Jumpin' Jack Flash

[Alan]

KELDABE​

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It was raining, now. Raining hard. The rain thudded along his hood, but otherwise, did not bother Tracyn as he entered a dingy dive bar. How the Mandalorians seemed to love their booze and their establishments to house them in. He was scheduled to meet [member="Ermac Laith"]...at some point. And he felt it near, the artifact of immense power. He blinked several times, before he leaned forward, tapping his hands on the bar. The bartender took one glance at him, and then narrowed his eyes. Jedi, were mistrusted but not disliked. He spoke in a fluent Mando'a accent, specifically, the one from Concord Dawn. The old farmboy must have surprised the bartender and several other patrons, because the various people stared at the man. He blinked, before ordering a Netra'gal.


After that, they left him alone. No jeers or any fights, they just didn't want to talk to him. Which was worse- the cold shoulder, or being attacked?

 

[Laith Varad*]

...believe it or not he actually spent most of his time on Junction but a trip to Mandalore wasn't a hardship for Laith considering that he had meant to venture to the city of Keldabe again and connect with several acquaintances he hadn't seen in awhile. He'd arrived several hours prior to the meeting he'd scheduled with the Jedi, Tracyn, but took his time when it came to making his way to the bar that would serve as the local for the both of them to barter. When Laith did arrive it was through the front doors and out of the rain which had made his hair damp and covered his face as several droplets trickled down over it....

...wiping himself off with his hand he'd scan the establishment, recognizing a man dressed as a Jedi almost instantly, before approaching Tracyn at the bar. He came dressed in his Beskar'gam, his helmet tucked underneath his right arm, but was relatively lightly armed with it came to weaponry; there was only a heavy blaster pistol on his hip and a Vibrosword across his back with the hilt extending up over his right shoulder. Of course he had the artifact Tracyn sought as well but it was well out of view, hidden on his person, where prying eyes wouldn't be able to see it easily...

...as he came up to the bar Laith would clap his hand down over the counter before ordering a Sullustan Gin with a bit of mint in it for flavor, otherwise it was straight up, a strong drink with just a bit of color that he didn't attempt to hide. The Barkeep would nod and while he went about making the drink Laith would have turned his attention to Tracyn..."A Jedi on Keldabe. I'm sure there have been others but not in such a low class district."...then came a small chuckle, which no doubt a few others within earshot shared, before Laith was handed his drink, put it to his mouth and enjoyed a sip from the glass it had come in...

..."Last time we met you wanted something I had Jedi. I assume that hasn't changed."...his comment was straightforward as he lowered his glass to the counter of the bar. Of course he was speaking of the archaic lightsaber he'd retrieved from the Cathedral Ship where they both met. Laith couldn't turn it on but Tracyn had shown a particular interest in it at the time or at least what was inside of it...​

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[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Alan]

"The lightsaber itself is nothing but a collection of tubes and wires and a crystal that emits a beam. An average engineer could forge the weapon, given enough time and material. What makes lightsabers more unique than other weapons is their users."He got his glass of the dark ale, followed by a quick and brief collection of credit chits. Tracyn's eyes lingered over to the Mandalorian, [member="Ermac Laith"] at his side. He sipped at the drink, cringing at the taste. It was clear he hadn't drank in a while. He turned back to the Mandalorian.

"I'm assuming that at some point, you've tried to turn it on. And maybe you've tried to turn it on. And I'm guessing, it hasn't worked. No matter what."He turned his head and eyes forward, and stared at the space behind the bar, and the small photos and knick-knacks that hung on it. He placed his hand on the bar, awaiting the Mandalorian's response.

 

[Laith Varad*]

...it was interesting to hear the Jedi give him a brief lecture on the fact that a lightsaber was not so special and rather it was its wielders that made it a significant weapon. Listening to what Tracyn had to say he might have even come to the conclusion that a lightsaber was not a Jedi's weapon but rather a weapon like any other that could used efficiently with some training or time spent learning the basics. Regardless it wasn't the application of the lightsaber that had brought him hear and Tracyn's next comment actually drew of a good deal of Laith's sincere attention before he responded...

..."Well you certainly know your stuff."...he'd laugh before nodding in the affirmative..."You're right I've tried to turn it on several times but it never works."...he wasn't altogether bitter about that considering that he wasn't fluently informed on the inner workings of a lightsaber, at least until now, and he had imagined there may have been some trick to it. On the other hand it may have been just like Tracyn said; the only thing that makes a lightsaber more unique than other weapons is its user and perhaps this lightsaber needed a special user...

