Private Rejuvenation

[Starlin Dinn]

Starlin was not going to argue with a break, so he carefully pressed the emitter button and watched as the orange blade snuffed itself out until only hilt remained. This he offered back to Jasper with both hands.​

​

"Thank you for the lesson, Sir" he said, with a sincere and respectful bow. It was more than just his head, the boy folded into the act, posture perfect and well practiced.​

​

Soon enough he was following after the Jedi, tilting his head curiously to one side. "What is a shuttle, Sir?" he asked, during the brief lull in conversation, before he focused on the other aspects Jasper was speaking of.​

​

"Trials" he echoed. "You had mentioned one of erm... Spirit? I think. Back in the desert." He shifted a little bit uncomfortably. "Facing myself, or something like that?" Then he stepped up alongside Jasper. "And learning to make one of those shoto-things?" A pause. "A lightsaber, right? That's what you said they're called?"​

​

Jasper Kai'el ​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Refuge, Grafted into Stone
Tags: Starlin Dinn

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"Trial of Spirit," Jasper stated. "It is the ultimate test of willpower. The final culmination of a Jedi's teachings... the most important. We'll have lots to talk about, but we'll take it one at a time so that it is all digestible."

As they entered the hangar, Jasper pointed to a more rounded starship. It was simple, rudimentary.

"That's a shuttle," he stated. "It isn't armed much, and it is used to move in and out of a planet's atmosphere. Well, and other places. Refuge isn't a planet. It's... something else."

The Jedi Master walked out to the end of the hangar and gazed out the magnetic shield. There in the inky abyss was a gas giant, itself surrounded by a ring. Starlin wouldn't have gotten a good look at the ring before now, but it clearly was mechanical in nature. On the inside, facing the planet, was greens and blues. Water, plant life. That was where they had been when they rescued Thyme .

"Nobody really knows who made it," he admitted. "All we know is that it's ancient... thousands of years ancient. Somebody put a lot of effort into bringing things from all over the galaxy here."

And Jasper very much wanted to know who.

 

[Starlin Dinn]

There was lots for him to learn, and though that thought was daunting Starlin felt up to the task. At least, he wanted to be up to the task. He drew a slightly nervous breath, but nodded his head. "Okay" he said, "I am eager to learn, Sir. I hope that I can prove myself worthy of your time and your teachings."​

​

The lad would give his all.​

​

As the shuttle came into view, Starlin studied it with a curious tilt to his head. "It looks like a spaceship" he said, "S-Sorry, erm.. Starship," he was constantly getting the two confused, "Something else, Sir?"​

​

He approached the energy shield and peered out over the gas giant, then his focus shifted to the ring. It was.. peculiar, even he could tell as much with his limited knowledge of space, but it was very compelling and he felt his heart skip a few beats to look upon it.​

​

"It's an artificial world?" he whispered, turning his head to look at Jasper with a breathy tone of awe. "Like a giant starship around the planet?"​

​

Jasper Kai'el ​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Refuge, Grafted into Stone
Tags: Starlin Dinn

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"It looks like a spaceship" he said, "S-Sorry, erm.. Starship,"

"Well, that's cause it is," he stated. "Shuttle is just the classification of Starship. Like, for example, the Grafted into Stone is a capital ship."

"It's an artificial world?" he whispered, turning his head to look at Jasper with a breathy tone of awe. "Like a giant starship around the planet?"

"Not a bad way to think of it," Jasper nodded. "I like to think of it as a terrarium, just... one that's environment is no longer curated. The planet itself is a Hycean world. Beneath all the gas that makes up the majority of the planet it's all water. Weird, huh? Whoever built the ring here must have done so because they could easily move all that water to make the artificial oceans. But why would anyone build something like this? A repository of species? A control group for an experiment? The only think I do know is that people have been living here for thousands of years, either brought here by something ancient or finding their way here to get away from the Galaxy's woes..."

After a pause, Jasper turned back to the shuttle and gestured for Starlin to follow him aboard.

"Well, I suppose the ride down is a good time to ask if you have any questions after we explored those ruins," he suggested. "Must still have a lot on your mind, yeah?"

