Creating Paths--Pt 1

[Akio Diachi]

Mygeeto.

For once the Chiss had chosen his location, instead of being directed. And his choice was not hap-hazard, nor was it random. There were rumors of Crystals that grew beneath the surface. They were able to be changed and grafted each into their own right to be used for weaponry or even jewelry--through the use of Force Imbuedment the Chiss hoped to refine his knowledge of the craft and grow more skilled in it.

He walked quietly from one of the transports he had stowed away on. That was his way after all, he would hitch rides and follow them wherever the Force would take him. For now the transportation idea still served its purpose, though this time he was more discriminatory in which vessel he stowed away upon. Very rarely was he ever found, and when he was, the Chiss explained what was happening and why. Then he would work to earn his keep. Thankfully that was not the case this time.

 

[Akio Diachi]

As the Chiss walked down the streets, he could feel the growing sensation in the back of his mind, something was not right. He could almost feel or hear the sound of someone calling his name. But he did not know anyone here. Perhaps my choice was not truly my own. Perhaps the Force would rather illustrate a greater point here. And have me work to a greater measure.

He stood in the middle of the frigid street, waiting and shaking for several moments before turning off the street and following the voice. It was quiet, almost a whisper or a distant shout. As he followed it got louder and louder. The landscape around the Chiss grew steadily worse, into the seedier parts of the city. But he did not notice. The Chiss was more intent on following his name.

When he turned the corner Akio could see a man and a young boy fighting in the streets. Around them were three bigger, burlier men dressed in peice meal armor, wielding stun clubs. One gave the man a hit upside the head, knocking him down and unconscious. A fourth returned from the house carrying a chest and chuckling, 'I got it boys.'

 

[Akio Diachi]

The others shoved the boy into the sloshy, cold mud with a laugh and began walking to end of the road towards Akio. Their faces scowled at him, each towered over him an easy foot, and weighed at least thirty pounds more.

"You get out of the way, blue boy," their leader barked.

Akio stood motionless and wordless, his vow of silence still held.

"Did you not hear him? he said move," another one growled as they kept along the trajectory course.

"I got him," the third growled as he surged towards Akio.

His club came down in a heavy, wide swing, Akio easily side stepped, watching as the man stumbled forward, almost landing in the snow. He growled, making an equally wild blow towards the Chiss' face that was easily dodged. His third blow Akio stopped cold, his fingers poised in the spear-fist, slamming against a pressure point that made his arm go numb. As the man howled in agony, two others came at Akio from behind. Their initial volley of blows he easily dodged then blocked, retaliating with a simple but hard knock on their foreheads that sent them stumbling back. The first goon came at Akio from behind, to be quickly and easily stopped with a back snap-kick to the abdomen. As the pair made their second attack, the Chiss swung his leg in a high snap-kick that smarted against the first's glass jaw, knocking him out. The second's club was stopped in a cross-block, only to be knocked out as well with a palm-strike to the forehead. The man behind Akio grabbed him in a bear-hug--the meek Chiss easily broke free by driving his elbow deep into the foe's diaphragm. As he was released, he brought the heel of his foot up in a painful jaw-popping kick. He too was out cold. The leader dropped the goods he was holding and fled in terror.

 

[Akio Diachi]

"Hey, Mister, hey mister, that was amazing," the youth said as he hurried toward Akio with wide eyes, 'you sure showed them.'

The Chiss gave a friendly smile, It is not might that makes right, but integrity.

The man, presumably his father had awoken during the conflict and was coming behind him, "That was some fancy foot work you did there. These men are Dolurra's goons. He is the strongest mobster in town. The factory pays us lower hands in small amounts of Nova Crystals. Its not much but its as good as credits around here in some parts."

Akio looked at the box. The man chuckled, 'Yeah its our life savings, its not much but its all we have. Dolurra demands tribute. He found out we were skimping and sent his boys to collect. He's been doing it for ages now. Sad part is there isn't much that we can do to stop him. Not much anyone can do. He's been taking and hurting everyone as he sees fit. Calls this part of town his 'playpen.' You don't even want to know what his boys do after hours.'

Akio gave a half bow and a polite nod. They had been immensely helpful, he knew now why he was here. His feet quickly sprang off down the streets. He had a goon to catch.

 

[Akio Diachi]

The snow-laden street went down a winding road of shanties and half-disheveled buildings. There were many drunks on the streets and even more refuse. The Chiss could not think about that now, he had to catch up with that fleeing assailant.

