Post by Corstar on Feb 23, 2007 17:47:44 GMT -5
Both the Sith and the Jedi Orders require that their members all use the powerful and advanced weapon that has, over the course of millenia, undergone many changes with regards to appearance and modification, but has inevitably become the signature weapon for any trained Force User in the Galaxy. Inevitably, these are extremely complex articles to construct, although an advanced user can, in a hurry, create one over the course of several days, although generally such weapons will be of a lesser quality than a blade that has been constructed over the course of a few weeks to a month, the normal time necessary for the creation of a lightsaber.
Among both groups, it is expected that a student should create their own lightsaber prior to becoming a Jedi or Sith Knight, partly as a result of the complex ritual involved in building such a weapon, and also in part due to the connection formed between the lightsaber and it's wielder in the course of building it, since they become not only intimately familiar with the parts used in the construction (and can hence modify it if they wish to do so), but also connected to the weapon through the Force as a result of the last part of lightsaber construction.
There are many parts required to build a good lightsaber, all of which will be detailed below:
Outer Casing
The casing for the lightsaber varies depending upon the person using it, in style and form. Most cases are metal, covered with a rubber or plastic coating to allow for better grip. The controls for the weapon are also placed on the casing, connected to the individual parts of the weapon. Although some cases are watertight, so as not to risk damaging the weapon should it come into contact with water or other fluids, not all of them are designed to be watertight, so it is recommended that the user keep this in mind when choosing a case. It is also the aesthetic appearance of the weapon that is determined by the casing - it should therefore be designed to reflect the personality of the user.
Power Assembly
- Power Cell
- Field Conductor
- Vortex Ring
- Power Insulator
- Energy Gate
- Recharge Socket
The power assembly is essential to all lightsabers - without the energy necessary to create the blade that is purely reminiscent of the lightsaber, the weapon itself becomes useless. Generally, the assembly is installed in the lower half of the lightsaber, so that only the lower half of the casing stands between it and the air around the weapon. The primary reason for this is the use of the recharge socket which must be slotted in beneath the power assembly - in order to ensure that the assembly has sufficient power at all times, the owner of the weapon will have a socket located in the butt of the lightsaber into which a normal power cell can be slotted. When this is done, the power assembly can draw from the energy cell slotted into this socket in order to recharge itself. For this purpose, the user can either create a rechargeable energy cell that can be slotted into the socket, or at a pinch can even use blaster power packs to recharge the weapon.
When constructed, the Power Assembly must be made using several components. Firstly, the power cell stands in the centre of the assembly, and it is this which produces the energy needed for the lightsaber to activate and be used. Generally speaking, these cells only need to be replaced once every few years or so, depending on how much the lightsaber is used. Surrounding the cell is the field conductor, which causes energy generated from the cell to be directed parallel to the cell, so that no power is lost or redirected to the metal surrounding the weapon, or bled off to non-essential areas. The Vortex Ring surrounds the conductor and is used to contain all the energy produced by the cell within the lightsaber so that it is almost all used by the lightsaber to create a stable and efficient blade, with little energy loss. The Power Insulator is used to protect the weapon from power surges by use of an extremely high-resistance strip of shielding. Hence, this protects the weapon from being shorted out by power fields and extreme energetic feedback. Finally, the energy gate is located at the tip of this construct, right beneath the main focusing crystal of the lightsaber, which is where the power is conducted.
Focusing Crystal Chamber and Assembly
The Focusing Crystal is that which is essentially used to turn the wide-spectrum energy of the power cell into a narrowly-focused tight beam, which enables the lightsaber to activate. It is also the crystal which serves as the heart and soul of the weapon - it is that which gives the blade its natural colour and energetic characteristics. Generally speaking, the main crystal will be an Adegans crystal, but variants can be used. Within most weapons, only one is used, but some lightsabers can be built using multiple crystals, to give different colour tints or to allow for certain modifications - the dual-phase modification is the result of multiple aligned crystals.