...reaching for his drink Laith would take another quick sip before setting his glass down. When he finished his hand would waver, he reached into a crevice in his armor designed to disguise any items he might have stored on himself and he removed the item that had brought Tracyn and himself to this meeting. The Lightsaber was archaic by modern standards but it still had all the same mechanisms one could expect from any other model. Holding it up so that Tracyn and he could both take a good look at it Laith would actually flick the switch meant to activate it...

...nothing happened though, the lightsaber didn't react at all, and with a faint smirk showing on the corners of his mouth Laith would press the switch back so that the lightsaber, theoretically, was deactivated again. His eyes wandered over to Tracyn then..."I bet you could get it to work though. Couldn't you?"...​

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[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Alan]

There was a smile as he heard the clicking of the button. As to be expected, nothing happened. Tracyn cocked his head forward, before shifting it to the side, observing the Mandalorian. The force was pulling him to the hilt, the old lightsaber in all it's archaic beauty. But the hilt of a lightsaber mattered, little, if at all. Rarely did they use them to bludgeon their opponents, and this was often out of desperation or a failure of the weapon.

Then, the hitter. Tracyn could activate it, at least, he hoped so. It was a hard bet to make, but one he was willing to take. He smiled, and then reached into his pouch at his side, and produced a small black box. It was metal, but otherwise unimpressive. He tapped it."I hope you like the color green."He leaned forward, about halfway done with his pint."Would you like to make a trade, Mister Laith?"He smiled. [member="Ermac Laith"] could now realize that Tracyn was without a functioning lightsaber, so he was otherwise unarmed. But then again, it was Tracyn- the man who was never truly unarmed in any form. Tracyn turned to meet the Mandalorian's gaze."That crystal will never work for you, Mr. Laith. But..."He paused to tap the black box set on the counter previously."That one will."

 

[Laith Varad*]

...how many Non Force Users had a lightsaber? Whether it was functional or not it was almost like a status symbol which was why as Laith held the archaic saber in his hand and looked between it and Tracyn he was intrigued. After all the Jedi was talking about trading him for a crystal that would make this lightsaber functional which would make it more than another paperweight or mantle piece that the Mercenary could look at for nostalgic value. He remained silent for a time considering his options...

...trade whatever was inside this lightsaber to Tracyn in return for a functioning crystal or keep the lightsaber as is, an impressive but useless item, the choice was obvious after a few moments. Looking at Tracyn he would continue to regard him quietly before answering..."Green."...there was a pause before he shrugged his shoulders..."Well what does color matter as long as it works?"...the color was secondary to the application of the actual weapon itself and if the lightsaber was operational that was the only important thing to consider...

...nodding his head once Laith would have remark..."Alright you have a deal. Your crystal for the one in this hilt."...then, twirling the lightsaber in his hand briefly and noting the relative lack of weight it possessed, Laith would extend it to Tracyn before inviting him to..."Do the honors."...after all the Jedi probably knew a lot more about the construction and mechanics of a lightsaber than Laith did. Now some might think it in poor taste to just hand the lightsaber over to the Jedi but Laith wasn't one of those people, they'd reach an amiacle accord after all, and he reasoned that things would proceed smoothly between the both of them...

...after he'd handed the lightsaber over Laith would have went on to make mention..."Of course being a good sport I don't imagine you could show me a few basic techniques with one of these?"...Laith knew how to fight with a sword but he'd heard lightsabers were different and required a certain amount of finesse to wield otherwise a man could just end up hurting himself in the attempt. Maybe it was a good thing it had never turned on for the Mandalorian...​

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[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Alan]

Tracyn took the lightsaber, the archaic ancestral hilt of some fallen Jedi. There was a nexus about it, a sort of presence of the dark side, akin to that of something anyone would find in a battlefield. To Tracyn, it was just an eerie feeling. Not that it would bother [member="Ermac Laith"] in the slightest. Tracyn held up his hand, and slowly, the archaic lightsaber began to pick itself apart. His immense concentration was something to uphold, as he removed a small orange crystal hidden within the heart of the hilt. Metal pieces, focusing lens, battery packs, blade length adjustors, slowly were put back into their places. He did it so calmly and slowly, taking pride in his craft. His Master had taught him to use the force to build his lightsaber, a practice he would share with any that learned under him. To Ermac, however, he would hope that the Mandalorian at least took patience away from it.

