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THE GATHERING
Force Awakened Pt. II


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A right of passage for Jedi Younglings for millennia, the Gathering was a near-sacred trial intended to help aspiring young Jedi overcome their personal fears and failings. It was during the Gathering that a Youngling would find their kyber crystal, a Force-attuned gemstone that responds to the presence of Force-sensitive lifeforms. Once a Youngling chose their kyber crystal (or, rather, once it chose a Youngling) the Jedi would use it to construct their very own lightsaber.

It was an immense honor and a difficult task to undergo.

And it was time that Cailen Corso followed the path all Jedi must: to forge his first lightsaber and become a Jedi Padawan.

Valery Noble Valery Noble

 
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"Welcome to Ilum, Padawan Corso."

Valery bowed her head lightly to show respect, and greeted him within the large hall of the Ilum Temple. It wasn't that long ago that the NJO rebuilt it with the help of other Jedi and even just civilians who were offering supplies. Now, it looked like it once had — with tall statues of Jedi Masters, grand decorations and deeper within the building, there were the crystal caves.

Today, Valery was on Ilum to act as its Watchmen again, and guide another young Jedi through their gathering. It was a special journey often viewed as challenging, but it was incredibly rewarding and marked an important step on a Jedi's path to Knighthood.


"I hope all is well, and that you're ready for your gathering. Do you have any questions before I guide you to the caves and explain a few things about it?"


 

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Soft puffs of steam came from Cailen's nose as he tried to acclimate himself to the chilling surface of Ilum. Of course, the interior of the Jedi Temple was significantly warmer than the frigid ice plains outside, but that didn't change the fact that Ilum was the coldest planet Cailen had ever visited.

Cailen bowed to the Jedi Master who stood before him, one he had not yet met but had heard many tales of: Jedi Master Valery Noble.

"Greetings, Master Noble," the young Jedi said, a tone of respect and formality in his voice.

He rose and glanced around at the towering stone monuments that lined the room, their stoic figures depicting nameless Jedi Masters. He was still learning his way, but even a Jedi as young and inexperienced as Cailen could feel the immense power of the Force within the temple. It was a sense like no other, feeling the Force. The entire planet of Ilum was strongly attuned to the Light Side, but it was within the Jedi Temple that Cailen could feel it most.

Cailen nodded as Valery asked of his readiness.

"Yes, Master. I'm ready," Cailen said with determination. He had made lots of progress since he was taken into the Jedi Order. He felt in his heart he was prepared to face whatever trials the Gathering would involve.

"I do have a question," Cailen said politely. "What is the Gathering like, Master Noble?" the boy asked, a glint of curiosity and nervousness in his green eyes.
 
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"Good," Valery said with a warm, charismatic smile before she gestured for him to follow her. While they talked, she would bring him into the large open hall up ahead, which had statues as well but also a large door made of ice. Behind it, both Jedi would feel something rather unique to this world — the Kyber Crystals that were waiting to be collected sang their songs into the Force, creating beautiful, calming melodies for them to feel.

It's what really dew Valery to this planet once when she was here for the first time, and she hoped Cailen would find it just as fascinating.


"As for your question, it's hard to explain what it's like exactly. The gathering is different for each Jedi but the journey involves being challenged with something more personal to you. That's the difficult part of it," Valery explained as she turned to face him again, "My advice would be to let the Force guide you inside, and to trust in who you are as a person, and a Jedi."

A hand then came up but nothing happened yet, "Any final questions before I open the door and allow you to step inside?"


 

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Cailen let escape a shallow gasp as he entered the next chamber and saw the mysterious wall of ice. He regained his composure as the Jedi Master began to explain the nature of the Gathering.

He listened intently to Master Noble, hanging on the last piece of advice she offered him…

”Let the Force guide you inside…”

He nodded his understanding, then posed a final question:

"Will I… will I be okay, Master Noble?" the young Jedi asked, a mask of confidence hiding an inner nervousness that Valery could easily sense.

Cailen looked past the Jedi Master to the wall of ice beyond where they stood, trying to understand what he was about to experience.

