2.4 - Urik

Urik stands alone -- an eerie fog about him. There is no sign of his friends.

Urik hears nothing -- his stage whisper dies, muffled by the fog about him. This is a stressful situation the most stressful he's been in since his capture by Malefax long ago, in part because his friends are no where to be seen. There may be a slight thinning of the fog ahead, though Urik is unsure if this is just an optical illusion or reality.

Moving through the fog -- Urik passes into a new rocky tunnel. It doesn't seem all that different from the various tunnels he's been traveling through with his friends. But it smells a little different. Moister. The air also feels a bit more charged -- something is strange about this place and Urik feels it subconsciously through his connection with the Force.

Ahead, there's a flickering red glow -- as if someone is carrying a red glow rod while running in the distance.

Chasing after the light -- it stays just beyond his reach until he reaches a wide, circular, domed cavern with the pathway he's on running around its outer edge into several other passages. Far above, light streams through a large hole in the ceiling of the cavern. There's the smell of water -- which echoes quietly around the cavern. In the center is a pedestal of some sort -- it's circular and large enough for two melee combatants to spar or ... maybe fight.

More shockingly, standing in the center of that platform is Malefax. He wields a shimmering red sword. Urik suspects this may be a lightsaber. In the bright light streaming from above, Urik's able to see the wound inflicted upon the devaronian by Dagger that lead to his death. But here he is, standing before Urik, smiling.

"Lose something?" he asks, mockingly.

Urik pushes back on the fear that coalesces around him. Walking to the edge of the walkway, he sees a significant jump required to get to the middle and his enemy. The sword in his hands pushes against him with dark thoughts of vengeance and hatred -- but Urik's own success in pushing back his fear counteract this."Oh, you brought me my sword back. A welcome gesture, apprentice. However, I have a new weapon." The red sword in his hand swooshes back and forth as he casually flips it around before him, showing it off.

Malefax grins superciliously at Urik. "If you are so eager -- feel free to come at me, apprentice. I welcome the opportunity to add a few more scars to that face of yours while you remember your place."

The sword falls into a pool of water that surrounds the pedestal with a splish. It slides under easily, disappearing from view into its murky depths. A passing thought of Urik's wonders how many items like Malefax's sword lie at the bottom of that pool. Malefax sneers at his former "apprentice" and readies his weapon. "You toss away your defense like you are in a dream. You were a worthless choice as an apprentice. Weak. Stupid. Careless. You can't even use your fear and your anger to help you get something done."

Malefax deftly parries the blaster bolt, causing it to just barely nick his clothing. He smiles at Urik and says, "Yes. Perfect -- use that rage." He counters and uses the lightsaber to slice through Urik's blaster, rending it no more than half a baster -- about as good as half a speeder. "Impotent again. How does that make you feel?"

Malefax pauses -- considering. "You almost had me convinced there that you had a backbone. That you have strength." He raises the lightsaber, "But I should let myself be convinced by a useless cur like yourself! I am the master here. I have the lightsaber and you have not earned the lightsaber or my respect!" He appears to be working himself up quite a bit. "So yes. I'll give you a lightsaber alright!" He slashes overhead with the lightsaber -- and it passes harmlessly through Urik.

Urik's vision flashes red and he is left, alone, on the platform. The light in the cavern dims to total blackness and he hears a question, "Youngling. Why do you seek the path of the jedi?" A small, floating mote of light appears before him and appears to be the source of the question.

"The path of the Jedi is to use the Light Side of the Force for the benefit of all living things. It uses the Force not to be an aggressor, but a defender. It encourages us to be quiet in our emotions in order to discern the intentions of the universe and how we should best act."

After a pause the mote asks, "So you seek power to have vengeance? By striking first, do you not descend into the moral depths that those you would strike down already have reached? How do you prevent yourself from becoming a monster like them and in the thrall to evil?"

The mote bobs before Urik, "It is good that you let go of vengeance -- that path leads only to pain and suffering."

"Long ago, Jedi sentinels roamed the galaxy in search of those who had committed evil. These individuals struggled with the conflict of an aggressive stance towards the dark side and the defensive principles that underlie the path of the Jedi. It is not an easy path."

The mote twists and turns a little, "You may choose to follow those sentinels of old. However the risk to you will be great. Without care and diligence, you will turn into that which you seek to hunt down. Until you have much more experience, and wisdom, you must rely on your friends -- especially the ones who aren't reckless -- to guide your hand. If you sit in judgment from hate or anger, you commit a greater evil than you seek to subdue. This is a dangerous time for you - and if you do not proceed with caution, you will become the thrall of the Dark Side and your cruelty and evil will put Malefax to shame. I can show you..."

The mote approaches Urik -- it's brightness causing him to close his eyes. In that moment, he gets a flash of a vision. An older Urik, he knows it to be himself, in the middle of a village in flames screams in rage as his red blade slices an elderly farmer neatly in half. When his eyes open, the vision is past. The mote has retreated once more.

"Very well then."

The mote disappears and the pedestal upon which Urik stands begins to sparkle like a star field. One point of light, in particular, calls out to him. It glows yellow-gold against a field of mostly blue and the occasional green-tinted star.

The crystal comes free easily and as Urik is distracted by it, he barely notices that the light has changed. Sunlight streams in from overhead. He stands in a worn temple and can hear the calling of birds and other animals. Before him sits a strange device:



The device seems to call out to Urik. He casts the yellow crystal towards the machine in a lazy arc -- but it does not move like something thrown. Instead it follows a path of his will as he manipulates the Force in the presence of this strange machine. His crystal brightens and glows like a small sun as Urik becomes aware of the mechanical components of a lightsaber before him. Instinctively, it seems, he is able to discern the core components required to fashion a hilt around his crystal.

Although the options are not unlimited, Urik is able to shape and build the device that best suits him through his newfound manipulation of the Force. As he considers his options, he sinks to the ground, sitting cross-legged.

Urik sinks into a meditation on the pieces before him. A vision forms in his mind, a long handle, something with a bit of extra room to swing...room for big hands and...more? Somehow the design forming seems complete, but incomplete. Urik spends long moments just moving pieces about. This freedom with the force is new to him. After a while (To Urik, the time seems undetermined the; it could be minutes or hours) a hilt begins to coalesce around the crystal. It is about 3 feet long, with a focusing lense on one side and grip patterns along its length.

Urik's Lightsaber

Urik steps back from the forge and ignites his blade, moving it about with a distinctive "whoom" and a comforting thrum. Looking up from his distraction, he sees Csillag kneeling before the forge -- focused intently on it as a small green crystal glows within and the components of a lightsaber gently shuffle about as she casts about the available parts to construct her hilt.

Looking about, loathe to interrupt his friend, Urik sees that he is in some kind of room atop an ancient stone staircase that he can see through a small trapezoidal doorway. At the base of the stairs the rolling grass of a peaceful vale unfold before him, and he thinks he can see a scrawny Twi'lek, whose gait seems familiar, walking about.