Thread:Sakaros/@comment-29301-20180903145046/@comment-104549-20190414163030

You know, that Senate Guard lurks in the back of my mind now and then. Undecided on that one.

I've thought along much the same lines regarding lightsabers. My rationale here is that it's a wartime thing. The Jedi can't afford to pull punches in actual combat, so they have to train to that same standard. But anyone who's ever studied martial arts knows that if you always train to pull your punches in sparring without making contact, you'll develop that as a (dangerous) reflex even in real situations. I think, during the New Sith Wars, the Jedi need to be able to train hard in sparring for the very reason you cited: in the field, if a lightsaber comes out, they need to be prepared to use it. In sparring, a lower intensity also has the advantage of causing enough pain to incentivize blocking without actually maiming or killing the opponent. On the whole, I think it's a function of a more militant, violent, wartime Jedi Order.

That said, I imagine some Jedi—Tirien and Slejux come to mind—do spar with their weapons at full intensity as a demonstration of and exercise in control. I think there might be just a little bit of Consular arrogance in that, though—a subconscious belief that slashing each other with low-powered blades is a brutality suited to Jedi Guardians, but not Consulars.

Happy novel length! Do you think the last third will speed up, since you don't have to decide what to keep and what to ditch, or slow down, since it'll all be new?