Magical Reconstruction

[Cathul Thuku]

In the wake of the attack launched by the Sith Order on Midvinter, and how Cathul was countermanded by the Alliance High Command (she would think that she would have had a chance at defeating the Sith Order fleet), all that Cathul could actually do at this point would be to rebuild the damage dealt on the planet. But Cathul would not rebuild Midvinter because the Alliance High Command asked her to do it, or even MedCorps - it was outside her jurisdiction. Even so, she was obligated by her Jedi duty to actually show up and help innocents in distress, but the Triage and the Lucrehulk-X were already here taking care of injured Silver Jedi combatants. Speaking of which, one of the veterans of that engagement, [member="Tyluko Dubykee"], specifically asked to be taught pyrokinesis and cryokinesis in the wake of this event. Also, construction crews would soon make landfall around one of the ruined settlements, to rebuild the buildings using more traditional methods as culturally appropriate. Which means lighting up cauldrons full of pitch for the roofing, and so on, so forth. Cathul would activate battle meditation so that the construction crews would get more productive while she teaches the Dolphinarian these three spells:

"Welcome, Tyluko. I trust that you wish to learn something new today?"

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

Tyluko did not immediately answer her. The Dolphinarian's mind was in another place. His thoughts dwelled on the battle that had recently taken place on the snowy planet of Midvinter. The Sith had ferociously attacked the planet and had brought the ominous blanket of death with them, slaughtering thousands of innocent people. His heart ached for them, and he hoped their souls would find peace in the Force. He suddenly snapped back out of it looking at the Twi'Lek jedi. "Oh.. um yes. My apologies my mind was somewhere else" he said with an apologetic bow.

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"So much... death!" Cathul commented, wearing her beskar'gam as is customary for the intense cold environments. "I will discuss the aftermath of the battle later"

While the reconstruction crews were busy clearing the rubble under the effects of battle meditation, she had to restrain herself from telling just how angry she was at the Alliance High Command for her to be unable to engage the Sith fleet in orbit that day. The Sith had attacked the planet, of course, but there were corpses of the innocent Valkyri, the Graug infantry deployed by the Sith, which proved to be effective only against Valkyri, as well as the soldiers of the Silver Army amid the frozen landscape around the settlement to be rebuilt. Who made the Sith ground attack protocol? They got their own forces right into a massive slaughter: who, in their right mind, would invade a planet's surface with no airpower, no vehicles, no artillery, no anti-tank/aircraft units? she thought, upon having used psychometry on one of the fallen Silver Army's soldiers in the surrounding area. [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] thus had a reason to be a little distracted. And then Cathul summons a cauldron filled with black pitch as used by the Valkyri for the roofing to a bonfire whose fuel, made of logs from the nearby softwood, will keep the pitch above it warm.

"I see all too many people treat pyrokinesis as a weapon. Pyrokinesis can be used as a tool to light bonfires, cook, cauterize, weld, and so on, so forth. But it is also about accelerating the atoms inside your target"

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

Tyluko perked up at this, he wondered if he would be able to use this power to help change phase of water while using his hydrokinesis. "It sounds like this ability could prove to be very useful for survival purposes" Tyluko said as he observed the fellow Jedi use the Force to bring a metal cauldron over to where they were standing. He was ready for his lesson, despite the events of the battle, life must still go on, as best as it can.

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"Yes, a survivalist Force-user would find pyrokinesis to be useful. With sufficient energy you can cause ice to melt, or water to boil, using pyrokinesis"

Cathul studied what she could of Sith military doctrine in preparation for a naval engagement over Midvinter or for a future confrontation over one of the Sith strongholds: they considered attack craft as expendable, and she estimated that it would take 3-4 squadrons of TIE fighters to take out 1 squadron of X-Wings given the differences in training and equipment. So not only the Graug infantry got almost entirely wiped out, but also the fighters would have been, provided they actually deployed any. But she, too, got distracted by the intense scenes of carnage unfolding all around the village that needed to be rebuilt by her construction crews using battle meditation (even though there was no actual battle to be fought), just like [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] was. For now, IGR was on the scene, to rebuild devastated worlds, much like Midvinter; however, the bill may prove to be a little steep due to the items requested by the Silver Jedi, such as pitch. Which was what the cauldron and the firewood was for.

