No Side Greater Than The Other.

[Caedyn Arenais]

Commenor, ​

The Force Praxeum of Illaria Woodlands.​

​

​

Following his Uncle [member="Darlyn Excron"]'s Lesson on Niman, Caedyn Arenais made no haste in his return to Kashyyyk. He had told [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] in private that he had something he wanted to work on, and hoped to use this opportunity to utilize the facilities of the Force Praxeum that his Father had provided, back during the former Monarchy. There in his position was a special artifact that had been lent to him for temporary use, the Chronicle of Light, the Holocron of [member="Phylis Alince"] and [member="Coryth Elaris"]. What made this Holocron of such particular interest to Caedyn was the information it contained on the practice called Alkahest, which had also been hinted at producing similar results in the Je'daii Order's works, the likes that had created Caedyn's Bo Staff.

"Whatever Anil Kesh can imagine, Vur Tepe can make real" Caedyn smiled to himself as he recalled upon a quote that [member=Asha Hex] had once told him. Indeed, [member="Ignis Imura"] had defied Caedyn's belief not only in the creation of the Staff itself, but the manner in which he did so, also passing over his knowledge and skill in the practice to Caedyn through some form of Mind Control, a technique applied through the Force to see through Caedyn's own eyes, and to create the weapon with Caedyn's own hands. It was an experience unlike any other, with the exception of his Master's ability to Flow Walk.

The concept of the teachings he had gained through his time with the Je'daii Order, being utilized in conjunction with other rarer practices used by the Jedi such as Alkahest had never crossed his mind before. Caedyn had created a Force Imbued Blade on his own, yet never dared to push his practices beyond the minimal. Practices in Vur Tepe and Anil Kesh were requirements for completing his Journey to the rank of Je'daii Ranger, and yet he had never had the time to complete his path before the Je'daii had seemingly disappeared, seeking distant stars of learning beyond the known Galaxy.

Seating himself within one of the quiet studies attached to the Archives of the Praxeum, the young man placed the Chronical of Light before him before shifting himself to adopt a more relaxed position so that he could meditate and soon seek to embrace the learning of information that was held within.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Through meditation, Caedyn Arenais focused solely upon the Holocron positioned on the floor of the room before him. The device retained the teachings of two great Jedi, Force Practitioners far above his level of ability and so he found himself cautious, almost apprehensive of using the Holocron. Fortunately, he had been given the consent as well as the instruction on how to activate the device, and so by the time his eyes opened, seated opposite him was the Gatekeeper taking the form of one of the two creators.

"Greetings, young man" came the female's voice, the presence of which came not from her figure but from the Holocron itself. The appearance of the woman catching Caedyn rather off guard, though unsure what he had expected, such a surprise and realistic impression of another Force User had still managed to take his breath away a little; "To whom do I speak?".

This was the first time Caedyn had ever used a Holocron before, and even as the imitation of the device's creator was asking for his name, he still found himself a little dumbfounded trying to make sense of it all. Whether this was some sort of programmed artificial intelligence, or a result of the Force imbued into the Holocron, he couldn't tell. "Err, My name's Caedyn Arenais...Master?" He replied, calling the other by title though not without question as it seemed somewhat odd and out of place.

The Gatekeeper's likeness to Phylis Alince was something else, and though Caedyn had no real clue as to just how much effort had gone into the device, the projected intelligence was able to size up the young man's ability and force alignment of it's own free-will, seeking to determine whether he was genuine in his interactions and motive. "And what is it that you're seeking from my Chronicle of Light, Caedyn?" the Gatekeeper inquired with no notable hint as to whether it was yet willing to allow him access to the information it contained.

"I have been given permission to learn from you, about Light Alchemy...Something you call Alkahest".

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]
The spectral Jedi Master let out an audible ‘hmmph’. It seemed to be her usual form of exclamation.

“Well, Caedyn, Alkahest is a process of infusing the Light Side into an item. It could be roughly compared with the process of Sith Alchemy, but of course that is a facetious comparison. The only similarities are that both groups use the Force to indelibly imbue an item or creature. The difference is that the Dark Side creates monstrous results which excel in harming and destroying, whilst the Light is more about protecting and strengthening.”

It seemed to study him intently.
“Before we go further, there are some required skills you must have. You must be able to project the Light Side either through the…hmm…dramatic ‘Force Light’ or other means. Second, you must have either a source of Force storage crystals or be able to blacksmith. Next, you will need to have a clear idea of what you are trying to achieve. My advice is to start small and work your way up. I myself started with crystals, then a simple copper bar, then clothing, then simple weapons and jewellery. I can help you with this, but you must understand your limits. I can only do so much.”