He rotated the nearly completed hilt for a moment, with some of the patrons coming over. It wasn't everyday that people on Keldabe got to see a Jedi in action- nonetheless use the force to construct their own weapon. Tracyn blinked, holding the lightsaber in the air with one hand, and removed the green crystal from the box with the other. He gently maneuvered the crystal to the heart of the hilt, locking it into place. He closed the aged lightsaber with a small clicking sound, and let it float down to the bar. He turned to the Mandalorian, then gently motioned for the patrons and other Mandalorians to step back. He activated the blade, pointing it upwards. The dingy bar was cast in a green, brilliant light.

"This is the weapon that only those with extreme concentration can use."

He deactivated it, and smiled when Ermac asked about training."I should see no reason I should leave this place without you knowing how to use the blade."His hand, with fewer tattoos than before, gently grasped the Solari crystal. The power from it, could be felt by the entirety of the room. It was a calming, happy presence. He held it for everyone to see.

"And so the force calls me. What you see here, Mr. Laith. Is one of the most valuable crystals in the universe- to a select few. This is a Solari crystal. One of the most powerful crystals to be used by Jedi, Jedi who are pure in heart and free of the dark side. Something I have only recently become. I suppose this is the force's way of solidifying my stance."

 

[Laith Varad*]

...Laith himself had never seen a Jedi construct a lightsaber before let alone deconstruct one using the force and he found the demonstration to be almost awe inspiring. He might have been able to deconstruct the lightsaber with his hands but sitting there at the bar, watching Tracyn deconstruct the lightsaber, caused him to pay closer attention. Were anyone to ask Laith about the experience he would admit that it left him with questions and would lead to him describing what he had seen with the same word he used now..."Impressive."...there was no other way for him to describe it. Even Tracyn had to understand that Laith, like most people throughout the galaxy, was no force sensitive which made his abilities all the more incredible to see first hand and rare....

...the lightsaber, reconstructed and a new crystal inserted, ignited with a green blade and cast the bar in an emerald hue before Tracyn deactivated, explained that this weapon required concentration to use and Laith replied..."Concentration is something I can manage."...he chuckled briefly..."Though I don't have the rest of the tricks you seem to possess."...it was just the way of things however it did not deter Laith from wanting to learn how to wield the lightsaber. He might never be as good as a Jedi with it but knowing the basics could make the lightsaber a viable backup weapon for the Mercenary and save his life one day...

...Tracyn took the Solari crystal and explained what it was causing Laith to shrug his shoulders once..."Well it's your now. As you already know I wasn't able to use it for much more than a paperweight."...the crystal might have been rare and valuable to a select few throughout the universe but to Laith it was almost worthless. Now a functional lightsaber on the other hand that was worth something. He would reach, slowly, with one hand for the lightsaber now that Tracyn had deactivated so that he could take it and draw back to himself....

...regarding the archaic weapon there was a certain amount of satisfaction written across the features of the Mandalorian as he went on..."Tell me more about how to use this thing."...he'd seen it done obviously but actually using a lightsaber would be something a tad different..."Looks like a sword to be honest. Well same idea anyways."...except it was almost weightless and an energy weapon which presented different advantages and issues as compared to the latter weapon. Glancing back to one side Laith would notice several patrons looking in their direction but they quickly turned their attention elsewhere when they noticed him paying attention, he wasn't particularly fond of being watched, then his eyes would move back towards Tracyn...​

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[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Alan]

"The force is so much more than impressive."Tracyn turned to see Ermec's facial expressions- but he could sense him. Everyone thought that the Jedi could inherently read minds, but in reality, it was just sensing a person's emotions. He could feel the awe that [member="Ermac Laith"] was experiencing, as it was rare to see someone use the force to deconstruct something so complex as a lightsaber. Tracyn's lips stepped back into a grin as Ermec spoke of concentration and how he could manage. He would see, though he did not detect any deceit from the man. Mandalorians were hardly ones to lie- they typically had no reason to be dishonest in the first place.

"You are correct, it is useful only to some, and deadly to others. People would definitely not want you to carry this around anyway."Tracyn's eyes flickered to Ermec's as he reached for the lightsaber, and watched him grasp it. He motioned for Ermec to follow him outside, to the alley. Some patrons came to watch him, interested by what the Jedi was going to say.

"Turn it on and tell me what you feel differently."