"To use pyrokinesis, you have to visualize the target item in flames. Try doing that to the logs of firewood underneath the cauldron"

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

Tyluko listened intently to what the other Jedi was saying, focusing on her words as he instructed him on what to do. Despite recent events he truly was grateful to have this chance at advancing his knowledge of the Force. New training could help make the difference between life and death in his new life as a Jedi. He perked up as the Twi'lek spoke of how this ability could be used to melt ice and boil water which was exactly what Tyluko planned to use it for so that he could advance his Hydrokinetic abilities. He listened closely as she instructed him to picture the logs in his mind and to attempt to picture them burning. Tyluko nodded and closed his eyes and held out his hands. He focused his mind and the Force, trying to picture the logs in his mind; their color, their shape, their texture. He then attempted to picture them burning, visualizing red-orange flames dancing across them.

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"By now you understand why I made you light the logs using pyrokinesis: the cauldron above contained roofing pitch"

It took [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] a while to get the logs of firewood lighted, using pyrokinesis, during which time the pitch in the cauldron froze due to the chilly winds blowing around them; it would take some time before the pitch would again be the right consistency to be used in roofing. Said pitch was much closer to what most in the roofing world called tar than it was to actual pitch. But keeping the tar at just the right temperature to be used for the first batch of shingles, required constant input of heat for a while. Meanwhile, Cathul helped hold a wooden roof beam that some clumsy worker may have lapsed somewhat, using telekinesis, while battle meditation was still in use for boosting the morale of everyone else around them. Sure Cathul was one to use Force-powers where most others would not even think of using it for that purpose, but battle meditation for motivating workers and making them more productive for non-combat tasks was a new one among battle meditation users. Then again, she used telekinesis to summon another cauldron filled with snow. Using telekinesis on two different targets and battle meditation at the same time is going to cause her some headaches not unlike those she suffered back on Aleen, which means that her computational power is being used close to its peak capacity.

"Oh and since you wanted to experiment with pyrokinesis on snow, which is mostly ice, here's your chance"

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

Tyluko let himself relax a little, taking a few deep breaths in and out through his blowhole. He was so tired and exhausted from all the fighting that had been done earlier that he had to strain himself to focus the Force for this ability. He now understood why she had him light the logs, all was part of her efforts to help repair Midvinter. As she brought over another cauldron filled with snow telling him that now was a good chance for him to practice turning ice back into water using pyrokinesis. He regained some amount of strength as he was eager to give this a try. He focused his mind on the snow, visualizing its texture, its cold sensation, the tiny ice crystals and of the water trapped inside. He visualized the snow melting, the water being freed from its icy prison, going from solid back into a liquid. He focused the Force, channeling energy as he concentrated. Slowly but surely the snow started to melt.

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"Your Force-batteries may be a little low. It might be best to wait a bit until lunch is served for the next lesson"

Then again, Cathul used a lot of computational power to get battle meditation to work. She would need to make it stop, and it wasn't just because using that much computational power would give her some headaches. Said headaches often wore off faster when her surroundings were cold than in hot climates. And then the workers would still continue working but at a somewhat slower pace, and not just because battle meditation wore off: being under the effects of battle meditation can be quite taxing on the target's energy reserves The roof beam was now in place, and properly fitted to the roof of this house to be rebuilt, so she could now stop using telekinesis. While [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] uses pyrokinesis, the contents of the water cauldron are now hot enough to contemplate preparing soup in it. However, she knew that wasn't nearly enough to feed every single worker but she did what she could anyway.

"You probably need to eat, too" Cathul told the Dolphinarian, pointing at the soup prepared using his own pyrokinesis.

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

As Tyluko focused he eventually succeeded melting the snow back into water, however he continued to use pyrokinesis to bring the water to its boiling point since [member="Cathul Thuku"] wished to make soup for the workers. Tyluko had to admit, he had not eaten for quite sometime and he realized how truly hungry and weak he had become as a result of expending so much energy in battle. However Tyluko looked at the amount of soup they would be able to make, it wasn't enough to feed every single one of the workers. Tyluko felt guilty that he would be eating while others could not. Tyluko sat down and looked at the Twi'lek as she pointed at the soup.

"Master, it is ok I do not need to eat. Please allow my share to go to those who need it. I can afford to wait." Tyluko said with a bow of respect.

