The Emperor's private library was the size of a middle class home on Coruscant. Circular, it contained volumes from every planet under his rule. There were chairs and study tables as well as a fire pit that cast a dim light when the light panels were not activated. The crimson curtains were drawn to a close. The Emperor wore a simple black robe with the cowl drawn up around his head. Before him was his new Apprentice.
"You are now an Apprentice of the Sith Order of the Eternal Empire. I am your Master. You answer to me. You are an extension of my arm, an animal to be broken, a spirit to be thrown into Darkness. You are mine. I shall kick you down from the highest peak and expect you to climb up again. I shall break bones, cast doubts, rip flesh from your body if it so pleases me. True, I am Emperor of the Galaxy, but until such a time as I see fit to release you, I am your Galaxy. You shall abide by my every command. However, I shall test you. And you will be punished if you fail. Failure is not an option. If I say "hide," you hide. But in your cowardice, you may run the risk of my displeasure.
Everything I tell you will be the truth. I shall conceal, withhold, skew and cheat. But you shall be made better for it. You shall be tempered, you shall curse, you shall bleed. But you shall rise above your limitations. You will swallow your pride, for I shall humiliate you. I will zero in on your greatest desires and deny you. I will lord over your greatest ambitions and see fit to gift them to others. You are not special. You are a weapon to be targeted. You have no other task but to serve me.
Every day you survive training you will not only have the privilege to keep your life, but you will have knowledge others can only dream of. If you survive the obstacles of your training and my whims, you will have more than your life as your reward.
You should never fear that I am trying to kill you. Because I am. You should never fear that I hate you or find your burdensome. Because I do. You shall earn my respect. You shall be given nothing but I shall expect perfection every time. Everything you have you will earn. But everything you earn, I will take away.
Rise, swear yourself to my teaching."
Venedictos Appo
Venedictos rose obediently, his robe brushing off the floor with a whispering hiss, like fog rolling over cold stone. He kept his face completely free of emotion and his arms tight at his side, as tight as his insides felt right now, in the presence of a being who radiated such power and authority with or without the Force. His black hair and beard were cut short and his Valorum ancestry was visible in the features of his face. Absent of fear or any other emotion he looked at the Emperor.
"By my blood and the blood of my ancestors, I swear myself to your teaching Emperor Shadow, Ruler of the Eternal Empire, Grand Jedi Slayer and Dark Lord of the Sith."
Emperor Shadow
The Emperor's inhale/exhale filled the space in an unnatural way. He circled his new Apprentice like a hungry nexu. Shadow stopped so he was out of sight of his Apprentice, standing directly behind him. Venedictos probably expected some kind of kick or punch to the skull, but Shadow relished the silence. "Do you hear that?" he asked.
"The pulsing energies of billions of sentient beings. All mine. All under my command. I can burn entire planets with my mind. And you, you are nothing."
He paused, gently brushing his long, cold fingers along the back of Vendictos's exposed neck. "You are just like them. For now," the Emperor said as he sent shivers down the spine of his Apprentice. Arching down, his face very near the younger man's ear, he whispered, "Hold out your arm."
His Apprentice hesitated. Shadow clenched his fist and the arm of his Apprnetice shot outward, fist balled. The cold voice rose higher, filling more than just the library, but every corner of his Apprentice's brain. "Never hesitate!" Shadow shouted. "Follow my orders, never falter," his voice reverting to normal. There was a glint of light in the corner, Vendictos's arm was still aloft.
Shadow thrust a small blade in the back of his hand and dragged the dagger over the length of the man's arm, cutting open flesh. Blood rained down to the floor. Shadow would have cut deeper had his Apprentice flenched. "You are an animal," he whispered. "Consider yourself marked."
He dropped the bloody dagger to the floor and swept out of the chamber. Shadow left his Apprentice to reflect on the day.
Emperor Shadow
A week had passed by before the Emperor summoned his Apprentice. Shadow had trusted other attendants to see to the needs- not the wants- of his latest pupil.
An average being of importance had one direct line of communication. Shadow had twelve. Rather than carry twelve comlinks, he had Lexicon Sespis special-order a comlink that was capable of operating on a dozen separate channels. Shadow flicked a switch. "Sync to Venedictos" he ordered the machine.
It seemed primitive to use a comlink to speak to a Force User. But Venedictos was just beginning his journey and he did not want to be misunderstood. Also, electronic communications were far more difficult to read among the Sith.
"Come to Memorial Square," Shadow ordered. He sat on a nondescript bench people-watching. Memorial Square was a plaza the size of a small moon. It was in the heart of Kuat City's Imperial District and it was designed to pay tribute to veterans, victims, and their families, of past conflicts that led to the creation and continuation of the Eternal Empire. The center of the Square contained a sunken crater with a scale-model replica of the galaxy. Each planet was constructed of indigenous metal. Along the outter perimeter of the Square were buildings containing remains of victims, quotes in precious metals on stone, gardens, reflecting pools, that sort of thing. Four buildings, one in each corner of the Square, were supported by pillars. For every battle of every war, a mosaic tile was added to the exterior of the pillar. There were a lot of tiles, Shadow observed.
This was his. A cohesive place to mourn the dead, to celebrate victory, to hold rallies. To be. His Apprentice would join him shortly.
Venedictos Appo
Since he had received the Emperor's message, Ven had been on the move, not stopping for anything. His arm had healed but a long, knotted scar now ran the full length of his arm and Ven sometimes felt the illusion of tightness when his muscles were flexed, much like even a tiny scratch to the cornea could be felt for days after it healed. Ven was dressed in a simple black robe and his blaster was concealed within, in a holster at chest-level. Ven knew that the Emperor would have scattered any potential foe to atoms in the event of an attack but Ven was not going to take the chance of being killed or injured simply because he was unarmed.
The first time Ven stopped was when he reached Memorial Square. He scanned the Square trying to see the Emperor when the model of the galaxy caught his eye. Momentarily distracted, something he would no doubt be punished for, he approached the crater. The Tingel Arm was just floating by where he stopped and he could see the Corporate Sector and surrounding systems. As the galaxy continued turning, old lessons involving reading over maps of the galaxy came back to him and he was able to name almost each planet that passed. He recognised Quermia, Dac, better known as Mon Calamari, Iego, Gand, Tund, Aduba III, Gamorr...
