The forge(construction posts)

[Neive Undant]

(Post 1)

Christophsis. The planet was known for its many minerals, however many of the more rare minerals and resources had been extracted already. But the weapons and armor master was here on a mission, and he wouldn't stop until he found what he needed. He belonged to no faction, and his dark blue armor showed no alignment to any group. He was himself, a businessman and seller of many kinds of metal works. But he wanted to make something special this time around, for a special order given by a mysterious group that came to him on Utapau. He wasn't told the details, but in any case, he didnt want to let them down.
As he sat down outside the capital city, he looked out at one of the last mines to be abandoned by the inhabitants. But because it was such a shallow mine, this would be the last place he'd be able to find what he was looking for.

He rappeled down the side until his boots landed on a trail down that would have taken him hours to spiral down had he walked all the way around. He looked at the drilling point where there was a long-deactivsted still that sat near the point. But on the ground, stuck in the wall of crystal, there was a glimmer. A purple mineral stuck within the crystal wall. It was exactly what he needed.

He walked over and picked up a tool- a pickaxe, but equipped with vibro- technology for faster work and better cuts. He picked it up and put a battery in from the bible blade he held at his side, activating the tool and getting to work.
It took about 2 hours for him to move the crystals away, from driving the pickaxe into the wall, to chipping away the mineral from its roots within the crystal around it. But after a long process, he got what he needed.
Raw cortosis. It wasn't very refined, but it was still as strong as the man had ever seen in a mineral like it. He brought what little of it as he could take back to his ship, packaging it and thinking. Step one was complete. Now, there was just the process of everything else...

(Words: 375)

[Neive Undant]

(Post 2)

2 rotations later, Utapau.

The man walked into his forgery and smithing shop, setting the box containing the cortosis he had obtained. He walked over to the foundry for the stronger substances that he used and turned it on, hearing the roar of the flames that heated the foundry. He picked up the box and looked over the cortosis he had. He couldn't refine it like he had wanted to do, but he could at least get the order fixed the way that his buyers wanted. It was still a strange request, as he thought back. Something like this would surely need repairing if it is used for what they wanted it for. Anything going against a lightsaber has the odds stscked against it for remaining intact. But, he couldn't imagine someone getting into so many lightsaber fights that it would be a hassle to repair. And with the little amount needed, he eould have some cortosis extra for repairing the piece and for other projects. Just the thought of having cortosis for any kind of project he wanted, the money people would give to have a lightsaber resistant armor piece... But that was what brought him to this current project in the first place. He just hoped that they didnt need many repairs on it once he was finished... Or he would have to start charging after a certain number.

He placed the cortosis in the foundry, and thought. It would take a long time for this to melt down, especially since he had no special equipment used for things like this. But while one thing happened, he could go on to another piece of the puzzle.

"Droid! Watch this foundry, make sure the flames dont get out of hand, but keep them as hot as you can. I have some other business to take care of." A worker droid walked into the room, nodding in acknowledgement.

"Yes, mr. Smith."

The man nodded and walked towards the door. His black skin took in the sunlight as he walked towards his ship, setting off for the second part of this endeavor he was on. His ship lifted off once more and soon exited the atmosphere as the droid kept watch over the foundry.

(Words: 336)

[Neive Undant]

The forger's freighter sat down on Mandalore, in a docking bay that sat near a trading market. The man stepped out of his ship, holding a small bag of credits as he walked towards the market, seeing another forger sitting beside a metal foundry much like he had. However, rather than weapons, he had plates of metal and a few pieces of armor.

"Smith, how are ya?" The man smiled and waved to smith as he watched the foundry.

"Doing well, kren."

The man nodded. "Good to hear. What can I do for you?"
Smith sat in front of the shop keeper/forger, thinking. "I need a mold. Something strong, durasteel."
"Now Smith, you know I dont make disaster armor no more."
"No, I dont need armor. I just nedd a mold for something. Something that can hold molten cortosis."

"Cortosis? I'm surprised you got your hands on any. But if its judt s mold you need, judt give me a shape."

"Humanoid hand. Just the skeleton."

"Makes sense. I dont guess you have much of it. Lemme see what I have in the back."

The keeper stood and walked into the back to look through his things as Smith only looked to the metal foundry and around at the many people. People from different planets, factions and motives. Some a bit more shady than others.

"Hey smith! I got just the thing!" the keeper walked back out, holding a mold for a skeleton hand. It wasnt much, just a few lines going down the back of the hand and fingers, and 2 thicker lines running up the forearm. Smith nodded and stood, taking out 15 credits from the bag and handing them to Keen, taking the mold and walking towards the docking bay again.
"Thanks Kren. I may br back for some regular metal and joints later on, but I'm taking this project one step at a time. Ensures the quality of the product."

