Forging a Fighter [Multiple Planets]

[Jadoch Taithum]

((OOC: Private storyline.))

::Deep in the bowels of the Jedi Temple, Jadoch Taithum was accompanying a few engineers on their way to investigate a heating problem. It was a minor concern, but Jadoch, as a Jedi Sentinel in training, felt it important to learn everything he could about machinery and the common electronics of the galaxy. He'd already gone on a few fix-it tickets with these particular engineers, so they'd gotten used to him.

At first, they'd found his presence annoying, as if he was watching over them to make sure they did their job right. However, as he started asking questions - intelligent questions, no less - and displaying a willingness to learn without critique, the engineers gradually came to welcome his presence: sometimes he could smell things they could not, or he caught a detail they had missed, allowing them to avoid enhancing the damage. They started teaching Jadoch tricks of the trade, little shortcuts here and there that actually improved efficiency beyond projected amounts.

Alas, today the training and camaraderie was not to be. Three-quarters of the way there, Jadoch's comlink beeped, signaling an incoming communication not from his Master. Fishing his comm from the pouch at his belt, he answered, speaking into it even as he and the others kept walking.::

Taithum, go.

Padawan Taithum, this is Master Fircil in the engineering department. Please report to me soonest.

With a click, the comm disengaged, signaling the end of the communique before Jadoch even had a chance to answer. Sighing, Jadoch waved a short goodbye to his companions and headed back up to the engineering department to meet with Master Farcil. He was there in minutes...the main turbolift he and the other engineers had taken was based in the engineering department.

Master Farcil, a Rodian Jedi Master with a mind filled with technical expertise far beyond most Master Technicians, was bent over a blueprint drawn on flimsi, but looked up as Jadoch approached. He stood, gesturing to the seat on the other side of the desk, indicating Jadoch should sit.::

Padawan, have you looked over the message and links I sent you? You need to choose your fighter soon, it is almost time for you to be promoted to Knight.

::Earlier that month, Farcil had sent a short message to Jadoch, giving links to the section of the Jedi Archives containing blueprints of fighters. There were literally thousands, if not millions of fighters contained in that area, and it was no easy task to wade through them, let alone compare and decide. In the end, Jadoch had decided - or been nudged by the Force, perhaps - on creating his own shell, then sticking the best parts he could into it. He wondered if they'd let him use it.::

I did, Master. I started to look through them, but was quickly overwhelmed by the information.

Yes, that does tend to happen. Did anything jump out at you from what you did manage to get through?

Sorry, Master, nothing did. However, I've managed to make a hologram of the shell of a fighter, I was wondering if it would be possible to have that instead.

Its possible, show me.

::Nodding, Jadoch pulled a small holoprojector from its place at his belt, keying the command in. In a cone of light, a rather unique starfighter shell was projected. He handed it to Farcil, who held it up to his multifaceted eyes, examining the rotating frame from multiple angles. His antennae shifted and his snout flattened in the Rodian equivalent of a smile.::

An interesting design. Aerodynamic, but equipped correctly, extraordinarily quick and maneuverable in and out of the atmosphere. I think this could be done with minimum difficulty, especially through the right contractor. Kuat Drive Yards would do well with this, I think.

Forgive me for my brazenness, Padawan, but may I accompany you to KDY to help designing this fighter? It has caught my interest. We could clear your trip with your Master a little easier if I went with you, I believe...

Master Aeon is away on a mission of extreme delicacy, or so I'm told. So long as I spend my time productively, I don't believe he minds where I am or who I'm with. I would be honored if you would accompany me...I think it would open more doors than if it was just me alone as well.

Most likely, yes. We'll take my ship? It can be ready within the hour.

I'll be ready. Main hangar bay?

Indeed. I'll see you there at the top of the hour.

::Jadoch nodded and stood, heading towards his room to grab the small satchel containing his gear. He didn't need much, since he was going to be on a space station most of the time, or so he assumed.::

[Jadoch Taithum]

::By the end of the hour, Jadoch found himself in the main hangar bay of the Jedi Temple, up at the pinnacle of one of the towers. The ship itself sat idling on the extended launch pad, ramp down as an indication that Farcil was still waiting for passengers. The ship itself was dark gray with splotches of lighter gray, and it had various electric-blue stripes and other shapes on it.

