Bonus Chapter: Lionheart
June 2132/32BBY
"Alexander Titus…" The Dominus says, surrounded by the Six others, each of them sitting upon thrones surrounding Titus, who stands at attention, before them. "Please report on what had happened…" Titus gives a thorough report about what had happened, and revealed that, despite removing his armor, he and his fellows could hardly keep up with the Sith Apprentice, how the Xeno had been much faster and more powerful than any of them had expected, not only that, while their Chainswords had been able to hold against the Dark Side user, his use of the Force had been far greater than anything they had expected.
"And that was just the Apprentice, Dominus, and he manhandled the three of us as if we were nothing but gnats. Had we been in full armor, we wouldn't have been fast enough to match him. Our Armor is just too heavy to be able to keep pace with the Sith!" Titus says, "My lords, I implore you, I know you have been against it for years, especially since Dominus Tuck's day, but if we are to have any chance against the Sith, we must improve upon the Goliath Armors to allow us to keep up with these Force Users."
"This is outrageous!" One of the Council Members says, his heavy french accent being obvious. "We cannot do this, if we do, then we may end up becoming something far more terrible than we are already."
"But Titus's experiences, along with the footage taken from the armors of both Sidonis and Leandros confirms Lieutenant Titus's report." Another, with a German Accent says. "We must at least consider the fact that our Voidwalkers are severely outmatched, if only physically. While it is true that we can cancel out their Force Powers, we're not prepared enough to fully fight dedicated swordsmen as well trained as the Jedi, if not more so." This causes a heated debate, before the Dominus slams his can into the floor beneath his throne.
"Whether any of you agree or not, our path is clear…" The Dominus says, coughing, his old age starting to catch up with him as he looks at everyone. "We must protect our soldiers against the Sith… I have already spoken with the Grand Marshal, and he agrees with me on this." He looks at Titus, "Alexander Titus, your actions and pleas have been heard, so, as of this day, we shall be authorizing the upgrading of the Voidwalker's Goliath Armors… But more importantly, as my last act as the Dominus before the Void claims my soul…" The Dominus smiles at Titus, "Alexander, my grandson, you have proven yourself worthy of crafting your own Power Sword, which Trial do you wish to Undertake, The Judgement of the Crystals, or the Void Forging?"
"Grandfather Demetrius…" Alexander says, smiling at his grandfather, smiling at Liberator of Vagar Praxut, and Hero of the Wrath of Terra, "I wish to face the Judgement of the Crystals! But please, grandfather, hold onto life until I have forged my sword!"
"I shall not die just yet, but my time does grow short, I can feel it." Titus says, "Depart for Jedha Immediately, Grandson. May the Void Protect you, and may the Crystals Judge you fairly!"
"For the Dominion!" Titus says, placing his fist over his heart as he walks out, though at a slightly quickened pace, but the other members of the Council look at Demetrius, whose strong facade breaks, no longer bothering to hide his pain as the Dominus coughs.
"How much longer do you have, Lord Dominus?"
"Three months… I have already decided on my successor, now I just need to see Alexander's Power Sword, and I shall die with no regrets in this life." Demetrius says, smiling despite the amount of pain he is in.
Jedha, 3 Days Later
The Trip to Jedha had not been all that long, if one were being honest, with Warp Travel and the use of Terran Ion Engines, the journey took less than a day. However, there was a reason why Titus had to wait so long, for Titus had to mentally prepare himself for the Judgement itself, and he also wanted to taste some of the local cuisine. The Judgement was not a task to be taken lightly, for the Crystals themselves could be very cruel in their assessments, forcing their future partner to face not only the darkest parts of themselves, or some other part of themselves they refused to face, which have, more often than not, caused candidates to undertake the judgment to run away, screaming, to create Synthcrystals.