There was a pause.
“Of course, Alkahest is only one of many topics this Chronicle covers. Can I interest you in my work on Levitation in the Pre-Tythonian Era?”

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn leaned forward a little, a subconscious effort of vested interest as he listened to [member="Phylis Alince"] begin to explain the basics of the concept. The differences in the practices of Ashla and Bogan weren't at all new to the young man, both for what he had seen in his peers back in his former Order, but also due to the threat's he had faced in the field of duty ever since he had come to join the Silver Jedi. There were also several prerequisites for being able to perform the art of light alchemy, and unfortunately Caedyn wasn't yet in possession of all of the required talents quite yet.

"I'm able to work a forge" Caedyn replied with a firm nod, "My time spent training at the Temple of Vur Tepe taught me a lot of what I know, and I've created a few Force Imbued items since then, though nothing to the level of experience required for this sort of practice, from what I hear", unfortunately the young man was less the Scholar and more the laborer. Perhaps it was more due to his own lack of self-esteem, but he had always found working with practical lessons easier than taking on the theoretical sessions in his learning. Master Alince certainly spoke as you might expect for someone of a high academic level.

"I haven't yet learned how to produce or control Light as some Jedi do. My Father has spoken highly of the ability, but I was previously taught to value balance in the Force; Before now, I've never really needed to put any focus on one side over the other...", this could prove to be something of a disappointing setback, though Caedyn didn't have anywhere else to be in a hurry, nor any reason to try to rush the learning of Alkahest. It had become an interest that he was gradually growing committed to learning, the more that he heard and learned about the art.

"Can I interest you in my work on Levitation in the Pre-Tythonian Era?".​

​

Caedyn paused a moment, his head falling a little to one side as he looked back at the Gatekeeper of the Holocron; "Would that help me in learning how to practice Alkahest?" he asked, feeling a little clueless. "I'm really hoping that this will sorta give me an edge with the Jedi, you know?" he added, expressing more on his personal motivations than on the subject itself; "I'm still trying to figure out who I am as a member of the Jedi, and with my previous experience in the Je'daii, something like Alkahest could really give me more to offer the Order".

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]

“Imbuement of the Force is a draining experience. You might not be ready for that yet… hmm but I am happy to attempt to teach you, yes. It’s not like I have much else to do right now!” the ghostly Jedi said with a chuckle.

“We can get started whenever you are ready, Caedyn.”

The gatekeeper looked a little shifty at the last question, even with its small size.
“Hmmph. Well…not directly, but it is a very important and interesting piece of work on a largely ignore field of Force talents.”
It sounded rather hopefully.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"This would be using alkahest, rather than normal imbuement?" Caedyn asked, hoping for clarification. The last Force Imbued Blade he'd created had been a great success, and regardless of his position with the Silver Jedi, his ability in the Force was significantly more than the average Padawan. Regardless, [member="Phylis Alince"] was considered by some to be a famed practitioner in the arts, and starting from the basics while under her tutelage couldn't hurt him any.

"I'm ready!" he spoke up decidedly. "I'll take on anything you can offer me, Master" he assured the Gatekeeper as though she were the real deal. Despite his quiet lack of self-confidence, the arguable flaw meant that he was always willing to put in the work in order to try and overcome how little he thought of himself. Always willing to go the distance when it meant bettering himself and adding to his worth to others out there in the Galaxy.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]
“Hmm? Yes, Alkahest, though it is very similar.”
There was a pause. Caedyn would feel another presence or entity probe against his mind gently, the Chronicle glowed gently.

“Very well, we will begin,” Phylis said, as though nothing had happened. The glow faded.

“First, you will need to acquire some pure Force sensitive crystals. The specifications are below.”

One of the faces of the Chronicle displayed some data with the exact requirements.

“Once you have those, reactivate me and we will begin in earnest.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn responded this time with a curt nod in confirmation. "I'll see what I can find, as well as talking to some people about Force Light. I want to be prepared next time I use the Chronicle, I was told to take extra care" he explained, feeling as though something as simple as using the holocron for what it was made for, was a risk to it's well-being. No one had ever given him something so valuable before, and he'd be certain to hand it back to Master [member="Phylis Alince"] in the same condition it had been lent to him.

"Thank you for agreeing to help me. Truly" he added, smiling appreciatively before reaching out with his right hand, his eyes closing a moment as the Force swelled around him, the device soon to deactivate and the room returning to the same dim lighting as it had been before Caedyn had started.

"I guess I've got some work to do then..." He spoke aloud to himself, knowing that it might be a while before he'd be ready to truly practice the art of light alchemy, yet also feeling a certain excitement over the new goal that he had every intention of fulfilling.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]
The Jedi Master’s ghostly form waved. “May the Force be with you, young Caedyn.”

