Sirion Lanor - Thanks for the compliment. I really enjoy being able to play some different tones, do so within the same chapter whilist contuning a sort of theme. As for the construction of a lightsaber - I'm basing this off a couple of episodes of The Clone Wars, specifically 'The Gathering' and 'A Test of Strength' both of which were in season 5 of the show. I liked the EU a lot too, but the quality was a bit...uneven at times.
Lord Darth Yoda - I didn't think your review was that grumpy, you had like 5 compliments and like 1 not-quite criticism. I'm sorry for not mentioning you - you indeed were the person that mentioned pranking Yoda, which did give me the idea for what I wrote. Huyin being the twin of Huyang was born out of the whole 'yin and yang' thing...not sure if I could (or should) have made that more obvious, because it is kind of lame...but it is amusing to think of a droid speaking in David Tennant's voice (and he did win an Emmy for his role as Huyang).
And to deal with your minor criticism...we aren't done with either of the two things you mentioned. Patience young Padawan! I very much try to be careful in the hints that I'm leaving, and while some will be plot points, others will just be things that I use to further character development - like we are going to see with Sascha and his lightsaber in this chapter. And Aurine's injury has consequences that last for like...several more chapters.
Thejoker122- Glad you enjoyed! I'd think that there would be at least a few Sluissi working at the Jedi Temple, probably working with in the hangers, considering Sluissi are supposed to be shipbuilders and mechanical experts.
A/N - I got nothing more to say
As always, please enjoy the next chapter! All reviews, favourites and follows are appreciated.
Chapter 6: Repairs, Modifications, Homeworlds
Sascha exited the lightsaber repair room and made his way to the Temple Library, which was perhaps his favourite room in the entire Jedi Temple. A large chamber, it had eight separate wings filled with holobooks, datasticks and other methods of storing information, as well as a central area with terminals from which to work from. While the library could seem overwhelming to some, Sascha had always found its layout logical and usually had no trouble finding the information he wanted…eventually. Today he had a good idea of what he was looking for and upon entering the Library, he headed for the section that contained information about languages.
Sascha found the holobook he was looking for, an encyclopedia grandiosely entitled, Known Languages of the Galaxy. Selecting the volume that included Sluissese, he brought the holobook to one of the working stations in the center of the library, finding that there were only three other Jedi working in near silence in the high-walled room. Yet having found what he was looking for, he wasn't entirely sure how he wanted to proceed.
When Huyin had described the history behind his lightsaber a few things had struck him. The first was that he was completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of history behind it. It had been based off the design of a Jedi Knight that he revered and constructed from the materials that had made up her ship. Suddenly, he felt as if he had to live up to the standards of Vsil Ejahsa, even though he was still just a Padawan.
Something else that had struck him was that his lightsaber wasn't really his at all. It had been made simply because he existed. Someone in the Temple had found out that he felt connected to Sluis Van and that he idolized Vsil Ejahsa and commissioned a lightsaber based on those facts. It's not that he had lost his connection to his lightsaber, he was honored that someone went to so much trouble just to build something for him, but he wanted to do something that made his lightsaber his again.
That was why when he opened the holobook, he found the section on Sluissese and immediately went to the section of the book that dealt with ancient Sluissese. Sluissese, like all languages, had changed and evolved over thousands of years of use, but he was searching for something from when the Sluissi had only known their own culture. In other words, he was looking for something pure Sluissi.
What he wanted to find was something to inscribe on his lightsaber, something profound that he could look at and remind himself of whom he was. He wanted to continue the theme of his lightsaber reflecting Sluis Van, but he was having trouble finding an appropriate inscription. He was able to find a collection of symbols that would have described his name in Sluissese, or more accurately, it would have read 'Sascha of White-star.' He supposed that would be kind of like putting a signature on your lightsaber, which was an interesting idea, but it felt too…selfish.
He scrolled through a section of the holobook that contained ancient Sluissi proverbs. Some were interesting, or thought provoking, but Sascha kept the question that Huyang had asked him in his mind, "What will make you strong in battle and humble in defeat?" Somehow, he didn't think inscribing, "What's good for the Karthac is good for the Oeskec," would remind him of that quote from Huyang. He needed something more...profound.
Hours passed. He had read so many proverbs and quotations they were all running together in his mind. Frustrated, he stared at the ceiling. He was wasting his time here. There was so much else that he could be doing right now. Huyin had messaged him hours ago, reporting that his lightsaber had been fixed. Doro and Trigg were off researching for their Masters. But here he was in the middle of the archives, reading up on old Sluissi proverbs!
He clenched and then un-clenched his fists a couple of times, in an attempt to dispel the anger he currently felt towards himself. There were so many more productive things he could have done this afternoon, but he had apparently chosen to do none of them. He was a Jedi, he was supposed to be helping people…who exactly was he helping with this?
