Duel Duel of the Fates. BattleMasters Past and Present (Julius, NJO)

[Caltin Vanagor]

REDEMPTION IS NEVER OUT OF REACH...​

Location: Corellian Jedi Temple​

Equipment: Conservator(Lightsaber)​

Companion: Astromech R01R - "Roller"​

Tag: Julius Sedaire​

​

One of the training rooms was lined with benches at and around the walls. There would be a large audience today, at least that was the presumption of the lone individual in the room. Sure, there was no guarantee that this would happen, and he was under absolutely no illusion that there would be, but there were rumors, talk of a duel. Duels, spars, practice sessions, these were everyday life in the world of the Jedi, but it was not every day one with the matchup of two such as Masters Julius Sedaire or Caltin, let alone the both of them facing each other.

This would not be a simple one on one though as the two would-be-combatants would be taking on a grouping of training droids as well. The dozen metal-clad swashbucklers would prove to be no slouch, which made the massive Jedi Master all the more excited because he loved the challenge, always training to what he thought was one notch above his ability. What kind of droid depended on Master Sedaire as the Corellian Jedi would be choosing them. He had never met Master Sedaire, only standing once in his presence at the recent Knighting Ceremony.

“Then why challenge him?” Why not?

The man was a Jedi, just like him, and the experience would one day save the lives of either, or both of them. That was an important message to the two warriors, but to anyone and everyone who would hear about, or attend this “match” for lack of a more appropriate term, either way, it would be fun.

He had his breakfast, he had his morning workout, he actually slept well, and was limbering up as he waited for others to come. Was Caltin nervous? Maybe a little. Was Caltin unsure of how to approach this duel? On a normal note, “no”, he had plenty of experience in them, but he did not know of the experience of the Watchmen of Corellia. Was he prepared? Prepared as he will ever be. Was he excited? Again, yes. Was he…

Do you hate people who answer their own questions? I do...

Soon, there was nothing left to do, nothing left but waiting.

​

​

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Location: Green Jedi Temple - Sparring Arena
Equipment: The Green-Sword (Lightsaber), Skywalker Saber (Lightsaber), Bloodstripe Trousers - First Class (Fancy-tight-pants)

Dueling.

Once, Julius had lived for it. And his reputation in it was the reason he had gotten recognized as a Battlemaster for the Republic and the original Galactic Alliance. Had seen him rise to prominence to help free Corellia from Sith and other yolks, refound the Green Jedi. Lead them. Earn bloodstripes and become the Green Devil of Corellia. But he had left that be to watch over his home planet and run his Inn, and train the rare student that came seeking guidance. But 'meeting' Caltin Vanagor had stirred something for him.

A tremor in the Force, a waft in the Flow his Aing-Tii mentors had taught him to read so well. It was a chance, sure. They could have lived their purposed lives without it and not broken a single thread in their respective Fates. But they had met, and now that was something they both had to react to. So he had reached out to Coren Starchaser and the man himself, setting this up. It would be an exhibition of differing styles and teamwork, and pure grit and intellect. Neither had a distinct edge over the other, so this would be something rare, a true duel of the spirit and mind fo the combatants.

True to his form, Julius abstained from drink the night prior. His breakfast that morning was light, a loaf of rye bread and blue milk as he walked to the Arena of the Green Jedi Temple. It still felt new and unfamiliar to him at times, despite the stones he helped lay having been weathered and worn now. Zugruk Industries made droids, as old as some of the spectators but well maintained and deadly, stood to the side. Four training remotes, three saber droids, and a deadly Typhojem, all neurally linked and functioning as an elite Force Hunter unit today.

Stepping in, Julius removed the trademark Corellian long coat and his Rebellion signet and Kathol liberation rings, a bryar pistol, and oddly enough a Mandalorian made beskar crafter kal knife. All that stood on him now were typical jedi under-robes with first-class bloodstripe trousers, and two lightsabers, one ancient and fairly swirling in the Force, and the other feeling oddly alive.

A turn, as he cracked his neck and regarded the larger man with a grin that had infuriated and wooed dozens of women and opponents the Galaxy over.

"Well, shall we see what shall come of the day, my friend?"