Time passed, and when the Chronicle was next activated, after a brief scan the small form of Phylis was projected above the holocron.

“Ah, Caedyn. Hmm, have you acquired the components I requested?”

For some reason the spectral Jedi had a small…rat…on her shoulder.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

It had been quite a good deal of time since Caedyn Arenais had returned to activate and seek out the guidance of the Chronicle of Light. Over the months that had passed him by, Caedyn had been offered consistant guidance in the Silver Jedi Order by [member="Yuroic Xeraic"], as well as having traveled to Midvinter seeking out the further advice and teachings of [member="Coci Heavenshield"] in his search for knowledge and learning of the Art of Light Alchemy. Not only had he progressed in his training and understanding of Force Light and the Art of the Small, but he had also taken the time to visit several worlds well known for their source of Lightsaber Crystals, in this case bringing with him several pure crystals, as well as a most note-worthy Solari Crystal for the Gate Keeper to look over and hopefully approve of.

"Greetings Master" Caedyn spoke, sitting on his knees and leaning forward to offer the Gate-keeper a bow of respect. Upon sitting upright, the visage of [member="Phylis Alince"] would see that he was smiling, seemingly glad to be before her once more. It was an interesting new experience, to feel as though he was relating with someone on a personal level, despite that this expression of the Jedi Master was also a programmed function of the Holocron she had shared with another.

"Yes, I believe I have" He confirmed, "I have four Crystals here, as well as an extra one that I wanted to show you as well. I thought that it felt a bit more...-Special I suppose. I found it with the others, yet something about it felt different. Warmer, I guess you could say, where as the others didn't really make me feel good or bad at all".

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]
One of the sides of the holocron opened slightly to reveal a port.
“Please insert the crystals one by one.”
As this was done there was some glowing from the holocron.

“Analysis complete. Crystals two and three are suitable for our uses. Crystal one has some minor flaws which make it less useful for our purposes. In time I will teach you to reshape and fix the structure of the crystals to make them whole – but for now set the first aside. Hmm, the fourth crystal is a Solari crystal, am I correct? A very rare and powerful conduit indeed. We can make use of that – but for different means.”

Phylis gave the little rat a pat and it scampered off ‘camera’. “Pull up the second crystal. What I want you to do is focus upon it. Use the Force, divine its inner structure, notice how the crystal joins and builds a concrete whole. Everything is shaped and formed with a certain purpose, and everything is leading to a single point. That is what you must use to your advantage.”

“Now, call on the Force, draw the Light into the crystal, feel the structure of the molecules form a natural container. The Force can be stored, gathered, imprinted on an item should enough care be taken to create a cage it will stay there…for a while. Now try, there’s no rush.”

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn was suddenly relieved that he had managed to come up with several crystals, rather than appearing with only one and being told that it might not do the trick. Smiling a little in his small success, he took a seat upon the floor with the Chronicle of Light in front of him, moving to place each of the crystals within the Holocron port and awaiting each time for [member="Phylis Alince"] to study them. The Solari Crystal had certainly felt more different, as though it's presence was filled with more power than the others, a growing warmth that could be felt as he held it in the palm of his hand. When Master Alince suggested that it was a 'Solari' crystal, Caedyn lifted his head in a sort of half nod, not in the position to really know any better with this one.

For a moment, Caedyn found himself a little distracted as the Jedi Master's rat seemed to scurry away, the young man almost expecting the thing to run off across the floor, though the Holocron's emitters only reached so far and the creature vanished out of sight there-after.

Returning his attention to the Jedi Master, Caedyn reached for the second of the Crystals before him as instructed, taking it into both hands. Molecular structure, a complete whole object formed by varying sized and shaped parts all working towards the center, all connected and able to be traced through the Force. Caedyn had been studying this in the early days of his time with Master, [member="Coci Heavenshield"] on Midvinter. It was a practice that he had by no means perfected, though he was more experienced now than he had been back then.

Closing his eyes, he quietened his mind and sought to distract himself from all else around him, all except the voice of the Gate-Keeper and the presence of the crystal itself. Once his breathing had slowed and quietened, his mind at ease, he drew upon the force around him, pulling it towards his center and soon guiding the living presence to his arms, then his hands where he would channel it into the crystal. The Force, he had learned, was not bound by the same physical limitations that he was, instead it could be harnessed into a single point where it would remain if bound with enough concentration. Doing this took time, and by no means could he afford to rush this process; like so many times before, his brows furrowed, Caedyn doing his best to keep his doubts at bay whilst he kept his mind upon the formation within his hands. Slowly, gradually, he could feel the outer shell giving way to his will, the flow of power drip-fed at first though eventually transitioning into the crystal in a slow and steady stream of energy, bypassing the outer 'cage' to be contained within.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]
The holocron seemed to watch Caedyn’s efforts and nodded with approval.
“Hmm, good work. Now, slide it into the receiving port.”