Sascha was surprised by a soft touch on his shoulder. He whirled quickly...and would have fallen out of his chair had a strong hand not grabbed a hold of him. "My my," said a familiar voice, "my favourite young researcher is looking a tad...displeased with himself."
He recognized the voice instantly, "I'm a bit frustrated at myself right now, Master Jocasta," he said.
The kindly visage of Jocasta Nu, former member of the Jedi Council and Chief Librarian of the Jedi Archives stared back at him. An older Jedi, Master Jocasta was not quite elderly, but she was getting there. Sascha had helped Master Jocasta on many occasions, acting as a researcher. He was quite fond of the Chief Librarian of the Jedi Order and they had spent many hours working together.
The librarian looked at the holobook on his work station, "I see you are working on your languages again. Is speaking three languages at fifteen not enough for you?" she asked lightly.
"Almost sixteen," he added quickly.
Jocasta smiled, "Of course. But why don't you tell me what is frustrating you?"
He bowed his head, "I feel like I've wasted my time here. I was looking to find a quote or a proverb or something that would speak to me, but I've been reading this holobook for hours and nothing does!"
"I see..." said Master Jocasta, "You came here searching for something that would enlighten you, and you are frustrated that it is not easy?"
Put in those very stark terms, his problem seemed ridiculous, "Well...yes," he stammered, embarrassed.
The grey-haired Jedi knelt, "Do you know why so many people your age find research hard, but you never have?"
"Because I'm a genius?" he joked.
"Far from it, Padawan Whitestar," Master Jocasta said, smiling at his attempt at humor. "No, while research requires a certain amount of intelligence, what it requires more than anything is patience and perseverance. Both of which are traits you have in abundance. Or you used to have."
Those words have an effect on him. What had he been expecting would happen? That he would just take down a holobook off the shelf and magically find something inspirational? It sounded ridiculous. It was ridiculous. If he wanted to really find something that speaks to him, he's going to have to put in the effort to do so.
He bowed his head politely, "Thank you for the lesson, Master Jocasta."
"Anytime, Sascha," replies the Jedi Master. Jocasta walked away quietly, leaving Sascha alone again.
He took a moment to compose himself before he re-opened his Holobook and started combing through the pages again. He is Sascha Whitestar. An he never gives up.
A few hours later, having found what he was looking for, Sascha returned to the lightsaber repair room and retrieved his newly repaired lightsaber from Huyin. Next, he found the schematic for the change he wanted to make to his lightsaber. It was a relatively simple modification to make, but he wanted to be careful with his most treasured possession, so he meditated briefly, focusing his mind, before starting on his little project.
His lightsaber activated when he pressed the activation button, like most other lightsabers, and was only turned off after two quick presses of the same button. What Sascha was installing was a master breaker on the inside of the hilt that he could use to turn the lightsaber on or off using the Force. It meant that if the breaker was in the off position the lightsaber could never be turned on, except via the Force. It would take a little getting used to, but Sascha felt that the improved control could come in useful at times, plus it was another small piece of customization for his lightsaber that differentiated it from others.
He completed that task carefully, but he wanted to complete his second task before checking with Huyin that his lightsaber's components were still arranged correctly. He took the small tool that Huyin had let him borrow and began to work. Using the Force to focus him completely, to give him a level of control that would have been worthy of a droid, he used the tiny drill to inscribe the Sluissese runes that were displayed on his datapad. It was time-consuming work because he had to be extraordinarily careful with the powerful detailing tool, if he let it cut too deeply into the hilt he could cause irreversible damage to the components within. That would be an embarrassing moment, to say the least.
Hours later, he emerged from the lightsaber repair room with a fully functional lightsaber. As he had left, Huyin had asked him what he had etched into his hilt. Sascha had chosen not to respond to the droid. No, this lightsaber had been designed for him, but he had finally done something that made it his. He had, quite literally, left a mark on it and he was not going to reveal what he had inscribed on his lightsaber to Huyin. Smiling, even as he realized how late the hour was and how tired he was, he had an idea how he could make tomorrow an extra special occasion for someone important to him.
The kitchens of the Jedi Temple were not a place where Sascha Whitestar tended to spend much time. Sure, he got kitchen duty like every other Jedi, and like most Padawans his age, he hated it, it was just so unfair having to prepare food for others when he could be eating food. Once, during his years as an Initiate, he had gotten kitchen duty and he had tried to make Charanti, a favourite dish of Sluissi across the galaxy. The recipe he'd found promised that it was edible for most species. He'd picked the ingredients himself from the gardens in the Jedi Temple, putting far more effort than he perhaps should have into the endeavour, most Initiates just followed the instructions given to them to the letter and that generally produced edible if not outstanding meals.
