Something From the Heart

[Ignatius]

I stood there as Sahna questioned what I was asking of her. While it may seem stupid. It was necessary to create the weapon. The person who would be using this would have to have it attuned to them. As I am not the one going to be wearing it, Sahna would be the one having to focus. I closed my eyes and felt through the force. Attempting to aid her slightly in fighting the metal. However, I kept myself out of the direct connection to it. Instead, I acted as a guide. Keeping her focused. Once she found it, I spoke softly, yet in her ears, she would still hear me as clear as day.

"Keep this connection active and open. Hold it until I say to let go. If need be, sit so that you don't fall over."

Aiding her through the force to keep the connection, I did use very little of my power and fed into Sahna to make sure that she wouldn't faint from the exhaustion that this would cause. I knew this process by heart, and knew what it could do to someone. As such, I then began to once more work while having my force slowly feed energy into her. All while continuing the process of folding the metal into shape. Giving it fold after fold after fold. Each fold doubled the layers. Making two, to a four layer, to eight layers, and so on. To speed up the process, I completely cut the billet in half, and then forged the two pieces back together to quadruple the layers instead of doubling it. Turning a simple two layered metal, into over thousands of layers after a couple heats.

This would make the weld much stronger, and allow the two metals to be seamless when taken through the sanding grits. Instead of being a real Damascus like look, it would look all one piece and uniform. Upon this, I brought the billet to the desired length and then cut it in half to provide the right amount of material for a pendant. Once I had the right size, I then sat it upon the anvil and took to using the hand hammer to bring it to shape.

Working slowly to make sure I had the right formation, I used the cutting bit and separated it into what looked like a two pronged fork. Moving to use a wedge, and separating the two. I was slowly forming the wings, and moving them into position. Even using the wedge to move the shoulder of the wings down and thus creating a very rough shape of the head and neck. This was not blacksmithing. Slowly this work would change from working as a blacksmith, to becoming an architect. Moving the metal in through force and delicate blows to create the wings. Getting the rough shape, I then worked on the head. Placing the head down flat on the anvil, and slamming the piece down. Scrunching the head almost into a block shape. Moving to the neck and using various wedges with precise hammer work to stretch the neck and thicken the neck and "ears" on the head.

Using the horn of the anvil to spread and work on the top of the head and make a rough shape that could later be ground down to the size needed. Placing on the shoulder of the anvil, and bending in the tail from the body as though it were fanning out. Just about to catch it's prey. Taking a small sliver from the pieces I had removed, I worked in the shape of a crescent moon. Making them separate pieces so that when they were chiseled into it's design, they wouldn't break or crack. A small welding would be done after to keep the pieces together. Once most of it was done, I laid the hammer down onto the anvil and inspected the work. Judging that if I tried to do anymore, I would just ruin the piece. Letting it slowly air cool, I walked over to Sahna. Sweat covered my entire chest and neck and face. I wiped my black soot hands on my pants before resting a hand on her shoulder.

"You can relax now. Go into the other room and sit down on one of the chairs. I will bring you something to eat to replenish your strength in a bit."

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

There was something exhilarating about shaping something through the force.

Even though it was not her hand that held the hammer, Sahna could feel the influence she was having begin to flow into the piece. Ignis seemed to reach out, guiding her, gently coaxing her in the right direction. That alone was a feat, to focus not only on the work he was doing, but spare enough concentration to keep her on track. She could feel the metals folding, merging, becoming one.

Then Ignis set it down, and began to work on shaping it.

It was humble at first, a little ‘V’ shape. But he continued to strike it, turning it over and moving it around. All the while, Sahna remained still, focusing on it through the force. Ignis had mentioned that she could sit down if she needed to, but she was to keep the connection active and open. She drew in a long breath, before letting it back out again. She could feel every strike of the hammer coming down on the metal, every ding as it was worked into shape. Over it all, the owl, her owl, seemed to gaze over the whole scene. The wings were formed first, then the tail, after that the finer details began to take shape.

