diy energy weapon.

[t65]

Who: luke skywalker crudematter & cassandra deal
When: "ehhh prob around 5/10 or something idk"
Where: Hangar bay.
What: Luke Skywalker sticks his head inside an oven. It's okay; it's an electic oven.
Warnings: Second degree burns, unauthorized metalworking.

[Someone's been building in the cargo bay. Luke figures people won't notice, since he's in there pretty frequently to build droids. So what if he's also using the parts to construct a makeshift oven in the corner. Who will notice?]

[It's pretty small, about the size and shape of a few truck tires piled on top of each other. Most notably, it has no door, just an open hatch facing outward.]

[...It's an opening large enough for Luke to stick most of his upper torso inside of, and he has been, lying back on a wheeled board so he can enter and exit quickly. When Cassandra arrives, that's where she'll find him.]

Comments

[t65]

[Luke emerges wide-eyed with surprise, accentuated by the bits of soot streaked on his face. He smiles to see it's Cassandra, though.]

You only guessed once. [He sits up, and grabs a towel, getting rid of some of the soot and sweat.]

[deal]

[He's got her there. Scoffing a little, she rolls her eyes. And then crouches down to get a good look at the oven he's building because she's curious.]

I can only think of one reason someone would be building an oven.

[She sticks her head into it to get an up close look, then pops right back out to look over at him.]

To cook things.

[t65]

[Luke watches her go, smiling faintly.] You can cook more things than food. Have you ever heard of a lightsaber? Some people call them 'laser-swords'.

[deal]

[She gives a light shake of her head, accompanied by a sheepish smile.] I haven't heard of them, but are you saying you can cook yourself a laser sword?

[Color her impressed. She sticks her head back into the oven, curiously touching at parts that don't look like they'll zap her.]

And will you be able to make more than one?

[That's the important part here.]

[t65]

Sort of. You can build a lightsaber easily enough, [he says like someone who has never actually built one,] but the hard part is the crystal at the center of it. That you have to cook. I hope I don't have to make more than one; I lost the last one.

[deal]

So you're cooking a crystal.

[She leans out of the oven now, soot smeared across her face in a few places. When she reaches up to rub at her cheek, it just smears.]

And you're going to use the crystal to build a laser sword. That's actually called a lightsaber. And you can only do the whole thing one time?

[It sounds like a lot of work, so it must be important that he gets one.]

What are you going to use it for?

[t65]

[Luke opens his mouth before realizing he's not really sure how to explain it. If she's never heard of a lightsaber, she's never heard of a Jedi, right?]

[Best start at the beginning.] A lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi. It works perfectly with their fighting style, and only Jedi can wield one safely. [He scratches the back of his head.] And I'm in training to become a Jedi.

[deal]

[Realizing it's story time, she moves to sit on the wheeled board. She's gathering that Jedi fight something, and assumes that maybe it's like a military or armed guard of some kind.]

Is being a Jedi like being in the army? I haven't ever heard of it before.

[t65]

Oh! No, definitely not. [Luke, who nearly joined the Imperial Academy, could not see the difference more starkly.] Jedi are peacekeepers, we- [But you are not a Jedi yet,] they, uh, uphold justice and help the weak.

[It's something Luke takes with enthusiastic seriousness, but he's aware of how it sounds to more cynical people like Han. He wonders how Cassandra will take it.]

[deal]

[She thinks over his explanation, and uses her feet on the floor to move her back and forth on the board. She decides that she likes the idea of people who help the weak, even if she's not really sure on the justice idea. She's not really the person to decide what justice even is, or who should be upholding it.

Something bothers her though, and she looks concerned as she asks,]

If they're peacekeepers, why do they need weapons? A lightsaber sounds like it will be able to do a lot of damage.

[Being a laser sword and all.]

[t65]

It will. [Luke taps his prosthesis, trying that story off as neatly and easily as possible.] I guess... the galaxy is a very unjust place. I don't think anyone should use a weapon unless they have to, but sometimes... sometimes you have to.

[deal]

[Her jaw drops when he signals that's how he lost his hand. She has a lot of questions, mainly related to if he did it to himself or not, but holds back on those for another day.]

I know that.

[She answers him with a dry laugh, knowing all too well that you have to use a weapon and fight when it's called for.]

What do you have to do to become a Jedi? Like...how will you know when you're done training?