The man deserved to get the measure of who he was fighting. And Julius, at his core, still had problems being entirely serious.

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

REDEMPTION IS NEVER OUT OF REACH...​

Location: Corellian Jedi Temple Arena​

Equipment: Conservator(Lightsaber)​

Companion: Astromech R01R - "Roller"​

Tag: Julius Sedaire , Coren Starchaser​

​

When Julius would enter the arena, he would see Caltin sitting in the Lotus position, he was not meditating or trying to show off how limber a man his size could get. Which was not “very” when you think about it, after all, he was 6’5 and 360lbs.

They get it, move on.

No, Caltin was sitting and waiting. In truth, he was pondering what he would do after the duel. This was his daughter Alyscia’s home planet after all. Would he visit her burial site? Her mother Aleksandra's? Were they still around eight hundred years later? They could be, but it was nothing something to dwell on now as it would only get in his way. Like Julius, he had “that feeling” pulling at him the moment he had met the Corellian Sentinel, but the massive Jedi Master did not wish to press the matter. The Big Guy was still learning the ways and methods of this new age of Jedi. In fact, when the word was sent to him that the challenge was made, Caltin had asked Coren Starchaser himself if this would be alright if it was a worthy pastime.

Anyway, back to him being in the seated position when the “elder” came in and addressed him, Caltin somersaulted backward and up to his feet. In his “traditional” silver and white boots, pants, and a sleeveless tunic, “Conservator” the long handled lightsaber slung over his back as always. His appearance may have been imposing, tattoos covering his strong shoulders, a frame that it could carry twice the capabilities of a Ronto, but anyone that would spend five seconds with him without a weapon in his face would see pretty much the opposite.

You mean we’re not going to the bazaar?

He could joke too.

​

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[Jend-Ro Quill]

The training room was quite large. A physically unimposing hermit could fit neatly in a private corner if said hermit wanted to quietly watch. Said hermit really did. While he didn't entertain much hope of raising his lightsaber game to their level at any point in the future, this ought to be educational.

With judicious use of Jedi discipline, he had refrained from bringing snacks.

Caltin Vanagor Julius Sedaire

 

[Julius Sedaire]

An arched eyebrow, and a wry smile that spread to his lips as he turned to face his opponent in a more serious stance and began rolling up his sleeves. The Aing-Tii markings glittered silver-blue on his biological arm, and brightly lit blue on the prosthetic, both markings and prosthetics a gift from his mentors. The Underground tattoo on his left wrist of flesh marked a few stories, perhaps.

"We ain't shopping for rings yet darlin. Figured we'd go dancing first."

Long years on Corellia had brought back his thicker drawl and deeper accent as a native. Freedom fighters and rebels for the cause rarely spoke finely. Somehow, the sass sparked what felt like an instant brotherhood between him and the more muscled man. So the refinement he had adopted as a Jedi Master dropped, and he spoke with a natural cant to his voice. The Guardian-Turned-Sentinel-Turned-Watchmen-Turned-Barkeep unclipped the newer lightsaber from his belt and spun it lightly around his wrist and hand, flipping it like one might a long knife as he began pacing.

There wasn't an end to the banter, nor an announcement, but the gathering hushed. The air had changed, and the people could feel it. An electric tension. Any fight was mental as well as physical, and the mental had begun. Each step was measure, the length varying and neither foot ever crossing the other or leaving the ground completely. One step half and on the ball of the foot, arched, the other a sliding pass with the back foot on the heel. Vapaad was restraint and channeling of one's own darker impulses to deflect the opponents.

It was a philosophy that almost every practitioner varied in the implementation of, and Julius actualized the tenets of Form VII in snark, smirk, and a disdainfully relaxed posture. He could have been paying sabaac at his bar, for as casual as his stroll would be to the untrained. But any Jedi would sense the rising energy in him, the warring passion and dispassion. At the best of times, Julius was an infuriating set of contradictions, according to his dead wife.

At the worse of them, he was a maelstrom of danger and death in defense of life itself. He got dirty, so others didn't have to. Slowly his eyes began to relax as his mind expanded, walking the flows of the fight with half a mind to the process, stretching his senses for danger.