Eventually, Sahna felt him come to a stop. It was done. She could tell that Ignis felt it too, a sense of… completeness almost. The little piece was cooling, the metal seeming to reverberate with energy. Finally, she opened her eyes. While a few drops of sweat had beaded along her brow, Ignis was covered in it. His hands were black and sooty, his entire chest covered in a sheen of sweat that also seemed to drip from his hair. Had the wave of fatigue not hit her so suddenly she might’ve stopped to admire him. As it was, the moment she broke her concentration, she felt her legs tremble, knees threatening to buckle and send her crashing to the floor. But the fire shaper placed a hand on her shoulder, after wiping it somewhat clean. Her heart was thundering in her chest, her mind groggy as it relaxed after working so hard for so long. But, she remained standing. With a nod, she answered Ignis, her words soft and just a little strained,

“Thanks, Ignis… I’ll… just be—” She stopped, focusing on him. He didn’t seem as spent as she, but surely, he must have been feeling it as well? Not only had he been focusing through the force, in both helping her channel it and using his own force powers, but he’d been physically working the forge.

“I shouldn’t, you ought to be the one to rest. I can go and find us something to drink.”

She took a step, before her failing strength got the better of her and she stumbled. Catching herself, Sahna grimaced. She blushed, turning sheepishly back to Ignis,

“Uh… perhaps I’ll just rest for a moment.” She confessed.

She moved a little more slowly through the doors into the other room, sinking into a chair to rest and regain a little of her strength.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

I could feel the exhaustion from her. I knew that she was tired, but she didn't seem to want to admit it. I was sore all over and was also feeling a little slow. While I had worked to forge the piece and slowly and delicately shape the piece, It did't take nearly as long as it did with my blade. That took almost an entire week in which I was forging the blade. I had been concentrated upon it, and focused so much on it that I didn't sleep in that time and blacked out after I handed it to Ember. Thinking about it now, I could have probably worked a little faster to preserve her strength, but I wanted to make sure that I did as much as I could on the forge. Taking an extra hour or so on the forge saved hours more during the sanding and engraving process.

As Sahna walked into the other room, I followed her slowly to make sure she didn't trip a second time. Even voicing the concern.

"You are in worse state than me. This is your first time. Just sit and relax."

Moving over to a cubbard in the room, I pulled out two cans of soup. While it wasn't home made, it was something. I opened both and poured them into separate bowls while my left hand used the force to shove some bread into the toaster. I held my hands on the bowls and focused heating them up with the force once more. I seemed to do that a lot. Skipping normal practices of cooking or forging because of my skills. I guess it was because I was so well versed in it, that it aided in every day life.

Despite this, I held my hands out just as the toast popped up. Letting them be snagged out of the air as I moved to set them on a table in front of Sahna. Forgetting spoons, I walked over lazily and grabbed two out of a drawer. Handing them to her so that she could eat. I went over to the vending machine and got two bottles of water from it. Opening mine, and chugging the entire thing in a few seconds. I thought about it and grabbed a third. Slowly sipping on it as I handed the other one to Sahna.

"Eat up and drink. Getting something in your system will help get your energy back."

Sitting down, I almost flopped into my chair as I just breathed for a couple moments. Resting my body from the physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion.

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

Sahna moved slowly. She was used to flitting about, darting around or hiding in shadows. Even though she had no need to do so on Aurum it still felt… unnatural, for her to walk slowly through the centre of a room, where she could be seen by any who were within. Still, she was too tired to think about it now, and unwilling to risk tripping up again.

In the other room, she plonked into a chair and sighed. Ignis followed her in, justifying her state with it being her first time. He wasn’t wrong, she mused as she slowly began to feel her body relaxing, but she still felt a little guilty, being so spent after it was he that had done most of the work. It had surprised her, how much it had actually taken out of her. But to her surprise, she had walked away from the forge with a sense of satisfaction.

But even as she sat, Ignis still moved around, fetching cans of soup, bread, and generally fixing them some food. Her stomach growled at the sight of it, her mouth instantly beginning to water. She leaned forward, as if to get up to help, but decided against it. In her state, she’d likely be more of a hinderance. Besides, she watched as Ignis easily heated the soup directly in the bowls, he didn’t need any help. She chuckled as he sat down,

“you make it look so easy,” She smiled, referring to his mastery of his force powers.