There were four engines and no visible cockpit or weapons systems. He assumed it was fast, but one couldn't be sure until one actually flew in it. Tossing a wave to the mechanic on duty, Jadoch re-shouldered the small bag and headed down the walkway to the launch pad, then slowly walked up the ramp. He knocked on the frame before entering, speaking loudly.::

Permission to come aboard?

Permission granted, Padawan. Lets get going.

::With permission given, Jadoch entered the starship, looking around curiously. The ship itself seemed plain and organized, but somehow the more luxurious for it. The fittings were not ostentatious, and seemed quite common to the eye and to touch, though there was a slightly odd shape to them. Setting his bag on one of the acceleration couches, Jadoch continued up into the cockpit, where Master Farcil was flicking switches in preparation for launch.

Acknowledging Jadoch with a nod, Farcil got permission from the Coruscant's Flight Control to leave and engaged the engines. There was a muffled roar that quickly settled into a low hum: apparently Farcil kept his engines well-tuned and the soundproofing at a decently high level. Smoothly, the ship lifted off, accelerating into the crowded skylanes of Coruscant.

Despite the outward appearance of lacking a cockpit, the ship's viewport was quite large and very clear, allowing an excellent view of the ships around them. Glancing at the various control panels, Jadoch saw a number of weapon systems, quite a few communication consoles, shields, and the rest of the typical pieces. Farcil, apparently, felt him glancing around, for the Rodian Jedi spared Jadoch a glance himself.::

Like it? I call it Stuur Lookaz, or in Basic

Star Window. Bocce is one of those near-universal languages, you know. Yes, I like her. I'm somewhat confused, though...from the outside it has no weapons, no cockpit. Sitting in here, its readily apparent that it has both. Why?

The weapons are simple...there are two types of people: those who attack unarmed vessels and those who don't. Fortunately, the numbers of the former are far less than those of the latter. I prefer not to fight when I don't have to, and with these engines I can usually just slip through. When I have to fight, though, weapons do come in handy.

The cockpit thing is just a personal thing...I had a hologram generator installed that projects a hologram over the cockpit when the ship's power cores are active. It prevents some hotshot fighter pilot from targeting the cockpit, disabling the ship but keeping it intact. Its been installed too recently for me to gather definitive statistical results on the tactic.

::Jadoch nodded at that, satisfied with the explanation, and they continued their atmospheric journey in silence. Within minutes, though, they'd broken through the outer edges of the atmosphere and made their way through the shell of space stations and debris fields, and were soon clear of the planet's gravity well. In a flicker of pseudomotion, the ship vanished into hyperspace, headed for the most famed shipyards in the galaxy: the Kuat Drive Yards.::

[Jadoch Taithum]

::While in hyperspace, Master Farcil showed Jadoch around the ship. The various electronics were complicated beyond Jadoch's limited knowledge, though he was able to understand some of the basic ones, and got the general idea of others after some explanation. Ships tended to be complicated to begin with, and with Farcil as its head mechanic and pilot, they grew even more complicated. The engine compartments were extraordinarily neat, but so very crowded: there was barely enough space to slither through the various pipes and cables and housings.

The domes on each side of the ship were essentially covers for quad laser units, each one capable of providing a devastating broadside barrage. The only visible downside was the relative lack of coverage: the turrents could only cover a 60^o cone each, which was relatively narrow. They couldn't cover the top or bottom of the ship, and the front and back were just as uncovered. Rumor had it, though, that the way Farcil flew, he didn't need more than that. Still, Jadoch wasn't eager to test it out.

The hyperdrive was excellently tuned: they spent less than a day in hyperspace before emerging into Kuati space. They were greeted by a squadron of Galactic Alliance fighters, courtesy of the GA Defense fleet stationed in the system, but once Master Farcil provided proper codes they were cleared to the orbiting shipyards themselves. An automated beacon directed them to the landing dock, from which a docking ring was extended.

