Forging a Worthy Blade

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

Taeli was sitting in her small personal workshop within Krayt Industries, the different components of a lightsaber strewn about the place. She had decided it was high time Sophie built a lightsaber of her own, something that would fit the girl personality wise and be a much better replacement than the trophy saber Taeli had retrieved from Sposia.

Brining up her comlink, she said, "Sophie, would you mind coming over to Krayt Industries, I think its time you built your own lightsaber."

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Within her room in the Sith Temple of Coruscant Sophie was dealing with a number of different tasks at hand. She had five of her familiar crows flying about the temple and keeping an eye on all the different sith acolytes, masters, servants, and anyone within the surrounding area. He large Devourer hound Sebastian, who'd grown over the last few days, was sleeping by her side as she sat on the bed with her legs folded and her hands out and her eyes closed. She was trying to focus on total control and sight of all the familiars at once. It was difficult as her mind was contasntly jumping between the different bodies but she knew with time it would work.

When [member="Darth Arcanix"] had called her over the comm her connection broke. It wasn't the sudden sound of her voice but rather the news itself. She opened her eyes and looked shocked at this before snapping her fingers. The crows all flew from where they had been perched or flying about before returning to her shadow. Sebastian perked before she told him she'd be back. She dresse and took the original saber her master had given her before making her way to the temple's port for a shuttle to take her to Krayt Industries.

After a short trip she arrived and, after telling who she was to any who asked, she was directed to where her master waited. Upon entering she was suprised to see the different saber parts already laid out. She approched her master and bowed before presenting her with the trophie saber she'd given her.

"It's served me well, master. But I'm glad it's time I have one of my own." she said.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Indeed, Sophie, it is always better to use a weapon that you have personally crafted," Taeli agreed, accepting the trophy saber back and placing it on her workspace.

Gesturing towards the many components on the workspace, she continued, "Around you are the various components that go into making a lightsaber, focusing lens, power cells, metals to forge the hilt, everything you will need to build the saber. The saber crystal we recovered from our escapade on Ciutric IV will serve as the base start point for you, my apprentice, and this will be a true test towards becoming a Sith Knight."

Taeli withdrew her own specially crafted lightsaber, the one she had painstakingly assembled and built to be something not seen in almost 850 years.

"My only stipulation for your work is that you make your lightsaber truly unique and fitting to yourself, decoration and style. If you have any questions, I shall provide what guidance I can, but this is a personal task."

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

When she'd mentioned it Sophie remembered that her crystal was still in her pocket from when she'd received it on Ciutric IV. Pulling it out and holding it in her hand she realized that it truly was the start of her final steps towards knighthood. She looked over all the parts to the lightsaber that she would construct before [member="Darth Arcanix"] had shown her the one she carried. It truly was unique, as compared to the Jedi one she'd been using. While she knew the Jedi tried to be unique with sabers as well the Sith always seemed to have more complex designs in the end.

Sophie, looking towards all the parts before her, asked "How will I know? How will I know which parts to use?"

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Command the Force to show you how, your senses will guide you through the correct steps," Taeli said. "Alignment is key for the crystal when you put it within the power and emitter matrix, if not done properly and with the Force, the saber can explode in your hand from an energy feed back."

Taeli pulled up on her datapad how the internal workings of a lightsaber worked and passed them to her apprentice. Most of that was basic knowledge for building lightsabers, and thus would not be providing more help than the test allowed. For her apprentice to truly own this lightsaber, she had to figure things out herself. Taeli could only provide so much guidance.

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Given both what was said by [member="Darth Arcanix"] and the information she provided Sophie had a decent understanding. While it seemed logical to rely on the needs of her own ingenuity it was also a matter of using the force itself to help guide her. Darkside or not it was still a great benefactor in her life and for forging a new path ahead to becoming stronger. Looking back to the tools she had at her disposal Sophie realized what was at stake for her and what she needed to do. She looked back to her master and nodded before handing back the saber information and walking over to where all the pieces were.