The energy gate of the Power assembly is directly beneath the main focusing crystal, and when the energy is projected to the crystal, the energy becomes tightly focused and is directed towards the emitter assembly further in the hilt. This crystal, as with any others in the blade, must be precisely aligned - the slightest misalignment could force the energy to be directed back to the hilt rather than to the emitter, causing the weapon to either malfunction when activated, or in some serious cases, explode upon the first activation. Consequently, care should be taken when assembling the chamber.
To use multiple crystals, it is necessary to build a multi-chambered assembly, whereby multiple crystals are contained, one after the other. Energy directed from the power cell then travels through the main crystal in a standard setting, but through use of an extra control, or by twisting the lightsaber's hilt manually (depending on design), the additional chambers will move into line with the main crystal and be used to focus the energy alongside that of the original crystal, hence changing colour tints or initiating a length change. In some weapons, the additional crystals are fixed so that the user can change the length of the energy by using a small dial installed on the front of the lightsaber, increasing the energy channeled from the power cell to increase the length.
Immediately after the crystal chamber, energy channeled from the power cell through the crystals reach the focusing lens, a narrow, almost flat lens of variable material (some of which are specially made using focusing crystals) that continues channeling the energy along the lightsaber hilt. In curved weapons or those that do not have the standard straight hilt, multiple lens' are used to bend the arc of energy, thus enabling it to move from the cell to the emitter matrix.
Lightsaber Emitter
- Blade Energy Channel
- Cycling Field Energisers
- Energy Modulation Circuits
- Emitter Matrix
- High Energy Flux Aperture
The Emitter actually consists of several different parts that need to be built individually and connected before the lightsaber can be used. Firstly, energy entering the emitter moves into a long, narrow passage called the blade energy channel, whereby energy generated by the power cell is channeled through here to the Cycling Field Energisers, which converts the energy into arc wave energy, which is then essentially creates a feedback mechanism for the weapon, whereby energy not being used to cut or touch an object is returned to the power cell, so that the weapon only expends energy when put to use, thus making it extremely efficient. The Modulation circuits provide feedback to the energisers, initialising them when the power cell activates and channels energy from the lower half of the weapon. Finally, the emitter matrix is the point whereby the arc wave energy becomes visible, with the characteristic colours of the lightsaber.
The Emitter Matrix is also protected by a High-energy flux aperture, which produces a negative charge that is used to stabilise the positive charge of the lightsaber's blade, so that the energy being emitted from the weapon does not start to eat it's way through the hands of the user when they come into contact with the weapon, thereby grounding it.
Controls
When the casing is pushed into place, the outer controls of the lightsaber should connect up to the appropriate internal wiring so that using them creates the desired effect. lightsabers can have many various controls - the activation plate/switch is essential, for this activates and deactivates the power cell of the lightsaber, thereby turning it on and off, while some weapons have controls to adjust the amount of energy being generated by the power cell, as well as one for extending blade length, for sabres of dual-phase design.
Building a Lightsaber
These parts should be placed within the lightsaber in the order they have been written in, but in order to actually build the lightsaber, several things need to be observed. Firstly, the power cell used in the weapon should be completely drained of power before being used in the weapon, so to allow for the weapon to be charged for the first time when it has been completely connected to all other parts. This enables the user to test the recharge socket effectively for the first time, to ensure that everything is in place. Secondly, there is a particular ritual involved with creating a lightsaber, whereby once it has been constructed, the user should bathe the weapon in their own Force energy, which helps attune the focusing crystal to that person, so they can sense it wherever it happens to be located, and also to use the Force to make any adjustments too small for the person's dexterity to complete. This particular meditation generally requires a trance that can take several days, depending on the depth of the connection and the number of adjustments to be made.
