FORSAKEN - Target: Zero

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Elynn sat in meditation atop the spire of the Temple of the Whills under the morning Jedha sun. Syrran sat opposite of her, watching in silence. The clear kyber crystals and the parts for Elynn's new lightsabers were arranged on a piece of cloth in front of her. Unlike other younglings, Elynn didn't need a diagram—or an architect droid—to assemble the weapons. She had dreamt of this moment all her life and had studied how to do it for years. The pieces floated and began to fit together in a more complex manner than regular lightsabers. The crystals positioned themselves inside their respective chambers, and the hilts closed into a pair of guard shotos—lightsaber tonfas—made out of songsteel. They descended onto Elynn's hands and she activated them. Two magenta blades extended from the emitters. Pressing another button fired a pair of smaller blades from the front of the hilts. The familiar design made Syrran smile.

"I've never seen lightsabers this color before." Elynn waved the blades around.

"It's uncommon," Syrran said.

"Does the color mean a connection to the dark side like yours?"

"An affinity for it. They're similar to mine." Syrran activated his. "These crystals sense that connection. They also have the quality of collecting stray Force energy, empowering their user so they can fight longer than possible. They're perfect for those who practice Vaapad."

"But I haven't learned Form VII." Elynn turned them off.

"Your crystals sense you are a good candidate." Syrran placed his depowered shotos in front of her. "I'll teach you."

"These are beautiful," Elynn admired the unique craftmanship. "Why wood and leather?"

"To make them lighter. The wood of the Brylark tree is as strong as metal and rycrit leather has great insulating properties. I needed some metal for the emitters and controls, so I used a bronzium alloy with dallorian added to it for increased heat resistance. The insides are all made from a ferrocarbon graphite."

"You don't do anything without putting a lot of thought into it, huh?"

"And years of trial and error. Let's see what you did."

Syrran took her guard shotos and activated all four blades. They were light and their construction showed no flaws. "It's quite a complex construction for your first time." Syrran practiced a few forms with it, checking their balance. They were perfect.

"The last thing I learned at the Jedi Temple was how to build a lightsaber. When I escaped, all I had was time to think about their construction. I used to build dozens of mockups throughout the years, of different styles. I didn't have a crystal to power them though. So, I never knew if they actually worked."

"Let's find out." Syrran faced her with her guard shotos.

Elynn pause for a moment to process what he meant. Then, she picked up Syrran's lightsabers and they began to spar.

Later that day, Gorin sat on a stool, working on a machine outside a rug shop at the market. A public imagecaster showed an advertisement for the upcoming award ceremony in honor of Moff Wilhuff Tarkin in Coruscant. The ad billed it as a "New dawn for the safety and prosperity of the Galactic Empire." At some distance behind the hologram, Imperial troops harassed some pilgrims for identification.

Elynn observed this while shopping for an ornate lamp at a stall, her head covered by her wrapping to avoid being identified. They were waiting to meet with one of Gorin's contacts.

"Don't look at them directly." Syrran arrived at her side. "Pretend you're checking the goods in their direction."

"I know my way around Imps," Elynn said.