Myrkr
587 Klicks North-North-West of Hyllyard City
1 Galactic Standard Year Ago
The forest was quiet. A void of sound, sense and motion. Dense forest blocked the fading light of the setting sun. No birds chirped a final farewell to the warm day. No critters sought their nest for the evening lest the wary hunters of this planet, the vornskr, caught them in the open. Not even a lazy ysalamiri moved amongst the canopy. This was a place of stillness.
Something intangible, yet undeniably dark kept any curious creatures from wandering too close to the squat, metallic building that occupied the clearing ahead. It’s menacing, square features stood in harsh relief against the natural curves of the forest surrounding it. A strip of once burnt ground broke the flow of the forest like a moat of the shortest, ugliest castle of legends long forgotten. It was merely dark sand now, kept uninhabitable for any kind of reclamation from the forest. This line of death provided a clear line of sight for the overlapping fields of view of the security cameras that ringed the compound like so many glittering gems on a crown.
Crouching amongst the undergrowth at the edge of the trees was a lithe man with a black cloth over his eyes. Hair so white as to almost take on the color of the setting sun fell around his shoulders. He was dressed in ranger armor, ultra light yet durable, painted in muted greys and greens to blend with the foliage. A long, stick-like weapon rested under his palm on the forest floor. He sat on his haunches, letting the void of the forest entomb him, feeling the pockets where ysalamiri hid by their absence in his sight. A single bead of sweat tickled its way down his spine. A single thought filled with cold anger and determination tickled its way through his mind.
Laertes Kalen, initiate to the traditions of the Force, trained warrior for the Galactic Alliance, Sith Slayer in title and deed, took a long, calming breath and prepared himself to storm a literal fortress and rescue his sister.
Going In Blind (Closed)
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Laertes Kalen
- New Member
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2021 9:11 pm
Re: Going In Blind (Closed)
Unknown Planet
Landing Site
About 100 Klicks North of the Equator
3 Galactic Standard Years Ago
A gentle breeze drifted through the knee high stalks of grass on the plain. Its gentle touch tickled against Laertes legs through the thin, athletic material he wore. A pair of ships seemed to float on the waves of grass a few hundred feet away. His Trilon Aggressor was small next to the hulking, modified YT-2400 of his companion. Zerk Ermite stood just over six and a half feet tall, thick with muscle. The Dowutin man radiated power literally and figuratively. Where Laertes and his ship were light and fast, Zerk and his YT were strong and implacable.
“Your will can change the world, and your focus directs you will, Padawan. You’ve got to stop letting it drift like fresh snow on the tundra,” Zerk said. Despite the man’s appearance he was a philosopher at heart. Trained in the Force through Knighthood, he had pursued a different path, rather than remain in the order and continue his own training. Laertes didn’t know all of the details, but he knew he was grateful that the wise giant saw fit to impart his wisdom to one such as himself.
(Begin Level 4 App)
He drew in his breath, and, with it, the swirling energy of the Force. The cloth across his face would have blocked normal vision if he had possessed eyes. Instead, Laertes saw the world through the lens of the Force. While that had always been true, it was only relatively recently that he’d started to take his ability to see and manipulate the flow of energy around him seriously. First with Ti’Cira, Mao, and Rydax, then after… everything, by himself for a while. His thoughts began to tunnel down that dark path, but before they could stray too far, he brought his attention back to the present moment.
Zerk’s words aren’t even seconds old and already I forget, Laertes thought with shame. The emotion swirled around his senses like a gnat, toying with his focus and drawing him away from the mystical energy he was trying to harness. He took two slow, steadying breaths and let go of the emotion. It sloughed around him like ink in the water, but soon sunk away and faded. The grass beneath him sang with life, green and blue to his Force sight and he focused on that, drawing the energy into himself, using its purity to cleanse his mind and focus.
The next exhale brought clarity.
Through his connection to the Force, Laertes knew that Zerk felt it when his awareness washed over the man. His mentor was represented by brown and gold mountains in Laerte’s sight. The individual shapes were impossible to describe and yet perfectly clear as Laertes honed his focus onto the man. Boulders on the mountain began to crash downward and Laertes realized with a start that Zerk had already begun the training in earnest.
“You’re not always going to…. Agh… have time to go through… ugh… breathing exercises during combat,” Zerk began, punctuating his words with sweeping blows that would knock Laertes into the next system if they connected. Using the Force and his increased focus, Laertes had just enough time and instinct to duck under the first blow. Even drawing in the energy and pushing it through his limbs, Zerk’s second fist glanced off of his ribs and pushed the air out of the smaller man’s lungs.
