Archiving : yes to M&A, SWAL, OKEB, QJEB (if you want it).
others please ask
Warnings : what is there to warn about? <G>
Spoilers : none, pre-JA books
Summary : Obi-Wan builds his first lightsaber.
Feedback : rangerk8@home.com (Oh, please, yes!)
TECHNICAL NOTE: I do not own, nor have I had time to
study, a copy of any of the Star Wars Visual Dictionaries. What
little I think I got during a quick skim of the section on
lightsabers is in this story - and may be all wrong, according
to canon. Ya know what? I don't care...<g> Like a power
crystal, this just felt right.
The young boy sat at the workbench, concentrating hard on his
project - head bowed, tongue clenched between his teeth, eyes
squinting at the tiny pieces being fitted into the cylindrical
casing. Rechargeable power cell to emitter array. Emitter array
to guide ring. Guide ring to...
...hmmm time for the heart of the system - the crystals.
Obi-Wan looked up from his bench at the others around him in
the Temple workshop. The various technicians who cared for the
sophisticated systems that kept the Temple running smoothly
were scattered about the shop. Then there were a few others
like him - young Jedi hopefuls hard at work building their
first lightsaber.
Not just anyone could build a lightsaber - though the Force
knew enough had tried. It took patience, care, and the
precision of Jedi senses to assemble the weapon. It was the
first real rite of passage on the path to becoming a Jedi
Knight - if a student failed at this, they were gently eased
into training classes that would lead them to the ranks of the
Agri-Corps.
Obi-Wan had no doubt about his abilities to build the thing -
his teachers had praised his technical skills, leaving no
hesitation in his mind on that subject. He had designed the
casing to fit his own grip, trying to make allowances for the
fact that he was not yet fully grown, and the saber would have
to fit his hand as he grew. He slid off the stool he was
sitting on and crossed the room to the shop chief. "Master
Shimoda, I need to choose my power crystal and focus stones."
The older man looked at Obi-Wan and smiled. "Indeed, young
Kenobi? Bring me your assembly - we shall see." Obi-Wan brought
the tray with the hilt assembly over to the chief. "Hmmmm, it
appears as if you are right, young man - so, let us look at
what we have. It's very important to get the right resonance
between the stones, as you know." As he spoke, the man rose
from his seat and directed the boy to climb up on it, then
opened a small panel on the wall over the bench. Two velvet
bags came out of the cubbyhole, and the contents of each
spilled into black velvet-covered boxes.
Obi-Wan stared delightedly at the sparkle and shine of the
scattered stones. There were so many, and they all looked so
beautiful, he was not sure he could choose between them.
Deciding for to put off the choice of the focus jewels for a
moment, he looked at the power crystals.
The power crystals were all the same color - a sparkling
clear-white, octagonal in form. These were the heart of any
lightsaber - they harnessed and amplified the internal energy
supplied by the power cells, and in some mystical way that he
did not yet fully understand, added the power of the Force to
the emissions. A power crystal had to be carefully chosen by
the person making the lightsaber, for each one resonated
differently in the Force. A crystal which "felt wrong" to the
creator and user of the saber would not prevent them from using
it, but it was stronger and easier to wield if the crystal
"felt right".
Obi-Wan held his hand out over the tray of crystals, sensing
the flow of the Force through each one, hoping that there would
be just one crystal that spoke to him, felt as if it should
belong to him. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his task.
As he did, he heard a rustle of clothing behind him - someone
else was in the shop, behind him, watching him. He opened his
eyes and looked over his shoulder, then turned and sat up
straight as he saw another Jedi Master.
"Good day, Master Qui-Gon. What can we do for you today?"
Master Shimoda made a slight bow to the man, who had a
lightsaber in one hand and a repair kit in the other.
"You can let me use a space here, Master Shimoda - my weapon
was heavily damaged on my last mission, and I'm afraid it's
beyond a simple repair kit. Holding up the lightsaber, Obi-Wan
could see a large hole in the casing, and smell burnt
circuitry.
"What happened to it, Master Qui-Gon Sir?" He looked up at the
leonine face with a wrinkle between his eyebrows. The Jedi
Master smiled somewhat crookedly down at the boy, pleased by
his curiosity and the lively intelligence in his face.
"What is your name, child?"
"Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master Qui-Gon."
