♢ || chapter 45. a new lightsaber
"Master Kell, another journey, you must take," Master Yoda told me. "The Gathering of a group of younglings, you must attend."
I was assigned to go with a group of students obtaining their kyber crystals for lightsaber construction. They all were excited to hear that I would be joining with them.
"Master Kenobi, guidance, you will take on the journey," Master Yoda added. "And go with Jewel, you shall."
"Of course, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said with a smile on his face.
"Once you constructed the lightsaber, Jewel, make sure to activate it when we are on the comlink," Master Windu uttered with some eager in his tone. "This is another great step of whom you are."
"Yes, Master," I replied.
Obi and I left the Council room with the fact that Ilum, the planet of ice and snow to where the younglings would get their kyber crystal, still remained through many years in the galaxy. It was an ancient history all Jedi followed in their paths to become the Keepers of the Peace.
"I remember us getting our crystals when we joined in the Gathering together," Obi-Wan spoke while we walked in the halls.
"It was quite the adventure," I recognized the memory. "I remembered seeing your face every time I turned to look over to you."
He raised his eyebrows in a fancy manner with him planting a kiss on my cheek. He sure had some moves back then.
Ahsoka and the younglings were all gathered on the landing dock. She was informing them about the journey and how serious it was.
"What is the Gathering, Padawan Tano?" a student directed to Ahsoka with Obi and I arriving behind the group of students.
"You will be creating your own lightsabers," I informed them, getting their attention.
They all stared in awe and excitement, seeing that I was coming along the journey too.
"Wait, you're getting your lightsaber made too? I thought you had one?" another student asked me.
"I do, young one," I assured him. "But sometimes, we have to take the journey again and see what the future lies ahead of us."
They all were excited to see how this trip would come out. Ahsoka boarded the ship and instructed everyone to do as followed. Obi and I didn't mind her guiding the rules since she nearly acted as how Anakin would.
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Arriving in the windy, snowy planet of Ilum, it brought my thoughts back to when Master Windu had me finally have my lightsaber constructed. Obi-Wan was with the journey too when I was taking the next step in training after the first step being the studies and whatnot.
Master Windu had a different approach to things than normal.
Ahsoka led all of us through the windy land with approaching the caves within where we'd get our crystals. The younglings were starting to worry with them seeing that it looked like a dead end.
"It's a dead end!" one of the younglings shouted.
"Younglings, outstretch your hand and focus on the Force!" Ahsoka ordered them.
Ahsoka started first with her channeling the energy with Obi and I following along. The younglings eventually gathered their strength and helped too.
The wall in front of us started to shift downward, leveling the door behind the ginormous symbol that matched the one all of us were standing on. Just like old times.
"Now hurry! The sun has already risen, and we must begin," Ahsoka told them.
She turned and entered in with everyone hurryinh along. The giant room filled with ice and giant statues were still here. My mind started to feel like I was a youngling myself when I came here. It felt nice.
"Master Yoda," one of the younglings noticed Master Yoda sitting ahead of us.
"The Force made physical, a Jedi is," Master Yoda discoursed. "Comes great responsibility with that, yes?"
I could sense Obi-Wan pleased on seeing me reminiscing these moments with my eyes catching him watching me. He turned with a shade of some pink hitting him with my laughter hiding inside to focus back to Master Yoda's speech.
"So, you think this will conclude to who you are?" Obi-Wan asked in thought while looking ahead.
"It will bring me closer to what I will stand as, yes," I replied in thought. "It worries me though, considering this might be a trick to have me see things in the cave I must face."
"You'll overcome it, love, I know that."
"I know..."
That's when Master Yoda revealed the light from where the sun was shining as the crystal-like chandelier above us moved approximately to aim at the door where the ice was now melting. It was beautiful, seeing the waterfall now pouring down around us, draining the cold that filled the area.
"If Jedi you are to become, enter the crystal cave, you must," Master Yoda told the younglings. "Trust yourself, trust each other, and succeed, you will."
