Dual-wielding alchemy

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Tirathana Skyport, 1900 hours.

Gherron hated dragging Josh around. In fact, he was considering asking for the credits to buy himself a new ship. It sure would make things a whole lot easier. Besides, the entire reason they were here was due to Gherron's refusal to use a lightsaber. He insisted he wasn't ready, and so went about a different plan. As the ship was being docked, he thought about how he wanted to go about his idea. He was used to a single blade, but the idea of two smaller ones also perked his interest. Either way, he still had some time to think. Saying goodbye to Josh, he left the man to his own devices as he searched for the docking bay where he was supposed to meet his contact. He'd always heard about Sith alchemy, but according to this person, she had the means to use a sort of Jedi alchemy, per se. The thought intrigued him greatly, and he was willing to spend quite a chunk of credits on this if he had to. Soon finding the correct docking bay, he walked in and found the Wellspring sitting there, just as he had been told. It was a beautiful ship, with similar colors to his own last one. The Jedi always did have style.

[member="Phylis Alince"] [member="Valiens Nantaris"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Gherron Vael"]
On board the Wellspring Phylis was hard at work. At that moment she was experimenting with crystals…though ‘messing around with’ was probably a better description! She was so engaged in her work that she paid no heed to the time until her droid Six-Nine rolled up and prodded her.

“Hmm?” she asked, frowning. As the droid beeped pointedly she moved from confusion into understanding. “Ah, yes, hmm, Kerrod wasn’t it?” Again the droid beeped. “Gherron, that’s right. When’s he getting here?” A loud beep. “Now? Oh…well…good. Uhh, start the furnace up.”

Descending the ramp of her ship, Phylis smiled at the Knight waiting for her.
“Greetings, Phylis Alince. Apologies for the wait. I was finishing off something. Hmm, well, starting. Anyway, come on through. Now, you mentioned in your message you wanted a pair of Alkahest blades, yes? Was there any special properties you wanted infused in them?”

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron had put some thought into what he wanted in his new weapons. He had seen a lot come from alchemized blades, especially having faced one head on in a couple of battles. He remembered his nemesis Nick Imura having a particularly flashy one. However, for the moment, Gherron wanted something simple. Just a single blade that he could use in the place of a lightsaber. Still he had to admit he was curious. "What kind of enchantments can be put on the blade? I've seen a few examples, but I figure there's a lot more one can do with one than simply deflecting a blaster bolt." As he waited for an answer, he continued to ponder just how he wanted the swords to look. He thought it would be quite fitting to have them compliment each other, while not being complete twins. Perhaps one showing his good side, with the other portraying his darker emotions. He dared not speak that last part out loud; he wasn't sure if a Jedi would readily craft something knowing it was partially related to his dark side. Granted, it wasn't much of him, but the fact remained that it was still there.

[member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Gherron Vael"]
“Hmm, well, there’s several things we can do. One is to allow the blade to glow slightly when fed with the Force. That will make things a bit better in dark places if you’re not using a lightsabre. Another would be to grant the ability to short out electronics on impact, as if you were using an electrical rod. Finally, you could use it to store Force Light…if you are capable of that.”

“In any case the blades will be attuned to the Light and will cause discomfits to Dark adepts and even burn Sithspawn and other such creatures of the Dark.”

She led him up the ramp and inside the ship. Her droid trundled forward to beep a welcome.
“Can I get you a drink of any sort before we start?”

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron thought about the possibilities being offered to him, nodding at each one with interest. He was very keen on the idea of glowing swords, though sometimes he would probably wind up using more practical methods of light so as to not draw too much attention. After all, attention was the last thing he wanted. At that thought, he cursed himself inwardly for not contacting the Jedi with his new name. Surely, there were more who knew who he was, and not all of them were friends of his, of that he was certain. Composing himself once again, as he had been lost in thought, he smiled and nodded at the offer of a drink. "Blue milk if you have any. I've gotten quite the taste for it recently." Walking up to and inside the ship, he noted the interior and nodded to himself. Yes, he'd been inside one of these before. Very practical and sturdy, with plenty of room for personal furnishings. As they neared the forge, he offered his ideas. "The force imbuing sounds like a nice treat to me. Something I could use often. As for the design of the sword itself, I was thinking something like a black blade with gold accents closer to the hilt, with a gem set into it, and a long hilt at that. Could that be done?"

[member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Gherron Vael"]

Phylis nodded and went to the kitchen, returning with two cups.
“It’s nice to work with someone who doesn’t always go straight for the liquor!”

