The Forging

Posted on Mon Nov 21st, 2022 @ 10:54am by Captain Gary Taylor & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Shuttlebay - Arri's Yacht
1756 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

OOC: We're going to have to change this a bit. This takes place before we're informed of Josephine's rescue.

Arri smiled as she opened a package and then began to place some crystal nodes on a table. This was going to be great, but she needed a pilot for a certain part of this.

Gary had wandered down to Arri's yacht. "You wanted to see me Arri?" he asked as he entered the yacht.

"I will need your piloting skills." Arrianna stepped onboard and moved to a strange forge she had built in the aft of the Yacht. "And make sure the Metaphasic Shield Array is ready, We may have to leave the corona suddenly." She then lined up some of the crystal nodes and shards. "It appears I'll have enough Letharite for two blades. You sent me too much, mother."

"Piloting skills and metaphasic shields for what Arri? Leave a corona? Arri, just what are you planning that you need those?"

Arrianna held up a shard of Letharite. "This is Letharite Crystal. It melts at the combined temperature of two million kelvin." She noted. "Once it achieves this temperature, It holds in the heat, and it becomes workable in a forge like forging copper. Then I will be able to make Phoenix's wedding gift. Once it hardens. It will form a chrysimar blade. That will never loose its edge in a thousand years."

Gary smiled and nodded in approval, "Phoenix will love that, Arri. That is very thoughtful of you. What a wonderful wedding gift for her. Definitely a one of a kind one, that is for sure."

"We can do it using an artificial furnace." Arri noted. "But it's the solar winds and plasma currents that makes the chrysimar's beauty and grace. A true solar forged chrysimar is worth many bars of latinum.. I must insist this chrysimar is made like mine was.. True solar forged." Arri mentioned with a smirk.

"Now I understand why you want the metaphasic shielding place and operational. How deep into the corona will we need to go for you to be able to forge a blade of your liking?"

"Letharian Crystal becomes semi-solid at two million kelvin. The upper layers of the corona should be sufficient." Arrianna noted. "Gary.. I'm conflicted."

Gary nodded. "Upper layers, sounds good and fairly safe." He paused and leveled his gaze at her, " Conflicted, how Arri?" He prompted, though he was fairly certain he knew what Arri was referring to.

"Josie is alive.. But what if she isn't herself. What to I do if she is found? What can I do?"

"Arri." He began. "You and Josie need time to process her return back to the Elysium and into each other's lives. I know you want to be with her but you need to be patient. Josie has been through a hell of a lot. She was a prisoner for months, tortured and brain washed into believing she was someone else. Now she is back as herself and she has to acclimate herself being back both in the Federation and the Elysium and of course her relationship with you. My advice is don't push this. Let it move at its own pace. When you and Josie do get back together and you will, then you can hold her and tell her everything will be fine. I do understand, I understand completely. You need to understand that this is going to take time and not obsess or push. If you do, you will scare Josie off and could lose her."

"I know..." Arrianna noted. "I can't mentally bond with her, my mind is not safe." Arri noted. "And now I have to work with Savar to remove the last mental anomalies from my mind before she can share each other's thoughts.. I know you and Phoenix want me to move on.. It's just hard to do so.. "

"Arri, Savar will be able to help you, you just have to be open and let him." Gary answered. "Look." He continued, "I know it is hard for you Arri. I am nor is Phoenix unsympathetic to what you are going through but you have to learn restraint and accept the help that is being extended to you."

Arri nodded and prepared the forge she installed in the aft compartment. It was a very complex and intricate apparatus, designed to collect the hot gases and scorching temperatures, and flush all that into the forge from where she put several crystaline nodes. "I understand, Take us to Sol, Commander."

Gary nodded and slid into the pilot's seat. He went through the preflight checklist and when finished he turned to Arri. "Buckle in Arri, we're ready to go." He informed her.

=====

The shuttle entered the corona and Arri entered the aft compartment. She activated the forge, on the aft section of the yacht a collection array began to collect the plasma and feed it into the forge. Arri picked up some tongs and picked up one of the crystal nodes, inserting it into the white-hot forge, she pulled it out and used a specialized hammer to beat it.