At the end of the ally he watched as the man disappeared into a back door building. Two others that were not unlike him stood on either side of the door, clearly guards. The Chiss noticed a simularirty that he had not before. Each man wore a red bandana across his arm. A gang sign no doubt. Akio weighed his options, he could try the direct approach, though he had no idea how many were in there, he was counting in the twenties or thirties. He looked upward, most of the windows for this building were boarded over, but there was one that had an opening just small enough that he might be able to squeeze through.

He gave a nod and set his pack aside, burrying it under the snow. It would only slow him down. The former assassin easily scaled the side of one of the nearby buildings. Before he had to climb along slick rocksides against the flow of water, this was nothing in comparison. As he reached a balcony that ran along the edge the Chiss was careful to remain low and hidden. He crept along to the end closest to his target. It was time to do this.

 

[Akio Diachi]

Using the Force he leapt the ten feet to the side of the building with ease. His body slid through the hole, just barely able to fit through. As he landed, the Chiss rolled, dispersing the momentum and making it a lot quieter. But there were already two people in this room goons who were caught unaware. Akio grabbed a pair of near by boxes, hurrling one at each of their heads. Both hit with a loud smack, rending them unconscious.

Akio dusted himself off and began creaping through the building. He first went down the hall, lurking in the shaddows. There were a number of rooms along the way with people doing drugs, drinking, gambling, and watching slave dancers. He did not have time to stop this, as much as he wished he could. Instead he reached the end of the hall and went up a winding flight of stairs, all the way careful to remain quiet and stealthy. By the time he reached the top of the stairs a thick layer of dirt had coated his bare feet from the grimy floor. The door at the top was closed, but through it he could hear voices, one in particular that sounded familiar.

 

[Akio Diachi]

"--And he was fast, and slick and powerful, we didn't even know what hit us!" the man who had been the leader said. He sounded terrified.
"He must have been some kind of Jedi master, we didn't even get a hand on him!"

The Chiss heard a grumbled, warbling reply.

"Well, no we didn't see a lightsaber, but he was dressed really weird, and they dress weird, so that means he had to be one!"

There was another gutteral, bassy reply.

"Well, he took down Tomson with one blow, and Varrick didn't even stand a chance. Then he took the goods from me and I barely got away."

Another reply.

"Well, I don't know, maybe we should hit him with all we got! Juice the folks, find out who called for him and make em pay. Then we run him out! We will show them what happens when they rat out on us."

Akio swung the door open and marched in. There were an easy ten people in here, most of them guard like people with clubs and heavy sticks made from metal. Their eyes looked at him wide with surpirse, but at the end of the wide room was an unmistakable form--a Hutt, seated on a matt, surrounded by boxes and boxes of overflowing nova crystals.

'That's him boss, that's him!" shouted the leader, pointing wildly, 'He is a Jedi, he snuck in here--'

The hutt waved the man away, giving one order; <<Kill him.>>

 

[Akio Diachi]

The guards hurled themselves at Akio in an angry mass. They easily had the numbers, but what they did not have, was the skill, and that much was very clear. The first made a wild swing at the Chiss's face, which was wide and to the right. Akio grabbed his wrist and tossed the man behind him down the stairs. The next came in pairs, one going for Akio's knees, the other for his chest. The Chiss blocked both, catching the lower one on the meat of his thigh and the other across his fore arm. He retaliated with a blow to the chest, knocking one back and throwing the other head first into the wall, knocking him out.

But the enemy refused to stop. The next brought a nail-lined club down towards Akio's head, the monk halted it with a X-cross block, catching the man by his wrists. As he stopped it, another goon bought his steel pipe in a heavy blow that hit Akio's side. The Chiss absorbed it with a wince, knocking the man's jaw closed with a snap kick. He brought his hands forward in a two-handed punch, one to the face, the other to the chest. He spun out of the line of three more's consecutive swings, instead his elbow came to a painful blow under the closest one's eye. As the man melted from the hit, Akio grabbed his weapon from him, bringing it upward into another guard's face.

The remaining three circled around Akio, they had him surrounded now, and were waiting for the right moment to spring.

 

[Akio Diachi]

Akio crouched low, panting. It had to easily be the hardest fight of his life--to take on ten at once and not kill them. Before it would have been a blood bath, and over much faster. But he was not that man anymore, he was a good man who did not kill unless needed. Not an assassin. As they circled, the three men gave taunts, making obscene gestures, trying to distract him. But It would not work and even more, under it Akio could feel the flowing tide they are scared.