 

[Starlin Dinn]

"Classification" he echoed, with a soft nod of his head. "And you say it's meant for shorter journeys, down to the planet?" A pause. "Or, the ring in this case?" He openly admired the shuttle, he was growing a certain fondness for the many vessels this Galaxy had to offer. They all seemed so different from one another, yet served similar functions. It was interesting, and he found himself wanting to learn more.​

​

For now though, he focused on the planet.​

​

"Thousands... I'm sorry, thousands of years?" His eyes widened. "So all of this... technology. It's nothing new? The ships and the guns and the laser-swords? Thousands?" That was a dizzying thought, especially since Zaathru lacked anything even akin to it. At least, the desert he called home lacked it. Starlin had not visited beyond there since he had been just a tyke, he didn't remember anything else.​

​

Squashing down that existential dread, Starlin nodded and followed Jasper onboard.​

​

"I do, Sir," he confessed, though primarily his thoughts went to "Miss Thyme, Sir, is she okay? Did she make it home or is she settled somewhere safe?"​

​

Then he swallowed. "Did you and Mister Braze find anything more out? What happened down there..?"​

​

Jasper Kai'el ​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Refuge
Tags: Starlin Dinn

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"Miss Thyme, Sir, is she okay? Did she make it home or is she settled somewhere safe?"

"She's staying in Respite. That's where we're headed now," Jasper explained. "As for her home... well, a bit of a puzzle. She says it's called Tahdooene, sounds like Tatooine. Just... a little off. Unless you're a Jawa. They say the planet like that, the planet's name derives from that word. You'd think that solves the problem, but Tatooine is a barren, oceanless wasteland. If we assume that this is the right place, well... the home she remembers probably stopped existing a long time ago. It sort of lines up with something she said when we released her..."

Then I got... th-thrown into a very dark place. I-it was cold too. And then we were here.

"As for what we've found, really not much of anything," he sighed. "This 'Xhu' woman picked the place clean, didn't leave a trace of what she was doing or where she went. Seems like she was confident enough that we would find where she was to let us know she existed. Just to get in our heads? There's still a lot that I need to understand about the ongoing situation."

The shuttle lifted up and set off towards the magnetic shield. As Jasper guided it through and began down towards the ring he continued to speak.

"We may very well be dealing with a crime thousands of years in the making."

 

[Starlin Dinn]

"We are? Do you think she'd want to see me, or..?" He chewed the inside of his cheek. "I don't want to overwhelm her, Sir, I just... I think I know a little of what she's going through, that's all." If Jasper said no he'd listen, he'd learned his lesson about disobeying orders last time they were on Refuge.​

​

What came next was a series of words Starlin had no knowledge on or references for, but which Jasper made seem like familiar phrases. "Tah-too-een?" he whispered, trying to wrap his tongue around it. He did something similar for Jawa, before shaking his head. "But she mentioned oceans, how does a place filled with oceans become a desert?"​

​

Did Mercuitie now sit where an ocean once did too..?​

​

The Xhu incident made little sense either, though this time it wasn't a linguistics or knowledge problem and more of a motivation issue. "I'd have guessed it was a trap, but... As far as I can tell nothing happened down there when we entered." His cheeks burned slightly. "I really am sorry for rushing on ahead like that," he whispered as an aside, apologizing not for the first time, before focusing back on the matter of traps. "Unless..." He shook his head. "No." He wouldn't finish that thought, wouldn't make an accusation about the terrified young woman who had lost her home and was dealing with such clear trauma.​

​

He settled into a seat beside Jasper once aboard the shuttle, then rubbed his forehead. "There's that number again" he complained, as he massaged his temples. "Thousands... But if it happened thousands of years ago how is Miss Thyme here now? She'd have to be really, really old, or else..." The boy frowned. Another thought left unfinished.​

​

Jasper Kai'el ​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Refuge
Tags: Starlin Dinn

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"Thyme seems pretty open to receiving guests," he noted. "She's... lonely, I think. Hard to knock her for it. I think most folks in her shoes would feel lonely."

"But she mentioned oceans, how does a place filled with oceans become a desert?"

"There are theories," Jasper mentioned. "Some suggest that it occurred when the planet got too close to it's twin suns. If the oral traditions of the Tuskens are to be believed... it was a catastrophic disaster that may have been triggered with intent. Whatever the case is, the oceans that were there aren't now."

And then what came up was what Jasper had been waiting for. Starlin running ahead. Jasper didn't even really look upset at the topic, just ready. It was the sort of look that somebody who had come to be experienced with teaching wore when they were preparing to give important information to someone. And it was indeed important that Starlin learned from what occurred in that ruin.