“Being fast… hngh... isn’t good enough either. You’ve got to see… more,” the Jedi Knight continued, again sending more attacks at Laertes. Ripples of Force energy tickled Laertes’ senses, flowing ahead of the uppercut that almost decapitated the young Miralukan. He twisted, barely avoiding the massive blow. As he did he felt his focus waver, worry and fear clawing away his precious focus. Laertes ground his teeth and drew in the energy of the Force. Seeing the path of the energy in his Force sight like bacta flowing into a tank, he opened the valve and let the energy pour into him.
He sent a pulse of energy into his legs, enhancing his muscles and reactions. With the extra guidance and a push of the Force, Laertes jumped over Zerk’s sweeping leg, twisting in the air and landing to the side of the larger man. The air between them was thick with pulsing waves of Force energy to Laertes’ vision. The awareness of the two men predicting one another and their wills trying to obfuscate simultaneously. It was a strenuous dance, and one which Laertes was unused to. He felt his focus slipping, the edges of the gold and brown mountains blurring, taking on the green and blues of the grass beneath their feet.
A flash of red in his mind’s eye guided his focus like a laser back to its target.
TiCira! No... Artemis! His first thought for his mentor, the second, his sister. But in truth it was neither. Only after the training would he realize it was a simple butterfly, floating gracefully on the wind that had drawn his focus back.
He drew in a sharp breath and the lines dividing colors in his Force sight snapped into place with harsh clarity. He felt a gentle nudge from the Force and used it to spin. His heart was racing and he expanded his blood vessels with the mystical energy, practically willing the fatigue of the fight to remain at arm’s length. Laertes drew power from his chest, up and outward. To his vision a crystalline lattice of power encompassed his arms as he grabbed the larger man by the ankle. With a guttural grunt and a heaving motion, Laertes was able to upend the larger man.
(End Level 4 App)
Zerk fell with enough force to shake the ground, his hulking form already rolling away from the impact and laughing as he stood.
“Well done, Kalen, well done,” he said, offering a hand to Laertes. The smaller man was still prone, where he’d landed after dropping Zerk. “I felt it, your connection was tenuous for a moment, but you mastered it. I am impressed,” Zerk continued, his booming basso warm and proud.
“Thank you, sir,” Laertes responded. His chest heaved with large, panting breaths but he mastered himself before continuing. “I thought I saw…” he paused as he looked around and caught the faintest glimpse of red and purple wings weaving through the tall grass. “Nevermind. I’ll do better next time.”
Landing Site
About 100 Klicks North of the Equator
3 Galactic Standard Years Ago
A gentle breeze drifted through the knee high stalks of grass on the plain. Its gentle touch tickled against Laertes legs through the thin, athletic material he wore. A pair of ships seemed to float on the waves of grass a few hundred feet away. His Trilon Aggressor was small next to the hulking, modified YT-2400 of his companion. Zerk Ermite stood just over six and a half feet tall, thick with muscle. The Dowutin man radiated power literally and figuratively. Where Laertes and his ship were light and fast, Zerk and his YT were strong and implacable.
“Your will can change the world, and your focus directs you will, Padawan. You’ve got to stop letting it drift like fresh snow on the tundra,” Zerk said. Despite the man’s appearance he was a philosopher at heart. Trained in the Force through Knighthood, he had pursued a different path, rather than remain in the order and continue his own training. Laertes didn’t know all of the details, but he knew he was grateful that the wise giant saw fit to impart his wisdom to one such as himself.
(Begin Level 4 App)
He drew in his breath, and, with it, the swirling energy of the Force. The cloth across his face would have blocked normal vision if he had possessed eyes. Instead, Laertes saw the world through the lens of the Force. While that had always been true, it was only relatively recently that he’d started to take his ability to see and manipulate the flow of energy around him seriously. First with Ti’Cira, Mao, and Rydax, then after… everything, by himself for a while. His thoughts began to tunnel down that dark path, but before they could stray too far, he brought his attention back to the present moment.
Zerk’s words aren’t even seconds old and already I forget, Laertes thought with shame. The emotion swirled around his senses like a gnat, toying with his focus and drawing him away from the mystical energy he was trying to harness. He took two slow, steadying breaths and let go of the emotion. It sloughed around him like ink in the water, but soon sunk away and faded. The grass beneath him sang with life, green and blue to his Force sight and he focused on that, drawing the energy into himself, using its purity to cleanse his mind and focus.