Ven pulled himself away from the model. He was hear for a reason. He turned again and started scanning the Square once more. In such a busy, bustling place, one would expect the Emperor to have been sighted and surrounded by boot-licking, sycophantic citizens but Ven had learned long ago that the best place to hide something was all too often in plain sight, and had no doubt that if a lowly apprentice such as himself knew that, it was second nature to assume that the Emperor did too. Ven started picking out smaller details of the overall picture and eventually located his master seated on a bench and almost certainly watching him. Ven decided to keep the Emperor waiting no longer and walked towards his master.
"I received your message and came straight away m'lord."
Ven did not ask what Shadow intended for him. He was the Emperor of the Galaxy and Ven had too much respect for him to address him so impudently.
Emperor Shadow
Twilight on Kuat was a beautiful thing. The rich colors swirling in the sky above, a visual treat to beings limited by vision. To a Force wielder like Shadow, this part of the planet was calm, peaceful. The Square was cast in a golden light that threw the passersby into a beautiful relief. The Emperor wore a simple green robe, his hood down, watching. Right now, Palace officials were panicking, attempting to locate him. Lord Tarna's voice reverberated in the back of Shadow's mind. He was attempting to locate his one and only charge. The Dark Lord should have expected the Emperor to sneak away. It not only kept Shadow sane, it also kept him dangerous. Being able to train his apprentice in secret was vital. The Emperor would not apologize for this excursion. Or any other, for that matter.
He breathed for a moment, letting a silence pass between the two. Shadow closed his eyes and extended his awareness to his apprentice, who shuddered in the Force. "For every object- living or non- there is energy. Organics create and spend energy while inanimates conduct it. Energy can be worldly or it can be cosmic. The sun is energy. The wind is energy. The Force is energy. We are organic, we create energy, but we spend it, too. Do we give life to the Force, or does it give us life?"
The Emperor did not expect an answer, he merely breathed slowly and continued. "Energy can sustain or it can destroy. The sun provides warmth, but it can go nova. The wind provides a cooling breeze, but it can create a monsoon. The Force can heal the sick, but it can kill a planet. The Force is organic because it sustains life, provides insights. But it is also an object. We can command it, channel its energies to our will. The Force is a complex thing, my apprentice. Because it is neither fully alive nor fully a tool, you cannot begin to fully fathom it. The only decision worthy of you as an apprentice is simply, simply this: How best will you use the energy before you? Will you channel it to heal the sick? Or will you bend it to your will and gain mastery over entire planets?"
To illustrate his point, the model of the galaxy began to rise, ever higher toward the sky. It burst into flames, ashes rained down into the center pit. People were staring at the spectacle in wonderment, trying to find the cause. They obviously assumed it to be some kind of hologram, for there was no panic. But Shadow also poured calm into the Force, controlling the emotions of those in the Square witnessing the scene. The galaxy burned uncontrollably for another minute before Shadow spoke next, barely a whisper.
"Control or be controlled. The Force will try to make an inamiate of you. It will learn to override your emotions, circumvent your instincts, make your forget your purpose. You will become no better than a Jedi if you listen to the Force, for it is a compassionate thing. You must control it, make it a slave to your will. Focus on your strength, your goals, and the Force will come on bended knee to your service. Only when you master the ways of the Force will you become a master of the galaxy."
"Put out the flames," he commanded his apprentice. "Reach out, brush the Force. Put out the fire."
Venedictos Appo
Ven had not been expecting, nor was he used to contact between two minds and initially he shuddered and recoiled when the Emperor spoke to him. But Ven was adaptive by nature and quickly accustomed himself, perhaps not to the presence of other minds in general, but to the presence of the Emperor's. Ven considered his master's words carefully, mentally noting not only the content but the medium, the words the Emperor used and his sentence structure. Ven considered it important to learn not only from his master but of his master.
When the galaxy was lit aflame Ven did not react, he kept his focus on his master. It was not until his master gave him his first task that he turned to face the burning structure.
The flames danced across the face of the metal galaxy, each metal reacting differently to the searing heat, some melting, some subliming, some burning, some glowing red and some hardly being affected at all. It made for a beautiful and terrible sight.
Ven considered his task. He had only recently discovered his Force-sensitivity and though he had connected to it and made feeble attempts at using it, he was not quite sure how he was supposed to wield it against fire, the most bestial of the elements, nor how he was supposed to overcome the power of his master, the most powerful Force-user in the galaxy.
But Ven had been given an order and if his time in training with the Palace Guard had taught him anything, it had taught him that orders were to be followed.
Ven connected with the Force, not immersing himself in it like an experienced Force-user, but, like a beginner, treading the waters of the mysterious, omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent entity. Once he had connected with the Force, he considered what he knew of fire and how it could be extinguished. He came to the conclusion that to defeat an element, one would need to use an element. He knew he was nowhere near powerful enough to call up another flame and have them burn each other out. He severely doubted that he could use the winds to blow the fire out or move the air surrounding the fire away and deprive it of oxygen. He was unsure if he had the skill to manipulate the water and extinguish the glames that way. That simply left the earth.
Ven reigned in the Force with his mind and channeled it through his body and out his hands. He focused on one of the large stone slabs that covered the ground of the plaza and probed it for a weak point. He tried not to rush but the flames were growing and provided a clear source of alarm. He found a weak point in the stone and applied pressure there, noting the ironic difficulty of applying pressure to a small locale such as the weak point as opposed to a larger area, such as when he Force pushed a glass of water brought to him last night by one of the attendants the Emperor had left to deal with his needs.
When the stone cracked, he moved it and the underlying layers of stone chips, sand and mortar out of the way to expose the earth beneath. He lifted a clump of clay about the size of his head out of the ground and dropped it on the Deep Core, extinguishing the flames burning there. He dug more clay from the hole and started extinguishing the rest of the flames, working his way outward from the Deep Core, through the Core Worlds and Colonies, the Inner Rim, Expansion Region and Middle Rim before reaching the Outer Rim.
By now the effort was taking its toll on Ven but he kept going. He cracked another slab and started digging out more clay. He plastered the Unknown Regions with the moist soil before working on the rest of the Outer Rim.
The galaxy had been burning for a good ten minutes when Ven unloaded the last mound of soil, dumping it on Hutt Space, extinguishing the last flickering flames. He inhaled deeply before turning back to his master.
"I have extinguished the flames master."
Emperor Shadow
It was an interesting decision made on a youthful whim. Shadow did not acknowledge his apprentice's words, he merely nodded and waived his hand over the model from his seat. It showed no signs of decay. There was a bright flash and people returned to their business. "Sometimes, memories are best left forgotten entirely."
With the evidence of their field trip now absent, Shadow withdrew his presence in the Force. "That was an adequate display of the Force for your first real attempt, but you failed."
