The Heart of the Guardian

[Ral]

"Clearly." Kai replied laconicly with a smile on his face. He found Saana's own wide grin to be infectious as that moment and he enjoyed the playfully casual nature of their banter together. As he got ready to get into the speeder he added, "Maybe next time I'll jump right on top of you while you're busy meditating on something important. Break that focus and stuff!" He shot a wink back at Saana sticking his tongue out at her a little as he started to climb in.

Listening to her explain that she hadn't put that much thought into the shape and feel if her lightsaber, the young Jedi nodded and let out a quiet chuckle as he took his lightsaber hilt back from her. "Well that's very true, Saana. But who's to say that those Jedi weren't inspired by the Force before they started working on their hilts, hmm? In any case, you should go into this with a bit of an idea in your head first. Hold out your hand and feel your lightsaber. Feel the weight and the shape in your hand, the contours. It's not so much a plan, but a feeling, an instinct. The Force will guide you as you work on your hilt, it will tell you which parts to choose."

Once he had shown her his little workshop and all the parts that were at her disposal, Saana asked him a very good question, one which caused him to think a little. "Well, that's a bit of an involved answer. The short version is that it can apply to building a lightsaber, but code is much more suited to how one uses that lightsaber. In that way the Code might dictate for what function the form of the lightsaber takes. In some ways though, a lightsaber should be designed as a tool of defense and protection, things like spikes or blades are unnecessary... I'm curious now, what do you think?"

 

[CJ Solo]

Saana could only smirk at Master Kai's response and comment on how characteristic of him that would be and then claim it to be a test of some sort. She listened to him carefully, though, as he explained things to her and allowed her to look over his work area. At first, she let her hands rest on the edge of the bench, not yet touching anything on it.

"It occurs to me that it is all a cycle, no matter the words, and comes into one thing; us individually." Saana stood quiet, as though in thought, for a few long seconds. Her gaze was on the parts scattered about the bench, but she did not seem to be looking at any one of them specifically. Finally, she speaks as though having decided how to best convey her thoughts, her feelings, into words. She reached into the pouch at her side wehre the crystal had been resting and she held it up a second. "This is the center of the lightsaber, what makes it what it is, it's heart. It is like our own hearts and minds, our knowledge and our ignorances. As much ignorance as we might have, there is always knowledge, always something to learn." She placed the crystal on the work bench in a place of its own away from the other spattering of parts. "Just as the crystal is at the heart of a lightsaber, we are at the heart of the Force. We have emotions some good, and even some bad, but as Jedi when we are at terms with those emotions, when we understand them, we find peace in our place in the heart of the Force." Saana spoke at a slow, thoughtful, pace and as she did there would be a moment here and there that she would reach out a hand to pick up a part and set it aside with the crystal. "Just as a lightsaber has a crystal at its center, so do we... our hearts. It is our hearts that focus our passions for life, for justice, for serenity..." She fell into another pause as she selected, seemingly at random, another part and set it aside. "Just as we wield a lightsaber in defense of others, in battle our hearts have their own blades, the Force and in the chaos that the galaxy brings us we find harmony in ourselves, in our actions and even with our lightsabers as we become attuned to its crystal." The togruta padawan takes in a breath and releases it slowly. "In the end, we are all bound together, the Force, Jedi and lightsaber. There is no end, no death. It all goes back to the Force." Saana fell silent then as she reaches across the bench and picks up one last piece and places it in the pile that she has created around the crystal that she had spent the better part of the day meditating with.

At last, she finally turned slightly to look at Master Kai with her golden eyes.

 

[Ral]

"Interesting thoughts you've got there," Kai remarked when Saana had finally finished speaking to him. He gave her a satisfied smile when her gold eyes turned to him. "It seems that someone has done quite a bit of research into the old Jedi code. You've definitely got some good thoughts rattling around in that big red head of yours." Reaching up, he touched her face with his hand, placing a thumb along their curve of her cheek bone and rubbing it slightly. Shifting so that he had his hand at the base of neck, he pulled her in and gave her one gentle kiss, a peck, on her forehead, like he had done earlier. It was his way of showing her how he felt, how he was proud of her, and how much faith he had in her. She wasn't just any apprentice to him, she was one of the special ones, the ones he was proud to have trained, one he would always remember no matter what. And he was going to say that. Looking down into her golden eyes, he turned to face the pile of parts before speaking. "I just want you to know how proud I am of you. You're one of my best students... one of my more special ones, anyways."