The next exhale brought clarity.
Through his connection to the Force, Laertes knew that Zerk felt it when his awareness washed over the man. His mentor was represented by brown and gold mountains in Laerte’s sight. The individual shapes were impossible to describe and yet perfectly clear as Laertes honed his focus onto the man. Boulders on the mountain began to crash downward and Laertes realized with a start that Zerk had already begun the training in earnest.
“You’re not always going to…. Agh… have time to go through… ugh… breathing exercises during combat,” Zerk began, punctuating his words with sweeping blows that would knock Laertes into the next system if they connected. Using the Force and his increased focus, Laertes had just enough time and instinct to duck under the first blow. Even drawing in the energy and pushing it through his limbs, Zerk’s second fist glanced off of his ribs and pushed the air out of the smaller man’s lungs.
“Being fast… hngh... isn’t good enough either. You’ve got to see… more,” the Jedi Knight continued, again sending more attacks at Laertes. Ripples of Force energy tickled Laertes’ senses, flowing ahead of the uppercut that almost decapitated the young Miralukan. He twisted, barely avoiding the massive blow. As he did he felt his focus waver, worry and fear clawing away his precious focus. Laertes ground his teeth and drew in the energy of the Force. Seeing the path of the energy in his Force sight like bacta flowing into a tank, he opened the valve and let the energy pour into him.
He sent a pulse of energy into his legs, enhancing his muscles and reactions. With the extra guidance and a push of the Force, Laertes jumped over Zerk’s sweeping leg, twisting in the air and landing to the side of the larger man. The air between them was thick with pulsing waves of Force energy to Laertes’ vision. The awareness of the two men predicting one another and their wills trying to obfuscate simultaneously. It was a strenuous dance, and one which Laertes was unused to. He felt his focus slipping, the edges of the gold and brown mountains blurring, taking on the green and blues of the grass beneath their feet.
A flash of red in his mind’s eye guided his focus like a laser back to its target.
TiCira! No... Artemis! His first thought for his mentor, the second, his sister. But in truth it was neither. Only after the training would he realize it was a simple butterfly, floating gracefully on the wind that had drawn his focus back.
He drew in a sharp breath and the lines dividing colors in his Force sight snapped into place with harsh clarity. He felt a gentle nudge from the Force and used it to spin. His heart was racing and he expanded his blood vessels with the mystical energy, practically willing the fatigue of the fight to remain at arm’s length. Laertes drew power from his chest, up and outward. To his vision a crystalline lattice of power encompassed his arms as he grabbed the larger man by the ankle. With a guttural grunt and a heaving motion, Laertes was able to upend the larger man.
(End Level 4 App)
Zerk fell with enough force to shake the ground, his hulking form already rolling away from the impact and laughing as he stood.
“Well done, Kalen, well done,” he said, offering a hand to Laertes. The smaller man was still prone, where he’d landed after dropping Zerk. “I felt it, your connection was tenuous for a moment, but you mastered it. I am impressed,” Zerk continued, his booming basso warm and proud.
“Thank you, sir,” Laertes responded. His chest heaved with large, panting breaths but he mastered himself before continuing. “I thought I saw…” he paused as he looked around and caught the faintest glimpse of red and purple wings weaving through the tall grass. “Nevermind. I’ll do better next time.”
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Laertes Kalen
- New Member
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2021 9:11 pm
Re: Going In Blind (Closed)
Hyperspace
Aboard the light cruiser, Ascension
2 Parsecs From Alpheridies
2 Galactic Standard Years Ago
“Are you sure it’s alright that I take leave right now, Major?” Laertes asked. He was standing on the bridge of the Ascension with his cell leader, Major Akiri. The tall Kubaz faced Laertes with dark, beady eyes. Akiri’s cyan goggles were lifted onto his head, causing his short, bristly hair to stand up in wild directions. The metal snout protector he wore was dull and faded with use and scratches. To Laertes’ Force sight the man simply glowed with boundless energy. He was the color of daisies in bloom mixed with the frothing of a waterfall. Gentle and relentless, seemingly endless, yet stationary.
