Synthetic Lightsaber Crystals
(Enlarge)
Though synthetic crystals were ordinarily unsuitable for use in lightsabers, the Sith discovered that they could create synth-crystals that were energized, magnetized, and modified with the power of the dark side of the Force in special furnaces, causing the crystal to glow in harmonic vibration.
(Enlarge)
CREATION
(Enlarge)
Standard
Compressed
Unstable
Usage
A Synthetic lightsaber crystal, commonly referred to as a Synth-crystal, is a type of lightsaber crystal that is artificially created, rather than naturally formed by geological processes. Due to the methods used in their creation, they often formed with a red coloration, though they could be made with any color through special manipulations of either the creation process or the crystal itself, often through the Force, such as the green synth-crystal powering Luke Skywalker's second lightsaber.
Though synthetic crystals were ordinarily unsuitable for use in lightsabers, the Sith discovered that they could create synth-crystals that were energized, magnetized, and modified with the power of the dark side of the Force in special furnaces, causing the crystal to glow in harmonic vibration.
As a result of their artificial origins, synthetic crystals created more powerful lightsaber blades and could be more easily augmented. Also, their common usage by Sith and other Darksiders after this discovery caused synthetic crystals to become something of a staple among such groups, and their use among Jedi was strongly discouraged.
Most synthetic crystals were red, a result of the forging process, and oftentimes the initiate's intentional manipulations, as most individuals who utilized synthetic crystals were Darksiders. The red-hued lightsaber blades generated by such crystals were often nicknamed "bloodshine blades". The crystal's ability to change to reflect the intentions of the creator could be said to foster a stronger bond between the resulting lightsaber and the wielder. However, synth-crystals could be made in any color, requiring only slight adjustments of the creation process and special manipulations through the Force during the forging.
(Enlarge)
CREATION
Synthetic lightsaber crystals were manufactured within a machine known as a geological compressor. The original purpose of the compressor was to replicate geological conditions on distant worlds in a laboratory setting, and it was easily adapted for creating synth-crystals; simply replicating the geological processes that create crystals.
The raw materials that the crystal was fashioned from were easily accessible, simply being minerals with a high carbon concentration. The raw minerals would be placed within the machine and essentially left to bake for a period ranging from twenty-four hours to four days, during which time, the initiate creating the crystal would meditate on it with the Force, guiding the formation and increasing the potency. This level of control over the formation process allowed initiates to create crystals that best suited their needs.
(Enlarge)
Standard
A standard synthetic crystal was created through the successful replication of the geological structure of natural crystals. Standard crystals set the baseline for synthetic crystals in general; they generated a more powerful lightsaber blade than natural crystals, and often demonstrated a red coloration, though that was easily controlled.
In fact, synth-crystal blades were so powerful that they had the rare potential to "break the blade" of standard lightsabers by overloading the energy matrix and instantly burning out the other lightsaber. Though this happened extremely rarely, it was a known and frightening possibility in combat.
Compressed
Compressed synth-crystals were a result of a failure to accurately replicate the natural geological process that formed crystals. The result was a crystal that was far more compressed than natural crystals, causing the blade generated to be considerably thinner than standard blades. However, a byproduct of this thinner blade was that it allowed for greater precision and control. In addition to a thinner blade, the other visual indicators for a blade generated by a compressed synth-crystal were oscillations of energy that rapidly ran along the length of the blade at regular intervals.
Unstable
Like compressed crystals, unstable crystals were the result of the initiate failing to accurately replicate the natural formation processes of crystals. The blades generated by unstable crystals were obviously more unstable than the norm, causing the blades generated to crackle with energy at erratic intervals, sometimes causing sparks to fly or streaks of electrical energy to run along the length. Due to the energy sparking from the blade, unstable synth-crystals caused more damage than normal when they hit enemies. However, they were much more prone to shorting out, causing the lightsaber to deactivate for a time.
Usage
The primary reason for the usage of synthetic crystals among Sith and other Darksiders was the need to stay hidden, as most of the sites where natural crystals suitable for lightsabers could be gathered were frequented by the Jedi Order. Eventually, synth-crystal usage among such groups became a tradition, with most members considering the creation of a synthetic crystal superior to the more passive Jedi method of gathering of natural formations, which was looked on as relying on the "untamed wilds of space" to provide. In fact, synthetic crystal creation was viewed by Darksiders to be a sign of greater mastery over the Force.
Some info I found somewhere
| |
