Ice, Ice Baby

[Micah tol Powl]

THE PLANET
C S I L L A
THE IRON EMPIRE

With Master Théo's duties having increased substantially, it seemed that master and apprentice were settling in to service to the Iron Empire for the long haul.

As such, the young Beorni had equipment from his workshop on Rhen Var transferred to the capital world of Csilla, in the hopes that it might be more readily available to him in-between assignments and duties on behalf of the Iron Empire.

Thankfully, today had thus far proven to be one such day.

The bloc that the small Beorni occupied were renovated servant's quarters. Small, meager, and quite plain. But, they had been intended for an entire family, as opposed to a single bear. So Kiriko had space enough in which to place even some of the more unwieldy pieces of his craft, such as the bulky Sasori Loom that dominated the fabric and sewing room.

He'd even managed to convert the small back patio into a forge, though negotiations with his neighbors were still ongoing as to the proper hours in which any metalwork should be hammered out.

Though, at the moment, the bear was occupied with neither tailoring nor metal work. Instead, he was busy shuffling a broom back and forth to clear the dust and cobwebs that had asserted dominance in the time while the Beorni had been away to Roxuli and Oslyn.

It wasn't just Spring Cleaning -- not that Csillia had much of a spring... permafrost cleaning perhaps? -- but necessary preparations for a very special guest. Another Jedi Padawan to be exact.

One of the downsides to working out in the Iron Empire was that it sometimes felt as though Master Théo and himself were the only two Jedi in the galaxy, even though Kiriko knew better than that. Still, interaction with the New Jedi Order and the Silver Jedi had become relatively sparse and far between, aside from the contact with Master Théo's family on Midvinter.

In any event, the Beorni had a tea kettle on and had even set out the good cookies.

...not the best cookies, he'd managed to eat those before he could set them out. But these were a close second in rich, buttery texture!

Oh, he hoped this padawan liked tea and biscuits. He hadn't thought to ask, to be honest. Should he have? He'd been so excited about meeting with another padawan, it had just slipped his mind entirely. Granted, he'd been thinking about which cookies to serve almost immediately.

And where to go to lunch.

And perhaps dinner.

And dessert. Dessert was a special enough occasion as to require a restaurant outing of its very own.

[member="Karren Trask"]​

 

[RC 212]

[member="Kiriko"]

She was unfamiliar with Csilla. While on break she'd managed to reach out across the Jedi Library network to an uncommon fellow. A bearlike Jedi Padawan, working with the Iron empire. Truth be told she knew nothing of the Iron Empire, but she knew that the Padawan in question was a gifted Crafter.

More and more as she progressed in her training, and events unfolded in her life she found the need for force enhanced items. Plus it would give her something to do in her off time. Shedding all worries and trying to forget about the heinous past few months she had stolen away, on a secret mission to visit the bear.

And now she found herself on his door step. The door was left open. She walked in and cleared her throat. With both hands she removed her brown cowl and interlocked the fingers, bowing as a courtesy.

"Padawan Kiriko. Nice to finally meet you!"

The bear was excited. He even had cookies and tea out!

Now she was getting excited. She was hungry.

 

[Micah tol Powl]

It was cold outside.

And not much warmer inside, owing to the fact that it was the home of a polar Beorni.

Setting the broom aside, the boy waddled on two legs over toward the entry. As he did, he picked up a beautifully wrapped gift from a quaint, obviously handmade wood cabinet nearer the door to the humble workshop.

He returned the bow, extending out the wrapped gift with both forepaws as he straightened back up to his full height. "Padawan Trask, welcome to Csilla!"

Inside the package, meticulously wrapped and then tied with an ornate ribbon, was a Sasori circlet -- a modern day Force relic created by Master [member="Matsu Ike"] that enhanced a Force User's natural abilities to use Tapas. Assuming that the padawan did not already possess such an item, it would help her to keep comfortable even in the extreme environment of the Chiss.

