All Things Ending

[Ashin Varanin]

Metellos

The little facility was tucked away in the middle of nowhere, deep in the foundations of the ecumenopolis. Metellos, like other worlds, had been called 'the Coruscant that failed.' Thousands of cubic miles of skyscrapers covered the bulk of the planet, and slums dominated wherever steel did not. Ashin had a long familiarity with slums, and her home here was a shack tucked up against a mile-high building.

Nobody disturbed her, for some reason.

Behind the shack, she had carved her way into forgotten foundations, taking care not to jeopardize anything load-bearing. The space required by an adult taozin and its brood was significant. Fortunately, she didn't need to pay much in the way of shipping costs. Taozin were house-sized, quiescent vermin, and their corpses rotted in mile-deep alleyways when death broke their stranglehold on the rarified heights. To pay an informal fee and have one delivered live by the exterminator -- simplicity itself.

But the problem, of course, was the ethics of it all. Though she had learned from both biological and material alchemists, Ashin maintained her qualms about experimenting on living beings.

The case of the Taozin was especially complex. Standing in a dark chamber underneath a million tons of ancient permacrete, looking up at a grub the size of a battle walker, Ashin was forced to admit that she was stymied. Power had a cost, after all, but some prices were too dear to pay.

She reached out and grabbed one of the many nodules of carapace, and moved to slice it away with her lightsabre. The translucent material diffused the blade, and it took her a long time to slice a nodule free. The nodule itself, like the gigantic, silent beast it came from, resisted her attempts to probe it with the Force. She had heard, from those who knew their business, that wearing a nodule like this as an amulet would make her far more difficult to detect, much as it diffused a lightsabre blade. The odd parallel bothered her; it made little sense.

As she harvested more nodules, the Taozin writhed gently against its simple restraints. She eased the creature's pain as best she could, then retreated to the basement room where she kept her alchemy furnace. Loneliness had little place here; this was a time for forgetting. Nothing helped her forget quite like the demands of labour.

And there was so much to forget.

 

[Garza]

[SIZE=medium]Darren was not going to disrespect the woman he was going to meet. He was going to be on time for their meeting. He was nervous because She was a Dark Jedi Master. One who, like he, traveled the path in between light and dark. Darren was wearing his normal attire including his ripped up cloak from the battle that he had with the Mando known as Verz. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]He had the hood down and helmet off. It was a sign of disrespect to not show one’s face to somebody who has a higher rank than you. Darren had his three lightsabers and Sith sword. He took all of it with him because you never know what you may need. He was told to meet her on Metellos. The signature on the message was in the middle of nowhere. “hopefully I won’t have to fight her” he thought to himself. There was nothing like fighting a Master. He would know since he had fought Emperor Moridin. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]He remembered the fight how he was only an apprentice. Now he was a knight who had done amazing feats of strength by fighting Daxton Bane, Verz, and Darren Onyx. Darren brough his ship down from orbit to the secluded area. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]The house he found was simple. Windows into the living room, A porch on the outside, even a little wind chime hanging off of one of pillars that held the roof above the porch. He smiled knowing that this was not a natural home. He got out of his ship and grabbed his helmet. Darren walked up to the door and opened it. He reached out with the force to show that he was here and not to alarm the master if he were to barge in. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Darren used the force to sense the Jedi. She was below him in some cellar. Smiling wider he walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door to reveal a door. Darren opend the second door to stairs and walked down to where she was. He saw her leaning over some being with her lightsaber cutting into whatever it was. He stated that he was here. “You called for me Master Ashin.” [/SIZE]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin looked up from her workbench, where bits of Taozin flesh writhed amongst pieces of strange metal.

"Hello there, Darren," she said, gesturing at the wall pegs where her own gunbelt and lightsabre hung. "Take a load off and come help me with this. I'm attempting to keep Taozin flesh alive even while pulverizing it, and apply that to a piece of metal, for weapons or armor. See, if you carry a piece of Taozin with you, it'll make you more difficult to find in the Force, but I think even a watered-down version would be useful. Specifically, i think I can use Taozin flesh to leave my Force presence the same in terms of size, but impossible to recognize. Any thoughts?"