However, as Titus sits before the Door to the Caves in Preparation of facing the Judgement of the Crystals, let us first take a closer look at how a Power Sword, and other Power Weapons, are forged, and why it is truly so important for a Crystal to be part of the process of forging them. If one knew of the forging of a Force Imbued-Sword of the Je'daii, one would remember that the user had to craft a metal blade with the aid of the Force, creating a Force Imbued Lattice that strengthened the blade further and sharpened it's cutting edge to a point where it was among the sharpest blades in existence. Once the blade was ready, the Jedi would then take their crystal and utilize the Force to combine both the Lattices of the Blade and Crystal Together, in which the Blade, Crystal, and Jedi would become one on a spiritual level.
The Process for Crafting a Power Weapon was similar, however, there were a few extra steps to it, namely in the creation of the Crystals, which involved one of two processes to obtain a crystal. The First of these Rituals was by far the most physically taxing of the two, in which the user would utilize a Geologic Compressor over the course of 1-4 Days, utilizing their Domain and any other Voidwalker abilities they possessed to infuse the Void into the High Carbon Dust that would make the crystals. The Geo-Compressor must be watched night and day, with the Void being fully channeled into the forming crystals. The Other method was the more mentally and emotionally taxing of the two trials, as it would have them go deep into the Crystal Caves of Jedha, where the prospective Power Weapon wielder would search the caves for their crystal, waiting until they heard the Call. Once heard, they would follow it to their crystal, trusting in it's beckoning as if it were a sibling. However, once they arrived at the location of the stone, they would be forced to face their Innermost Self, the part of them they wish to keep buried. Alternatively, another possibility was to face their deepest and darkest regrets.
In either case, once this trial had been passed, the Crystal would reveal their location, and the Terran would harvest it. In either case, once the Crystals were in the wielder's hands, they would meditate upon the crystal, which would then imprint upon their wielder. For a Synthcrystal, this was easy, and it would take only an hour or so, but for Natural Crystals, this was the difficult part, as finding the Crystal was the easy part, the next part was to transform a Kyber Crystal into that of an Aether Crystal. To do this, the prospective master must imprint further upon the crystal, sinking their mind into the crystal and banishing the presence of the Force from the Kyber slowly but surely. As the Midichlorians in the Crystal's Lattice are affected by the Void, their polarity slowly shifts from the Force-Channeling Positive Alignment to the Force-Absorbing Negative Alignment. Once this is done, the Kyber Crystal becomes an Aether Crystal, a Crystal that absorbs the Living Force that is channeled into it and amplifies the power of those with Terran Blood, increasing the effectiveness and ease of use of their powers.
In either case, after fully bonding with it's wielder, the crystal would then change its hue to become the color that would best represent the user, with Blue being that of a Paladin, Red being that of a Cleric, and Yellow being that of an Inquisitor. Orange Blades indicated the user held an Alignment in the Void that was halfway between a Cleric and an Inquisitor, Purple between that of a Paladin and a Cleric, and Green that of a Paladin and an Inquisitor. The Rarest Color, of which there has only ever been 1 in the History of the Dominion, was Black, which mean the user had an affinity for all three Classes of Voidwalker, and that was the crystal of the Dragon Slayer of General Traves Medina, the Founder of the Holy Order of the Voidwalkers.
Once the crystal has received its color, the real work begins, for after the Crystal is located, the Power Weapon itself must be crafted. It is here that the Crystal itself acts as a guide to the future wielder, as they would subconsciously compromise upon what they would wield, and the user would determine by feeling out what connected with their Living Force as it translated to the Void. Afterward, the weapons would be properly forged by the wielder, with the aid of any master smiths who might be willing to offer assistance. Once the weapon itself was forged, the crystal would be married to the weapon itself, and then, together the Power Weapon would be fully forged, or that's what most would think. The Power Weapons needed to be forged under the specifics of the type of Voidwalker they specialized as, and thus were modified accordingly.
The Most Famous of the Power Weapon class actually share the name with that class, for they are not just empowered by the Void, but also by an ARC Reactor built into the weapon. These weapons were inspired by the Lightsaber found on Zakuul. Thanks to the surviving Zakuul Lightsaber Technology, as well as studying the Lightsaber of the Jedi Kidnapper some years ago, the Terrans have been able to modify the original design. The Zakuul Lightsaber Weapons generally came in the Form of Lightsaber Pikes, Double-Bladed Lightsabers, and even Standard Lightsabers, and thus these designs were used to help in designing the Power Weapons. In any case, the ARC Reactor is placed somewhere close to the Crystal in the Power Weapon's assembly, with wires channeling the energy from the reactor to the crystal, which then focuses and amplifies the energy into the blades or heads themselves as a Disruptor Field. Power Weapons generally have a push-button switch located on the weapon itself to initiate the Disruptor Field.