When first activating a lightsaber, students should be aware that, presuming the weapon does not explode, that the weapon itself might not be perfect, so should be tested significantly once construction is complete. Failure to do so could result in problems for the one using the weapon, since it is not unknown for it to immediately deactivate when used if the focusing crystal is not completely aligned, or when some modifications (like Dual-Phase) are used.
Modifications
There are several significant modifications that can be used in a lightsaber, dependent on the preference of the user.
Dual-Phase
This type of lightsaber, as noted, uses several focusing crystals, one after the other, to generate a much longer lightsaber blade, which can either be manipulated by use controls or movement of the hilt, or, for fixed dual-phase weapons, by the use of a control dial on the side of the weapon, which increases the power channeled from the energy cell to increase the length of the blade.
Lock-On Activation Switch
This type of activation switch means that the user cannot, once the weapon is activated, simply switch off their weapon by pressing the switch again. Instead, it must be held down or moved in order for the weapon to be turned off.
Force-Manipulated Switch
These switches are found on the inside of the lightsaber, connected to the power cell, but without an activation panel on the outer casing. This requires that the user use a Force kinetic movement to activate and deactivate the blade. This also means that only a person attuned to the Force can turn on the weapon.
Cell Recogniser
These devices use primitive scanner technology to scan the handprint of the person using it. When first installed, the user must input their own handprint into the hilt, so that only they can then use the weapon. If anyone other than the user touches the weapon and tries to use it, the weapon will either deactivate immediately if already on, or fail to activate when the activation switch is pressed. This also means that the weapon cannot be thrown, unless combined with a Lock-On activation switch.
Pressure Grip
This particular modification requires that someone be holding onto the lightsaber in order for the weapon to remain activated. Should pressure be released from the hilt, the weapon automatically deactivates, meaning that the only way a person can throw the weapon is to maintain a Force-Kinetic grip on the hilt of the blade.
CommLink
Some users also add a small commlink to their lightsabers, meaning that though they carry their weapon with them, they have no overt communication device on their person, which can be useful when all other items have been removed or lost, but the lightsaber remains with them.
Traps
Combined with the use of the Cell Recogniser, some weapons can use traps designed to deliver electric shocks, activate spikes etc when someone other than the wielder coded to the Cell Recogniser tries to pick up or use the weapon, dependent on design. These are dangerous, but do add some significant safety features to any lightsaber.
Among both groups, it is expected that a student should create their own lightsaber prior to becoming a Jedi or Sith Knight, partly as a result of the complex ritual involved in building such a weapon, and also in part due to the connection formed between the lightsaber and it's wielder in the course of building it, since they become not only intimately familiar with the parts used in the construction (and can hence modify it if they wish to do so), but also connected to the weapon through the Force as a result of the last part of lightsaber construction.
There are many parts required to build a good lightsaber, all of which will be detailed below:
Outer Casing
The casing for the lightsaber varies depending upon the person using it, in style and form. Most cases are metal, covered with a rubber or plastic coating to allow for better grip. The controls for the weapon are also placed on the casing, connected to the individual parts of the weapon. Although some cases are watertight, so as not to risk damaging the weapon should it come into contact with water or other fluids, not all of them are designed to be watertight, so it is recommended that the user keep this in mind when choosing a case. It is also the aesthetic appearance of the weapon that is determined by the casing - it should therefore be designed to reflect the personality of the user.
Power Assembly
- Power Cell
- Field Conductor
- Vortex Ring
- Power Insulator
- Energy Gate
- Recharge Socket
The power assembly is essential to all lightsabers - without the energy necessary to create the blade that is purely reminiscent of the lightsaber, the weapon itself becomes useless. Generally, the assembly is installed in the lower half of the lightsaber, so that only the lower half of the casing stands between it and the air around the weapon. The primary reason for this is the use of the recharge socket which must be slotted in beneath the power assembly - in order to ensure that the assembly has sufficient power at all times, the owner of the weapon will have a socket located in the butt of the lightsaber into which a normal power cell can be slotted. When this is done, the power assembly can draw from the energy cell slotted into this socket in order to recharge itself. For this purpose, the user can either create a rechargeable energy cell that can be slotted into the socket, or at a pinch can even use blaster power packs to recharge the weapon.