His voice was mild, not the cold bite he normally employed when instructing. His apprentice had not failed the task, he merely failed to grasp the whole picture. "The galaxy will always be on fire, Venedictos, it is not your place to extinguish it. You must pick and choose where to focus your energies. You take advantage of the holocaust, you never prevent it. Such compassion is of the Jedi."
"I told you to follow my every order, and you did, but you did not realize your final option, the one that would have led to real power: Let it burn out on its own. From the ashes, you would rise to temper a new truth, a new existence, one of importance. You do not have to be a hero to be a Sith. The galaxy only favors the strong. You're tired, my apprentice. Do you know why? Because you tried to save the galaxy. Let it burn."
Venedictos Appo
Ven did not stop to bemoan his failure but only to absorb and assimilate the new lessons Shadow imparted upon him and use them to prevent himself from repeating the same failure in the future. He was going to be more careful in the future. He had failed to see the merits of inaction versus action, indirect responsibility as opposed to direct responsibility. Nothing was a much more powerful entity than everything and Ven was not going to underestimate its power again.
"I understand, my master."
Emperor Shadow
The sun set quickly and turned into night. Shadow kept his apprentice for awhile to discuss the Force before releasing him. The Emperor had no intention of returning to the Palace or the Temple for another several hours.
******
The next day, the doors to the communal dormitory Vendictos shared with a hundred other apprentices flew open at an ungodly hour. It was early, so early that the first HoloNet zines were not yet distributed. His apprentice had managed a good... two-three hours sleep, tops. Those students not woken by the light were shaken from their dreams by the sudden, violent erruption in the Force as Shadow brushed each mind. Using his physical voice, he thundered, "Everyone to the Courtyard. The Jedi are invading!"
Obedient because of a lack of sleep, true devotion to the Emperor, or a combination therein, some of the apprentices grabbed slippers, others raced barefoot towards the large double doors leading out of the sleep area. Shadow saw his own apprentice racing toward the doors and held out his hand, "You stay," he ordered. Shadow also stopped a young Zabrak male, a Mon Cal girl and a younger human male. "You will remain here with my apprentice while I see to the others," the Emperor commanded as he strode up the silent corridor. The only sound was the breathing of four confused apprentices and the clunk-clunk of boots.
Shadow, out of sight, withdrew his presence in the Force. It was like pulling a blade from a stab victim and he knew it. Venedictos recoiled in the Force, but Shadow's voice rang out in his head, "Kill them. They had doubts as to my orders. Kill them now."
Venedictos Appo
Ven had gotten used to sleep deprivation while training with the Palace Guard and was completely aware within seconds of his abrupt awakening. He had grabbed his blaster and hopped out of bed like a tusk cat, ready to pounce and rip its prey to pieces when he and the other three apprentices were stopped by the Emperor. And when Shadow had withdrawn so quickly, a shiver had shot through Ven. Shadow's Force presence usually invaded or withdrew evenly, expanding and retracting like a breathing lung. But that was not the only reason he had recoiled. He had not been expecting Shadow's final order and he shuddered at first when he heard it. But he was not going to disobey an order from his master.
He turned slightly to see the other three apprentices, but so that they would not see him seeing them. He assessed them quickly.
The Zabrak he knew was a vicious combatant with a lightsaber and was much farther into his training than Ven, despite being only a year older. Sure enough, the Zabrak was holding a lightsaber in his right hand.
The Mon Cal girl was three years younger than Ven but farther in training than both him and the Zabrak. He hadn't heard much about her nor seen her in combat as he had the Zabrak but he noted the way she stood and it indicated to him that she was a powerful Force-user for an apprentice and also a hand-to-hand combatant, not a lightsaber combatant.
That just left Ven's fellow human, who had only just arrived the day before. He was apparently a corrupted Jedi Padawan, with skill in both the Force and lightsaber. Ven had not yet had time to assess him as he had with many other apprentices but there was always a time to learn.
Ven considered a plan of action. Both the males were armed with lightsabers and the girl had her fists. They were all far more experienced in the Force than Ven but Ven could probably at least match them in melee combat and marksmanship.
Ven also had to consider the bodies. If the other apprentices returned and saw him standing over three bodies, they would think him a traitor and though he thought he could take three fellow apprentices, he had no chance against over three hundred. And he was not foolish enough to expect the Emperor to step in and save him, his master had made that clear from the moment Ven's training had started.
Ven could not think of a way to dispose of the bodies but he had only so much time before the non-existence of the Jedi threat became obvious and the other apprentices returned so he would cross and burn that bridge when he came to it.
Without any warning Ven grabbed the human by the neck and threw him against the other two, sending them all to the ground. Ven drew his pistol and aimed it at the Zabrak. He pulled the trigger at the boy's heart and the brown-skinned alien breathed his last bloody breath as blood dripped from his mouth. Ven turned just in time to block a flying kick from the Mon Cal girl, grabbing her foot and tossing her across the room. The human came at him with his lightsaber but Ven slide-tackled him before leaping back up, turning widdershins and putting several blaster bolts in the back of the former Jedi's head.
Once again the Mon Cal girl came at him, this time with a series of punches that Ven deftly blocked. The girl grew frustrated and picked Ven up with the Force, tossing him a good thirty feet backwards through the long corridor. Ven landed on his feet and saw the girl coming towards him once more. Without even a hint of remorse, Ven raised his blaster and fired the grappling hook straight through the girl's bulbous head with a grotesque splat. He retracted the grappling hook, bringing with it a lump of the girl's skull. Ven tossed the skull fragment aside and ran to the girl's body, throwing it over his shoulder and walking back to the other two bodies. He took the human's lightsaber and used it to cut a wound in his own leg, repressing a yell of pain.
He stabbed the wounds he had made in the Zabrak and Mon Cal with his blaster gun with the lightsaber, removing the evidence of his involvement in their deaths, before replacing it in its owner's hand. He then punched the corpse a few times, forming some purple bruises. He removed the Zabrak's saber from the corpse's tightly-clenched hand and stabbed the human once in the side, just missing any internal organs. He put the lightsaber back in the alien's hand and dropped the Mon Cal girl on the ground, a short distance away from the other two.
What remained was the scene of a completely different fight. To any one other than Ven, it would appear that the former Jedi had been a traitor and attacked the other three, killing the Mon Cal girl and Zabrak and injuring Ven before Ven was able to put a bolt in his brain. Vendetta's own wound would serve as proof.
The deed was done.
Venedictos Appo
((BUMP?))