She gestured at the alchemical furnace. "Also, feel free to start making another Sith sword or whatever you prefer, so long as it's not too ambitious. I need your focus."

 

[Garza]

Darren looked at her and shook his head. "For right now Im fine on sith swords." Darren walked over to the other side of the table and thought about the flesh that would be applied to armor or weapons. "Yes its a great idea. However I wouldnt personly put it on weapons. If you were to lose them it would lessen the effect the farther you went away. So I think armor would be best to place the flesh in." Darren lifted a pice of flesh that had been cut off of the Taozin. Looking at it he said "Yes I think a watered down version would suffice, but you may need more to acheve the same effect of a non-wetered donw piece. Yes I believe that you could leave the Force presence. It may take more than one pice of flesh though."

Darren placed his helmet on the table behind him so he wouldnt get Taozin guts on it. He then asked "What can I do to help?"

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"That's a good point about weapons. Now, self-propelled weapons, like droids..." She shrugged. "I concur with you assessment. We should focus on armor. Now, what I'd like to do is be able to strengthen these alchemical enchantments to the point that something as small as an amulet or a gauntlet would be enough, but right now I think that it'll take a whole suit of armor to have the right effect.

"Start warming up the furnace, if you'd be so kind, and start crafting one of the greaves -- the plans are on the console beside the furnace. I can put the finishing touches on the metal, and then we can try applying a batch of the Force-null lacquer, to see if the things I've already tried might work. Have you made alchemical armor before?"

 

[Garza]

Darren was intreged by making Achemical Armor. He wondered if he could make one himself, but right now it needed to be tested. Daren went over to the furnace saying "No I have not made armor, but I did make the Sith sword I carry." Once he started the furnace he went over to the designs for the Greaves. They were simple in design but with the finisheing touches that would be made to it? That would be difficult. Well for him anyways. Darren then asked "What materals will be needed for the greaves? Id rather not screw this up, because I chose the wrong metals."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"Well, some favor beskar, Mandalorian iron, but I've never been good with it. In any case, a full suit of plate, with enough surface area to hold the amount of lacquer we need, will probably weigh at least two or three times as much as standard Mandalorian armor. I'm thinking about songsteel. Not quite as durable, but the alchemy should compensate for that, and it's much easier to shape in the alchemical furnace. You'll find as many ingots as you need, and all the hammers and such. If you can make a blade, you can probably make this.

"Alternatively, you could use phrik. I have some of that, too, but not quite as much, and it's harder to rework if you make a mistake. So I suppose the question is this: How ambitious are you, exactly?"

 

[Garza]

Darren thought about the materals that would be useful. If he was making segmented armor like his then he could use a combination of them. But a full body armor he would rather go with the Songsteel. it was light and durrable for just about any situation. Even though phrik was more or less so an expensive verson of Songsteel. Phrik could also nullify eletricty. Which was a plus.

He would make sure that He didnt make a mistake. "Ill go with the Phrik. I think it would be a stronger armor yet still light as Songsteel." Darren wanted to make the strongest armor that he could. If it be for him or for Ashin. With the Flesh it would also be even more durrable and it would lessen the effects of force powers.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin nodded slowly. "All right. I approve of confidence, and I think you can back it up." She tossed him a key. "I keep the phrik ingots, catalysts and such in the third locker from the left. The furnace should be warmed up by now. Remember, go for a good balance of telekinetic Force manipulation and actual use of a hammer. You're both a sorcerer and a blacksmith today. Feel free to use the anvil in here -- I'm going to continue working on the Taozin flesh."

The question, of course, was how small a piece of Taozin flesh could survive as long as a full nodule. Ideally, Dark Repair and the Sith magics of life-binding could keep individual cells alive. A nodule could last for months, even years.

One good intermediate step, and something she had tried before, was extending the life of a nodule beyond all reason. Her masters had tried similar things, to her satisfaction. The same techniques might apply to even smaller divisions.

She got to work.

 

[Garza]

Darren grabbed the key out of the air. He smiled as he walked over to the locker. Before he oepened it he took off his armor so it wouldnt get in his way. He was wearing a casual T-shirt and slaks. He kept his boots one because that was the only pair he had. Darren then opened the locker and grabbed a few ingots that would be needed for the greaves.