Ahsoka then added, "Master Kell is on a different task, behalf of the Jedi Council. She is now a part of a rank that suits her, but it doesn't reveal whom she really is quite yet."
"I'll be entering with you all," I explained to the students. "But I must foresee my way of getting my crystal differently because it won't be what all of you will face. It will more challenging and brave. That's what makes a Jedi strong, isn't it?"
They all agreed, taking note of my words with me accompanying them to the cave. Obi-Wan sticked near where Master Yoda and Ahsoka were to remind us of how long we have.
"Once you have found your crystal, do not remain inside," Ahsoka reported. "As daylight ends, the door will freeze over again, and you will be trapped."
"For how long?" one of the younglings requested.
"For one rotation," Obi-Wan said. "That is why you must hurry to find your crystal and come back before anything worse happens."
"How will we know which crystal to pick?" another youngling asked.
"It will call out to you," I reminded them. "Remember, you will face difficulties only you will need to conquer. Everyone is different in the way we are, and facing our fears will reveal the crystal."
"Don't be too far in there," Obi reminded me once the younglings and I entered the cave.
"I did look up some interesting points on Force bonding, you know?" I replied back in thought.
"And what interesting news did you find?"
"Apparently, the bond can be strong depending on how powerful we are. Considering we are quite the handful, it shouldn't be that challenging to learn. It can even teleport us to each other on how connected we are."
"Sounds pleasing. I suppose I will keep in contact with you if anything happens?"
"Yes, sounds good."
"Love you, darling."
"Love you more."
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Splitting from the rest, my views of where I was heading led me to more darker toned pieces of the cave than before. It seemed like the confliction within me had made a lot of blocks for me to get through. The tight spaces and cracks small enough for almost no one to get through had a lot of worry on what was lying onward.
My eye swiftly caught a shining crystal, and it looked more different than usual. The red did not have much appeal to my observing to it. There were voices calling from what my senses picked up.
I placed my hand out to Force grab it before everything went black.
I looked closely back at the crystal and saw a reflection of me. The eye color was back, and the Dark side of what was shown brought fear in me to witness again.
Why was this crystal calling to me? Why was it feeling like I had sudden power and emotion enraging in this small gem?
Before I could get out of the area, my eyes shifted to see the path behind me gone. Everything around me was still pitch black. It was as if I had been in the galaxy, but no stars or anything existed. Not long after, the voices called out again and more distorted shapes and figures emerged in the crystal.
"Why did you call me to this crystal?" I questioned the stone. "Why this? Please, show me something..."
I looked down in fear before sensing Obi-Wan's presence.
Did he come into the cave to find me?
I looked up and saw him there, but completely changed.
He had nothing similar to his old robes and clothing, but his eyes stood out with a red tint, almost like Maul's. His darker features brought out his anger. The amounts of emotion I sensed in him right now implied that this was not the one person I remembered seeing.
This was a lie.
He vanished, and then more things appeared upon my look.
War, violence, death.
Something distinctly caught my eye on these visions.
A girl.
A baby. Her eyes looked at mine before witnessing the distinct match of her hair with Obi-Wan and the blue eye color we shared.
The shadow vanished. Was this implying the future?
I looked at the crystal again and saw my dark reflection again.
This wasn't a normal crystal. No...
This was a crystal from a Sith.
My pupils looked around again and saw everything back in place. The cave I was still in, the amounts of ice surrounding me...
The stone needed to be purified. It called this specific one to equalize the true characteristics of everything I can do toward corruption.
Balance the scale, and wash the dark calls that emited from this.
I stood up and started running to the exit, hearing Obi-Wan call for me. I saw that now, the wall almost frozen from how long time had passed. I knew Master Yoda always outwitted our minds into thinking it would lock us in the cave forever.
I channeled the Force in me to push through the block of ice, cracking the wall with everyone awaiting my presence.
"Master Kell made it!" one of the younglings cheered.
"I hope you took long enough to find that crystal of yours," Ahsoka said to me with a smirk.
