SithLore

Neive sat on the ground within the temple in Malastare, his head down as he meditated. It had been too long since his last session of training, he hadn't taken time to better his abilities since he was trapped on Illum, and even then he had been almost forced to. But this time, he was all alone, and any time he chose to leave, he could. But he knew that he needed to commit to this, as much as he could, at least. But before he could advance his teachings, there was something he had to do. He had tried before, but before he could even use it, it had fallen apart in his arms.
Neive took the hilt of the lightsaber out and set it on the ground, gently setting the crystal from illum down with it. He sighed, as he remembered what he had been told.
"The crystal is the heart of the blade. The blade is the heart of the force. The force is the heart of the jedi, the jedi is the heart of the blade. All are connected, all are one."

<begin application, lightsaber construction>
<Word requirement: 700 words>
<begin>

Neive picked up the crystal, taking half of the conductor, the other half on the ground, and set the crystal inside, setting it flush with the stand to hold it in place. Neive picked up the other half carefully, and set it on top, the locks in place for Neive to twist the conductor, the two halves locking into place and holding the crystal in the middle, the glass container holding it still as Neive looked over it. He took the hilt and slid it over the conductor before taking the bottom and screwing it in, looking over what he saw as the finished product. He stood and sighed, hitting the ignition button.
The top of the saber sparked and sputtered before he pressed it again quickly, stopping it. Neive shook his head and opened it back up, looking over the conductor. He slowly twisted the conductor, looking over it until it clicked in place, then looked at the crystal. He slowly twisted the glass case before it pulled apart, the crystal now exposed. He twisted the Crystal until both halves of the conductor latched on, then closing the glass again and looked over the conductor. He checked each part, before seeing another major problem. He took the end, twisting it until it was aligned with the crystal and perfectly aligned. Neive again took hold of the hilt, sliding the conductor into it and screwing it in. Neive watched as he ignited the saber again, this time again shorting out but not sparking violently as last time. He shook his head and opened it again before seeing the problem: The emitter matrix had been inverted. He shook his head, knowing that at times that this could cause the saber to explode. He fixed it quickly before securing the power cell and looking through the emitter matrix, making sure the electricity would be moving the right way. He quickly looked through the energy modulation circuits and the field energizers, checking connections and making sure everything was intact. He then made sure there was no excess power, and he quickly hit another roadblock. There was too much power from the cell, and with the crystal being slightly unstable, there would be no way to keep the blade stable without a way to vent out the extra energy. He looked at the hilt, setting the conductor down. he took out a small metal cutter and opened 2 small openings on either side of the hilt, taking the metal from them and melding it into 2 small ports, aiming diagonally. He laced the inside with copper wiring he had in his bag that he had brought with him that held extra equipment for the construction, and looked back to the conductor. He made 2 ports to match the hilt, acting as vents for the extra energy to escape as 2 smaller blades, about an inch or two long, he thought. That would keep the excess energy from the crystal itself and keep the blade stable. Neive nodded and detached the two vents and slid the conductor into the hilt, looking at the end. He thought for a minute before putting it in his bag and looking through the bag before taking out a pommel, looking over it before screwing it in. He took the two vents and slid them into the slots, taking a small melder and putting it into the side, melding the vents into the slots before looking over the conductor one more time, shaking it side to side gently to make sure it is firmly within the hilt. He looked at the two knobs, turning the power regulator down as much as it could before he ignited it.
The plasma blade extended out about 1 foot, the blade dim. Neive looked at the knobs and slowly turned the power up until the saber was brighter, about the same as what he had seen in other's sabers. Neive watched his blade as he slowly turned the other knob, shortening the blade until it was easiest to maneuver, and felt the most comfortable with it. He looked at the vents and looked at the small energy dispersions that protruded from the vents, almost like 2 small blades coming from the sides and jutting out diagonally, the same direction of the blade. The hum made it known the blade wasn't completely stable, but the vents made sure it kept its shape and stayed stable for the most part.

<End application: saber construction>
<Required words: 700>
<Word count: 744>

Neive took the ring on the pommel of the saber and hooked it to his belt before thinking. It was a start, he thought. But he was far from finished here.

