Occlus has a few pointers on ways she can improve on the execution.

Vincoria accepts them readily. Some work, some don't. 

"Do you see any way I could hold this for longer? A wire of force is much more useful if you can cut with it, but my attempts so far don't last long enough to produce adequate penetration." She demonstrates, cutting a few shallow grooves into the shoulder of the droid in the process. 

"You may lack the Force capacity. Your time may improve with practice, but my instinct is that you will find a hard limit and not be able to extend it further."

"Perhaps, but I'm able to hold the less-focused version..." 

She frowns. "Do you know of any other cutting techniques? Aside from those that use a lightsaber." 

Occlus thinks for a moment.

"I cannot bring any to mind. I have the Archivist run a search, you may pick up any findings later today."

"That's both good and bad. On one hand, it means there might be an optimization or cheat we're missing, since the technique is not common: on the other hand, it may mean we're working blind. I'll be very interested in what your archive search turns up."

"As will I. Do keep me apprised of your progress. I must return to processing the shipment from Ziost now. Be sure your apprentice is also taking advantage of the facilities here."

Vincoria nods. "Saber training with her has jumped up my priority list, now that it will be culturally expected of her: rest assured that we will not waste our access to your facilities." 

"Good. We will speak later, then."

Occlus turns on her heel and exits the gym.

Vincoria nods, and returns to her work.

Six days later, she and Soph once again receive a summons to Occlus's office.

They attend, of course.

"You recall I mentioned that I would be asked to make a contribution to the war effort?"

"Yes. Are we to be it?"

"Indirectly." Occlus activates a holoprojector on her desk. "This is the planet Makeb, controlled by the Hutts and advertised as a luxury resort and vacation destination. Recently, we have learned that is also the sole source of a new substance known as isotope-5. Isotope-5 is an incredibly powerful energy source, just a few grams can replace the hypermatter reactor of a dreadnought. Access to this resource has the potential to change the entire balance of power in the galaxy. The Hutts have so far kept this very secret, we have reason to believe the Republic is as yet unaware. Our task, therefore, is to infiltrate the planet and acquire as much of the Hutts' stockpile as possible, without rousing suspicion."

"I see. Have we seen convincing demonstrations of isotope-5's power generation capabilities in independent testing, or could this be a Hutt scam? I assume it seems legitimate: if so, do we know where it comes from? If it is a resource mined from the planet, then that source is likely far more valuable than the stockpiles already extant: if it is manufactured from relatively common materials, the manufacturing process is also likely to be worth far more than the existing stockpiles. Assuming the option of seizing the means of production was considered and rejected for infeasibility, do we have an estimate of how much has been stockpiled to date? Leads as to storage location on the planet? What else do we know of isotope-5's properties? How easy is it to transport? Does it require containment of some form?" 

"Intelligence is very sure of their details, and Darth Marr agrees. We are beyond deciding whether to do this, the choice we have is how. Based on data regarding Cartel purchases and shipments, isotope-5 is mined from extreme depths and then subjected to a lengthy purification process before it can be used. We are to take the Hutts' stockpile as our primary goal because Marr wishes to press the advantage this gives us as soon as possible, he does not want to wait for our engineers to catch up with the Hutts. Of course, if we can coopt their infrastructure, that would be an appreciated bonus. Logistical details and a full briefing will appear on your datapad shortly."

"I agree with Darth Marr's assessment, given the apparent difficulty of producing useful isotope-5. Furthermore, we cannot assume that the Hutts are content to sit on their fabulous new energy source: they must be planning something with it. I assume the data dump will include a summary of the political situation, and potential applications of the Hutts' stockpile?"

"It will. And as the Hutts cannot be assumed to remain idle, we are leaving in one hour. Your ship awaits you at the spaceport. Its computer has already been programmed with the rendezvous coordinates."

"Excellent. Is there anything more to discuss?" 

"Not at present. Make your preparations. We will speak again at the rendezvous."

She bows shallowly, and leaves for her ship.

It's of a similar design to Occlus's, slightly smaller but just as fast and more maneuverable. It has space for four crewpersons and comes equipped with a caretaker droid that assures her it is fully capable of all maintainance and, if necessary, piloting.

Vincoria has had to pilot ships before, but she's hardly an expert. She nods to Soph. 

Soph smiles as she sits down at the controls.