He took them over to the furnace and placed them next to eachother. He would let them get hot enough so they would be malliable. it was about a half an hour later that he would shape them together using hammer and anvil. He would use the force to keep it together and to make the metal stronger. Darren hummed a tune that his mother would sing to him when he was a child. he had forgoten the words from so long ago, but he remembers the tone. It was a simple soft tune that would graduly get louder and faster. he knew that the lyrics told of a hero that would save human race from the sith. Fighting them untill his very last breath. It would them slow down to tell of the time hwere he defeat the sith and would returen home to his family.

Darren remembered how his mother would sing this simple yet amazing tune when he was feeling scared. Darren focused on the work at hand. He was forming the simple sheet of Phrik together so he could tell how much he really had. Taking his time to make sure he didnt make mistakes. He had seprated the sheat in to pieces so he could mold them to the right shape. Using the anvil point he would make the toe shape and the roundness of the lower leg. He would occasionaly place the metal back into the furmace because the metal would change from a bright red almost shite color to a dull orange.

Darren kept at his work making the heel of the boot. He would hae to form the sole of the boot with the toe and heel. It was meanial, but well worth it.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

It was a strange combination of Sith magics, by anyone's reckoning. Tsaiwinokka Hoyakkut was similar, in some ways, and mechu-deru vitae provided a few of the principles, but really it was closest to whatever sorcery had kept that one decapitated Dark Lord alive in the days of Naga Sadow.

Sith Magic was a strange thing, and not something Ashin enjoyed. But her teachers had drilled it into her, and now reality itself began to warp around the pulverized Taozin flesh that entered a bubbling vat of lacquer. The sorcery kept the bits alive, even though normally only a full nodule could survive on its own. Or was that set in stone? Her masters had been skilled and powerful, but they had never really delved into the scientific method.

Whoah there, Ashin...can't go applying science to things while you're twisting the laws of reality.

"Here, Darren, take a break if you can. Put this on, and let's see if it works."

She dragged an old, battered breastplate out of a closet and slathered on the enchanted lacquer.

 

[Garza]

Darren stopped what he was doing and placed the glowing metal on the anvil. Turning around he saw Her handing him a breast plate. Darren smiled as he put it on over his shirt. "So am I your test dummy too?" Darren looked at the straps to make sure they were on tight. He shook his hands from the break that he was taking. Although he doubted it was going to be much of a break.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin snorted and stepped back, closing her eyes.

"Perfect...I can sense the strength of your presence, but I can't sense your identity. That is...pretty much exactly was I was going for. Show me what you've made so far."

She examined his work dispassionately, nodding in approval from time to time.

"Excellent. I think we can work with this. The first suit will be yours, in recognition of your efforts. Once I've finished tweaking the lacquer, I'll come help you with whatever you prefer. Feel free to change the design as you like."

 

[Garza]

Darren smiled as he showed her the progress he had made. He was also glad that the armor did what they wanted. So far everything was going well. Darren didnt want the chest plate on him any more and took it off. He placed it on the table next to his helm. "Good its working properly" WHen she mention that she had to tweek it some more and then when she was done Ashin would help him with what ever he needed on the armor. What mede hism happy was that He would also get armor that was like this.

He imagined himself in the armor. And how it would look. and made his specfications to the armor. It would be his most hardest job to make something. Hopefuly he would beable to not screw it up.

Darren made the minor adjustments to fit his body. He would make it the most strongest armor that he ever owned. He would put all of his heart and sould into the armor. Usint the force he expanded himself into he armor. feeling the indvidual atoms that made up the metal which he held in his hands. He began to hum the song again Taking in account of the words he eventualy sang

