silver

Seven - Daylight

The next morning, my head was still ringing with Mais' words. I saw Caleb Dume. We had seen each others' fathers. Was that weird? Probably. But what if it meant something? What if-

"Guys! Guys, the ice melted! We're free!" whooped Squeak. I jumped up and celebrated with the rest of the group.

"There's' the ship! We can escape!" I said, pointing to the shuttle park outside the caverns.

"Yes," said Barriss. "And with our crystals, lightsabers might be in our futures." This roused us to get our stuff together.

"Hey, Mai-" I said as we prepared to go out into the cold. "Just so you know, I-"

"Tell me on the ship?" she said, donning her robes. I sighed and nodded. I pulled my robes around myself, and tucked my parcel of bits and bobs into my belt. I grimaced, feeling it being much lighter after being in the caverns.

"Come on!" yelled Ahsoka, her head tails making peaks in her hood. She waved towards the distant shuttle.

"Oi!" yelled Mai. "Let's get their attention!"

"Master Windu! Master, we're here!" we yelled. We rushed through the snow, soaking through our trousers as we tripped and stumbled through the blustery winter winds.

"Wow!" "They survived!" "I still don't think we should have had to wait this long..." "I can't believe it!"

"Quiet down!" yelled the clone at the front of the room.

"I bet he's secretly smiling," whispered Squeak. I giggled, and nodded.

"Ahsoka! And Barriss! And Clarrissa, Mai, and Megena!" bellowed Master Windu. He strode out of the ship and smiled warmly at us. "I'm so proud of you, younglings. You survived the whole night!"

"And look!" said Mai excitedly, holding up the bag of kyber crystals. Master Windus' eyes widened.

"Oh my-fantastic job, ladies! Did you know, no one else was able to find a kyber crystal?" We all stared at him in confusion. Surely, someone else found a crystal?

"It's true," he said. "Only you five found kyber crystals." We all exchanged glances as the rest of the younglings gossiped in hushed whispers.

"As such, you five will be going with Master Plo Koon, to make your lightsabers." We all burst into excited giggles.

*****

"Welcome, children. Please, come in." said Huyang. I sighed. I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Mai about our forefield visions yet, but I felt the urgency to do it soon.

"Children, please take your kyber crystals. Throughout this ship, there are lots of materials for you to use to build your lightsabers. Use the materials that feel right for you, not just the ones that look fancy. Am I understood?"

We all nodded in understanding. Mai and I clutched a lightsaber in each hand. I wandered through the vessel. I didn't care where I was going, until I ended up at a small table. On the table were bits and bobs, but one piece stood out to me.

It was a small metal cylinder, and on the side was a loth cat. A small gasp escaped my lips as I picked it up. All of a sudden, a memory overtook my senses, and I grasped my forehead, leaning on the table for support.

"See? That's a loth cat. They roam the plains of Lothal. They're very timid, but if you rile them up, they're really nasty." I giggled, my pigtails swaying in the breeze as I held my hand out to the cat. It hissed, then opened its eyes wider and purred.

"It likes me!" I beamed, holding my hand out farther.

"Oh, sweetness. You'll never know me," said Caleb Dume, from behind me. I turned around in shock.

"But daddy..." I said, as a wave of shock came over me.

"Sweetness, I only had one son. Jacen, your almost-brother. But you'll meet him someday. Clarissa, listen to me. Caleb Dume may be who I am, but I will not always be Caleb Dume. One day, I will meet you again. But know this; I will always love you. OK, Clarissa?"

My five-year-old self shook her pigtails. "Daddy, why do you want to leave me?" Caleb Dume shook his head, and said, "I don't, sweetness...But the Force will be your guide. Don't worry, sweetness."

I began to cry. I looked again at the lightsaber hilt, and pocketed it in my robes. Clearly, something like that was going to have to be a part of my future blades.

Rummaging around in my bag, I found almost all of the parts I needed for two lightsabers. I just needed two vessels and another hilt. I ran back to the front, where I found Huyang talking with Squeak. After a minute, Squeak nodded and ran off. I approached the droid and bowed respectfully.

"Ah, welcome, Miss. Would you like my assistance?" I nodded, and said, "Where would I find two vessels, and another hilt?" I held up the loth cat hilt.

"Ah, one of the Lothal hilts! Bearing the image of a loth cat, I see. Well, it's twin is somewhere, bearing the loth wolf. Something very important to you, I sense. Hmm."

I shifted uncomfortably, and said, "Alright, then, uh, where can I find vessels?" Huyang nodded once, and led me to a drawer.

"Now, young one, you need to select two suitable vessels. Alright?" I nodded. The vessel was an integral part of the lightsaber. I rummaged in the drawer, grunting as my fingers were pinched by various metal things.

"Here!" I said triumphantly, holding up my lightsaber vessels. Huyang tipped his head, and said, "Good. Now, stash those away, and use the Force to find the loth wolf hilt. Then, you and the others can assemble your lightsabers."

I nodded, and bowed respectfully. I turned and held up the loth cat hilt, and closed my eyes. I felt the loth cat hilt tugging at something.

"I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me," I whispered, holding out my other hand. The hilt began to tug fervently, pulling my arm towards a distant corner of the ship. I began to walk towards that corner.

"I am one with the Force and the Force is with me," I said again. I extended the fingers of my other hand, and felt something zoom into it. I opened my eyes and looked at the carving of a loth wolf. Then I squeezed my eyes shut as they filled with tears.

"Daddy? Daddy, why can't I come?" Daddy sighed, and wiped away his tears. He put a few more things in his bag, then picked me up.

"Sweetness..." He turned away at the sound of a knock on the door. "Open up! This is the police!" Daddy began to cry as he swaddled me in a long, brown robe, and -placed me in the closet.

"I love you, Clarissa," he said. The last thing I saw before the doors closed was Daddy igniting his lightsaber, and guards breaking through the door.

"Clarissa! Clarissa, what happened?" said Mai, rushing towards me. She skidded to a stop and stooped down, shaking me. "Clarissa!"

I was huddled on the ground, sobbing. The vision had sapped me of all my energy. The only thing I felt I could still do was cry.

"Clarissa, we were all looking for you, so we could build our lightsabers, and...and..." Ahsoka, Barriss, and Squeak had come up behind us.

"Clarissa?" said Barriss softly. I looked up, her face blurry from the tears.

"Clarissa, please...what did you see?" This time it was Ahsoka, asking me gently, softly. I sighed.

"I saw...my father. Except now, I don't really know if...if he ever was..." I choked and dissolved in coughs and sniffles. This was a sore subject for me...I had always hated talking about it.

"Younglings! Come, it is time! We are going to make your lightsabers!"