"Sorry is fine," he responded, "But action makes apologies real, yeah? There are lots of things to consider in a situation like that. Are you running into a trap? Are there people being held hostage that might get hurt if you rush in? It's important to think about the safety of yourself and others when you believe someone is in danger. Someone once told me that you save more people alive than you do dead, and I've found that to be pretty true. Just something to keep in mind, yeah? We just gotta work on taking your empathy and turning it into a vehicle to help folks safely, you and I. Nothing that can't be done with a little effort."

Starlin seemed reluctant to accuse Thyme of leading them into a trap. Jasper agreed. Nothing happened, and her emotions were genuine. It seemed likely that whatever had occurred was really just as strait forward as it seemed.

That was what really had him concerned.

"There's that number again" he complained, as he massaged his temples. "Thousands... But if it happened thousands of years ago how is Miss Thyme here now? She'd have to be really, really old, or else..."

"I suspect that it may be carbonite," the man noted. "Bounty hunters use it to seal people in a sort of tomb, it locks them in time. I know some people who were born hundreds of years ago but were preserved in carbonite. They stepped out still at the age when they got put in."

 

[Starlin Dinn]

"Then, when I have a free moment, I would like to visit with her, please."​

​

Twin suns. His eyes widened, before he tilted his head. "It has two suns? I didn't know that was even possible. And it's still... livable? Like, people live there, and visit it, even though it's just desert and... sun..s..." He frowned. "There's evidence that there really was an ocean there once?" If the natives called it that, and it had once been an ocean, then maybe they really had discovered Thyme's homeworld.​

​

"Last time I saw her, I didn't know where my home was, or it's name. Now I know both... I hope that, maybe, that will bring her some comfort. I felt like getting back home again was impossible, but it wasn't." He looked down. "Though, my home was just as I left it. My uncles were there. If she's from another time, she won't be so fortunate will she? She... won't have anywhere or anyone to go back to." He looked genuinely heartbroken, his overactive empathy kicking in once more.​

​

Speaking of which...​

​

"I know that, Sir," he said, "My Uncles raised me to only say sorry if I intended on not repeating it, and I promise I will listen and be more careful going forward." He was not afraid of hard work and effort.​

​

"Carbonite." He hummed, listening to the description Jasper gave and slowly nodding his head. "If it's capable of suspending someone like that, then... yeah. She said she was cold, is this carbonite thingy cold?" He rubbed his forehead again. "But then, how would the other one, the Xhu person, have lived through it to ... unlock them?"​

​

It was a lot to process. He took a moment to wipe his hands on his trousers, trying to do away with the nervous moisture building up, and in doing so felt something rolling in his right pocket.​

​

"Oh!" he said, lifting his head to meet Jasper's gaze. In spite of the heaviness of their former topic, his eyes lit up. "I found something, I thought it might interest you, Sir." He reached into his pocket to pull out something small wrapped in cloth. It thrummed with the Force, giving off a peaceful aura if Jasper focused on it.​

​

Jasper Kai'el ​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Refuge
Tags: Starlin Dinn

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"But then, how would the other one, the Xhu person, have lived through it to ... unlock them?"

"Unclear," Jasper muttered. "Maybe a fail-safe? Like a dead-man switch that went off when the systems began to fail to release her from stasis..."

Jasper was at least glad that Starlin wanted to visit the girl at least. It would give her someone to talk to. Normalcy was important to civilians, especially when displaced from their homes. It meant that Starlin was going to connect with the work of the Outcasts very well.

Then Starlin pulled out something he hadn't expected.

"I found something, I thought it might interest you, Sir." He reached into his pocket to pull out something small wrapped in cloth. It thrummed with the Force, giving off a peaceful aura if Jasper focused on it.

Jasper reached out for a moment with his organic hand, as though just to feel the aura of the stone better. With his natural Force senses weakened, he often needed to be closer to something to feel it.

"Well I'll be..." the Master remarked. "Genuine Kyber... These stones are the heart of a lightsaber, and a beating heart at that. They're alive... they choose their padawan wielder in one of the earliest trials of the Order. Where did you find it?"

If he already had Kyber, that was an indication that things might be proceeding faster than Jasper expected.

He was going to have a lot to do.

