Shortly after Mirelia took the pilot seat ship began to rumble lightly as the engines roared to life.
"Take a seat and strap in, atmospheric exit is always rough for first timers!"
Vilyam rushed towards a seat next to a console filled with flickering lights, a myriad of controls, and a screen with a view of the outside, as well as a crosshair in the center.
This must be the controls to one of the outer turrets.
As he stared at the image on the screen he felt a sudden sense of weightlessness as the ship lifted off the ground.
Vilyam grabbed the straps attached to the sheet and clicked them into place just in time as the ship took off.
His eyes widened as he watched the screen, mesmerized by the ground gradually disappearing into a cloud bank. Then, even those clouds began to fade away, and finally, the planet of Ossus emerged in all its magnificent glory.
The planet presented itself to William as a truly brilliant and glorious celestial marble, a breathtaking vista of deep verdant greens and tranquil blues that left him utterly speechless; even his thoughts seemed to stutter and falter as he gazed upon the majestic view before him.
A subtle smirk played on Mirelia's lips as she experienced the warm surge of positive emotions emanating from Vilyam through the Force.
However, her focus remained firmly fixed on piloting the ship, as she simultaneously began pressing buttons to set a destination and pulling a lever.
A resonant hum began to emanate from deep within the Defiant Spirit and the ship disappeared on a brilliant flash of light.
Vilyam was equal parts startled and enraptured by the view of hyperspace and the dreadful and ethereal beautiful that lies within.
"Don't stare too long, People have been known to go mad from the view!"
Hearing Mirelia say such a thing caused Vilyam's eyes to snap away from the view of hyperspace as he began observing the inside of the Defiant Spirit instead.
The cockpit was large and spacious, clearly designed to house a small crew all on its own.
It looks quite a bit bigger from the inside, if that is even possible!
His thoughts seemed to fizzle out as he came across a table overflowing with various lightsaber components and blaster parts, his eyes intently focusing on the lightsaber components in particular.
The distorted field of light and darkness within the hyperspace tunnel ebbed and flowed as the ship emerged back into real-space at the edge of an asteroid field.
Mirelia activated her communication channel and a series of mechanical beeps were followed by a gruff and authoritative voice on the other end.
TSSSSK
"Welcome back Commander Mirelia, do you seek to land at the facility?"
Mirelia glanced back at her Padawan before turning back to the comms device.
"Yes guide me in and I have a companion with me so please prepare a room at least somewhat near my own."
A moment passed before the comms chirped to life again.
"Confirmed Commander, transmitting the current orbital drift chart now, and once again, welcome to Paragus"
The comms abruptly went silent, accompanied by a distinct crackle, and almost instantly, a detailed chart displaying the currently safe path through the asteroid field materialized on Mirelia's left side.
Once again, the Defiant Spirit started to maneuver, following a carefully planned route that gave them the opportunity to successfully navigate through the asteroid field.
It did not take long before a massive station built into an even more massive asteroid appeared.
Vilyam couldn't quite explain why, but he felt an unsettling familiarity about this place, as if the massive structure was somehow tugging at long-forgotten memories from his past life.
Why is this place so familiar? Have I been here before?
Vilyam shook his head in bewilderment, genuinely struggling to recall the reason why this place felt so remarkably familiar, and before he could fully process the thought, the Defiant Spirit was already in the process of docking in the hangar at the very edge of the facility.
Mirelia stood up from her pilot chair and began stretching her muscles, her feminine curves straining the fabric of her cloak.
"Come on, this place is where we will be staying for a short time!"
She waved her hands, and the various components sitting on the table began to float upwards towards her, eventually drifting into a bag that was conveniently positioned next to her chair.
She swiftly reached for this bag, pulling the strap taut as she carefully wrapped it around her left shoulder.
She stepped out of the cockpit and made her way toward the center hab module of the ship, with Vilyam right behind her.
They arrived at the loading ramp with surprising speed, and the moment it unsealed, a distinct crisp sound echoed as the atmospheric pressurization met the stale air inside the spaceship.
As the ramp lowered, the vast hangar of the station was revealed to both of them.
Several utility droids were scurrying around within the hangar bay, with a few of them actively engaged in performing minor repairs on the Defiant Spirit spacecraft, while others were taking care of general custodial duties throughout the entire space.
Vilyam was visibly astonished seeing the fully functioning automata walking and rolling about, the sheer engineering behind them causing his sapphire blue eyes to sparkle with desire.
This is amazing, I want one... No I want three of my own!
Vilyam heard the distinctive noise of a blast door opening and looked toward the far end to see a silver and bronze colored protocol droid shuffling towards his and Mirelia's direction.
"Welcome to Paragus, Lady Mirelia, and young master. My designated name is B3T4. Please let me escort you to your accommodations!"
The protocol droid, with its shimmering metallic body, bowed slightly before turning around and shuffling back the way it had come, with both Vilyam and Mirelia following very closely behind, keeping pace with it.
