Magic is Force: Chapter 23 Part B
Karn laid upon the cold earth, still dazed over what had just transpired seconds ago. The mesmerizing image of Meetra's figure burned brightly within his mind. Her breasts prominently stood out from her see-through nightgown – they were curvy and firm, along with the rest of her body. Karn's flash grew a deep shade of red as the blood rushed into his head, lustful thoughts plaguing his mind.
Slowly, he pushed himself off the cold stone floor and transitioned over to the couch off to the side of the room. The room was quiet except for the sound of Meetra rummaging in the backroom for items. Karn laid quietly on the couch, his heart still beating swiftly. He had trouble focusing – unable to properly think.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep intake of breath and held it in his lungs. The air in his lungs began to grow stale as the oxygen turned into carbon dioxygen. He held the air in his lungs for as long as possible; when his lungs were unable to hold out any longer, Karn expelled the air in his lungs. Instantly, he felt his body gradually relax.
Karn repeated this process several more times, his body relaxing with every exhale of breath. His mind was becoming increasingly sharp and focused. He tried desperately to remain calm and collected while struggling against thinking about Meetra.
The grinding sound of hinges pierced the room as the backroom door opened. Karn tilted his head off to the side to pear at the door just in time to see Meetra appear from the backroom. She was still in her see-through nightgown but her arm was brought up, covering her breasts. In her other arm, she carried a pile of fresh clean clothes. Her cheeks were bright red still. Instantly, Karn felt his adrenaline begin to pump spontaneously. His breathing quickened at the sudden sight of Meetra's body through the dark green fabric.
"I'm going to bathe as well," she said bashfully.
Karn was too embarrassed to say anything; his eyes were fixated on her body. Feelings of lust crept up through his body. He sat quietly and slowly nodded in affirmation to Meetra's comment. Meetra, arm still covering her breasts, approached the door and awkwardly opened it with her occupied arm, trying to ensure her breasts couldn't be revealed.
When she left the room, Karn released a giant gasp of air. What the heck is wrong with me? Why am I even thinking of her like that? If any, Karn viewed Meetra as a friend – a very close friend. She had provided him with guidance at Teirm; rescued him from Gil'ead and healed his wounds; taught him how to control his emotions; and above all proved to be someone who he could share his worries with. She stood by his side and was a support for him. All she has done was provide acts of kindness to him. Yet why do I constantly grow awkward and flustered whenever she's around? Why does my heart race whenever she stares at me with her mesmerizing amber eyes? And why do I feel a primal instinct whenever I see her?
As Karn pondered the uncertainty within himself, a slight prick of mental touch pressed against his mind. He instantly knew the mental presence and lowered his barriers, letting the consciousness of Solembum meld with his own. You made quite the scene, didn't you? the werecat teased.
How was I supposed to foresee that Meetra was in the midst of changing out of her clothes? He replied by in defense. I didn't mean to see her exposed self.
Perhaps. You did glimpse at Meetra's exposed body, though. I suggest you take responsibility for your action and apologize to her once she returns. She did seem quite embarrassed by it.
If anyone felt embarrassed by the event, it was Karn. He located the werecat through their mental connection and rose up from the couch and proceeded to enter Meetra's bedroom.
Stepping through the doorway, Karn caught a glimpse of Solembum's large furry body, sitting upon a disorganized mess of clothes on top of the bed. "If anyone should be embarrassed from that event, it should be me."
Ears perked up, Solembum sat on his back hind legs, his large red eyes gazing towards Karn. How could you be possibly feel that you are the victim in this case?
"Because…" Karn began but immediately cut himself off. He knew the reason why he felt like the victim for several reasons. First off, he possessed no idea or inclination that Meetra was changing at the time, making him seem innocent. And the second reason was because, "…I've never actually seen a woman's exposed body before…" Karn was a pure virgin, in mind and physicality. Never before has Karn made an effort to glimpse at a young woman's body. Never before has he ever lusted after a woman. And never has he had the opportunity to feel and experience the most sacred acts of intimacy.
The roar of thunderous laughter erupted across the mental link between Karn and Solembum. The werecat's laughter rose in volume as he fell onto his back, rolling back and forth upon the bed. His legs and paws flailed into the air. Are you meaning to tell me, you have never caught a glimpse or felt a women's naked body?
