SW System 1: Building a Weapon (Patreon)

It was a morning that most would consider ordinary in the Jedi Temple, but for young Iggios Stritt, it was anything but. He sat on his bed, staring blankly into space, having been awakened early once again by another dream.

He had experienced these dreams for as long as he could remember, always depicting the same scenes. This time, however, he finally understood their significance.

After years of guessing and questioning himself, he had regained his memories. At least most of them.

He now remembered his past life, understood where he was, and recognized how he would end up unless he took action.

Meanwhile, the cheat that typically assists people in his situation seemed to mock him.

A translucent panel floated right before his eyes, displaying only three lines of text that shone brightly. Nobody else could see it, or if they did, they chose to ignore it completely.

Every chump can get strong with the help of the System.

Impress the System to gain access.

Your performance will result in the System morphing into one from which the User will profit the most.

Iggios sighed and stretched. It was the morning of a mission—at least that’s what he had been told.

But he was only ten years old, and he knew exactly where he would be heading.

It was time for ‘The Gathering’, a ritual where younglings like him collected their lightsaber crystals to create their lightsabers.

They had already trained in the basics of lightsaber combat with training sabers and honest-to-Force sticks. Not that he complained; he was almost unnaturally skilled at swordsmanship, surprising many with his decisive moves and worrying quite a few more.

Now he understood why: his past life had been filled with unusual hobbies, swordsmanship among them. He had always preferred spears, longswords, and sabers. His past life had been rich with weapons.

Military history was another interest that would certainly come in handy. The Clone Wars were only five years away, and as a Jedi, he would be expected to lead the clones into battle.

"What a complete shitstorm..." he sighed silently, feeling the Force flowing through him, soothing him almost like a parent's embrace.

Although Iggios was not born particularly powerful in the Force; he was usually considered to have completely average potential, his regained memories and knowledge allowed him to be creative and unpredictable.

Obi-Wan was also said to have been more or less average in Force potential, yet he became one of the best in the Jedi Order during the Clone Wars.

Shaking his head to focus, Iggios got up to pack the warmest clothes he owned. Illum was notoriously cold, only able to support a vast majority of life forms during very specific times in its solar cycle.

—

As he walked to the meeting point with his backpack full of winter clothing and supplies for making hot tea, he thought about how he could handle the cold, but he would prefer to do so with some level of comfort.

When he arrived, the ship was already waiting for them, and Iggios was clearly the first youngling there.

A massive presence awaited next to the Paladin-class Corvette, though.

He didn’t need to be particularly smart to figure out who it was. As Iggios descended the stairs to the landing platform and approached the ship, he spotted a small, green Jedi.

"Early you are, youngling. Trouble staying asleep, have you?" he asked, his peculiar way of speaking far too familiar for it to be anyone else.

"I’m just excited to finally make my lightsaber, Master Yoda," Iggios replied, a smile tugging at his lips.

Yoda had always been one of his favorites. Old and wise, but still possessing a mischievous side.

"Where we are heading, you know? Hmm. On a real mission, younglings usually believe they are," Yoda said, a small grin appearing on his ancient face, showing his pointy teeth. Clearly, he enjoyed teasing the young ones a little.

"What mission would we go on without our lightsabers? Or without any formal training?" Iggios pondered aloud, making a rhetorical point as he set his backpack down.

He rarely spoke to his peers, mostly because they found Iggios a bit strange, so talking to the ancient Grandmaster was nice change of pace. He couldn’t really blame them, though; the only one who consistently talked to him was a little Togruta girl he knew well from his reawakened memories.

"It’s a shame; I’d like to have someone around to talk to... she will most likely gather her crystal next year," Iggios thought, adopting a relaxed posture as he channeled the Force through himself to calm his excitement.

Yoda noticed, of course. He was the Grandmaster of the Order for a reason.

"An interesting way to meditate, you have. Hrmm," he commented, prompting Iggios to open his eyes.