“Hmm, that should be possible. I am not the best artist for intricate work yet, but you can always add decoration after the fact. It won’t be alchemised, but still. Now, because this is quite an operation to make two blades, I will ask for 50,000 credits. Materials and such is expensive. However, since you are an ally in good standing I’ll give you a 10% discount. Sound fair?”

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron chuckled at the remark on liquor. It was true, he had picked up quite a taste for it, whiskey in particular, but there was a time and a place for everything. Accepting the blue milk, he took a sip and savored it for a moment while the Jedi woman stated her terms. "That's very feasible, I can work with that just fine", he said, setting the glass down. Thankfully, he did have such credits; he'd done a few odd jobs recently, as well as having some credit flow from his friend. However, after the purchase, he'd make sure to lay low on the spending. The discount did help, too. The prospect of it actually got him thinking about the Jedi. Josh had seemed to join back up with them. Would Gherron? Maybe, when the time was right. He still had too many demons to slay before he was ready to take on any path of righteousness.

[member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Gherron Vael"]
“Hmm, excellent. Do you have a preference to the material the swords are made from? The Alkahest process makes them essentially unbreakable, so the metal type does not matter, but the weight and appearance does. Durasteel is still the best, but I’ve seen people use bronze, silver and even gold. I suspect you don’t want golden swords because I don’t see you handing me a half dozen ingots!”

The furnace was heating up nicely, and she prepared all her tools, ready to begin.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron didn't have any precious metals on him, and he sure as hell wasn't going to melt down his songsteel armor for this; he prized that set a lot, as it had saved his life in more than a few fights. It was a relic to him, too. He'd seen massive battles between Jedi and Sith with it on, and it was back then a statement of honor and bravery for him. "I'll just use good old durasteel for this", he said smiling. Besides, if anything he wished he could use an even heavier metal, as almost a year on Refuge had conditioned him and made him stronger due to the extra gravity there. Perhaps he could use the swords as a way to learn restraint, and not use his total strength in his swings and punches. "Will I be needed for the process? I remember hearing about how some weapons can be enchanted so that the user has a sort of bond with them." He didn't know exactly how that worked, but if he could have something like that, a bond with his sword through the force, maybe he could become that much more effective with it as he learned how to better use a steel blade in place of one made of plasma.

[member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Gherron Vael"]
“Exactly so. To bond it with you, I will need a small measure of your blood,” Phylis said.

After putting the metal on to melt she fetched a sterile needle and swab.

“The blood is the thing which is most you. When mixed with the metal, the Force and your skills, it will indeed be bonded to you. Others can use the blades, certainly, but none will get the same strength from it as you do.”

The metal was soon being broken down into a red-hot liquid. It was almost time to begin the actual process.

“Hmm, whilst I do this, I will need you to use the Force and meditate over these weapons whilst I forge them. This mixed with the blood will bind them to you.”

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron wasn't one much for needles, but he understood the need for his blood for this part. Alchemy was weird that way, it seemed. Obliging, he exposed his arm as the Jedi took his blood and then proceeded to mix it with the now molten metal. Nodding to both himself and the woman, he sat down and began to meditate over the hot liquid. As he did so, he saw in his mind things of the past, both the horrors and the good things that had happened in his life. Soon, he found himself levitating in place, something he had not been able to do in some time. He was so enthralled with what he was doing, he failed to notice anything else but the flames of the hearth, as well as the flames of his past and present. His face would contort in different ways, reacting to different scenes that played in his head, but he didn't stop them. He poured his very being into the steel, wanting them to be in every way possible, himself forged in metal.

[member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Rylan Thatcher"]
Since in a heartbeat her customer’s name and order had changed, Phylis looked puzzled for a moment, then got a grip on herself. Not literally.

“Hmm, right, stand clear,” she ordered.

Pulling the crucible from the furnace with the Force she poured the molten metal into the mould, then extracted it to hammer it. Rather than a physical hammer though she merely closed her eyes and held out her hands. Blows of the Force more powerful than any hammer worked the metal, quenched, heated and hammered it again.

Into this mix she added the blood, and as her customer meditated over the metal her forging process went on.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron began to feel the heat of the metal as it was extracted from the furnace, and his skin heated up as well as the air next to him steamed in he wake of the hot liquid. Still, he continued to work on it with his mind, and soon, he began to feel it solidifying with him in the force as the blade was being forged. As the weapon was becoming more and more a solid piece, so did the visions in his head, clicking together like pieces of a massive puzzle. It was strange to him, feeling this close to an inanimate object, but even more strange was that it no longer felt inanimate. Instead, it was an extention of his will, a part of him in the same way his arm or his fingers were. The feeling was exhilarating to say the least, and he relished the closeness he was getting from the process. "This is amazing... Is the process always this thorough?", he asked of the alchemist. He needed to know more. Perhaps he could be taught in the ways of alchemy, though he doubted he would find many willing to teach it. That would certainly be his next mission, he decided right there. He needed to feel that rush of energy that came from alchemy. He was addicted to it, almost like a drug.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Rylan Thatcher"]
(Please remember to tag me!)