Bashfully, Karn's face grew a slight shade of red, "No… I have not. My time has not been spent chasing after young maidens like many other young men my age."
Situating himself back onto his all fours, Solembum possessed a whimsical tone in his voice. Grey Knight, you sometimes neglect some of the privileges that life has to offer you. If the opportunity arises, do not hesitate to chase after it.
The sudden prospect of Solembum suggesting that he start advancing towards woman was appalling. "I do not chase after women," Karn exclaimed advancing towards the bed. The werecat gazed up at him upon his approach. "And I do not see Meetra as something to chase after! She's a friend and that is all I see her as."
Solembum tilted his head in interest. Whoever said that it was Meetra you should chase after? All I suggested was that you take the opportunity when it has presented itself to you. Tis all that I have said.
"But you were implying," Karn stuck out a finger at the werecat, "that I should make some advancements on Meetra?"
With cat-like reflexes, Solembum swatted back Karn's finger causing him to slightly recoil his hand. A slight growl emanated from the werecat's throat. I only suggested you take advantage of the opportunity when it appears before you. Whether that opportunity be in the form of a peasant girl, serving girl, a noblewoman, or Meetra herself.
A hint of irritation began to fill Karn's being. His attraction towards women, his need for a woman's touch did not tempt him. Again, to hear from Solembum that he should lust after the opportunity to be with a woman was intolerable – especially towards someone who he viewed as a close friend and companion.
"Regardless of who the opportunity may rise around, I will not change my respected views about Meetra." Karn stared Solembum straight into his bright red eyes as he delivered his statement. He rotated on his heel and began heading towards the door.
Grey Knight…
Karn stopped short from exiting the room and looked over his shoulder back towards the werecat. His irritation for Solembum was blooming like a wild flower. "What is it?"
The werecat licked his paw and bathed his side of his face, rubbing the whiskers clean. I've known Meetra for decades and she rarely opens up to anyone.
Karn crossed his arms and rested himself against the door frame. "What are you trying to explain to me?"
What I am trying to explain to you, Solembum said as he jumped down from his perch upon the bed and approached Karn, besides me, you are the only other person that Meetra has opened herself too.
"What do you mean?" Karn spoke confusingly, his arms coming to rest upon his waist. "Why would she open herself to me?"
You are naïve boy, Solembum spoke as he past Karn, going back into the main common room.
"Solembum," Karn following up behind the werecat, "I don't understand."
Solembum continued to the main door leading out into the hallway. He stopped just shy of it before replying back to Karn. Meetra values you more above anything else Karn.
"But why?" he implored the werecat.
Before Karn could continue any further the door opened, revealing Meetra. Her hair glistened with water droplets, a loose red blouse covered her top and she wore a pair of dark tan leather breeches. She stopped short of entering the room, confused to see Solembum and Karn standing at the front of it.
"Everything alright?" she asked with a confused expression.
Solembum stared at Karn, his eyes piercing his own with the emphasis from their previous conversation. He made no attempt to speak to Karn and continued on past the door, but made an effort to rub his back against Meetra's leg on his way out.
"Solembum?" Meetra called out after but the werecat disappeared into the darkened hallway, his dark furry body meshing with the shadows.
Meetra entered the room, closing the door behind her, a perplexed look engrossing her face. "Did I intrude upon a conversation between you and Solembum?" She headed towards the back bedroom.
"No, I was just going to let Solembum outside of the room," Karn lied following behind Meetra. He once again came to stand by the door frame, leaning against it. "He wasn't all too thrilled being cooped up in this room."
Meetra placed her dirty old clothes onto the bed, adding onto the pile of clothes already accumulating on it. "He tends to go wherever he pleases to. He's not a normal house cat that listens to its master and stays confined to the house. Solembum is his own master and he does what he wishes. I have no control where he goes."
"Sometimes he can be quite blunt about what he wants," Karn made a quick remark.
Meetra produced a slight giggle, "Yes, he can." Walking over to one side of the bed, Meetra picked up a wooden hairbrush that sat upon a nightstand. She brushed out her hair so each strand was free and loose, the waves in her hair beginning to return as they dried.
