From the Past to the Present: Chapter 2

[Kian Karr]

The first thing Kian focused on was the blade emitter. Blade emitters were the part of the lightsaber where the blade actually came out. Each Jedi's design was a little different but they all had the magnetic ring that aided in the focusing of the blade. Master Koon's blade emitter was a large cylindrical shape with a series of grooves cut into the side. The emitter was largely undamaged though Kian could tell by looking at it that he would need to replace the magnetic ring.

Pulling out some of the tools he brought, Kian began to remove the damaged ring. Once the ring was removed, Kian sat down the tool and picked up a small brush and a spray can so that he could clean the emitter out. Within a few moment, Kian had the emitter shinning like new, with some small scratches here and there. Running his finger over the scratches Kian wondered if they were from the explosion that took Plo Koon's life or if they were collected over a long life-time as a Jedi.

Pulling out the spare magnetic ring he'd brought, Kian went about putting it into place. Picking the tool up once more, Kian secured it in place. Then, pulling from his bag another spray can, Kian coated the emitter blade in a thin layer of coloring agent that would color the silver metal black. Kian would do this to each component as it was repaired. Kian spent a great deal of his time hiding in the shadows with his duties and wished for his lightsaber hilt to reflect this in its camouflage.

 

[Kian Karr]

Next was the main housing that made up the majority of the lightsaber hilt. This was the most damaged part of the hilt. One side of the housing was blown away, revealing the inner workings of the lightsaber. Many of the working parts were gone. The focusing lenses had either been lost or destroyed in the blast. The powercell of the lightsaber was still present, though clearly non-functional. Most fascinating of all was the shards of lightsaber crystal that were still within the housing. Kian picked up a small pair of tweezers and began to collect the pieces.

In total there were four larger pieces and several small shards left of Jedi Master Plo Koon's lightsaber. They would never be able to be used as a functioning lightsaber crystal again, but Kian didn't need them to be, he had other plans for them. Placing the shards into a bag and sealing them, Kian placed them inside his pack. The housing was a lost cause. There was no amount of repairing he could do to fix the damaged metal. Instead, Kian had taken some time and fabricated a replica of the original when he was on the Gnost Dural last. Though there were several pieces Kian could salvage from the housing. He took the activation switch and, after a bit of cleaning, it appeared to be in working order.

Snapping the activation switch into place, Kian pulled out a series of focusing lenses and a fresh powercell. Placing them inside the fabricated hilt, Kian then pulled the most valuable part of the lightsaber from his pack. It was a single, silver Solari crystal. Kian had found it recently when he made the trip to Rhen Var with several other Jedi. Solari Crystals allowed for a wider blade, making it easier for blaster deflection and they could only be wielded by a follower of the lightside of the force. Kian had wished for a Solari crystal because it would aid his practice of Shien and because he didn't want a lightsaber that could be wielded against him by a Sith.

Putting the crystal in place. Kian screwed the blade emitter into place and coated the hilt in the coloring agent to change the taint of the metal to black. There was just the pommel cap left now.

 

[Kian Karr]

The pommel cap on Plo Koon's lightsaber was a triangularly shaped pommel cap, designed heavy for striking and large enough to carry a back-up powercell. Kian carefully removed the pommel cap from the damaged lightsaber and removed the old powercell within. Going through the same process, Kian cleaned the pommel cap and replaced the spare powercell with a fresh one. Then, once more, he colored the pommel cap black and screwed it into place on the hilt. Kian held the now finished hilt in his hand and shifted it from side to side to get a feel for the weight. It was a study, solid design and it seemed to fit his hands perfectly. Clearly Master Koon had developed a weapon that was ideal for the hands of a Kel Dor. Pulling his old lightsaber off of his belt, Kian smiled beneath his mask.

It was a good lightsaber. He'd built it as a padawan and it had served him well over the years, but now he was moving on. Getting a change. While he liked his original lightsaber, the feel of Plo Koon's lightsaber in his hands just seemed right. It fit him....it suited him. Placing his original lightsaber into the bag, Kian realized that he could no longer hear the storm outside. It was time to go home. Rising to his feet, Kian gripped the lightsaber in both his hands.

It was time to test it.

Raising the hilt in front of him, Kian thumbed the activation switch and the silver lightsaber blade sprang to life. Kian hadn't seen many silver blades before, but it seemed an interesting fit for him. The blade cast an eerie glow over the catacombs. Swinging the blade around a bit, Kian liked the feel of the thicker blade. Deactivating it, Kian returned it to his utility belt and bent to pick up his bag. Walking over the urns of his family, Kian placed the shattered piece of hilt alongside his son's urn.

There is no death, there is the force. Kian reminded himself as a tear slid down his cheek. His son would be sixteen now if he had lived....he'd likely be a Jedi, he'd be saving lives. Taking a deep breath, Kian ran his hand over the urn and slowly made his way to the surface.