"Please accept this as a token of good will from my master, [member="Théodred Heavenshield"], in appreciation of your journey this far out into the Outer Rim," the boy offered by way of explanation.

Gesturing further in to the home, the bear's round ears perked up slightly as he added, "Please come in. Would you care for some tea?"

[member="Karren Trask"]​

 

[RC 212]

[member="Kiriko"]

Karren took the Circlet and smiled. she slipped it on, and right away she felt a familiar tingle as warmth rushed back into her bones. She was content now, more than she had been before. It was excellent work, she was impressed. She was even more impressed with the bear manners. She had assumed the Iron Empire folks might be a bit prickly round the edges.

"I'd love tea!" She exclaimed, sitting down and receiving her cup from Kiriko. She was the guest, so she nodded, sipped and let the earthy tones excite her senses as she waited for him to carry the conversation.

 

[Micah tol Powl]

The bear gave a nod.

Waddling over toward the meager farm table, the youth gestured toward the plain wooden bench that provided for seating. Returning a moment later, the Beorni had set down a steaming cup of an Olsyn variety of a tea that had originally been native to Midvinter, which the Valkryi descendants who had settled upon Olsyn had cultivated into a new variety unique to this sector of space.

A plate of [member="Coci Heavenshield"]'s Corellian tea biscuits was set down, along with the tea pot. The slightest sensation of the lightside of the Force radiating from the warm porcelain gave subtle indication that the tea pot might have been handmade as well.

The bear poured a cup for himself last, sitting down on the bench opposite Karren. "So, tell me, how are things in the Core and Mid-Rim?" the Beorni inquired curiously. "News can sometimes be slow to reach this far toward the galactic edge."

[member="Karren Trask"]​

 

[RC 212]

[member="Kiriko"]

"Things are things. The Core is rotting from the inside out. The Alliance is largely quiet. The Imperial governments have taken up arms and seen fit to smash the Silver Jedi at every turn. Droids running loose, and the Jedi Order is trying to stand on their own away from it all. Though I must confess I find myself more and more wanting to join the fray, and leave the Order for the New Jedi Order."

She took a sip. It was a lot to blurt out.

"So yeah. Crazy. How are things in the Iron Empire?"

 

[Micah tol Powl]

Imperials attacking the Silver Jedi?

This was the first that he'd heard of this. He would have to send a message to one of his contacts in the Jadeite crafting network, or through Weylan Dhu'tani, to see if he could get more information about what was happening in the home space.

...and droids running loose? That was quite curious.

"Busy," the boy offered, in response to her question about the Iron Empire. "I've just returned from a mission to Oslyn," he added, before reaching out to take one of the Corellian biscuits and pop it into his mouth.

"So, what can I assist you with?" Kiriko asked, after another sip of tea. "Your message indicated that you were interested in lightside alchemy of a sort."

[member="Karren Trask"]​

 

[RC 212]

[member="Kiriko"]

"I am."

She took a biscuit of her own and chewed on it thoughtfully, then swallowed, taking another sip of tea.

"If I'm going to take a more active role in the fight against these un wholesome organizations I'm going to need some enhanced gear. I'm hoping you can show me the basics. Things to protect oneself, enhance offense against the dark, etc."

She had to admit, she was bumbling here.

"I haven't the faintest clue how it is done."

 

[Micah tol Powl]

The small bear seemed to grow pensive for a moment.

"Will fighting really solve the problem?" the Beorni inquired, glancing up from his tea. "Fighting only creates more violence. Violence creates resentment, and that hardly seems the way to 'win' against evil."

It was the kind of sentiment that only a Jedi Consular could have even proposed, let alone done so with complete sincerity. Yet, there it was. To Kiriko, fighting was never an option. Which didn't mean that evil went unopposed, merely that the boy felt that the Jedi had other options available to them. Options they rarely sought to pursue.

Maybe because fighting was the easy solution.