Neive thought for a minute. With his agility, he may need to do something that atones to his style of fighting and also help him in certain situations that called for it. He thought, before looking down.

<begin force app: force jump>
<word requirement: 300 words>
<begin>

Neive crouched down and felt the force through his body, more importantly, his legs. The power behind them is something that gives him both grace and power on the battlefield, but what he had, he knew, was only a fraction of the potential he could unlock if he could use the force in cohesion with the muscles and strength he already possessed. With them together, he could unlock a whole new level of terrain management and maneuverability within the battlefield itself. But whatever the case, if he could figure out a method of using the force in this way, it would vastly improve his abilities in any situation.
Neive thought before his midichlorians focused energy from the force within his knees and ankles. He put a hand on the stone floor as the energy built up within him, more and more as time went on, before he looked up, seeing the ceiling about 20 feet up. Neive thought as he took a few breaths, his knees and ankles aching with the built up pressure before he pushed his legs against the floor, the energy within them expelling with one bound. He soared upwards, the ceiling coming closer and closer until Neive almost panicked, rolling his body.
He slammed into the ceiling, his back taking the brunt of the impact before he slowly fell, grabbing a ledge of one of the pillars to stop him from plummeting down back to the stone floor. Neive thought for a moment, feeling the ledge he held slowly cracking before he pulled his legs up, the pressure again building up as he looked to another pillar a ways away, thinking about how he could get down without... well... impaling his horns into the ground.
Neive felt the energy building up before he expelled it, but less time than before, and went just far enough to grab another ledge on another pillar, lower to the ground. However this one was extremely unstable.
As Neive grabbed and swung, the stone cracked and broke off, Neive flying across the temple again and landing on his back on the temple floor.

<end force app: force jump>
<required word count: 300>
<word count: 352>

"Gah, in the name of jabba!"
Neive grunted, laying on the ground for a moment, focusing on not passing out. He took a few breaths, looking at the ceiling before slowly sitting up, holding his back.
"Gonna have to work on that, I suppose..."

Jedi Knight Kyle Char had witnessed the entire effort by the Zabrak, including his spectacular crash to the ground. The Human, originally from Rhinnal, who had a wave of hair that matched the icy glaciers of his homeworld, strode up to the prone Zabrak and immediately identified him as a Jedi associate by the lapel pin he had been issued upon entering the temple.

"You going to be alright?" Jedi Char asked, as he hovered over the inert near-Human.

Jedi Char offered the Zabrak his hand and hoisted him back up to his feet. Giving the yellow-fleshed Zabrak a once-over, Char decided that perhaps he could spare a few moments to assist the Jedi associate so that he did not have such a spectacular finish to the next skill he attempted to master.

"I'm Kyle Char, and you are?" Char asked, continuing after the Zabrak introduced himself as Neive Undant, "Pleased to meet you. I wouldn't worry about the lack of control at the end of your jump. These things take time, but I personally prefer to not push myself too hard when I've gotten shaken up while training. Instead, redirect your focus to something else. How about instead of focusing on something internal like the control aspect of the Force, you focus on something external, or the alter aspect? Come, sit."

Char was assuming that Neive understood the difference between controlling the Force and altering it. Those were basic terms that even Padawan learners understood, but there was no guarantee that a guest would recognize the distinction. Seeing in Neive's facial cues that he did understand, Char pressed forward.

"This will be a new challenge for you. Altering the Force is typically the most difficult aspect for learners such as yourself to master. Unlike the ability to extend your senses or the ability to make yourself capable of jumping to great heights, alter addresses the external. Some Jedi Masters within the Coalition claim that the dark side lurks just beyond the ability to influence others with the Force. This is why you must calm yourself before we begin this exercise. Steady your heart; find harmony within the Force. Clear your mind of what just took place with those pillars; you've moved on from that," Jedi Char guided.

