The younglings listened to him, spellbound—and I was no exception. As far as I could tell from my memories, I had never met him before. And judging by the impressions I sensed from Ahsoka, she had never encountered this Huyang either. The last time, we'd had a similar lecture from a Jedi Knight—a Rodian. Anything was possible; the Order had more than one or two ships like this.
"A lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi Knight," Huyang continued. "None of you, younglings, have reached that stage yet. So, for your own safety, and for the safety of those around you, your weapons are training sabers. And for a long time—until you become Padawans—you will not build your own unique saber…"
I listened carefully to this… hm, being. If he wasn't lying—and he didn't seem to be—then at the moment, he is the most experienced in the Galaxy when it comes to lightsabers. I could learn a great deal from him. More importantly, this was directly relevant to me: I needed to construct a new saber.
"…Over thousands of years of use, the lightsaber has become a symbolic attribute of the Jedi and their mission to maintain peace and justice throughout the galaxy. This perception endured despite numerous early conflicts with the Sith and dark Jedi, who also wielded this weapon—often referred to by common folk as a 'laser sword.' As recorded in the holocrons, the earliest sabers were crude devices that used experimental 'frozen blaster' technology to generate a focused beam of energy of fixed length…"
Hmm. He must have witnessed the Order before the Ruusan Reformation, when the Jedi were far less conservative about… well—sabernetics.
"It was a blade of pure energy—or, more precisely, plasma—emitted from the hilt," Huyang went on, "most often designed by weapon's owner to suit individual needs, preferences, and combat style. Due to the weapon's unique balance, with nearly all of its weight concentrated in the hilt, it was exceptionally difficult to wield without specialized training. In the hands of those attuned to the Force—Jedi, or their dark counterparts, the Sith—the lightsaber inspires great respect, and even fear. Mastery of the weapon requires extraordinary skill and focus, refined dexterity, and—almost invariably—harmony with the Force."
"…Ideally, a Jedi spends many months creating the perfect weapon," he continued, "one that will remain with them for the rest of their life. Once completed, your lightsaber becomes your constant companion—your tool, and your ever-ready means of defense…"
Huyang glided around the room, drawing various components—hilts, emitters, internal assemblies—from boxes and crates. Mesmerizing holograms sprang to life in the air before us.
"…The hilt is based on a metal cylinder, typically twenty-five to thirty-five centimeters in length. However, the design and dimensions vary widely, depending on the creator's preferences and physiological characteristics. Within the casing are complex components responsible for generating the blade and give it its unique shape. A high-power energy flow passing through a system of positively charged focusing lenses and activators forms a cylindrical structure that extends approximately one meter from the base. The energy then curves back along a peripheral arc into a negatively charged, ring-shaped recess surrounding the emitter. This creates a closed energy loop—a complex field structure that manifests as an arc-shaped plasma cord that takes the form of a blade.
"A superconductor completes the loop, feeding the converted energy back into the internal power cell, where the cycle begins anew. By installing one to three focusing crystals with differing properties, a Jedi can alter blade length and output using controls built into the hilt. Two crystals, in particular, create a branching pulse of cyclic ignition which—combined with hermetic insulation—allows the saber to function underwater…"
"…Regardless of whether the creator is a young Padawan or an experienced Master," Huyang said, "the process always begins with gathering the necessary components. Traditionally, crystal was the last component to be added. It represented the very essence of the weapon and gave it both its color and its power. A great deal of effort and time went into selecting this most important component of the lightsaber. After finding all the components, the Jedi began the assembly process. Due to the complexity of the technology used, the Force was called upon to bind the components at the molecular level. These microscopic manipulations of the components allowed the energy loop design to operate with near-perfect efficiency. Often, the Jedi would spend weeks or even months putting all the parts together to ensure that every detail was precisely fitted, and that the blade meets the desired specifications for length, color, and frequency…"
"…A lightsaber blade emits neither heat nor energy until it comes into contact with matter. Its cutting power is immense, capable of slicing through almost any substance—though the speed of penetration depends greatly on material density. Cutting through flesh, for example, was completely unimpeded, while breaching an explosion-resistant blast door may take considerable time. It is important to note that wounds inflicted by a lightsaber never bled, even when a limb was severed. The energy blade cauterized the wound immediately upon infliction, resulting in virtually no bleeding even in cases of severe injury…"
"…Created as much for elegant combat as for ceremonial purpose, the lightsaber is a unique weapon—its very image inseparable from the very identity of the Jedi."
We listened to Huyang's discourse for nearly the entire day, pausing only for meals. But all things come to an end. After another short rest, our ship would enter orbit above Ilum.