"this Shall Change You, Forever"

This will be the lightsaber creation story for Tra'an Reith. The posters will be Lucien Kaeth and Tra'an Reith.

The Clan had just broken from the Winter Games closing ceremony when Lucien’s remaining Apprentie, Tra’an Reith came to him, looking a bit puzzled. His right hand was clenched so tightly that they were shifting on their own, trying to encompass whatever it was that he held more comfortably.

“What can I do for you, my young shapeshifting Apprentice?”

“Master Lucien, I woke this morning to find this crystal on my nightstand. I have an eerie feeling that I know where it belongs, but as always, I came to you first about it.”

“As well you should have Tra’an. Let me inspect the crystal you speak of.”

Tra’an’s hand reluctantly released to show the deep blue crystal nestled in the palm. As the low sunlight caught it, the crystal shimmered ever so slightly. Lucien grinned as he gazed upon the crystal, for this truly was what Tra’an had deduced.

Of course, this was all a very intricate play for the young Apprentice. It was him that in fact placed the crystal on the nightstand, fully aware that Tra’an would come to him for this final leg of his journey to Knight.

“My young Apprentice, what you currently hold in your hand will help to shape the Knight that you will become, by serving as the focusing crystal of your first true lightsaber. This test will be more grueling and taxing than all others before combined. This journey that you and I will embark upon is one that countless Masters and Students have gone down for milennia. In the morning, when the sun peeks over the tips of the mountains, meet me outside the south entrance. Bring a set of warm clothes, your weapons, and nothing else. We will be traveling on foot for most of the journey. Do not be late, as I will only wait for 10 minutes. Once the sun has completely passed the tops of the mountains, I will leave for warmer pastures.”

Tra'an left his Master, pensive in thought. Long had he labored and waited for the days in which he might finally come to this time in his training. He returned to his rooms and laid out clothing for the trip. His precious weapons that had been his companions since he had begun his journey along the road of Darkness were lovingly cleaned and set beside the clothing. He lay down upon the bed which was his and closed his eyes in meditation.

His internal clock woke him and he smiled as the red light next to his bed told him he still had one half hour. He washed and dressed carefully, eating a breakfast composed of food that would help sustain him through a long journey. Slipping into his clothes and strapping his weapons on his back, he jogged outside to where his Master was waiting, a shadow in the rising sun. He approached his Master quietly. "Master, I have come." With this he waited for the next step upon his journey.

Lucien looked his Apprentice over not once, but twice. With his abilities, Lucien knew that Tra’an was capable of hiding stuff anywhere he pleased. The ProConsul ensured that nothing out of the ordinary was going on and addressed his shapeshifting Apprentice.

“Tra’an, this journey is a storied one. From this place, we take part in a task and trial that only the select few can enjoy and participate in. As we leave this sacred bastion, we go off in search of the necessary tools and materials you need to properly create your own lightsaber. Once this trial is completed, should you survive, you will wield one of the most powerful weapons in the galaxy. This journey shall not and will not be taken lightly. You will be tested both physically and mentally on this trek. Are you prepared?”

Tra’an only nodded firmly. He had come to know that second guessing oneself was not something that his Master looked favorably upon. He knew that only confidence and proper preparation would carry him through this adventure.

“Very well then, let us begin. I have discovered the locations of the very items you will need other than that crystal you carry in your hip pocket. The first thing we shall pursue will be the hilt. The Yuuzhan Vong on Caina have been coming up with some very interesting ideas when it comes to lightsaber hilts. Shall we see what they have devised?”

Without saying another word, Lucien took out a datapad and entered a few keystrokes. Within minutes, his Lambda Class Shuttle had touched down just in front of the duo.

“You take the controls. I hate flying this thing. Take us directly to the Dorimad Sol headquarters. I need to inform Quaestor Occasus that we plan to be on his planet. Proceed.”

Tra'an simply did as he was bid, stepping forward and sliding himself into the pilot's seat. His hands grasped the controls and effortlessly guided the craft off the ground and into orbit. Totally consumed in the process of plotting the course out of the system and to Caina, he ignored his Master activating the Hologrid.

Thran Occasus's image flickered to life on the screen before them, his eyes obviously indicating that he was tired no matter how much he enjoyed the war he was conducting. "Proconsul, what can I do to oblige you?" The sarcastic tone mixed with a sneer did little to hide the sarcasm of the answer. Lucien was cordial, understanding the stress Thran was under, and knowing that even Thran wasn't stupid enough to do more than that to his Proconsul.

"I wished simply to inform you of my imminent arrival on Caina with my Apprentice. We are journeying to recover the items that he will use to construct his 'Saber. I expect that you and Rasilvenaira will honor that we are not involved. Failure to do so would be disastrous for both of you." Lucien's words carried with them a direct promise of retribution should they happen to dare and attack them. Very few persons would be stupid enough to attack a Proconsul that was as skilled and beloved as Lucien.

Thran's head gave a brief nod. "Very well." The image vanished just before they shifted into hyper. Tra'an placed the ship on auto-pilot and retreated to the bay of the Lambda to meditate. He placed himself in the Lotus position and used the Force to raise him off the ground. He then raised the crystal that would be the heart of his lightsaber, and meditated on the journey ahead, focusing thoughts on the crystal and all it represented. He hoped to imbue a part of himself into the crystal and to have it respond to him as if it were part of him, so that he would always know where it was.

