Second skin.

[Will]

''It's rare indeed that you ask me of a favour I'll enjoy doing. This had best not be teaching one of your students the ways of the blade. Again.''

He raised an eyebrow in mock condemnation.

''What do you need of your old master, young Hector?''

 

[Kit]

"I want you to help me make something."

Hector paused. How best to explain, he wondered?

"You know the way I fight. You've seen how it works. I would like you to help me fashion some armour. It cannot restrict my movement, or my connection to the force, but it needs to protect me, when I have to fight close in."

He pointed in turn to the locations he wanted armour specifically on, as he spoke.

"Chest, shoulders, forearms and hands. Outer thighs, shins and feet. I would do it myself, but I need help to force forge it. And you're the only man whom I'm willing to trust my life to. And the only one I know whose actually force forged anything..."

 

[Will]

''I know exactly.''

Huang sprung up, vitality in his every movement.

''Stand. We'll start with the cuirass Arms up.''

He pulled out a tape measure.

''I'm presuming the back as well?'' He asked while using the force to move the tape measure around his chest, and noting the measurements.

''What made you decide for armour? It's one step closer to the blade, you know.''

Huang smiled as he noted down the measurements.

 

[Kit]

Hector stood as instructed, and moved to allow Huang's floating tape measure to do it's work.

"Ideally, yes. But it needs to be flexible, it can't be a shell. It needs to be a second skin."

Hector laughed as Huang spoke. He was endlessly optimistic about Hector and the blade.

"This isn't a path to the blade, it's a barrier to it. If I have to go to war, I don't want to do it naked. And if I don't have to worry about turning every blow aside, then I can concentrate on making mine matter more."

He raised his cup to his lips through the force, and finished it off, without moving a muscle.

"Besides, from the reports on the Taung, the last thing I want to do is leave my squishiest parts out where they can get them."

 

[Will]

''This can be arranged.''

Bands would work. Or lamellar style. Yes.

''Would you prefer something banded, then? Or a lamellar style Cuirass? I'd recommend bands.''

He took a large sheet of paper, scribbling upon a floating desk he made from a piece of sturdy wood. Measurements, designs, and embellishments all took form on the paper.

A pair of crossed blades engraved on the chest piece, with an eye superimposed over their crossing point. He smiled wryly.

An eye of aversion, crossed blades. Symbols of defence, with a second meaning. Defence against blades.

''Bands also allow me to be more creative.''

Huang held the design to show Hector. It was the design of a master artificer.

''Acceptable to your tastes, sir?'' Huang asked, putting on the tone of a tailor.

 

[Kit]

"Banded, always banded. Lamellar has too many weak points for my liking."

Hector watched Huang scribbling feverishly. Somehow he knew Huang was going to... yeah, there it was. Swords.

"You just can't not include the blade somewhere, can you?" He laughed, and quickly added, "But that's perfect, thank you, old friend."

 

[Will]

''Excellent. And I'll have you know, it's in fitting with your tastes. An eye symbolising defence, along with the crossed blades, the meaning combining for an aversion to blades. I know my stuff with symbols, young man. ''

He drew a short blade, and expertly, cut into some thick card, a mock up taking form. He assembled it, placing it onto an arming rack.

''Shoulders? Segmented? How far to extend?''

He began quick scribbles.

''And while we're at it, gauntlets? What fabric underlying? Leather on the fingers, with metal plates?''

 

[Kit]

"I believe you, but would not the symbol of the order have done?" Hector chuckled, and quickly added, "Could you work in the order's symbol, somewhere?"

He smiled. Perhaps he could turn the former symbol into something of a personal crest, and the order's symbol would have to feature somewhere, to avoid any awkward questions.

"Yes to shoulders and segmented, extending to, say, mid bicep? And definitely yes to guantlets."

He flexed his hand, considering the possibilites for a moment.

"Leather and plates, agreed. Though only on the top of the hand and fingers. I can't risk having the metal interfere with the flow of the force."

 

[Will]

Huang waved his hand dismissivley.

''It'll be there somewhere.''

he nodded, drawing and cutting, plans taking shape. The left shoulder had the symbol of the order scribbled on, the right was formless, simply the word 'crest' scribbled on.

''Now then, thighs. I presume you would rather Tassets to Faulds? You don't want to be running around in a skirt.''

 

[Kit]

"Neither," he quickly replied. He had done his research before coming to Huang, and neither classical armour designs afforded him the protection he desired. "I want plates solely for the outer thighs. I don't need my hips protecting."

He paused a moment. The armour was taking shape, in design at least, quite well.

"It needs to be incredibly light, it can't hinder me at all. And, ideally, lightsaber resistant."

 

[Will]

''Yes, I'll be using a lighter cortosis alloy, and force forging it. It'll be light, yet incredibly strong.''

A design for the plates to cover his thighs took place, along with straps to attach them to the rest of the armour.

''Any preferences for greaves?''

 

[Kit]

"Perfect."

Another pause, whilst he considered his options.

"Nothing in particular. Though, looking awesome never hurt, right?"

 

[Will]

''Awesomeness is of paramount important to armour. Whether it be via master crafting...''

Huang indicated the mock up of Hector's armour.

''Or by how it was obtained.''

Huang indicated his own armour, the 'requisitioned' Taung pieces meshed together into a formidable piece, similar in composition to Hectors.

He finally placed the greaves down, pieces that curled back around the leg, covering the sides of the foot, images and script drawn on.

''There we are. Now. I'll start with the chest plate.''