"Don't worry if you step on my toes big boy, I can teach you right."

The smirk twisted and gave nature true to the taunt.

Caltin Vanagor

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

REDEMPTION IS NEVER OUT OF REACH...​

Location: Corellian Arena​

Equipment: Conservator(Lightsaber)​

Companion: Astromech R01R - "Roller"​

Tag: Julius Sedaire , Jend-Ro Quill​

​

You had to make it weird, huh?

The “elder” was flaunting his blade skill and was truly no slouch with the weapon, Caltin could see this without even having to look. Of course, that meant little as it was for show and the big guy could appreciate a good show. Figuring that they were not going to do this with training sabers, Caltin pulled his long handle-lightsaber Conservator out from over his shoulder and began to swing it as nonchalantly as his would-be opponent.

He was not looking for weaknesses, he was not looking for potential innocents that he would have to protect. In truth, Caltin was merely stepping around in his own slow and measured approach to a fight, even if this was not one, after all, Caltin had experience in this too. Clearly from the positioning of his feet, Julius was showing what he was capable of, or maybe providing a nice decoy. It would not surprise that the Vaapad stance that the Corellian Jedi had entered into was legitimate, he was proficient in it himself.

Then, as if a switch flipped, his own, semi-joking manner changed.

His entire look turned into one that was ready, not just for a duel, but for straight-up battle. Of course, he would not go to finish a battle in the traditional sense, after all this was a Jedi he was dueling against, but he was not in the advantage here. He was not competing against a student, after all, he was competing against another Master, another BattleMaster. There was one very notable mistake that Julius seemed to be making, it…

Nooo…. Do not reveal it…

… but…

--- not yet.

This was going to be epic.

​

​

 

[Julius Sedaire]

A whistle. Low. Flat. Tuneless almost. The droids came to life, their sabers also hissing to life in vibrant white. Julius threw the one saber he had been toying with into the air as the training drones began firing. It spun and they tracked it, as he suddenly burst into movement. He may be mostly gray, but speed and agility were always his allies. As the remotes were simpler, they fired at the lightsaber, but missed.

They missed mostly because as soon as the summersault landed him in front of the lead saber droid, the tossed saber yoinked right into the hands of the Corellian. One hilt hissed alive green, the other blue. Both began whirling in spun circles as the droid adopted an aggressive Form II stance, circling a turning Julius, who occasionally lashed out with a saber.

It might appear testing, but the lashes were designed to keep the AI he had crammed into them after-market guessing. They were dangerous enough before that, but now they were near level with a Knight in most cases. The one he faced could stand up to a less able Master, potentially. He spent at least an hour a day pacing them when he could.

A look tossed at Caltin Vanagor showed a wry grin spreading as he cat-called.

"Come now, you'll miss all the fun. These fine machines want to promenade!"

With that, both blades snapped to ready. One high, arcing down, the other low and following the same arc, causing the Green Jedi to look almost praying mantis like as he waited. Waited, absurdly enough, with suddenly closed eyes.

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

REDEMPTION IS NEVER OUT OF REACH...​

Location: Corellian Arena​

Equipment: Conservator(Lightsaber)​

Companion: Astromech R01R - "Roller"​

Tag: Julius Sedaire​

​

Julius did indeed to appear to be a Jedi of age and wisdom, he looked to be someone who had seen many years of battle. Caltin admittedly was surprised to see just how fast and agile the Corellian Watchmen was in attacking the training droids. He showed grace and a flair that gave his flippant snarky behavior well-earned credence. He could be the way he was because, like Caltin, he had been through this many times, it was “old hat” to him. Another second and he would move, not because he was in shock or anything, but because he simply waited for one droid to move into a position where he was ready.

On cue, the droid moved and Caltin began his own attack.

Julius’ methods of combat were about speed and agility, almost literally the “dance” that he kept joking about. Caltin’s were about power and brute force, an “in your face” “smash-mouth” style that once brought his name into the whispers of old Sith Empire halls so long ago, a name that may not have brought fear, but brought the theft of his lightsaber “Conservator” was considered the same prize as killing a GrandMaster. Sure, the big guy was proficient in three forms of martial arts, one of them being the Jedi form of “Broken Gate” (the other two being Teras’Kasi and Rek’Dul) but his strength was something he could not turn away from.