The facility was teeming with a diverse array of humanoid and non-humanoid species, all of whom were intently gazing at Mirelia, displaying a strange blend of awe and reverence in their expressions.
However, where there is light, there are inevitably shadows.
Deep within the most hidden recesses of the facility, tucked away in a room that was deliberately kept out of casual access and hidden from prying eyes, a pair of deep red eyes stared intensely at a screen displaying their journey.
"They have finally arrived!"
The man's face stretched into a smile, but his teeth were filed into points that gave them the appearance of fangs.
This unsettling smile then erupted into a wicked laughter, the sound seeming to make the darkness itself swirl and writhe around him.
Back at the main facility, the protocol droid had successfully guided Mirelia to her room. It was conveniently located directly across from Vilyam's room, making it easy for them to access each other.
Before disappearing into her room Mirelia handed Vilyam the bag full of lightsaber, blaster and miscellaneous components and gave him his first task as her Padawan.
"I need you to construct a functional lightsaber and then bring it to me so I can examine it. Please remember to let the Force guide you throughout this endeavor."
With a decisive click of the latch, she closed the door to her room, leaving Vilyam stranded alone in the hallway, clutching the bag tightly to his side.
His young face bore a distinct expression of exasperation before he let out a tired sigh.
However feeling the weight of the components in the bag he smiled brightly in excitement.
Vilyam rushed into his room with incredible speed, so fast that he nearly stumbled over his own foot as he entered.
He scattered the components on a nearby table, marveling at all the distinctive metallic and plastic-like materials before him.
I'm going to make something great-
He paused.
Maybe
Vilyam noted the lack of tools at his disposal and decided to ask for some using the wall mounted intercom system next to the door.
At the top of the intercom was a screen which flickered to life shortly after he pressed the call button.
On the screen, a droid that bore a striking resemblance to the B3T4 model, yet presented a completely distinct and different color scheme, came into view.
"Master Rax, how may I be of assistance?"
Vilyam thought for a moment before his eyes focused intently on the protocol droid in the display.
"I need several items delivered to my room, I'll be borrowing them for a while, is that alright?"
The protocol droid paused for a moment as it began running through the protocols for such things.
"Depending on the items, we may or may not be able to accommodate your requests!"
Somehow I knew that would be the case but here's hoping!
"I'll need a fusion cutter, some molecular bonding adhesive, a couple of micro-repulsor clamps, an energy flux stabilizer, a power cell calibrator, a micrometer, an alignment scope, a circuit probe, a diagnostic scanner, and an emitter shroud shaping tool!"
Vilyam was surprised at himself as he listed the tools he would need in order to build a lightsaber.
How do I know these things? Is it the Force?
As he thought this, the protocol droid began running through the available items, its eyes flashing as it did so.
"Confirmed, the items will be delivered shortly, thank you for your patience!"
Vilyam sat down in the lotus position, his body perfectly aligned, and focused his mind on the Force, allowing it to wash over him.
His cloak billowed gently around him as he slowly sank into a deep state of contemplation, his thoughts becoming still and quiet.
The world around him seemed to simply fade away, dissolving as his room transformed into a vast, breathtaking expanse of colors and stars.
Some of these celestial bodies were quite large, while others were much smaller, yet each one felt deeply connected to all the others in a profound and unseen way.
Throughout that vast expanse, there existed empty spaces where things were in motion within the colorful clouds, and one of them was moving slowly towards him.
By focusing his attention with intense concentration on this particular void, Vilyam was able to perceive something that existed outside of the Force itself.
This manifested as a subtle electric blue energy that began to coalesce and take shape, making it immediately clear that the approaching being was a droid.
He understood this not only based on the vaguely discernible form of the energy, but also by observing the jerky yet oddly synchronized movements it made as it approached, all the while appearing to be carrying something in its arms.
Vilyam's focus continued to trail the approaching droid until the moment it reached its destination.
RING- RING-
The intercom rang and a robotic voice entered Vilyam's ears through the speaker.
"Master Rax, your delivery is here!"
Vilyam, with his eyes still closed, waved his hand towards the door, reaching through the Force with his mind and will, causing it to slide open, allowing the droid to enter and place the box of tools he was carrying on the ground near his table.
As soon as the box was settled down on the floor, the droid immediately turned its attention to leaving the room.
Its distinct electrical energy silhouette drifted away from Vilyam's room, and upon closing the door behind it, he slowly opened his sapphire blue eyes, a tranquil calm emanating from his very being before it was replaced by a vivid excitement as he turned towards the box of tools.
This is going to be so much fun!
Having considered this idea thoroughly, he moved toward the box and started carefully arranging the items on the table, which was fortunate enough to be spacious enough to comfortably hold them all.
Fortunately, a significant number of the available tools were thoughtfully provided with clamps specifically designed to firmly secure the very edges of the table, effectively creating a much larger and more usable workspace.
Vilyam started meticulously examining both his tools themselves and the individual components he anticipated using for the task at hand; a small, pleased smile began to form across his young face.