[Dev Thread] Crystal Forges (Særa Ayña Savan)

[Saran Drast]

The Zealot touched down on the surface of Crystalsong, slowly, as if the pilot was unsure they were doing it right. As it carefully set down and the ramp lowered, muffled voices could be heard as a pair of human-looking figures walked down the ramp.
"That wasn't so bad, now was it?"
"No, I guess not. If you keep up like that, I'm going to loose my job."
"Nah, I'd still need a navigator. Besides...." and the shorter figure paused at that, seeming stuck on what to say as the two began to walk down the exit ramp. "I kind of like having you around." She ment it. He was nice, kind, and defiantly useful. If nothing else, she could rely on him to help her when she needed it.

Although it had been Saran's first landing, the trip from Hapes had been an easy flight. Jacobs had offered to let her fly once he took off, and she had found it rather fun, but once the hyperspace route had been confirmed, they were off, and the helm left empty. They had sat and talked about nothing, things about Hapes and the Republic and whatnot. But now they were far away, on the edge of the galaxy itself. Saran had been looking for a special furnace with the idea of making a saber crystal herself. It seemed far-fetched to Jacobs at first, but the records she found showed that you could, indeed, do such a thing. And here, according to a friend in the Confederacy, was someone who had such a thing.
[member="Enigma"]

 

[Onrai]

Circe's personal Aleph landed at the nearby spaceport, a sign that someone of particular interest was certainly here. With a soft smile, she exited the ship and moved to meet with her contact. This woman in particular was one that Circe had met previously, a Miraluka by the name of [member="Saran Drast"]. Evidently, she was here, along with Circe herself, to assist her daughter with something.

What it was, she just couldn't remember...

 

[Saran Drast]

As the pair walked through the spaceport, Saran's shoulder hit something, and she fell. Rolling backwards, she looked up to see Jacobs standing there, offering a hand up. She took it, looked around and continued on her way. Whoever had bumped her moved along as well. Looking down, and noting both sabers were still in place, the pair continued to the entrance. Still, Saran felt uneasy. Something felt... off. Someone was here she felt like she knew, but she recognized no one. What was that?
[member="Enigma"]

 

[Onrai]

[member="Saran Drast"]

"Well well..." A familiar voice would ring through the area as she laid eyes on [member="Saran Drast"]. "It's been quite a while since I last saw you, Saran. You may remember me back when I had a more svelte and exotic body." Smiling, she slowly circled the Miraluka. "Circe Savan. But for the sake of today's business, I'd prefer to be called Cassandra."

 

[Saran Drast]

Saran spun as she heard [member="Enigma"], scanning the crowd. Finally figuring out who was talking, she smiled. "I remember mostly you covered in white. I didn't see much of you." It had been a while since Katarr, and the girl certanly wasn't wrapped in the white current this time. The enthrallment was gone. Staring off into the distance, Saran seemed to laugh. Jacobs glanced to her with a confused look on his face. "Heh. So what brings you here? Some significant crystal or rare artifact?"

 

[Onrai]

[member="Saran Drast"]

"I'm good friends with the owner... She informed me that you and I were to be meeting over some artifact or relic." A soft smile crossed her lips as she ran a hand through her hair, making sure all of it was behind her shoulders. "If you'll come with me, we can get to the crystal forge. I've been using it on behalf of Subach-Innes to manufacture a stockpile of good-quality synthetic crystals, in the event that the natural stockpiles being used for our ships are are depleted.

 

[Saran Drast]

"Ah." The girl replied. "You use lightsaber crystals for your ships?" It seemed odd, but it may just be possible. After all, the Force could do some weird things. But that, that would be interesting.
"Who's this?" Jacobs asked, eyeing [member="Enigma"] carefully.
"A friend." Saran replied. At least, I hope, she added silently. She may not be able to survive if the woman turned on her.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Saran Drast"]

"Yes... Crystalline electronic systems and the like. They're very special - perhaps I'll let you have one once I finish constructing the first run of them." She smiled. "So please, tell me, why are you here? What can I do to help you, hmm?" She smiled, eager to assist the woman in getting her work accomplished - though deep down, she was curious as to what was behind the mask of the Miraluka.

 

[Saran Drast]

"A friend of mine said that there was someone who would allow me to make a synthetic crystal here." Saran replied, tilting her head to one side. Her head turned to where [member="Enigma"] stood. "So you know the owner?" She almost seemed surprised. From what she knew, the owner was a member of the CIS. And Circe, according to what she had found, was banned from CIS space. She had done a little research. Not much, but enough to know that.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Saran Drast"]

"I know the owner, yes. Intimately, in fact - she's my daughter." A soft sigh crossed her lips. "It's a long story, best I not elaborate on it any further. Anyways, a synthetic crystal? Shouldn't be too hard to manufacture. Please, follow me." Smiling, she took the Miraluka's hand and began to guide her deeper into the facility, helping her ignore the Force glow of the crystals. "I'll bet it looks amazing to you."