For the time being Sophie only wanted to examine each piece. She wanted some sense of what everything looked like before deciding, either through the force or by her own hand, how it would look. The hilts, the scopes, the grips. All of it was like a collection of pieces of armor that she would forge into something strong. Eventually she found some pieces that interested her and took them in her hand.

She came to a spot in the center of the room and placed everything down. Amongst them she placed the saber crystal before finally sitting down and folding her legs. Now it was time to build.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Watching Sophie move around, examining certain pieces, accepting some and rejecting others, Taeli smiled as her apprentice was certainly picky enough in her selections. Once she had grabbed the parts she wanted, Taeli smiled as her apprentice moved to the center.

"Use the Force to guide your hand, to assemble the weapon," she said, leaving it vague enough that her apprentice would still have to do all the work, but she would have an idea of what to do. She remembered when she had assembled her spinning saber, how she had used the Force to align each component so carefully and steady her hand as she created the gyroscopic feature. It was truly a marvel to use in engineering.

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

More words of wisdom from [member="Darth Arcanix"] before Sophie accepted what she had to do. Another moment of looking over all the pieces before she closed her eyes. The young acolyte took slow deep breaths, staying cross-legged as she sat and focused. Letting the force flow through her body and mind she kept it clear while staying on the fact of constructing the saber. Eventually the pieces of the saber began to levitate around her. Even the saber crystal began to float as well.

It took time but eventually the first of the pieces began to assemble. One-by-one they slowly attached one after the other. Like a puzzle it was a slow but needful process of finding what fit where. Some times the pieces didn't fit and floated away, only to be replaced by ones that did. The whole time Sophie's eyes remained closed. The force had been her eyes. Her hands. Her mind. The final pieces eventually fell into place.

Reaching out her eyes still closed, Sophie grasped her saber. At that moment her eyes finally opened as she stood, holding it up in front of her. With a full feeling of power and control in her mind Sophie activated it, the red beam of her saber glowing in her eyes as well as the rest of the room.

(This style saber hilt: http://genesiscustomsabers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/IMG_6540-e1311042776586.jpg )

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli could only smile as her apprentice activated her own lightsaber for the first time, an actual lightsaber not some training one. She could feel pride for the young girl growing within her.

"Most impressive, Sophie, most impressive indeed," she said, clapping as she watched the red light dance in her apprentice's eyes. "Your skills have advanced to the point where knighthood is within your grasp. Only a few tests remain in front of you, and we shall conquer them together. Building your own lightsaber proves to me that you are almost ready. I'm proud of you."

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

With her master's word of confident Sophie turned and bowed. When she arose again she placed the saber in her pocket. Until a proper wardrobe change she would make for herself, that was wear it would stay. It didn't matter. Sophie was just glad to finally have one. Her own saber to combat any and all enemies of the sith. Finally hers. She was keeping her composure as still as possible, trying not to burst into excitement in front of [member="Darth Arcanix"] for now.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli smiled as she could feel her apprentice trying to temper her excitement. Now that wouldn't do at all.

"It's okay if you want to celebrate, Sophie," she said with chuckle. "We aren't Jedi, you're allowed to actually have emotional reactions to your achievements. Revel in it, release your excitement, do whatever you feel you want to do right now."

She wanted to see just how excited her apprentice was right now, she was almost bouncing off the walls when her lightsaber had worked exactly as she had planned, but then that had been in private. It wouldn't do for being in public to do something like that. One had to maintain appreances around Sith so they couldn't find any hint of weakness to exploit.

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

With her Master's permission Sophie bowed and said "Thank you, master." before pulling her saber out again and saying "I feel so alive!"

She jumped into the air with the force before landing away from anything that could be damaged. She activated it and began to swing it gracefully through the air. Mixing both her own want for swinging the blade just to watch it move while mixed with the actual fighting styles she was taught Sophie was relishing in finally having a ligthsaber. It felt so grand. She wanted to use it against any and all jedi she came across. To slice down enemies with one grand sweep. All of it was so...intoxicating.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]