Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Through Fire and Flames

A U R U M
The Silent Temple - Starforge

I was nervous. It seemed like I always was now days. However, this was for an entirely different reason. I was meeting up with Forgemaster Emberfall. The Valkyri was the master with a hammer and tongs. Forging just about anything and everything that was needed for the Je'daii order. As such, I had met up with her earlier. Speaking about wanting to learn how to create a force imbued weapon. Considering that this was also part of the trials to rise within the ranks of the Je'daii.

When I had first joined up, I didn't think I really wanted to stay. But after much debate with Kinta, and Lucem about it, I decided that it was best to do them even if I didn't stay, for the pure factor of learning more, and being that I would also become a member. This is why I was nervous. I feared that I would mess up. In my right mind, I knew that I would. It was always going to happen. What I truly feared was that I wouldn't be able to learn from my mistake and better myself upon learning how to create such items.

Breathing in, The floating orb around my head was making it's own electronic noises.

"Why are you even learning how to make this? You fight with your hands."
"That may be true, but what if I have to use a weapon? Fists are not always the answer to every solution."
"Duh, but why make one of these difficult weapons when you can just get a lightsaber or a blaster?"
"It's part of the Je'daii trials. I also want to create something that will fit me. Not the general public."
"Sooooo you want to be a special snowflake?"
"No. Its an acheavement to make something like this. For us who desire to make something of ourselves, we create something that gives us pride in who we are. Just like Jedi creating their own Lightsaber. The Je'daii create their own force imbued weapon."
"I get ya now. You want to stroke your ego."
"Look, If you were in the same position I was in, would you go to learn how to make these before you had to so you could be ahead of the game, or would you sit by and do nothing?"
"Point taken."

It seemed like that finally shut the shard up. However, that is when the Forgemaster came around the corner. She was wearing one of the large leather aprons that I assumed I would be wearing. Looking to Lucem, he nodded his head and began to record everything that would be taking place. This way I could return back to it, and learn from it. Or, even use it at a much later date to create a Holocron like my uncle did, thus all the information I knew would be stored upon it. My mind returning to the woman as she gripped my arm like any other Valkyri would, I returned it in kind.

"You wanted to learn Force Imbued weapons eh? Welcome to the Starforge. First off, need you lose the extra clothes. Don't want to burn them or get in the way, right?"

She in the meantime was putting her hair up into a rather thick pony tail while I removed my bracers, and jacket. Putting my own hair up in a small man bun to keep my hair out of my face, and prevent fire from singeing my hair. Nodding my head to her statment about losing the gear as I did so.

"Alright Shaper. First off, you need to learn how to deal with the forges."

Leading me off to the forges, She then showed me around. The main forge that was heated using electricity, and would provide a better source for forging blades, or heat treating a weapon. While the fire forge was mostly used for traditional forging of blades. Thus would be requiring more work, and training to be done. Honestly, I wouldn't mind being trained in either or both. Better if I could learn all of it. However, this was just for the easiest to be done, and get across. She also led me over to belt sanders, the large shop filled with tools of every kind, explain in vague detail what would be inside, and furthering the tour of the place with power hammers of different kinds, shaping tools, and set ups for cutting metal, or anything else. It was a lot of information to keep in mind. Which is why I was glad I brought Lucem along with me.

"Any questions?"
"Where do we start?"
"We are going to start with the smaller stuff. Teaching you how to actually forge a blade. But first, you need to learn this."

Reaching down and over a bit to what was a blank sword, one that I could work with, she then placed into the furnace and turned back over to me.

"You need to learn how to hit with a hammer."
 
Taking a hold of the hammer, I slammed upon the blank. The heat of the blade could be felt through the clothing I wore, and the heat of the room itself was enough to make me sweat through said clothing. Emberfall had given me the blank and told me that I needed to forge and edge upon the blade. The hammer head pinged against the almost white hot metal. Taking measured blows to the edge, I slanted weapon to the anvil. Using the flat surface of the anvil itself, and the hammer to create the flat edges upon which the bevel, or in essence, the plunge of the straight slab of metal to the edge, would be created.