The entry room they found themselves in was lavish, much more so than the Jedi Temple. Farcil, who acted like he was above such things - and probably was - took it all in at a glance, then sat without comment to wait for the representative that was supposed to meet them there. Jadoch, too, took it in at a glance, then sat, but that was because he was used to the pomp and splendor. Indeed, this was a little less than what he'd been used to, but it didn't bug him in the slightest, given his recent - and likely permanent - residence in the Jedi Temple.

In minutes, there was a harried-looking representative walking into the room, an embarrassed grin on his face.::

Welcome, Master Jedi. I apologize for keeping you waiting, I was only just told of your arrival.

We didn't announce ourselves or make an appointment, and we're very patient beings.

Yes, well, we try to treat our preferred customers with a bit more respect than this, and the Jedi Order is one of our most preferred customers. Please accept my sincerest apologies, we'll be giving your five percent off the total cost of this order.

That's ...

Acceptable. Thank you, Representative...

Tyasty. Once again, my apologies. This way, please.

::Farcil shot Jadoch a glance as the three of them started walking out of the receiving area, his expression more questioning than frustrated. Jadoch slowed his pace slightly, giving Tyasty that much more of a lead as he lowered his voice.::

If we'd refused, they'd have only increased the discount, and we'd have lost face if it went too far. Five percent is generous, but they're still going to make a tremendous profit, they can afford it.

I wish you'd talked to me first...it could have been handled differently.

I didn't know they were going to give us a discount, and I could feel the answer forming in your mind. There wasn't time.

Alright, gentlebeings, if you'd take a seat at the table we can get started.

::Jadoch and Farcil sat at two of the seats of the round table that sat five while Tyasty shut the doors behind them and dimmed the lights, which in turn triggered the holoprojector built into the center of the table. It was a cone of blue light, no shapes formed in it just yet. Tyasty spoke as he sat in one of the unoccupied seats, forming a triangle between them and all having a seat between them and the other.::

Well, then, what can KDY do for the Jedi Order today?

Young Jadoch here needs a starfighter.

Does he now? Well then, Padawan, have you picked out a model? We have several fine starfighter models that can be assembled in a few days, if you'd like.

Actually, I want a custom starfighter. I have a shell designed, but the specifics need to be ironed out and the parts need to be chosen. Before I give you the design, though, I want it made clear that while we're contracting you for the design, you will in no way own the design or any derivatives thereof, it is and will remain my property. If you disagree, we will take this transaction elsewhere.

::The smile that Tyasty gave Jadoch was free of malice, but his emotions told another story. That had put him in a sour mood, probably for two reasons. First and foremost, custom jobs were expensive, and five percent off was a sudden jump in what he'd expected. Secondly, though, the company couldn't make any money selling derivative fighters, but now that Jadoch had offered to walk away from the deal without it even starting, they couldn't back down. His bosses wouldn't like this one bit.::

Of course, those are non-issues. May we see the frame?

::Wordlessly, Farcil handed over a small datachip, which Tyasty inserted in a reader attached to the holoprojector. The frame resolved in the cone of light, and Tyasty leaned forward, suddenly interested past the money portion, but even more glum now that he saw the shell. Nodding, he hit a few buttons, bringing up some submenus.::

We can work with this. Quite the framework. What type of engines do you want to put in it?

We weren't sure. Fast engines are a must, as you can see the framework indicates speed rather than heavy artillery.

Indeed. We can order parts from any other major company...perhaps the A-9x thrust engine? It powered the A-9 Vigilance interceptors faster than a TIE Interceptor.

The A-9 was a short range fighter. We want this to have the ability to fly from the Deep Core to the Unknown Regions and back if necessary. An interstellar space superiority starfighter.

Right....perhaps the 6x4 fusial thrust engine? It powered the Hapan Miy'til starfighters.

Perhaps...maybe something a little quicker?

Well, the only thing I know to be more powerful is the P-sz9.7 ion engine. It powered the TIE Defender. Its a Sienar design.

We'll keep those last two in mind. Any ideas how they'd fit into the frame?

Well, both of them would fit without a problem. The P-sz9.7 is the more powerful of the two, though, and you said that...

Yes, we did. That one's likely, but I need to think on it a bit. How about the weapons?