Thinking back to what Solembum said, Karn decided that it was for the best that he should apologize about earlier. Clearing his throat Karn addressed her, "Meetra?"
"Yes?" she replied. She sat herself down on the bed where there was still an available spot that wasn't taken over by clothes.
"I'd like to apologize for earlier." The image of Meetra from earlier pushed to the front of Karn's mind and he quickly began bashful. His cheeks turned a slight shade of red and he felt awkward about bringing the subject back up. "I did not realize you were currently undressing yourself and I meant no disrespect. It was an accident and it will not happen again."
Meetra stopped herself in mid brushstroke and looked at him with a blank stare. However, slowly her own face began to glow. She turned her head away then replied, "There was no harm done. I appreciate your apology. I know you wouldn't openly walk into a girl's room whilst they were undressing."
"Never," he said. Karn turned away from her and began heading out of the room. "I'll leave you to your bus –" He stopped in mid stride. The slight trickle of the Force pricked his mind. The touch of the Force felt similar to another's presence that he knew all too well. This aura reminded him of the person that spent the past month traveling with him – training him. Peering back into the room, Karn stared at Meetra. The touch of the Force he felt resembled Meetra.
The aura though that pressed against Karn's mind though wasn't originating from Meetra. It engulfed the entire room; honing in on the source, he slowly walked back into the room heading off towards the far wall where a dresser stood by itself.
"Karn?" Meetra caught notice of his altered action. She slowly rescinded her brushing and watched him as he continued on towards the dresser. As Karn came to stop at the front of the dresser, a small jewelry box that sat atop the dresser drew his gaze. From this box the waves of Force energies were most palpable.
Karn stood before the jewelry box, transfix upon the powers that percolated from the box. Energies of the Lightside brushed against his being as if it were a gentle sea breeze – cool, tender and serene. In that moment, Karn did not but let himself be bathed in the cool breeze of the Lightside. His body went lax and his thoughts, worries, were washed away. He truly felt at calm, at peace.
He nearly jumped in place when Meetra approached him and placed a hand on his arm. "Karn, is everything alright?" she asked with a questionable look.
Karn stared at her enjoying the bliss that was provided to him by the mysterious presence of the Force. "I – I sense something that is strong in the Force…It radiates with the Lightside."
"I'm appalled," she said with a raised eyebrow. "No one should be able to sense it."
"Sense what?" Karn spoke out in bewilderment. "What is 'it'?
Meetra moved up to the dresser and reached her arm out towards the jewelry box. With a wave of her hand, the sound of an unknown bolt unlatched itself, the lid of the box becoming ajar. Faint beams of light spewed forth from the cracked openings.
"What is that?" Karn spoke nervously as his muscles began to tense up, ready to go into action if the worse should occur.
"This." Meetra motioned her hand up and the lid of the jewelry box flung open by invisible hands. The entire room was filled with a bright light, the entirety of the power that Karn felt doubled in potency. The intensity of the brightness caused Karn to shield his eyes. He could only wonder and imagine what sort of object could create such force.
As Meetra placed her hand inside the box, the light began to recede, dwindling down to nothing more than a faint glow. The Jedi retrieved her hand from the box and sitting in her palm was a small, pure, translucent, white crystal. Pulling his hand away from his eyes, Karn stared at the small gemstone in amazement. It's clear, smooth surface revealed the center of itself. As if suspended in space, with nothing holding on to it, was a swirling mass of energy. And this energy was vast – massive and powerful.
"This," Meetra continued from earlier, "is my Force crystal."
"This?" Karn spoke out flabbergasted. He continued to stare down into Meetra's palm, transfixed upon the small white crystal. "This is a Force crystal?"
Meetra nodded. "It's very rare." With the side of her thumb, she rubbed the surface of the crystal as if letting it know that she was there.
"Where did you get such a rare find?" Karn was getting excited. He had heard of Force crystals before in his lectures when learning how to create his own lightsaber.
When constructing a lightsaber, a focusing crystal is needed to create the iconic blade of the lightsaber. The color of the focusing crystal creates the color of the blade. However, Force crystals were used as a means to further imbue the weapon with unimaginable power. Most of the Grey Knight records have recorded such Force crystals. Some possessed the ability to increase the wielder's recovery. Others allowed a Force-user to resist the effects of Force powers that affected the mind. And in particularly, some Force crystals were believed to empower its wielder with unimaginable power – power which drew on certain aspects of the Force.