However, the blade kept bending on me. I wanted to turn it to it's side and smack the hammer on the weapon to straighten out out. However, as soon as I had lifted it like that a moment ago, Ember gave me the motherly like call of "Nuh uh uhhhh." Even wagling her finger at me as though I were a child who had decided to run in the hallways of some sacred church. I continued to work on the side that I was on. Taking strike after strike to the blade. Even flipping it over to do the other side in same. Flipping between the two sides to make a relatively good bevel in my opinion. Once I was done, I motioned for the Forgemaster to look at it.

Walking over, she looked at it. Didn't even pick it up and shook her head. Sticking it once more into the furnace and then sat down back where she was. Just waiting. She wasn't telling me how to do it. Which infuriated me, and made me trust this woman in an almost complete sense. Allowing me to learn off of my own mistakes. Once it was hot enough, I pulled the blade out by the tang, and placed it once more. Working on the same side. Using delicate, but forceful blows to move the two edges of the slab together. I was getting closer and closer. However, as I picked it up to inspect the edge, I realized that it was out of alignment. I closed my eyes and sighed to myself.

Thinking this over, I thought of ways that I could fix this bending of the edge. It wobbled back and forth down the edge in a way that no where near looked like a sword edge. More so a stick you picked up off the ground. Smacking it in the center wouldn't do the trick. Much like making the bevel, it required many blows that overlapped. So my thoughts lead me to believe that I needed to once more work from the bottom of the blade, to the tip. Keeping my strikes more consistent in strength and force. I concentrated upon the blade. Bringing it up time and time again to look at the blade. Getting it as straight as I could. Working the material through several heats. Lucem making notes that heats were when one would heat the blade up to the desired form, and then pull out the blade to work with it until the heat was too low to work with, or too low that the forger did not find to their liking.

After what seemed forever, and several heats later, I then indicated for Thorve once more. Her frame walked over and inspected the blade. Actually picking it up this time and looking over the blade. I watched her face contort in different facial expressions as she approved, disproved, or out right deny what I had done. However, she placed the weapon once more into the furnace and turned to look to me.

"You have the main idea. Using multiple strokes and strikes to get the bevel. However, the curving of the sword is caused from doing the bevel. Work on the other side, and this time, I'll show you how to do it. This is a little different because we are making a single edged sword."
"Why a single edge? Wouldn't a double edge be harder?"
"Depends on the smith. Generally you do the same as you did earlier but just on two sides. With a single edge, you want to have some bevels on the back to straighten the blade, and it brings in the billets corners to be ground down easier. An hour at the forge saves ten hours at the sanders."

Nodding my head, We both waited for the blade to get hot. Upon which she pulled it out. However, much earlier than I expected. Instead of bringing it out when it was red hot, it was barely an orange color. I looked at her with a furrowed brow. Wanting to ask a question, but her face showing that she wanted to get this done, showed me that I would ask her later.

Watching her was like watching water fall from a cliffside, or the trees bend in the wind, or the ripples of flame as they rose into the air. It was beautiful and mezmerising at the same time. She worked so fast. Able to straighten the blade and create what looked to be multiple bevels or slants upon the back. At first, it looked like she was just pounding the hammer into the steel. Upon closer inspection, and watching where each blow landed, I saw lines begin to form. While they were not definite, they consisted of many divots and strikes to create one uniform idea. Much like a person being who they are because of so many variables in their background and what made the person who they were.

After a moment, she then explained herself.

"I took the blade out earlier because I like working with a orange heat rather than a red hot. As well, the work you did on the edge, I do not want to ruin and create flat points that will need to be sanded out. Thus having a lower heat will prevent that. Now, the beveling on the back is very much like a Katana. This creates the back or the spine of the sword. Its mostly done this out of tradition as there are some who skip this part, but with different forging styles and techniques, you may have to forge the spine as well as the blade."
"So Katana's you have to for their style, while other weapons you don't really need to?"
"No need to, but it wont hurt to do it. As well, with different quenching mediums, and the curve of the blade, you can come up with some really curved katans, or straight bladed weapons depending on what you do, but that is for a later time."
"Anything else?"
"Work on the other side, then we we get to sharpening the blade."
 