With this done there was some bright flaring on the holocron.
“Congratulations, you have successfully stored some Force energy inside the crystal. Now, it will dissipate over time. However, the purpose of this is to build up a bank or battery of energy to draw on. Take the crystal out and try the reverse – draw the energy out of it back into yourself.”

“This function is the key first step which led me to the discovery of Alkahest. Hmmph, in fact it’s the most important lesson of all – the Force is malleable and can be worked like any mortal material if one has the skill and strength to do so.”

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn smiled a little warily, finding some small sense of achievement from the starting steps that he was being taught. Nodding briefly in acknowledgement to [member="Phylis Alince"]' instructions, he moved to take the focusing Crystal and instead simply holding it in both of his heads, seeking comfort in his seat upon the floor, his eyes falling closed once again as he sought to embrace meditation in order to focus his energy, concentrating first upon the crystal.

The Force was vast, a presence and power beyond all physical and spiritual boundaries. Incomprehensible to the minds of the living, yet Caedyn understood that his opportunities were endless, were he only willing to put in the time and effort to achieve his goals and further his studies of this miraculous presence that bound all things in the Galaxy.

Picturing the focusing crystal within his mind, the anchor being the power he'd placed within, Caedyn soon willed that same presence and power to be drawn back out of the small artifact. Acting almost like a vacuum, he drew upon this strength and gathered it within the center of his body, the heart of his very being and connection not only to the Force but to all attachments he held in life. This technique came with further ease than before, and he found more confidence in knowing and identifying where he had achieved his objective.

"I believe it's done, Master" Caedyn spoke up, his eyes opening to look to the Gate-Keeper for approval.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]
“The Force is an energy which flows through all things, Caedyn. It, like all energy, can be harnessed, it can be used for both good and bad purposes. Special care must be taken with this, not unlike hmm, fuel. In the right hands it can power and create, in the wrong hands, destroy. Hmmph, and in the incompetent hands…indiscriminate carnage.”

The gatekeeper dusted down her spectral robes. “How are you feeling now? Would you like to continue, or would you like to meditate on this?”

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"I'm eager to continue, Master" Caedyn replied to the visage of [member="Phylis Alince"], the Gate-Keeper whose knowledge was presumably vast on the subject that he was seeking to learn. "I realize this is only the first step...-And I'm curious about what comes next?" he spoke his thoughts on the subject and his curiosity of what lay in store for him and his lessons.

Caedyn knew however that the subject he had begun to study wasn't an easy one, nor one that could be rushed and so he would too understand if the Jedi Master before him would instead suggest for patience and a time to reflect on what he'd been taught thus far. Already Caedyn was making progress, what with the crystals and his practice for imbuing them with the power of the Force. There was still so much to cover, yet these were things that he'd also need to practice. It wasn't a simple case of 'once learned, forever capable'.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]
“The next step is to, hmm, put this into practice. We will start small. What we will need is some copper, a crucible, a furnace and a mould. We’re going to start simple, and if it doesn’t work we’ll just reheat and retry.”

Presumably these things were fetched. “Heat the copper until it is molten in the crucible and then be ready to transfer it to the mould. Have the crystals close as we will use them.”

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"What we will need is some copper, a crucible, a furnace and a mould".​

​

Caedyn looked back at the apparition of [member="Phylis Alince"] and twisted his mouth in a visible form of apprehension. He knew of many furnace and forging smithies that were perfect for these sorts of practical works. The Vur Tepe Forges upon Aurum sprang to mind, a world of which he and the Je'daii had spent a great deal of time upon in their endeavors.

"I see..." He spoke reluctantly, his gaze being drawn elsewhere for a moment before turning back to look to Master Alince more decisively; "Then perhaps you're right and a break is needed. I'm not sure I can do this next step with the place that I'm in. With your permission Master, I would like to continue this at a later date and take your advice with some reflection and meditation for the time being" he smiled warily.

"If it's not too much trouble, I will call upon you again in the future, where I'm better prepared with a forge and the things I need?".

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]
Phylis nodded. “Yes, yes, see to it. Hmm, in the meantime I have transmitted some information to your datapad which might help.”
Indeed there was some information on specifications for metal, crucibles and such…but there was also a large section on Levitation in the Pre-Tythonian Era.
Some light reading.

Time would pass, and when the holocron was next activated the Jedi Master’s spectral form seemed to be meditating. At first it made no reaction but finally it looked up.
“Ah…Caedyn, hmm? Acquired what we need?”