It appears you have mounting points for two cannons on here, and there appears to be space for two missile launchers. May I suggest the R-9X heavy laser cannons? Quite powerful, so you'd have more power with limited size, and they can be turbocharged to boot.

That'll work. The missile launchers we want to have as variable-type launchers, with a default for proton torpedoes.

Yes, that can be done. Now, I noticed that there's considerable space under the wings here. We could mount hard points there, so you could have anything there. Bombs, missiles, even secondary laser cannons or fuel tanks.

That'd work. Also, I've heard of a scramjet known by the name SLAM. Is mounting something like that viable?

You mean the SubLight Acceleration Motor? It was produced by Cygnus Spaceworks...we could get one of those. Not inexpensive, though.

Don't worry about the cost. How about the shields?

Well, the shields that the Defender used were Novaldex based. They work well with the engines.

That sounds fine. If you'll excuse us for a moment, Tyasty? I need to speak with Padawan Taithum here.

Of course. I must discuss this with the engineers and parts department momentarily. I'll leave you here.

::Gathering all the relevant information into a single compilation file, Tyasty stood and left, leaving Farcil and Jadoch alone. Jadoch turned to face Master Farcil expectantly: he'd felt the opposition growing since he'd mentioned the cost. Farcil's antennae were twitching, and he was giving off the scent of annoyance.::

Jadoch, the Jedi don't have an unlimited budget. We can't simply 'not worry' about the cost of things, we must be frugal with what the Galactic Alliance gives us.

I agree completely, Master Farcil. How much would you say - on average, of course - is spent on a Jedi's starfighter.

Hmm. On average, I'd have to say about four hundred thousand credits.

Very well. Anything above four hundred thousand credits I will pay.

You?

I'm the son of Falleen nobility, Master Farcil. I have considerable amounts at my disposal, and more if I contact my family.

Ah, I see. Unconventional, but I guess we can make it work.

Indeed. And just in time, too...Tyasty is on his way back.

[Jadoch Taithum]

::Tyasty entered the room, accompanied by two engineers. Somewhat nervously, they sat down at the table along with Tyasty himself. Jadoch did a quick scan with the Force: he wanted to know why the engineers were so nervous. They had to know quite a bit to get jobs here, and they had to know how to work with other species, so not being human couldn't be the issue.

His sharp gaze caught their glances towards the robes he and Farcil wore. That was it...they weren't used to Jedi. Not uncommon, as most engineers didn't associate themselves with Jedi, and the Jedi were rumored to have fantastic powers that were well above what most actually had.::

Master Jedi, these are a couple of our chief engineers. Harael Jh'tael and Calael Ralatar are two of our top engineers, and their teams have worked marvels. They'll be the ones assigned to complete your fighter.

Now, in terms of cost. Most of the parts are quite easy to order, but fitting them and making them work together will be somewhat involved. Too, the frame and shell are going to be expensive to fabricate. Our initial estimate has the ship costing roughly four hundred thousand credits, including labor and the discount provided.

::Jadoch gave a quick glance at Farcil, an almost I-told-you-so glance, which caused the Rodian to twitch his antennae in a mildly rude expression.::

That amount is satisfactory, Tyasty. There is one other stipulation though. I want to be present while the fighter itself is being built. I won't be in the way, I won't be asking for explanations the whole time, I just need to be there.

::Tyasty leaned back, somewhat surprised. This wasn't a common request, but it did occasionally happen. Generally it was the filthy rich who had too much time on their hands and thought of themselves as techies, trying to get free lessons on how things worked. However, Jadoch had stated that he wouldn't be active in the building, and he wouldn't be asking questions. That was the unusual part. Besides, rumor had it that Jedi didn't care about possessions, but maybe this was a change of heart.::

I think we can accommodate that without much trouble. If you gentlebeings will excuse us, we need to go draft the formal estimate, after which we will get your signatures and all that legal stuff. After that we'll get you your rooms. Do you want to stay as well, Master Farcil?

Indeed, I will be staying.

::Farcil gave Jadoch a questioning glance as he answered, but didn't pose any questions until after Farcil had left.::

What do you have in mind, Padawan? This is time that you could be devoting to other things.