"I wouldn’t call it meditation... not really," Iggios replied, uncertain how to explain why the Force seemed to flow through him like that. It always had done so. "It helps me calm down, to dull the excitement... The Force always helps me to focus," Iggios explained, though he struggled to articulate the feeling.

"Different than most, yes. Old way to focus the Force, this is," Yoda remarked, a hint of curiosity shining in his large eyes.

Thankfully for Iggios, the other younglings began to arrive, sparing him from a philosophical discussion with Yoda.

Not that he would have minded under normal circumstances, but he was already viewed as strange by his peers and even regarded as dangerous by some of the masters. There was no need to add to that reputation by focusing the Force in a different way than people around him.

"Old way... Maybe that's how the ancient Jedi used the Force to fight... a more combative use of our powers..." Iggios pondered silently as they boarded the shuttle.

—

The trip was surprisingly quick, taking just over thirty hours. Not bad for a ship that was supposedly much older than Yoda.

The group exited the vessel, and the other younglings appeared clearly uncomfortable with the freezing temperatures.

Iggios couldn't blame them; most were from species that thrived in hotter climates, and Coruscant itself wasn't particularly cold either.

None of them were built for this. The ship landed in a blizzard, leaving the younglings and Yoda outside what must have once been a beautiful temple, now covered in ice and snow, nearly unrecognizable from the outside.

If Iggios hadn’t known better, he would have thought it was just a massive wall of ice.

Master Yoda led them to the main entrance, his wooden cane clacking against the frozen ground. He stopped, and a small pulse of the Force around him cleared a symbol on the ground.

They were at the right place.

"Focus now, you must," he said, tapping his cane against the frozen ground, the sound resonating through the surroundings. "Yes. Only together can you open the door," he finished, standing there and watching the younglings.

Iggios reached out with the Force, searching for a way in.

The Force responded almost immediately, as if it were helping out an old friend.

The icy cliff buzzed and clattered but did not move much. He clearly wasn't strong enough to open the temple by himself. Slowly, the first part of the cliff gave way, but it wasn't until the other younglings reached out too that the cliff began to collapse.

The sound of the ice scraping against the material beneath was loud; not even the freezing wind could snuff it out.

The ice and snow fell away, revealing an entrance that they were all relieved to see. However, the interior wasn't much warmer than the outside; at least not yet.

Yoda reached out casually, as if he were enjoying a Sunday stroll through the park in the Jedi Temple.

A whirring and more scraping filled the younglings' ears. Looking up, they saw a truly massive Kyber Crystal gleaming in the sunlight that Yoda had just let in by opening the windows near the peak of the temple.

The entire room suddenly felt livable as the temperature rose rapidly, and the massive ice wall that had blocked their entry into the Crystal Caves melted away.

Yoda then spoke, revealing the purpose of their trip to the other younglings. Though Iggios listened, his attention drifted toward the caves; voices called to him, some familiar and some not.

The frozen caves of Illum were vast and expansive. Not long after entering, each youngling began to wander off in their own direction.

Iggios' path led him straight and deep into the cave, where echoes of his past life surrounded him.

“Yes... this future. I’d rather it never happen at all,” he muttered as he witnessed the scene of Anakin and the 501st Legion marching into the Jedi Temple during Order 66.

But what could he actually do? Exposing Palpatine right away would require extensive evidence. Evidence he had no means of obtaining beyond claiming it was a vision from the Force. That might suffice for some Jedi, but certainly not for the public.

The vision shifted, and he saw himself older, clearly a teenager now. It changed rapidly; he began to meddle and reveal what he knew. He revealed all he knew about the inhibitor chips in the Clones, Order 66, and Palpatine’s true identity as Darth Sidious.

Yet, the outcome remained the same.

The more he attempted to alter events in those visions, the more they remained unchanged. The Jedi were still mostly gone, Palpatine was victorious, and Iggios was always dead, either by Palpatine's hand or by Vader's.

"It won't be easy... I can't change the Jedi Order enough to save them, can I?" he sighed.