Clearing his throat, he motioned to the pile of parts below them. "Looks like you've got just about everything you need to make your lightsaber. Remember, no hands, you have to use the Force to correctly make a lightsaber, otherwise the alignment could be all wrong and you'll blow up in your face." He chuckled a little after that before adding in encouragingly at the end, "But I'm sure you'll be fine, you haven't needed any of my help yet. Besides, I know you're ready for this, otherwise the Force wouldn't have brought you here. Now, go ahead, and get started, I'm going to get us on the move." Squeezing her shoulder one last time, he gave her a nod before heading back to the cockpit where he started to take off. Kai knew without a doubt Saana would be fine, she was more than capable of using the Force well enough to make a lightsaber.

 

[CJ Solo]

"You think so?" Saana smiled a little, possibly even relieved. "I am glad you think so." When his hand touched her face, she studied him with her eyes looking for anything in his expression or his own eyes forwhat it was he was thinking. Then, he had leaned in and kissed her forehead, and her eyes closed, like he has done many times before."Special?" Saana gave him a curious look. "What do you mean?"

Her gaze shifted to the parts as he continued speaking, encouraging that she get started. Silently, Saana took in the advice and reminders that he gave her and watched after him as he headed off out of the compartment to the cockpit. When he was out of sight, she turned to the work bench and collected up the pieces she had chosen only to sit down on the deckplating with them. She set them carefully before her so that she would not accidently damage anything and looked at them spread before her.

First, Saana had spent time meditating, putting everything else around her out of her mind. Like before in the cave, this was her time with the Force, with the crystal and with what would be her first constructed lightsaber. It was a long while before the first of the parts rose before her as her hands rested on her knees and began to assemble themselves. Slowly, one part after another lifted from the deck and moved into its rightful place. At last, it was done. The hilt of the new lightsaber was silver with a red coppery hue to it and was free of embelishments save for an activation switch. The pommel tapered to a rounded tip while the emitter end had an extension that would frame part of the blade nearest its origin.

Saana stood when it was all done. There was one last test to perform; activating the weapon. She stood there for a few moments, the weapon pointed away from her. Then she took a deep breath and released it before she hit the activation switch. With a snap-hiss, the lightsaber blade hummed into existance. The blade was a deep ressonating blue that cast its light over the area.

The togruta padawan smiled to herself. She had done it.

 

[Ral]

Nodding back at his Togruta apprentice he replied, "I do, I do." After giving her the peck on the forehead he saw the look she gave, and he raised an eyebrow back at her when she gave him a rather curious look. When she asked him how she was special he started to blush slightly. "Well, you're special to me Saana," he winked. It was true, but that wasn't the answer she was looking for and they both knew it. "You're one of my best students Saana, maybe my very best. You have a special connection with the Force, it's stronger than most others. I foresee one day you will be a great and powerful Jedi. You will be special amongst your peers."

When he was done talking to Saana he headed back to the cockpit where he took off and plotted their course back home. Kai would remain in the cockpit until they were well underway. He wouldn't poke his head in and bothered her until he was sure she was done and wouldn't be bothered. After he heard the familiar snap-hiss of a lightsaber being activated he stood and made his way back to the workshop. Walking in he saw the sapphire blue blade cast an azure light against the walls of the ship. With a smile on his face he looked at his Padawan. "Congratulations, Saana, you did it!" He'd wait until Saana deactivated her blade, then he'd rush in to hug her, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around with a twirl placing her back on the ground. With a grin on his face he spoke, "Good job. I'm so very proud of you, my wise and skilled Padawan!" Looking into her golden eyes, studying them, wondering what Saana was thinking at that moment. In that moment he saw how beautiful she was, he saw how proud of her he was, and how much he wanted to hold her tight. He wanted to show her how much he cared and how he much she meant; how proud of how far she had come and how close to being a knight she was.

 

[CJ Solo]

When Master Kai came back into the area, she gave the blade a single slash through the air so that he could see. Then she deactivated it and almost immediately he was upon her, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up off the ground. A genuine laugh came from her as he twirled her around, only to set her back down on her feet. She looked at him when he spoke, smiling. "I could not have done it without you."

Saana stood there not moving for several moments and then put her arms around Kai, tightening them into a hug. There was so much she had to thank him for, so much he had given her. She held on for several seconds before loosening her grip and looked at him again. "Master Kai..." Calling him that was just something she had never broke from, even if at times it had been purposefully done. "All of this means so much to me, you mean so much to me. I... consider you special too."

 

[Ral]

Hearing her laugh as he spun her through the air as he held her caused him to grin and chuckle in a giddy manner. As she told him that she couldn't have done it without him, he simply shook his head and replied, "That's not true, my dear. You've done an amazing job without me. I simply showed you the path, you're the one that walked it. This is your accomplishment. It's been my honor and privilege to have been there with you, to be the one who showed you this path and started you on it. I will always remember our meeting on Tatooine as one of the most important moments of my life."