Keen chuckled. " heh, good to hear. I'll be waiting for ya." Smith nodded and left, carrying the mold and bag as he entered the docking bay and walked to his ship, exiting the market and hesding back out towards the atmosphere again.

(Words: 391, dialogue included)

[Neive Undant]

Upon his return to Utapau, Smith was eager to get to work. He couldn't wait to continue his latest work, however as he entered, only part of the cortosis had been melted down. The droid looked at smith as he entered.
"The mineral is currently 42% completed, sir."
Smith nodded and tipped the foundry over a bit, opening a small hatch and holding the mold underneath. He waited as the molten cortosis slowly slid into the mold, filling it as Smith watched. Soon, the mold finished and Smith closed the hatch, using a seperator to keep the cortosis from melting to the metal as he began the slow cooling process, careful not to cool it too fast and risk it cracking and causing him to start over. He set it out in a cool area, a small water dropper dripping it onto the molten molded metal. As the cortosis began to cool, he kicked the foundry back up and let it heat the cortosis up again, thinking to himself as he looked at the contents of the foundry for a moment...
Smith snapped back to reality as he looked at the droid, who only sat and stared at him, as it had not been given any other orders.
Smith stuttered for a second before addressing the droid.
"u-uh, just keep watch over this." Smith said. The droid nodded as he walked back to the cooling mold, looking over it one more time before he walked back out to his ship. He thought about what would come next as he entered his ship, thinking. Should he get the gauntlet itself, or get the joints first and start a new metal template from scratch? Either way, he was nowhere near finished on this project. One piece down, a few more to go.

[Neive Undant]

(OOC: last post word count- 300 words)

(post 5)

Smith's ship soon entered the orbit of mandalore once again, however he didn't set his sights on the trading market he had went to the first time. This time, he instead sat his ship down near a small armory in the more industrial part of the planet. He looked around, seeing factories all around as he approached the armory. As he reached the entrance, a man beside the door nodded to him. Smith took out the bag he had held before and handed the man at the entrance a few credits as he entered.
Upon entering the main area of the armory, he approached a counter where a Wookie sat, waiting for customers. He approached the stand, looking at the towering being before him.
"I'm looking for a few armor pieces."
The wookie nodded, crossing his arms.
"Just something light. Forearm cover, something easily removable and repairable."
After a moment of thinking, the wookie nodded and walked away from the counter, coming back a moment later with a dark blue piece of metal folded in on itself, with a small joint system on the top and bottom of it to remove it. Smith nodded and took it, putting some credits on the table.
"Now I need a glove. The joints aren't needed. I just need the plating."
The wookie gave one more nod and walked away after taking the credits, bringing back a pile of metal plates along with a fingerless metal glove, light metal giving it a bit of flexibility with the inside being a sort of leather attached to the metal. Smith put the bag on the coutner and took the rest of the pieces, walking away as the wookie put the bag away with the rest of his profits.
Smith walked back to his ship, taking out another container he held, putting them all inside and shutting it as he entered the cockpit of his ship, preparing to leave. He only had one more stop, and he'd have everything he needed.

(words: 334)

[Neive Undant]

(post 6)

Smith's mind was slowly creating the product before he had even started working on the assembly. The comfort fit for the user, for one, as he was given the measurements needed and made sure everything was set for whoever would soon be wearing the piece of defensive art he was making. He also had to think about the capabilities of the piece. Against a vibro weapon, it should be pretty much resistant, and even to a lightsaber, it should take a hit or two before the cortosis will fall under the heat and pressure. But he would also have to take these joints into consideration, as the cortosis would need to be either separated between joints or jointed itself. The first choice would be the easier between the two, but if it was separated and someone managed to his one of the joints, even though it would take major precision and a small weapon, it could easily lead to a severed appendage. He also had the melting cortosis he could mold into the joints anyways. He nodded as he approached the trade market that he had gone to before, setting down in the same pad and going to the same shop keeper.
"Ah, smith, back again! Did you come for the joints?" He said with a smile.
"Not this time. All I need is a few more molds, for some new joints."
"Ah, making them from scratch. I got'cha. Need them of durasteel too?"
Smith nodded and the man walked to the back, picking up a few more and carrying them back.
"Here they are."
Smith nodded, before looking himself over. "Well, tell you what. I don't have any credits on me, but once this project is done, I'll have double the cost to you."
The man was a bit surprised. "Double? Well, I don't like doing this, but you've never failed to pay me back in the past. I'll trust you with this one."
Smith nodded, taking the molds. "Appreciate it. I'll have the money to you as soon as I get this finished and sold."
The man sat back down, nodding as Smith walked away towards his ship for one final trip home. He had the tools, he had the ingredients. Now it was time to get cooking.