"I found it on one of the Force crystal caves on the planet of Dantooine." She said holding the tips of the gem between her thumb and index finger. She lifted the crystal higher in the room, watching the light dance across the room.
"I've never seen a Force crystal the likes of yours, before." Karn replied in awe.
"It is the only one of its caliber. It is extremely rare."
"What makes it stand out beyond the rest of the other Force crystals?"
Meetra produced a slight smirk and held it at eye level so it was at the same height with her and Karn. "It has bonded to me."
"Bonded to you?" he raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe I have ever heard of a crystal bonding with an individual before."
"And that's why it is so rare," remarked Meetra. "Typically, most Force crystals possess a simple attribute that empowers certain aspects of a person and remains… 'isolated'. Mine, however, has bonded to me."
"I'm still not comprehending what you are trying to pass on," exclaimed Karn.
"What I mean," Meetra started to explain as she walked up to Karn, "Is that this crystal reflects my being. Its color, texture, smoothness, radiant glow…. its overwhelming power… is a representation of me."
"This crystal," Karn started, trying to formulate his thoughts, "embodies you?"
"Yes," she answered simply. "It's very similar to a Force Bond – like the one you and I share. We can reflect upon each other's power for strength and resolve. We can draw upon each other's power in times of peril. And slowly over time, the bond will cause us to develop similar personalities."
Karn still grappled at the complex insight to Meetra's Force crystal. Never before had he ever hear of a crystal bonding to someone. The idea of it possibly reflecting one's personality seemed very skeptical.
"So what does your Force crystal do though, exactly?" he asked.
"All Force-users are like a running fountain," Meetra spoke. "And the Force fills that fountain. However, our bodies cannot contain all the power that is dwelling within us. The Force 'overflows' the fountain'. This crystal acts similar to a sieve and harnesses the excess power that escapes the fountain."
"The crystal can store Force energies?" Karn could begin to see the possibilities of possessing a Force crystal with such a useful capability.
"Most certainly. Since the crystal bonded with me, it only draws upon the Force that surrounds me. It does not draw upon my connection to the Force, only the energies that are released from me that I do not use. In appearance, the crystal appears the way it is because of my affinity with the Lightside of the Force. In theory, if I began to dwell on the Darkside, its appearance my change."
"Now I am beginning to understand what you mean by 'embodies' you." Karn proclaimed.
"Indeed. But in terms of practicality, the crystal provides me with an advantage on the battlefield. The crystal is capable of augmenting my own powers and physical finesse making my fight harder and faster. Every part of my being is increased dramatically when I draw upon the energies of the crystal. No person may use it, beside myself."
"Fascinating!" Karn exclaimed. "You truly possess a miraculous gift.
"It is isn't it?" she produced another slight smirk before it disappeared into a small frown. Her eyes grew remorseful and Karn could sense the brooding sadness that quickly began to fill her. It filled her entire being before it came crashing down upon Karn. The weight of it sent chills down his spine and his own sense of depression began to take hold – an aftereffect of the Force Bond.
Placing a hand out on her arm, Karn gave her a slight squeeze of comfort, "Everything alright, Meetra?"
The Jedi gazed up at him with pitiful eyes; her eyes shown true sadness, the likes which Karn had never before seen. Meetra bit her bottom lip and struggled to remain composed. "There is a reason why I keep this crystal hidden, away from my gaze."
"For what kind of a reason would you be willing to hide it?" he retorted.
Pointing a finger to Karn's waist, Meetra spoke with true sorrow, "It reminds me that my own lightsaber is no longer here."
Karn stood there watching Meetra in wonder and to finally realize how lonely she truly felt. How cut off she was from her originally home. To have the one thing taken away from her that represented everything she stood for. To lose the very thing that defines a Jedi: her lightsaber.
Pity gnawed at his heart as Karn stared down at his close friend. He too could understand what Meetra must be feeling. Without his lightsabers, Karn felt utterly useless; his entire being felt broken like a plane of glass. "I'm sorry," was all he could muster.