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"That's fine: I can use pyrokinesis for myself, too"

First come, first serve in matters of that nature. [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] may have nearly exhausted his Force-batteries, but at least the cold environment proved to be a pretty good heatsink for Cathul so her headaches could wear off and allow her to use more computational power. Not that it actually mattered, just that Tyluko had to wait until this round of lessons could continue. In effect, once the initial batch of soup was exhausted, she collected snow all over the place (and, since it was abundant over the surrounding area, it didn't take long) to put it in the cauldron so that everyone else that didn't have soup before could eat it once the effects of pyrokinesis kicked in the snow collected in the cauldron. Cathul knew, more or less, how much snow she needed to collect so that there would be enough soup for everyone, before she herself used pyrokinesis to cook the soup. Using the same recipe (just in different proportions to match the amount of water available) the remaining soup servings should be ready any time now...

"Now there should be enough soup for everyone else" she told Tyluko.

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

Tyluko was weak, both in mind and body. But he did not want to rest, he needed to learn these skills so that he could hopefully one day prevent further death and destruction. But he had to be realistic with himself....he wasn't invincible and he was letting his pain and anger cloud his judgement. He was weak and he needed to rest and replenish. He sat down across from [member="Cathul Thuku"] grabbing a bowl of soup for himself. He muttered something under his breath "Only in calm, clear waters can a ship truly find its way." It was his attempt to calm himself down and take his mind off the pain he felt. He had to remember that even though countless people had lost their lives, they now were a part of the living Force, more drops that make up the great cosmic ocean. He began to drink the warm soup.

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"Once you have finished eating, it is best for you to just go to sleep: something is wrong with you and sleep will help you get better. Then again, I need some rest, too"

Cathul can somehow feel that [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] was letting his emotions cloud his judgment. And she would need to rest, but for different reasons: using battle meditation to boost the workers' productivity has taken its toll on her. She was often one to use Force-powers in ways that people do not traditionally consider, but that's perhaps a function of Cathul having a different mindset due to her being a witch more than a conventional Jedi. Meanwhile, around them, workers have started assembling shingles on the roof, making progressive use of the roofing pitch in the cauldron that Tyluko lighted earlier in the day. She sets up a tent large enough for two to sleep in it amid the cold, adapted for just that sort of interventions, right in front of the two cauldrons, even though she never was one for camping. Here the tent's thermal armorweave would allow the heat to stay inside the tent and to keep the cold out.

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

Tyluko sunk his shoulders a little as he heard the Twi'lek speak to him, warning him that something was wrong with him and urging him to rest. "Yes master, I will do as you ask" Tyluko said with a bow of his dolphin like head. He was ashamed that he had let his emotions get the better of him, he thought his training with his people had granted him that control, but ever since he was freed from stasis only to find himself in a galaxy completely unknown to him, and to find that he was one of the last of his kind; Tyluko had struggled with keeping himself focused at times. As he finished eating he watched as [member="Cathul Thuku"] set up a tent for them, sighing to himself before looking back across the frozen Midvinter landscape, he watched as the Moonlight glistened off of the snowy surface. He then made his way to the tent, and laid down and let himself drift asleep.

 

[Cathul Thuku]

They spent one night on the tent, so that they could rest, much like the construction crews that she brought in tow. Luckily they weren't in a region of the planet that would be characterized as a polar region - or on a tidally-locked planet. But because one Midvinter day is more than twice the length of a standard day, it was obvious that Cathul would sleep for much longer than would normally be the case on a ship or something. But sleeping for 17 hours would mess up her biological clock somewhat: once she awakens, most of the construction crews have resumed the work that began yesterday, working in the dead of night for some. And yet [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] needed it more than Cathul had, because he fought on that frozen wasteland and Cathul did not, countermanded by the Alliance admiralty that she was and who believed that the Sith Order navy did not pose a sufficient threat to warrant intervention, even by using some naval elements from the Core Fleet on Coruscant (which were the closest GA naval elements to Midvinter). The white Twi'lek began lighting another fire to cook up breakfast for the working crews, here it was pizza made from frozen rations.

