silver

Three - Ice Caverns

"Attention," shouted a clone at the front of the room. "We will be dropping out of hyperspace shortly. I expect you all to be ready to disembark." We all nodded and chorused yes and we will. I began packing my bag up with stuff.

"Wow, Clarrissa, your bag is really heavy!" said Squeak, as she held it open for me.

"It's because it's full of-" I whirled around and shushed Mai, grinning and shaking my head.

"Sorry, Squeak. It's not that we don't trust you, but it's a surprise," explained Mai. Squeak nodded with understanding as I loaded in the last of the contents.

A few minutes later, we were all bundled up in cold weather gear and being led by the clones, Master Yoda, and Master Windu towards huge ice caverns in the snowy hills of Ilum. In the biggest one, we could see glowing ice crystals inside, a soft bluish-purple glow.

"Alright, younglings. You have from now until dusk to find your crystals. However, if you can't make it out before nightfall, the caves will freeze over, trapping you inside until daybreak." said Master Windu. Everyone gasped.

"Fear not, you must," said Master Yoda. "Find the right crystal, you must." we all nodded, somewhat consoled by Master Yodas' words.

"May the Force be with you," they said together. We repeated the saying, then ran into the ice caverns.

"It's...warm in here..." said Squeak. I nodded, perplexed.

"I suspect it's because of all of the positive energy in this place, due to the kyber crystals," suggested Barriss. We murmured our assent at this.

There were only around a dozen of us. We decided to split into two groups and then go from there. We needed to all be able to meet up at the end of the day, so we could all leave together.

Mai, Squeak, Ahsoka, Barris and I went through the slightly smaller main tunnel. As we descended deeper into the cavern, we all became aware of a voice. The voice seemed to be singing, and it was gradually getting louder the farther we walked down the cavern.

"You guys all hear that, right?" said Mai. Before we could say anything, the singing voice stopped. We all stopped walking.

"MAI ONAKA!" shouted the voice. The walls shook with the force of the proclamation. Mai suddenly dropped to the ground and began shivering. We all began to panic, as no one else was really feeling the effects of the cold.

"BARRISS OFFEE!" we all watched, horrified, as the Mirialans' skin turned a shade of deep blue and she collapsed to the ground.

"Barriss," whimpered Ahsoka. I shook my head and ran over to Mai, shaking her and trying to get her to stop shivering.

"MEGENA SYN!" I turned around, but not fast enough. Squeak was already on the ground, her head tails a dangerous shade of white.

"Squeak!" I exclaimed, running over to her and dragging Mai with me.

"Wait, Clarissa! Don't go over there! I don't think that there's anything we can do! We just have to-"

"AHSOKA TANO!" Ahsoka coughed and shivered and sank to her knees, her skin paling.

"No! No, no, no, no, NO!" I shouted. I began to cry as I surveyed my friends on the floor, cold as the ice that surrounded them.

"CLARISSA DUME!" the voice shouted. My tears froze to my face and my body went rigid. My teeth chattered and I huddled into the fetal position. Then I laid my head on the ice, and the world disappeared.

*****

"Clarissa..." said the voice. I sat up. I was no longer freezing in the tunnel. Instead, I was sitting at a huge table in a huge palace. I was sitting alone, but I could tell there was someone else.

"Clarissa, come here..." said the voice. I realized I was walking out of the room.

"Wait! No, please, all I needed to do was find my-" I stopped short as I passed a room. In the center of the room was a huge stone pillar. And sitting on the pillar were two tiny kyber crystals.

I spirited into the room and grabbed them in my hand. Immediately I felt warmer. I was no longer frozen, or chilly. I felt as warm and alive as ever.

But then, something bad happened. Instead of being mildly warm, the crystals began to burn. I cried out and flailed my arms but I could not throw them away.

I screamed, sitting up in the middle of the freezing tunnel. The others stared at me.

"Are you okay?" Mai and Squeak asked at the same time. I nodded and clutched my head.

"I think so. What...what happened?"

"Those were the kyber trials," replied Barriss. "Each youngling must find their kyber crystal a different way."

"I was in a banquet hall...and then there was someone calling me, but I ignored them and got these crystals instead..."

"Crystals?" asked Ahsoka. I nodded and opened my palm, revealing two light blue kyber crystals.

"I got two too!" said Mai. "But everyone else got only one." I nodded, perplexed.

"We need to go and meet the others, right?" said Squeak. With a start, I inhaled and nodded.

"If we get re-frozen in here..." I said. The other nodded and we all broke into a run back towards the entrance to the cave.

"The other group, they're not here!" called Barriss. We all exchanged looks of anxiety until Ahsoka pointed and yelled, "Look!"

We all glanced over in shock. Squeak started to whimper. The other group was waiting outside, waving frantically through a wall of ice.