Ok, guys - consider this my sacrifice to the cause, because I put off paying work to do it.
So here's our cutaway:
Here's my interpretation in 3D CAD:
Basically two Obi Wan emitters, rings with holes, and their inner thin-walled tubes facing each other.
Now please nobody jump down my throat for not getting all my proportions, dimensions, and perspectives right - I can already tell that the ring with holes is too thick, and the sliced flanged connector on the combustion chamber rides up a little too much into the inter-connector (it was placed in an arbitrary location when I exported the image, so it can be easily fixed to match Fig. 7).
Now, if my interpretation is correct, my cutaway assembly model is missing some sort of sealant material or gasket that accounts for the gap between the connector flanges in Fig. 7, and that creates a press-fit seal between the ring with holes and the inside wall of the connector. However, if that material is pliable, the ring can be pushed into the connector so that it's just underflush, the way we're accustomed to seeing it on the Obi Wan saber emitter.
Based on this interpretation (and BY NO MEANS am I saying it's absolutely correct), here's how I interpreted the emitter/inter-connector subassembly:
And as an exploded assembly:
And now from the front:
Now... Compare to the hero:
What at first definitely looks like a step in the bottom two screen captures Sarafino enhanced, may be nothing more than the concentric-looking blemish seen in the side-by-side B&W photos directly above.
- Gabe