The time passed relatively quickly, Lucien asleep in a berth and himself meditating. A chime brought him slowly forth from his place of thought, warning him of two minutes until translation back into normal space. Easing to the floor of the hangar, he placed the crystal inside of him, nestling it near his heart. Striding forward to the controls, and easing himself back into the seat, he made a smooth transition into the Cocytus system. Lucien was still sleeping, which was pleasing to him. Waking his Master from what little slumber he could get was never a good idea.

The ship slide smoothly through space and landed just South of the Yuuzhan Vong enclave on Caina, after passing through three checkpoints of Dorimad Sol and one IFF scan that was distinctly Caliburnus. He slowly shut down the shuttle, leaving it in stand by mode in case Lucien chose to summon it later. He checked his little gear again, took the time to eat and drink before waking his Master. "Lucien, we're here. It's time to go."

The Prelate woke from his half meditation, half slumber to see the nervous, shifting face of his eager Apprentice staring back at him. The cobwebs took a few seconds to shake from his head and his vision was still a bit blurry, which could have accounted for the shifting in Tra’an’s face. Once he was fully aware of his surroundings, he quickly sprang from his berth, grabbed his cloak and belt and headed towards the rear of the shuttle to lower the gangplank.

No sooner had they stepped out of the shuttle than they were met by the Rollmaster of Dorimad Sol, Angelo Dante. The Templar nodded curtly to the ProConsul and his Apprentice and stepped aside to allow them to fully disembark the shuttle. The pair stepped lightly onto the ice planet and immediately had to bundle themselves to shield from the cold and icy winds.

“Templar, we come to visit the Shapers of the Vong Enclave. However, we wish to meet with your durasteel provider to see what kind of materials he might have available.”

Dante nodded again. “Of course Grand Marshall. Right this way.”

Lucien pulled his hood over his bald head and began the journey back to the Headquarters of Dorimad Sol. Thran owed him several drinks and there was no way that he wasn’t going to collect.

“Tra’an, while I council with the Quaestor here, I want you to negotiate a good price for 5 tons of durasteel from the vendor. If there is a ready made hilt there that you fancy, pick it up. I will beep you on your comm link when I have finished.”

As his Master wandered away, presumably to collect on the drinking favors owed to him by anyone on the planet, a slow trudge took him to the durasteel forge. He was grateful at least, to get out of the cold and into the heat. Hot places were relished, for they reminded him of home and the warmer than average climate there. Removing his coat, and unbuttoning his shirt so that it hung loosely, he was infinitely more comfortable.

Approaching the only person in the forge shop, where the durasteel scraps were being reworked into something more than the shreds they had become. The bellows were stuck, and he had to resist laughing when he saw why. "Hello there", he called out, "may I be of some assistance?" This resulted in a grunt and head flip, the long black hair of the beautiful humanoid being moved out of the way to reveal a skimpily clad lady that glistened with sweat. "Aye", came the reply smooth as silk. "Can you get this thing undone?" He smiled and moved forward, undoing the safety catch that had sprung up to latch it in place when it had been released too quickly.

A blink, followed by another, quickly gave way to curses and a broken wall. The lady smith was not pleased at the novice mistake she had been caught in. This eventually gave way to chuckles and her waving him into a slightly cooler environment. "What can I do for you?" The smile she gave him as she toweled off, indicated that perhaps more than business was on the table, though he wasn't sure he was prepared to accept. His Master liked to drink and run, having left more than one tab behind in this manner.

"Perhaps I could bargain with you for 5 tons of durasteel, and a hilt if you have one lying around? A soft smile certainly didn't help. He took the time to appreciate her hair, showing purple in the soft lighting of the forge's super heated coals, and her blue eyes. She smiled in reply, glad to have her forge back at last. reaching behind her while keeping eyes on him, she grabbed a pad, flicked her eyes over it, and handed it to him. He scanned it, pressed his thumb print to it, signed Lucien's name, and the transaction was through.

"As for the hilt", she said while straightening and licking her lips, what kind of hilt are you looking for?" A slow wiggle of the hips was more than enough to clarify what she was offering. Moving in close to her, and gently stroking her face with fingertips, he replied; " Not that kind, though I would be interested provided I knew I had time. My Master likes to drink and run, so I suspect to get called away shortly. However, had you a hilt that would function for a lightsaber, something solid, sturdy, and utterly unbreakable?" A soft kiss followed this, just a brush of the lips.

She sighed softly and melted against him. "Hmmmm", she purred, lost in thought. He lifted her and carried her towards what he presumed was her living area in the back, well away from the murderous heat of the forge. She reached down to grab something as they passed by a bench, and she showed it to him after he set her gently upon her bed. It was a solid hilt, long enough for him to place both of his hands on it with just a smidgen of extra room. She handed it to him. "This piece is unusual, originally designed to part of an interlocking rod set. It's laced with Phrik Alloy, though its not much. It's got a switch where the rod would have released. It hasn't much else."

He smiled, and set it on the table beside the bed. "Why don't I take you up on that offer?" He smiled. She Smiled. The lights dimmed to the roar of the forge and time passed.