In a brief pause whilst the metal was reheating, Phylis looked to him.

“Yes, it is. Alchemy and Alkahest are about putting the Force into an object, and doing so in different ways. Here, the heat of the metal allows the Force to be bound into it, making it unbreakable by normal means.”

As she worked now it was different. From her hands came a golden glow as she infused the Light Side into the metal. Rylan would be able to sense the metal becoming visible through the Force, positively shining with the Light.

It was now time for her to make the shape as he requested, and so she did so, increasing the blade and adding extra charcoal to blacken the metal.

“If you have any final requests, now is the time. Once we are done and I seal it, the blade will be unchanging. This means any engravings or decoration must be done now.”

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

The final warning got Gherron's mind thinking then, and quickly he yanked one of his necklaces off, the pendant being a blue crystal that was warm to the touch. "If you can, I'd like this embedded into the hilt. The crystal means much to me, as does its properties." He wasn't sure if it needed to be put into the weapon now or after the process, since so far only the blade was being created, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He'd found the crystal a while back, on an expedition with the Jedi to find crystals for their lightsabers. He was there mainly to help oversee it, but had wound up in a fight with a massive gorgodon. In the end, he'd come away with two trophies; a piece of the beast's tusk, which also hung around his neck, and the crystal, dubbed a glare ice crystal. According to the elder Jedi there, it had an ability not unlike the force technique tapas, where the user could be protected from the cold, as well as having the ability to keep them level-headed. Gherron figured that if the crystal was part of his weapon, then perhaps it would help him to even further stay calm in battle. That was the idea, anyway. As for any other decorations, he could not think of anything to put on the blade, so he stayed silent about that.

[member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Rylan Thatcher"]
Phylis took the crystal, nodded. “A powerful item this is. I have not seen it’s like before. I can affix this to the pommel. Attaching it to the blade will be impractical.”

And so she went about her business, making sure the weapon was perfectly formed before beginning the final step to seal it.
The hilt would still need its binding and the hilt ornamentation was also needed, but structurally the sword was complete.

“I think we’re ready. Hold it up. We’ll see why my lightsabre does to it.”

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

After the weapon was completed, Gherron held it up and stared into the blackness of the blade, feeling the power that was now within it. His thumb brushed over the gem now inlaid into the pommel, and he allowed a small smile. It was perfect. The blade itself took on several curves, what he took for himself to be a testament to his own peaks and valleys in his life. The sword was in every way, a representation of himself. Nodding at the Jedi's words, when he was finished admiring his new weapon, he held it up in a defensive stance and waited for the lightsaber to strike against it. As he did so, he tried channeling the crystal, and found it easy to access it's properties through the force. A calmness settled over him, as did a light warmth to combat the light chill he felt. A small grin formed on his face as he prepared to accept the lightsaber head on with his own blade.

(OOC: Sorry for the short post xD)

[member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Rylan Thatcher"]
Phylis drew her green bladed sabre and essayed a hard horizontal slash at the sword. Where before this would have cut the metal in two like paper, now it was stopped dead.
“The forging is complete. The blade will serve you well, and though nearly unbreakable it is not absolute. I would not suggest putting it in lava or similar,” she joked.

“Now, let us settle payment and you can be on your way.”

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Smiling, Gherron slid the blade into a simple sheath he had whipped together. He woukd make one better suited for the weapon later, probably more ornate and black like the blade itself. Reaching into his pockets, he procured the required amount. "Fifty thousand credits, as promised. Your work is excellent. I don't suppose you could show me the art", he joked. Still, his mind did wander off into the idea of learning alchemy. Pulling the sword out once more, he gave it a solid look for a moment before saying, "Alnox. That's what I'll call it. A dark blade with a mission of light." He smiled to himself, noting the name as one of sharpness and intensity, one fit for a sword of its like. Sheathing it once more, he faced the Jedi and smiled at her in thanks.

[member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Rylan Thatcher"]
Phylis nodded. “In time, Mr Vael. It is a skill which only those very strong with the Force can learn, and only those who I trust not to misuse it. Use the blade well and come to me when you’re advanced in the craft and we will look at training you.”

She took the credits and stowed them in a safe.
“May the Force be with you always,” she said as she showed him to the exit.