Star Wars_ Darth Bane 01_ Path of Destruction - Drew Karpyshyn [73]
“It does, but not in the way you believe,” Kas’im replied.
Bane was silent, waiting patiently for further explanation. After a few seconds his Master obliged him.
“As you already know, the Force is the real key to victory in any confrontation. However, the equation is not so simple. Someone well trained in lightsaber combat can defeat an opponent who is stronger in the Force. The Force allows you to anticipate your opponent’s moves and counter them with your own. But the more options your foe has available, the more difficult it is to predict which will be chosen.”
Bane thought he understood. “So the double-bladed weapon gives you more options?”
“No,” Kas’im replied. “But you think it does, so the effect is the same.”
For several seconds Bane thought about the Blademaster’s strange words, trying to decipher them. In the end he had to admit defeat. “I still don’t understand, Master.”
“You know the single-bladed lightsaber well; you use it yourself and you’ve seen most of the other apprentices use it, as well. My double-bladed weapon seems strange to you. Unfamiliar. You don’t fully understand what it can and cannot do.” From the lack of impatience or exasperation in the Twi’lek’s tone, Bane could tell this was something he hadn’t been expected to grasp on his own.
“In combat, your mind tries to keep track of each blade separately, effectively doubling the number of possibilities. But the two blades are connected: by knowing the location of one, you are automatically aware of the location of the other. In actual practice, the double-bladed lightsaber is more limited than the traditional lightsaber. It can do more damage, but it is less precise. It requires longer, sweeping movements that don’t transition well into a quick stab or thrust. Because the weapon is difficult to master, however, few among the Jedi—or even the Sith—understand it. They don’t know how to attack or defend effectively against it. That gives those of us who use it an advantage over most of our opponents.”
“Like Githany’s whip!” Bane exclaimed. Githany eschewed traditional weaponry in favor of the very rare energy whip: just one of the many traits that made her stand out from the other apprentices. It operated on the same basic principles as a lightsaber, but instead of a steady beam, the energy of the crystals was projected in a flexible ribbon that would twist, turn, and snap in response to both Githany’s physical motions and her use of the Force.
“Exactly. The energy whip is far less efficient than any of the lightsaber blades. However, nobody ever practices against the whip. Githany knows that her enemies’ confusion at being confronted with the whip gives her an edge.”
“By telling me this secret, you’ve given up your advantage,” Bane noted, smiling as he pointed to Kas’im’s double saber.
“Only to a very small degree,” the Twi’lek said. “You now understand why an exotic weapon or unfamiliar style will be more difficult to defend against, but until you become an expert in a particular style, in the heat of combat your mind will still struggle to grasp its limitations.”
Bane kept pressing, eager to turn this new insight into something practical he could use. “So by studying different styles, I could negate that advantage?”
“In theory. But time spent studying other styles is time away from mastering your own form. Your best progress will come from focusing more on yourself and less on your opponent.”
“Then why even bother telling me all this?” Bane blurted out, frustrated.
“Knowledge is power, Bane. My purpose is to give you that knowledge. It is up to you to figure out how best to use it.”
With those words the Blademaster left him, heading down the temple stairs to steal a few hours of sleep before the morning sun rose. Bane remained behind, wrestling with the lesson until it was time to meet Githany in the archives.
The smell of burning ozone wafted through the archives,