The crystal retained its scorching temperature and a series a forcefields kept the heat from killing both Arriannna and Gary instantly. She began to pound the crystal with a hammer. It made a harmonic tone every time Arrianna beat it.

As Arri worked, Gary kept an eye on the metaphasic shielding as it held the blistering heat of the sun at bay. He could hear the rhythm of Arri's hammer as it pounded the crystal. As It did he sang softly, "If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning, I'd hammer in the evening. I'd hammer all over this land."

"Computer activate holoprogram Lalor Left Hand" A hologram of Phoenix's left hand appeared. along with finger placement. Bone structure. Everything was taken account of. She guided the hand to the hilt as it was taking shape.

Gary watched the instrument console; the outside temperature had sneaked up a bit, but the shielding was handling the rise without issue. He wondered idly how Arri was doing in crafting Phoenix's sword.

====

The blade was finished, then Arrianna realized she had more crystal than was needed. She lkooked at Gary in the cockpit, and then began forging a blade for what was to be a katana weapon.

She began to work on it some more. for almost an hour until she had another sword. but there was a little bit of molten crystal left, a small amount. She then had a novel idea... She needed to do this.

"How's it coming Arri?" Gary asked as his eyes watched the heat indicator. "Heat is beginning to build along the shields. It's not a danger yet."

"You may leave the corona now."

"Done." Gary replied as he spun the yacht on a dime and they exited the corona and headed back to the Elysium. "I'm guessing you finished what you set out to do and are satisfied with the results."

---

Arrianna examined both the swords, and on the desk a small ring without the jewel. Their workmanship was incredible, and they both were exquisite.

"I just had a thought, Gary." Arrianna noted.

"What kind of thought Arri?" Gary asked guardedly.

"I must be sure she truly is Kyle Cragen. I gave her the proof in my message that I was who I am, but Josie. I have not seen her for months, and the last time I saw her, there was none of the woman I knew in Sephine's eyes." Arri noted. "I must be sure.. this is not some elaborate plot. My heart cannot break again, Gary." Arri noted. "Alindari can die from this kind of trauma. The fact I am still alive is... miraculous. That and I had help."

Gary turned in the pilot's seat to look at Arri. "Arri, stop it. Josie was checked out by the doctors at Galaxy Station and now she is being examined by the doctors at Starfleet Medical. There has been no sign of any Sephine personality. She is Josephine Carlyle. Now, do yourself a favor stop obsessing over this."

"I have actually." Arri noted. "If she wants to rebuild our lives together. I await her. If not.. Then I will move on." Arri noted. "I have two swords to deliver. And perhaps a ring." She showed Gary what she made with the last of the crystal. "This is the most expensive Engagement ring in the quadrant."

"Glad to hear it. " Gary replied as his eyes went to the swords and the ring Arri held. "Arri, those swords are magnificent, and the ring is exquisite! Those are true works of art."

"I have to finish them up and get them ready." Arrianna noted. "Gary. I would like to invite you and Aurelia to my Kyoto Residence. We have the matter." She held up the second blade, Fashioned as a Katana. "Of the Second blade."

"We'd like that very much Arri. Thank you, I'm sure Lia will delighted. I didn't even know you had a residence in Kyoto. You'll have to visit my ranch. Lots of open space and clean air."

"You should see my residence on Alindar." Arrianna noted. "I picked it after the third stage terraforming was complete and it became a wonderful mountain meadow. But I fell in love with Kyoto during leave one time. I had to purchase a home there." Arri noted.

"That is something you and Lia share, a love for the Japanese culture. If you couldn't guess by our quarters looking like a Tea House." Gary quipped. "Lia is quite in love with the Japanese culture and there is much to love and admire. in it."

"I simply liked the nation state on Earth. How beautiful they make themselves, and how they show that beauty and grace. They know their lives will never be easy, but they endure anyway." Arrianna noted.

"They are a proud and honorable people with a rich history." Gary replied, "They respect the land and nature."

"They did not always had a good history. One time their ambition and drive for glory nearly lead their people to the brink of total destruction in a terrible war. And like the Alindari. They learned that war would be their doom." Arri noted. "And they were better for it."

"Very true Arri. Some lessons teach very quickly and you learn from them. In the case of the Japanese and the Alindari they learned their lesson quickly." Gary observed.