowing how to use the Pike and in what situation will make you a fearsome opponent Zeke. In hand to hand with this, just like the Royals Guards, you will have no peer. Certainly against blasters and sabres, it is not of real use.... but no weapon is useful in all circumstances. But even then, with intelligence and an open mind, it can be made useful"

[Zeke]

Zeke nodded.

"I see..."

Zeke's boots didn't conduct electricity, so he would be fine as far as that was concerned. The rest of her advice would require some experience to put to good use, but for now, he'd store it away with the rest of the good advice he'd received at GJO.

"Any techniques I should learn?"

[Helenias Evenstar]

"Put on some padding.... I'll show you some. Oh and remove the power cell. I have no wish to have anyone hurt"

[Zeke]

Zeke pulled the power cell out and put it aside, then dragged on some of the academy's semi-armor that was on hand for practices with solid weapons.

"Let's get to it."

[Helenias Evenstar]

The pwer cell of my Pike fell to the ground and I kicked it aside so it would roll to the wall.

"Firstly, this is a weapon you can decide for yourself to use one handed or two handed. I have a tendancy to use either and I would recommend you do so as well - dont get used to one technique only Two handed is more powerful, but one handed is faster and vastly more manouverable. I reserve two handed strikes for a probable knckout or when I am using a Pike much like a sword. Ohterwise, it is light and well balanced enough to use single handed. Understand?"

[Zeke]

"Yes ma'am."

She spoke true enough, the Pike was marvelously light, though he hadn't really noticed before. He spun it once or twice just to be sure and looked to Helenias again.

[Helenias Evenstar]

"Now, how is it you would start in a spar or melee situation? Show me your stance"

[Zeke]

Zeke blinked. Stance? He put his hands in his pockets and shifted his body sideways, setting his feet apart as if he were about to draw his sabers, then held the pike with the blade facing Helenias, one hand near the controls, the other further down the shaft of the weapon.

"Best I can do, considering I know nothing of how to fight with it..."

[Helenias Evenstar]

I looked his stance over, shaking my head.

"Your holding your hands wrong. If you seperate your hands like you have, you turn it into a club and not a particularly mobile one. Your arms will restrict movement into one plane and the pike will only be able to be moved side to side rapidly. Certainly that hand grip will give you power, but there will be no mobility"

I held my Pike up.

"If your going two handed, hold your hands together. This way, you can bring your wrists into play..." and in saying so, I pivoted my wrists, spinning the Pike in a loop "... and gain speed, plus more options. However, while saying a spread hand grip is bad for attack, it works well in defence. In saying that, there is a spread out two handeded grip that can work - much like a Bo - and an interesting technique, using the Pike like a spear. Both are complex however, tho useful"

[Zeke]

Zeke winced inwardly, and though he didn't show it on the outside, he'd had a feeling he's screw up. He changed his stance as she instructed, taking into account her advice on defensive and offensive stances.

[Helenias Evenstar]

I nodded, noting the improvement

"Good. Attack the training droid please"

[Zeke]

Zeke cast his eyes on it. How to attack? Well, she did say he could use it to cut, like a sword...

"Um...'kay."

The droid was a few meters away, and Zeke cleared the distance swiftly, swinging in a horizontal arc at it with the blade.