He got up again, retrieving spoons and water. She thanked him quietly, smiling as he down one water bottle completely, before beginning on another. She then turned her attention to her food. A steaming bowl of soup, hot toast, she gazed at it a moment as if in awe. One would think that after the amount of time she’d spent on Aurum, the sense of wonder at being served a hot meal would have worn off, seeing as this place had no shortage of them. But she still took a moment to appreciate it. She picked up the toast, breaking it in half. One half she placed back on the plate, turning it away from her. The other half she broke into bits, eating some straight away and dropping others into the soup. It was something she’d always done, with perhaps the one exception being on Jyn’s ship when she’d been too hungry to even think.

After eating some of the soup and taking a break to sip some water, she glanced up towards Ignis. Now, she could see the exhaustion creeping onto his face. She noticed that he still hadn’t put a shirt on, and watched his chest heave as he finally let himself rest.

“Thank you…” She began, “for, well, everything I suppose. The food, for helping me with… all that.” She nodded to the forge. She paused to have some more soup, the second half of her toast as yet untouched. She opened her mouth to perhaps speak again, but closed it again, choosing instead to let the poor man rest and recover.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

Sahna thanked me and also gave me praise as I rested there a moment. Both actions made me feel that this creation was well worth the strain my body was taking. Sure Sahna was doing her part, but her lack of knowledge in the creation of metals and others with the forge, it would take a much longer time to train her how to use it than to simply make it for her while she concentrated. However, the good thing about the creation of this, is that the actions, everything she felt was now ingrained into her mind. Should she try to replicate this, it would be much easier from now on than earlier.

The reason I was so good at this was due to my previous experience, as well as learning much from my father and the creation of my own sword. Taking it into my own hands and letting the flow of the force create the weapon only sped up the process so much, that anything else now was almost trivial. The difficulty with this, is having to keep Sahna focused, keep her up and active, while also giving her my power and creating the item while trying to not mess up. Most of the harder part of creating it's shape was done. However, the very intricate and harder job to do is to actually combine the crystal and the pendant, while also finishing the look of the pendant itself.

Nodding my head, I began to eat. Keeping my mouth shut and forcing myself to eat and drink to keep my strength up. Surprisingly, I was so hungry that I was chowing down through the soup and toast. Finishing before the Togruta was even half done. From that point, I slowly sipped on my water as she finished.

"You are doing just as well. Considering you are still new to the force, you are doing very well."

Reaching over, I placed my hand on hers just for a single moment to let her know that what I stated was true and not meant to be a lie.

"So this second part will be a little difficult. I don't want to engrave the owl before placing the crystal. Because if one or the other breaks during the imbuing process, then we have to recreate that item, or find a new one. The only question I have, is there a specific skill or attribute that you want this pendant to produce?"

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

Sahna watched Ignis sit down and practically inhale the food he’d prepared for himself. She chuckled, pushing the plate with the other half of her toast towards him without a word. She leaned back in her chair, tucking her legs up and resting her bowl on her knees as she ate. Whilst she perhaps didn’t have quite the appetite Ignis had, she still readily devoured the hot meal, placing the bowl back on the table when she was done. He praised her, commenting on how well she’d done considering how much a novice she still was. She blushed, lowering her head and hiding behind her knees a little. But she smiled,

“Thanks, Ignis. You looked like you were made to master that forge.” She replied with a smile and a nod. As he placed his hand on hers, she flipped her hand over, squeezing his wrist briefly, hopefully conveying the same sincerity to him that he had to her.

As he spoke again, she leaned forwards, lowering her knees back to the floor. She pulled her lips to one side, chewing on her cheek as she studied Ignis, head canted to the right. Honestly? She hadn’t thought about it. She hadn’t even realised that the pendant she saw would have the capability to produce an effect at all. She opened her mouth to say as much, but closed it again, as an idea occurred to her. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting out her breath, and visualised the owl, just as she’d seen it the first time. She pictured it in her mind, searching for any feelings that might accompany it. He had told her not too long ago not to doubt herself or her feelings, so she silently promised herself she would not dismiss anything that came to her. She expected something… anything. But nothing came. At first, she was downhearted, her face falling into an expression of sadness. She slumped, her shoulders rounded, nothing came.

