The comlink continued to chirp relentlessly. Reaching it from the bed was impossible, and Grace had no choice but to get up. Carefully removing Sumeragi's arm from around her waist, she finally managed to stand. Hutt… I'll have to get my uniform cleaned—it's completely wrinkled. They had barely made it back to their cabin the night before, and neither of them had the strength to undress. Staggering slightly, Grace finally reached the table where the ill-fated comlink lay.
"Yes?" she rasped.
"Uh… O'Connor?" asked a vaguely familiar voice.
Oh… Fuck! It's the general!
"Yes, sir. I'm listening, sir!" the Zeltron replied, forcing as much cheer into her voice as she could.
"Here's the situation. Report to the Jedi Temple at sixteen-hundred, landing platform three-five. Northwest side of the building, in case you're wondering. I've warned Blam—they'll assign you a gunboat. Bring Puck, Lucky, and two clone squads."
"Understood, General. What's the mission?"
"A short walk. Hopefully nothing serious."
"Understood, sir."
"Over and out."
The comlink went dead.
So… how much time do we have? Grace muttered, glancing at the chrono. Oh. Eight hours. Perfect. But first— She sighed. A shower… I really need a shower.
***
The rest of the day passed almost unnoticed. Toward evening, we gathered our things—each of us ended up with a small bag—and headed for the hangar. Soon, a gunboat arrived with the clone squads and O'Connor. The troopers went to occupy their quarters, while the second lieutenant went to familiarize herself with the bridge. The ship's design allowed it to be flown by a single operator, which was remarkably convenient.
The corvette had already been prepared for departure by the Temple's technicians—fully refueled and checked. The corvette vaguely resembled a Consular, but only at first glance. The hundred-meter ship had a more massive hull, several decks, and instead of three engines, it carried five. Its bow vaguely echoed the silhouette of a Hammerhead corvette, though only in shape—it was as if the "head" had been taken and rotated onto its side. The cockpit sat at the center, and at the left and right ends of the "hammer" there was one light blaster cannon each.
Standing near the gangway, I let my thoughts drift, flowing smoothly from one to the next. Here, within the Temple, wrapped in its atmosphere of calm, all worries receded, and for a brief moment even I forgot everything else. But as soon as the spell faded, reality returned. The problems hadn't gone anywhere, and I still had to think about how to solve them.
It's good that even light meditation allows you to perceive facts more comprehensively, weigh them up, evaluate them... At the moment, my thoughts settled on the purpose of our journey.
Ilum.
An icy world in the Unknown Regions, and the source of the precious Adegan crystals used in the construction of Jedi lightsabers. The caves where the crystals grew had long since been transformed into a Jedi Temple—uninhabited, seemingly abandoned, and far too… ancient.
Ilum was first discovered by a Jedi navigating hyperspace through the Force, who felt a powerful pull from deep within the Unknown Regions. Trusting that sensation, the scout found a world rich in crystals: kathracite, mephite, pontite… The discovery was nothing short of miraculous. A place hidden from the rest of the galaxy, known only to the Jedi, and overflowing with countless crystals. Hundreds—thousands—of sockets and individual stones of unimaginable shapes and sizes studded the walls and ceilings, and in places even grew directly from the floor. As soon as any source of light penetrated the darkness of these corridors, the deceptive grayness and transparency disappeared — everything around began to sparkle with color.
I had been there twice.
The first time was during a similar excursion with the younglings. That was a long time ago... I had already stopped separating my own memories from those of the former Mikore—it was simply easier that way. The second visit was with my Master, Nhon Arto, and those memories remained vivid.
The entrance to the caves lay in a sheer cliff face, within the territory of the Temple erected by the Jedi Order. Inside, the caverns were formed of smooth, natural black stone, which appeared shiny but actually absorbed light rather than reflecting it. It was a beautiful place. I wandered the passages for nearly half an hour before finding a crystal that resonated with me. Blue.
My master, however, had a green blade—like that of many Jedi diplomats of the era...
True, some particularly "gifted" younglings managed to obtain the right to fly there alone—well, not entirely alone, in a small group, but still—to assemble their own lightsaber. Ahsoka was a prime example of such a youngling. Still, earning a place on that journey required effort. Others assembled their sabers much later. Barriss Offee, Luminara Unduli's Padawan, for instance, still hadn't assemble hers, despite already being sixteen—perhaps even seventeen...
Another peculiarity of the Ilum caves was the visions. Many Jedi experienced them after entering—most often while searching for their crystal—and not everyone could endure what they saw. But not everyone was affected. During both of my visits, nothing of the sort happened to me. Why, I still didn't know.
It was hardly surprising that the Order sent younglings there early, introducing them to the place. Other crystal deposits had long since been exhausted—or destroyed during the endless wars—and Ilum became the primary source of gems for Jedi lightsabers.