Supreme Commander Alor
This was the second time that the Supreme Commander was taking over the training of the Emperor's apprentice. The first time had been many years ago, in the case of the now-High Inquisitor Gra'tua. Once again, he was called upon to train an apprentice that the Emperor did not have the time for. As one of the most experienced members of the Empire, and having the most apprentices trained, it was an expected choice.
Of course, the only negative part about it was the need for Lord Marix to return to Kuat to evaluate the apprentice and then decide how to go about his training. So of course, he took the opportunity to visit his Kuati Residence. Sitting up on the second floor balcony, overlooking the pool and yard, he imagine soldiers fighting below him, following his commands. The power and responsibilities of being Supreme Commander were ingrained into him, and his love of the Military only heightened his abilities.
There were only two problems with being here, Ranov'la was on Hapes and the MAZ was on the other side of the galaxy. But an Apprentice was no laughing matter. And he couldn't just have this new guy come to the MAZ, that was a total breach of security.
Getting up, he headed for the main city, which was not very close to his residence on purpose. Upon arriving, he headed to the Council Building, where Venedictos would be formally assigned to him.
Venedictos Appo
Standing in a corner of the main foyer of the Council Building was the tall, muscular frame of Venedictos Detlev Tabor Appo-Rebus, now former apprentice to the Emperor of the Galaxy, Darth Shadow.
Everywhere else across the cavernous room, people walked or ran to and fro, or sat and waited for important people to make important decisions. Only Ven stood, watching. Waiting.
It was a habit of Ven's to constantly survey and analyse the room he was in. He had picked it up in his youth, which, even when he had still been in school, was devoted to becoming a member of the Theed Palace Guard, the elite special forces of the Royal Naboo and some of the most skilled warriors on the planet. The day that Ven was finally bestowed the honour of being a Palace Guard had been, at the time, the single happiest day of his life. Scarcely a few months later, however, it became a bitter memory, one cast in the shadow of his father's corruption and arrogance, traits that Ven despised utterly and was committed to never reciprocating.
Ven believed in constant self-improvement and -re-evaluation, that one must always strive to be better. The philosophy had been especially strong during his time with the Syaticans, his swoop gang. While the rest of the gang members had bragged about their skills and never sought to get better, Ven had spent hours shooting at tiny targets from vast distances, honing his sharpshooting skills. He felt confident that in good weather, with a clear range, he could shoot a bantha in the unmentionables with a grappling hook from about 300 paces. His hand-to-hand skills were also well-honed and, while fighting, he had a knack, or he now realised, more probably, a Force ability, to experience his enemy's attack as if moving at different speeds through time, and react accordingly. The difference in time was not extreme but it was noticeable enough to give Ven a slight edge in combat.
A man well-versed in combat was Ven's new master, Lord Marix, the Supreme Commander of the Sith Imperial Armed Forces, a man for whom Ven had a deep respect, for his commitment and devotion to the protection and security of the Empire.
Ven was awaiting his arrival in the shaded corner of the Council Building and just as he made to leave his corner for a new vantage point, he saw the towering frame of the Supreme Commander himself enter the foyer.
Supreme Commander Alor
The Supreme Commander stood well above the multitudes of persons around the Council Building, whether just passing by, entering, or exiting. At 2 meters even, he was a giant by most standards in the galaxy, where humans tended to average around a quarter of a meter less. When he entered the foyer, he did so from within the building. As the Supreme Commander, the leader of the Empire's entire Military, he was entitled to skipping the normal security protocols as well as the long lines, and had entered from a secret passageway that few knew about, and even fewer used.
He stood, feet braced at shoulder's width, observing the crowd before continuing further into the foyer. While the Force would inform him of malignant intentions, it never hurt to check on your own if you could. Deciding everything was ok, he headed up the turbolift to the Council Chambers, where he would officially receive his new apprentice. He arrived at the chambers to be informed that Venedictos had yet to show up at the Council receptionists station, and that would be a problem if he didn't get the sense to be where he was supposed to be within the next few minutes.
Marix sent out a blast with the Force to all minds within the vicinity. Only those that had a connection to the Force would be able to interpret it, everyone else would merely feel nauseous and a slight pressure in their brain. Venedictos Detlev Tabor Appo-Rebus, you are required to be at the Council Chambers, now. If you are not, you will forfeit your apprenticeship.
Venedictos Appo
Venedictos heard the booming voice of the Supreme Commander rip through his mind and the instructions that came with it.
Venedictos Detlev Tabor Appo-Rebus, you are required to be at the Council Chambers, now. If you are not, you will forfeit your apprenticeship.
He wasn't about to forfeit an apprenticeship to a Sith Lord, so he tensed his muscles and started running at a speed that mocked the tick of time to the Council Chambers. He stopped briefly at the receptionist's table to sign in and then ran rapidly to the Council Chambers. The room was very grandiose and austenatious and probably cost the annual budget of the Military to build. Ven had never believed in spending money on extravagant buildings and possessions. He had handmade his clothes from leftover material he had picked up while on a swoop raid and he had modified his blaster himself instead of paying for it like most Palace Guards.
Venedictos was still lost in thought when a man with a towering frame and long hair came into view for the second time that day. It was his new master, Supreme Commander Marix.
Supreme Commander Alor
The Supreme Commander's image was reminiscent of his grandfather’s attire during the Clone Wars. Quinlan Vos had been one of the few Jedi to wear protective armor, just as Marix was one of the few Sith doing so now. The armor plates were taken from his Mandalorian Armor and placed on his upper arms and shoulders, upper and lower legs, as well as his chest. Underneath he wears a Cortosis-woven armor-protected long-sleeved shirt—over was merely a skintight synthetic black shirt—with matching armor-protected black pants. Hanging down to his Krayt-hide boots from his neck was a loosely fitted black cape, which furled out behind him as he walked.
As both Sith Battle Master and a Military man, Marix was always prepared, no matter what the occasion. Hanging from his belt was his main saber, resembling that of Darth Maul but with improvements, and hidden over his body were another two sabers, a DC-15 blaster pistol, a holdout in his left boot, a vibro-blade in his right. He had seriously considered getting shoto-sabers in holsters on his wrists, but has yet to do so. As for equipment, Markaro Vos had two comm-links, one for Official use, the other for his own private use, as well as a synth-cord shooter, miniature holo-projector, personal holocron, re-breather, and ration packs and water for a week.
He nodded a silent approval of his soon-to-be apprentice's practical clothing and weaponry. He too was a supporter of practicality in his purchases and costs, and disliked remaining in the High Council's Chambers for long periods of time.