But she paused, her breath catching in her throat a moment. She glanced back up, staring at Ignis for a moment before speaking,

“Would it be possible to make the pendant able to um… able to help me with force visions in the future?”


[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

Seeming to be a master of the forge? Yes I was quite good at what I do, but I wasn't a master. I had yet to use all the materials I could, nor create everything I could. I had yet to dent the surface. Nodding my head along with her anyways, I did feel a little more inclined to agree with her. She was someone who spoke her mind rarely, but when she did, it was the truth she felt. The sincerity was filled to the brim in her voice. If anything, I did notice that she kind of looked up to me. As a good friend, brother, ally, or otherwise, I am not sure. She wanted me in her life. She wanted me, of all people, to be around her. A dark sider who has killed people, and who will continue to kill. I just hope that I don't let her down.

I fear I won't succeed.

The answer to my question was quite clear. Wanting to have a closer connection to the force through the artifact. Nodding my head. I looked at her evenly and without judgement.

"My acceptance of your vision persuaded you to have a better connection to the force with these visions."

Nodding my head, I mulled it over then knew exactly what I needed for the crystal. Indicating with a finger that I would be gone for just a moment, I walked back out into the forge. Moving past some of the students who had been her earlier and were diligently working on their processes of making weapons, I moved to a little cupboard that housed various tools of our trade. Reaching for the safe, opening it, and looking through the vairous items inside, I pulled out just what I needed.

Closing it all up, and then walking back into the back room, I sat back down with Sahna. Laying down the crystals that I had grabbed. One was blue, another was purple and the last was an almost diamond color with no real sheen or hue.

"These are focus crystals. They look different due to their structure. I bring you these to take your pick on which one you want. When implemented with the pendant, it will aid you in focusing your energies. Thus drawing a closer connection to the force, and any possible visions."

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

Sahna studied Ignis as he sat in front of her. It still amazed her how comfortable she was around him, not just a stranger… but a dark sider, one like the sith that had come to her village on Shilli, or the one that had chased her off Nar Shaddaa. She didn’t even know much about his past. Had he hurt people? Had he enjoyed it? Had he… had he killed people? She bit her lip as the thought crossed her mind, would that change anything, though? She had never heard the Imura name before, even if others had. That meant it could not taint her opinion of Ignis. She liked him, a lot, in fact, would knowing what made him who he was change that?

He pulled her from her thoughts with an observation, one to which she nodded slowly, drawing little circles on the table’s surface with one finger.

“I suppose it did.” She began, staring at her finger as it traced over the surface of the table, “you… make a lot of sense. It’s difficult to disagree with you.”

A smile formed at the corners of her mouth. He stood, motioning for her to stay where she was. The girl did so, leaning back in the chair as she watched him disappear back into the forge. What was it about him? She had feared the dark side so terribly, how did he just disarm her so readily? She cast her mind back to when they’d discovered the holocrons. Even then she’d managed to trust him, and it had only grown since then. She chewed on her lip, her eyes growing distant as she mulled it over. A thought came to her mind, a single word, a name;

Aranias.

He reminded her of Aranias. The boy that had saved her life back on Nar Shaddaa all those years ago. He had wrestled with his own darkness, a darkness of which she’d only ever caught a glimpse. But he had been trying to get better, taking Sahna and the others under his wing as a way of… redeeming himself, perhaps? That’s what it had felt like. Ignis was the same. He was strong in the dark side, but he wasn’t a slave to it. He worked to control it, to master it. By the time he returned she had decided that if she ever found out he’d done something horrific, she would not let herself judge him for it. She liked who he was, and if that’s what it had taken for him to become so… then so be it.

He returned, laying a few crystals down before her. He explained what they were, and then once again put the choice into her hands. She glanced from one to the next for a moment, studying them all. This project was a very personal one, and none of the decisions to do with it could be taken lightly. All of them said something about her. What did these say about her? Which one was the one that she was meant to use? At first, she glanced at the blue one. It was pretty, a similar shade to her eyes. She liked it, immediately feeling the urge to pick it up and study it. But she held back, turning to the purple one. Perhaps the nicest of the three, gleaming brilliantly in the light. It seemed to demand the attention of the observer, shining and displaying its brilliant hue. That definitely did not suit her.