Working on the other side was much easier. Knowing what needed to be done, it was well off. Slowly getting towards the shape and desire that I wanted. Working with it, the shape was becoming more defined. Less a hunk of metal, and more of a sword. I could just see the edges and imagine swinging it. While my teacher was preparing the belt sanders that we would be using, I held the blade out with both hands. Just thinking of using the sword once I was done. Maybe I could do this. Maybe I could learn how to create weapons for myself and others. Considering my father did do it through Sith Alchemy, I would change that. Make them through the force. Lightsided if I could.

I was pulled from my thoughts with Master Emberfall tapping my head. Shaking it to see her standing there, She then took the sword from me and walked over to the belt sanders. Following her, she then motioned for me to grab a different sword. Indicating for me to sand it. She was wanting me to learn. Wanting me to learn by my mistakes without messing up the blade itself. I appreciated that notion. She then showed me how I should hold it. Teaching me hollow grinds and plunge grinds and flat grinds. The difference between it and how making one single movement could change the look of the blade. Handing me a pair of gloves to protect my hands from the sparks, and from the sanders,

"Wear them even if you don't like it. Don't want your skin taken off to the bone with these things."
"They can do that?"
"Held there for a second or two longer than what you might think, yes they can."
"Well Chit."

She took her own blank, and began to work on her own. I watched for a moment. Watching as she made the profile of the blade. Cleaning up the edges to all be one length. She then worked on a plunge grind. Even as she worked on this, she then spoke to me.

"During the forging, you want to imbue the force into it. Emotions are powerful, and will help, but keep control of them. It's like sensing an object. Focusing upon it and push yourself into the blade. Feel the length, feel the width, feel how the sanders scrape up against the side. Start there."
"Yes ma'am."

I took a hold of the blade and followed suit. Letting the sparks fall to the ground as I placed the metal against the belt. Pushing on it, I couldn't quite get a grip of it. I almost felt like the blade wanted to slide from my hand. However, I held on. Trying to find some kind of purchase on the blade, I was holding it awkwardly. Shaking my head, I placed on hand on the tang, and one on the face. Pushing it into the belt. But I didn't feel like I was doing enough. Still, I let the belt do the work. Slowly eating away at the rugged metal. The scraping sound, was semi-pleasant and calming almost. Taking a moment to breathe in and out, I focused upon the blade. Like she said, I searched through the force to find it's signature. Yet I couldn't find it.

I turned to her, but she was already answering me as I turned.

"Search deeper. Don't extend your arm in any direction. Find it by feeling the flow of the force. Find where the sword flows. Then follow the stream."

I nodded my head. I needed to find this stream, feel the flow of the force. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. Focusing upon the force. Searching for this sword. Not the sword itself, but feeling the force around it. How it ebbed and bent around it. The absorption of it drew my attention. Flowing within, I reached through the force to the blade itself. Finding a hold, I held on tightly. Finding it, and then focusing upon it. Breathing easily and calmly.

With my lessons on the emotions of the force, with learning how to control the force within myself, as I am not just a being with the force, but of the force. I am someone who has the essence within. Taking a hold of the blade once more, I brought it to the sander. Feeling it's edges, and slopes. Finding the very fibers of the metal that created this sword. Almost instantly I knew the blade to be made of a durasteel alloy. Made with Alusteel. I would have never known that if I hadn't felt the very fibers within the blade. It was only with touching on my shoulder that I pulled out and away from the grinder and the sword. Emberfall behind me flabbergasted with something.

"The force. It flows through you in a way that I have never seen before. It's like the force itself comes from within you, not you drawing upon it."
"Is that good?"
"You are strong within it. I can feel so much about you. The fear you have, the power to push yourself even with your circumstances. It's amazing."
"Good then."
"Whatever you are doing, keep doing it."

Nodding my head, I looked to the sword. Seeing that the blade's edge was ground in, and was actually taking shape. I was surprised with how much I had gotten done. It was as if I was meant to do this. I smiled lightly as I once more looked within the force to the sword. Putting it to the sander in a plunge grind. Taking away the metal to reveal a pristine shape and form. Even honing it almost to an edge. Even putting a filler about half way up the length of the blade. Even now, I could feel the sword more easily within the force. However, Ember placed the sword I had worked on earlier into my hand. The one that I was supposed to work with.