When constructed, the Power Assembly must be made using several components. Firstly, the power cell stands in the centre of the assembly, and it is this which produces the energy needed for the lightsaber to activate and be used. Generally speaking, these cells only need to be replaced once every few years or so, depending on how much the lightsaber is used. Surrounding the cell is the field conductor, which causes energy generated from the cell to be directed parallel to the cell, so that no power is lost or redirected to the metal surrounding the weapon, or bled off to non-essential areas. The Vortex Ring surrounds the conductor and is used to contain all the energy produced by the cell within the lightsaber so that it is almost all used by the lightsaber to create a stable and efficient blade, with little energy loss. The Power Insulator is used to protect the weapon from power surges by use of an extremely high-resistance strip of shielding. Hence, this protects the weapon from being shorted out by power fields and extreme energetic feedback. Finally, the energy gate is located at the tip of this construct, right beneath the main focusing crystal of the lightsaber, which is where the power is conducted.
Focusing Crystal Chamber and Assembly
The Focusing Crystal is that which is essentially used to turn the wide-spectrum energy of the power cell into a narrowly-focused tight beam, which enables the lightsaber to activate. It is also the crystal which serves as the heart and soul of the weapon - it is that which gives the blade its natural colour and energetic characteristics. Generally speaking, the main crystal will be an Adegans crystal, but variants can be used. Within most weapons, only one is used, but some lightsabers can be built using multiple crystals, to give different colour tints or to allow for certain modifications - the dual-phase modification is the result of multiple aligned crystals.
The energy gate of the Power assembly is directly beneath the main focusing crystal, and when the energy is projected to the crystal, the energy becomes tightly focused and is directed towards the emitter assembly further in the hilt. This crystal, as with any others in the blade, must be precisely aligned - the slightest misalignment could force the energy to be directed back to the hilt rather than to the emitter, causing the weapon to either malfunction when activated, or in some serious cases, explode upon the first activation. Consequently, care should be taken when assembling the chamber.
To use multiple crystals, it is necessary to build a multi-chambered assembly, whereby multiple crystals are contained, one after the other. Energy directed from the power cell then travels through the main crystal in a standard setting, but through use of an extra control, or by twisting the lightsaber's hilt manually (depending on design), the additional chambers will move into line with the main crystal and be used to focus the energy alongside that of the original crystal, hence changing colour tints or initiating a length change. In some weapons, the additional crystals are fixed so that the user can change the length of the energy by using a small dial installed on the front of the lightsaber, increasing the energy channeled from the power cell to increase the length.
Immediately after the crystal chamber, energy channeled from the power cell through the crystals reach the focusing lens, a narrow, almost flat lens of variable material (some of which are specially made using focusing crystals) that continues channeling the energy along the lightsaber hilt. In curved weapons or those that do not have the standard straight hilt, multiple lens' are used to bend the arc of energy, thus enabling it to move from the cell to the emitter matrix.
Lightsaber Emitter
- Blade Energy Channel
- Cycling Field Energisers
- Energy Modulation Circuits
- Emitter Matrix
- High Energy Flux Aperture
The Emitter actually consists of several different parts that need to be built individually and connected before the lightsaber can be used. Firstly, energy entering the emitter moves into a long, narrow passage called the blade energy channel, whereby energy generated by the power cell is channeled through here to the Cycling Field Energisers, which converts the energy into arc wave energy, which is then essentially creates a feedback mechanism for the weapon, whereby energy not being used to cut or touch an object is returned to the power cell, so that the weapon only expends energy when put to use, thus making it extremely efficient. The Modulation circuits provide feedback to the energisers, initialising them when the power cell activates and channels energy from the lower half of the weapon. Finally, the emitter matrix is the point whereby the arc wave energy becomes visible, with the characteristic colours of the lightsaber.