She shook her head, "It does not matter anymore. What is done is done, and there is nothing that can be done to fix what can no longer be repaired."
The air grew dead still and quiet as the two Force-users were left standing in the bedroom alone; the atmosphere becoming tense with such a sore subject brought up. Knowing nothing else to do, Karn gave Meetra another slight squeeze of her shoulder before trying to change subjects.
"Do you mind if I examine your crystal?" he asked trying to keep Meetra off her train of ill thoughts.
"I don't see why not," she replied.
Karn held out his hand and Meetra placed the translucent crystal right in the middle of his palm. Upon contact with Karn's skin, he immediately felt himself feeling odd. It was as if the Force was being drained from him. However, he felt no ill effects or any discomforts. The air around him felt vibrant with activity as the Force that enclosed him was being captured by the crystal.
"Karn? Are you alright?" Meetra asked staring at him. She could sense his insecurity over the crystal and knew how he was feeling.
"Something doesn't seem right-"
The bright glow from inside the crystal suddenly burst with renewed vigor and engulfed the entire room. "Karn!" Meetra screamed in panic. The light began to darken, the once bright light transforming into a 'greyer' shade. A slight tingling sensation traversed the length of Karn's arm and increased until it ended at his hand. His arm began to shake and the Force energies continued to be suck in by the crystal.
Minutes passed and the grey light of the crystal only grew in strength. His hand grew warm under the touch of the gem. Without warning, Meetra quickly reached out and swiped the crystal out of his grasp. The blazing light was extinguished instantly, leaving the room in a darkened tone.
The atmosphere around Karn quickly began to adjust to normalcy – the Force energies pervading him no longer being drawn in by the crystal. His arm soon ceased its shaking and the tingling sensation dissipated. He rubbed his hand together, trying to return the feeling of normalcy to his hand and arm. "What just happened?" He said aloud and with a frantic tone.
He expected Meetra to quickly reply back, but she did not. He turned his head, noticing that Meetra was no longer in the room. She had disappeared after she had taken the crystal back and he was unsure where she had went.
"Meetra?" He said with a raised voice.
"…Out here," her voice replied back with a tone of shock and worry. Karn walked out of the back bedroom and into the common room to find Meetra holding up the crystal to a burning candle.
"Meetra, what in the Sith's blood just happened?"
Without a word, she lowered the crystal bringing it close for Karn to see. The crystal instantaneously caused him to express a face of disbelief. The pure, white, translucent crystal from earlier had transformed into a deep amber toned gem. And within the center of the crystal swirled a mass of white and black energy.
"Meetra?"
"I don't understand," she said bluntly with a hint of concern in her voice. "The crystal should only have been bonded to me. But when you touched it…"
"The crystal? You think it has bonded to me as well?" Karn said finishing Meetra's thought.
"It's the only explanation," she declared. "Never before has this happened when touched by others. But with you…" she stared at him with her deep amber eyes, filled with wonder, "It was as if it was wanting to bond with you."
"Perhaps it is because of the bond we share," Karn pointed out.
Meetra examined the crystal more closely, running her fingers over it, inspecting it for any sign of damage. "That seems highly plausible."
"So what does this mean then?"
"Your question, Karn, is as good as mine. Time can only tell what the crystal is capable of."
Karn watched as Meetra observed the crystal – inspecting all this edges, ridges for any sign of crack or wear. "What would happen if we put it into a lightsaber?" the thought suddenly occurred to him.
Meetra brushed a strand of hair out of her face, "Who knows. It could cause fry the internals; destroy the focusing crystal; overload the blade causing it to malfunction. I can think of several other options."
As Karn stared at the amber crystal, curiosity was getting the better of him. He dropped a hand onto his belt feeling for one of his lightsabers. The mystifying impact of what this new crystal could do to a lightsaber was too enticing.
Unlocking the lightsaber off its D-link, Karn brought it up before Meetra. "Let's find out then, shall we?"
She produced a distressed expression on her face. "You are mad, Karn! To risk your lightsaber to test a crystal that could be possible destroy it is out of the question! We don't even know what this thing can do now!"
"And what better way to test our theory than to try it out with mine."
Meetra drew the crystal close to her chest, trying to keep it away from the lightsaber as much as possible. "I will not do such a thing. I do not want you to end up losing your lightsaber like I did."
