“And, there.” Riordan said with a small huff of exertion as he placed the last piece of his newly acquired armor on its stand within his room. He took a step back, admiring the metal craftsmanship that was this piece of ancient history. It truly was a testament, not just to the dedication of a smith whose life was long since past, but the lasting symbolism of what the Jedi Order represented. This armor had been crafted for, and worn by a Jedi who waded into the thick of battle, devoted to the preservation of light, life, and justice across the Galaxy. The armor bore the scars of conflict, scratches, blemishes, and obvious signs of impeccable repair told a story that spanned centuries of service and protection.
Riordan briefly considered polishing the armor to a mirror finish, having acquired the paste and cloth rags to do so. But, Riordan stayed his hand, for one simple reason. This armor wasn’t meant to be pretty, shiny, or immaculate. It wasn’t some stuffy military officers parade uniform, it was battle armor. It was meant to keep its wearer safe, to keep Riordan safe. And so, Riordan only went to work on buffing out the superficial blemishes and removing the residual oily fingerprints left behind.
From her chosen perch Biscuit had watched her owner fawn over this latest acquisition. The little bird stood from a nest she’d crafted herself up in a corner of the room, preening herself and hopping onto the edge of her nest and taking flight. A rapid flight of her wings had her landing on the collar of the breastplate. She proceeded to shimmy and hop about, like a feathery piece of popcorn as she seemed to take in and inspect the armor herself. “What do you think Biscuit, pretty cool huh?” Riordan asked the Hetzalian songbird, and she seemed to nod her head in agreement with a small chirp. And that was about the time the bird decided this was the perfect instrument to sharpen her beak with. She rapidly went to work, scrabbling her beak across the metal surface, prompting Riordan to rush forward in attempts to remove the bird with a “Dammit Biscuit stop it!” of frustration following. Biscuit, of course, was far too quick for her owner, flying off with a small bout of sass singing.