 

[Starlin Dinn]

When Jasper reached for it Starlin offered it up higher, unveiling it as he went. The amber-yellow slither of Kasha emitted a certain warmth that was felt internally more so than on the skin; the boy had no issues if Jasper took it to hold and inspect.​

​

"Kyber" he whispered, "and you said.. alive?"​

​

He swallowed when the question came, cheeks burning slightly. "Well, you know how my jelly-ship," yes, that was the term he now used when referencing Leviathan, "likes to... bounce around?" Jump him from one side of the Galaxy to another while he slept, "It brought me to the Axion sector. I asked Pluto to find us a habitable planet, and where he brought me had this old ruined temple. The music sang to me, the uh-- the Force, guided me down into the basement. There was this big workshop looking room, partly crushed, and in the rubble..."​

​

He pointed to the crystal.​

​

"It wouldn't let me leave without it. Had me digging through the dirt."​

​

Jasper Kai'el ​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Refuge
Tags: Starlin Dinn

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"It wouldn't let me leave without it. Had me digging through the dirt."

"Well, then you were chosen for a reason," he noted. "This stone may be one of the most important things you ever hold. It will give you clarity in times of crisis, so be certain never to lose it."

Before long, the vibrant and quite rural town of Respite came into view as they descended. Fresh housing complexes were amidst construction on the outskirts of the settlement, which was circular in nature. It all revolved around one focal point, the Temple of the Jedi Outcasts. While a modest structure, Jasper knew that the real scale of the building lie in the ground below. Jasper would land the ship and proceed towards the exit ramp.

"That means we've got a lot of things to add to our itinerary," Jasper relayed. "You can already build a lightsaber. There are some things that you should know before then, primarily the Jedi Code. I'm... assuming you're unfamiliar, yes?"

After all, he didn't know what a Jedi was until recently.

 

[Starlin Dinn]

The solemnity of Jasper's tone had a shiver running the length of Starlin's spine, and suddenly everything felt so much more... serious. Real. He swallowed and slowly nodded his head, before he covered up the crystal and returned it to his pocket for safe keeping. "I won't lose it" he promised. He had kept it on his person since finding it, cherished it in his own way.​

​

As Respite grew in the transparisteel viewing port before them, Starlin's eyes widened and his smile grew. There was something so familiar about its more rustic charm, that had his heart aching for home. Thankfully it did not seem so far away anymore, and he was able to breathe through the homesickness and continue on without pause.​

​

He followed Jasper toward the boarding ramp, nodding his head in agreement. "I'm unfamiliar with this code you speak of, Sir," he confirmed, "What is it?" He didn't even have the good sense to assume it was an access code, because they weren't a thing back home either. The closest thing he could compare it to was cryptology, but he knew better than to make assumptions so he awaited Jasper's response.​

​

When they stepped out into the artificial world, Starlin drew a big deep breath and turned his face toward the sun.​

​

Jasper Kai'el ​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Refuge
Tags: Starlin Dinn

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"I'm unfamiliar with this code you speak of, Sir," he confirmed, "What is it?"

"It's the foundation of the Order, our guiding principle," Jasper noted. "It also might be the most controversial thing to ever be made. I suppose that depends on your point of view."

Jasper cleared his throat before reciting it in full.

"There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos; there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force"

"Of course, it raises a lot of questions, doesn't it?" he continued. "We feel emotions, so how are there no emotions? If things are meant to be in harmony, why are we always amidst chaos? Five statements carry with them an entirely new string of complications that I doubt the original theologians ever fully prepared for. There is a version I think helps me understand what those words mean in a better way, one from an ancient war with the Sith. A war that destroyed the Old Republic."

"Emotion, yet peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony.
Death, yet the Force."

As Jasper lead Starlin into the Temple, it's age became apparent. Weathered stone floors, walls that seemed carved out of a parent material. Even so, modern additions were scattered about. New support beams, light fixtures, and much more. Truthfully the structure looked half Temple, half local militia base. As the primary home of operations for the Outcasts it had to serve many functions.

"I don't see the Code as a denial of those things," Jasper explained. "Emotion, Ignorance, Chaos... these are all real things. They're just the tribulations that come with life, and they're things that all Jedi must overcome. Take emotion. Empathy and love our powerful things. They can bring with them change, growth, relief to the weak. I would even say in many cases we are called to feel empathy and love. But, these things can also blind us. If we turn off our minds and let ourselves be controlled by emotion, we may act in ways that harm others with our gifts. Maybe even those we aim to help. To that end, we must understand and except our emotions for what they are, then learn to act in control of them. That, I believe, is the true essence of the Code. Acceptance of things that are natural, but a vow to not let these things dictate our actions for the good of others."

