III

Jembi's jaw dropped. A lightsaber? Like the Jedi? Jembi felt excitement rise up in him, "You mean I get to make my own lightsaber?" Shirra laughed, "Yes, Jembi. Eventually you will make your own lightsaber. For now I need to school you in the various types though."

Shirra explained it all. The simple but effective single bladed hilt came first. Typically a Jedi's first lightsaber, this weapon in of itself was a powerful tool with as many variations as users. Next came the double bladed lightsaber or saberstaff. This exotic weapon was aggressive, destructive, and difficult to wield but the masters of this weapon were unpredictable and powerful. A less common type of lightsaber was not a lightsaber at all but two, wielded together for a fast and precise fighting style. The final type of lightsaber Shirra explained was the most rare and unpredictable but also the most deadly.

"A paired lightsaber," she said. Jembi frowned, "You mean like dual lightsabers?" Shirra shook her head, "It can be used like that but what makes the paired lightsaber so powerful is its ability to be joined together and taken back apart." Jembi's eyes glitered in understanding and desire, "That's the one I want."

"Are you sure," Shirra started but Jembi cut her off, "Yes. I don't care how hard it will be." Seeing the determination in his eyes, Shirra conceded, "As you say, my young one."

Jembi picked up a long tube of black metal. The tube was lightweight and resonated nicely when he tapped it. After browsing Shirra's considerable selection of materials, Jembi almost always discarded every piece he selected, finally arriving at this one lightweight piece of black metal. He added it to the organized stack of materials on the assembly desk. So far he had two identical emitter rings, two holding structures for the crystals, and various other details. Though the metal Jembi had in his hands was durable it needed something to reinforce it. He looked around and picked up another tube. This ridged silver metal was much stouter and had a thicker wall.

Jembi smiled and thought of a way to put it all together. Sitting at the lathe he started shaping the two tubes into a set of interlocking hilts with a set of twist together joints at the bases. The end result of his labor was an intricate hilt with a mix of silver inlaid into the exterior black hilt. They had a set of three, silver emitter guards shaped in gentle half inch curves. At the end of each guard was a spherical tip that could be used to bludgeon opponents to submission without serious injury. All in all, the whole set of hilts was a foot and three inches long and one inch wide.

Jembi leaned back and sighed. Shirra had promised to show him how to make the crystals once he had the hilt. "No sense in making crystals for a saber that doesn't exist," she had said. Jembi took his finished hilt to Shirra and she looked it over appraisingly.

"Very good," she mused, "The emitter guards are a bit odd but I can see the purpose." Very suddenly she rose and walked over to the furnace. Jembi followed closely like a child eager to get a cookie for the jar. "How many crystals do you need for that design," Shirra asked critically. "Six," Jembi proclaimed proudly, "One for each focus, an four for the length and power adjustments."

Shirra pressed her fingers into the bridge of her nose and sighed. This is becoming too complex for my liking, she thought. "Come this way, young one. You are going to have one long week."

As the crystals grew Jembi was required continually to purify and shape them with the force. He got little reprieve and even less sleep as the week wore on. The crystals grew and grew, progressing slowly but surely till they were the size of golf balls and glistened in the light.

In the middle of the seventh night, Jembi felt the last crystal settle into alignment. He quickly removed it from the forge and placed it on the cooling bench. The others were all nearly completely clear with only the faintest hint of gold. Shirra inspected this last one approvingly as she had for the other five. "It's rough but it'll do," she said after a handful of tense minutes. Jembi sighed in relief. He had been worried that his last crystal would not pass inspection and he'd have to start over again.

"Now file them to shape," Shirra instructed. "Make the focusing one long and slender and the other two wide for a nice lattice sample." Jembi sigh again, this time in complaint. He knew that this would take even longer than the last task. But never-the-less he went back to work with the same diligence and care he had done the other two tasks with. He ground away the flakes of crystal till he had six perfect crystals for what he wanted.

With the final pieces ready, Jembi constructed and aligned his lightsaber. The finished product was sleek, lightweight, and extremely versatile. He used two recessed throttle style activator switches and two movable sections near the emitter for blade length and power adjustment. The intricate design of the paired saber was not only striking but unique, allowing Jembi full control over the details.

Shirra let out a low whistle as she inspected the sleek saber. "Not bad, not bad at all," she muttered. "Go ahead and turn it on, little one." Jembi took it back and flipped the activator switched into place with a mechanical click. The faintly yellow blades shot out with a distinctive "snap-hiss" sound and hummed ominously.

Jembi closed his eyes and lowered his head, deep in thought. He slowly twisted the dials near the emitter and Shirra watched as the blades extended, shortened, grew brighter and duller. I'm seeing the most versatile weapon of this age, Shirra thought with sudden clarity. Jembi turned the saber off with another metallic click. The blades rapidly retreated leaving a "zip" sound echoing in Shirra's ears.

Jembi smiled at his master with pride. "It works," he said tiredly. Shirra took the weapon from him and clipped it to his belt with one motion. "Go now, rest," she said in a soft motherly tone.