(words: 388)

[Neive Undant]

(post 7)
As smith returned home, he had stowed the molds in with the glove parts and other things he had picked up from the Mandalorian armory seller. He didn't like doing business with that group, because of their other business, supplying the sith with many of their weapons and armor, but it didn't tie him to them in any way. He didn't know them, he didn't care about them. He just did his job and got paid. Then he paid to do his job... what a cycle that is. But his mind had to focus on the task at hand before he could let the cycle continue. So as he sat his ship down, he quickly took the container of parts and got to work.
First, as he sat the container down, the droid spoke once again.
"Mineral is 96% melted, sir."
Smith nodded and looked at the skeletal mold of the cortosis that had already been started. It seemed about ready, but now that he had to make the joints, an obstacle came in front of him. To get the joints ready first, or to cut the skeleton design apart?
Smith thought for a moment before deciding he would do the joints first and work on the design as the joints cooled. He opened the hatch again and got the molds for the joints, letting the cortosis drip into them. Once they were all filled, he put them all out to cool, using a slider mechanism to let the water drop on all of them from the dropper. While that worked, Smith walked to the skeletal design, grabbing a small power tool. It was almost like a saber itself, but compact and with a much smaller blade. He activated it and slowly began to push the blade down onto the places where the joints would lay, after a few seconds each the design seperated.

(words: 314)

[Neive Undant]

(OOC: doesn't count towards the construction)

Smith took a moment to himself. He worked hard, he needed a nap while the joints cooled.

As he slept, the sunlight from outside poured into his room, but his curtains kept the light from him. For a while, he thought, he could afford to rest.

dreamland was wonderful, much happier than he was on utapau... but why was he on a duck farm? Ducks and quadducks were everywhere... why did he have a feeling he was somewhere like Naboo, where these useless antics were common? As he looked around, a quadduck looked him in the eyes, just inches away from him.

And with a distinct quack, he awoke from his slumber.

(words: ???)

[Neive Undant]

(post 8)
Smith walked back into the room he was using for the assembly of the armor piece, checking on the joints quickly. they were not quite done. So, he went back to the glove and other pieces. He took the tool again and grabbed the forearm cover, along with the forearm piece of the cortosis design. He put it on top and began slowly melding the cortosis to the metal plating, quickly swiping small areas to keep the metal and cortosis both intact as he used the tool as a makeshift welding mechanism. As he finished this, he looked at the joints. A couple of them were cooled, but the rest were still a bit unstable. He took the 2 finished ones and moved the others closer together, fixing the water dropper to keep the water on the remaining pieces. He took the joints and the tool, taking the cortosis pieces and attaching them to the ends of the joints. Once that was done, he picked up the glove pieces, welding them to the empty joint ends as well, before welding one of the joints to the hand piece. He looked back at the other joints, and seeing as they were cooled, he picked them up and repeated the process 4 more times, adding another step for the joint that brought the middle section to the tip of the finger. He tightened the joints of each to where they weren't flimsy, but they could still easily move if pushed from the inside, aka the fingers. There was one more joint he needed, however. The larger one for the palm and hand to connect to the forearm. He went back to the foundry, seeing that he still had a good bit of cortosis left. He could make a few more designs, he thought to himself. It would make for good replacements, although the replacement process would be tedious, when he came to it. But he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

(words: 332)

[Neive Undant]

(post 9)
With the joints in place and the finger segments about finished, Smith moved on to the hand and forearm. He had to be careful as he waited for the last joint to cool, because the fingers of the hand segment needed to be precisely welded to avoid any problems with mobility within the hand's bending. Apparently this thing was going to someone who was fairly agile, so mobility needed to be top priority. So, as he used the tool to slowly weld the cortosis design to the back of the hand, he worked meticulously, picking his spots to weld in so that it can have a bit of flexibility for the wearer. One weld on each of the finger ends, where it went from the hand to the individual fingers, and then a weld near the wrist and 2 small ones on the side, not enough to constrict the leather under the metal plating, but enough to keep the cortosis in place. Next, Smith walked into his small storage room, grabbing some more leather scrap from his storage, taking a knife and opening the forearm piece. He cut the leather as needed and took some sealant he had left over from another leather works project, putting some over the leather and basically glued the leather to the inside of the forearm cover. Once that was finished, he sat the forearm aside and looked over the hand and finger part of the gauntlet. The fingers weren't laced with leather like the hand and arm, but they were small enough to have a snug fit without. The leather would only make the inside too small for the measurements given to him by the buyers. He sat what was basically a glove at the moment down, making sure all the joints bend slightly backwards and most of the way forwards, making a tight fist with the glove. He nodded and knew that it was almost finished... only 1 more step left.

(words: 328)