When you build a lightsaber, Master, you have to do everything right. The focusing jewel must be the right one for you, all the pieces must match together, and they must all work flawlessly, or you have a faulty blade. These people are some of the best there are, but there are things I can sense that they won't be able to.

Also, at the end, the lightsaber becomes an extension of yourself, with the Force as a bridge. Once that bond is forged, it can't be broken. I'm intending that this fighter will be like that, an extension of myself. Oh, I'll be able to use other fighters, but this one will allow unparalleled skill and response if I do it right. Too, I naturally have an eidetic memory, I'll be able to remember exactly how they do this and replicate the process if need be.

Ah. That would be useful...acceptable answer. I'm curious to see how this works.

[Jadoch Taithum]

::Several days passed, almost a complete standard week, until they were called back in by Tyasty. Tyasty himself looked no worse for the wear, and even seemed slightly triumphant as he entered and faced them, setting a sheaf of flimsi on the table as he sat.::

I'll have you know, Jedi, that my superiors nearly roasted me alive for agreeing to your terms and giving you such a price. They did agree, though, so you're in luck.

Now, I've gone over all the prices with the various manufacturers, and they all fit in with our unofficial estimate. The labor was our own, so unless things go horribly wrong when trying to fit some of the pieces together, it'll be right on target, maybe even a little cheaper.

Great. So what do you need us to do?

Well, these forms are the estimate. I assume you'll be paying through the standard account the Jedi have with us? We need you to authorize that you will pay us, and we need a different authorization telling us that you're not going to hold us liable for any injuries that may occur while on the premises, especially while in the area of the shipyards, and that you'll be paying for the sustenance you consume. Once these sheets are signed and we have your them filed, we'll be set until the construction starts.

Master Farcil here is authorized to that account, and we'll gladly release liability and pay for our sustenance.

::Tyasty slid over the papers. Farcil had all the same ones as Jadoch, with the addition of the purchase order. Both of them signed after reading them, and both provided digital authorizations as well. Tyasty looked pleased and stood, at least until Jadoch glanced up at him, raising an eye-ridge.::

Tyasty, I'd also like to see each part as it comes in. I assume they're going to go through scans, I'd like to be present at those scans.

An unusual request once again, but I think we can accommodate it, so long as you don't mess with anything.

That won't be an issue. Thank you.

Of course. The parts should be arriving in the next few days, we'll send someone to notify you once they arrive. Good day.

[Jadoch Taithum]

::Two days later, parts started arriving. As promised, a message arrived on the terminal in the apartment Farcil and Jadoch were staying in that informed them of this and gave them the time of scanning. The time scheduled was fifteen minutes from the current time, and they could just make it there if they took one of the popular transits.

However, Farcil was in the midst of meditating when Jadoch opened his door. Over the past couple days, Jadoch had learned that Farcil felt the same most of the time: quietly serene. When he was sleeping, meditating, reading, working with machinery...anything really, he had the same sense about him. It took a quick read of the pheromone levels to tell exactly what Farcil was doing.

Just as Jadoch was about to close the door, though, Farcil's multifaceted eyes sharpened to focus on the Falleen, and he raised his hand in a signal to wait.::

The parts are here?

Yes, Master Farcil. I didn't mean to disturb you.

You didn't, I've been waiting for them to get here. Lets go.

::The two of them left the apartment and quickly found their way to the nearest maglev, the most popular way to travel quickly in the area. At that hour, there weren't many people there by way of comparison, but the car itself barely had enough seats for everyone on it. At one minute from the scheduled time to scan, Jadoch and Farcil were ushered through security and into the scanning area. A technician, told to expect them, handed each one goggles tuned to the specific wavelengths their eyes saw in (since neither was human), designed to filter out harmful rays produced by the extremely thorough scanners.

The conveyor belt started moving, taking various parts along with it. With a glance at Farcil, Jadoch reached out with the Force, taking in how each one was put together, and if there were any flaws in the smooth flow. He could sense Farcil doing the same, but to a lesser degree. For some reason the Jedi Master's attention was more focused on how Jadoch was doing, and on what the technician was doing. Jadoch filed that little fact away mentally, fully intending to ask about it later.

