Trio Trilogy Book 2: Tale of Two Friends

Chapter 2: The Crystal is the Heart of the Blade

The next day Jazlyn ran to Luke's office.

"Good morning, Master Luke!" Jazlyn said as she slid into the room.

"Good morning, Jazlyn." The master replied, "Today you will have your first lesson." Jazlyn didn't say anything, but she looked excited.

"What do you know about the Force?" Luke asked.

"The Force is something that has always been there. It's all around me. All I had to do was reach out and then I could do stuff that other kids can't do. Should I show you?" Jazlyn asked. Luke nodded. Jazlyn felt for that something that she knew now was the Force. Then she outstretched her hand and called to herself a pen that was on the other side of the room. The pen flipped through the air and landed in the young girl's hand.

"See? Other kids can't do that. My brothers can do that though. I showed them how." Jazlyn said, giving the pen to Luke. Luke nearly smiled. She was already a teacher at such a young age.

"Yes, the Force does surround you. It surrounds us all. The Force is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together."

Jazlyn looked at him with a puzzled expression. What she just heard sounded weird.

Seeing her puzzled expression Luke said, "Close your eyes and stretch out with your feelings." Jazlyn did as she was told. "What do you see?"

"I see life and death. Warm and cold. Peace and violence."

"And between it all?"

"There's balance and energy. A Force. In me and around us all." Jazlyn said. Her eyes shot open. "So that's what it is! Ok makes sense now!"

Luke smiled. "Yes, that's what it is. That is your first lesson. You may go if you like."

"Thank you, Master Luke!" Jazlyn exclaimed. She got up and ran out of Luke's office.

Luke watched her go thoughtfully. He could tell her connection to the Force was strong. Not alarmingly strong, but still very steady and free. A childlike openness fueled her strength. He wanted to preserve that in her.

~ ~ ~

Two days later Marcus came to the temple. Jazlyn was there to meet him and show him everything in the temple. Then she had to go because it was time to meet Luke for her training. He had told her to bring her crystal, so she hoped it had to do something with a lightsaber.

Luke met her outside of the temple at a table. With him he had a box of seemingly random metal parts. He did a welcoming nod as she sat down across from him.

"Hello Jazlyn." Luke said. "Did you bring your crystal?"

"Yup!" Jazlyn said excitedly.

"With your crystal you will make your lightsaber."

"How am I going to make it?"

"You must first bond with your crystal. Close your eyes, reach out to the Force like we do at the beginning of every lesson, and connect with the crystal. Then, you can make your lightsaber."

"Ok." She closed her eyes and did as he instructed. The crystal rose into the air and hovered there. The color changed from white to blue as Jazlyn bonded with it. She felt the Force with her, the crystal, with Luke, and every living thing there. Everything glowed with light, and it was in harmony.

But in a swift moment that changed. All turned black around her. She saw burning red lightsabers igniting and gleaming in the dark. The young girl looked at her surroundings and gasped as she saw multiple hurt Jedi lying on the ground, either dead or in pain. She didn't recognize anyone except for she thought she saw Kera among them. She couldn't be sure because she heard a voice begin to speak. It sounded menacing, cold, and evil.

"This will happen to you and your friends if you do not join the dark side." The voice declared.

"I'm not joining you!" Jazlyn shouted with determination, "Anyway, I don't have friends. I only have one!"

There was a chuckle, "For now."

Jazlyn looked at the Jedi sadly, wishing she could help them. "What did you do to them?"

"They did not join us, and they didn't tell us what we wanted to know. They have paid the price for their resistance. Now you will as well." The red lightsabers advanced towards her. Jazlyn looked at her hands and saw she held a lightsaber. She ignited it and a blue blade shot out from the hilt. It flickered to green and kept switching, until finally settling on a light cyan color.

Before she was able to do anything else, she opened her eyes and saw she was back with Luke. Jazlyn saw her lightsaber hovering in front of her. She took it from where it was suspended in the air and looked at the hilt design. It had a silver star at the top of both sides of the lightsaber. The hilt was silver and black, had grooves in it, and the bottom of it had a little ball rounding it off. With breathless anticipation she turned it on. A sky-blue blade shot out from the hilt.

"I did it!" Jazlyn exclaimed happily.

"Very good. You did an excellent job." Luke said with a smile. The little girl shut off the saber and her face took on a concerned expression.

"Master, I saw something while I was making my lightsaber." Jazlyn said, "I saw lots of red lightsabers and a lot of hurt Jedi. I heard someone say that I had to go to the dark side or else what I saw would happen. I said no. Then I asked what they had done to them, and the voice said that that happened to them because those Jedi didn't join them and didn't tell them what they wanted to know. The voice said now it was my turn and I saw I had a lightsaber in my hand and turned it on. Before I could do anything, I saw I was back here." Luke nodded.

"When making a lightsaber, and at many growing stages, most Jedi get visions. Usually, it's a test. I believe that's what yours was." Luke said. He placed his hand on her shoulder, "Don't be afraid."

"Ok, Master." That made her feel a little better. "Can I go show Kera my lightsaber?"

"Yes, you may go if you like." Luke laughed.Jazlyn smiled and after thanking Luke, ran out the door.