He'd finished the preparations and been pleased with himself, while the dish was…fragrant, it tasted quite good. He was pleased to have made something from his homeworld, and was certain the other Initiates would enjoy it as well.
He'd been wrong.
While an experienced Jedi Knight knew enough about the cuisine of different cultures to know that if something smelled bad, it didn't necessarily taste bad, Jedi Initiates who never left the Temple lacked that particular piece of wisdom. The Initiates had treated Sascha's specialty dish like it was radioactive, avoiding it at all costs and making several jokes about how whoever prepared today's meal had simply raided the trash compactor and stuck it into a bowl. Iwo Kulka, a Ho'Din that was a few years older than him, had led the insults, and while in hindsight Sascha could laugh – some of Iwo's jokes had been hilarious, at the time each little joke and laugh had felt like a dagger into his heart.
He had slunk further and further into his seat with each insult, having lost the appetite for the meal he'd slaved over for hours. Tyra had come to his rescue, even at…how old had he been? Ten? Tyra had been his firmest friend, he had been attuned to her like no other person and her to him. She'd marched right to the counter in her intimidating way, grabbed a bowl and just about inhaled the Charanti. She'd eaten it so fast, Sascha was sure she was going to be sick, but when she was done she merely spoke in an authoritative voice, "If we avoided everything that smelled bad, we'd never talk to you, Iwo." Suddenly the laughter of the young Jedi had a new target and several Initiates admitted afterwards that this meal was an upgrade over some of the others they had endured. Sascha smiled to himself, he felt very lucky to have a friend like Tyra, they had understood each other at an early age, and their friendship had only strengthened since then.
Today he was in the kitchens, making a meal for just two people, using ingredients that he had bought in the Coruscant market earlier this morning. Padawans were technically not supposed to leave the Temple unaccompanied, so he had dragged Nara along with him, claiming that this was the payment for introducing her to his friends, and she had been too tired to disagree. Sascha had sought out a specific vendor in the vast Courscant market, a Devaronian trader who had fruits from Selvaris, his Master's homeworld. He hadn't wasted much time in haggling, so the Devaronian had gotten quite a good deal, but Sascha had gotten his ingredients and that was really all that mattered.
He brought his completed meal to the Halls of Healing, admiring the room's calming incense, which contrasted nicely with the delicious aroma arising from the two bowls he held in his hands. He made his way to his Master's bed. Aurine was reading one of the daily updates provided by the staff of the Jedi Library. "The last breakfast here," said Aurine, her eyes fixated on the screen, "Force, I can't wait to leave." She then sniffed at the meal that her Padawan had brought, and her eyes widened. "Is that…"
"A rojak made from fruits from Selvaris? Why yes it is Master," said Sascha with a sly smile.
"Somehow I doubt that this was on the menu at the Temple refectory," said Aurine, who smiled warmly at her Padawan.
"I went off menu for you, Master to celebrate that you'll be able to leave today."
Sascha ignored his Master sniffling and wiping a tear from her eye, "You are the best Padawan in the Temple, you know that Sascha?"
"Please, Master, I'm trying not to develop an ego here," he said with a laugh.
He handed a bowl to his Master and began to eat. "This is very good Padawan," said Aurine as she scooped another mouthful of fruit into her mouth, "I so rarely get anything that comes from my homeworld, Selvaris is pretty much in the middle of nowhere."
"Have you ever been, Master?" he inquired.
"No, Selvaris isn't even in the Republic; it's like an Outer Rim backwater that just happens to be located in the Inner Rim. I'll probably never get to see it," she said wistfully. "Though you'll probably get to see Sluis Van, I imagine, because I'd bet that you're the only Jedi in the Temple that speaks Sluissese."
"If the Force wills it, Master," Sascha said dutifully. He'd love to go visit his home planet but Jedi rarely got a choice of where they were sent.
They finished the meal in silence as had been tradition since their first meeting, and once they were done, Aurine spoke, "I see you got your lightsaber fixed, I've been wondering when you would get around to that."
"Fixed and made some modifications," he said, absentmindedly running a finger over the spot on the hilt where he had made his inscription.
"What does it say?" inquired Aurine.
He hesitated in answering for a split second, but there was really no way to avoid the question, "It says in ancient Sluissese, 'strength through connections.'"
"And you felt this quote spoke to you," replied Aurine, her voice open, encouraging her Padawan to continue.
Sascha took a deep breath, "It did. The older I get the more I realize that my life is about connections. My connection to the Force might be the most important, it allows me to be who I am, a Jedi Padawan. My connection to my friends has shaped and continues to shape me, they show me my weaknesses and my strengths, and they give me courage and companionship. My connection to my Master makes me humble, makes me realize that I have much more to learn, and through our relationship, through the experiences we have, I learn and grow stronger."
