Flash Of The Blade

[Lief]

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Bastion, The Outer Rim Territories // Harper's Respite​

Entering The Workshop // With [member="Darth Maliphant"]​

♫ // He Taught You All He Ever Knew​

To Fear No Mortal Man​

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Thesh had been summoned.

While that was not an extraordinary thing in and of itself, for most days he was sent for by either his Master or Odona - or some days both - for various aspects of his training and studies, today it was not to the library or the training grounds that the boy was asked to go, but to an area he'd never before been permitted to enter.

As he stepped over the threshold of what appeared to be a workshop of sorts, a certain warmth washed over him. Typically the temperature within Harper's Respite was kept at an amicable level, but here the heat was almost oppressive and a ruddy orange hue seemed to hang over most of the objects within it.

The boy glanced over the space with quickly widening eyes, and to begin with he was not sure who it was that would be waiting, whether it would be Odona or Maliphant himself, nor the reason for his summoning. But the Force seemed especially strong here, calling to him, drawing him on, so despite his uncertainties the boy pressed on further until he stood within the heart of the room.

Alone, or so it seemed...

Life had been strange for Thesh in the past weeks, since witnessing a ghost from his past, and slowly but surely his focus on his studies had begun to wane. Was that what this was about? Had his lack of interest in the heavy tomes of the archives, which he had fallen in love with, been noted?

Truth be told the boy yearned to resume his studies, to lose his days mulling over ancient works, but there was something about that girl that had him going back for more, when she told him to jump he'd ask how high, and it wasn't until he was away from her presence that he realized how frustrating that really was.

Next time, he decided, he'd say no when she sent for him.

But he'd said that last time, and the time before that.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Thesh had never been allowed in the restricted section of Harper’s Respite, in part for his protection, and in part the secrecy required to work; something Maliphant held close to himself. It’d be many more months before he could trust Nilia within his workshop, but today would be for Thesh to learn something new, and something Maliphant himself was exceptionally skilled at. The beginning efforts of Alchemy, and its corresponding applications and theories;

He even had a series of books written on a note Thesh could find in the library afterwards, and he idled for a moment as he appreciated the effort he had put into the lesson thus far; disturbed only by the sudden presence within the mountain, that of his apprentice entering the cave. Maliphant lifted off the counter to walk towards the entrance, the distant churning of automatic forging equipment and molecular furnaces working away to develop a design he had been working on setting the framework for weeks prior.

Maliphant finally entered the entrance, his hair loosely tied behind his head in a trailing ponytail that careless strands of hair refused to abide by. His brow was soaked with sweat, though he offered Thesh a kindred smile regardless, wearing some synthetic threaded black pants and a grey muscle shirt that hung low and loose on his chest; motioning Thesh to follow as he began to speak.

“I hope you’ve had a productive day, Thesh…”, he said, unable to sense the conflict in his mind with his Epicanthic genetics natural aversion to mentalism.

“I’ve brought you here today to study Alchemy. What have you learned of it?"

[member="Thesh"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

[Double Post.]

 

[Lief]

Naturally the boy fell in line beside Maliphant, though he remained just a very subtle half step behind to show his lesser position between them, as he was gestured to. That smile the man had sent his way gave him a false sense of security and put his prior ruminations concerning his summoning to bed for now, and yet despite that fact the first words out of his Master's mouth alluded to a greater knowledge, even if the boy had been doing his best to make up for lost time spent with Senth, and keep his Master from knowing the truth.

"Mm? Yes, Master, productive as always."

Swallowing back the lump in his throat, one borne of guilt, he slipped his hands to his back and clasped them together there as a mental distraction. But that brief spike of guilt was made tenfold when the man explained why he'd been brought there, for it was as though his very desires were being catered toward... And Thesh did not feel very worthy of it at all in that moment. His gaze drifted to a spot half way between straight-on and to the ground, as he continued to follow the man deeper into the mountainous room.

"I have been looking into the three aspects of the Force, as deduced by Darth Plagueis, and the part they play in altering through Alchemy, Master." There was a very real excitement within the lad's voice when he spoke of such, one which did not often come through though it was clear he had a passion for learning in most capacities. There was something else, though, when it came to the more metaphysical and occult aspects of his studies.

