The in Between || A Star Wars Story

Chapter 2 - Building the Lightsaber

With a group of 4 other younglings, Kennedy made her way to a large ship, following behind Master Yoda. A humanoid droid walked into view from the ship's opening.

"Ah, hello my younglings. I am Huyang. It is quite the early morning isn't it?" Kennedy giggled. He was right, it was early. Master Yoda had made them wake up before the sun had even rise over the horizon. Something about the sun only rising every two weeks wherever they were going. Kennedy didn't pay too much attention because she was still half asleep when he explained everything.

"Please head inside, we should best be going soon," Huyang motioned inside the ship.

As they're all walking up to the ship, Kennedy's shoulder is shoved and she saw Cal shove past her. He looked back over his shoulder and gave her a mean look, shaking his head as he continued into the ship. She brushed it off and tried to think past it, making a note to stay away from him. She was sad when Master Yoda said Ahsoka wasn't in her group. Wherever they were going, only a certain amount of younglings could go at a time, and they were the first group to go.

"Where are we going?" Another youngling asked.

"On a journey to the next stage of all of your training." The younglings looked at each other in confusion.

"The time of the Gathering, it is," Yoda added. Their expressions were still confused. "There is no greater challenge or honor, for a Jedi it is. Time to build your own lightsabers, it is." The younglings then cheer together in celebration. "But be warned, you must. Lie ahead of you, many perils do. There is no place more sacred to the Jedi, where we are going."

"We have a little bit of a flight, so make yourself comfortable," Huyang said.

Kennedy plopped herself on a couch and kicked her legs in anticipation. She had been looking forward to this day for what felt like years. Everyone talked amongst themselves, hanging out, waiting to arrive at wherever they were going. Kennedy just contently listened to the conversation.  But before they knew it, they landed.

"Jackets you will need. Cold it is out there," Yoda explained and everyone put on their heavy jackets.

The ship's ramp lowered and an ice-cold wind hit their faces. Kennedy squinted as she made her way down the ramp and out towards a large ice mountain in front of them.

"Reach out your hands and focus the Force, younglings," Yoda ordered. "Only together can we enter." Yoda reached out his hand first, then Kennedy and the other younglings follow. They work together to focus the force to the ice ahead of them. With her eyes closed, she could feel the energy shooting from her hand. Then suddenly, a deep rumbling could be heard around them. It was coming from the ice in front of them as chunks of ice drop down, uncovering an ornate carved entrance before them.

They make their way through the entrance and observe large statues surrounding the large cylindrical room. It was as if the whole place was made of ice. Kennedy tilted her head up with a look of awe as the ceiling expanded endlessly above them. 

Yoda turned around, "The Force made physical, a Jedi is. Comes great responsibility with that, yes?" Everyone nodded in agreement with him. "Protect others, how does a Jedi, hmm?" He grabbed one side of his robe and pulled out his lightsaber with the Force, igniting it and spinning it in front of the younglings for them to observe. "Build your own lightsaber, you shall. But first, harvest your crystal, each one of you must. The heart of the lightsaber, the crystal is. Focuses the Force from the Jedi, it does." He turned around and with the Force, opened a covering that let in light which reflected off of a crystal hanging above them. The crystal reflected the light to a wall of ice, quickly melting it. Water flowed down and into the irrigation system below them. An entrance to a cave appeared from behind the now melted ice. "If Jedi, you are to become, enter the crystal cave, you must. Trust yourself, trust each other, and succeed, you will. Do not remain inside, once you have found your crystal. The door will freeze over, as daylight ends, and trapped inside, you will be."