Maybe because a lightsaber, for all its symbolic significance, was still a weapon.

Whatever the case, the bear elected to move on for the sake of not dismissing the other padawan's hopes out of slight. "The Force is an energy field that surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together," the Beorni said. He was not reciting the theology of the Jedi as much as he was the cultural teachings of the Beorni. Each Beorni was a Force Sensitive, and so the adoration of the spirits within the Force had been a large inspiration to their way of life. But, it also meant that the Force connected people to their surroundings. "So it also passes through the objects that we come into contact with."

Reaching out with his forepaw, the bear picked up the tea pot that had the faintest signature of the lightside of the Force. "That contact can become attached to the object, like a shadow," the Beorni noted, passing the tea pot over toward her to hold and inspect.

"But, you must be careful," he warned. "What you place into an object is what the object will reflect. A durasteel hilt alchemized while calm will provide clarity of mind in battle... but a hammer swung in anger will pull you toward the Dark Side."

[member="Karren Trask"]​

 

[RC 212]

[member="Kiriko"]

"The mind of the forger plays upon the strengths and weaknesses of the object?"

That seemed like it should have been a dead obvious concept to her, except it wasn't. In fact she was just beginning to test the limits of what she could endure personally. What could stand and what couldn’t, according to her own personal code. She was something of a self learner. The fact that the Beorni's views somewhat conflicted with her own did not unsettle her.

"Sometimes my friend, I think it's best to sacrifice ourselves to stop evil, before it comes to the doors of the ones we love and cherish. Granted a Jedi is to have no attachments by the old code, but C'mon. Who really believes none of us get attached? No everyone has someone they care about."

She took another sip.

"What about an item forged under the influence of a said attachment. With love as it were?"

 

[Micah tol Powl]

"More the other way around," the Beorni noted.

"The impression that the forger leaves on the object will cause the object to play upon the strengths and weaknesses of the forger," Kiriko offered in explanation, clarifying, "Or the wielder."

Whichever the case may be.

"We are emotional creatures," Kiriko remarked, agreeing with Karren's point about attachment. "And, like all emotions, they're not necessarily good or bad."

Certainly, there was an attachment between master and apprentice. Or family. The Heavenshield's stood out as one such example of a very close-knit family, even though they were also Jedi. But, Kiriko recalled also what happened to Master Connor Harrison. "Even something as fundamental as love can become twisted or malignant," the Beorni cautioned. "A Jedi Artisan must be cautious and aware of their emotions when working with material."

Of course, the material itself also presented some challenges or properties. Depending on what it was. "Which brings us to the next question," Kiriko noted simply. "What kind of material are you looking to work with?"

[member="Karren Trask"]​

 

[RC 212]

[member="Kiriko"]

Karren took another sip of her tea. She had to admit, it'd been quite some time since she had read any of the archives or the holonet. She was versed in the major ores and their uses. But what eluded her was the smaller things, the lesser things if you will. sometimes she caught a glimpse here and there.

"I read a book on Jal'Shey once. A sect of enchanters that could imbue objects with the force. Could you teach me that? In addition I'm uncertain what materials I will need."

She paused and took a biscuit, chewing it in delight. Warm fuzzies washed over her. The bear was just too cute!

"I guess I should tell you what I'm looking for. I need armor that will protect me against a lightsaber and other means of force. And a sturdy weapon too. Is it possible to imbue a slughtrower to make it more lethal to the darkside?"

Her militancy began to slip.

She had to reign herself in.

"I understand it's rather gory. But so is sustaining wounds in service to the good of the galaxy, of which I now am a proud owner of many."

 

[Micah tol Powl]

More lethal.

A Jedi sought his aid, that they might create a better device to kill.

Was this madness? Or was everyone quite sane, and it was the Beorni who had gone mad? Mad with the hope that such a thing might never be asked of him. Not now, not then, and certainly not any time in the future. Except, the question had been asked and it was obvious that the woman was quite serious by it.