[t65]

I don't know. I keep thinking I'll just feel it, but... [he shrugs,] I just have to have faith in the Force until then.

[Which is, uh, another awkward thing. He's not sure how much he should explain; he doesn't want to bore her.] It's a lot to take in, I guess. I didn't realize I hadn't told you.

[deal]

[She's interested in the subject, though, because it's so new to her and it's something he's clearly dedicated to. Therefore, it matters to her. So she stretches out her leg and nudges him with her foot.]

Tell me more about it, I want to know. Is there any way I can help you?

[They haven't really sat around and talked about any of his personal life things, but she figures after the experience of traveling back to his home planet, it's okay to learn more about him and what he's interested in.]

[t65]

[No one's ever asked to help him with his training before. Luke smiles.] If you really want to, you can always meditate with me. Or just throw things at me if you get bored.

[deal]

Someone in my group back home was big on meditating. So I think I can help with that.

[A fond smile crosses over her face as she thinks about Doc.]

I don't think I could ever be bored around you, though. So I'll save throwing things at you for a special occasion.

[t65]

[Luke ducks his head, a little bashful.] Well, I'm glad to hear that if you're looking to, um, spend time with me. You're not boring either. [Wow, smooth.] I guess that's what you wanted to talk about?

[deal]

[She quirks an eyebrow as she laughs, shaking her head.]

I was going to see if you'd help me paint that speeder we brought back with us, but -

[She puts a nice long pause in there, just to make him squirm.]

I wouldn't mind talking about things we can do together that aren't manual labor. Since neither of us are boring. [Super smooth.]

[t65]

[And Luke does squirm, leaning forward with an awkwardly hopeful smile. He ducks his head again when she relents, now grinning openly.] I wouldn't mind painting your speeder, but... I was thinking of taking you flying...?

[deal]

The speeder can wait.

[She instantly lets him know her thoughts on that, excited as she tries to keep from actually looking like she is.]

Can we go now?

[That might be hard to do with his oven building and crystal baking, though. She bites at her lip, rocking back on the makeshift scooter she's sitting on.]

Or it can wait until you're done with this. [She gestures towards his oven.] Whenever. [Play it cool, Cass. Play it cool.]

[t65]

[Luke beams. Oh, he'd been worried she'd find it boring-- foolish, he knows, when she'd expressed interest before, but still. He hurries to reach a switch inside the oven to close it down before scrambling to his feet. He reaches out with a sooty hand.] C'mon! The transports aren't much, but they're something.

[deal]

[She doesn't hesitate in reaching up to take hold of his hand, and hops up to her feet with his help.]

They're better than nothing. Come on!

[There's laughter as she starts to drag him away, but allows him to take the lead because he's the one that knows where they're hurrying off to.]

[t65]

[For someone who spent the last three years flying the equivalent of jets, the transporters are painful, but somehow Luke endures. He piles into the nearest craft, keying in his ID in an excited hurry. From there, it's a quick jog to the cockpit.]

[He takes the pilot's seat out of habit.] I mean, I probably won't be able to do much without inverting the dorsal carbines, that's all. But it should be fine-- I wonder if they'll let me make some modifications... [All said in excited, if distracted, tones while he powers up the ship.]

[deal]

[She's too busy looking around at everything up in the cockpit to sit down right away. She does manage to glance over at him as he rambles about modifications, and realizes that he's the kind of person who's always going to be tinkering with and improving things.]

You'll have plenty of time to do it later. I bet no one will even know if you do it.

[It's said fondly, and she slides into the seat next to his.]

I'll even help - just go!

[It's bossy, maybe, but she's laughing so it's not all that bad.]

[t65]

I'm sure they'd notice if these things started going faster than a pregnant bantha-- there. [He's laughing, too. And tinkering-- Cassandra isn't wrong. The transport's repulsorlift engines begin to hum, and the ship slowly begins lifting off the ground. Luke smoothly maneuvers it down the hangar deck, and out the bay doors. Soon, they're in the blackness of space.]

We might be able to get better speed out here... You said you'd never flown before? [Luke asks, mostly so he can run through a mental inventory of which moves would be most impressive to someone who spent their life grounded. He's pretty sure he's got a limited amount of attributes that make him a worthwhile date, so he's going to milk what he has for all it's worth.]