“Three times answered,” Akiri responded. His second row of teeth and nasally tone made the words sound almost threatening. The gentle motions of Akiri’s hands were at odds with the sounds that came from the Kubaz. It was simply the nature of conversing with his species. Their ability to speak Basic was greatly hindered by the physical structure of their mouths, so they augmented their words with sign language. It was something Akiri had taught Laertes over the past number of years working together.
“You must do what you must,” the cell leader continued.
“Thank you, sir,” Laertes said. Major Akiri dismissed him with a nod and a hand signal, interpreted through Laertes’ Force sight by its meaning more than the actual motion the Kubaz made. He turned and left the bridge. His footsteps echoed from the metal hallways of the Ascension as he made his way to his bunk. He’d already packed his bag.
The door slid open as he approached. Zerk was leaning against the wall just inside the door as Laertes stepped inside. His warmth enveloped Laertes like a gentle washing of sunlight. There was a pride there, of the training they’d done together and the growth Laertes had demonstrated. But there was worry, hidden deep inside. The dark caves dotting the mountainside of his aura were evidence of that. Still, Laertes knew the larger man would hold his peace. They’d already spoken about the trip Laertes had planned and Zerk had voiced his concerns.
The truth of it was that Laertes shared those concerns, but still he felt obligated to go.
“It’s family,” is all he said to the big man.
“I know. Just remember, so are we. Be well. Be strong. Be smart,” Zerk responded, hugging the small Miralukan. Laertes watched Zerk leave in his Force sight without turning, taking comfort in the strength that he radiated. Then he collected his bag and prepared to return to his homeworld.
Aboard the light cruiser, Ascension
2 Parsecs From Alpheridies
2 Galactic Standard Years Ago
“Are you sure it’s alright that I take leave right now, Major?” Laertes asked. He was standing on the bridge of the Ascension with his cell leader, Major Akiri. The tall Kubaz faced Laertes with dark, beady eyes. Akiri’s cyan goggles were lifted onto his head, causing his short, bristly hair to stand up in wild directions. The metal snout protector he wore was dull and faded with use and scratches. To Laertes’ Force sight the man simply glowed with boundless energy. He was the color of daisies in bloom mixed with the frothing of a waterfall. Gentle and relentless, seemingly endless, yet stationary.
“Three times answered,” Akiri responded. His second row of teeth and nasally tone made the words sound almost threatening. The gentle motions of Akiri’s hands were at odds with the sounds that came from the Kubaz. It was simply the nature of conversing with his species. Their ability to speak Basic was greatly hindered by the physical structure of their mouths, so they augmented their words with sign language. It was something Akiri had taught Laertes over the past number of years working together.
“You must do what you must,” the cell leader continued.
“Thank you, sir,” Laertes said. Major Akiri dismissed him with a nod and a hand signal, interpreted through Laertes’ Force sight by its meaning more than the actual motion the Kubaz made. He turned and left the bridge. His footsteps echoed from the metal hallways of the Ascension as he made his way to his bunk. He’d already packed his bag.
The door slid open as he approached. Zerk was leaning against the wall just inside the door as Laertes stepped inside. His warmth enveloped Laertes like a gentle washing of sunlight. There was a pride there, of the training they’d done together and the growth Laertes had demonstrated. But there was worry, hidden deep inside. The dark caves dotting the mountainside of his aura were evidence of that. Still, Laertes knew the larger man would hold his peace. They’d already spoken about the trip Laertes had planned and Zerk had voiced his concerns.
The truth of it was that Laertes shared those concerns, but still he felt obligated to go.
“It’s family,” is all he said to the big man.
“I know. Just remember, so are we. Be well. Be strong. Be smart,” Zerk responded, hugging the small Miralukan. Laertes watched Zerk leave in his Force sight without turning, taking comfort in the strength that he radiated. Then he collected his bag and prepared to return to his homeworld.
-
Laertes Kalen
- New Member
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2021 9:11 pm
Re: Going In Blind (Closed)
Alpheridies
Kalen Family Farm
1.5 Galactic Standard Years Ago
Here it was. Buried deep within the holo-recordings Artemis had taken many years ago. Laertes had found a lead. The credits his parents had used to rebuild the farm while he and Artemis had been away. She’d taken a job with a research facility. The limited communication Laertes was able to receive with now Lieutenant-Colonel Akiri over the last few months indicated that it was anything but a reputable company.