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Valery paused as the young boy asked his final question, and briefly tilted her head. But she quickly offered a warm smile and placed a hand on his shoulder, hoping to comfort him a little,
"You'll be fine, don't worry, and trust in the Force," Valery said before she raised her hand again and channeled the Force to trigger a mechanism behind her.

Mechanical components began to shift until a large focusing lens concentrated an intense beam of light at the door, causing it to rapidly melt and reveal the entrance of the crystal caves. Even just near this entrance, there were countless crystals attached to the walls, the floor, and the ceiling of the caves — they reflected light and all felt calming in the Force.

But none stood out to the Padawan.


"Your journey is not to just grab any crystal you see. The Force will guide you to the one that's meant to be, and you will only bond with that particular crystal," Valery added as she looked at him again. "Countless Jedi have been right here, where you're currently standing. They succeeded in this trial, and you will too."


"Step inside, and begin your journey."

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If Cailen were to step inside, he'd feel something deep within the caves — there was a presence that called out to him. It was faint but with enough focus, it could guide his way through the various hallways, all covered in ice and snow and most of them lit by countless more crystals. To reach the source would take time, and challenges still awaited him, but he could feel the Force guiding him.

 

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Cailen nodded, feeing more confident about the trials he would soon be facing.

The beam of light caught him off guard, but was amazing nevertheless. The young Jedi was in awe of the complexity of the ancient Jedi mechanisms that made the temple function; it was unlike anything he’d seen before. He watched as the light beam melted the wall of ice that stood so formidably before him, giving way to another sight that was vastly more impressive than even the elegant statues of the chamber he stood in.

Cailen couldn’t help but gasp at the glittering kyber crystals embedded in the icy walls. They were magnificent, each one attuned to the Force. But, just as Master Noble said, none seemed to call to him.

Instead, Cailen could sense something deeper inside the caverns. It was like a subtle song humming to him through the Force, calling out to him, inspiring him to find its origin.

Master Noble’s words echoed in his mind.

”Trust in the Force.”

With a deep breath to calm his nerves, Cailen stepped inside the mouth of the crystal caves. He turned to face Master Noble one final time before venturing further.

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Watching him turn around one last time, Valery smiled and dipped her head to wish him good luck. She felt confident that he'd be back soon with his crystal, but she also knew very well how challenging the caves could be. It easily made a young Jedi nervous, but as long as they trusted the Force and themselves, everything was going to be alright in the end.

Then, Cailen turned around and disappeared from sight — the crystal gathering had begun.

Within the caves, the feeling from further ahead continued. He sensed a call from the Force; a nudge in the right direction that seemed calm and warm like it was meant to be. But as he ventured further into the crystal-lit caves, he felt something else as well. It was a more chilling sensation, capable of sending chills down one's spine.

Despair, pain, sorrow — they all came together in a continuous echo through the Force.

Then, there was a voice...


"Cailen please, we need you." the woman he'd instantly recognize as his mother said. The request flowed along the currents of the wind like a whisper and reached his mind from afar. The source was in a different direction from the more calming feeling he sensed.

Which path would he choose?


 

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The icy caves somehow felt warm as Cailen traversed the snow-packed halls; it felt as though the Force was calming his nerves and pulling him ever deeper into Ilum's crystalline caverns. He could sense something calling to him from further inside, something soothing and welcoming. But as Cailen continued, the cold packed snow crunching beneath his feet, a different tune began to hum inside him.

It was a voice, one so familiar to him that Cailen stopped in his tracks and glanced around the small chamber he had entered. No one was in sight, but...

"Cailen, please, we need you..."

The voice! It was... his mother?

"M-mom?" Cailen called out, his teeth chattering from the sudden icy chill in the air. He looked around, trying to find his mother. But she was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she was in the chamber ahead? Was she hurt? Where was his dad?

Questions rapidly filled Cailen's mind, causing him to panic.

"Mom?!" he cried, louder this time. "Mom, are you okay?"

There was no answer. Cailen stood still, eyes closed, and began to take deep breaths. He tried to focus on the hum of the Force he heard before, the warmth and harmony he felt while following its call.

It was still there, but distant. The hum was overwhelmed by a darker song that sang in his mother's voice.