"We both learn and grow stronger," corrected Master Brynar.
He grinned, "Of course. And the connections with the people I meet on missions, the people I leave with good impressions of a Jedi, or save their lives, those are connections that I myself influenced. Each of those connections gives me strength, gives me a larger purpose in this galaxy. For yes, I am still one human male, but I connect to so much more, and that is what makes me important. It is what will make me strong in battle and humble in retreat."
Aurine looked at him for a long moment, "Well said, Padawan, but each of those connections can be twisted, be made into something negative. There is a difference between a connection, and an attachment, but it is not always clear when one becomes the other."
Sascha nodded slowly, "I know, Master. But there was no Sluissi rune for 'strength through only the positive aspects of connections,'" he said drolly.
Amused, Aurine reached out and tried to ruffle his hair, but he quickly moved out of the way. His Master shot him a petulant look, "No fair apprentice. At least indulge your injured Master."
Compliantly, he moved his head towards Aurine, and his Master ruffled his hair, taking the time to make his hair extra messy. Aurine laughed at him, and Sascha could only guess how awful his hair looked at the moment, "Such a dutiful Padawan you are." While he attempted to straighten out his hair, his Master's expression became serious again, "I wanted to thank you for helping me while I was here. I appreciate it. You really went above and beyond."
He bowed his head politely, "It was the least I could do, Master."
Aurine made a shooing gesture, "You can leave me for now. Master Che is going to give me a last check up and then I'll be free of this place. I'll see you for breakfast tomorrow. Usual time, usual place."
"Respectfully Master...I'd like to stay for a while."
Aurine's mirthful look disappeared, "I appreciate the gesture, but I'm sending you away. You have many things you should be working on, including working with that newly refurbished lightsaber of yours. Why don't you find a sparring partner and work up a good sweat?"
"I could...I suppose," he said quietly.
The Jedi Knight frowned, "Is there any reason you've suddenly stopped liking to spar? I usually don't have to coax you into doing anything."
He sighed and paced the length of Aurine's bed, slowly, "It's just that...I can't spar with Tyra because she's...I don't know...acting weird. Doro and Trigg are away. Yesterday I sparred with Neth...and it was a massacre. I wasn't even in the same league as he was. And I always thought Neth and I were fairly equal. Honestly, I just don't like...losing all the time."
"Sparring isn't about winning or losing Sascha, its about fixing mistakes and keeping skills sharp," commented Aurine. "There isn't a scoreboard somewhere that has everyone's win and loss record. There isn't anything wrong in getting the short end of the stick, as long as everyone is learning."
"Intellectually...I know that," he responded, head bowed. "I just don't want to be the one always saying 'Solah' at the end of these sparring sessions. It is petty, I'm aware, but it just reminds me that I'm not the strongest in the Force. It reminds me that I'm not that good."
Aurine laid a hand on his shoulder, "Let me tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to set up a sparring session between you and Nara."
"What? Nara's way better than I am, and she is younger than me!" Sascha hadn't sparred with Nara in a while, but he was pretty sure that the Togruta would be improving rapidly, while his improvement was marginal at best.
Aurine looked at him, a cryptic expression on her face, "Yet I suspect that if you spar today, you will do much better than you think."
He stopped pacing and frowned in confusion, "I...don't understand."
His Master grinned, "That's good. That means there are still some things I have left to teach you." Aurine stretched her arms above her head, "Let me tell you a secret. Nara won't beat you. And you know why?"
He shook his head, "I have no idea."
Aurine grinned, "She wants to be your friend."
"She's going to let me win?" he said incredulously.
"Did you lose a bunch of brain cells since yesterday? That's not what I said," said Aurine, getting testy for the first time. "I'm saying she won't be trying a hundred percent to win. She will on the other hand, be trying to endear herself further to you. And generally people don't do that by beating the tar out of their friends in a sparring session. I suspect that she'll probably try to coax you into having some fun." Aurine shrugged, "I could be wrong, but I don't think I am."
"I...don't know what to say."
"Well, I think you pick up your comlink and call Nara," said Aurine drolly.
"I meant beside that," he said, smiling at his Master's frivolity. "I mean you seemed to have the answer to my problem just waiting for me. How do you do that?"
"You know, I once was a Padawan like you, right? I did manage to absorb some lessons through this thick skull of mine," she said, rapping her right fist lightly against the side of her head. "Also, I have had a lot of time to think about things recently. It has allowed me to stay one step ahead of you."
Sascha smiled easily. His previous feelings of self-doubt seemed to have been swept away by the firm confidence of his Master. Feeling a lot better about himself, he nodded to her politely, "I bow to your wisdom, Master."
"Good." Aurine made a shooing gesture, "Go have fun, apprentice. Go kick some Togruta butt."