Once Neive had been satisfactorily stilled, Jedi Char directed, "Now, focus on me. I want you to alter the temperature around me. Make the air cool and warm itself around me. Reach out with the Force and feel the energy surrounding me. You will find that the Force is caressing me and surrounding me in its embrace, and there you will find the air molecules around me. Excite them with the Force, and bring them to life around me. As you pour the Force into the air, maintain that excitement and concentrate it around me. I will let you know when I have been sufficiently heated. The opposite will be true for cooling the air around me. Calm the air molecules around me. The Force will guide those molecules at your behest. You are the channel between the air that surrounds me and the energies of the Force; direct the Force to sap that heat away. Release the energy that you once created, and the temperature around me will begin to drop."

Taking a moment to make sure that Neive understood, Char explained, "You will find that these are exercises that lead to a host of other abilities. For example, few Jedi Masters can slow the internal workings of a target's body and render them into what amounts to a state of suspended animation. Now, this is an extreme example of what I am guiding you to do, but hopefully you can see some similarity in the concept. If you are feeling particularly inclined, there is one more basic exercise that you can attempt. You may alter my surroundings to create a gust of wind around me. The Force is present in every part of nature. If you feel the flow of the Force, you can notice how it contours to something as seemingly little as a breeze. Harmonize with the Force and pour your intent into it as you bring its energies around me. Remember, you are the channel between the Force and my surroundings. If you are harmonized with the Force, you can bring a small gust of wind around me and ruffle these robes a bit. Please, begin when you're ready."

((OOC: Begin training for "Alter 2" below.))

<Begin force app: Alteration lvl up>
<word requirement: 560 words for lvl 2>
<Begin>

Neive watched for a moment as the force moved around the room, feeling a small breeze as it gently pushed the air back into Neive on its way into his body. Neive thought, before taking mental notes on the way it moved and balanced. In the temple, there was no unbalance between the light and dark sides of the force. There was a complete balance and harmony, though the struggle for control continually worked itself. One power becomes stronger, Neive thought, and it would be something like Korriban, dromund kaas... or Dathomir. A complete consumption of the planet.
The temple kept the balance, however, so that something like that didn't happen. But the way the balance kept, Neive was in harmony with both sides. That was, perhaps, the scariest thing about him.
But he soon calmed himself, his focus drawing him from any resoundment of the dark side as he faced the Jedi before him. His mind and body was in sync with the force's patterns, and slowly, he did as he was instructed.
Neive watched the slow movement of the air molecules around the man, the way they flowed around one another was a very calming sight. But Neive had work that needed done. He slowly reached out with his mind, the force recognizing him and allowing his will to be done. He did as the man said, making the molecules in the air vibrate faster gradually, the molecules giving off heat the faster they moved around each other. Faster and faster, the air spun and swung around itself, the vibrations of the molecules speeding up and generating more and more heat. It was a gradual increase, but over time it would heat up faster and faster until Neive was instructed to stop. Upon that time, Neive held the temperature and slowly let the molecules slow down and calm, soothing their vibrations as they slowed down over time. Neive could feel the heat emitting from the area he was over, and slowly let the group of millions of molecules calm and slow down, the air cooling around the jedi. He let the room return to normal, the room temp returning around the man before Neive moved the temperature the other way, the vibrations of the molecules slowing even more until it began going down, the air around him becoming colder. The cement below him began to crack slightly, the change in temperature too fast for the stone floor. The farther the temperature fell, the more the stone that the jedi sat on began cracking before he was told to stop. He slowly let the temperature raise, the molecules slowly moving again and getting used to room temperature before letting the air rest and return to normal, now focusing on the motion of it. The air was mostly still, but a small amount of motion carried the air around the room. Neive felt the motion, and let it speed up. The force slowly pushed the air molecules, more movement slightly adding onto itself. Over and over, he layered the movement, the air pushing itself until Neive had a small breeze going through the room. He focused his actions and pushed the layered movement into the jedi, the air blowing into him and throwing his robe back for a moment. The air soon went back as it was, the burst of movement reverting to the usual small motion within itself. Harmony returned to the room, and once again Neive could feel the resonance of the dark side fighting to become dominant over the light, with Neive right in the middle. But sometimes that was the perfect place: in the middle, balanced between light and darkness.