"Time to eat again, and then the lesson will resume in earnest"

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

Tyluko spent as much as he could but he still was not able to sleep for as long as he would have liked. At least he was better rested, and he could feel his energy replenishing. He ended up waking up long before [member="Cathul Thuku"] and decided that meditating for the time being would prove beneficial in improving his state of mind. He sat down in the snow, overlooking what little of the Midvinter landscape that had not been engulfed in fiery explosions. He closed his eyes, leaving the palms of his hands open he began to channel the Force. He focused on the water that was around him in the form of ice and snow, he drew upon it, focusing on their components. As he meditated small flurries of snow billowed around him, each individual snowflake glittering in the light of the morning sun.

 

[Cathul Thuku]

Before the lesson could proceed, Cathul knew that the roofing is not something one could complete in a day according to the Luddite standards enforced by the Valkyri, so she had the cauldron used yesterday to melt pitch, which was, after 17 hours in the frozen darkness, frozen and hard as stone. While the pitch is being molten so that the roofing work begun yesterday could continue, and [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] is finished eating, she realized that Tyluko stayed up at night to meditate, with an estimated 8-9 hours of sleep. The second cauldron contains snow, which melts, resulting in a smaller volume, using pyrokinesis in both instances to get the snow to melt. Also, she refrains from using battle meditation this time around because she knew that she couldn't do it for the whole work day. And the reconstruction work was going to be tedious: rebuilding Midvinter is going to be hard work, given that it was a miracle that they could get some roofing work done this early after the disaster. Then again, perhaps the Sith may not have actually wished to capture Midvinter outright, just to sow destruction.

"To use cryokinesis, you must visualize your target freeze. You may wish to use it to turn water into ice if so inclined"

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

Tyluko slowly brought himself out of his meditative state he could feel his worries evaporating and his mind felt calm and at ease. He had been so caught up with the aftermath of the battle that he had never really ever given himself a chance to decompress and let go of all the negative energy he had accrued. He felt cleansed and as he stood up, he took one last look over the horizon and then turned to [member="Cathul Thuku"] and smiled at her. He joined her for a pleasant breakfast, which helped to refuel Tyluko's energy reserves. But now it was time for learning, he listened closely as she instructed him to now attempt his hand at utilizing cryokinesis. Tyluko focused the Force and lifted one of the cauldrons into the air and placed it in front of him and then used the Force to fill the cauldron with snow. He first would utilize pyrokinesis to melt the ice into water and then refreeze it with cryokinesis.

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

It took a while for [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] to actually use cryokinesis, but that could be forgiven by the fact that Tyluko is just learning cryokinesis. Cathul looked amused at the end result, which is just a chunk of ice residing at the bottom of the cauldron that Tyluko used for experimenting with cryokinesis. Meanwhile, the roofing crews having finished working on one house with what few survivors of Valkyri there were, then moving on to the next one with the pitch in tow. These methods are primitive, I know, but the surviving Valkyri, now only a fraction of their pre-invasion population, demanded that any outside party abide by culturally-sensitive methods, which may result in houses with wooden shutters, small windows and other stuff like wooden shingles, she thought. Which means that each cauldron could only allow five squares' worth of pitch (a square, in the roofing world, is 10 square meters) to be applied on the village's roofs before the cauldron empties, and then the pitch has to be molten again. It took approximately the length of time it took the workers to empty a cauldron's worth of pitch for Tyluko to get the cycle of snow, pyrokinesis and then cryokinesis to finish.

"Good. I taught you the basics of cryokinesis, and you have realized that cryokinesis has the reverse effect of pyrokinesis on the object you're using it on. There is one final lesson I want you to learn before I let you go: Electric Judgment. At this stage it might be too weak for you to use in combat, but you can use Electric Judgment to various ends: welding in an electrical arc, recharging a lightsaber or defibrillation. But before that lesson could proceed, I would like to know in what condition your lightsaber batteries are"

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

"Electric judgement".... The title of the ability seemed to demand respect, and seemed almost authoritative. Tyluko had not heard of this ability but it sounded alot like the Force Lightning ability that many Darksiders were fond of using. However this ability appeared to have many utilitarian uses, same with pyrokinesis and cryokinesis. However when the Twi'lek asked him about his lightsaber battery conditions, he looked down a little in embarrassment. "Ahhh I uh do not have a lightsaber as of yet, I have not made one."

[member="Cathul Thuku"]