"Lord Marix, Supreme Commander of the Sith Imperial Armed Forces." The voice of the Grand Vizier, Dark Lord Praxeum rang out from the Council's seated alcove. "Are you ready to take on another apprentice? To train him in the ways of the Dark Side? To teach him loyalty to the Empire and to his Emperor?"
The Supreme Commander stood taller, if it was possible, and repeated his oath as a Master. The recent secession of Prognie and his minions had prompted the High Council into more closely reviewing the Pairing process, and even binding the Apprentices from the start with loyalty to the Emperor and Empire, to try an insure that this would never happen again. The oath was augmented by the power of the Force, through the Supreme Prophet, and would hold against even the strongest willed Apprentices.
"Do you, Venedictos Detlev Tabor Appo-Rebus concede all property, ranks, titles, and powers over to the Empire until such a time that your Master deems you ready to hold them once again?" The Grand Vizier turned his gaze upon the Apprentice now.
Venedictos Appo
Venedictos brushed himself down before stepping forward, his eyes locked squarely on those of the Grand Vizier. He stood tall, almost as tall as the Supreme Prophet himself and not too far off the Supreme Commander either.
"By my blood and the blood of my ancestors, I do concede the said property, ranks, titles and powers over to the Empire until such a time that my Master deems me ready to hold them once again."
Venedictos felt the power of the oath sinking in. It made him uncomfortable, it felt like a belt being wrapped around his very being. Somewhere in his core, Venedictos felt a plume of anger erupt. He was more loyal to the Empire than he was to his own family, what hobbles and shackles was the Supreme Prophet placing on him? What had he done to be restricted, what had they done to have the right to restrict him? But Ven suppressed these thoughts and feelings. Now was not the time for moral griping.
Supreme Commander Alor
"Then you are paired." With that the doors were opened and the Council Chambers plunged into darkness. The only light came from outside the room.
The Supreme Commander left the room, motioning for Venedictos to follow. He said nothing, did not even glance at his new apprentice, until they were outside of that building. Why they couldn't use a more suitable building for this, was beyond the Sith Lord. It was their inner call for pomp and circumstance, he guessed.
"So. You are yet another to fall upon me from the Emperor." He started. "What had he taught you?"
Venedictos Appo
Venedictos turned to his new master, a man he revered and respected, but did not go doe-eyed like some child gazing upon his idol. He knew that Marix was not a man who had time for sycophancy and Ven was not a man who had time to give it. You got what you got with Ven, no bantha faeces.
"The Emperor gave me rudimentary training in the Force, pushing, gripping, choking. Before our time together ended, we had also begun on the use of lightning and Force augmentation, to enhance my hand to hand skills. Apart from the Force, there was a great deal of philosophical training, as well as the theory of lightsaber construction."
Supreme Commander Alor
Supreme Commander Marix lashed out at Venedictos, he hand chopping in the air at the younger man's throat. He stopped it, almost touching the larynx and froze Venedictos with the Force, then looking at where Venedictos' own hands were, still in the process of being raised to block the attack.
"It appears that you need more instruction." He said, letting Venedictos go, catching the blocking hand in his own to stop it. "I think now is as good a time as any."
Throwing off his outer cloak, he passed it off to one of the soldiers that followed him everywhere but the refresher. "501st and 41st." He said, answering Venedictos' unasked question. "They offered, and I couldn't refuse it without degrading the Legions. They switch of every so often to rotate within the Fleet and the MAZ to keep sharp."
"Come at me with an attack." He ordered, standing in a very non-defensive position, almost as if he had no idea he was going to be attacked. He waved at the Legionnaires to keep them from attacking Venedictos.
Venedictos Appo
Ven breathed slowly and deeply and focused on Marix. He had to analyse his opponent but at the same time he could not wait too long. He and Marix were about five inches apart in height and had a roughly similar build. Marix, he knew, was a vicious combatant with not only lightsabers and hand-to-hand, but a wide variety of other weapons, both melee and projectile. Ven had no hope of out-fighting nor out-thinking Marix, and he had only a microscopic chance of out-playing him. What he could do, however, was try.
With only the slightest warning, the turning of an ankle, Vendetta feinted a crescent kick at Marix before stopping mid-turn and striking out with a double side piercing kick.
Supreme Commander Alor
The Supreme Commander battered away Venedictos' legs, sending him flying off to the side of his master. He then proceeded to chop downwards in a crude manner at his apprentice's neck. He was not giving away any hint of his fighting style, or skill. Venedictos would never face anyone this skilled (except for Marix) and if that were the case, Marix would hold surprises for the apprentice.
"Stand." He said. "And try again. This time, open yourself to the Force. Don't fight, flow."
Venedictos Appo
Ven cracked his neck as he backed up. His connection to the Force was growing stronger but it had not yet reached its full potential. Nonetheless, Ven was not about to disappoint his master.
He inhaled deeply as if preparing to submerge himself in a pool of water. But the Force was no mere pool, it was an ocean. And as Ven dived into the ocean of life and energy that was the Force, he exhaled. He exhaled power. He felt powerful. Intellectually he knew, and was completely aware, that this was a fraction of his potential and a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of Marix's but he felt powerful nonetheless.
Ven focused the Force into his hands and charged them with Sith lightning. He was not going to fire the lightning, he was going to wear it. The air crackled as the lightning jumped from his hands, but that's as far as it went. Ven was wearing the lightning like a pair of boxing gloves. He and Shadow had worked out the intricacies, overall, the idea was simply to enhance his hand-to-hand skills.
Ven ran at Marix and launched a strike at his master's head then quickly lost interest in whether it hit or not and aimed a much more powerful uppercut at the Supreme Commander's stomach.
Supreme Commander Alor
Lord Marix let the blow land, and absorbed the energy from Venedictos' uppercut, using it to send Venedictos flying. "Good for now. I expect you to train for at least two hours every day with droids that I will provide for you. They are assassin droids, and will enhanced your speed and dexterity. Power you will derive from the Force, and they cannot help you there."
Walking, he headed to the hangar where his craft awaited. Once on board he motioned Venedictos into the co-pilot's seat and took off, heading for his residence on the planet.
"What Order do you wish to join?"
Venedictos Appo
Venedictos admired the craft before answering. It was a fine piece of machinery and from what Ven had heard of his master's skills in mechanics, he had little doubt that the modifications had been done by Marix himself.
"I believe that my future lies with the Royal Guard. As honourable as the causes of the other Orders are, especially that which you command, Master, I wish for my place to be by the Emperor's side. Metaphorically, of course, I doubt that I'll be his personal guard, firstly, because I'm his former apprentice and secondly, because I attacked his house."
