Are you not supposed to say a few words…

[Nubica Felidae]

Although the Jedi Order had deliberately banished Ilum from all standard star charts for many centuries, almost every Jedi trainee dreamed of visiting the sacred, secret planet in the Unknown Regions. That was because many generations of Jedi had gathered crystals from Ilum to energize their lightsabers, and some Jedi maintained that Ilum crystals were the finest in the galaxy.

Constructing a lightsaber on Ilum was not regarded as the most challenging trial for a Jedi apprentice, but to some it was confirmation that they would become a Jedi Knight. And if anyone appreciated the opportunity to become a Jedi, it was Nubica. Less than a month earlier, when she was still just a few weeks past her sixteenth birthday, she was convinced that no Jedi Knight or Master would ever choose her as an apprentice.

But those days were behind her now. The Jedi Master [member="Varus Shatterstar"], with some encouragement from Nubica, had taken her as his Padawan. Granted, they had gotten off to a challenging start. Yet, a bond had soon developed, and both were confident this bond would grow stronger over time.

And so it was that Nubica and a fellow Padawan and Grand Master [member="Corvus Raaf"] came to be travelling in a small shuttle, and had made the pilgrimage to the snow-covered world of Ilum. Nubica had no desire to craft her saber here but her fellow Padawan did, so she had to put up with the company of the Grand Master. She still hadn’t forgotten that annoying Yoda impression she’d had to endure the day they first met.

[member="Akartin"]

 

[Vakarian]

Akartin had received word of the approval to travel to Ilum to gather his crystal for his lightsaber. He had dreamed of this day ever since his child hood among his own people on Alpheridies. He had grew up on tales of the valor and nobility of the Jedi Knights of old, and had decided then that he would strive to carve his place in the galaxy and to restore the rightful balance. Evil had been allowed to strengthen its influence on the events of the galaxy and the constant threat of invasion, dominions, and skirmishes did nothing to dissuade it from growing. The only force that seemed to be able to stand against the growing tide was the Jedi Order, well not just them exactly, but in his eyes they would be all that mattered.

He was not discrediting the other factions that were standing against evil, but the one that he had grown to respect the most as a young miraluka was the Republic and its ideals. Do not mistake him for a fool, he wasn't blind to the imperfections of the Republic, and he was sure that there was some other force out there just as noble in deed as his favored faction, but they did not have the Jedi Order that he wished to be a part of. He didn't feel that he could make a true change in the galaxy unless he were to become a member of the Order.

This was the first step in becoming a member in his eyes, to gather a crystal from the ancestral world of Ilum and to face his deepest faults in the icy caverns. Legions of Jedi before him had undertaken this trial, and despite it not being the most challenging of trials, it was the most influential in his own conscience. That was why he chose the icy planet, he wanted to honor the old ways and fashion the blade that would heal the galaxy - or at least attempt to heal it.

"Can you feel the tremors in the Force as we draw closer to Ilum?" , he spoke to no one in particular. He seemed to be thinking aloud as his mind searched the entity that was the Force and could feel the tremors of power coming from the ice-planet as dozens of crystals echoed with latent power.

[member="Nubica Felidae"]

 

[Nubica Felidae]

Nubica glanced across at Akartin. He wasn’t known to her but apparently he’d met the Grand Master before – so she felt a little like the odd one out. But then this was about her and her fellow Padawan, so she expected the Jedi Master to take a back seat.

And given her combat exploits so far had managed to only threaten to inflict a nasty bruise with her training saber, she was keen to get a crystal to craft her own. She wasn’t sure if she wanted a green or a blue one. She knew it didn’t matter but felt as a potential guardian it should be blue. But in her mind, green ones looked better. Decisions, decisions! But deep down she knew that when the time came the Force would have a say in the matter.

“Can you feel the tremors in the Force as we draw closer to Ilum?”

Nubica nodded. She did feel it, that many crystals in such a small area was bound to radiate an aura – which only heightened her sense of excitement and her desire to get going.

“Are we there yet?” she said out loud and as if by way of an answer they felt the shuttle touch down.