"Well, Obi-Wan Kenobi, I shall tell you what happened to it. In
fact, I'll show you what happened. But first, you were about to
do something important. Let's take care of that first, shall
we?" Qui-Gon smiled at Shimoda, who grinned back at his old
friend. He could see that Qui-Gon liked the boy as much as he
did, and who knew what would happen in a year or so when his
present Padawan took the trials? Perhaps this youngling would
be the next in line. The thought pleased him, and the Force
within him whispered pleasantly to itself - it would be a good
match.
"Choose, young Obi-Wan." The boy turned back to the tray and
held his hand out. Slowly, evenly, he passed his hand over the
crystals one by one, judging each one, feeling how they
resonated to his particular energies. Finally he felt one that
was right - it shone out to his Force-sense like a transport
landing beacon at midnight. He picked it up and held it in his
palm.
"This one."
Qui-Gon was impressed - the boy had chosen the exact crystal
that he would have chosen for the child himself. He was strong
in the force, indeed. "A wise choice, young man. And now, the
focus stones - have you chosen a color for your lightsaber?"
"No, Sir, I have not. I could not decide - I thought I would
wait and see what the Force brought to me - whatever goes best
with the crystal I have chosen." He saw both Master Shimoda and
Master Qui-Gon smile. "Have I done something in error, Master
Shimoda?"
"No, Obi-Wan, indeed, you show much wisdom for such a small
boy. You would be surprised how disappointed some students are
who absolutely have to have, say, a green lightsaber, as if
their lives depended on it." He grinned wickedly at Qui-Gon.
"In fact, I remember one stubborn young man who ..."
"Now, now, Shimoda, let the young boy finish his business - and
then he and I will go discuss lightsaber construction and
repair." Qui-Gon glared over the boy's head at the shop chief,
while the other man laughed silently, but said no more. "Select
your focus stones, Obi-Wan - the day grows no longer while we
chatter."
"Yes, Sir". Obi-Wan carefully poked through the colored stones,
already polished and faceted to be the perfect lenses for one
of the most feared energy weapons in the Galaxy. He needed to
be sure that the stones would work well together, as well as
with his crystal. Then he spotted two light-blue stones, as
identical as if they had been twins. He held them in his other
hand, feeling the connection between them and the power stone
run through his body. He felt the energy linking the stones,
strong and clear and powerful. "These, if you please, Master
Shimoda."
"Ah, the Tocopherian blue topaz. I thought those might be for
you, Obi-Wan. I've had them for a long time, and I knew they
were waiting for someone special." He smiled brightly at the
boy and ruffled his spiky hair. "Now, back to work - you need
to be in your galactography lessons in an hour and Master Y'Sil
will do bodily harm to both of us if you are late again." The
boy climbed down , took the tray with the hilt assembly in
hand, and then bowed deeply to both men. "Thank you, Master
Shimoda, Master Qui-Gon." He hesitated, his eyes on Qui-Gon's
damaged lightsaber, then ran back over to his workbench.
"Now, Master Qui-Gon, I've got an open bench right over here.
What do you need for parts? New crystal, stones? Let me see
it...ah! Poodoo, Qui-Gon, what in the name of the hundred
little gods did you do to this poor lightsaber?"
"Never mind, Shimoda - just be grateful that you have not met
the new droid in the Trade Federation's arsenal. The bloody
thing almost got my hand instead of my lightsaber - we have got
to add those things to the simulations - they are a destructive
bunch of bas...ah, droids." Qui-Gon belatedly remembered the
young ears around him. "The power crystal is OK, but the focus
jewels are in more pieces than an asteroid belt. I hope you
have..."
"Your favorite Sullustan greenstones? Of course I do, Qui-Gon -
you know I always keep a couple in reserve - just for stubborn
young men." Grinning, the older man took a small box from the
wall cubby and opened it, revealing two deep green jewels.
Handing it to Qui-Gon, he turned to put away the other stones.
That done, he turned to say something else to his friend, and
found the bench he had indicated earlier empty. Glancing
around, he found Qui-Gon Jinn seated next to young Obi-Wan,
beginning to open the case of his ruined weapon and pointing
out the damaged components to the fascinated boy. The two were
soon oblivious to the rest of the room, the red-gold head and
the brown one together, deep in conference on the technical
aspects of lightsaber repair.
Oh well, Shimoda thought - Master Y'Sil and galactography would
just have to wait.
Archive 