Beside the forge was a huge pile of blocks of metal. He lifted it with the force, placing it in the furnace, to melt it.

As the intense heat reduced the metal to liquid, Huang took the Curaiss peice, taking it apart until it was a set of flat pieced of card. He drew around them onto an odd substance, and cut out the shape with the outline, making a profile of the separate pieces of armour.

Finally, the metal was reduced to a liquid, and Huang removed the crucible deftly, and pouring the contents into the moulds. Using the force, he shaped them as they cooled, making sure they were uniform pieces of armour, weaving the force through them, strengthening them.

With the single minded purpose of a master craftsman, Huang assembled the pieces with the force and more tacticle tools.

He held the curaiss up to Hector, the single eye gazing unblinking at Hector. Somehow, Huang had given it the odd impression it was staring right to the depths of your soul...

''Try it on. Don't worry, it's cool.''

 

[Kit]

Hector watched in awe, and utterly silent, as his master went to work. It had been a long time since he had actually been present to watch Huang forge anything. He had forgotten how... hypnotic the process could be.

When Huang presented him with the cuirass, he gingerly accepted it. Knowing it was unlikely he could break it by any sort of accident, but unwilling to show the work any disrespect. He had it on in a matter of seconds, shedding his outer robes down to a simple vest to allow the piece on.

"It fits perfectly. Thank you, Master."

He smiled, twisting and contorting his body to try and find a sticking point. There were none. Hell, he could barely feel the weight of the piece. Truly a work of art.

"It's like it's not even here! It'll definitely turn away a blade, you say?"

Hector knew it would, but he also knew that Huang secretly enjoyed being able to boast of his work. He was proud, and rightly so.

"Speaking of turning away, why isn't your knight friend around? Please tell me you aren't running from your feelings, old man?"

 

[Will]

Huang went silent as he drew out the pieces for the pauldrons, the hammer blows seemingly ringing loudly. He handed Hector the left pauldron, with the symbol of the order.

He held the right one in his hand. ''This one will have a crest, your own personal symbol.''

He placed it on the workbench, working on the vambrace parts of the gauntlets.

''I don't run from feelings, you know that. She's probably off gallivanting in the seedy districts of the galaxy.''

He sat at the bench, drawing chisels and files, to work flowing designs into the vambraces, each its own small work of art. scenes of raging battles came to life on these small metal pieces, which he dutifully handed to Hector. It had struck a nerve. Something that happened even less frequently than Huang's legendary 'smile'.

He began to work on the small plates covering the back of the palms.

 

[Kit]

Reaching out his empty hand, the bare pauldron snapped to his outstretched fingers. Looking at it for a moment, he smiled, and closed his eyes. Drawing on the force quite strongly, the decorated pauldron slowly lifted from his hand. Focussing, he forced the accumulated power to a single fingertip and let the force guide his now empty hand.

His finger traced an image he had never seen before. The force had given him a symbol all his own. A long downward spiral, met by a single curved line. Now, both pauldrons bore symbols. He levitated both onto his body at once, allowing them to settle in their proper places.

"No, you're right. Perhaps run was the wrong word. I'm only thinking of you, Master. If the force has willed the two of you together, then you have no right to fight it's will. It guides and protects us, perhaps it has seen fit to give you something to protect of you own?"

 

[Will]

Huang attached the plates and vambraces to the leather gloves, forming the gauntlets. Across them were intricate designs of battles from bygone days, rendered in a detail only a hand guided by the force could achieve.

''It has deemed me fit to protect the next generation of the order, Hector. She tossed me aside, simply an outlet for her emotions. I prefer my lot here.''

As he spoke, he finished the thigh guards. He began to etch them in the same style. When held side by side, they would mirror the tapestry covering Huang's doorway.

''And what has the force given you to protect, Hector?''

 

[Kit]

Reaching into the force to draw the gloves to him, Hector couldn't help but sigh a little. The beauty of the armour and the importance of this gift from his master, was somewhat tarnished by their conversation.

"The force has yet to reveal anything to me to protect, besides my padawan's. But when it does, I will not shirk it off, simply because I'm afraid of failing..."

He let his sentence fill the slightly tense silence. He knew Huang well, and he knew that he was crossing a line. But these things needed to be done. Whether it was the will of the force, or simply the will of Hector, he wouldn't be happy until Huang faced up to his past, and moved on with his life.

 

[Will]

''Finally, the greaves.''

Huang took them, still warm, shaping them. Flowing script in an ancient tongue wrapped around images of beauty.

''She left me. I did not shirk. One night, she was there. The next, gone. It won't happen again. Ever. Could we discuss lighter matters?''

Huang added the straps and buckles.

''One set of armour, young Hector. What do you think? I'll craft you a better one when I'm comfortable to call myself a master...''

He stood, wheeling in a full body mirror.

''You like looking at yourself in the mirror anyway. Why not give yourself a reason to?''

He chuckled at his joke.

 

[Kit]

"I suppose there is balance in all things, Huang. She may be gone, but you still have a duty by her, as we all do by our students. We send them off into the galaxy, to represent our order and our ideals."

He paused, stepping into greaves, and fastened them on with the force.

"You'll always owe this one a little more though."

He laughed at Huang's joke

"But certainly, we'll move onwards if it is what you truly wish." He paused, and added, "Which reminds me! I'll be taking my latest padawan out of the temple for a while. When we return, would you be so kind as to teach him the blade on my behalf? You know how the council gets, yourself excluded, when I try and slip a Knight past them who cannot wield the blade."