Tenebris Anime. Forging the Shadow's Soul.

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen had been sitting in his room in the temple, petting the various small animals that came to him. As a child of Amar he'd learned to beast tame at a young age and found that some creatures formed permanent bonds with him. These were the creatures he'd taken into the temple, the newest of them being a kreehawk from Cato Neimodia. He had no idea whether or not the masters knew of his small zoo, and frankly, he didn't care.

For him it was a normal day of relaxation after hard training when his holocom buzzed. Picking it from his jacket he flicked it on to reveal a bipedal vulpine. The species was fairly unnoticed by people, but the mercantile species had raised Vulpesen ever since he was found on the door step of a prominent beast trader. "Hello master." Vulpesen said evenly. The subject of his greeting was more of a father to him, but the difference in species as well as the intense training he'd been given prompted him to use the formal title ever since a young age. Even now, he felt somewhat strange calling his new Jedi trainer "Master". Sometimes it felt like he was calling her mother, but that was all in his head.

"Vulpesen, I see you've been enjoying yourself," he replied just before the kreehawk flew to Vulpsen's shoulder. "You also seem to have made some new friends."

"Yes master. Some of them are actually sentient." He smiled as he remembered how socially awkward he had been when he first arrived. He of course had been brought up with the Amaran care free attitude, but the change in setting had left him in a quite phase which left him shocked after his friends had later told him that he frequently appeared as "intense." "May I ask why you called?"

His master nodded and took out a note. "I believe its time you came home. If only for a little while. It's time you learned about your past."

Vulpesen who had been absent mindedly petting the Kreehawk stopped mid-stroke. "E-e-excuse me sir?" As afore mentioned, Vulpesen had been raised as a door step baby, but his father had never told him about his life before his arrival to his household. Every time he had asked he was met with the same answer. "You are not ready." The phrase had always driven him to madness, but now his master was speaking the words he had waited to heard for seventeen years.

"You are ready. Come to Amar, it is time for you to learn about your past before you may continue to your future." No sooner had the first three words left his master's mouth than had Vulpesen shot from his sitting position (likely with an unintentional use of the force) and ran out the room, using his comlink to inform the temple hangar of his imminent arrival.

 

[Vulpesen]

After a quick discussion with the guards of the temple hangar, Vupesen was cleared for flight in his personal X-wing. Taking off from Coruscant, he couldn't help but wonder what had been so special that his master would hide his past for so long. As he hit hyperspace, he allowed the thoughts of what could be to take over his mind. Perhaps he was a child of outlaws, or a powerful jedi. Every possible scenario danced in his head until he finally reached the planet.

Exiting the ship, Vulpesen immediately hitched a ride to the area of his master's estate. After getting off the transport and a short walk to his home, Vulpesen was greeted by a plethora of animals, most of which had been rescued by poachers due to the Amarans' hate for the criminal act. To the Amarans, poashing was an unforgivable crime that was punished quite severely, while Vulpesen's master took the traumatized creatures in until his charming abilities would allow them to function in the wild without acting like crazed beasts. As he enjoyed the creatures running around him, Vulpesen almost faled to notice the four foot tall fox-person walking from the doors of the estate... almost. "Master, it's good to see you again!" Vulpesen said, walking to the one who had raised him. The word "master" said teacher, but the emotion behind it was more of that which one would give to their father.

"Welcome home." Vulpesen bent down to embrace the Amaran who then turned and began to walk into the building. "Vulpesen, I'm sure you have a lot of questions and they shall be answered inside." Vulpesen nodded and entered the building behind his master, ducking down for the door which had been made for beings a foot smaller than him.

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen followed his master into the vast library where he would send most of his time as a child, then watched as his master used a key to open a small drawer. Vulpesen remembered sharply how many times he had been told never to touch that drawer and how it seemed to be the forbidden fruit in a paradise of learning. How strange it seemed that the forbidden drawer would hold the secrets of his life. "So, you're telling me that you've hidden my life in the room I spent most of my time in?"

The master chuckled as he pulled a holocron from the drawer. "I realize the irony." The holocron was unlike any Vulpesen had seen. He'd seen sith holocrons locked up in the archives as well as Jedi holocrons which he loved to access during his first weeks in the temple, but this one seemed to hold design elements of both. "I was told to give it to you several weeks after I was sure that you had made your choice." He held out the device, offering it to his student.