"Now do that with this one."

As she said, I did.
 
Continuing to focus upon the blade, I was given a focus crystal. Attuning it to myself. I was told to just keep doing what I am doing. Only this time, I was to focus upon the two at the same time. I was hard pressed. Trying to do both at the same time was taxing. I was even told that it would be difficult. Creating it would be no easy task. Breathing in and out, I held the crystal in one hand, and the blade in the other. Holding the two and just sitting in a chair. Gathering all I could within myself.

A Matukai is someone who is not a person with the force, but a being of the force. Someone who was the conduit of the force. Someone who could use the force in any way to affect their body. A person who could use the force, but also be a part of it at the same time. It felt amazing to feel the force flowing around the crystal and through it. Same with the blade. Now honed to an edge, and created through the force. It was a feeling unlike any other. The crystal was calming. Expansive, and never ending. The crystal itself was a conduit of the force. Even as I felt it, and connected both the sword and the crystal at the same time, I understood that the Matukai were the crystals within the force. The rare few who understood that the body could be used as a conduit. Not as an extension.

I could almost see the crystalline structure of both items in my hands. The purpose of forging the two together, is to have them bond. Much like molecules needing a connection to one another, the sword needed a connection with the crystal. However, something came over me. The crystal fractured and broke into millions of pieces in my hands. Stopping for a moment, Ember came over and was attempting to clean them up.

"Why is it that you keep breaking them?"
"I do not know. I feel as though I am missing something."
"I feel it through you, and you are doing it right."

I couldn't think of anything. Why were the two not working together. Why were they breaking apart on me? Rubbing my face, I then looked at the three crystals that I have now broken. Was there something that I did wrong? But I felt like I should know. Looking over to Ember, I asked her a simple question.

"Can we remake the blade?"
"That won't do anything."
"No, I want to try something."
"If you want to waste time, be my guest."

Standing up, I walked over to the blade blanks she had to work with. Taking two of them, I put them together. Almost as though it were instinct, I poured some fuse onto the two blades as I wrapped them with wire. Keeping them together, But then I did something strange. It was as though it were calling to me. I grabbed a handfull of the crystals that had broken, and put it into the blade as well. Sprinkling them in and placing it into the furnace. Ember was confused as hell and was just watching. Not leaving me, but still there out of the way, watching as I worked. Even while the blade was heating up, I focused upon the blades, and the crystals. Holding the force around them. Letting my soul become a part of the blade, and the blade become a part of me.

The blade seemed to heat up faster than I had imagined, and I took the hammer and began to hot weld the two together. First working with a hand hammer for a few heats. Making sure the crystals stayed into the metal. Impregnating the blade with them. Taking handful after handful after every heat and adding them. More flux was used to keep the blades from oxidizing as I forged them together. Moving to the power hammer as I worked them together. Folding them three times to create a more consistent hold. Once more using flux to keep from getting cracks in the blade, or oxygen bubbles. Continuing to forge it out to my desired billet. Without even thinking, I moved straight back to the hand hammer and anvil. Forging out the bevels of the blade and creating the shape. Keeping it all at the same length. Working both sides, and both edges as I went from the base of the blade, to the point. Lengthening the blade just a smidgen.

I could feel Embers eyes on me as I worked. She was quite surprised with what I was doing and with how quickly I was doing so. Learning quickly was a skill of mine. Able to pick it up as fast as I could and even surpass her thoughts of my prowess. Forging the blade, sanding it down to a desired thickness, quenching it in oil and sanding it again to hone the edge. Having no sense of time. It was long dark, and the sun rose twice from what I could tell. My body felt old, my body felt heavy even as I continued to push the blade and the crystals into one.

Finishing the blade, I presented it to Ember.

As soon as I did, I fell to the ground.
 
The sword was done.