Perhaps it was to be expected from an Order that said it was devoted to peace... and carried a lightsaber.

A curious thing, to brandish a sword and speak of treasuring life.

"That sounds horrible," the bear commented finally. He didn't sugar coat it. He didn't try to mask his dismay, and probably couldn't have even if he'd tried.

Even still, she had come to him for aid. And, as Jedi, he was honor bound to observe his duty to another member of the Order. Getting up from the table, the bear waddled over to a shelf lined with the glow of datapads. Perusing the spines of the electronic e-readers, the bear pucked one from the shelf and waddled back toward his guest, even as he was muzzle down in the electronic book.

"Mandalorian Iron is the best defense against lightsabers," Kiriko noted somberly, glancing through some of the notes he had taken during his time with Master [member="Matsu Ike"] and the craftsmen of Jadeite. "But, it is found in few places -- none of which are welcoming to Jedi," the bear cautioned, looking up at his guest as he resumed his seat across from her. "And there are few blacksmiths who know the secret of working with it, but I may know of one."

Still, if she was going to be fighting demons -- her own or someone else's -- then the craftsmen of Jadeite knew of no stronger material. "The craftsmen of Jadeite have contacts in the Willamina Clan. If you are able to obtain some Mandalorian Iron, I could arrange a meeting with them."

Of course, that was a tall order. For any Jedi. The Mandalorians had refused and even condemned the Jedi. Only [member="Sor-Jan Xantha"] had gone to Mandalore and returned without a fight, and that had nearly unleashed civil war upon the Clans. "Cortorsis is another option, perhaps easier to find, but heavier," the Beorni noted, flipping pages in the e-reader as he glanced down to peruse some more notes. "More than a few pieces would make the armor difficult to move in, and quite taxing."

Setting the datapad down, the bear thought about the question that had disturbed him. "As for the slugthrower..." the bear mused aloud, trailing off as he checked the tea pot.

The water level was low. Getting up again, the Beorni remained quiet as he made his way back to the dispenser to re-fill the tea pot with water to re-infuse the tea.

As he returned, setting the tea pot on the table, the bear spoke again. Quietly. "There's nothing I know of that would make a slug more lethal to the dark side, but if you alchemized the durasteel with shards of a Solari crystal, then it might have quite a debilitating effect on a strong Dark Side presence."

[member="Karren Trask"]​

 

[RC 212]

[member="Kiriko"]

She could sense his discomfort, and nodded. Mandalorian Iron would be an exceedingly rare item to get a hold of. Phrik and Cortosis might not be. She chose to remain tactful and drop the discussion of weapons for now. What she really needed was defence.

"Let's focus on defensive then. Is it possible to harden an armor without these items through the use of the force?"

 

[Micah tol Powl]

After the tea had re-infused, the bear poured the young woman across from him another cup.

"It is possible to harden any substance through the Force," the Beorni supplied in answer, pouring a cup for himself and then setting the tea pot down.

"Master Ike, for example, excels at using the Force to create a Force-bonded lattice of armorweave that is as thin and flexible as stiff cloth... yet, as durable as a high carbon alloy, such as durasteel."

It would never make agrinium equivalent to Mandalorian Iron, but something at least as durable as Mandalorian Steel perhaps. And much lighter weight.

[member="Karren Trask"]​

 

[RC 212]

[member="Kiriko"]

She nodded as he poured the tea.

"Thank you."

The bear was cute and kind. She had to admit for such an inhospitable ice world he was perhaps the most hospitable fellow she'd met thus far. Sure some of the other Jedi were welcoming, but they were still recluse, shut away in their own little world. She sensed the failings of past coming back to haunt the new order.

And then tore her mind away from it.

"Tell me about the process? Do you know it? Could you teach it?"

Master Ike. It was a name she stored away in her memory for much later.

 

[Micah tol Powl]

Tell her about the process...

Where did one begin?