"Cailen, please, we need you..."

Cailen tried to calm himself by remembering his final days on Anaxes. His mother and father, proud of their son and the new life he would lead away from the shipyards Anaxes, stood waving their final farewells at the spaceport.

He then focused on Master Noble's words before entering the caves. He needed to trust in the Force.

After several moments of focusing intently, he heard the call of the Force once again. And this time, he heard both tunes at once, loud and clear, though this time he could separate them - one song was warm, calming, inviting; it was the Force. The other song was somber, painful, laced with despair and deceit; it masked itself as Cailen's mother, a bitter trick that he shook off.

Still, though, as Cailen progressed deeper into the cave, he couldn't help but look back at the empty chamber behind him.

"Bye, mom..." the young Jedi whispered, pushing her voice away and following the song of the Force.

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"Will you just watch them burn?"

The voice he now heard was unfamiliar — it sounded deep and the darkness from his words echoed to the Padawan's mind through the Force. But along with those words, he felt warmth against his skin, like that of a raging inferno he was standing too close to. Now behind him, Cailen would see the source of this heat.

In the caverns he just left behind, the ice and rock have now been replaced by something far more familiar — his hometown, and it was set ablaze. He could hear the screams of his people, his family, and in the middle of the chaos, there stood a man with a crimson lightsaber.


"Cailen, please, we need you..."

He heard his mother's voice again, calling for help as the Sith turned to his family. But while this happened, that warm, calming feeling through the Force he felt up ahead washed over him again as well. Cailen was given a choice — to go back to his family and help them against this threat or to leave them behind and move deeper into the caves.

The choice was hard, but his to make.


 

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Cailen only managed a few steps forward before a second voice spoke to him, sending a shiver down his spine. This voice was drastically different than the soft tone of his mother’s. It was deep, cruel, and sinister.

”Will you just watch them burn?” it taunted.

The young Jedi trembled as he felt a sudden burst of heat ignite spontaneously from the chamber behind him, causing him to glance back at the source.

Before him was a horrifyingly vivid tableau of his home, Anaxes Station, burning in a raging inferno. Cailen’s ears were suddenly filled with the screams of his neighbors, his friends, and…

"Cailen, please, we need you..."

His family.

It was the voice of his mother, crying out for him to save her. Beside his mother stood his dad, a bulky man with long auburn hair whom Cailen resembled greatly. Their faces were familiar but were skewed by expressions of pure terror and fear.

Cailen quickly saw what held his family in a stasis of horror: a dark hooded figure wielding a crimson lightsaber. A Sith.

"Mom? Dad?" Cailen called out, his eyes welling with tears. They did not respond.

Cailen called for his parents again, this time shouting.

"Mom?! Dad?! Run!"

There was no answer still. Cailen stood frozen in place, petrified of what would happen next. What would happen if he didn’t do something. But what could he do?

Cailen felt the song of the Force, the one he’d followed thus far, singing to him again. It was pulling him away from the Sith, away from his parents. It’s tune was soft yet powerful, urging him to remain calm and to focus on the Force.

But he couldn’t just leave them there…

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Cailen Corso stood at a crossroads in his life as a Jedi.

In front of him, the Force called for his presence — a step forward in his path as a Jedi. To find and bond with a crystal, the heart of the lightsaber was a step every Jedi had to take at some point in their lives, and today was meant to be his moment. But in taking a step forward as a Jedi, one also moved further away from the past.

From family, old friends, and one's life prior to becoming a Jedi.

This is what he was confronted with behind him — a vision of a life he left behind to become a Jedi, albeit one that had taken a much darker turn. The flames of the fire that destroyed what he once and perhaps still loved continued raging on, and the Sith in black armor seemed unstoppable. With grand strikes of his red blade, more and more people fell, their pain echoing through the Force as if the entire thing he witnessed was real.

His parents would be next.


"Will you just watch them die?" the voice continued.

Or will the young Padawan set aside these images and feelings, and move forward through the caves?


 

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Cailen was trembling now, the pain and suffering he witnessed before him so visceral it almost seemed real. The Sith swung his crimson blade, striking down the innocent people of Anaxes Station. Cailen could hear their screams and feel their anguish through the Force.