“Maybe becoming a Jedi is a bad idea altogether…” The vision morphed again.

He found himself on the bridge of a large spaceship, his Jedi robes replaced by armor marked by scars from many battles.

He appeared much older; perhaps in his late twenties.

He recognized a few familiar faces around him: Bail Organa, Admiral Ackbar, Mon Mothma, and even Ahsoka. They were gathered for the birth of the Rebellion, surrounded by several Clone Troopers who seemed to be the founding members, too.

Another flash revealed a lush green forest with a large temple and the sounds of training. Young children, about his current age, were dueling each other with practice sabers, while his older self; still in uniform rather than the traditional robes, supervised them.

“The old must die for the new to take root... I can’t fix this Jedi Order, but maybe I can help bring about a new one,” he whispered, placing his hand on the frozen wall of the cavern.

“I’ll never be a good Jedi… Not according to the current version of it.” Iggios chuckled; his past memories already indicated that he had always aligned himself with being an individual, not just a member of a monastic order.

“But I’ll be damned if I don’t become the strongest I can be! If only to discover what that System actually is.” A wild grin spread across his face, and the icy wall he had touched shattered.

Revealed was a small alcove, at the center of which stood a large ice spike, housing a glowing Kyber Crystal.

“Hello there…” Iggios smiled and pressed his hand against the ice spike, focusing at the Force. “I believe we will become the closest of friends from now on…”

As the ice shattered, the Kyber Crystal easily fell into Iggios' hand, its color shifting from a nearly translucent hue to a metallic silver in his palm.

Congratulations!

By successfully acquiring your Kyber Crystal, the User is entitled to the Newbie package.

Do you wish to open it? [Y/N]

The System screen flickered back to life, denying Iggios further access while acknowledging his progress.

"Let's see then..." Iggios tapped the screen and accepted the package.

Gained Trait: Force is One. User will be able to use both sides of the Force with minimal consequences. Better start practicing.

Gained Ability: Saber Constructor-Inator. Any material the User needs will be available for the construction of their lightsaber. (3x Use per lifetime limit)

"Alright... the System isn't even fully active yet, and it’s already giving me things this broken, especially the 'Force is One,'" Iggios mused quietly, feeling the warmth of the crystal in his palm as he collected his thoughts.

"Looks like I will be able to build the perfect weapon." He grinned and made his way back, noting that a few hours must’ve passed since the trial started.

—

As he re-entered the main hall, he observed that he was one of the last to return. Yoda was still peacefully meditating at the center of the room, patiently waiting for all the younglings to come back, whether they were successful or not.

When Iggios approached, Yoda opened his eyes for a moment.

"Successful, you were," Yoda commented without asking for details. Iggios simply nodded, still slightly distracted by the visions the Force had shown him.

"I’ll give the Jedi what they need to save themselves... but beyond that, it’s completely in their hands," he pondered silently.

Soon after, the last of the younglings returned, and all eight children, along with Yoda, made their way back to the ship.

A previously inaccessible compartment on the ship opened up, revealing a workshop with a table separating it from a storage area, which was what Iggios had been most eager to see.

An ancient-looking droid approached the table from the storage area, glancing between the younglings and Yoda.

"Ah, Master Yoda. Have the younglings successfully collected their crystals?" the droid inquired, his optical sensors gleaming yellow.

"They have. Successful, this trip was," Yoda replied. "Professor Huyang, this is. Help you build your lightsaber, he will," he added, leaving the droid to explain the basics of saber construction.

Some of Iggios' peers were skeptical about how a droid could assist them, but their doubts quickly faded upon learning that the droid had even helped Yoda build his lightsaber.

—

Iggios patiently waited while the others picked up their parts for making their sabers. He felt no urgency, knowing that his newfound ability would provide him with everything he needed.

"And last, but not least... young man," Huyang said, prompting Iggios to present his crystal. Closing his eyes, he envisioned his future lightsaber clearly: a simple design with a one-handed, slightly curved hilt, inspired by his preferred weapon from his past life.