<end application: force alteration level up>
<word requirement: 560>
<word count: 614>

Neive thought for a moment as he looked at his hands.
"I was sure... I was sure I could handle it, but it doesn't feel like I learned anything..."
Neive sighed, looking at his lightsaber. He took it from his belt loop, a small bit of noise coming from the hilt. Once he realized what was going on, he jumped back, throwing the metal hilt away from him and the Jedi.
The handle exploded, metal flying all around the two in the room as the power cell ruptured. Neive looked at it.
"Blast... the emitter matrix... I had it right the first time." Neive sighed, pacing for a moment.
"I need this... I just risked my life for this thing, I'm going to make this. I just need to start over."

Neive looked at the lightsaber, or what was left of it. A ruptured power cell, and what's left of an energy modulation circuit... and the kyber crystal, still intact.

Neive sighed, picking it up and walking back to his bag.

"Time to start from scratch."

<begin construction app: Lightsaber>
<word count: 625 >
<begin>

Neive looked through his bag and grabbed another Diatium power cell, looking it over. Brand new, a rare object these days, he thought. He sat down the Kyber crystal and took out a black and silver pommel from his bag, placing the power cell inside it. He looked in his bag again before laying a few things out.
Neive took a power insulator and put it around the power cell, sliding it down around it until it touched the bottom of the pommel. After that, Neive looked back and picked up half of the crystal chamber, fastening it to the top of the power cell and making sure the bottom was connected. He then picked up the crystal, and slowly placed it within the chamber. Then he noticed... the crystal was a bit more refined from the blast. Perhaps it was more stable now, Neive thought. He made sure it was securely inside the chamber before setting down the chamber, power cell and pommel, slowly putting it on the ground to make sure it didn't disassemble while he let it sit. He then looked to the rest of his parts, looking over them before picking up the blade emitter and looked it over, noticing that it was slightly off. It wouldn't break the lightsaber itself, but the blade... it may not be perfect. But, neive thought, perhaps it'll work out.
Neive took out a silver and black hilt, the handle curved slightly. He put the blade emitter in from the bottom and slowly slid the circular device through the handle, until he couldn't push it any farther. He then got a small metal wire, morphing one end of it before sticking it in the top, using the end as a hook to pull the blade emitter the rest of the way through the hilt until a small metal lip around the top of the handle stopped the emitter from continuing and sliding out of the handle. He looked at it for a moment before taking up a small piece of gold, looking it over. The emitter matrix. He thought about the way he put it in the first time, the larger end facing the inside and bottlenecking as it went farther towards the blade emitter, towards the top of the blade. Neive nodded and turned it around, the larger end facing the blade emitter and the smaller end facing the inside, the opposite of what it had been before, the cause for the spontaneous combustion. right after, Neive then picked up 2 field energizers, along with some circuits to carry the energy to the emitter matrix. He connected them and put the field energizers on either side of the circuits, both of them rolling away a bit since there was nothing keeping them in place. He picked up a few energy modulation circuits and put them in place above the field energizers, before looking everything over. He pushed the emitter matrix, circuits, and modulation circuits in, before again putting the field energizers in around the circuits as he slid them into the handle, pushing everything into the handle until the bottom only had the energizers and a couple circuits sticking out of the bottom. Neive looked back and picked up the other half of the crystal's energy chamber, picking up a small crystal, the focusing crystal, and putting it into the chamber. He attached the circuits to the chamber, fastening the field energizers to the top of the chamber and pushing it in halfway into the hilt, looking over it. he picked up the power cell and other parts, looking at the crystal that sat in the chamber.

<pause app>

"A synthetic crystal... made not by nature, but still just as powerful."

<continue app>

Neive attached the two parts of the chamber together and twisted, the locks on the crystal chamber attaching the two halves. He then detached the pommel from the power cell and pushed the chamber and power cell into the hilt, all of the parts sliding through the curve and bumping the blade emitter, everything in place. Neive looked at the pommel before putting it back in the bag, taking out a different one. This one was silver with 2 black streaks on either side, twisting to the bottom where there was a belt loop. He put it on the bottom of the handle and twisted it in place, hearing a small click that signaled that it had connected.