After that little detail was noted, Jadoch put his full concentration into sensing any flaws with the parts, taking them all in and getting a fix on them with his mind at the same time. It went on for what felt like minutes, but was in fact a bit over four hours. In the end there were only three parts that had flaws: two of them were picked up by the scanner and were fairly common parts, so they were ignored by Jadoch. The other, though, wasn't picked up by the scanner.

Pensive, Jadoch picked the piece up, turning it over in his hands. He could feel the break in the flow, the one that - after a few times of pumping energy through it - would direct energy away from its intended course, causing an explosion that would destroy at least one engine, and possibly the entire ship.::

The pieces are factory sealed, they cannot be opened.

::Jadoch glanced up...he hadn't realized that his thoughts were so transparent. Nodding slightly in thanks for the answer, he returned his attention to the piece, brushing his right hand over it.

He wasn't quite sure what prompted him to do what he did next. Once again, he pulled on the Force, this time directing it through his right hand. And once again, he brushed his right hand over the faulty section. It stopped in a particular place, and he released the Force power he'd been gathering. He easily visualized the way the energy was supposed to flow, comparing it to how the energy would actually flow, and the Force moved. A subtle green glow began to come from the metal, growing more intense by the second. The piece itself was blocked from the technician's view by Jadoch's body, but the intensifying light was not. Just as the man started to get curious - five seconds into the procedure - the glowing spot reached Jadoch's fingers, burning them. The burn distracted him, cut off the flow of the Force, and thus the light.

The technician, apparently thinking that it was a trick of the mind, went back to his business while Jadoch set down the piece and left the room, Farcil close on his heels.

On the way back, Jadoch noted Farcil's inquisitiveness, but waited for the maglev before confronting it. The hour was now late, approximately 0300 local time, so there were few beings on the transport.::

You have a question for me, Master Farcil? I'll trade...

Fair enough. What prompted you to do what you did to that part? And how did you do it?

I don't know. It was almost like I did it without doing it. It just happened. Why?

Its very rare for someone to use the Force in such a way other than biological healing. Very rare, even, for anyone to be able to do so effectively. Over time, I think, you'll learn to perfect that skill, and use it to great benefit. Like I said, too, it will work for organic healing, so that's another bonus.

I'll have to look further into it. My turn, though. Why were you paying more attention to what the technician and I were doing than the parts? I thought you wanted to be involved in the building process.

We're not in the building process now are we? We're just making sure the parts are all here and in good condition.

Yes, but that still doesn't answer my question.

True. To be perfectly honest, Jadoch, you're nearly a Knight. You have the skills, but maybe not the confidence. That is all, you're perfectly capable of doing what you want, within reason. The technician, however, was a bit uncertain of himself, so I decided to keep watch on him and make sure he did everything right.

::Jadoch frowned at the Jedi Master's answer, but didn't reply. Instead, he leaned back and started thinking again, going over every angle in the Master's answers. His musings took him the rest of the ride back to the apartment, and the Master was apparently willing to let the apprentice muse, as he didn't say anything the rest of the trip.::

[Jadoch Taithum]

::Apparently, the parts had gotten to the yard before they were expected to, and the two technicians were still busy. In fact, it was almost a week before they finished up the project they'd been working on and started on Jadoch's fighter. Of course, Jadoch was on hand to watch it be constructed.

The frame was the first to be forged. It was created from an extremely strong, yet unusually tensile metal, allowing it to be twisted and molded into new shapes. That basic part was quickly done, and he sensed nothing wrong with it. Next came the engine mounts, upon which the engines were easily and firmly attached. As designed, the scramjet stuck out quite a bit from the rest of the ship - in comparison, at least - but that was as designed.

The rest of it went smoothly from there, the technicians were obviously very good at their job. They, along with the crew assigned to the project, put together the rest of the ship. From what Jadoch could sense, not a bolt was out of place, nor a circuit out of flow. It was less than twelve hours before all the pieces were in place, and they were ready to give the engines their first charge in the new fighter. That was when Jadoch stepped in.::

Engineer Jh'tael, if you please. I'd like to be in the cockpit when you charge it for the first time.