"It was, and this wasn't any ordinary crystal," I replied. "It's different than I had ever seen."
My hand shined it through to the light, seeing it was practically see through. Everyone gazed at it with surprise on how it looked.
"A different crystal, you received," Master Yoda expressed. "Power and strength, it took to understand."
"Now, we just have to construct our lightsabers into the precise appearance of what we want it to be," I told the younglings. "This is only the start of things."
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Once back on the ship, heading to Coruscant, everyone was awaiting the next steps as we were going to be constructing our lightsabers soon.
"It seems like this crystal is different than any I've ever had to observe," Obi-Wan told me.
"It needed a lot of power to purify this," I replied. "It did show me things that I always feared the worst. Bring out some darkness within me to use it. I made sure to take it in a better perspective of things, and found a lot of interesting things calling ahead."
"I figure it would be me?"
I laughed softly, hearing him express that my future still would have him there.
"You have all successfully passed The Gathering and harvested your crystals," Ahsoka announced to the younglings.
"So when do we start to build our sabers?" one of the younglings asked.
"Place your crystals on the table. Your next lesson begins now."
Everyone did so with mine appearing different than everyone elses. They still were amazed at the emitted shine it brought to it with Ahsoka shocked to see it as well.
"May I introduce, professor Huyang," Ahsoka snapped back and revealed Huyang.
Oh, how far back it goes to even Master Windu being instructed by him to guide us on making our lightsabers. Obi-Wan and I were also there when Huyang was here, and here he is again.
He spoke onward on assembling our lightsabers, bringing memories back to help me out in particular on mine. He mentioned too that I had the most intriguing feature once I made it as well.
"This crystal is quite the interest!" Huyang uttered with interest. "I figure this could be one of the unique ones I've ever encountered ever! May I see your lightsaber you use right now, Master Kell?"
My hands gripped the old lightsaber of mine before handing it to him, seeing his eyes inspect the piece.
"Well, I should settle this matter lastly since all the other younglings are here," Huyang told me. "You don't mind that, do you?"
"I'm all right with that," I assured him. "They are the future Jedi that we will have."
Huyang went to inspect everyone else as he started figuring out what they liked their designs to be made. It took some time because everyone is distinct on what they like and don't.
"Well, I do remember it was more related to combat and fighting," I paused afterwards. "This time, more elegant and diverse. Defensive and swift with the touch of the gold you had added on like last time."
"Swift and elegant, gold, and definitely more defensive," Huyang started to picture the lightsaber. "I know what will exactly fit yours, Master Kell."
I sat down near a table as Obi-Wan joined too and Ahsoka, having us look over the younglings making theirs.
"Why the gold exactly?" Ahsoka invited on the topic.
"My mother," I recognized her question. "She had vibrant gold hair I'd never seen. Nothing like mine, but, you get the picture. The lightsaber I made when I was here was more on attack and unique style. Master Windu implied I did so, but over time, I learned it wasn't quite for me."
Professor Huyang brought the pieces back and had set them on the table. I thanked him before commencing the procedure to assemble the saber.
"Best to call the Council," Obi-Wan remarked during my concentration.
"Thank you for intruding, love," I muttered.
His smile shined before walking away with Ahsoka to talk on the lightsaber being constructed. My mind went at ease to look where the pieces fitted and clicked to create a nice layer of description to what I had in mind.
I stopped and set the lightsaber on the table, seeing Huyang examine it and nodding.
Obi-Wan came back with Master Windu looking excited before I held the new lightsaber now. It did bring me nerves to see what kind of color it could shine, but I had hope it not being horrible.
I ignited it, seeing the bright white color shine in the room.
The younglings "oohed" at the color as Professor Huyang, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan and Master Windu were astounded by this. They had just seen a new color no Jedi had used in this time period. It was in the history that very few could obtain this.
I was one of them.
The color of the lightsaber did struck me with how the balance played out on evil and good. I didn't feel any second guessing on this.
This meant something.