Where Julius sprinted, Caltin just powerwalked. He did leap, but planting his feet onto another droid his momentum slammed it to the ground. A permafrost blue lightsaber blade ignited and cut horizontal slashes of Juyo while his free hand choke-slammed a droid. A few steps more, dodging weapon’s fire and two attacking droids his stance switched following a “Vornskr’s Ferocity” cutting at them followed by “cutting down the tree”, the infamous Form V attack.

“Promenade”, have not heard that word used like this for eight hundred years.

Okay, he was on the ice for most of them, but still.

​

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[Julius Sedaire]

Eyes snapping open as his counterpart moved, he stepped into the Flow of combat and let instinct guide him.

"Then, kind sir, get with the times! Bringing it back!"

He quipped, and the sabers moved in crisscrossing blurs, lancing out in a dual armed thrust, pushing outward as if in a slash to either side to rip one droid apart. It would take a while to fix that, but they had been through worse. Spinning the blades he began to whirl, almost dervish-like. He was here one moment, gone the next, light strikes to distract the droids as the heftier man revealed he could hit like a rampaging kryat dragon.

Each step might look random, how he moved a chaotic mess. Before it had some predictability. But a decade or more had perfected his techniques that Darron had begun to teach him. Never move the same way twice, never strike the same place or same way more than once. The droids would hesitate, focusing on the harassing Jedi. There weren't really techniques or named moves to Juyo or Vapaad, either side of Form VII. Unorthodox was the point of it. Fighting Sight and Flow Walking, as taught by the Aing-Tii, worked exceptionally well to this mindset, and he seemed to be almost without plan or thought, just striking repeatedly, one saber warding, the other attacking. The only real pattern to his skillset so far was that.

Hopefully, his opponent and ally caught onto the idea. Hammer. Anvil. Except... Well... If you hit someone with an anvil, as Caltin Vanagor did, it was a lot more effective than a hammer, really. But, the philosophy remained the same. Sort of.

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

REDEMPTION IS NEVER OUT OF REACH...​

Location: Corellian Arena​

Equipment: Conservator(Lightsaber)​

Companion: Astromech R01R - "Roller"​

Tag: Julius Sedaire , Jend-Ro Quill​

​

Caltin could not figure out Sedaire’s style to save his life, so at that point, he was not really bothered by it. What he was paying attention to were the droids that were coming at him. He did not try to leap over them, he bolted at them. He no longer had a preferred lightsaber form, which is why he was just as hard to defend as Sedaire was, or at least appeared to be. The massive Jedi Master used a combination of his size, his strength, and his training to make himself a bit of a bulldozer. This conflicting style did not make him better than the other Master, just different.

With that, he jumped into the middle of a large group of metallic combatants and began to fight his way out. Punches, kicks, slams, and the hum of a cutting lightsaber blade ruled the eyes locked on him. Of course, numbers were a bit much, and before he decided that it was best to get some space between himself and the attackers. Centering the Force in his right hand and slamming it to the ground he executed a strong Force Push, the resulting shockwave would knock several of them off of their feet.

Repositioning himself, the big guy grabbed one of the droids and threw it, assisted with the Force into two others before falling into a classic Soresu stance.

How many of these did you set up? Not that I care. I’m having fun, to tell the truth.

​

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[Julius Sedaire]

Spoiler

-ENEMIES LEFT AT END-

• 6x(9x): Tyee Remote
• 3x(5x): Tyro Saber Droid
• 2x(2x): Typhojem Saber Droid

The odds wouldn't have been great for a single one of them. For a less combat-oriented pair, it might have been called insane. But, with Caltin Vanagor apparently being warmed up to ramming speed, Julius took the hint and let loose a little more. A Typhojem, one of two highly advanced models, came forward and jabbed right at him. Spectral images flared as the lunge began and his senses took over, reading the ghosts (as it were) and reacting to where the danger wasn't.