Jasper would offer Starlin a weary smile.

"Of course, you're going to meet Jedi who disagree with what I said," the Master accepted. "And you're going to come up with your own interpretations. These are natural for words that have been shared for thousands of years. Just remember that no matter what anyone thinks, you shouldn't let yourself get wrapped up in nonconstructive debate about the Code. Important words as they are, they're just words. Letting yourself get wound up and angry over them is a betrayal of what they were made for. You will certainly meet Jedi who have forgotten this."

The two would continue down a hallway and into a room filled with work benches, boxes of materials, strange components.

"Hopefully that wasn't too much to lay on you all at once."

 

[Starlin Dinn]

"Controversial" he whispered beneath his breath as he followed along behind Jasper, bracing for what was to come. When they stepped into the shadow of the Temple, and the sun found itself eclipsed, he turned his focus back to the man before him and away from the warmth of the sky.​

​

As Jasper spoke, Starlin listened intently, giving the man his full attention even as he hurriedly followed on behind. Starlin often relied on lip-reading to fully absorb what someone was saying, so in this moment his face was a little scrunched up in additional focus given he could not see Jasper's face. He wasn't deaf, he just had a few sensory issues no doubt caused by the faint music that often shared his airspace.​

​

The floor beneath his feet shifted and changed once they reached the Temple proper, a heavier stone beneath the slap of his boots. His gaze shifted briefly to take in the entry, then the hall, and finally the workshop, though each was a very brief glance before his gaze returned to the back of Jasper's head.​

​

As though somehow he could see through the man's cranium to read what was being said.​

​

"It has brought people to.. anger..?" he asked at last, brows knitting together in confusion. "But they're only words... you said an ancient war? So then, they're ancient verses..? It won't make me angry, Sir."​

​

He swallowed, then shook his head. "A lot, yes, but I don't think too much." There was a brief pause, as he reached for a satchel that was not hanging where it should have been. Realizing he had left his satchel - and thus, his journal - behind on his new ship, Starlin frowned.​

​

"Have you some paper and graphite, Sir? I think I might like to write it down so I can go over it later."​

​

Jasper Kai'el ​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Refuge
Tags: Starlin Dinn

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"Yup," Jasper nodded, "I got pencils and grid paper. Most of the folks around here like to do their planning digitally, but I find that doesn't really help me much. Physical blueprints are better."

He handed Starlin paper and pencil before continuing.

"You'd be surprised the kinds of things ancient verses can make people feel," he noted. "When those words are about your identity as an order, people can be judgemental if they think they know it better. That's not a Jedi problem, though, that's a people problem. That's what the Code is meant for, though. To help us overcome the challenges we face as people, and to responsibly navigate our gifts. We can get more into philosophy later, of course, but it is important to at least know and remember the Code first. Speaking of important."

Jasper then gestured to the workshop before Starlin, giving him a moment to take in the layout before he spoke again.

"Everything you need to build a lightsaber exists right here in this room," he relayed. "You will need to construct it yourself. That is the first trial of a true padawan learner."

 

[Starlin Dinn]

With the stationary in hand, he folded the piece of paper in half to make it a sturdier surface to write on while walking and hummed softly to himself as he jotted it down.​

​

"So you said... There is no Emotion, there is Peace... but then, Emotion, yet Peace..?" he asked for clarification. "Can you please repeat the first one for me? I can translate it into the simpler code myself." With that out of the way, he tucked the sheet into his pocket then followed Jasper onward.​

​

"I suppose, if it's how you view yourself, and your people, that it not feeling right could make someone upset. I can see that perspective, even if I don't inherently agree with it. Then again, this is all so new to me so I guess I have no real leg to stand on."​

​

He nodded. "I quite like philosophy, Sir, my Uncles like to debate and I got roped into it a lot" he smirked.​

​

For now their immediate concern was the final room they came upon. He looked around it, eyes wide, then took a few steps further inside.​

​

"This is like the room I found Kyber in" he said, not realizing that wasn't the literal name of the crystal he had unearthed.​

​

"A Pad..what Learner?" He looked back to Jasper, reaching into his pocket for the precious crystal.​

​

Jasper Kai'el ​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Refuge
Tags: Starlin Dinn

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos; there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force"

Jasper could repeat the code with ease. He knew it by heart, as did he know many of the variations. He'd say it slower so that Starlin could write it all down before another question came up.