Supreme Commander Alor
"Suwantek TL-1800." Marix said, when he noticed Venedictos' gaze around the ship. "Modified from its original condition and power, of course."
The ship flew through many restricted zones in the capital's airspace, a bonus to being the guy in charge of those restricted areas. In no time they reached Marix's residence on Kuat. The ship was left in the private hangar beneath the ground.
Markaro Vos waved his hand for Venedictos to wait, and disappeared up a turbolift to his upper-story penthouse to change. Within five minutes he reappeared dressed in his normal attire. Marix was one of the few Sith to almost religiously wear protective clothing. The armor plates were taken from his Mandalorian Armor and placed on his upper arms and shoulders, upper and lower legs, as well as his chest. Underneath he wears a Cortosis-woven armor-protected long-sleeved shirt—over was merely a skintight synthetic black shirt—with matching armor-protected black pants. Hanging down to his Krayt-hide boots from his neck was a loosely fitted black cape, which furled out behind him as he walked. He was also fitted with his normal accompaniment of weapons and different items of a helpful nature.
Now suitably dressed for his departure and any surprises, he continued to lead his new Apprentice into the mansion. Stopping at yet another dead end, he activated a switch within the wall and a hidden turbolift was exposed by a moving wall panel. Stepping into it, with Venedictos behind him, he brought his apprentice down into his lair.
"You have yet to construct a lightsaber. That is something that can no longer be tolerated. A lightsaber is your second half, no. It is who you are. Your saber is you and you are your saber. The sooner you have one, the sooner you can begin to understand it."
He bade Venedictos to stop and wait. And headed off further into the underground chamber. He soon returned holding a crystal in his hand. "This is a Sapith Crystal. It is a good crystal for your first blade as it makes a easily controlled blade as compared to other crystals."
He then led Venedictos to a much smaller chamber. Devoid of anything with real value or power. Merely a tool room when compared with the others around it. "You will construct your saber here, once you have found the parts needed. You may take nothing from any of these rooms. You must find your saber elsewhere. Look into yourself and you will know what will work. Now go, you have three days."
Venedictos Appo
Venedictos bowed before leaving the room. He was locked on to his task from the moment Marix had given it. But a task was not all he had been given. Ven stopped suddenly and look at the Sapith in his hand. The crystal, at its youngest, was 5000 years old. Sapiths were rare and ancient, the secretion of some long-extinct creature from the Unknown Regions. Ven had seen one only once before, in his father's sceptre.
Ven had hated that sceptre.
His father would strike the Gungan slaves in their villa on the back of the head if they made even the slightest mistake, or if they didn't and he just felt like taking his anger out on something. Ven had tried on one occasion to help one such Gungan who had spilt his father's tea, only to receive his own smash to the head. He had woken up three days later, his father denying the whole thing and saying the Gungan had attacked Ven. Although he never found out for sure, he was almost certain his father had had the slave killed.
When Ven had killed his father, he had held up his sceptre to block the blast from Ven's pistol. Instead, the bolt had struck the crystal and scattered the blast, blowing his father's head to pieces. It had been a gruesome sight to say the least.
Ven thought about the sceptre again. As cruel a thing it had been in his father's hand, it was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, woven from strands of liquid gold...
Ven knew there and then what he was going to do. It would be dangerous, some might even call it reckless and foolhardy but Ven knew it was what he had to do. He would master his father from beyond the grave. He would turn everything the man had stood for into a mockery, become his opposite. And the first thing he would do was claim his father's sceptre from his grave and reshape it into his lightsaber.
He hurried back to Marix, who was just leaving the chamber.
"Master, I know what direction I wish to go with in my lightsaber. I request leave of a day to go to Naboo and claim my father's sceptre so that I may reshape it into a lightsaber of my own design."
Supreme Commander Alor
"You may go. But it will take you more than one day to travel to Naboo. You will be accompanied at all times by a guard detail. Now that you are my Apprentice, you are a target. Because of the bindings the Council set upon us, you are the only hope the enemy has at getting to me. They do not understand that the bindings only work on you in that way, but they will try. And I would prefer to see your training through to its completion."
He led Venedictos up to the hangar and pointed to a Svelte-Class Shuttle, already manned with a platoon of 41st Elite Legionnaires.
"You will be taken to a Venator-Class Star Destroyer. That will be your vehicle to Naboo. Do your best to conclude your business quickly. I do not have all the time in the world to wait for you. You have three days to be back here to begin."
Marix was not always lenient, but he knew that lightsabers were delicate items, and if one needed something, it was best to have it. Otherwise, your blade would not be yours.
Venedictos Appo
Ven bowed low to the Supreme Commander.
"Of course, my master, I shall make haste to Naboo and back immediately."
Ven strode confidently to the Svelte-class and took his place among the members of the 41st. The take off was smooth and effortless, Ven noticed. Marix certainly kept his equipment in good condition, however big or small. Ven leaned back slightly in his seat, enough to be comfortable but short of becoming lax. He was the apprentice of the Supreme Commander and former apprentice of the Emperor, on a Military transport with members of one of the elite divisions of the Military, he could not afford to be lax, he had to be ready to spring into action at any time.
Immediately after breaking free of the Kuati atmosphere, the ship jumped into hyperspace. Ven would have preferred to make the journey to his home-planet in the Bás, his Nubian yacht, which would have been far more inconspicuous than showing up in a Star Destroyer accompanied by the Supreme Commander's bodyguards. But what had happened had happened, so Ven just stared at the ceiling and started counting the rivets as space and time themselves were warped around him.
A couple of hours later, or so it seemed to Ven, they left hyperspace to find themselves staring face to face with a Venator-class. The small shuttle docked in the massive Star Destroyer. Once on-board, Venedictos was directed to quarters set aside for him, consisting of a plain room, with a great degree of empty space and sparse furniture. Ven nodded admiringly. This was a true Military room. Suddenly becoming overcome with fatigue, Ven lay down on the very basic cot and slowly, but surely, drifted off into a light sleep.
The next day...
"Apprentice Appo, we have arrived."
It was one of the 41st. Ven rose swiftly and did his stretches. He put one hand behind his head and pulled it down with the other one, then swapped and repeated the motion several times. He stretched every muscle in his body as he had upon every awakening for several years.
"What time is it, Colonel?" asked Ven, assessing the man's rank based on his uniform.
The Colonel himself did not look mildly impressed, instead simply responding "18:00 Local Time."
Ven nodded to himself.