Sorry, Jedi, that simply cannot be done. There are safety measures we have to uphold, and if you accidentally hit a switch you could kill us all.

As you pointed out, I'm a Jedi. I will not touch any switches until you say I can, and apart from breathing I won't even move.

Heck, we've bent so many things for you already, why not one more. I have your word as a Jedi that you will not move until cleared to do so?

You have it, Chief Engineer.

Fine then, climb in. We've wasted enough time.

::Suppressing a grin, Jadoch clambered into the cockpit of his fighter, settling into the pilots seat without a hitch. Once he was there, he nodded at the technicians, then closed his eyes and pulled on the Force. At the same instant they flipped the switch to start power flow, Jadoch slipped into a light meditative trance. He felt the power as it flowed into the engines and the reactor cores and batteries attached, and followed it around with his mind.

He thought of the fighter similar to how he thought of his lightsaber. In a way, they both had to be an extension of himself. As the energy trickled into the fighter in kilojoules and megajoules, Jadoch could feel the Force flowing. As with his lightsaber, the Force made changes to the structure of the fighter: subtle changes, but a full blending of the parts that went far beyond anything that physical beings could create. At the same time, changes were made in Jadoch. Like his lightsaber, he could no longer take up this fighter without first thinking, without relying on the Force. It was a dangerous piece of machinery, far more so than most other fighters, and many combat freighters.

It seemed like minutes, but three and a half hours later, one of the techs climbed up the ladder to where Jadoch sat.::

Jedi, we're done. Time to go.

::Jadoch opened his eyes and nodded, then followed the man down the ladder. He sensed that the fighter was indeed complete, and that it would work perfectly until it started taking damage. Still, regulations must be followed, and the shipyards would put the fighter through a barrage of safety tests. They'd all pass, and the sensors wouldn't be able to tell the difference between before and after Jadoch's meditative intervention.::

[Jadoch Taithum]

::The next morning, Jadoch received a notice that the technicians were ready to release the fighter into Jadoch's care as soon as he came to sign for it. He tried not to hurry himself, but he couldn't help the excitement that he felt, and he sped up because of it. The Master Farcil sensed the excitement and finished his packing at the same time Jadoch did, hoisting the single carry-all bag up to his shoulder.::

Ready to go, then? Are you going to be riding with me or taking your fighter back?

I think I'm going to meet up with you in orbit, get a bit of a feel for how the fighter flies. I'm pretty sure that my ship won't have all the nav data that yours does, so I think I'll dock with your freighter and ride back, if you don't mind. I'll have to take it down to the Temple myself, but still.

No, I don't think that'll work. I'll send you the navigational data you need, and you can fly back. No half-efforts.

::Jadoch nodded at Farcil's decision, then followed as they made their way out the door and to the port where his starfighter was being stored. Both signed for the fighter - Jadoch because he was the owner and pilot and Farcil because he was the one who'd paid - then Jadoch stuffed his carry-all into a storage compartment and climbed the ladder to get in. Farcil had been walking around the fighter, his sucker-tipped hand barely touching the skin of the thing, his mind gently probing it with the Force.::

When we get back, we will talk about this. It has an odd feel to it.

As you wish, Master.

Good. Lets go.

::With a quick signal at the port operator, Farcil exited the room and headed back to where his freighter was docked. Jadoch started flicking switches, bringing the engines and repulsorlifts online, and closing and sealing the cockpit. Once he gave the operator a thumbs up, the operator opened the outer door, giving Jadoch access to space. Engaging the repulsorlifts, Jadoch lifted off slowly, drifting through the magcon field and into hard vacuum. Once he was a few dozen meters away from the portal, he engaged the primary engines and headed out to a mid-orbit around the planet.

Within minutes he was joined by Farcil's freighter, which transmitted the navigational data that Jadoch would need to get back to Coruscant. They matched speeds and vectors, and as soon as they were free of Kuat's gravity well, they jumped to hyperspace. Hours later, they were on the 'ground', docked in the Temple's main hangar, and they started going about their respective duties.::

((OOC: Complete. Pictures follow.))







Edit by Garyn Fett: Thread locked by request.