Finishing Up

[Darth Metus]

The Dark Forge, Castle Ne'tra

What brought the Mandalorian deep into the bowels of his personal residence was the continuation of a project that he had started on Ord Mantell. Whilst sitting within the Blue Krait, located in orbit about the world, Isley busied himself with the fulfillment of an alchemical concept that he had conjured. This concept revolved around the molecular adjusting and overall manipulation of a Qixoni Crystal to the point where it was impervious to the blades of lightsabers, nigh indestructible, and able to attract and absorb more than Force-based electricity. As per his design, the crystal would be able to attract and absorb the bolts of blasters, in addition to energy directly from the blades of lightsabers. What's more, once this energy was captured, it could then be released in the form of a devastating burst.

A burst that boasted the power to punch through solid durasteel.

Now that the Crystal was properly adjusted to the specifications that the Mandalorian had in mind, now came the fun part of assembling all the moving bits and pieces. As such, the form that Isley had in mind was that of fitting the Qixoni Crystal into a gauntlet. This particular concept was derived from an ancient legend, which revolved around one who wielded a gauntlet of such power...that none could touch him without permission. While the Mandalorian did not have the power nor means necessary to create such a legendary item, he did possess the means to make his own gauntlet in the form he so chose. As such, having selected an hour ripe for tampering with the alchemical arts, Isley descended the flights of stairs which led to the Dark Forge.

The hour was late; ridiculously so...and that fact came as a comfort to the Mandalorian. This was due to the fact that his beloved children were tucked in, his beloved spouse was lost to the embrace of slumber, and there was no possibility of unwarranted guests. Yes, this was the perfect hour to busy himself in the craft taught to him by Rave Merrill herself and to complete the concept that he had toiled long and hard to accomplish. With each step, excitement bubbled up within Isley's stomach; for his footsteps brought him closer and closer to the door of the Dark Forge...and to the completion of his project.

 

[Darth Metus]

Upon arrival at the base of the stairs, the Mandalorian drew a deep breath. He took a moment to revel in the strong presence of the Dark Side which congregated here, underneath the foundation of his home. 'Twas both amusing and a comfort to know that his personal residence was built atop the ruins of a Sith Temple, thereby providing the exceptional taint that would result in masterwork quality products. However, Isley did not tarry long at the base of the stairs, for there was much work to do. As such, he resumed his brisk pace and began walking once more, striding calmly over the polished marble floors of his home. After several moments of hearing nothing but the echo of his beskar'gam as it rustled, he finally reached the oaken door to his Forge.

It was almost ironic that such a simple, wooden door was all that stood between the Mandalorian and the literal heart of darkness which characterized his home. In fact, the irony was such that it brought amusement to Isley as he reached out his hand, giving the door a solid shove. At once, it swung open in order to receive the Master of the Forge into his workspace and the Mandalorian promptly admitted himself within. He took a moment to close the door behind him and to slide the single lock into place before facing that which he had designed with his own hands. The Forge, aesthetically, was modest...but was more than enough to adequately serve the Mandalorian in whatever projects he embarked upon. However, the first step in all these projects revolved around awakening the Forge itself.

As such, Isley opened his arms wide, as if to embrace someone or something unseen. Whilst doing so, his lips formed words of ancient Paecaen, uttering incantations older than the stones which made up the ruined Temple. Each syllable arousd a response from the cloying presence of the Dark Side and acted to the energies like a maestro before a symphony. Which each word, the Darkness moved until ultimately falling upon him; as was his wish. The Dark Side surged forth like a mighty cascade, crashing down upon the Mandalorian with all its might...but this was a sensation that Isley had long-since become accustomed to. In fact, this was one of the particular things about creation that, surprisingly, he found himself enjoying quite immensely.

 

[Darth Metus]

Once the Dark Side of the Force had fallen quite solidly upon the Mandalorian, the awakening of the Forge could commence. Long, confident strides bore him over to the shelves which characterized the walls; and he busied himself browsing them momentarily. However, this search came to a swift conclusion when he found that which he was looking for: a vial of blood. To his knowledge, this blood had been collected from someone young...someone innocent...and therefore would be perfect for the effect that he desired. Reaching out, he took the vial into his hand and promptly uncorked it; then stepped over to the side of the Forge. All the while, his lips never ceased forming the Paecaen incantations, which now commanded the Force to use him as a medium.

The Mandalorian then tilted the vial over the Forge and allowed its contents to spill out. This did not have an immediate reaction, however, but the moment that Isley hovered his hand over the coals...that began to change. Without so much as lightning a match or otherwise contributing heat to the Forge, the coals began to heat up. Even from underneath a glove of flame-retardant armorweave, the Mandalorian's hand could feel the heat rising forth from the coals; a fact which signified that the incantation had done as bid. In fact, the Dark Side of the Force now rushed throughout his body and down through his outstretched hand, filling the coals with its power. Utilizing his offhand, Isley then deemed it necessary to breath actual life into the flames.