Then her eyes fell to the last one.

It was pale, softer in tone than the others. It didn’t shine or gleam with radiance or beauty. In fact, beside the other two it looked almost dull. But… there was more to it than that. She picked it up, holding it to the light. It felt heavy, a stone of real worth, it seemed. With a nod, she turned to Ignis,

“This one.” She smiled. The Togruta, still holding the stone, pulled herself from her chair, “what do we do next, then?”

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

Sahna had looked them over. Each mulling over her thoughts. I took a single moment to feel her through the force. To get just a very small glance at what was going on. I reached out and barely touched her presence so she couldn't feel it. Attempting to feel anything. I could slowly see the emotions coming to light. A wanting of something beautiful in the blue one. Matching her soul as though the blue was her in the form of a crystal. The purple shining brilliantly as a color of royalty. Yet, it was powerful and demanding of the eye. Drawing attention not just to the pendant, but her as well. However, as her attention turned to the hueless crystal, her emotions seemed to flutter. The once silent voice of her beautiful opinions of the others were completely nullified by this crystal. The thoughts of why seemed to be hidden deep within her that I couldn't reach. Keeping that for herself, I exited. Leaving nothing in the wake as she turned to me and presented the crystal.

I smiled lightly as I reached out and gently plucked it from her grasp. Looking it over myself, I then let my hand drop down to my side while I looked at her. Just looked at her.

"It matches."

Thinking about the process of making a smaller piece that would be housed within the claws of the owl, I wanted to break down the crystal enough so I could get the right size, but not waste the rest of it. That is where I came up with an idea for what I could do. Smiling lightly, I held up my hand about stomach height and closed my eyes to focus. In a few seconds, the crystal had broken into various shards. Not to dust, but rather large shards that could be used in jewelry. Opening my hand, I then slowly let the crystal fragments slide onto the table. Sifting through them for a right size. Finally getting one, I raised it up for Sahna to look at.

"My job is to refine this crystal. While you focus upon it once more."

Leading out into the forge once more, I couldn't help but think of the situation she was in. As a friend willing and able to help her, It was good. But I was shirtless, sharing food, conversing with her, and even making what some could consider a gift. I almost felt like this was a date, but wanted to deny it in every sense of the word. We weren't dating. I was simply helping her create what she needed to pass her trials. I shook my head to rid it of these thoughts. Walking over to a desk that had various tools for me to use. Pulling up the chair with my right hand, I sat down and adjusted the magnifying glass with my left hand. Slowly leaning down and then looked over to Sahna.

"Go ahead and focus on the crystal just like the meal."

One she had, I began my work. Taking my mind off of what she was doing and used the dremmel, and slowly began to sand off the surface and refine it into the shape I needed. Using water that was in a cup with a drop bucket. to refine the crystal even more so, I used the dust and water to create a slurry that would cover the surface of the dremmel so there wouldn't be burn marks or have scuffed surfaces. Taking down the edges and forming it closer to an ovate shape and continuing down to an orb. This hardly took any time to do so, and I continued until what I considered good. Any more and I would screw up the piece.

Looking over to Sahna, I allowed her to keep focusing on the crystal. Reaching over with the force I yanked the pendant over from where it was and began to place the stone into the claws. Using a base to hold the stone, and using a resin to keep the stone in place. Using a blowtorch to slowly heat up the gem and the piece so they would stick together. Once that was done, I took another look to Sahna before standing up and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax. The crystal is formed and conjoined with the metal for the most part. Now here is the hard part. I need you to continue focusing on it. Differently this time. Give the crystal all of your power. Take everything you have and put it into the metal and into the crystal at the same time. Move slow so you don't break the pieces."

I wanted very much to help her with this. Aid her further in the creation, but I couldn't If I put my own frequency in the mix without letting her know, then it could break and shatter the piece and then we would have to start all over. Not a good idea. She would now have to do this on her own. Moving to stand in front of her. Rather closely so she could hold onto the piece with me.

"Be gentle. Go."

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

It matches.