The Emitter Matrix is also protected by a High-energy flux aperture, which produces a negative charge that is used to stabilise the positive charge of the lightsaber's blade, so that the energy being emitted from the weapon does not start to eat it's way through the hands of the user when they come into contact with the weapon, thereby grounding it.
Controls
When the casing is pushed into place, the outer controls of the lightsaber should connect up to the appropriate internal wiring so that using them creates the desired effect. lightsabers can have many various controls - the activation plate/switch is essential, for this activates and deactivates the power cell of the lightsaber, thereby turning it on and off, while some weapons have controls to adjust the amount of energy being generated by the power cell, as well as one for extending blade length, for sabres of dual-phase design.
Building a Lightsaber
These parts should be placed within the lightsaber in the order they have been written in, but in order to actually build the lightsaber, several things need to be observed. Firstly, the power cell used in the weapon should be completely drained of power before being used in the weapon, so to allow for the weapon to be charged for the first time when it has been completely connected to all other parts. This enables the user to test the recharge socket effectively for the first time, to ensure that everything is in place. Secondly, there is a particular ritual involved with creating a lightsaber, whereby once it has been constructed, the user should bathe the weapon in their own Force energy, which helps attune the focusing crystal to that person, so they can sense it wherever it happens to be located, and also to use the Force to make any adjustments too small for the person's dexterity to complete. This particular meditation generally requires a trance that can take several days, depending on the depth of the connection and the number of adjustments to be made.
When first activating a lightsaber, students should be aware that, presuming the weapon does not explode, that the weapon itself might not be perfect, so should be tested significantly once construction is complete. Failure to do so could result in problems for the one using the weapon, since it is not unknown for it to immediately deactivate when used if the focusing crystal is not completely aligned, or when some modifications (like Dual-Phase) are used.
Modifications
There are several significant modifications that can be used in a lightsaber, dependent on the preference of the user.
Dual-Phase
This type of lightsaber, as noted, uses several focusing crystals, one after the other, to generate a much longer lightsaber blade, which can either be manipulated by use controls or movement of the hilt, or, for fixed dual-phase weapons, by the use of a control dial on the side of the weapon, which increases the power channeled from the energy cell to increase the length of the blade.
Lock-On Activation Switch
This type of activation switch means that the user cannot, once the weapon is activated, simply switch off their weapon by pressing the switch again. Instead, it must be held down or moved in order for the weapon to be turned off.
Force-Manipulated Switch
These switches are found on the inside of the lightsaber, connected to the power cell, but without an activation panel on the outer casing. This requires that the user use a Force kinetic movement to activate and deactivate the blade. This also means that only a person attuned to the Force can turn on the weapon.
Cell Recogniser
These devices use primitive scanner technology to scan the handprint of the person using it. When first installed, the user must input their own handprint into the hilt, so that only they can then use the weapon. If anyone other than the user touches the weapon and tries to use it, the weapon will either deactivate immediately if already on, or fail to activate when the activation switch is pressed. This also means that the weapon cannot be thrown, unless combined with a Lock-On activation switch.
Pressure Grip
This particular modification requires that someone be holding onto the lightsaber in order for the weapon to remain activated. Should pressure be released from the hilt, the weapon automatically deactivates, meaning that the only way a person can throw the weapon is to maintain a Force-Kinetic grip on the hilt of the blade.
CommLink
Some users also add a small commlink to their lightsabers, meaning that though they carry their weapon with them, they have no overt communication device on their person, which can be useful when all other items have been removed or lost, but the lightsaber remains with them.
Traps
Combined with the use of the Cell Recogniser, some weapons can use traps designed to deliver electric shocks, activate spikes etc when someone other than the wielder coded to the Cell Recogniser tries to pick up or use the weapon, dependent on design. These are dangerous, but do add some significant safety features to any lightsaber.