With a sort of twist Julius suddenly wasn't where the droid jabbed, but behind Caltin several feet away, and spinning to cover the other's back from a Tyro's slash. A punch, fueled by Force energy and savage as anything the other might come up with, went straight at the droid with a concussive whoomph and the droid staggered a few feet, spraying sparks from it's core in it's chest. But already, the Watchman had blurred and came back to his original opponent, the Typhojem.

With speed still blurring or making his movements hard to follow, he deflected a volley of bolts back at the Tyee remote cluster near him, dropping two remotes inactive. Unless destroyed, that gave them only 60 seconds before reactivation, to keep things interesting. Suddenly, the Corellian seemed to be running up and then sideways along the wall, vaulting off and tossing both lightsabers in the air to land on the Tyro that had been advancing behind him, and catch both blades, activating them sideways through the head of the droid before vaulting off and landing, splayed leg a hand grasping at dirt to catch the ancient hilt as his green blade warded and the other reignited.

"Awww c'mon now big boy, can'tcha get it goin?"

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

REDEMPTION IS NEVER OUT OF REACH...​

Location: Corellian Arena​

Equipment: Conservator(Lightsaber)​

Companion: Astromech R01R - "Roller"​

Tag: Julius Sedaire​

​

Caltin’s attacks were not as flashy as Julius’, his were straightforward and did not bother hiding it. While these were Jedi property and meant purely for training, the massive Jedi Master did not hold back around them and the metallic bodies were dropping. He was bifurcating the majority but would repair the metallic “dance partners” as his counterpart might joke, later on. Right now though, there was the last one that had been prepared to leap down onto the both of them.

Reaching out through the Force, the big guy pushed upwards sending the droid back into the air temporarily and it did touch the ceiling. When it began its descent the massive Jedi Master side-stepped the mass of durasteel and phrik and cut it to pieces with an upwards vertical half-moon slash. As the pile of junk fell to the floor, he shut down his own weapon and cracked his neck. Anyone of Caltin’s time who knew him knew what this meant.

Me? I’m barely warmed up. Why? Do you need a multi-vitamin or something?

​

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[Julius Sedaire]

The man was skilled. The style was simple, not exactly elegant, but effective. Julius could almost admire it. One was better off using what they had rather than trying to be elsewise. While far from weak, for example, Julius would never match his opponent in brawn. But neither would Caltin Vanagor ever really match his in speed or agility. So things went.

With a twitch of his hand, Julius summoned a flask to it and took a long pull of a Mandalorian liquor his departed wife had helped him grow fond of. A cork of it to be sealed and he hefted it to the larger man with a tilt, an offering before the real dance began. His smile was positively wicked, and carried an odd tone of joy in the light in his face.

Where others would stress over an equal opponent, Julius instead offered him a drink before a fight and appeared to be enjoying himself.

Some things, at least, never changed.

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

REDEMPTION IS NEVER OUT OF REACH...​

Location: Corellian Arena​

Equipment: Conservator(Lightsaber)​

Companion: Astromech R01R - "Roller"​

Tag: Julius Sedaire​

​

Oh, he caught the flask. However, he put it on a nearby table. No, Caltin did not believe that Julius was the type to cheat and spike the no doubt alcohol that was in there, that did not cross his mind at all. He was simply not a drinker pulled a bottle of Elba Water through the Force and into his hand. Downing the bottle in a flash, the big guy set it down as well. He noticed the look that Julius was giving him and just raised an eyebrow. Who did he think that he was facing? A brash “young’un”?

Caltin knew that the Battlemaster had not shown him everything, that he was hiding much of his skills, in fact, he was counting on it. After all, he had not shown all of his cards either. Why should he? Why would he?

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[Julius Sedaire]

The droids were gone. The warm up quite easily done. Granted, they handn't been implemented fully, more a show off for both to demonstrate to the crowd there were skilled combatants in the arena, beyond your normal Master even.

Turning to face Caltin Vanagor , Julius spun his sabers as if testing the balance, and then stepped forward, dropping into a low guard, blue saber parallel to the ground, and high. Green blade arcing up to almost meet the tip of the blue blade, low. He leaned forward then, the smirk replaced by a mostly serious look as he nodded to his fellow.

"And now, it ends."