"What do you see?" Huyang asked.

"A saber... simple, elegant, functional," Iggios responded immediately, the words flowing from his mouth before his mind could catch up.

"Hmm, I see. Much rarer these days. But during the Old Republic, the Jedi made many such blades," the droid remarked, searching its databanks for something useful.

Iggios was then presented with boxes full of electronics and durasteel parts for constructing the insides of his saber.

Huyang vanished for a moment and Iggios activated his lightsaber-building ability.

At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then Huyang returned, bringing a truly ancient-looking box adorned with symbols unknown to Iggios. However, one symbol stood out: the clear Jaig Eyes mark, indicating that the contents were Mandalorian in origin.

"Since the times of the Mandalorian wars, the Jedi have barely used such materials. But it feels strangely fitting to give it to you," Huyang explained, revealing a small piece of Beskar and long leather wraps; items that would perfectly suit Iggios' plans.

Although the Beskar wasn’t enough to create the entire hilt, it was more than sufficient to craft a proper guard.

Iggios smiled; everything was coming together nicely.

"Thank you, Professor," he said quietly, as he began to browse through the databanks to ensure he could fit the mechanism into a one-handed hilt, but considering that Yoda's lightsaber easily fit the mechanism, he felt confident in his chances.

It took time for Iggios to complete his lightsaber, especially since he had to ask Yoda for help in shaping the Beskar.

While Beskar is known for its durability, prolonged exposure to a lightsaber blade can cause it to heat up. And while Beskar fit mor einto the realms of magic than real material, it was still a metal. Hot metal can be easily manipulated, particularly with the assistance of the Force.

In the end, Iggios was the last one to finish his lightsaber hilt, but the result was a true work of art.

There was no visible mechanism; all the components were concealed within the hilt, allowing the blade to be ignited only through a subtle application of the Force.

The Beskar formed a horseshoe-like knuckle guard to deflect enemy lightsaber strikes. The handle was more oval than perfectly round and slightly curved, unlike the other lightsabers, making it comfortable to hold and difficult for opponents to disarm him.

The handle was completely wrapped in black leather from the Mandalorian box, ensuring a solid grip.

The hilt featured a pommel with the emblem of the Jedi Order seared into it, made of simple brass that connected to the back part of the Beskar guard, serving as a counterbalance to achieve the precise feel Iggios desired.

When the time came, the younglings ignited their sabers, filling the room with blue and green light; one youngling even managed a yellow blade, which made Yoda chuckle.

Iggios joined in, and his lightsaber ignited, revealing a metallic-looking blade that was greyish-silver, and solid in color. It was distinctly shaped with sharp and flat side rather than the traditional round form.

Yoda found himself watching Iggios’ saber longer than he intended, and Iggios sensed he had captured the attention of the old Grandmaster of the Order. The design of his lightsaber seemed to evoke memories of Dooku’s design, despite their clear differences.

They shared a similar philosophy: combat and dueling come first with a blade like this.

Huyang was excitedly scanning Iggios’ design into his databanks, pleased to have a new and unique creation to study.

—

Yoda returned to the council room and sat down, scanning the other masters present. He sighed, uncertain about his feelings regarding the earlier events.

“An interesting development on our hands, we have,” he finally spoke. “A youngling, Iggios Stritt. Hmm, very troublesome, he might be.” He continued, “Strong in principle, he is. But powerful in the Force, he is proving to be.” He stated this slowly, adding, “Of my old apprentice, he reminds me.”

The council stirred slightly at the news.

Dooku was one of the Order's finest before he left, and Yoda seemed to suggest that this youngling had the potential; and perhaps the desire, to do the same.

“A Master to temper him, he needs. Coleman Trebor, take him on as an apprentice you will,” Yoda declared, already considering Iggios' future years in advance.

“No doubt I have. Ready to become a Padawan in few short years, he will be,” Yoda concluded, allowing the council to move on to less potentially dire topics.