<end construction app: lightsaber>
<Word requirement: 625>
<Word count: 756>

Neive picked up the finished product, looking it over before smiling, seeing that it was finally done. He could feel the power of the crystal, almost like it was a living being. Neive thought, and with the jedi near him, he decided that he would wait to see if it worked.

"Well... at least this one isn't exploding."

Neive didn't bother opening his new saber. When the time came, Neive was sure it would be ready to use when the time came. However, the other point... it was a synthetic crystal. Neive didn't know what color hid within the metal handle, and for now, he thought, it would be better for him not to find out...

His answer may not be what he wants.

Neive hooked the saber onto his belt loop, thinking.

"After this time, I believe I should try to empower myself once more. With the war, I'll need all the skills and power that I can obtain."

<begin force app: force lvl up>
<word requirement: 417>
<begin>

Neive closed his eyes and once again felt the way the dark and light side of the force balanced and battled within the temple. He could feel the way the force called him... both sides asked for his faith within them. The light side promising peace, harmony with the galaxy... the dark side promising him power and strength to create the peace himself, without fear or anxiety. Both tried to sway him... but Neive knew that balance was the only way to true peace.
Neive knelt down, the energy of the temple surrounding him. Conviction, matched with harmony. Damnation met with redemption. The balance of the two powers, within Neive.
And in the struggle, the two powers pushed more power, pushed more and more strength into Neive. Both sides wanting the advantage that would let them overtake the other, and Neive in the middle keeping them balanced as they surged power into him.
Neive could feel the strength that they gave him, the raw, unmitigated power that surged through his body, from his arms and hands down through his torso, to his head and legs. Neive's heart raced, the sudden power shaking him, his muscles aching from the energy that harbored within him. Power turned to pain, no way to expel or express itself. His muscles became sore, his bones beginning to hurt, and his skin burning, along with his blood boiling and pressure building up within him. He couldn't take the power all at once, it was too much!
Neive grabbed at the floor, a single stone on the floor he could grip. He held it, using it as a stress object, gripping it as hard as he could before it cracked, and soon shattered within his hand. Although it wasn't a large amount of energy he used, it was still enough to let his body recover and cope with the energy that had taken refuge within his being. He could feel his body evenly distributing the power, almost sorting through it to let him use it to the best of his abilities. He was soon able to stand, his body now handling the newfound vigor. He felt like a connection had been made, like a cable had been reinforced between him and the force... on both sides. 2 connections strengthened, both of them still struggling to obtain an advantage over one another as always, through Neive himself. So much within him had changed, yet it felt like it was all the same around him. The same place, the same struggle for authority between the two sides of the force... it was how it had always been, but now it was on a larger front, Neive thought. More was at stake for both Neive and the ever conflicting force.

<end force app: force lvl up>
<word requirement: 417>
<word count: 460>

Neive thought for a moment. The battle was on a larger front... could this be true with more than just the force?

Neive looked down, his comm system alerting him of a signal.

"Reporting, sir."

Neive waited a moment for a response.

"Commander Undant, this is sergeant Grant from base Alpha 2-3. There's a nearby base going into an isolationist mission, and they asked for a commander for their defense unit. Being so far away from the closest large-scale base, they may need someone like you, if you would oblige."

Neive thought for a moment. Just the thought, he felt something... drawing him to accept the assignment. But an isolationist mission, Neive hated those cut off, stationary assignments. But if it was what he needed to do... so be it.

"Oblige I will. Let me get out there, may take a while, but I'll get right on it."

"Thank you, commander. These things tend to go off without a hitch, but with Onderon being so close, there's a double threat in the area."

"I understand. I'll be there as soon as I can."
Neive walked to his aggressor, eying the handle on his belt loop. He hoped he would never have to see the blade's color, let alone use it. Perhaps, he thought... it would be better for him to stick to his vibro blades for the moment. He would not use the saber unless he had to.