[member="Akartin"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus meditated as they travelled, hoping the two Padawans would get to know one another. The comradeship of the young was important and augured well for the future of the Order.

As soon as they landed, her eyes opened. "OK, I shall take a back-seat in this expedition. I shall help you access the cave - as the entrance invariably is covered in ice when we get there, but after that I shall be around but invisible...literally. Akartin, when you need me, I shall be ready for you. I trust you have brought the components for your saber? When you're ready you can let me know and assemble it, and I can recite the Crystal Code for you. OK?"

[member="Akartin"]

 

[Vakarian]

Akartin remained silent, his thoughts centered on the gentle thrum of power from Ilum. As they drew closer to the planet, he could feel the power growing greater, and when the shuttle finally landed; he had already began to feel the pull to the crystal caves, where his fate as a Jedi would be decided. If he did not succeed in gathering a crystal before his time was up, he would be seen as a failure - at least in his eyes. He allowed his minds eye to turn towards Corvus as she spoke to him, and his fellow Padawan who had made the journey with him.

"As you say, Grandmaster." though he had once been told to call her by her preferred name - Corvus -, Akartin believed that formality was needed in this setting. After all, the planet was the heritage of the Jedi Order and generations of Jedi had come to the planet to gather their crystals, "Yes, Grandmaster. I have brought the needed components to craft by saber."

He indicated a bag on his shoulders and would begin to make his way towards the exit of the shuttle - dressed in thick furs to prevent the cold from reaching him, he awaited the direction of his fellow padawan and Grandmaster.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Nubica Felidae"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

She stared up at the mountain cliff and marvelled at how many Jedi must have trodden the same path over the years. But first they had to enter and pass through the ancient and now unused Jedi Temple. Selected because of its isolation, it was still a pilgrammage for many Jedi of various Orders. And quite rightly so.

"Be wary of the footing," she reminded the Padawans."Don't forget Master Seta-Le fell through the ice here." She made it sound so matter of fact, as if every Jedi knew the story. They were now in the temple, it was snow covered and bare. Large transparisteel windows allowed pale light in from the snow-swept world.

The entrance to the caves was covered in ice, so Corvus used the Force to open the circular windows high in the chamber. These allowed light to enter and refract through a series of massive crystals that were suspended in the chamber. Using the Force to focus them, the ice soon melted and they were able to enter the caves themselves.

Corvus bowed. "From this point on you're on your own until you need me." And she entered White Current. To all intents and purposes, she simply vanished before their eyes. It would allow her to track them without appearing at their shoulder all the time. When [member="Akartin"] needed her, all he had to do was ask.

 

[Vakarian]

Akartin would do as instructed by Corvus, following her exact footing as seen through the Force, and breathed an audible sigh of relief as they reached the entrance to the ancient crystal caves. He could already feel the power of the crystals increasing ten-fold at the presence of the the three Jedi in the abandoned temple. As they stepped through the threshold of the ancient Temple, the temperature increased slightly more than what it was outside - but enough for Akartin to feel the difference in his body.

He had known the world was icy and freezing, but he had underestimated the ferocity of the cold winds that blew constantly on the surface of the world, nipping at every sentient creature that may live on the planet. His attention was turned from the cold when Grandmaster [member="Corvus Raaf"] used the force to bend the light streaming in from windows that she had opened - with the force - and refracted into the large ice wall that would return in a few short hours when night reached the planets surface.

He only nodded in acknowledgement at the words of the grand-master and then stepped into the entrance of the caves, looking back at his fellow padawan [member="Nubica Felidae"], he asked,

"Are you ready to do this?"

 

[Nubica Felidae]

Nubica nodded to her fellow Padawan. She was born ready and as soon as the Grand Master disappeared, she headed off. Within seconds she'd lost track of Akartin - and wondered if he'd actually entered the cave. But it mattered little to her. She simply walked and took in the majesty of the crystal caves. The Force was calling to her from deep within the mountain and so she ignored the crystal formations she saw as she walked deeper into the caves - allowing herself to trust in the Force to take her where she needed to go.