Suddenly he sprung into action. The pole in his hand shot at one's face, catching him on the forehead and sending him staggering back. Akio leaped to the left, extending his arm in a hammer fist that crumbled the man like a stack of papers. Before the third could process what he was seeing, Akio bound back to him, delivering a palm-strike to the stomach, then an upper-cut to the jaw.

Rising to his full height, the Chiss turned his attention to the Hutt. He walked towards the massive slug, cold and unabasshed.

<<I am sure we can work out an arrangement>> the Hutt began, trying to be reasonable.

The Chiss did not stop, he grabbed the spiked wooden club from the ground with the Force, testing its balance in a quick swing. It would do.

<<Come now, there is no need for us to get violent, you can have some of the money here. You proved you are more than worth it.>>

Akio halted, thinking it over. He could take all the money, give it to the people but--then what? The Hutt would start a second ring, exhort them again, and harm them all once more. Only this time it would be wore. He would harm more people, in greater degrees--and build a bigger empire.

<<I could offer you a job. I can pay you well, and you can have your choice of slave women, too.>>

Akio shook his head as he closed the distance between him and the Hutt. Sometimes you have to kill. But only sometimes. And in rare times, you have to make an example of them, so that no one else will do the same thing.

 

[Akio Diachi]

It took a few days to distribute all the nova crystals where they were needed. But the harmony it brought was good, and worth the time. The goons left, going on to find better pastures while most went to get normal jobs in the factories. Widows and orphans were given what to them were massive amounts of treasure. The word quickly spread, Dolurra was dead, the neigborhood was free. The change was radical. Children were unafraid to play in the streets once more. Women and men were laughing, socializing, and unafraid of each other. Akio was glad to have affected these people so positively.

"We owe you our freedom, we owe you so much," the father, named Larquin said. "Thank you."

Akio offered a kindly smile.

"I know you don't talk much stranger, but we all want you to have this," Larquin said offering a small box.

Akio didn't even have to look inside to know what was within. He shook his head vigorously.

"No, take it," Larquin insisted, "you helped up. We all want this."

Akio took it and stored it in his back satchel with a grateful smile. He stayed for two more days before leaving before the crack of dawn. He had work to do, and wanted to be sure to get to it quickly.

 

[Akio Diachi]

Akio slipped into a crag in the mountain. It had taken some time to get to Tython. First he had to catch a line from Mygeeto to Tattoowine. Then from there, he had to fly to Bespin. From Bespin to Alderaan, Alderaan to Corousant, Corousant to Correllia, Correllia to Tython. But it had been worth it. Here he could feel the right levels of Force energy, the right mixture of both good and evil, neutrality in the best sense. It was a vast storehouse with the right charge. And for what he was about to do, the Chiss knew he would need all the support he could get.

He removed a small pouch from his belt, and unforrowed it. Here there were all manner of tools for this trade, delicate hammers, small tongs, delicate wire, and even a flat surface to mold. He was going to forage rings. Not just any rings, he knew, but Force-imbued rings. It was not his first time working with metal; the cortosis armor stored on his back and cortosis katana with it he had made together by hand. Before that, the academy had taught them the art of metalsmithing to make and keep their weapons and armor in good shape. One would always need to be self-reliant on the battle field, they had said. That all felt like a lifetime ago. So long ago.

Akio closed his eyes, letting the thoughts go from him like a cloud. He needed to focus, to center, to bring things to the now. Every fiber of his being would be tested in this, he knew, and he would need to be on the top of his game. With that final thought of self, the Chiss slipped from his sense of self into a trance, flowing ever deeper into his subconsious.

 

[Akio Diachi]

Into self, deeper. Deeper. The darkness of himself and his consciousness fell away, and into that his primal urges. From there he went deeper, under his instincts into his cells, feeling each of them like a soul in themselves. Each cell, the trillions they were, making up his one body. Likewise, the trillions of star systems making up one galaxy. The essence called Akio took heart in this knowledge. He merged and molded deep into the essence of Tython. No, not commanding it, not willing it, but releasing himself into it. Fully. Deeply. Intimately. Surrender. He let his mind be worked over by the planet, as if it too had its own lifeforce. For in a way, it did. Were they not both an extension of the Force's creativity?

As Tython looked Akio over as the aged and kindly mother it was, the Chiss made a request of it.

What do you wish of me, Child? Tython asked.

I request of you to lend me your strength, Akio asked humbly.

What for, youngling?

That I may work a piece of art. Creativity, to know more of the Force, to see what I may do.

You ask me to help you test your limits? To express yourself?