"Night is just falling. We shall go now. Our destination is Theed Cemetery, the Appo Mausoleum. Our objective is to claim the sceptre of Dioltas Appo."
The Colonel nodded and stepped to the side as Ven left the room. The two walked side by side to the hangar, where the Colonel quickly and gruffly addressed the platoon. A few minutes later, they were once again on the Svelte-class, on their way down to the planet's surface and Ven's homeplace, from whence he had been exiled so many years ago, Theed.
Theed
Ven and the 41st strode through the back alleys of Theed, avoiding the main streets. Ven did not think he would run into any members of his family but all families on Theed were connected one way or the other, and he did not want his return to be put on the grapevine back to his mother, to the Queen, or worse, to his grand-uncle, the Grand Mage. Ever since the incident in the Temple, Ven had given Aequitas a wide berth. He knew when someone did not warrant encountering, and Aequitas was such a person.
It took a number of minutes for Ven to get his bearings back but soon he had worked out a secretive route to the Cemetery that would have them arriving at 19:30 LT, half an hour after the gates were closed. The Cemetery was a surprisingly uncommon target for thieves, but it was generally accepted that the only criminals in Theed were its politicians.
When they arrived, Ven was pleased to see he had been correct. The gates of the Cemetery were closed. He nodded to the Colonel, confirming that he was going in. Ven burst into a run, and just as he reached the high fence, jumped, but it was more than a normal jump. This jump was augmented with the Force and carried Ven just clear of the long, metal spikes atop the fence, so elegant in the light, so threatening in the night. Ven landed hard, but bent his knees and rolled to reduce the shock.
He stood up immediately and burst off into another run. The Cemetery was vast and Ven had to get to the Mausoleum, take the sceptre and then leave in time to get back to Kuat. Ven had often gone on long walks through the Cemetery, identifying the graves, tombs and mausoleums of great Palace Guards, of Queens and Senators. The Appo Mausoleum was about one mile from his current destination. Ven kept a constant speed, knowing if he stopped for even a second, he would lose his momentum and weariness would rack his limbs.
A good deal of time later, Ven finally found the Appo Mausoleum. He had planned his next move carefully. He extracted his blaster from the breast holster of his robe and aimed a shot at the lock of the door. It was blasted clean off and Ven sent the door itself tumbling down with a flying kick. Once inside, Ven disabled the alarm using the code he had taken from his father's desk oh so many years ago.
Now calm, Ven quietly sneaked through the depths of the death house. Tombs of great Appos surrounded him on all sides and the Mausoleum was connected to a tunnel running deep into the ground. At the deepest point of the tunnel was the tomb of Brant Appo, a great Alchemist and scientist who had contributed a great deal of wealth and power to the Appos, as well as to the fields of Alchemy and cybernetics. Based on his father's few achievements, his wealth, his social status, his appearance and his gender, Ven placed him in between the fifth and eighth chambers.
Ven jogged down the tunnel but found no sign of his father's tomb where he had placed it. Then he remembered that his father had been martyred by him and that he would thus be resting in the eleventh chamber. Ven jogged down and, as expected, saw his father's white marble tomb in the centre of the chamber. He walked slowly over to it and brushed his fingers along the beautiful stone. Then he shattered it. Like, all stones, marble had weak-points and a simple, slight application of Force push, or even sheer physical strength, on one such point would shatter the whole rock. Corusca gems were particularly vulnerable to these so-called shatterpoints, despite their toughness.
Now covered in shards of rock and dust, Ven gazed on his father's form with hate. Dioltas had been buried not only with his sceptre, but his hunting knife and cloak. The considerable gap where his head had been was filled with a porcelain head, his death mask made from a previous bust, making him appear younger than he had been. Ven took the sceptre from his father's cold, lifeless hands and stowed it in his cloak. But he could not leave it like that. He took the hunting knife in his hands and stuck it in the hollow mouth of the effigy. He cut long wounds from the corners of his porcelain father's mouth to the ears. Then he took the knife to his own wrist and let a light dribble of blood seep out. He smeared the blood along the wounds before pinching the blood vessels with the Force. The wound would be healed before he returned to Kuat. Ven shoved the hunting knife into his father's very real heart and then left. He reappeared outside the Cemetery an hour later, looking no stranger than he had when he entered. He nodded to the Colonel and he and the 41st started making their way back to the Star Destroyer.
Kuat
Ven did his morning stretches. He had arrived on Kuat with three hours to spare. He was not going to waste them however, first he would do his stretches and then he would report directly to the Supreme Commander.
Having gone through the motions, Ven made his way to the pool in the back of the mansion, where he had been informed the Supreme Commander was enjoying a rare swim. He saw the Kiffu Sith Lord in the clear, blue water and bowed deeply.
"I have returned, Master."
Supreme Commander Alor
Not bothering to look up, Marix dove backwards to the bottom. It was a rare occasion that he had the time to swim, and he was not going to let anyone ruin this occasion, short of a Military Invasion of Kuat. He floated near the bottom of the pool, letting his mind meditate while he was suspended, free from gravity. He stretched his mind out, feeling all living things around him, pushing the bubble out further until he could just barely sense the life forms.
Returning to the top he cut crisp strokes through the water, speeding across the blue road. His hair was streamlined back from the force of the water. Reaching one side of the pool, he turned and headed back the other way. He was okay with making Venedictos wait, maybe his Apprentice would take the time to meditate.
After 20 minutes or so, he headed for the stairs to get out. Drying off, he held out a hand to Venedictos. "What was it you sought out on Naboo?"
Venedictos Appo
((Ven already informed Marix of what he was looking for;
Quote:
He hurried back to Marix, who was just leaving the chamber.
"Master, I know what direction I wish to go with in my lightsaber. I request leave of a day to go to Naboo and claim my father's sceptre so that I may reshape it into a lightsaber of my own design."
))
Supreme Commander Alor
((He just meant give it to him. And if you sought out something else. Like maybe finally defeating your father, or some emotional tie.))
Venedictos Appo
Ven placed his father's sceptre into his master's waiting hand. The magnificent gold shone in the Kuati sunlight.
"I sought two things, master. Closure and vengeance. The latter has only just begun."
Supreme Commander Alor
Marix waved the staff in the air, testing its balance, weight, and flow. "You have never built a saber before. Are you sure you wish to begin with what appears to be your emotional connection to the Force? Do you want to have your first try be with this staff?"
He led Venedictos back down to the chamber he had been in before. "Think about that. You have three days. By then, you will have a saber."
Supreme Commander Alor
*Cough*
Venedictos Appo
((Forgive me, my master, but unexpected IRL events have caused me to be suddenly away from my computer for a while. I should have a post up tomorrow.))