 

[Saran Drast]

Saran smiled at that. "I thought you were going to say your lover there." Although a little surprised when [member="Enigma"] grabbed her hand, she followed willingly. The world was wonderful. Awe striking, even. The beauty of it all was immense. She couldn't take it in, focusing on Circe. "Yes. It's so beautiful..."

 

[Onrai]

[member="Saran Drast"]

"Indeed it is... Come. Let me show you to the crystal chamber." She smiled, helping the woman get to where she needed to go. Circe assumed that to her, being a Force Sight-using being in a room full of crystals resonating with Force energy, was roughly the equivalent of a normal human staring into a star without any lenses to dim it.

Blinding.

 

[Saran Drast]

It hurt, the deeper they got. She was relying on [member="Enigma"] now, trusting the woman to guide her into the caverns rather than try to take it all in. She hoped that this person she had met once was trustworthy. She stumbled once or twice, but managed to keep going, forcing herself onwards. Once, her foot caught, and she almost landed flat on her face. She was lucky to only manage to get away with a scraped knee.
"You ok?" She could hear Jacobs ask, and she managed to nod to him.
"Yeah, I think... I'm fine."

 

[Onrai]

[member="Saran Drast"]

The crystal forge inside was clearly distinguishable from the rest of the items in here - it didn't produce a Force signature like the crystals did. Smiling, Circe chose to step back, allowing [member="Saran Drast"] full and complete access to the synthetic crystal maker so she could produce whatever she needed to manufacture for herself. "All yours."

[member="Saran Drast"]

 

[Saran Drast]

Nodding to [member="Enigma"], she approached it carefully. "Thank you." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a handful of dust and powder. Placing the substance in the machine, she began to meditate.

Her mind went back to her early days in the temple. Master Salan always joking, making her laugh. His smile, his posture. He seemed more a father than a master. She saw the day he died, her trapped outside, running to help him. Cutting through the door, trying to get in as fast as she could, seeing him slip away. Holding his dying body in his arms. And swearing revenge on the man who had taken so much from her.
A scene flashed before her eyes. Katarr. The desolate world where she had met the woman behind her. The planet was dead, yet there could still be a sort of life to it. It was a memory, something to know what the dangers of the Dark Side could do. But it lived in the memories of the survivors. They were few and far between. But they would be more than just descendents. They would be the ones who had survived. The ones who would survive.
Alpheridies. The girl had visited it before stopping at Katarr. Her family were there. She remembered her mother, bustling about while she sat there to see her blood. And her little half sister, Anarya, who had sat and listened to every word of Saran's tales of knighthood. She seemed to view Saran as some hero, a belief that she couldn't discourage, much to her dismay. But it had been nice, pleasing even, to visit them. She wondered how Anarya was doing now.
And then, a face. Jacobs. He was something of a quandary for her. She had told Anarya that love is dangerous. Did she love him? She wasn't a Jedi any longer. She knew that. And that ment she could feel. As he could love freely. But did she? Could she see herself bearing his children? Settling down on Alpheridies or Corellia with him? Spending her life with him? He was nice, sure, and she liked him, but would she go that far? Could she go that far?
Yes. The only thought that crossed her mind after she emptied all else out. She did love him. She would be his. She would be his defender. He would be her confident, her support, her life. She could feel it now. Even through the intensity of the furnace. She knew what she felt now.
Slowly, the girl stood up from kneeling. Looking to Jacobs, who sat awake beside her,she she asked him the question that plagued her. "How long has it been?"
"Three days."
"Allright." Smiling, she approached the furnace. The chamber was open now. In it sat a single purple crystal, which seemed to Saran more beautiful than anything she had seen. It was, to her, wonderful. Slowly, carefully, she picked it up. And then she noticed something. It still blazed purple, but it seemed to be a part of her now. She was holding, it seemed, a crystallized piece of her soul.

She now looked around for Circe. She wanted to thank her for her help before leaving for the Zealot once more.
OOC: your choice if you stuck around for the three days or not. I get it if you don't want to be there.

 

[Onrai]

Circe herself had been doing just fine. In the three days since she had come to the cave, Cirxe had been harvesting some of the larger Adegan crystals located within. They would be absolutely perfect as part of a cloaking device utilizing Adegan crystal, or even as part of a much more complex system. "Hiya... These crystals are surprisingly nourishing."

[member="Saran Drast"]