"And I also unearthed a book on Sithspawn. It's a heavier read," usually that would not have stopped the boy from reading through the whole thing five times over, something his Master no doubt knew, yet he hinted at the fact that he had not done so this time. That had even the boy frowning when he realized that fact as well. "There was an interesting section on the technobeasts, but I think that I prefer the idea of the fully organic specimens."

Something about the mixing of technology and organic matter didn't sit right with him, then again he wasn't the most technologically advanced youth out there. Where most had plenty of gadgets to mess around with, for the most part Thesh kept only to the basics, his datapad, comms, and whatever digital files he could get his hands on. Perhaps that had a part to play.

As he glanced around the room, though, that gargantuan workspace, he began to wonder after the sorts of alchemy that was conducted here. It was hot, and he could see forges and hear the clanking of power tools. Metallurgy, then? Oh, the boy had not studied anywhere near as much into that aspect as he had its biological brother.

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant idled for a moment, almost hesitating in his step as he heard the slightest quiver in his apprentice’s voice, the ever so evasive manner he dodged the question with a half truth. If Maliphant were a more easily angered man, he’d of quickly lashed out at the apprentice, though instead, he moved past the hesitation as Thesh pushed himself back to interest to the subject at hand, despite the guilt in his tone. If it were something personal, Maliphant would find a way to help, so he made a mental note to have one of his innumerable agents begin tracking Thesh;

Something he should have done a long time ago, in truth.

“Organic alchemy is far harder a proposition than something without cells or mitochondria.”, he said as they moved through the warmth of the workshop. Various walls held this crystal and that, a few shelves holding the unused blanks for swords yet to be made, many more even holding sheathes with innumerable symbols emblazoned on them. Maliphant’s voice would drag Thesh’s attention back however;

“We won’t start there just yet, but if its your goal, then it will be mine to teach you such.”, he said with a reassuring glance to his apprentice, hoping it’d instill some sense of confidence in the boy.

As the two came to a halt near a somewhat cleared out bench, a shelf overhead, a bookshelf to the side filled with innumerable tomes on alchemy and its applicable measures, and a large tool closet with a small computer on the left hand side of it, likely a biometric measure connected to the house at large. Maliphant motioned Thesh towards it, speaking once more;

“This will be your new training area, Thesh. If it is the alteration of organic material you seek, I’ll bring in medical textbooks for your learning; they will teach you the basics you will need to know. Today however, we will do something slightly different-”, he said as he moved his hand to the computer.

It beeped with assurance to Maliphant’s identity before opening, revealing a series of small knives, various metals and stores, and innumerable tools. Maliphant grabbed a single small knife from it, twirling it between his fingers before looking it’s blade over, ensuring it was straight. Just the moment he held it showed he was well versed in their handling, but set it down on the desk with a slight thud.

“Tell me how that feels, Thesh. Does it fit well in your hands?”

[member="Thesh"]

 

[Lief]

For a moment there the boy searched for any anger within his Master's expression, certain that he was about to be busted, and yet instead after just a moment of hesitation the pair continued on their way. He had to bite back the urge to let out a rather audible sigh, that guilt still gnawing at him though he tried to push it down all the same.

"Of course, Master," he responded, when his suspicions about his coming here being the first steps into metallurgy were confirmed. "Organic requires understanding of anima, aperion, and sometimes even pneuma," At least, if the being was sentient that was, but certainly it required the first two, "Metallurgy -- it is metallurgy, isn't it? -- only really requires aperion."

Realizing that he was rambling a little more than was necessary, a trait which only showed itself when he was truly passionate about a subject - though given the opportunity to talk about most things he read or studied he'd be able to talk for hours, when prompted to - his words trailed off toward the end and he bit the inside of his lip. The last thing he wanted was to be that annoying student who never knew when to shut up.

Naturally, Thesh did not really know any practical knowledge on either of the aspects. The pneuma was, of course, the most difficult, as implementing it required in-depth knowledge of the other two. He supposed that the next step after dealing with metallurgy would be non-sentient lifeforms, plants or simple organisms, though that would be getting ahead of himself. Instead he focused on the now, on the present lessons at hand, and as such he came to a stop at the workstation and glanced over it appreciatively.

Not only was this restricted area now known to him, but apparently he'd be spending a decent amount of time here too. That ignited some of the excitement which had been missing in the past few weeks, drained by the girl who had been dropped back in his life, and he eagerly nodded his head at the mention of medical textbooks and the like.