Ignis summed up in two words what drew Sahna to the crystal. It was the very embodiment of her; nothing particularly special on the outside, but with weight, substance. Perhaps not in the physical sense; a strong breeze might knock the girl off her feet, but mentally, spiritually even. She didn’t like to admit it, but her years stowing away on ships had taught her much, and left her not so delicate as she appeared on the outside.

She let Ignis take the crystal from her hand, and stood back to watch as he held it at his stomach, before it suddenly cracked. The sound was muffled, coming from his closed fingers. But he opened them to reveal the crystal had cracked into several pieces. Sahna might have felt a jolt of panic at the sight, but if she did, it lasted barely a moment. The fire-shaper knew what he was doing. This was all part of what was going to make it fit the pendant. In a way, she felt a sense of… connection to the crystal. There was no denying that she had been broken, more than once in fact. Aranias’s death had shattered her, and some of her experiences afterwards had cracked and broken what had remained.

She felt a sense of hope as she gazed at the crystal. It was as if she was looking at herself. She had to be broken, in order to be shaped and formed into… something else, something better.

“I think I can do that.” She replied to Ignis’s words.

He turned and made once more for the forge, the Togruta in tow. He seemed to be lost in thought as her walked for the forge. It occurred to her that she could try to reach out through the force and find out what he was thinking about. But that would probably be a bad idea. Even if she could do it with any grace or tact at all, he’d surely notice. Besides, he deserved his privacy. If it was something that concerned her, he’d mention it. He shook his head as he moved to a chair and sat down. He grabbed a few tools and told her to focus on the crystal, just like she had focused on the metal earlier. She stood behind him and closed her eyes for a few moments, drawing in a breath and then releasing it.

“Ready when you are.”

Having once again let everything flow out of her, Sahna focused upon the crystal. Reaching out through the force, she felt it before her. Ignis began to work on it, carving and cutting and sanding and wearing it down. It was… an uncomfortable process. It was not like she was feeling the dremmel or anything… well, not quite, but she was connected to the crystal, and to an extent, what it was subjected to. As with before, the sounds of the forge faded away, along with Ignis’s signature and the heat from the bellows. Nothing else existed besides her and the crystal. Because of this, she knew when it was finished the moment he lifted the blowtorch from the pendant.

She opened her eyes to see him looking at her. He stood and rested his hand on her shoulder. She smiled up at him, no doubt with the fatigue from her concentration visible in her eyes. He told her to relax, which was easy. Then he told her what to do next… which was less so. But she hadn’t come this far to shy away from a difficult task.

“If you think I ca—” she began. No, that wasn’t the right answer. This wasn’t something anyone else could help her with or do for her. She had to find her own strength. She gave a determined nod, “Take everything and put it into the pendant. Move slow. Focus. I can do that.”

He stood in front of her, closer than she had expected. Rather than let her heart flutter at their proximity, she slowly drew in a breath, reaching out to clasp her hands around the pendant. Be gentle. She heard his final piece of advice before he told her to start.

She let out her breath, visualising each and every muscle in her body relaxing. She had to be gentle, and that would be much easier if she wasn’t tense. She reached out through the force… but not as before. This time, she was much softer, meeker even. She probed for the pendant, feeling all around it and cementing its form and shape in her mind. She encapsulated it completely, feeling its weight and its features, its strong points and weak points. She waited a few more moments, before she gently began to press into it.

With another low sigh, she poured everything that she was into the pendant. Not all at once, but as Ignis had said, steadily and gently, like pouring grains of sand into an hour glass. She had no idea how long it took as time seemed to fall away. But after a time, the Togruta let her eyes open, and released her hands from the pendant.

She was done.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

Sahna was at first scared it seemed. Almost asking me if I thought she could do it. I was very tempted to tell her that if she wasn't here, then she didn't deserve, nor have the strength to do it. I knew she did. I had more than faith that she could. I knew she could. She proved herself when we found those holocrons. Now? All she had to do was this. Form the two together into one piece. Equalize their frequencies to one sound, one note, and one soul. She slowly began to concentrate. Looking between her and the pendant, I could see her body becoming a little ridged from the focus. It would be tough. I had been through it a few times. So I knew what was happening. Slowly, I started to feel the pendant heat up in my hand. Looking down, the metal wasn't changing color, but gaining the force. This process caused me to feel the brilliance from her.