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

REDEMPTION IS NEVER OUT OF REACH...​

Location: Corellian Arena​

Equipment: Conservator(Lightsaber)​

Companion: Astromech R01R - "Roller"​

Tag: Julius Sedaire​

​

Oh, you think so?

He thought he would bait Caltin into an attack, uh uh, nope. The big guy never began a fight, he always ended it, but if this was the way Julius wanted to be then so be it. Reaching out through the Force, Caltin lifted a random droid part into the air. He made no effort to hide what he was doing, but Julius would not see exactly what he had picked up. The massive Jedi Master lifted a droid arm that had a chest plate dangling.

This would take a bit of focus, but with a thought Caltin managed to “sling” the chest plate at Julius high, spinning the arm, only to throw it at the Corellian Battlemaster low. No, he was not looking for some cheap opening to attack, but to annoy his opponent to do so. His stance was the simple opener of Ataru. Standing fully erect with his weapon aiming upward gripped by both hands at his side.

The massive Jedi Master was prepared for a reciprocation, as well as a lightsaber attack, he would simply leap upwards through the Force and counter from above. His moves would be simple and flowing, one setting up the next only random. Following the forms, he would use Djem So one move, Ataru the next, the Shii Cho, then Niman, then Makashi, then Juyo, even Vaapad. His blocks were his mastery, Soresu, always waiting until the last possible second to block and redirect the blue, or green blades of his duelist opponent.

You’re not my toughest opponent, you just think that you are.

​

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[Julius Sedaire]

A thrown droid? Was he trying to frustrate him?

Blurred lines from the fighting sight he favored showed possibilities as his senses tripped the danger and he spun, slicing the droid in half with the green-saber, the blue suddenly hurtling high, at the face of Caltin, a plan forming in his mind as the bearded man smiled, winking at the taunt and closing in with blurred speed.

Something in him remained detached from the fight, but the lessons from his belated wife had taught him to find some joy in the rhythm of war and the pace of a fight. Styles responded to style, aggression to patience, patience to aggression. True to his tutelage with Darron Wraith, no one tactic or technique reigned supreme. Footwork erratic, his mind only loosely guided by a plan so as to keep the other off-footed.

As Soresu responded, and he closed in after the throw, the green bladed saber suddenly exploded in length, the echani compression tech making an appearance as the single-handed weapon grew to a pike in length, a second blade igniting to life at the other end. The lengthening correlated to a savage two-handed jab at the sternum, followed by the other end sweeping in and up, a rising slash at the groin.

"Might not be the toughest. Will be remembered..."

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

REDEMPTION IS NEVER OUT OF REACH...​

Location: Corellian Arena​

Equipment: Conservator(Lightsaber)​

Companion: Astromech R01R - "Roller"​

Tag: Julius Sedaire​

​

A saberpike? Really?

He knew Julius would not be fooled by the droid, Caltin wanted it that way. He knew that Julius would not be affected by his leap from above, Caltin wanted it that way. What brought a sigh from his lungs was this “Womprat” move, the saberpike that Julius was hiding. He was taking the bait though and while he did not want to, the massive Jedi Master had his own little secret and it was time to let it out.

He could have fallen back into a bend, Teras Kasi did make him flexible enough to do so, but a fast Shii-Cho Diagonal slash would parry the jab and drive that blade into its counterpart that wanted to bifurcate Caltin’s “Padawan.” Following through on the slash, the phrik “club” end of Conservator aimed right at the Corellian Blademaster’s face. He knew it would be blocked, in fact, he was counting on it. Whether it was blocked, or Julius ducked, the club end was coming off.

A few steps around, and a drop into a JuYo stance, Caltin prepared himself. A quick switch of handgrips and the blade was now backhanded, pressing a second button, a matching blade came out where the “club” side was.

Conservator was double-bladed.

Not bad, never had to show this side before.

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[Jend-Ro Quill]

Off in the corner, Quill almost - almost - whistled in surprise as both sabers turned out to have double blades. The two Jedi Masters seemed evenly matched so far, but escalating to saberstaff combat gave those balanced odds an unpredictable bite. In Quill's experience it was catastrophically easy to make an error with a saberstaff, and both men seemed more than capable of punishing error.

Julius Sedaire Caltin Vanagor