"Thank you, Master," he said, resting his hands on the bench top while the man accessed the computer, "I'm eager to learn."

After a few moments a blade was extracted and set upon the benchtop and his first instructions were given. Somewhat tentatively he lifted the weapon into his hand, getting a feel for its weight and the grip of its handle. While he didn't know much about weaponry, outside of the electroblade he'd slowly gotten accustomed to wielding, he could tell that it was well-balanced, and fit snug within his grasp. A quick glance down the length of it showed that its tang sat straight, not that he knew that was what he was looking at. All in all it was a nice weapon, probably nicer than any he'd held before.

Not that it was saying much, he hadn't exactly been handed weapons as a slave.

"It feels good, Master, not too light, or too heavy, and the grip is comfortable."

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant simply idled while the child ranted, never interrupting him. There was no reason for him to be quiet, as Maliphant knew that every vocal connection the child made was enough to drive home whatever lesson he was teaching at the time; and the audibleness of it being memorized or otherwise made to make sense was enough for him to continue. There would be a day he’d teach the child how to speak to others, to adjust his speech for those he was around; a skill Maliphant was notorious of far outside of the force.

“Good.”, he said simply, allowing Thesh to continue looking it over in its full form.

“That blade will become the first creation you ever alchemize, Thesh. It will contain everything you are, everything you will be. In its current state, it holds something only the most powerful Sith seek-”, Maliphant spoke as he rested a hand on his apprentices shoulder.

“Potential.”, he finished with a reassuring smile.

“This won’t be finished today, but I will teach you the first steps of creating a true sith warblade…”, he said as he moved once more to the cabinet. Pulling from it a red crystalline structure, he set it on the table with a very light handed touch.

“This is Svolten Rhyolite. It is a crystal that, when treated on the edge of a blade, will ensure you never have to sharpen the weapon again. Now, this is a very important feature, as the dulling of a blade will reduce how effective it is.”, he spoke as he pushed it a bit closer to Thesh.

“Now, to treat your blade’s edge with it, we will begin rather simply…”

Maliphant moved through the motions, of breaking off a small piece of it, where to brace the knife and where to drag the stone; leaving small traces of the crystalline structure on the edge of the knife in moderation. He’d work through both sides with Thesh, ensuring quality without being too overbearing, only guaranteeing that the child never loses sight of the goal. As it was finally coated, he’d speak once more;

“Last, to drive it into the metal. Grab the back of the hilt, and rest two fingers near the tip, Thesh.”, he said as he motioned to both locales. “When you do, I want you to close your eyes, and imagine with all you know of the Force, every aspect of the world you understand, and more importantly, the very willpower of your mind; push all of that into the crystals we just laid out on the blade's edge, and force them to meld, liquidate and evenly coat the edge of that blade.”

“Do this now.”, he as he moved to rest a hand on his apprentice’s shoulder once more.


[member="Thesh"]

 

[Lief]

While his Master spoke, Thesh continued to inspect the dagger. While it may not have been exactly what he'd been hoping to learn about, he could not doubt that he was intrigued none the less. To hold a new weapon, to learn to wield it, to work with it, and most importantly to empower it, was something to be excited about, new opportunities which had previously been kept from him, not necessarily by Maliphant himself but the greater Galaxy at large.

The hand on his shoulder had him lift his head up, not that he hadn't been listening prior, in order to regard his Master somewhat solemnly. When he finished his statement the boy could not help but smile. He'd had a similar train of thought back with @Tekhyram on Felucia, regarding Sith and their potential. Of earning, experiencing strife to get to their positions, rather than being handed everything on a silver platter. Those who were elevated due to connections and social status often lacked that potential, or so the boy had witnessed over his years of muted servitude.

To say that the boy hoped he held such potential, that he could strive toward it, would be an understatement, then. It was all that he had, in truth, his past held nothing for him, only his future did.

When the crystal was produced, and the mention of a Sith Warblade was made, Thesh glanced between the dagger and the crystal and his Master in swift succession. Though the blade was admittedly very small to be deemed a warblade, at least in the eyes of most, the boy was eager to begin the process. Sometimes great things came in small packages, and if nothing else it would be an incredible learning experience.

"Svolten Rhyolite," the boy reiterated with a nod, quietly under his breath, in order to set the name to memory. He figured it would be an important thing to make a note of, but given that he had nothing to jot down notes on he hoped that his memory would suffice. The properties it held, or more the potential it held for the blade, seemed too good to be true, yet his Master spoke with sincerity which gave hope to the projected outcome.