These emotions were not something the Force had conveyed to him before. He knew the Force to be peaceful, calming even; Not the chaotic power he saw now, destroying his people and his home.

The ‘second sense’ he had growing up was a strong connection to the Light Side of the Force, his Master told him. It was something to embrace, but also something that commanded deep understanding and respect. And focus.

Lots of focus.

”Will you just watch them die?” the voice continued, trying to provoke the young Jedi.

The Sith was now moving to his parents, who knelt to the ground and held each other, at the mercy of the Sith’s wrath.

”This can’t be right,” Cailen thought to himself.

Why would the Force, a song he had only known to sing pleasantries and comfort, taunt him with the Dark Side? It had to be a test, a part of his trial. But still…

"Mom, Dad!" Cailen called out in a shaky voice. But they did not answer.

He couldn’t tell if they were too frightened to speak, or if he couldn’t yell loud enough to get their attention.

”This can’t be real,” Cailen thought.

He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the Force, tuning his senses to hear its call again. It was faint, but it was there, as it had been the whole time. And like before, it called him deeper into the caves. Away from the awful scene playing out before him.

Cailen took a deep breath, and recalled once again the comforting words Master Noble imparted him with before he entered the crystal caves:

”Countless Jedi have been right here, where you're currently standing. They succeeded in this trial, and you will too.”

His mom and dad gave up so much for Cailen, as all families do. But they wanted a better life for their son so badly that they gave him to the New Jedi Order to ensure the boy would never go hungry, would never scrounge a rusted A-wing for parts, would never sit on his terrace alone because the other kids didn’t understand him.

Cailen wasn’t going to let this be in vain.

"I love you!" Cailen shouted as loud as he could before turning around and moving forward, deeper into the caverns.

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he went, but the sweet song of the Force grew louder inside.

He knew he made the right choice.

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The moment Cailen turned around and continued to move forward, he'd feel the pain and heat from what he left behind fade away slowly in the Force, leaving him with the calmness of what lay ahead, and the songs of the crystals that covered the walls around him. But even though the painful images and emotions no longer reached out to his mind, he was likely left with a lingering pain from what he saw.

A pain he'd have to set aside to complete this trial.

For several minutes, Cailen would move through the caves, following the call of the Force whilst processing everything that happened. But as he stepped into a particularly large open chamber, he would feel a presence in the Force. It seemed as if it was all around him, and unlike the Sith from before, this presence felt calm and peaceful.

Then, he'd hear another voice.


"Who are you, and why are you here?"


 

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Cailen felt his muscles relax as he walked further away from the grueling scene he had witnessed. Although he realized what he’d seen wasn’t real, that it was part of the Gathering, the echoes of pain still reverberated in his mind.

If that was the Dark Side of the Force, he certainly wanted no part of it. If anything, seeing what a Sith is capable of made Cailen even more determined to find his crystal and complete the Gathering. Perhaps that was the point.

The young Jedi pressed on, pushing the images of the Sith into the back of his mind. He focused his thoughts on the will of the Force, which by now had grown much stronger. Cailen eventually entered into a larger chamber than even the one before, where the Dark Side tried to overwhelm him.

The Force was strong here, and its song was much clearer. Cailen felt calm and peaceful, but he was surprised to hear yet another voice calling out to him:

”Who are you, and why are you here?" it said.

Cailen looked around the chamber, but could not see the voice’s origin.

"My name is Cailen Corso," the boy said aloud.

"I’m a Jedi Youngling, here to complete the Gathering. I’m searching for my crystal, the one that’s calling to me through the Force.”

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"Looking for your crystal?" the voice asked.

All around him, he felt the presence of this man swirl but it seemed to be converging to something — a single point directly ahead of him, where the spirit of an ancient Jedi appeared. He looked old, in his 60's at the very least, with long gray hair and a well-groomed beard. His smile was kind and his presence in the Force was almost soothing to the mind.

He was a true Jedi.


"Many Jedi have entered these caves before you, and all with the same quest. But not all of them truly understood what this trial is all about; what this crystal truly means." He stepped closed and looked the Padawan over.

