Lightsaber

The most iconic weapon of the Aetanii and their preferred weapon in any scenario, the lightsaber is a masterful weapon created to complement the Aetanii’s savage elegance in battle, replacing earlier weapons such as Aetanii katanas and rapiers. As their race has come into contact with more and more species, the weapon has become the symbol of the Consortium and synonymous with Aetanii values and traditions.

History
Historically, the first lightsabers did not appear until shortly before the Aetanii took to spaceflight. The first versions began as artistic replacements of the original Aetanii handheld weapons, spears and swords. Designed to provide an effective close-quarters weapon in modern days, many Aetanii took to them as replacements for the highly personalized weapons they had once crafted.

While lack of stability was a problem in early designs, it was gradually corrected through the ages, and the Aetanii abandoned the need to use belt- or -back-mounted power packs to provide energy. The Minamiya clan, an extremely psionic presence within the already-prescient Aetanii, were the first ones to abandon the power pack in favor of an internal cell. An internal superconductor was also introduced to solve the power supply problem. Now, every Aetanii is expected to craft one as a "coming of age" ceremony, and most keep them their entire lives.

Mechanics
The weapon consists of a blade of pure plasma emitted from the hilt and suspended in a force containment field. The field contains the immense heat of the plasma, protecting the wielder, and allows the blade to keep its shape. The hilt is almost always self-fabricated by the wielder to match his or her specific needs, preferences and style. Due to the weightlessness of plasma and the strong gyroscopic effect generated by it, lightsabers require a great deal of strength and dexterity to wield, making it extremely difficult—and dangerous—for the untrained to attempt using, meaning Aetanii are counted to be the only race that uses it on a large scale. However, in the hands of an expert, the lightsaber is a weapon to be greatly respected and feared.

The hilt typically consists of a metal cylinder between twenty-four and thirty centimeters in length. However, the size, materials, and other factors of individual hilts vary drastically, due to the weapon being tailored to the creator's specific needs and preferences. Many Aetanii lightsaber hilts have wooden sheaths over their metal cores. The hilt has a pommel cap at the bottom, sometimes holding a backup power cell, sometimes merely as a heavy bit of metal to bash people over the head with. The lightsaber mechanisms are contained within the hilt. Extremely high levels of energy generated through a high-output power cell are unleashed through a series of focusing lenses and energizers, converting the energy to plasma. The plasma is then projected through a series of crystals that lend the blade its properties and allow for the adjustment of blade length and power output. The ideal number of crystals is three, though only one is required; certain individuals like Kurenai Saromi use four or five. A power insulator is also installed on the hilt to protect the wielder from any energy discharges.

Once focused by the crystals, the plasma is sent through a series of field energizers and modulation circuitry within the emitter that further focus it, making it into a coherent beam of energy projected from the blade emitter. The blade typically extends about a meter before being arced by the blade containment field back to a negatively charged fissure ringing the emitter, where it is channeled back to the power cell by a superconductor, completing the circuit. This containment field also causes the blades to make contact with other lightsaber blades without passing through like other forms of energy; this is seen when lightsabers block and parry other lightsabers.

The power of the energy blade is such that it can cut through almost anything, although the speed of the cutting depends on the density of the subject. When cutting through dense material, the immense electromagnetic field generated by the arc causes resistance rather than letting solid matter enter and interrupt the arc. This gives the blade a feeling of being solid when immersed in dense material. Electromagnetic energy fields and coherent energy are also repelled by lightsabers' arcs: these include force fields, plasma bolts, lasers, and other lightsaber blades.

Variations

 * Standard lightsaber

As each weapon is built entirely by their user, there is no formal "standard lightsaber"- this is merely a term used by outsiders to denote the "typical" lightsaber found in the Consortium: a straight hilt, twenty to thirty centimeters in length, with a straight blade arcing out to around a meter.
 * Double-bladed lightsaber

Sometimes referred to as a "saberstaff," a double-bladed lightsaber is a single hilt of increased length with two blades projected from either end, resulting in a deadly weapon in the proper hands. These weapons are rare to see in the Consortium, but those who do use them tend to have mastered their weapons to an astonishing degree.
 * Saberpike

Also referred to as a "long-handled saber," a Saberpike is a lightsaber with a severely elongated handle, sometimes reaching two meters in length. While requiring a particular fighting style from the user, swinging the weapon and using one's joints as fulcrums on which to leverage the weapon, it makes for a fearsome design in the hands of a skilled duelist. Typically, the weapon is only found among the Queen Mother's personal guard and the Dark Guard of the Minamiya clan.
 * Kodachi

Sometimes referred to as a shoto or a smallsword, a kodachi is essentially a miniaturized lightsaber for use as a secondary weapon, or a primary weapon if the combatant is short of stature. Generally speaking, both blade and hilt are around half the size of the user's main weapon (if it is a secondary item), the specifics being a personal choice left to the constructor.
 * Light-katana

