Private This Weapon is (Not) Your Life

[Starlin Rand]

"You cut him out of a monster. That was eating him."

“... Yeah,” Starlin said awkwardly. “It happens. Just be glad we got here when we did.”

In all honesty, he wasn’t sure how Val was able to survive, let alone function most of the time. He could’ve saved himself from the monster, but “wanted to know what it was like to be digested”?...

Best to just get what they came here for and move on.

“You’re sort of mechanically inclined, right? Or was slicing more your thing… Well, either way it’s not too difficult. Whip that Corposaber out.” Once the saber was in Makko’s hand, Starlin flicked his wrist and disassembled the Corposaber with the Force, letting the parts of it hover for his Padawan to view. “That’s the emitter, the focusing ring, the power cell, and the controls. Your crystal will go right in here. Everything else is customizable.”

Starlin paused. He was just rattling off dry jargon. There was so much more to it than that, but he couldn’t seem to find the right words. It had been easy to show this to Lief . Eli was filled with wide-eyed wonder at everything the Jedi had to offer, and eager to please his master. But Makko was more of a skeptic. How was he supposed to explain something that was technically unexplainable?

Val picked up on his reluctance. “Aren’t you going to tell him about the bond between blade and wielder?” he asked.

“Uh, right.” Starlin ran a hand through his hair. “The process of making a lightsaber… it does something for you. It’s hard to put into words, but if you’re able to picture every part of it and envision how it works, that familiarity creates a connection between you and the blade which can make the difference between life or death in a fight. Like I said earlier, the Corposaber’s functional, but you don’t know it. It’s just some manufactured hunk of metal and wires. You didn’t build it yourself.” He gestured to the pile of parts. “Now’s the time to make it your own.”

Makko Vyres​

 

[Makko Vyres]

"It happens."

Makko repeated it once out loud, then again silently mouthing the phrase. It didn't help him make sense of the situation.

Being young and resilient, his mind started to latch on to the lesson about lightsabers. He tried to ignore the linger scent of the creature's insides.

"I can do a bit of tech," he said. Makko had wired up a few cyberware rigs in his time.

Assuming - incorrectly - that this was a typical jedi day and that he was embarrassing himself in front of Starlin, Makko took the pieces that were floating before him and started to lay them out on a bench.

Surprisingly, the internal mechanics were kept very simple. It made him wonder what he could do with it.

"I bet I could do a magnetic data connection to something on my wrist. Like, a few centimeters range so it couldn't be sliced. I could then turn it on and off and check the battery level with my implants."

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin nodded along with what Makko was saying, despite having no clue what he was doing. “Sounds good. You do that.”

He glanced toward Val, hoping the madman would offer some similar encouragement, but Val was wading through the pile of lightsaber guts like he was searching for something. “Aha!” he exclaimed, plunging a hand into the murk and retrieving a fully functional lightsaber. “This thing just won’t shut up! It’s been hollering ever since you got here.”

Turning to face Makko, he flipped open a panel on the side of the hilt and retrieved the kyber crystal from within. The crystal was practically vibrating with energy, creating a visible glow. He held it out to Makko. “Here he is. Now stop your shouting!”

“Is that…” Starlin began, a bit startled by this new turn of events. “Whose lightsaber was that?”

“Oh, I don’t really know. I have so many. It’s hard to keep track.” Val smiled. “It’s not often that a crystal chimes twice for two different people. This one might’ve been taken prematurely, by someone it was never meant to be with. Or maybe crystals don’t care as much as we think they do about whose weapon they’re in. Either way, this one likes you, Makko.”

Makko Vyres​

 

[Makko Vyres]

Makko took the small crystal. He couldn't deny feeling something as he let it settle in the palm of his hand.

"Formed at the heart of a dying star, scattered as it exploded," he muttered under his breath.

He knew from his lessons that many kyber crystals were formed that way, but he didn't know why he felt compelled to assert that it was where this particular crystal had come from.

Makko took a slow breath. In through his nose, holding it down in his belly. Out it came through his lips and slowly he descended into a meditative state. It was the first time the technique had ever actually worked for him.

For once he had an actual goal. Something that felt right. He wasn't trying to meditate just for the sake of it.

He barely heard their voices as he placed the crystal down on the counter.

"Do you have any micro controller boards?" he asked. Computers worked for him. He wasn't going to have an analogue saber.

 

[Starlin Rand]

“...Yes. That is true.” Starlin smiled as he watched Makko examine the crystal. Mainly because he was glad that his apprentice had connected with a kyber, but also because it saved him the time, effort, and gas money that a trip to Ilum would’ve cost.

"Do you have any micro controller boards?"

Starlin turned to Val, but the dancer had already run off to fetch the boards. He returned and gave them to Makko.

Makko Vyres​

 

[Makko Vyres]

Makko rocked back and looked down at the pieces arranged before him.

"This might take me some time," he said.

Not just because there was some genuine labour to do, but because he didn't know where to start.

It was like having a word on the tip of your tongue. He knew there was a place he needed to start, a particular way the pieces of the puzzle came together.

He wasn't seeing it.

"Would you...mind leaving me here a while or should I work somewhere else?" He asked.

 

[Starlin Rand]

"Would you... mind leaving me here a while or should I work somewhere else?"

"Uhhh..." Starlin turned toward Val. Crazy as he was, the dancer was fairly harmless. "I don't mind leaving you here. Val?"

"I wouldn't mind it if you left, Starlin," Val replied sweetly.

Starlin snorted at that. "All right, fine. You can make your way back to the Temple on your own, so... How long will you be here? A few hours, days...?"

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"Actually, I don't really know," Makko said. He glanced at Val and tried to keep how disconcerting the man was from becoming obvious.

"I feel like, I need some time to think. Maybe I should bring it all back to the workshop in the temple? I can show Val what I've made when I'm finished?"

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin stifled another giggle at Makko's reaction. Yeah, maybe leaving him alone with Val wasn't the best idea.

"Sure, fine." He waved a hand reassuringly. "Get your stuff and we'll head back." Turning to Val, he added, "Thanks for your help. Try not to get into too much trouble, all right? We can't always be here to swoop in and save you."

"Oh, I'm perfectly capable of saving myself," Val said gravely. "The question is more whether or not I'll want to."

Starlin's face fell. "That's not... You don't really mean... do you?"

A few moments of silence followed. Then Val burst into laughter. "Ha! As if! I'm going to live forever. I'll see you soon, my friend. Take care of yourself."

Glancing at Makko, he shrugged and turned to leave the ship.

Makko Vyres