"I live to telll the tale​

of a Hero once of old​

To save us from the Sith to be told​

May you find your way ​

Through the time of day ​

For when its night​

May we see all of your might! ​

You feel the power ​

Coursing though your veins this hour!​

Fight the Sith for Truth and right ​

For you walk the in the Path of Light!​

​

He would continue to sing this song verse by verse. He rememberd his mother. The pain that she was going though. He would fight for her. Many may ask why he was fighting or what fueled him the most. Usualy he would say that he fought for freedom. just plain freedom. What he really was fighting for wa the freedom of his mother. When he finished the song to realise that he had made the greaves. Darren looked at the accomplishment in amazement. he smiled at how he was going to get the armor made. Then he was going to get his mother back. He still had the datapad that had where his mother was being held on Korraban. His home planet.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"Interesting design," said Ashin after Darren had been at work for several hours. She leaned against the furnace, staring into the light. "You'll have good mobility leaning backward, which basically just translates to good mobility in general. I'd imagine it'll be harder to really effectively hunker forward, but then again I don't know your combat style."

She indicated the other side of the furnace. "I've been working over there, too. Between your work and mine, the whole lower half of your armor should be just about done. Now let's see..."

She went over to a cabinet and removed a cloth bag. "These are the fragments of a crystal I used to cut my last Apprentice off from the Force after she became a very dangerous Master. If you work bits of crystal into certain key points of the armor, you'll sacrifice a little structural integrity in exchange for a more powerful Force-scrambling effect. Your best friend wouldn't recognize your presence. Your choice."

 

[Garza]

Darren was intrested in how much work was done. he always flipped backwards when fighting. and if he had to beng foward he do so with his hips and knees. it helped his back from breaking out on him. so far it was good, no great. He saw Ashin come over with some broken crystals on a rag. he gingerly picked up one of the crystals in his hand. Examining it. "Yes that would be good. but where would we place them? Arms and legs can be hit alot through out a battle, and a breatplate it the center of your body mass. The largest target you have."

Darren wante to make sure that if it was his armor that he would be protected by it the best he possably could. He place the crystal back on the rag.

 

[Disciple]

Disciple wasn't entirely sure why he was on this Force-forsaken rock, nor even what he was doing walking towards this building... actually that was a lie. He knew exactly what he was doing. One didn't simply hide from the likes of Disciple, after all. Letting go a sigh, the man's body simply fades down into street.

A moment later, Disciple is sitting on the cabinet in front of Ashin, head cocked to one side quizzically. "Hey. Hey buddy...", he whispers, leaning in good and close so that his ephemerally bright eyes can get a good look at her.

"...I hope you aren't trying to frak up my plans."

Sitting back up, he begins to cackle, hand going to his stomach as the sound escalates into a series of psychotically happy notes. Immediately, his face falls flat and he returns to being composed.

"Cause I don't like people frakking up my plans."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin gave a slow blink as her instruction of Darren was interrupted by a fascinating individual. One of her tutors had been a two-hundred-year-old Whiphid, and his best friend had been a twenty-six-thousand-year-old Croke illusionist.

She had her sources. She knew, to a limited extent, who and what this being was.

"Darren Shaw, meet Disciple, perhaps the greatest living master of biological alchemy. Disciple...you could have knocked." She folded her arms and affected a self-mocking grin. "Tell me your plans, and I'll tell you which of them involve me as an obstacle."

 

[Garza]

Darren was suprised by the fact the the clown looking man had just appeared in the cellar. Darren knew instanly that this "Clown" didnt make jokes. He was a Sith and Darren didnt really like sith. With holding himself he nodded at Disciple. He wasnt going to say a singe word to him. He wasnt going to show respect ether, that was for sure.

Darren still had the hammer in his right hand. He was oh so tempted to throw it at the Sith. But he could feel the power radiating from him. If he did fight him then it would be the bigest mistake of his life. And how was he exaclty the greatest in Sith alchemy? He wanted to find that out. If he could then Darren could make the strongest of weapons and armor.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

When Disciple was uncharacteristically silent, Ashin's mouth compressed into a thin line. "Back to work it is, Darren. His Grace here will interject when necessary."

She got back to work, hammering furiously.

"He's a master of biological alchemy," she explained between rings of the hammer, as she started to form Darren's breastplate. "Twisting life-forms into new forms. It's somewhat separate from materials alchemy, like this. Now, if you wanted to take a rat and turn it into a mount, he would be the one to ask. I'm told that he's made every kind of monster and zombie in history."