Horror stories about experimentation on Force Sensitive children haunted Laertes dreams, his waking hours filled with thoughts of the same. It took every technique he’d learned from TiCira to not be overwhelmed with feelings of fear and hatred. Everything he’d learned from Buggie, Rani, Eryk and Zerk. Anger he allowed, but only in controlled doses and with a purpose. Fear, worry, and panic he released and instead channeled those emotions into a plan and set to work.
(Begin Lightspear Construction)
Zerk had prepared Laertes for this, both mentally and physically. More than that, the Dowutin Jedi had left Laertes a gift in his bag when they were parting aboard the Ascension. A simple kyber crystal and all of the parts needed for a light-weapon. The parts were dull and lifeless to Laertes force sight, but the crystal pulsed with a faint energy, patterns swirling and fading on its surface. He spent some time studying the pieces and envisioning over and over the way they would combine into a functioning weapon.
As he focused it almost seemed to his Force sight as if tiny strands of thread appeared between the pieces, linking them together. The flow of electricity sparked like lightning across the imaginary thread, passing through wires and capacitors, arcing from the crystal into a coherent beam of light and energy. Laertes lost track of time in this manner, envisioning again and again the process that would tie these disparate parts into the form he desired. Each time the image grew clearer to his vision and the young man knew he was tying his will to the Force and the Force would bring it into reality.
It would take the form of a glaive weapon, with a medium sized shaft and a slightly shorter than average lightsaber blade. There were some modifications required to the basic parts Zerk had given him, but the Knight knew his trainee well and had included the tools necessary to make that happen. After making those basic changes, it was time for Laertes to get to work actually building the weapon.
Drawing a deep breath, Laertes reached for the first piece. The journey begins with a single step, he thought, echoing the words of some long lost philosopher Rani had made him read. Or maybe it was TiCira. A small smile touched his lips as he thought of his former mentors, linking their teachings into every part of the process as he went. First came the converter that would turn the electricity into something more and cycle it into a usable energy source for the crystal.
Slowly, methodically, Laertes pieced together one part and then another. The converter, the housing, the mount, the shielding. Inch by inch the parts added into something greater than their sum and Laertes found himself working smoothly and quickly. Too quickly. More than once his impatience got the better of him. He forgot to attach the converter securely to the housing and heard it rattle around as he picked up the whole shell. He reversed the wiring on the feedback loop and nearly shorted out his battery.
Frustration welled inside Laertes and his thoughts drifted to his sister. The foolish deal she’d struck and his parents’ obliviousness to her plight. Anger and fear began to make their way into his workings and it was only when the threads connecting the pieces in his mental imagery began to fray that Laertes realized what was happening. His hand reared back and he almost threw the entire assembly against the wall. At the last minute he caught himself, exhaling one ragged breath and then another.
His face warmed, and Laertes felt fortunate no one was around to share in his shame. There was a difference between passion and panic, between focus and fervor. It took him the better part of the evening to reset his emotions into something resembling the headspace he needed for the task and Laertes set back to working after long hours of meditation. Just as he reached for the first piece to begin anew, his stomach rumbled like a rancor’s growl. Laertes flopped backward onto the ground, laughing despite himself.
“Fine, but then we finish,” he told himself. He stood, brushing silver-white hair free of his sweat soaked forehead and left to find sustenance.
As he returned to his task an hour later, Laertes found a flaw in the metal of the housing. It was so subtle he had missed it before, a miniscule crack running the length of the piece. The housing was a dim grey to his Force sight and this crack merely a slightly darker shade, almost impossible to see. He never would have noticed it if he wasn’t approaching it with a fresh look. If he hadn’t taken the time to eat, to relax, this flaw would have made its way into the final weapon and could have caused a more severe malfunction at an inopportune time.
Laertes spent the better part of the night walking his work back, undoing the toil of the day so he could remove this section of the housing and replace it with a new one. It was a lesson in patience, in taking the time to do the thing right and one he had learned from countless mentors. It was of utmost importance that the housing be sound and secure. It was laced with cortosis-weave, both to contain the energy it produced and so that the staff of the weapon, or the hilt, could be used to defend against another light weapon.
Dawn found the young Miralukan asleep in an awkward position, cradling the almost finished weapon in his arms. He stood, stretching slowly and examining what he had built. It was just over a meter long of smooth metal, balanced almost imperceptibly toward the base. The lightspear was narrow, yet strong imbued with the care and patience of mind and Force that Laertes had carefully crafted into every inch of it. There was only one thing left to do before it would be a functioning weapon.