He stuck out his open hand towards her, insisting that she give him the crystal. "I always have the second one in case it becomes beyond repair."
Meetra held the crystal tight in her hand, close to her chest, forbidding him to take it. "I can't let you do this Karn for selfish reasons."
Karn stood there, staring at her for a moment. He knew that Meetra was only looking out for what was best for him. She wanted to protect him from ending up in the same position as she. She wanted to ensure that he would not lose such a precious object – one that was considered to be part of your very life. As he gazed upon Meetra and the worried she had on her face, he could also detect a hint of loneliness emanate from her. From his bond with her, he could sense the loneliness she felt from the loss of her own weapon. From that loneliness, he could tell how insistent she was to prevent him from ending up same way. In that moment, Karn knew what he was actually going to do with the crystal and his lightsaber.
He approached Meetra, she retreated in turn, backing up to the far wall. She was only a few feet from being cornered before she made a rush for the bedroom door. With his enhanced reflexes, Karn managed to grab hold of her wrist, preventing her from escaping.
She struggled against his grip, trying desperately to get away. "Karn, do not do this! Why would you risk such a foolish thing?"
Karn held his wrist firm, holding her in place even against her struggling. "Because I'm not doing this for me," he said in a serious tone.
Meetra gazed at him with perplexed eyes and her mouth agape, loss of words. Her attempts of releasing herself from his grasp slowly stopped and she stood before him still. "What do you mean?" she whispered.
"May I have the crystal?" Karn asked permission, avoiding the question. She stared at her clenched fist which held the newly formed Force crystal, still hesitant on parting it.
"Meetra, you've got to trust me."
She stood transfixed on the spot, her breathing was shallow and her eyes still shown a sense of worry. But to his surprise, she slowly peeled back her fingers, revealing her crystal. Its amber coated surface glistening with the light of the candle. The black and white energies inside swirled around each other in endless loops.
Relaxing his grip, Karn released her wrist and took the crystal from her hand. Without a word, he walked over to the middle of the room and sat himself down, placing the lightsaber directly in front of him. Meetra stood from her spot only a few short feet away, observing him. He could sense her worry and inquisitiveness as to what he was about to do.
Taking a deep breath, Karn closed his eyes and stretched out his consciousness allowing it to spread across the room, taking in every single little detail. His focus turned onto his lightsaber, and through the Force he made the lightsaber float several feet into the air. There it hung in perfect suspension, nothing holding it up. He focused on the screws and nuts that held the plates of the lightsaber together and began to unscrew them. The nuts and screws flew out of their housing and floating into the space around the weapon. Panels of the lightsaber became loose and floated off as well revealing the crystal energy chamber.
Inside the crystal energy chamber, a bright iridescent yellow crystal sat lodged into the unit. Within the chamber just above the yellow crystal, a second compartment was left bare with two circuits connected to each end. Extending his hand out, the newly formed crystal floated through the air and came to rest above the crystal energy chamber. With great care, Karn lowered the crystal down into the empty compartment, letting the ends to touch the circuits.
The exterior panels floated back into their positions and the nuts and bolts were screwed back into their holes. The Lightsaber was complete and whole once again and drifted to the floor, intact. Opening his eyes, Karn reached out and took a hold of his lightsaber. At the touch, he could tell that his lightsaber felt different; not in terms of weight but by power. Power coursed through the wires, circuits, and chambers.
Turning the blade over in his hand, his thumb came to rest upon the red activator button. The moment of truth was at hand; it was time to determine whether if his plan was going to work or not. Pressing the button, the yellow blade erupted out of the unit as normal. The color and frequency seemed no different than before he had inserted the Force Crystal.
He stood up and approached Meetra, handing the lightsaber out to her. "Test it."
She reached out and took a hold of the lightsaber letting it bounce in her hand, testing the weight. She swung it back and forth, the hum of the blade rising in falling in pitch. No alteration of the blade occurred at that point either. "It appears normal. No damage seems to have occurred within the crystal chamber or blade energy channels."
"Why don't you try focusing on the crystal?" Karn pointed out.