"This is like the room I found Kyber in" he said, not realizing that wasn't the literal name of the crystal he had unearthed."A Pad..what Learner?"

Interesting. So he had found the Kyber in a forge, had he? That was an interesting detail. Jasper couldn't help but wonder if something lingering with the stone lead him to it. The spirit or will of a former wielder? The Force could be a very strange thing.

"Padawan learner," Jasper repeated. "That is any who train under a master to ascend the ranks of the Jedi Order. When your training is complete, you become a Jedi Knight. Those deemed the most skilled are elevated to Jedi Master. It's not an overnight journey. I wasn't Knighted until I was about twenty or so, and I had been training my whole life. Some of us learn quickly, others take more time."

Jasper would reach into a box and pull out a simple base frame for a lightsaber hilt.

"So, this place is called a Forge," he explained. "When a Padawan receives their kyber, they must construct a lightsaber as a test of their technical abilities. You must learn what every part is and what it does, where to put it. If you want to be old-school, many padawans were required to construct their lightsabers telekinetically. That one takes a bit of practice to get right, though. Of course, we have so many parts in our Forge so our learners can experiment and see what works. That and it leaves us with spare parts for later. Lightsabers are a powerful tool, but not indestructible."

He would offer the hilt to Starlin.

"You ever build things when you were younger?" the man asked. "You know, like puzzles or kites?"

Jasper wondered how prepared Starlin was to get his hands dirty. No matter how ready he was, he was going to have to learn. After all, a Lightsaber was a tool that the wielder had to understand to use. It was a necessity.

 

[Starlin Dinn]

He scrawled swiftly, but surprisingly neatly. His penmanship was clearly well practiced, it was a discipline he had learned early on, after all he had not been raised with the technology others took for granted, and his Uncles - particularly Darien - were sticklers for neatness. In the end he had both the Jedi Code and the Refined Jedi Code written on the grid paper. "Thank you, Sir."​

​

As words were explained, and the lightsaber parts shown, Starlin took it all in. ​

​

"So it is a student? And a Master is their teacher?" His whole life... that was a little intimidating to Starlin, whose eyes widened. Then, following a nice slow breath, he nodded. "I am in no rush, Sir, I will do my best and I will give my all. I won't let you down." He turned the crystal over in his hand, which itself was currently in his pocket. "I just want to help" he said.​

​

The question left him thoughtful, then he nodded. "Yes, Sir, I built and made lots of things. I was always helping Da---uh... Uncle Theryn make new garden beds, and they provided me with plenty of wood to tinker with." He knew that wood was not exactly on par with the mechanical nature of the lightsaber, just looking at all of the pieces made him realize that, but... it was something.​

​

He turned the casing over, inspecting it from several angles. He could see where things slotted, though he had no clue what.​

​

Jasper Kai'el ​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Refuge
Tags: Starlin Dinn

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"Yes, Sir, I built and made lots of things. I was always helping Da---uh... Uncle Theryn make new garden beds, and they provided me with plenty of wood to tinker with."

Woodworking. That was something. Jasper would nod when Starlin asked about padawans being students and Masters being teachers, confirming the analogy. He also couldn't help but smile when the boy said he wouldn't let him down. Earnestness was a novelty in the Galaxy these days. Jasper knew he had a responsibility to help it grow and become something that Starlin could be proud of himself.

"Well, let's think about this like a puzzle," he decided. "When put together in the proper way, all of the pieces will achieve your goal: that is to make your lightsaber activate and make a blade of plasma. So, take this part for example."

Jasper would hand Starlin a lens-looking piece, almost like a little microscope attachment or magnificent glass.

"That is a focusing lens," Jasper elaborated. "See, the Kyber acts like a battery. Energy flows from the stone and out, but if that energy isn't focused through a lens it can't manifest into a plasma. Think about light passing through a prism. Same principle. But, energy passing through a stone doesn't really have a shape, does it? A lightsaber is a solid blade, and it cuts like it has a physical presence. You need other parts to make it that way. In time, you'll know what every part is and exactly how to assemble it."

In time was the important part. It was his first trial, but Jasper wanted to be sure that he didn't express urgency. After all, this was the beginning of a long road. He'd ease the boy into it before the intensity ramped up.