As such, his fingertips wrapped about the handle which connected the bellows to the base of the Forge. Giving it a tug, the rope then squeezed the bellows; causing a rush of cool air to enter the Forge. At once, the coals brightened all the more and an even greater heat began to characterize the Forge. In fact, the heat was so intense that now Isley had to remove his hand from over it; lest he risk losing a precious limb to flame. Now that the coals were thoroughly awakened, it was time to begin working on finalizing the project. This would require the metal of choice that the Mandalorian was so fond of. As such, he turned on his heel and faced the shelves again; this time allowing his eyes to wander to the stack of ingots and metal sheets situated upon the ground.

 

[Darth Metus]

Ever since the Mandalorian's first masterpiece, Isley had been a firm believer in the utilization of his metal of choice: Desh-Terenthium. Typically-speaking, the process of Sith Alchemy added a grievous sum of weight to the finished product. This would then require the owner of the finished product, which was more often than not the Mandalorian himself, to have an impressive sum of physical strength...or to rely upon the Force...in order to effectively wield. However, through utilizing the rare, ultra-light material known as Desh-Terenthium in the alchemical process, the end product did not result in having a ridiculous weight. In fact, the products that were created through the employment of this metal were noticeably light and easy to wield.

As such, the Mandalorian had taken it upon himself to make absolutely certain that his Forge was well stocked with this metal. Despite the high cost, he spared no expense in making sure that he had both ingots and sheets of this metal at his disposal; for then he could produce arms and armor that were far from being cumbersome. Looking down, Isley then debated which of the two forms of metal he would utilize this day: ingot or sheet. This decision he mulled over for a few moments before ultimately settling upon the latter; which was typically the norm when creating pieces of armor. Reaching down, he selected one of the several sheets of Desh-Terenthium and lofted it into the air, inspecting it under the light of the Forge.

Through this illumination, he began to diligently inspect the metal for any impurities or imperfections; but found himself delighted in learning that there were none. This was a promising way to begin a new project, and as such the Mandalorian stepped over to the Forge. Then, with a slight casualness, he held the sheet of Desh-Terenthium over the coals and lowered it down, allowing it to settle upon the heat. There he waited, allowing the temperature of the Forge to do as it was expected to: heating up the metal to a red-hot state. Once this state was accomplished, Isley would be able to move onto the next step, which would involve shaping the metal whilst simultaneously employing the Force. In order to expedite this process, Isley tugged on the bellows; breathing a rush of fresh air into the coals.

 

[Darth Metus]

As the coals began to glow with an even greater intensity, the Mandalorian then took it upon himself to prepare the next step. In order to invoke the proper power of the Force, he first had to summon and command its presence in a particular form. To this end, the beskar-clad warrior lofted his hands into the air before filling his lungs with a fresh rush of oxygen. Lulling his eyes to a close once more, he then began to utter words in the ancient tongue of Paecaen; invoking a form of the Force born of the Dark Side. It was said that this particular state was the foundation of all Dathomirian Magicks; and this day, it would be the foundation of the Mandalorian's ambitious project. At once, his words began to become harsher and louder, manifesting in guttural chants in the ancient language.

Then, beginning as simply a mist, an emerald sheen manifested itself in the midst of the Dark Forge. It wafted in from the corners of the room and began to slowly, yet surely, make its way across the space in order to reach its summoner. This unique state of the Force, known only to those of Dathomirian heritage, was known as Spirit Ichor. As the Mandalorian continued to fill the Forge with his chanting, the emerald sheen seemed to thicken. Each passing moment resulted in the mistlike substance becoming more and more substansial; almost akin to a thick fog. Then, upon reaching its summoner, the Spirit Ichor began to move at a much swifter pace; as if gripped by a literal cyclone. Swiftly it began to swirl about Isley's form, directed by his thunderous incantation.

Suddenly, the Mandalorian lowered his hands and completed his incantation. With the ceasing of his words, the Spirit Ichor swirled mightily about the Forge itself...but seemed to grow smaller and smaller with each passing moment. Indeed, the totality of its form began to condense and focus over the red-hot metals before descending fully upon its form. At once, the crimson of the metal was replaced by an emerald tinge; denoting the presence of the Force within the metal. Thus began the process of adjusting the metal at a molecular level: a feat which would result in the finished product that the Mandalorian desired. Of course, this would require acting as a medium between the metal and the Dark Side of the Force; which Isley was more than prepared to do.