Rising from the table, the bear picked up the empty plate. "Well, to start with, you have to understand the difference between merely reinforcing an object and actually binding that object to the Force," Kiriko offered, making his way back into the kitchenette. Retrieving several more of the Corellian tea biscuits, the Beorni made his way back toward his guest.

Setting the plate down, the bear tilted it just slightly toward Karren in offer of another cookie.

After he'd done that, though, he moved his forepaw from the plate and picked up a butter knife that had been resting atop the table. "If I channel the Force through this knife, it could trade blows with your lightsaber," the Beorni announced. Hardly a practical example, as he didn't know of anyone who'd actually want to have a sword fight with a butter knife, but still. "But, I won't have changed anything about the knife itself. And when I stop channeling the Force, your lightsaber would melt it down."

Flipping the knife around so that he held it horizontal, the Beorni gently levitated it between them. "To imbue an item with the Force, you must examine how the Force interacts with it," he noted. "It takes a great deal of meditation, but once you understand the nature of the object in the Force, you can begin to disassemble..."

The Beorni trailed off. No, disassemble wasn't quite the word he was looking for. "More, de-construct, I suppose. You de-construct the material and then weave the fibers of its being together with the Force." Reaching forward, the bear popped a biscuit in his mouth and then took another sip of tea. "It's rather like knitting actually," Kiriko confessed.

Knitting was actually a very soothing hobby... probably not very Jedi. Certainly not something a boy was ever supposed to do, but there it was. He was a boy, a bear, and a Jedi. And he found knitting to be rather soothing.

"The tighter you can make the Force-weave lattice, the more durable the end result will be," Kiriko went on to add. Dropping the knife down into his forepaw, the Beorni returned it to the table top. "You'll need something to help channel and sustain those Force energies in the object however. It could be a kyber crystal, Solari, or even a synth-crystal."

And... that was actually all there was to it.

"Sounds simple, in reality you'll want to be prepared to fail. A lot." The fact that the dumpster behind the bear's apartment was overflowing with a hodge-podge of experiments that were no longer visually identifiable as to their original material or appearance was a testament to that. "And, when you fail, you may find whatever you were working on completely destroyed by the molecular alterations."

Taking another sip of tea, the bear noted, "Done correctly, the Force now resides in the object and no longer comes from you. For this reason, some Jal Shey relics are usable even by people who cannot use the Force."

[member="Karren Trask"]​

 

[RC 212]

[member="Kiriko"]

She nodded, taking another sip of her tea and settling deeper into the seat. She'd never channelled the force through anything. It was a curious concept and one that in her mind she mulled over, imagining making a gleaming white set of armor with amazing resistance to the Sith and their tricks.

"Could this be combined with other techniques for a stronger armor? Just curious."

Maybe Kiriko could sense where she was going with this, and perhaps not. Either way she was determined to craft at least something with the knowledge.

 

[Micah tol Powl]

The bear looked over at his guest in thought for a moment.

Muzzle down, the Beorni perused a few more of the notes in his datapad. "For that answer, you'll likely have to seek out the Jensaari," Kiriko noted, though his notes contained scant more details. "They're a reclusive order that resides in Galactic Alliance space, but they're known for their alchemized armor."

Setting the datapad aside, the bear added, "However..."

The word hung there in the air for a moment, as the Beorni composed what he wanted to say. Finally, Kiriko said, "The Jensaari use knowledge of Sith techniques."

Now, Kiriko was not one to judge. Knowledge, by itself, was merely knowledge. It was how one used that knowledge that made it good or evil. And yet, the idea of learning anything that had its origins in the Sith was enough to make his fur stand on end.

"I would be cautious of this, at the very least."

[member="Karren Trask"]​

 

[RC 212]

[member="Kiriko"]

He mentioned the Jensaari, another sect she locked into her mind for later.

"Ill definitely have to look into it."

She shifted again, perking up with a twinkle in her eye.

"Is there anything you need help with now?"