The Second Type of Power Weapons are known as Reaver Weapons, and these are the Weapons wielded most famously by the DSI and the Inquisitors. The Reaver Weapons actually use an updated version of the Original Designs created by General Traves Medina, where they don't use ARC Reactors, instead they actually focus on utilizing a much simpler and more easily maintained design. By wrapping wires of silver and copper around the interior of the weapon's hilt or haft, which would create a continuous electrical loop that powered the Disruptor Field. However, this couldn't be activated due to the fact the last wire to allow the weapon's activation was restrained by a Rocker Switch. Once this switch was flipped, the energy would then flow, and the Disruptor Field would then be activated. More than that, to supplement their power, the Disruptor Fields of Reaver Weapons were extremely hungry for Living Force, as such they didn't bite as deeply as Power Weapons, but vampirized those they hit and drained them of their Living Force for each moment of contact they made, weakening the victim over time until they were so drained of Living Force that they couldn't defend themselves. These made these weapons perfect for Inquisitors and DSI needing to take in targets alive rather than outright killing them.
Finally there are the Force Weapons, and these were by far the most unique of the Power Weapons, and had by far the most ironic twist of fate to them. Force Weapons were designed to operate entirely without the aid of ARC Reactors or Conductive Metal Wirings. Instead, they would, much like their wielders, would subtly draw in Living Force from their surroundings without harming the Environment, but would also amplify the range in which a Cleric could draw in Living Force from their surroundings, and would, at the same time, increase the range of their "reality warping" Void Powers. Not only that, Force Weapons had a unique property in channeling Void Energy through them to create, for the lack of a better term, sword beams. That's right, Clerics can, when it was first done, perform a Getsuga Tenshou from the Bleach Anime Series.
In any case, Titus opens his eyes as the Guards of the Caves walk over to him, the Spartoi standing as he walks to the doors and looks at them. "I come to be Judged by the Crystals!" Titus says, his nerves becoming like steel as the doors open, revealing the long dark corridor into the caves, where Titus must explore into it's blackened depths. Taking one last steadying breath, he lifts his heavy feet forwards and makes his way into the darkness as the doors slowly close. Once the darkness is around him, light begins to form in the shadows, with the walls becoming lit by glowing crystals. The Path is dark and as he slowly descends into the depths, there is a faint sound in the distance, "The Call…?" Titus asks himself, slowly making his way down a branching tunnel as he makes his way into the darkness, the caves soon revealing a large hash above a flow of lava with a narrow bridge of rock. It appears to be strong enough to hold his weight, while being narrow enough he will have to put one foot in front of the other in perfect alignment with the one behind it.
Slowly approaching the land bridge, Titus takes one step onto the bridge and, the moment he does so, he feels the stone is unnaturally smooth and slick. However, the Paladin, knowing the danger, decides to take it slowly, one step at a time. To help him calm down, and focus, he starts humming to himself a song from an old Christmas special called "Santa Claus is coming to Town": Put One Foot in Front of the Other. He remembers he loved that old special as Christmas was one of the Holidays from before Armageddon that remained in Terra's culture.
However, halfway through it, Titus's foot slips and, to prevent himself from falling over the edge, he has to let the bridge… "dickcheck" him… so that he can wrap his arms and legs around it. Titus's scream of pain could only be described as a an opera singer singing at a higher than D8 Octave. Despite that, Titus recovers but decides it would be easier to shimmy himself towards the other end of the bridge while fighting through the pain. Eventually, once he reached the other side, he would take a moment to let the remainder of the agonizing pain to leave his body.