 

[Darth Metus]

Now that the Desh-Terenthium literally brimmed with the presence of the Force, it was now time to make the first set of adjustments. To begin, the first step was to utilize a technique personally imparted to him by Rave Merrill herself. Drawing a breath in order to focus himself, the Mandalorian then viewed the metal before him through his "mind's eye". Then, much akin to a powerful microscope, he "zoomed" in on the Desh-Terenthium until he could clearly "see" the countless molecules that made up its form. To him, he could see the solid arrangement of the molecules; each tinged emerald by the presence of the Spirit Ichor. Now that the Mandalorian could clearly see what he was doing, he could now embark on the first, essential step.

Typically-speaking, the average alchemist would utilize this same technique in order to reference another metal; such as the beskar that made up the Mandalorian's armor. Through this reference, they would have a clear guide on how to manipulate the metal...but Isley did not bother on taking this step. Simply put, he had been creating armaments and armor through the art of Sith Alchemy so much that he knew exactly how to modify the metal. As such, commencing this process by outstretching both of his hands, the Mandalorian began to guide the Dark Side of the Force through his body. Like a dam which guided a rushing river, Isley then allowed the Darkness to issue forth from his fingertips; outpouring the energies onto the metal.

Then, he began the laborious process of adjusting the metal. Each and every molecule; each and every fiber which made up the Desh-Terenthium...all had to be saturated with the Dark Side of the Force. Through this, he then shifted the structure of the metal, allowing it to closely resemble the beskar which he personally wore. However, the closeness ended at the point of imperviousness to lightsabers. Once this particular trait was achieved, the molecular adjustments continued until the point where nigh indestructibility was a reality; for this was a common trait in practically all items produced via Sith Alchemy. After several moments of finalizing the adjustments, the first step was complete; and now it was time to move onto the next phase.

 

[Darth Metus]

As the Desh-Terenthium had been sufficiently adjusted in the first phase, the time now came to begin the process of shaping the metal. This called for the Mandalorian to briefly step away from the Forge so that he might procure the proper tools for this particular step. Turning his back briefly upon his work, Isley then set his gaze upon the work table adjacent to his position. There laid his trusty hammer, which had seen the creation of Devorah's Song, Ha'rangir, and a wide variety of other alchemical wares. Reaching out, he promptly took this tool into his dominant hand and then turned on his heel once more. This time, he set his attention at the base of the Forge, where a small assortment of other tools were leaned against the stones.

There he found a pair of suitable tongs and reached for them, ultimately securing them in the grasp of his offhand. With these tools in hand, the Mandalorian then stepped closer to the Forge once more and leaned forward, extending the tongs over the coals. With a single, well-aimed clinch, Isley then clamped the tongs onto the red-hot, emerald-tinged Desh-Terenthium and hoisted the sheet up. Then, with the utmost care, he carried the sheet of manipulated metal over to the anvil which had been built into the side of the Forge. Here, the Mandalorian began muttering in ancient Paecaen once more; invoking the Dark Side of the Force to assist in the precision of his hammer and the overall shaping of the Desh-Terenthium. Then, he hoisted his hammer into the air.

With monumental strength, the Mandalorian then allowed the hammer to fall. Swift and true, its form collided with the Desh-Terenthium; causing sparks to fly into the air. This was then repeated, over and over and over again, into the general shape of the gauntlet was taking hold. However, these was still much shaping to be done; but that could wait until the completion of the next step. As such, the Mandalorian gripped the metal firmly with his tongs once more and lofted the Desh-Terenthium's form over the coals once more. Then, with the utmost care, Isley lowered the metal onto the Forge and allowed the re-heating process to begin anew. In order to expedite this, as before, the Mandalorian then reached for the handle connected to the bellows and gave a solid tug.

 

[Darth Metus]

Now the Mandalorian was close to finalizing the project that he had spent quite an impressive sum of time and effort on. This step revolved around making the resulting Gauntlet impervious to the bolts of blasters and lasers; allowing the final product to reflect or deflect them on a whim. In order to accomplish this effect, the Mandalorian had to reverse the magnetic polarity of the Desh-Terenthium; a feat that always proved to be the most time consuming. No matter how many times that Isley embarked upon alchemical ventures, the discovery of that elusive, golden sheen always took forever. However, having come this far, there was no time to delay; for the Gauntlet was only inches away from being completed. As such, the Mandalorian first returned his tools to their respective tables and centered himself.

Drawing upon the Dark Side of the Force, Isley then began to form one of the more "basic" techniques associated with wielders of the Darkness. Known as Force Lightning, Isley began the process of manifesting electricity within his hands. However, as opposed to projecting a deadly, full-power arc of electricity, the Mandalorian limited the strength of this tactic to little more than sparks. These minute displays of force power crackled in between the Mandalorian's fingers and buzzed about the palms of his hand; yet he did not yet act. First, he had to locate the aforementioned, elusive sheen that denoted the magnetic polarity of the metal. As such, Isley lulled his eyes to a close and inhaled a deep breath so that he might calm and center himself.