Meetra gave him a nod and entered into a low guard stance, bringing the lightsaber to her waste. She closed her eyes allowing her to concentrate on the crystal without distractions. Karn studied the blade and again there was no change.
"Nothing seems to have happened-"
Karn was caught short in finishing his sentence when the blade suddenly grew brighter. The yellow turned to a deep darker shade of amber. Black sparks of electricity spewed out from around the blade shroud emitter and ran up and down the length of the amber blade. Karn could sense the power of the Force course through the entire length of the blade. It was imbued with both sides of the Force: Light and Dark. The sensation he was feeling caused the hairs to stand up on the back of his neck.
Meetra opened her eyes only to be shocked at the sight of the blade. She held the lightsaber farther away from her, afraid that the black sparks may hurt her. But they never did, they followed the current of energy as it moved up and back down the amber beam of light.
"How do you feel?" Karn asked.
Meetra spared him a quick glance before returning her attention to the lightsaber. "I feel…stronger….Far stronger than I ever have felt before." She quickly swung the lightsaber through the air, the blade producing a higher pitched tone than before. Twirling on the spot, Meetra performed a quick parry and riposte on an invisible enemy. She demonstrated her lightsaber skills with a quick flurry, spinning the blade in her hand before transferring it off to her other hand.
Meetra was delicate and precise with her movements and strikes. She was an expert duelist and tactician. Karn was amazed to see that her movements had not gotten dull over time. He even managed to see her go into a Juyo stance and perform a series of heavy strikes that were done with such speed he barely had time to watch them. The young Grey Knight had a new sense of awe for the Jedi. But what caught his interest the most was the smile that quickly grew across her face. A giant smile, had spread across Meetra's face as she continued to practice with the lightsaber. The sadness and loneliness that he had felt from her earlier had quickly disappeared and was replaced with joy and contentment. In that moment, Karn could finally see Meetra for who she truly was: a Jedi. One and whole. Fixed. Complete.
Meetra raised the lightsaber high above her head before bringing it down upon an enemy, cleaving him in two. She returned to a relaxed position before deactivating the blade. The amber beam and black sparks returned back into the unit and to Karn's delight, no sudden discharges.
"Well?" Karn asked, "How was it?"
The smile on Meetra's face grew even wide in excitement. "It was perfect!" she replied with glee. "The blade felt great and not a single problem. I'm just amazed at what happened to the blade itself. I'm going to have to find out what that crystal is now capable of."
"That's good to hear because…," Karn began to speak but stopped because a small smile crept upon his face. "…It's yours now."
Meetra stared at him confused for a second, unsure of what she had actually heard. "I beg your pardon?"
Karn gestured his hand to the lightsaber, "The lightsaber…It's yours now, Meetra."
Looking down at the lightsaber in her hand, it took her a second to process the words that Karn had spoken. She brought the lightsaber up right to her bosom, enclosing it tightly with both hands. She dipped her head down away from eyesight and her body began to tremble. Small glistening droplets of tears began to fall from the side of Meetra's cheeks.
"Why?" she whispered with great effort.
Karn approached her and with tender hands placed them on the side of her arms, "Because this is my way of showing thanks to you, for everything you have done for me. For being my teacher. For being a close friend. This is all I can give to you to show my appreciation." He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. Her tremors grew worse and he held her tight for support. Her hair was pressed up against his noise and he could smell her aroma fill his senses, making him appreciate the closeness they were. "Please accept my gift."
He held her as she continued to tremble. Her breathing was labored as she struggled past the tears. Pushing her arms out from between them, Meetra wrapped her arms around Karn, pulling her into him as well. "This means more to me than you can possibly know," she said with much emotion in her voice.
"I can only imagine," Karn replied back.
A minute passed as the two just stood there in each other's embrace before Meetra pushed back slightly, her wet amber eyes peering up at his. "No, you don't." She brought her hand up behind his neck and pulled him in close. Utter shock gripped Karn as he and Meetra met at each other's lips.
Karn's senses went into overdrive and shock, unsure how to register. He was held locked in place to Meetra's lips, unable to move. All he could focus on was her lips and how soft they were to the touch. Her hand some came to cup the side of this face, causing him to stay in place. Instinctively, he pulled her in closer and the two remained locked in a passionate embrace, sharing an experience that Karn will never forget.