Once he had recovered, he pulled himself up off the ground, groaning, he began to follow the Call once more, though with a rather obvious limp as his body was still in a slight bit of pain. The Call would continue to lead him down the long tunnel as he would slowly find himself making his way towards his next challenge, which would actually have him standing face to face with what appeared to be spirits of Leandros and Sidonis, both of them standing proudly in their armors. "Sidonis, Leandros…" Titus says, shedding tears. "Brothers… I am so sorry… You died under my command…"
"We accepted the risk, Lieutenant." Sidonis says, "It was my arrogance that got the better of me, I had thought that, after the Paladins had captured the Jedi that one time that the Sith were any easier. It is only now, in the Void, as I await Reincarnation, that I realize the Jedi had been trying to keep the child safe while trying to escape with it. I had let my arrogance and ignorance lead me to believing that the Sith would fight honorably as the Jedi did. So my death was not your fault."
"Lieutenant…" Leandros says, "I accepted that I would likely die from my injuries the moment i utilized the Void to transport myself between you and that blade. You're my brother…" Leandros's spirit walks over to Titus and hugs him, "So do not worry… I may not know it's you, and you may not know it's me, but all six of us will be reunited one day in the next life. So go on, find your crystal, and let it's roar be in our honor!" Leandros says, backing off and standing next to Sidonis, "FOR THE GLORY OF ULTRAMAR!" Titus smiles as he sees what Leandros is doing and smirks as he sheds one final tear with a brave smile.
"Courage and Honor!" Titus proclaims, smiling.
"Company dismissed!" Sidonis says, smiling as the two of them turn around and walk in the direction of the call, fading to nothing. Titus wipes away his tears and follows their direction as he goes to meet his next trial, which, to his surprise, reveals a rather large chamber, which almost looks like a natural Arena, where Titus's Crystal is located on what appears to be a large stalactite of stone. However, as he lays eyes upon it, Titus hears the activation of a double bladed lightsaber, and he turns around to see Darth Savage once more, but that is when Titus realizes what his other regret was… He doesn't remember how he came to be victorious over Darth Savage, having let his anger blind him. However, he is currently without a weapon, but looking at the Sith, he takes a deep breath, and, slowly, forming in his hand, Titus feels his Power Weapon appearing, but… It was not a normal Power Weapon… It was roaring just like a Chainsword, yet the Disruptor Field circled around the teeth as the ARC reactor powered both the weapon and the mechanisms utilizing it. While it was around the same size as a normal chainsword, it had a two-handed grip to provide better control and fluidity. Not only that, the weapon's edges were dual edged, with the tip of the blade acting as both the enclosing of the guiding bar, as well as a razor sharp tip, while teeth rundown both sides. The Teeth of this particular blade were shaped like that of a Shark Teeth, specifically like that of a Great White Shark, Sidonis's favorite fish, while the crossguard was shaped like a roaring lion's head, the animal in which Leandros's name came from.
However, there were references to the other members of his squad, with the quillons bein shaped like that of the wings of an angel to represent Gadriel, a skull as the pommel to represent Chairon, and finally, the construction of the weapon being extremely tight and held together with intense strength reminding Titus of Varellus. The Paladin holds the Chainsword aloft and activates the weapon by holding down on a trigger on the handle, and the weapon starts revving, unleashing a roar akin to that of a lion, with an Ultramarine Blue Disruptor Field flowing across the teeth as they rotate, the energy flowing across not only the teeth but the entire bar and tip in an angry storm of power. Titus looks at Darth Savage and charges forward, only for everything to turn white as Titus finds himself holding his crystal in his hand. The Crystal takes on a beautiful Ultramarine Blue, and the Spartoi Paladin smiles as he walks back towards the Entrance, the Spirits of Leandros and Sidonis appearing one last time as he leaves, smiling before closing their eyes and fully fading into the Void, their last regrets eased. As the two fully fade into the Void, a black entity within the Void appears before Sidonis and Leandros.
"Have you accomplished what you set out to do?" It asks with a voice mixing that of a feminine seductress and a masculine sage.
"We have, your holiness, we are now ready for our rest." Leandros says.
"We thank you for allow us to be a part of Titus's Trial, as unorthodox as it is."