Then, he began to diligently search through the Force. His first step in this thorough investigation of the metal was the "zooming" in on the molecular structure; just as Rave Merrill had taught him. The point in doing this was the hopes of locating any hint of an electrical charge that could be traced or otherwise followed to the magnetic presence about the Desh-Terenthium. However, this tactic proved to be unsuccessful after several moments...and so the Mandalorian backed up and began anew. As opposed to looking at the metal through his mind's eye, he opted to utilize the eyes that nature had blessed him with. To this end, he blinked the sweat out of his gaze and focused upon the Desh-Terenthium before him, diligently attempting to see that elusive sheen once again.

 

[Darth Metus]

With this newfound method of seeking out the Desh-Terenthium's magnetic polarity, the Mandalorian found himself...succeeding where he had otherwise failed before. As aforementioned, this was the most time consuming of all the alchemization processes; even when compared to the individual adjustments of each molecule at a fundamental level. To this end, the Mandalorian displayed the patience of a Jedi as he diligently sought out the elusive, magnetic polarity that had thus far eluded his notice. However, after several minutes of diligent seeking, success manifested itself in the form of a glint in the uppermost corner of the sheet. Leaning forward, Isley then inspected the sheen and saw that it stretched all over the metal.

Yes! He had found the magnetic "aura"...and now it was only a process of reversing it. Unlike discovering the magnetic polarity, this step was easily accomplished; for all Isley had to do was pass electricity through the metal until the polarity changed. To this end, the Mandalorian adjusted the angle of his hands over the Desh-Terenthium and grunted, thereby projecting the first spark of force-based electricity. In comparison to a full-powered burst of Force Lightning, this was a paltry display that an apprentice could muster with enough effort. This was perfect for the reversal of the magnetic polarity of the metal, for the heat and voltage was such that no damage would come to the Desh-Terenthium. All that would happen is fluctuations in the magnetic polarity.

As such, one by one, the Mandalorian unleashed these force-based sparks of electricity. Each cascaded across the Desh-Terenthium's surface area before gently sparkling. Then, after a few moments, the sparks would disappear and Isley would begin the process over again. As he continued this process, Isley realized that his motions were all but synonymous with attempting to perform CPR on a fallen individual; for his palms thrust down with each passage of electricity. 'Twas almost poetic, for a maneuver utilized to save lives was being employed to breath life into a new creation. Whilst musing over this train of thought, the Mandalorian was suddenly greeted with immense success...for the magnetic sheen vanished from his view. This denoted a single fact: the polarity had been reversed!

 

[Darth Metus]

Then came the process of finishing up.

To begin, the Mandalorian returned to the table that he had laid his tongs and trusty hammer upon; seizing both in his capable grasp. He then plucked the Desh-Terenthium from the heat of the coals and placed it upon the anvil. As once before, Isley busied himself with the shaping of the metal; hammering it repeatedly with mighty strikes. Then, he stepped over to the trough of cool, crisp waters that rested adjacent to the Forge and lofted the metal over its surface. Relinquishing his grasp upon the tongs, the Desh-Terenthium then plunged into the depths of the waters. Steam poured upward from the trough as the Desh-Terenthium rapidly cooled; and then the process was in need of being repeated once more. To this end, Isley reached out with the tongs.

Dipping them into the waters, the Mandalorian then hoisted the Desh-Terenthium up and placed it back upon the coals. Then came the time to repeat the process, over and over and over again. From heating, to hammering, to dipping; the Mandalorian did it all. Then, as the Gauntlet took on its rough shape, the time came to add the final ingredient. Reaching into his utility belt, Isley fished about in one of the pockets until his fingertips seized that which he sought. 'Twas the Qixoni Crystal that he had diligently worked to alchemize during the operation over Ord Mantell. This was the final ingredient of the Gauntlet and would be the keystone in making the concept into a reality. Putting on the mental image of an artisan, Isley then began to think creatively.

Pulling up a chair, the process of fitting the gem into the Gauntlet began...and once into place the Mandalorian decided it was high time to try it on. Removing the crushgaunt from his offhand, Isley then slipped on the Gauntlet and flexed its fingers in the light. This was it...this was the finished product. "An artifact dedicated to defend...and to protect. An artifact dedicated to syphoning the energies of weapons wielded so commonly by my enemies. Yes, you are quite the trickster aren't you...and as such your name will be a reflection of that. In times old, my people worshipped a deity whose aspect was deception. Had Ha'ran was his name. You shall now bear that name as well. The Gauntlet of Had Ha'ran."