Laertes turned his attention to the crystal that Zerk had left for him. Its internal structure seemed to appear to him as he focused more upon it. Dark yellows and deep blues drew strong, thick lines through orange eddies and swirls of purple. Laertes drew on the Force, sending his will into the crystal and easing those lines, bending the nature of the crystal to his wishes and vice versa. It was a slow, tedious process.
Realigning the structure of the Force within the crystal took the better part of the day. More than once Laertes had to pause, finding it incredibly difficult to remain focused as fiercely and steadily as the task required. Eventually, though, the Miralukan was able to reshape the currents of Force energy within the crystal. Matching their ebb and flow to the energy within himself, he linked the crystal to his will and to his weapon, to its purpose. To protect the innocent from those who fell to the dark, by whatever means necessary within reason and without succumbing oneself. To be a shield and a sword for those who could not, or would not, take up either and were without the means to defend themselves.
He placed the crystal into the mount, set deep in the housing, and closed the cover. As he did so, Laertes infused the weapon with a final effort of will and the Force, feeling a satisfying click within his mind just as he heard one physically as well. He felt a rightness flow through his body, through the hilt of the weapon he was holding. Laertes gave the spear-like weapon an experimental twirl and felt satisfied with the weight. There was a thrum of electricity as he pushed the button and felt the blade extend outward.
The room was enveloped in a soft, white glow. Laertes looked at the weapon in his hand, seeing the hilt and the blade alive with light in his Force sight. It radiated white hot energy and Laertes smiled fiercely, pride swelling in his chest.
His finished Lightglaive extended from him as the natural extension of his body and mind. The hilt ran just over a meter in length with the blade extending almost as far again. Laertes deactivated the weapon with a small sigh of appreciation and flopped to the ground exhausted. A silent thanks echoed in his mind to every individual who had helped him make this a reality. He knew though that he still needed their guidance and wisdom, maybe now more than ever.
(End Lightspear App)
He had his weapon. Now it was time to get his sister back.
Kalen Family Farm
1.5 Galactic Standard Years Ago
Here it was. Buried deep within the holo-recordings Artemis had taken many years ago. Laertes had found a lead. The credits his parents had used to rebuild the farm while he and Artemis had been away. She’d taken a job with a research facility. The limited communication Laertes was able to receive with now Lieutenant-Colonel Akiri over the last few months indicated that it was anything but a reputable company.
Horror stories about experimentation on Force Sensitive children haunted Laertes dreams, his waking hours filled with thoughts of the same. It took every technique he’d learned from TiCira to not be overwhelmed with feelings of fear and hatred. Everything he’d learned from Buggie, Rani, Eryk and Zerk. Anger he allowed, but only in controlled doses and with a purpose. Fear, worry, and panic he released and instead channeled those emotions into a plan and set to work.
(Begin Lightspear Construction)
Zerk had prepared Laertes for this, both mentally and physically. More than that, the Dowutin Jedi had left Laertes a gift in his bag when they were parting aboard the Ascension. A simple kyber crystal and all of the parts needed for a light-weapon. The parts were dull and lifeless to Laertes force sight, but the crystal pulsed with a faint energy, patterns swirling and fading on its surface. He spent some time studying the pieces and envisioning over and over the way they would combine into a functioning weapon.
As he focused it almost seemed to his Force sight as if tiny strands of thread appeared between the pieces, linking them together. The flow of electricity sparked like lightning across the imaginary thread, passing through wires and capacitors, arcing from the crystal into a coherent beam of light and energy. Laertes lost track of time in this manner, envisioning again and again the process that would tie these disparate parts into the form he desired. Each time the image grew clearer to his vision and the young man knew he was tying his will to the Force and the Force would bring it into reality.
It would take the form of a glaive weapon, with a medium sized shaft and a slightly shorter than average lightsaber blade. There were some modifications required to the basic parts Zerk had given him, but the Knight knew his trainee well and had included the tools necessary to make that happen. After making those basic changes, it was time for Laertes to get to work actually building the weapon.
Drawing a deep breath, Laertes reached for the first piece. The journey begins with a single step, he thought, echoing the words of some long lost philosopher Rani had made him read. Or maybe it was TiCira. A small smile touched his lips as he thought of his former mentors, linking their teachings into every part of the process as he went. First came the converter that would turn the electricity into something more and cycle it into a usable energy source for the crystal.
