( D1, LA) Chilling out with the forge (it wasn't very effective)

[Forte Kryze]

For the longest time, Forte Kryze merely maintained his weapon. But now with the threat of full blown war situations, he feels the need to get ready. He starts by taking apart the components of the bo staff and putting them back on again, seeing for himself how everything works.

[Fitz]

Fitz was pleased to see Forte working on his equipment as he entered the Armory. His pack hadn't allocated much time to enjoying the arts, preferring more... carnal distractions, but his time among the Rebuilders and around the Drabatan in particular had fostered a new appreciation for music.

He cleared his throat to announce himself and approached Forte with a wave and a muted, "Afternoon."

[Cha Vizsla]

"Afternoon gentlebeings." Fitz strolls in, pulling out a couple of things to tinker on the workbench. He pull out a group of fuses, and what looks to be slugthrower chemical propellent, working on a frag grenade.

Weapon Crafting-Grenade-Hard Mechanics: 2eP+2eA+1eB+3eD 4 successes

[Forte Kryze]

He finishes putting the shock pulse emitter on before addressing his comrade. "Good afternoon, Fitz. Nice to see you here, I would appreciate some advice. How would you adjust the hilt to work regardless of the orientation." He then shifts from melee mode to ranged, then back again to show what he means.

[Fitz]

Fitz watches the weapon convert from a staff to a rifle and then back again. It was an interesting concept, a weapon to fill multiple roles, a theme that prevailed with his new pack here.

The trouble with the grip was most padded the back to nestle into the palm of the shooter for blasters for a steadfast position, while melee weapon hilts tended to create a more rounded, oblong shape for comfortable indexing and shifting. After standing silent for a moment, considering the options, the solution Fitz could conceive of was to further customize the grip into two portions, such as one would have for a larger, two handed weapon. One side focused on fitting the shape of Forte's dominant shooting hand in the blaster configuration, and then flipped so his dominant hand would be on the opposing side that indexed well for the melee configuration.

He holds out his hand to accept the weapon before demonstrating his proposal. Holding the Bo-Rifle in its rifle configuration, he pats the grip saying, "Shooter's grip." Then, in one motion, he converts it into a staff while flipping it so his dominant hand trades positions with his offhand. He firmly grabs the staff as though preparing to strike, "Hammer grip." He refers to what he would call it with a vibroknife, but the intent was clear.

He gestures to the workbench, "I could make changes... test if acceptable."

[Forte Kryze]

"That will be acceptable, I will stay and help if you want." He hands the weapon, then turns to address the other guy who stepped in. "How's it going Cha?"

[Fitz]

Receiving Forte's permission, Fitz takes the Bo-Rifle over to the workbench, noticing Cha for the first time, having been focused on the problem Forte had presented him. He offers Cha a nod of the head and watches the man deftly assemble a frag grenade on the table.

Once Cha is finished and the table becomes available, Fitz lays out the rifle, staff combo and begins work on the hybrid grip. He occasionally calls on Forte to provide his hands so the molding of the grips and adjustment of positioning will fit him precisely. The modification is a bit unorthodox, but that is right in his wheelhouse. Surprisingly, given the unique form and function of the Bo-Rifle, converting the grip into a hybrid is a straightforward process and doesn't require any additional materials with how he has modified it.

Finishing his work, Fitz proudly presents the weapon back to its owner.

---
D1, LA, Chilling, Modding #1, Accurate(Custom Grip) Bo-Rifle, Forte: 3eP+2eA+3eD 1 success, 1 advantage, 1 Triumph

Accurate mod successful
Triumph reduces cost to 0.

[Forte Kryze]

"Impressive work, as always." He then takes the weapon to the shooting range in the back to take a couple of test shots. It definitely shoots better than it did before, but a seasoned gunner would realize that the scope he uses has a standard beam and with a small adjustment would likely, would likely lead to a better shot as a whole. "Any chance you have time for more work or do you have other projects you need to get to?"

[Fitz]

Observing Forte test out the weapon, Fitz is satisfied with the work he performed. He does notice that the Drabatan does not seem to have zero'd in the holoprojected crosshair. Before he has a chance to mention it, Forte brings up the topic himself. With a simple nod of the head, Fitz holds out his arms to accept the Bo-Rifle before speaking up, "Maybe... some music while I work?"