Feeling Saana place her arms around his and hug him back tightly caused him to hug her back tighter, a smirk on his face as he nestled his head on her shoulder for a few moments. When she loosened her hold on him he looked into her golden eyes but didn't completely let go, he just let them separate enough so they weren't so close and could look each other in the face without touching noses. As she spoke he simply grinned back at her. She never stopped calling him Master, even after he asked her just to call him Kai. There was weight and sincerity to her words, though he felt that beyond the levels of admiration and respect and thankfulness towards him there was something else. Something intimate and deeper, something perhaps he had felt before but not quite realized it until just a few moments ago. "Saana," he said quietly as he leaned in. "I told you to call me Kai!" He laughed as he moved a hand and ran it down the length of one of her lekku, feeling the skin beneath his fingertips. Placing his dominant hand against her red cheek, he pulled her close to him, and taking a chance, cautiously leaned in and kissed Saana. This time it was on her lips. He didn't want to overstay his welcome so he'd break it off before too long, assuming she let him kiss her and let him pull away. Looking into her golden eyes again he simply grinned, waiting to see if she would say something before he spoke again. "I think it might be time for your last test."

 

[CJ Solo]

"I will remember that day too, forever. I can only imagine how drastically different things would be if I had not stumbled into you. I was very fortunate." She smiled at him again, if it had even gone away. It settled into a bit of a laugh as he again corrected her, like so many other times, amused. "I know Kai, I know." Beyond the teasing, she believed that he deserved the title, that he had earned it. Saana shivered a little at his touch, but she did not look away from him even as he leaned in to kiss her. It had been small, yet full of meaning. It had been uninvasive, but wanting. She returned it, enjoyed it and felt a rush of emotion with it.

Saana blinked at him then, after it was broken and he had spoken again. "A test? What test is that?"

 

[Ral]

Feeling her return his kiss felt wonderful, like everything up to that point had helped to build up to it. It was a confirmation of sorts, that they were both on the same page with how they felt and it was good to experience that and get it out so he didn't have to hide it from her, so he didn't have to deny it. With their relationship as teacher and student finally coming to a close, Kai realized he could finally allow his thoughts for her to come forward and maybe even act on them. Through the Force he felt her flush with emotions like she was blushing, and he was sure she was, vibrant with color, just like him. He wanted to say something about the moment, but he wasn't sure he had the right words for it, and didn't want to ruin it, ruin what they had shared. Looking her in the eyes still he took one of her hands in his and gave it a squeeze while he continued to playfully touch one of her lekku as she asked him about the test he mentioned. Nodding he smiled wryly at her. "Yep. It's the same temple where I passed my own test. It will be your last trial, then, I think, you'll be ready to be a Jedi Knight. Council permitting of course."

 

[CJ Solo]

That moment was there where it had happened and now things almost stood still. Thoughts went through his mind and thoughts went through her own mind. Saana had to wonder if what he was expressing was a new developement for him or if it had been there for a while, when he had realized. Eventually, she nodded as she heard his words; heard him talk about the place he had completed his trials. A light smile tugged at her lips. "What is it like there? Can you say?"

Her questions held genuine curiousity, but at the same time she hoped they would give the moment they just shared a smooth ending instead of an awkward one of them just standing there looking at each other. Then, as if she had forgotten, she stepped back from him. The togruta padawan brought up the lightsaber hilt she had constructed so that he might take it and examine it, if he chose. Since there were no explosions or anything like that and the weapon did activate, it was obvious she had done it correctly, but still she wanted to give that opprotunity. It would only be when he was done that she would take it back. "I am ready if you are."

 

[Ral]

"The moon is a harsh and barren place. Nothing really lives on it. The temple is underground with its own atmosphere. The Force is strong there, I think it sits on a Force nexus. I remember it being dark, and cold, and there being lots of stone. Not too different than where we just were in fact." He chuckled at the connection. "But... the Force will test you, and you will have to face those tests alone."

Once he had answered her questions, he looked at the lightsaber she had brought up, the one she had just constructed. Nodding with approval as he took it into his hand, feeling the contours and grooves, the weight, he pressed the activation button and was happy to see the blade was as perfect as it could be. Deactivating it, he gave it one last look over before handing it back to Saana with an approving and satisfied grin. "It's good. You did well with it! I'm proud of you, as I always am, of course. You're one step closer to being a knight now, dear. I think the last thing we really need to face is that last trial." Grabbing her hand, he squeezed it softly before leading it back to the cockpit where they could chit-chat the rest of the journey back to their home.