Slowly, methodically, Laertes pieced together one part and then another. The converter, the housing, the mount, the shielding. Inch by inch the parts added into something greater than their sum and Laertes found himself working smoothly and quickly. Too quickly. More than once his impatience got the better of him. He forgot to attach the converter securely to the housing and heard it rattle around as he picked up the whole shell. He reversed the wiring on the feedback loop and nearly shorted out his battery.
Frustration welled inside Laertes and his thoughts drifted to his sister. The foolish deal she’d struck and his parents’ obliviousness to her plight. Anger and fear began to make their way into his workings and it was only when the threads connecting the pieces in his mental imagery began to fray that Laertes realized what was happening. His hand reared back and he almost threw the entire assembly against the wall. At the last minute he caught himself, exhaling one ragged breath and then another.
His face warmed, and Laertes felt fortunate no one was around to share in his shame. There was a difference between passion and panic, between focus and fervor. It took him the better part of the evening to reset his emotions into something resembling the headspace he needed for the task and Laertes set back to working after long hours of meditation. Just as he reached for the first piece to begin anew, his stomach rumbled like a rancor’s growl. Laertes flopped backward onto the ground, laughing despite himself.
“Fine, but then we finish,” he told himself. He stood, brushing silver-white hair free of his sweat soaked forehead and left to find sustenance.
As he returned to his task an hour later, Laertes found a flaw in the metal of the housing. It was so subtle he had missed it before, a miniscule crack running the length of the piece. The housing was a dim grey to his Force sight and this crack merely a slightly darker shade, almost impossible to see. He never would have noticed it if he wasn’t approaching it with a fresh look. If he hadn’t taken the time to eat, to relax, this flaw would have made its way into the final weapon and could have caused a more severe malfunction at an inopportune time.
Laertes spent the better part of the night walking his work back, undoing the toil of the day so he could remove this section of the housing and replace it with a new one. It was a lesson in patience, in taking the time to do the thing right and one he had learned from countless mentors. It was of utmost importance that the housing be sound and secure. It was laced with cortosis-weave, both to contain the energy it produced and so that the staff of the weapon, or the hilt, could be used to defend against another light weapon.
Dawn found the young Miralukan asleep in an awkward position, cradling the almost finished weapon in his arms. He stood, stretching slowly and examining what he had built. It was just over a meter long of smooth metal, balanced almost imperceptibly toward the base. The lightspear was narrow, yet strong imbued with the care and patience of mind and Force that Laertes had carefully crafted into every inch of it. There was only one thing left to do before it would be a functioning weapon.
Laertes turned his attention to the crystal that Zerk had left for him. Its internal structure seemed to appear to him as he focused more upon it. Dark yellows and deep blues drew strong, thick lines through orange eddies and swirls of purple. Laertes drew on the Force, sending his will into the crystal and easing those lines, bending the nature of the crystal to his wishes and vice versa. It was a slow, tedious process.
Realigning the structure of the Force within the crystal took the better part of the day. More than once Laertes had to pause, finding it incredibly difficult to remain focused as fiercely and steadily as the task required. Eventually, though, the Miralukan was able to reshape the currents of Force energy within the crystal. Matching their ebb and flow to the energy within himself, he linked the crystal to his will and to his weapon, to its purpose. To protect the innocent from those who fell to the dark, by whatever means necessary within reason and without succumbing oneself. To be a shield and a sword for those who could not, or would not, take up either and were without the means to defend themselves.
He placed the crystal into the mount, set deep in the housing, and closed the cover. As he did so, Laertes infused the weapon with a final effort of will and the Force, feeling a satisfying click within his mind just as he heard one physically as well. He felt a rightness flow through his body, through the hilt of the weapon he was holding. Laertes gave the spear-like weapon an experimental twirl and felt satisfied with the weight. There was a thrum of electricity as he pushed the button and felt the blade extend outward.
The room was enveloped in a soft, white glow. Laertes looked at the weapon in his hand, seeing the hilt and the blade alive with light in his Force sight. It radiated white hot energy and Laertes smiled fiercely, pride swelling in his chest.
His finished Lightglaive extended from him as the natural extension of his body and mind. The hilt ran just over a meter in length with the blade extending almost as far again. Laertes deactivated the weapon with a small sigh of appreciation and flopped to the ground exhausted. A silent thanks echoed in his mind to every individual who had helped him make this a reality. He knew though that he still needed their guidance and wisdom, maybe now more than ever.
(End Lightspear App)
He had his weapon. Now it was time to get his sister back.