Akio felt a wave of humility and tentativeness, Are we all not but expressions ourselves?

There was a pause, You are right, in a way. I will assist you.

Akio opened his eyes. A layer of dust had settled on him, he had been here for some time, three days at least by the looks of things. But he felt a wave of power, strength that he knew was not his own. The blessing of Tython. He reached for the bits of firewood and began to get to work in starting the fire he would need.

 

[Akio Diachi]

The flames quickly burned in what the Chiss knew was an unnaturally strong heat for the size of the tinder. Tython was indeed with him, he thought. The Chiss let the bronzium ingots he had begin to melt. As he did so, Akio began to slip into the half-wakeful, half-sleeping state of a trance. But this one was powerful, very powerful. He reached inward drawing strength of his own and of Tython. It was like a raging flood as he drew it up from his body, through into his chest. A raging flood, one that so desperately needed an outlet.

Not yet, he thought.

The Chiss focused in on the melting bronzium. He could see the heat, feel it wafting off it through the Force, and hear the simmer. Of it. His mind stretched out to it, forming a delicate bridge with the bubbling metal. He had a strange feeling--joy. As if the metal were happy, laughing, dancing almost. Let us play, let us frolic it seemed to say, Let us be as we are and as we will.

Akio smiled slightly as he reached into his chest once more. The energy was still there, powerful, hungry and willing to do as it was needed. But it needed a purpose. A plan, something to give it form as water needs a form to give it purpose. What would it need, he wondered. Then he stretched out and asked the metal itself, what would you like?

Let us be strong, let us be protection, let us be protecting.

Akio let the thought reverberate in his body, mind, and soul. Deep into his essence where the power flowed from. Protection. Protect. Protection. Protect. At last he opened the flood gates, the shimmering energy shot from his body in dazzling arcs into the bronzium. The sparks filled the metal like water to the cup, giving them both a purpose. The energy and the ring quickly became one, and their need, their existence was solely intent to protect.

 

[Akio Diachi]

The broznium bands set in their small molds. Akio left them there, the energy in them was still strong and hissing, hotter than the fire itself that ha foraged it. Now the Chiss had to turn his attention to other matters, the nova crystals. Sweat was pouring off his person as the Chiss grabbed the box that held his gift. The perspiration was not from the fire alone, but moreso from the taxation. It had not been easy to direct the tide, he could feel himself tapped greatly of all the energy he had left in himself.

So let me help you, Tython seemed to whisper.

Akio smiled softly, with the box still on his lap. He closed his eyes and slipped into the loving folding arms of the planet, letting the Force wash over him and fill him up. Hours he sat there, basking in the glow of the all-powerful energy, unwanting of it to end. In many ways it was better than sleep itself. The rejuvenating nature of the energy flooded his cells, recharging his stores before he returned to his work. He was almost finished, he knew and in time he would be glad that he had completed his mission.

Indeed, it is harder than I thought it would be.

It is not, you knew of the challenge before you arrived to it.

The Chiss nodded.

But that does not mean that you are not up to it.

 

[Akio Diachi]

Akio opened the box and peered at the crystals inside. From them he foraged the most willing, letting the Force guide him. Each of these had a destiny, he knew, and only a few of them were destined to be in these rings. He would not forgo that and go against it, within the blessing of the Force this would not only go faster but easier. And in turn, it would do as it was intended to do. Otherwise, all of this would be in vain.

He gripped the crystals in the palm of his hand losely, the other set the box aside before covering the jewels. They would each have their own purpose as well, just like bands. That was the intent after all. What were they to be? He thought as he once more drew the energy up from deep within himself and deep within Tython. What would the nature of these crystals be with the ring, and with themselves?

The Force itself seemed to resound with an answer, Let me decide, let the energy flow. Hold nothing back this time.

Akio could feel the power surge through his body, cackling into the crystals within his palms. It was a surge, thick and strong without measure or containment. Wave after wave Akio expended, unleashing all he had into these gems. Pain began to set in, as time went on. His muscles spasmed and clenched. His shut eyes grit in pain, as did his teeth, but he refused to give in. The Chiss had to complete what he intended. He had to do as he was told. More power riffled through his body until at last, Akio felt himself drift into unconsiousness.

When he awoke, the crystals were glowing with their own power. They shimmered differently with each different angle. At one edge they looked purple, another they were bright green. Still another they were a dazzling white. The Force radiated off of them, making his hands tingle. With delicate ease, the Chiss set the stones into the bands.

And with that he had done it. The rings were done.