A specialized version of the lightsaber, a light-katana (or "Aetanii saber," though the term is hardly used as the Aetanii are the only race to use such weapons in large numbers) is a weapon that invokes the image of the traditional archaic wood-and-metal constructions of ages past. The field emitter is changed, allowing for a flat blade tapering to a curved point, and the entire field itself slightly curves, giving it the appearance of a traditional katana. The same can be said for the hilt, which is made from traditional materials. Such weapons are rare but not unheard of.
 * Lightfoil

Best suited for use in a single hand due to their delicate, petite design, the lightfoil is an artistic version of the lightsaber designed primarily for dueling. A small, elegant weapon, they are primarily found in the hands of ambassadors and diplomats.
 * Lightwhip

A rare and difficult-to-master variant of the lightsaber, the lightwhip works on the same principle but is noticeably different in design. Rather than the straight, meter-long blades emitted by standard lightsabers, lightwhips feature long, flexible blades that often exceed several meters in length. Instead of one large crystal, they contain multiple small crystals, and the plasma in the blade has no barriers to keep it straight. While most have only single blades, "cat o' nine tails" flail versions are not unheard of either. The most notable user of the weapon is the Crown Princess, Kurenai Saromi.

Lightsaber combat
Lightsaber combat remains prevalent in the Consortium and among the Aetanii, being a viable battlefield option due to their extreme speed-of-reflexes. The different forms and styles of combat harken back to the original battlefield weapons used by the Aetanii, based on ancient swordfighting techniques. All of them have specific disciplines within them that can be tailored to the user's specific weapon, such as a saberpike or lightfoil.

As the original names contain syllables unreproducible by human larynxes, they have been simplified to the closest English equivalent.

Art of the Reed
"Pillars crack, and fall. Reeds bend, and live to stand again."

— Aetanii blademaster

The most basic form of lightsaber combat, the art of the Reed (A more literal translation being "the art of bending like a reed") is the art of wielding one's saber like a sword. It possesses no specializations, as it is the foundation for all other arts. Emphasis is placed on wide, sweeping motions and footwork, and trades solidity for agility in keeping with Aetanii values.

Art of the Wind
"The wind races, faster than the storm which comes after it, and faster than water or fire. Certainly faster than the earth over which it tears. What I teach is simply this: how to become the fastest."

–Aetanii blademaster

An extremely specialized form of lightsaber combat, the art of the Wind (literally "the art of immediate reaction") is a combative sword technique, a quick-draw method used to end the fight before it even begins. The entire form is based upon drawing one's sword or saber, cutting down the opponent, and returning it to its former resting place. With Aetanii speed-of-reflexes and quick movements, such an attack has almost no chance of being negated, and most opponents would not even register that they had been struck until they had already expired. Another use takes advantage of the lightsaber's ability to shut off, "flicking" it off and on again to sweep past an opponent's defenses.

Art of the Rock
"This is not something I teach often, though it must be learnt sooner or later. It is the art of defending not oneself, but the ground upon which you stand– it relies upon your conviction, upon your ability to say that that ground is yours. It is the art of making sure it remains so."

–Aetanii blademaster

A more robust style of combat that focuses on defensiveness, the art of the Rock (literally "the art of standing still") is primarily used to hold one's own ground, even against projectile-users. It utilizes tight moves, slight dodges, and short sweeps in an attempt to create near-total protection while expending as little energy as possible. As it emphasizes and capitalizes on the extreme speed-of-reflexes and movements that only Aetanii can achieve, it can be said that this form is nearly impossible to use by any others.

Art of the Water
"Flow like water, yes. Water does not let up, it does not give in, it pounds the seashore continuously. It becomes what you place it in, but do not be a calm spring– be the raging sea."

–Aetanii blademaster

An aggressive form of lightsaber combat, the art of the Water (literally "the art of overwhelming power") relies on an Aetanii's natural strength, speed, power, and speed-of-reflexes in order to overwhelm the opponent. It focuses on the offensive, with sweeps, stabs, and feats of acrobatic prowess calculated not only to attack but also to defend oneself. Smooth transition and flowing between movements are paramount, as well as redirecting the energy of the enemy's attack to use against them. A master in the art appears like a blur to their opponents, attacking from all directions—from the front, the sides, overhead, or behind.

Art of the Storm
"This art that I teach is one of malign elegance. If you wish to be crude, it is simply the ability to have more slaughter per swing."

–Natsuki Minamiya, Aetanii blademaster

Described as the most vicious form of Aetanii lightsaber combat, the art of the Storm (lit. "the art of malignant grace") is a difficult and demanding style. Utilizing the tendency of a lightsaber blade to gyroscope, it keeps the blade in a constant cyclonic motion, never letting it stop moving, and uses elastic tracks to parry blows. It appears chaotic and erratic, possessing no formal stances, meaning that openings cannot be trusted, and every attack is filled with lethal intent.