Vulpesen took the holocron with reverence and focused his energy into it, then watched as the sides opened up to reveal the objects holocron. It was a human male in his mid-twenties. His hair was a dark brown just like Vulpesen's and his eyes also matched. As a matter of fact, his entire facial structure reminded Vulpesen of an older version of himself. His hopes swelled until the man finally spoke. "Vulpesen, if that's you and you're seeing my face, then you have chosen the path of the jedi. And for that I am proud of you." He let out a smile as he spoke, exuding the pride that he spoke of. "And as I'm sure you're wondering, yes, I am Garen Torrevaso, your father."

Vulpesen's jaw dropped. It was obvious from the way he looked, but for a seventeen year old who had never seen his birth parents, the information was still shocking. The gate keeper stood silently, waiting for a question which Vulpesen quickly provided. "If you're speaking to me like this does that mean your.. dead?" As usual, he kept every option open and this one was soberingly likely.

"No. I left you on Amar due to an agreement with your mother, Talea. We both decided that you were to be raised by a neutral force user, and not a jedi or a sith"

Vulpesen had to admit that he was having trouble grasping every word, so it would be hard to blame him for failing to grasp his father's suggestion. "What do you mean by a jedi, sith and neutral faction?"

His father stood a bit higher before speaking. "As you've likely guessed I am a jedi, but your mother was, or is a sith, depending on whether or not we have survived to this current time. Hopefully we have and I'll focus on that possibility." Vulpesen's mind reeled from the information. A jedi and a sith didn't exactly make the most shippable couple. "Of course, we met on the battle field, and somehow we did fall in love. However, it came out that you mother and I refused to give up all of our beliefs and yet we were not quite jedi or sith anymore so we left our orders. When you were born, we decided not to have you raised in a divided house. The risk of hurting you was far too high so you were left on the doorstep of someone we were sure would raise you into neutrality until you were able to make the choice for yourself. The instructions were to have you raised to help others like a jedi, but follow your passions as a sith. Did your guardian do so?"

Vulpesen nodded. "Yes, he did." It was true, Vulpesen easily remembered lessons on following the teachings of let your passions burn within you so that they may give you the power to help others. In fact, it was a philosophy that he stilled believed in though it conflicted slightly with that of his Jedi master. "Where can I find you?" Ever since he was a small child, Vulpesen had wondered on this one question, where were his parents and now he was so close to finding out.

"I do not know, and I do not suggest searching for us. I will be happy to meet you should we meet, but unless the force decides for us to come together, I believe that you will have other adventures to go on." Vulpesen sighed but nodded in understanding. "Now, I believe it is time for you to finally secure your alliance with your family. To move onto your future, I wish for you to carry a piece of your past. Within this holocron you will find several crystals belonging to past family members. Use the force in any way you believe matched you and it shall find the crystal that you shall find. It is very similar to the way the caverns of Illum would work had you have gone there."

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen stood stunned for a moment, he'd not been expecting any of this and had thus not brought any lightsaber materials with him. "Where would I put it, I don't have a lightsaber?" There was no way he could put it in his training lightsaber and he had barely enough materials at the temple as well as very little training in creating such an item.

Vulpesen's master was the one who spoke up, finding the answer for the apprentice. "I shall help you with that. Over the years I have bought many pieces in anticipation for this day. I'll go get them, but you should do as your father asks. After all is prepared, you shall make your saber here."

"But I have a master at the temple, shouldn't she be informed of thi-"

"Vulpesen, I have raised you for seventeen years and I've trained you since you were old enough to consciously use the force. I assure you that I will suffice." The Amaran's tone was final.

For a moment, Vulpesen stood shocked. It wasn't that he didn't want to do it here, it just seemed so untraditional. He looked at his master, wondering why he had been so serious. Then, it dawned on him. The creation of a lightsaber was the hallmark of any jedi, it was what defined them and Vulpesen had suggested taking away his master's chance to witness such a moment when he had raised him up as his own son. "Yes master." The amaran walked out of the room and Vulpesen turned to the holocron where his father waved his hand as an indication to continue. He wondered for several moment what power to use until one finally seemed appropriate. Vulpesen was a person of duality. He could never always run, nor could he always fight. Peace often came at the price of pain. It was a fact that he hated as a jedi, but understood as a person. He kept this in mind as he placed his hand on the holocron and focused himself. It would be small, but he'd learned the basics of the technique.