It would take some time. Even if she couldn't feel me there, I was here for her. Standing with her and aiding her in this project that she, and she alone had to complete. I could feel her as she was slowly flowing into the piece. I reached out with the force to the pendant to only feel it. To sense it. And surely enough, the pendant was getting stronger and more filled. Even as she finished the piece, releasing it and opening her eyes to me, I easily clutched the pendant in one hand, while the other was almost lashed out at her to grab her and make sure she didn't fall over.

Looking her over, she was physically and mentally drained. Attempting to keep her steady, I then looked down into my hands. Realizing now that the heat was rapidly leaving the pendant. Becoming colder and colder. Eventually it stopped and stabilized. The piece was done. Looking at Sahna. I handed it towards her to hold into it. It was hers now. Hers to wear and to use. Hers to have as an accomplishment.

"You did good. Now go ahead and head back to the room. Got to clean stuff up."

I started to take care of the slurry of materials. Tossing them so they wouldn't taint other projects. However, the idea came over me. Smiling, I grabbed the leftover piece of metal we had been using. Heating it up with my hands through the force and then working on it. Shaping it into a new form. Making a rather small but wide blade. Slowly working on it and it was relatively easy to get. Focusing upon the force, I would fold the metal over a few times using the slurry with oxidizers to produce a force imbued item. Flying out from the back room, the shards on the table would fly over to me.

Crushing them further into a powder, I invested it into the blade itself. Forming it with what I had in mind and shaping it through my hands and the force. Easily the metal moved and shaped. Beveling the edge down to the desired size. Seeing as how I had done this many times before, it was not difficult to get it done on the first try. Nor without haste. I quickly moved over to the sander to further create the shape. Getting it to the desired thickness and formed to be an actual blade instead of some hunk of metal.

Heating the blade up with my hands one last time, I then quenched it into a dump tank. Letting the oil bubble over with the heat and when removing it to ease the flames. Even moving the blade back in forth to prevent air pockets against the face of the blade. Upon doing so, I sharpened the blade to my desired ideas, and then went over to the sharpening mill. Placing the small weapon inside. it went through the various treatments of sanding the blade further and further to create a honed edge that would cut just about anything.

Reaching and pulling the blade out of my hand, I too felt the drain on my body. It was deep and effected. However, the frequency was not my own. It was... different. Strange. Upon inspecting it, I found that the presence I felt was its own. Created both through the attuned crystals of Sahna, and the focusing of myself created a different aspect of the weapon. Flipping it around, I smiled.

That was before I dropped to the floor from exhaustion.

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

Sahna was fine.

She was looking up at Ignis, a distant, tired smile upon her face. She had finished, her energy poured so completely into the pendant now clutched in his hand. As the warmth faded from the piece, however, so did the façade that she could remain standing. The Togruta opened her mouth to speak, but as she drew in a breath, her knees buckled and her legs gave way. All at once the fatigue and exhaustion seemed to crash down around her, sweeping away what remained of her energy as she collapsed in a heap.

Thankfully, Ignis shot out his arm to catch her in time. Rather than hitting the floor with a thud, he gently caught her from falling and lowered her to the ground. She lowered her head, clutching at one of her horns with one hand. Her entire head seemed to be throbbing and aching. She grimaced through the pain, until something distracted her from it.

Ignis handed her the pendant.

It lay in her palm, the owl gazing up at her This was it, the fruit of their labour, the thing for which they had both suffered. She smiled, the crystal choice had been a good one. It sat nestled in the creature’s claws, looking as if the two had been made for one another from the very beginning. She closed her fingers around it, clutching it to her chest.

“Thank you.” She replied, her voice strained and a little hoarse, “don’t push yourself, okay? You need a rest too.”

Getting back to the other room seemed like an almost insurmountable task right now. So, for the moment, she settled for sitting against the wall, watching her friend begin to fuss about with the remaining materials. He would be done soon, and they could likely lean on each other on the way out. Her eyelids were heavy, and the scene before her grew blurry. Sahna rested her head against the wall, closing her eyes for just a moment… okay, maybe a few moments.

But she definitely wasn’t falling asleep.


[member="Ignis Imura"]