"I do not care for the orderly or the Orthodox as my sibling, the Force, would…" The Entity says, "Balance between Light and Dark is nothing that interests me, for they cannot understand is not a constant state of equilibrium, but a constant push and pull, ever shifting and ever balancing itself. They try to enforce Balance even when they know it is impossible to maintain forever. But enough of that…" It then motions to a pair of crystalline pods that appear within the vast Blackness… "Your rest awaits you, my children…"
"Thank you…" Sidonis says, feeling drowsy as they make their way to the pods and slowly enter. The entity closes the pods up to their heads before giving each a kiss on the forehead before they are fully encased.
"Rest well my children, when you wake, a new life will be awaiting you, a reward for your courage in honor…" The Entity says, slowly allowing the pods to sink back into the blackness. The Entity smiles as it turns away, singing something in a language nobody can understand, but it eases the minds of Leandros and Sidonis as the Nothingness takes over their slumbering spirits and slowly removes their memories as the Entity sits upon a throne as more souls come before it.
Meanwhile, Titus returns to Terra, where he makes his way to the Forges where he makes a request to the Forgemasters on how to create such a weapon, which the group collaborates on the idea, with them having Tigus work on the Bar and Teeth of the Weapon as they help craft the essential pieces to construct the weapon. Titus himself spends several days utilizing the Void to create the teeth and the bar, but after a few days of careful work, he finishes. However, the question now was how to have the crystal's force imbued lattice introduce itself to the Teeth, and that is when, during a Meditation upon the Crystal, he gets his answer as it transforms into an Aether Crystal, by fully constructing the weapon and allowing the ARC Reactor to be situating two weaker ARC Reactors and layering them over the top of the Place along the Bar where the Crystal would be fused to the Mechanisms. This would allow the Crystal to coat each tooth in the disruptor field as it would pass along the bar and, with the speed at which the teeth would flow, the field would only weaken just as it is coming back into the field and thus be recharged. It would also have a push-button switch to activate the Disruptor Field if needed either to sharpen the teeth or to fully activate the energy field.
It wouldn't take long to assemble the weapon, and, as it is finished, Titus would bring the weapon before the Dominus, who would see it be demonstrated for the first time. "Alexander… I am so proud of you… Now… I no longer… Have… Any…" The Dominus says, smiling as his voice steadily becomes quieter. "Regrets…"
"Grandfather…?" Titus asks, in which the council looks at the Dominus, whose eyes have closed, a joyful smile on the Hero's face. Titus walks towards his grandfather, and sheds tears, but smiles at him. "May we see each other again someday… Grandfather…" He kisses his grandfather's cheek before starting to cry, not caring who is watching him.
A Grandfuneral would be held for the Hero, in which many would come from across the Dominion, as most owe their freedom either directly or indirectly to Dominus Demetrius Titus, who is carried to his final resting place beneath his statue in the center of New York City, situated next to Dominus Tuck, and General Traves Medina, before the steps of what was known as the United Nations. Dimitrius Titus is mourned by everyone he had freed from slavery, and those who had been inspired by him. Those gathered watch as Dimitrius Titus is slowly lowered into his final resting place, and everyone as Rael'Zorah of the Quarians begins to sing a song in the language of Latin in honor, and everyone sings with him. Falling from the skies themselves are what appear to be meteors, almost as if the heavens themselves are shedding tears for the passing of Titus as they sing.
REX! REX TREMENDAE MAJESTATIS,
(King! King of Tremendous and Terrible Majesty)
QUI SALVANDOS SALVAS GRATIS!
(Who freely saves the Worthy and Redeemed)
SALVA ME, FONS PIETATIS!
(Save me, Source of Mercy and Kindness)
Titus then raises his Bolter, loaded with Sound Caps rounds, and begins firing heaven word, the bolter's screams echoing out all of his feelings better than he could, with many of the Terran Dominion, both Terran Proper, Hybrids, and Near-Humans, raise their own sound cap filled bolters and fire into the air, sending off Dimitrius with a salute that would signify how much they loved and will miss him.