After his mind was completely cleared, Vulpesen focused himself in the force. With this blade he would defend others. It was a sharp shield that would sap the will to fight evil and as such it should be opened by an ability to do the same. A green lightning crackled from Vulpesen's hand. It was nothing masterful or even worthy of knight, but it worked as the holocron responded by opening two of the points around it, revealing two identical yellow crystals which had a spots of black inside of them. Vulpesen took the crystals into his hand as carefully as he had when he came upon the stygium crystal in that cave two years ago. He would build a lightsaber and it would be unlike any the galaxy had seen, and these crystals were simply the first step. Vulpesen heard a step behind him and turned to see his first master, smiling with bride as he held a bundle of materials. "Let's get to work." His voice held a tune of triumph as he walked over to his master who then rolled out the bundle, revealing many pieces and designs. Several of which instantly struck a cord with Vulepsen.

 

[Vulpesen]

The next few days were spent training with his master and father as well a going over the small pieces of the lightsaber and the process of building it. After the basics were covered, Vulpesen finally sat down with the pieces he had chosen infront of him. A two hilts, two beam emitters, several switches and buttons, and a quite a few decorative plates. Nothing unusual, but every piece was fitted to Vulpesen's use. As he knelt in front of the materials, Vulpesen lifted his hand and focused himself in the force, calling the objects to rise into the air. Slowly, one by one, they started to fit together as Vulpesen found a place for each, including the crystals he had gained from the holocron and the stygium crystal that he had always carried. As the pieces came together it became obvious that Vulpesen was not making one saber, but two which were joined by a locking mechanism at the center. A blade to be used for any situation, just as Vulpesen's style of fighting would suggest.

As he worked, the onlookers spoke the crystal code in tandem, bringing him deeper into the force.
"The crystal is the heart of the blade.
The heart is the crystal of the Jedi.
The Jedi is the crystal of the force.
The force is the blade of the heart.
All are intertwined.
The crystal, the blade, The Jedi.
We are one."

The lightsaber seemed to respond to the natural rythym of the mantra, bringing itself together in its pace until finally the last two blade guards turned into place, allowing the saber to finally float into Vulpesen's waiting hands. "Tenebris Anime" The name came naturally. A blade of darkness surrounded by light. Just as Vulpesen. There was no such thing as pure light, even within himself was an inner darkness that he must recognize and these crystals allowed him to remember that fact. The hilt featured a lock in the center with a black scale like design that ran outward from the center. Between the scales was a sapphire blue trim, giving the weapon an appreance of midnight. The scales flowed easily unto a fur like design on the ends which ended in two fox heads which were reversed from each other. Each head was chiseled to perfect detail and Vulpesen was sure it had cost his master a pretty penny to have this forged or bought. The ears on the heads stuck out, giving a small guard that he would later cover with a saber resistant material if he had the chance. Overall, the weapon had a natural look based off of Vulpesen's love for animals as well as a ruggedly simple frame that would be easy to take care of. Vulpesen had blown up two weapons at this point, and he was adamant not to blast this one. It was his masterpiece and he would hang on to it as long as he could.


The moment of truth had finally come and Vulpesen flicked the switches, and listened as the stygium crystal quickly silenced the first blade, yet not the second which gave an audible snap-hiss the sound was slightly different from the training sabers. It was the sound of an authentic saber that would get the job done. Something that would defend its owners life as he worked to defend others. The blades sported a black core surrounded in a golden light. A dark soul surrounded in the light. Tenebris Anime. "Thank you master." Vulpesen stood, shut down the saber, and bowed to the Amaran who had raised him then looked to his father's hologram, to whom he gave a stern look. "You owe me seventeen years." The hologram's face showed a bit of bewilderment at the cold nature. "I intend to get those seventeen years payed for. I will respect you wish and continue on life, but if I can find a way to see you again, I promise that I will find you old man." He finished the speech with a grin. And the hologram nodded with a returning smile before shutting down.

"Though you may not be off my blood, it is good to see how far my son has come." Vulpesen turned to see his master wiping a tear and then opening his arms. Vulpesen accepted the embrace then stood up to place the lightsaber to his hip. "Make sure you come back in one piece. And no matter what happens out in the galaxy, you will always have a safe haven here."

"Yes master. I promise I'll visit when I can." Vulpesen gave the Amaran one last bow before turning and walking away. He had done what he had to do, and now there was work to be done in the galaxy. The place that had called for him to explore it, discover its secrets, and not to defend it. Tenebris Anime clicked against his leg and Vulpesen found reassurance in its presence as he took a transport to his ship and left his home planet for his future adventures.