Thesh took up the crystal when prompted, and followed the instructions as they were given. From breaking off a piece of the crystal, to running it along the blade's edge, much like you would a whetstone - which, in a sense, he supposed it was, yet simply one that only had to be utilized once - the boy was dutiful in his care and his work, apparently having an eye for detail despite the fact that he knew not what he was doing. Had Maliphant not been there, he'd have been flailing. But that was the point in an Apprenticeship, for one to learn from the other.

When both Master and Apprentice were satisfied with the progress, Maliphant signaled such with new instructions. Thesh altered the way he'd been holding the blade, grasping the hilt with one hand and holding the lower point with the two fingers as indicated. Once he was sure he'd gotten the grip correct, no doubt having to alter it ever so slightly once or twice, he began to draw upon the Force, channeling it first through himself before inevitably running it down the length of the blade.

As he did so he closed his eyes and began to focus, on the Force which lay heavy in the air, on the blade, and the minuscule crystalline shards which coated its edge. His expression became one of apathy, though thee was the subtlest of furrows within his brow, as he reached peak concentration, and a very subtle 'shimmer' seemed to overcome the blade as the Force was worked through it, the air around them seeming to shift in the same instance. The boy held a strength within the Force that even he did not understand, or even really notice, especially when it came to channeled abilities, things that required focus rather than spur of the moment actions.

Soon enough, yet after what felt like an eternity to the boy himself, the crystals began to meld along the edge of the blade, running along the smooth surface until it was coated as instructed, the crystal going from tough to malleable throughout that moment, yet seemingly stiffening right back up once the process was completed.

Outwardly the boy appeared exhausted. Sweat coated his brow, and his chest rose and fell as though he'd ran a marathon, yet his expression remained the same, intense with focus.

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

With some pride, he watched as the child before him worked through exactly as he said. Let it never be said he wasn’t exceptionally prideful of their progress, as both his apprentices had grown far quicker than he ever expected; which in turn reinforced his own confidence and hope for the future. They were to be strong in time, and every step along the way he would be there; He hoped at least.

Bringing his hand to the blade, he lifted it from the grip of the exhausted Acolyte. It was a relatively simple modification to the blade, something he gave to him for its ease, but he knew well enough that for a first timer’s projection of the force through alchemy it could be extremely taxing. Noticing a small bulge near the base of it, he carefully placed his finger on it and worked it away without Thesh’s notice; there would be a day he’d show him what he had done wrong, but today was more for the excitement to be instilled. He’d need the drive to learn how to perfect the skill, not an immediate correction.

With a smile, he offered the blade back to Thesh and nodded in approval. His voice was loud enough to overtake the distance machinery at work forging another blade, but soft enough to provide comfort for the now brittle apprentice before him;

“Good job, Thesh. You did far better than I ever expected.”, along with a reassure squeeze of his shoulder.

“Ask one of the droids to get you something to eat, you’re likely drained of some energy. When you’re done, and you feel a little more comfortable, grab the large black book on the shelf-”, he said motioning to the left most book on the top shelf.

“- and read through it. You’ll begin by learning basic Sith language; then finding the symbols of power within the language and using the tools in the cabinet to carve those that mean something to you in the blade itself.”

He paused for a moment, opening the tool cabinet once more and pulling out a small dremel, one that had a very fine point; looking faintly like a mechanical pen with a very fine diamond tip. Placing it next to Thesh, he took a step back before speaking once more;

“It may take a few days, but I want you to focus all your efforts on this. Once you’ve covered the faces of the blade in symbols, or a phrase of power, I’ll show you how to enchant these through ritualistic means.”

“If you have questions, Thesh, don’t be afraid to ask.”, he said with a smile, before walking off.

It may have seemed odd, but Maliphant knew that the easiest way to make someone learn is to feel confident enough to do it on their own. He never doubted his apprentices, at least not to their face, knowing the more confidence they had in their own abilities the better they would become. Despite this, he always kept an eye on them while they were in Harper’s Respite, always ensuring they were at least comfortable, either through the force or through physical means. There was an aura of care for the two that he hadn’t ever offered another in his known life, though there were unknown memories once before.

In a sense, they were to become his children.


[member="Thesh"]