Setting the rifle into a stand for stability, Fitz affixes a sighting laser into the barrel of the weapon. He then extends the little finger of his right hand, which then spreads out into an array of precision tools. Using the laser as a base, he spends a few moments calibrating the holosight. After a few cycles of adjustment, removing the sighting laser, test firing, and repeating at various distances in the shooting range, Fitz accepts he has reached the optimal accuracy this particular sight is capable of providing.

---
D1, LA, Chilling, Modding #2, Accurate(Electronic Sighting System) Bo-Rifle, Forte: 3eP+2eA+3eD 2 successes, 1 advantage

Accurate mod successful
Advantage reduces material cost to 90cr.

[Forte Kryze]

Now with the part that requires his direct help the most, Forte pulls out his instrument and begins playing a song to help both with reducing monotony and with helping them to focus.

(Fluff Charm?)
D1 LA: Charm fluff roll, playing music to pass the time in the forge: 2eP+1eA+1eB 3 successes, 1 advantage

[Cha Vizsla]

"That will be acceptable, I will stay and help if you want." He hands the weapon, then turns to address the other guy who stepped in. "How's it going Cha?"

"Fair enough." Cha looks around the room. "I took a close peek at the Stormie HQ while they were out dealing with the scout team business. It looks like what they sent about half of what they have to chase our teams. They were sharper than I'd like, but I got back here with my skin and armor in one piece so I'll call it a win."

[Fitz]

~snip

Fitz enjoys the music while he works. Unseen beneath his helmet, he takes small breaks to close his eyes and appreciate the moment.These brief pauses could easily be mistaken for intense concentration on his work.

When he first started listening, he would focus on the structure and patterns of the sound, trying to make some sense of it. Why do so many devote so much time to mastering it. It seemed like a puzzle, a problem to be solved. After enough study and practice, could one compose the perfect combination of sounds? While attempting to apply logic and reason to the art, he began to understand its aesthetic appeal, but continued to contemplate the precise nature of this appeal. His current theory revolved around how the tonal notes resonated and triggered certain responses, which could explain why different species with different physiologies preferred different musics.

Regardless of the science behind it, Fitz was thoroughly charmed by the sounds Forte produced.

~snip

He listens to Cha's recounting of event. "Glad you made it back."

Fitz recalls how Lysa made short work of the patrol. If the other team encountered the same size, and that was half of the total contingent of Imps on Ti'rok they could rid themselves of their problem rather easily. That of course, would present it own problems, bringing in a strong, retaliatory response from the Empire. "Maybe... more patrols?... Contingent too small."

[Cha Vizsla]

He listens to Cha's recounting of event. "Glad you made it back."

Fitz recalls how Lysa made short work of the patrol. If the other team encountered the same size, and that was half of the total contingent of Imps on Ti'rok they could rid themselves of their problem rather easily. That of course, would present it own problems, bringing in a strong, retaliatory response from the Empire. "Maybe... more patrols?... Contingent too small."

"I don't think the people who our groups took care of were the bulk of what they sent. I believe that the whole point of our operation was to draw out as much of a response as we could and have the Imps focus on the wrong things."

[Forte Kryze]

"Probably not even a fraction of the initial scouting if what Mandalore wants is here somewhere." He continues playing his fiddle, considering the situation . "I wonder how long they'll play these games before bringing in the big boys."

[Fitz]

"Imps persistent," Fitz agreed.

In his experience, the Hutts, the Black Sun, the Pyke, they would cut their losses if it came down to it. They were in the business of making profit.

Bounties, they would lose heart, run out of steam, or just know the system was flawed enough that they'd waste less time giving up than staying on the run.

But the Imps, or at least the ones commanding them, have something to prove. It could cost them a whole company to capture one rebel, but as long as it sent a message, it's a cost they were willing to pay. He almost felt bad for the mindless cannon fodder... almost.

[Cha Vizsla]

"Right. My hope is that we find ways to waste that persistence. If they are putting their energy on something that's a waste of time, then their numbers and persistence is a disadvantage instead of an asset"

[Fitz]

Fitz considered this for a moment. It did remind him of some of the more corporate philosophies espoused by the syndicates. Turn your weakness into strength, turn a threat into an opportunity, and never let it go the other way. What Cha was proposing would benefit their currently outnumbered situation. "Very calculating... good."

[Forte Kryze]

"Just remember these are regular armies and not Corporate or Crime Syndicate forces, they play on a much larger scale than you've seen before if they get real serious. Even though I've seen this sort of scale during the Clone Wars, that was only a taste of what the Empire can do with their lack of morals."