After waking up from my much needed rest, I found a few burn marks on my skin, and a few scratches. Dirty as I had not taken a shower, I looked around to find myself on a cot. Ember was nowhere to be seen. She was gone somewhere else. I had no clue where. Attempting to stand up, I almost fell over. My body was still weak. Sitting up, and just staying there, I did see my sword. I saw it as the light from the forges shone upon it. Reflecting a warm orange light to my eyes. It felt comforting. I knew that sword was mine. I could feel it. As if the sword was calling to me. Calling for me to wield it. It was at that moment that Ember walked in. Food in her hands. Smiling she gave me some bread, fruit, and a slab of meat that had been prepared. She just shook her head with a chuckle as I feasted upon the meal.

"You really are something Imura. Never seen anyone last as long as you did."
"How long?"
"We worked well into the night with your first sword. The one you made? You took four days to do that."
"Four?"
"Four days where you didn't stop. Yes."
"That explains the hunger and the headache."

Her chuckle grew louder as she walked over to the blade. Picking it up by the blade, and handing it to me. As soon as I touched it, I felt the connection once more. It as though the blade and I were one and the same. We were connected on a level that everyone hoped to achieve. Standing up with newfound strength, I swung it around with one hand as a test. Finding it was very easy to swing the blade, and to use it. So easy, that I swiped at Ember, only to easily snip the button that was on her sleeve. Cutting it off. She yelped back in surprise as I now chuckled.

"You have fun with your masterpiece."
"I will."
"You forgot something though."
"Huh?"
"You need to name it. Every sword needs a good name. A name that will mean something."

I smiled brightly. Knowing almost instantly what I wanted it to be named.

"Oathkeeper."
 
"A mighty fine name if I say so!"
"Thank you."
"Mind if I ask why you chose that name?"

I debated if I should share that information with someone I had only known for, apparently, less than a week. I am sure I would be more open to the idea later on as I planed to come back and learn much more, and craft even more so that I could prepare myself for the inevitable fight against my father, and any who opposed me. I felt at home here though. Slowly I could see that she was the kind of person who could keep a secret. If she was told something sensitive, then it would not be shared.

"I made an oath, a promise when I was younger that I would fix, and repair my families name. It being squandered and dragged through the mud by my father, I aim to fix this problem. I know that I must face him at some point, and I hope, that I do not have to end my fathers life. My promise, my oath, is to restore my family. Any promises I make along the way, will be added to this swords weight."
"A worthy cause. One that is deserving of that name."

There was a small pause as she placed a hand on my shoulder telling me lightly without the need of words that she supported this desision, and was willing to aid me should I need it. Nodding my head, she then took the sword from my grasp.

"Now, to give you a run down of what this sword can actually do. It's a force-imbued sword. Meaning if you are connected to the force, it will be one of the most powerful weapons in your hands. If you are without the force, then this sword, is just that. A sword. Nothing more. It has a superior cutting ability than normal swords. Where you could hack and slash all day at leather armors with normal swords, this will cut through like butter. About the only thing it won't cut, is high grade metals. Durasteel is one that comes to mind."
"Stay with the force, and it stays this powerful. It has a better edge in this form as well. Anything else?"
"Small things that you will likely not use. Sometimes the swords have little glowy or flamey bits, but yours is a normal state. Doesn't change. No problem with that. OH! it can also kill dark sided force ghosts."
"Force ghosts?"
"Dark sided ones, yes. Think of it like this. To kill the mortal man, you need a physical weapon. To kill someone entirely enveloped in the force, you need a weapon that can exist on that existence. Because it is imbued with the force, anything enveloped in the force, such as a ghost, can be killed."
"That is useful to know."
"How so?"
"Lets just say my father doesn't keep good company."

The woman chuckled as she seemed to understand what was being stated. Nodding her head and moving on with the lesson on what the sword can do.

"Other than that, the sword is just naturally able to resist much more. Some consider it nigh indestructible because it can withstand other weapons, and blasters, and lightsabers, but if you put this on the barrel end of some starship weapon, that is when its durability is gone."
"So just about anything I could come across on the battlefield will be okay, but if I start to fight over my weight class, is when I will lose."
"Sums it up nice and well don't you think?"
"I guess. Anything else I need to know?"
"The pointy end goes into the other man."

The look I gave her would have burned planets into their molten cores, and into ash. She on the otherhand, was laughing her ass off. I then broke down and laughed with her.

A new day was beginning for me, and hopefully a new path forward.
 

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