Kaiburr Crystal Circuits

[Malcadon]

I had this idea form watching that Rebels episode where Kanen explain to Sabine the way lightsabers work, and while watching videos on YouTube about the technology of Star Wars:

What if embedded kaiburr crystal in computer circuits augment latent Force ability to make much of what goes down in Star Wars possible.

The idea is simple: Kaiburr crystals are force-sensitive rock-crystals. Force-sensitive people attune themselves to the crystal, making it "one with yourself", similar to how Wizards from the Harry Potter books use wands to focus their magic through, to were they become less important through training and experience. (On that note, I could totally see Jedi and Sith using Kaiburr-tipped wands and staves to focus their Force power.)

The tactic of using maned fighters, instead of unmanned droid-fighters or specialized droid pilots, could be possible due to kaiburr crystal circuits in a fighter's combat computer, which enhances a pilot's situational awareness, foresight and reflexes in way too taxing or impossible for combat droids. The ability for a non-Jedi pilot to gain "spidey-senses" during dog-fights comes from the way the pilot attunes to the crystal by the way the pilot trains to treat the craft as an extension of oneself. Such circuits were produced by the Jedi Order for the old Republic Navy,
and over time, they would become exceedingly rare and sought after. (The manufacturing of such circuits would be akin to the process you'll see in this video about quartz crystals made into radio communication equipment during World War II; its a great watch.) Old Republic snub-fighters would have such crystals (if they were not already pulled out and replaced for one reason or another), while the newer, cheaper mass-produced TIE-Fighters use more common computer circuits (only the best for the Empire's elite Impersonal Fadder Corps).

I can also see kaiburr crystal CPUs used in droids to make them sentient and somewhat force-sensitive. Such droids would not have the same force potential as a living person, but could act as a direct conduit to the will and desire of the Force. Likewise, this would be such a rare, hard-to-find and hard-to-get-to feature, that no one really search used droids for it. C-3PO might have one to account for his ability to translate nearly everything and his constant pessimistic outlook. As for R2-D2... Well, with all the strange luck that follows him: "The force is strong with this one."

With that, I'll have something greater for R2: If I was to re-write and re-do Star Wars canon, I would tie things together by adding a mysterious immortal figure who is working behind the scenes by turning a common Astormech droid, R2-D2, into his spy and archiver by allowing him to capture the events through an installed kaiburr crystal chip. He would be affiliated with an order of wayfaring force-sensitive Gypsy-like Bards, called the Whills. His goal would be to write an epic story that will carry throughout time and space, through the power of the Force, entitled "Journal of the Whills, Saga I: The Star Wars". (Don't mind this last part: Its just my bit of hyper-canonical fan-wank.)


So, there it is: Magic space rock manufactured to aid in latent Force-use and making droids sentient. Do anyone have any other thoughts on this?

[sixdemonbag]

I like anything that pushes SW to the fantasy side of the SF/F spectrum. So i'm all for it! Although, the droid thing is interesting and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I like the mystery of it all so I wouldn't want everything explained.

[Falconer]

It’s a really cool idea. It has to be used reservedly, of course. IIRC, Luke even used a synthetic crystal in his green lightsaber, which seemed to serve him just fine, so, in game terms maybe his blue lightsaber gave him +1 that his new lightsaber didn’t, but Luke himself was much higher level so that’s what matters.

Since the Star Wars universe feels so ancient, and the tech seems to simple despite its obvious power, I sort of assume there’s a layer of nanotechnology which people have for the most part forgotten (or never knew because it came from another society) and don’t really understand. Maybe there are synthetic crystals in all this tech, and people just take it for granted that it’s needed in order to make things run. Then if something has Kaiburr crystals in it instead of synthetic crystals, it gives a bonus.

[Malcadon]

One thing I really liked about the Rebels episode "Trials of the Darksaber" is the way it establishes how lightsabers are not lifeless tools, but a living thing imbued with the force and attuned to its creator. It was also established in the animated series that white is the default blade color, and the welder effectively shapes the essence of the lightsaber with use and meditation, thus changing it color like a mood ring. As Sabine, a non-Force-User, first held the legendary Darksaber, she noted that, despite being a weightless beam of light, the blade was usually heavy and felt a lot of resistance — as she became more attuned to it, it eased up on her.

I like this premise. It makes them feel more like Excalibur in tech form, than as a lifeless scifi plasma-sword.

Then again, I also REALLY like those pics of Stormtroopers welding Lightsabers and riot-shields, as well as the Gungan energy shields and forcefield generators. My ideal Star Wars would have a lot of soldiers armed with lightswords and personal forcefields, while blaster and missile weapons reduced to secondary or support weapons. Although, this could still work...

Armies could still use mass-produced lightsabers made with cheap synthetic or faux Kaiburr Crystals. Such sabers would have white blades and would not have the same power or potential as a true Jedi/Sith-made lightsaber, even if a Jedi or Sith is forced to use one. Basically, the nameless, faceless rabble would swing their flashy scifi glow-sticks around, protected by Holtzmen Shields, while the Jedi get to pit their "fabulous Sunswords against the forces of evil!" Yeah, more shameless fan-wank stuff, but that would make things way more cooler!