Supreme Commander Alor
Supreme Commander Alor wrote:
*Cough*
Venedictos Appo
((Forgive me again master, my personal life has been very hectic lately.))
Ven considered his master's words. Marix's point had merit. But Ven had chosen his course of action and he would follow it through. He listed from memory the main components of a lightsaber.
Hilt, pommel cap, diatium power cell, blade emitter, emitter matrix, inert power insulator, focus lens and crystal.
The staff itself would function as the hilt and pommel cap, while Marix himself had provided the crystal. Ven started looking around the room and quickly found almost all the necessary parts. All he was missing was a focus lens. Ven did another sweep of the room and managed to find a box of dusty old focus lenses on top of a shelf. He took one from the box and polished it until it shone and gleam. Ven arranged all the components out together on a table and inspected each one. He repled the power insulator as it was misconfigured and replaced it with a new one. Now sure that he had all the necessary parts, he picked up his father's sceptre and a drill. He measured the circumference of the sceptre, each of the components and the drill bit. Thinking the drill bit was a couple of sizes too small, he replaced it with a larger one before clamping the drill and the sceptre into two vicegrips.
With pain-staking precision, Ven slowly and carefully drilled into the sceptre. Every couple of inches, he pulled the drill out and then brushed off the gold shavings. His progress was slow but sure. He had been drilling for over an hour when he was finally finished. He filed the inside, assuring that it was smooth and that none of the components would jam when he inserted them.
Ven put the hilt down and turned to the other components. Because of the unorthodox way in which his lightsaber was being constructed, he would have to put together the internal circuitry first and the insert them into the hilt.
First he put the diatium power cell in to the power field conductor, making sure it was secure and immovable before placing both into the inert power insulator. Next he screwed the crystal mount on to the power cell and put the Sapith crystal in to it. With that done, he attached the focusing lens to the power insulator and aligned it perfectly with the Sapith. Assured that the alignment would not change, Ven extracted the Sapith once more, knowing he would have to meditate with it before his lightsaber could be complete. Ven closed the crystal energy chamber around the focusing lens but did not seal it, since he would have to open it later to re-insert the Sapith.
Next he attached the cycling field energizers, leaving a gap between them as the blade energy channel. He connected the field energizers to the energy modulation circuits and connected them to the power cell. Finally, he attached a blade emitter shroud to the blade emitter, the blade emitter to the emitter matrix and all three to the energy modulation circuits.
He measure the length of the whole thing and made some adjustments to make sure it fit perfectly into the hollowed out saber. Then he measured the distance from the base of the power insulator to each of the two variable resistors in the energy modulation circuits, where the blade length and power adjustors would be located. He used the measurements to mark the two points where the adjustors would be on the hilt and drilled two holes. He selected two adjustors made from a gold-like metal and checked if they fit. Finding that they didn't, he drilled through again with a larger drill bit and checked again, this time finding that they fitted perfectly.
Ven checked the time. Making the hilt and putting the parts of the lightsaber together had taken him over nine hours and now the sun was beginning to set. Ven extracted the Sapith from his robe and held it up to the fading light, where it glittered beautifully. Taking the crystal out of the sunlight, he walked to the center of the room and sat down with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees. He raised the crystal into the air with the Force and closed his eyes. Keeping his breathing slow, he focused all of his Force presence and thought on to the crystal, keeping his focus absolute until he no longer perceived the world around him and only he and the crystal existed. Now secure in his meditation, Ven started pumping his energy into the crystal, and in return knowledge of the crystal was placed back into him. With each passing second, he knew more about the crystal, its shape, its dimensions (though he knew them not in any quantity, but instead in relation to his own dimensions) and where its strengths and weaknesses lay. As the connection between Sith and crystal became stronger, Ven lost all sense of time and being and entered a trance...
49 hours and 33 minutes later
Ven regained consciousness and lowered the crystal into the palm of his right hand. The little crystal was now brimming with the supernatural energy of the Force. Ven checked the time. He had 13 and a half hours before his master would be expecting Ven to have the lightsaber complete. Ven picked himself up off the floor and made his way to the table where he had left the parts of his lightsaber. Being careful not to disrupt the alignment of any of the components, he opened up the crystal energy chamber and put the Sapith into the primary crystal mount. He closed the energy chamber once more and welded it shut with a small but powerful torch. Once it was sealed, he filed off the small ridge of metal along the joining line, ensuring that the internal parts fit perfectly into the hilt.
With the crystal in its appropriate place, Ven carefully and slowly inserted the internal workings into the hilt. Once everything was inside, Ven attached the blade length and power adjustors to the side, welding them on to the variable resistors while making sure he didn't weld them to the hilt itself. Then he welded the blade emitter to the hilt and filed down the ridge of metal, giving the lightsaber a smooth, sleek appearance. The entire process had taken Ven another two hours.
He held the lightsaber in his hands and did a few moves with it. He was concerned about the grip. The lightsaber was completely smooth, so if Ven was wearing cloth gloves while using it, it could slip completely out of his hands. Ven searched the room and found a small but thick sheet of durasteel.
He took the sheet of durasteel over to a workbench and used a fireblade to cut a few equal strips from it. Once they were cut, he heated them with the welding torch and then tapped them lightly with a hammer, giving them a slight curve to match the sceptre. Once the strips were made, he welded them to the middle of the lightsaber and filed off the metal ridges. Once the lightsaber was cooled down, he picked it up and tried again. The durasteel was still perfectly smooth. He took the file again and started filing down the durasteel strips, until each one had a slight but noticeable lip at either end. After polishing the strips, he picked the lightsaber up again. While the durasteel was still smooth, the lips helped him to keep his grip and he was sure they would function just as well should he be wearing cloth gloves.
Ven checked the time. Marix was due to be arriving in less than half an hour.
Supreme Commander Alor
The Supreme Commander heard his chrono chirp an alarm. Venedictos should be finished with his saber by now. If he wasn't, then perhaps it was time for a new master. The Military Executor stood up and stretched. He had been resting in his office chair, a very comfortable one, for the few several minutes of peace that he had in a normal day.
Getting up he quickly visited his armory and security center, as well as checking his datapad for messages and then made his way down to the lair.
"Venedictos. How confident are you in your craftsmanship?"
Venedictos Appo
Ven held the lightsaber out for his master to examine.
"It is neither the work of a Blades Master nor of a blunderer. It is most certainly not one of the best lightsabers of the Order but it is more than adequate for my needs and it functions at least as well as any other lightsaber."