"Padawan Cailen Corso, what does the crystal mean to a Jedi?"


 

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Cailen was in awe of the spirit that manifested before him. The figure appeared to be a Jedi Master from an age long since passed, dwelling within the crystal caves to help young Jedi such as himself progress through the Gathering.

The boy nodded as the spirit spoke. His voice was warm and soothing, the Force coalescing on his being, making him feel almost like spiritual embodiment of the Force. It brought Cailen immense peace and solidarity to listen to the ancient Jedi Master. He nodded as the Jedi spoke.

Cailen looked up into the spirit’s eyes and after several moments, answered his question:

"The crystal is a friend,” Cailen said thoughtfully.

"It’s linked to the Force, just like a Jedi,” he paused for a moment, then continued.

"The crystal seeks out a Jedi to bond with, but only if he proves himself to be a friend of the Force.”

Cailen stood utterly still, almost surprised at his own answer. He wasn’t sure where it came from, but sensed that the answer was inside him all along.

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"A friend," the spirit repeated with a smile.

The man then stepped forward and clasped his hands together behind him. The crystals that surround the two felt like they no longer mattered as much, and instead, Cailen would feel a singular presence in the Force call out to him. It was strong and almost felt familiar to him — like it was meant to be. Then, the spirit spoke again.


The crystal is the heart of the blade.
The heart is the crystal of the Jedi.
The Jedi is the crystal of the Force.

The Force is the blade of the heart.
All are intertwined.
The crystal, the blade, the Jedi.

You are one.

"This is the crystal code, one forgotten by many but one that describes the importance of the crystal, and how it's intertwined with the lightsaber, the Force, and the Jedi. Remember it, Padawan Cailen Corso, and complete your trial."

Now, ahead of the Padawan, he'd finally see it — the crystal that reached out to him, still colorless until it was bound to its new owner. All that remained was for Cailen to reach for it.


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The ancient Jedi was pleased with his answer, and suddenly Cailen felt the song of the Force intensify. He was overcome by a sense of familiarity, like seeing a close friend after a long time spent apart.

The dozens of crystals that studded the walls suddenly seemed less lustrous, almost as if ceding their splendor to make way for Cailen’s crystal to shine over the rest.

Then, the Jedi spirit recited an ancient code, the Crystal Code.

As Cailen absorbed the Code, he took great care to try and memorize its verses. It was a piece of Jedi knowledge he’d never heard of during his time as a Youngling. Perhaps it’s part of what makes one a true Padawan Learner?

"Thank you, Master,” Cailen said graciously as the spirit completed his missive. The boy bowed his head respectfully, then carefully stepped toward the crystal that had called to him since he arrived on Ilum.

"It’s beautiful,” he said under his breath.

Cailen stood before the icy stalagmite that cradled his crystal, a colorless gem that beckoned gently for him to take it.

The young Jedi paused for a moment, meditating on the wondrous Light-Side energies the crystal exuded. He’d never felt anything like this before, even in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

He wanted this feeling of complete serenity to last forever, but inside he knew it was time to claim his crystal and forge a bond that would last for the rest of his life.

It was time for him to become a Jedi Padawan.

Cailen reached out and delicately plucked the kyber crystal from its socket in the ice, and held it gently in the palms of his hands.

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The very moment his fingers touched the crystal, Cailen could feel its presence in the Force merging with his own — he was now its owner and for as long as he remained true to his path as a Jedi, the crystal was going to be bonded to him. The color formed at that moment as well, a sign of Cailen's very nature as a person and a Jedi manifested through the crystal.

And finally, the spirit who had guided him through the Crystal Code faded away into the Force once again.


"Your journey is complete, Padawan Corso. It's time to return."

The feeling that drew him deeper into the caves from before was gone now, replaced by a call back to the entrance of the caves. He had successfully been able to withstand the challenges of the Crystal Caves, collected his crystal, and thus marked an important moment in his path as a Jedi Padawan.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the cave, Valery was waiting with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She had felt the emotions from within the caves, and knew he had it difficult. But her confidence in his ability to see it through until the end never faded once. She just stood there, and waited for him to return.



 

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