The ancient Jedi Paladin-class corvette, the Crucible, hummed through hyperspace with the steady rhythm of a heartbeat. I sat near the viewport, watching the swirling blue-white tunnel of faster-than-light travel. Even after years in this galaxy, hyperspace still filled me with wonder, streaks of light that seemed to stretch into infinity, a visual representation of the impossible made routine.
Beside me, Seris sat with her hands folded in her lap, her silver eyes reflecting the hyperspace glow. She looked calm, composed, but I could feel the nervous energy thrumming through our connection. Anticipation mixed with something like fear.
"Credit for your thoughts?" I said quietly.
She glanced at me, then back to the viewport. "What if the crystal doesn't choose me? What if I'm not... ready?"
"The crystal will choose you," I said with certainty. "You've earned this, Seris. Everything you've worked for, everything you will become, the crystal will see it."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I see it," I said simply. "And the Force sees it too."
She was quiet for a moment, then her hand found mine, fingers intertwining. "Thank you," she whispered.
Across from us, Derren sat with his eyes closed, breathing slowly and evenly. He looked peaceful, but I could sense the undercurrent of excitement beneath his calm exterior. This was what we'd been training for, the moment that would mark our transition from younglings to true initiates, one step closer to becoming Padawans.
Barriss sat beside him, her green skin luminous in the hyperspace glow. Her dark blue eyes were open, watching the light show with quiet contemplation. Of all of us, she seemed the most at peace with what was coming. There was no fear in her, no doubt, just acceptance and readiness.
And then there was Anakin.
He sat alone near the front of the passenger compartment, his blue eyes fixed on the viewport with an intensity that bordered on obsession. His hands gripped the armrests of his seat, knuckles white with tension. I could feel his emotions roiling through the Force, excitement, fear, determination, and underneath it all, a deep-seated anxiety that he was trying desperately to suppress.
"Anakin," I called softly.
He turned, and I gestured to the empty seat beside me. After a moment's hesitation, he stood and made his way over, dropping into the seat with restless energy.
"You okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine," he said automatically, then caught himself. "No. Not really."
"What's wrong?"
He was quiet for a long moment, struggling with something internal. Finally, he said, "What if my crystal is... wrong? What if it shows something dark? I want a normal one like Qui-Gon's or Obi-Wan's."
I understood immediately. Anakin was worried that his crystal would reflect the darkness he felt inside himself, the anger, the fear, the attachment he'd been taught to suppress but couldn't quite eliminate.
"Anakin, the crystal will reflect who you are," I said carefully. "Not show your worst qualities. That's not how it works."
"But what if who I am is...."
"You're not dark, Anakin," I interrupted firmly. "You have pain in you, yes. We all do. But that's not what defines you. What defines you is what you choose to do with it."
He looked at me, his blue eyes searching. Then he smiled. "You're right, Cain. I don't know what I was getting in my own head about."
"That's what I'm here for," I said.
The ship's intercom crackled to life. "Approaching Ilum," the pilot announced. "Dropping out of hyperspace in thirty seconds."
We all straightened, anticipation crackling through the air like static electricity. The hyperspace tunnel collapsed, and suddenly we were staring at a world of ice and crystal.
Ilum.
The planet hung in space like a frozen jewel, its surface covered in glaciers and snow that reflected the light of its distant sun. But what caught my attention were the crystalline formations visible even from orbit, massive structures that jutted from the ice like the bones of some ancient, sleeping giant.
"It's beautiful," Barriss whispered.
"It's cold," Derren said with a slight smile.
"It's home to the Kyber crystals," Seris said, her voice filled with reverence. "The heart of every lightsaber. The source of our connection to the Force."
The ship descended through Ilum's thin atmosphere, and the temperature inside the cabin dropped noticeably despite the environmental controls. I could see my breath misting in the air, and I pulled my coat tighter around myself.
We landed on a plateau near the entrance to the crystal caves. The ship's ramp lowered with a hiss of hydraulics, and cold air rushed in, sharp and biting.
I stood, and the others followed suit. Together, the five of us walked down the ramp and onto the frozen surface of Ilum.
The cold hit me like a physical force. It wasn't just the temperature, though that was brutal enough, it was something deeper. The Force itself felt different here, sharper and more crystalline, as if the very air was saturated with ancient power.
Waiting for us at the base of the ramp were five figures.
Master Yoda stood at the center, his gimer stick planted firmly in the snow. To his right stood Master Fay, her blonde hair drifting in the icy wind, her ethereal presence somehow even more pronounced in this sacred place.
Master Plo Koon stood to Yoda's left, his masked face turned toward us, his presence in the Force warm and reassuring despite the cold. Beside him was Master Shaak Ti, her white and blue montrals striking against the white landscape, her expression serene and welcoming.
And at the edge of the group stood Obi-Wan Kenobi, now a full Jedi Knight after Qui-Gon's death. His eyes were kind as they settled on Anakin, and I felt a surge of gratitude that he was here.
"Welcome, young ones," Yoda said, his voice carrying clearly despite the wind. "To Ilum, you have come. Sacred, this place is. Ancient. Here, the Force speaks clearly to those who listen."
We approached, forming a line before the Masters. I could feel my heart pounding, anticipation and nervousness warring within me.
"The Gathering," Master Fay said, her voice like music, "is one of the oldest traditions of the Jedi Order. For thousands of years, younglings have come to these caves to find their Kyber crystals. The crystal chooses the Jedi, not the other way around. It will call to you, resonate with your presence in the Force, and reveal itself when you are ready."
"Dangerous, the caves can be," Yoda continued. "Not from creatures or traps, but from the cold and from yourselves. Younglings, you have until the sun sets on the cave entrance to find your crystals and return here. Should you fail to make it back in time, trapped in the cave you will be, which freezes shut again for one rotation."
I knew that was a lie. These Jedi could melt the ice wall as many times as they wanted. The time limit was a test, a way to add pressure and urgency to the quest. But it didn't matter—we would be back long before sunset.
Master Plo Koon stepped forward. "You will enter the caves together, but you will each walk your own path. Trust in the Force. Trust in yourselves. And trust in each other."
Shaak Ti's voice was gentle but firm. "Remember that this is not a competition. There is no failure here, only discovery. Each crystal is unique, as each of you is unique. What matters is not the color or the size, but the connection you forge."
Obi-Wan spoke last, his eyes on Anakin. "The Force will guide you. Let go of your fears, your doubts, your expectations. Be present in the moment, and the crystal will find you."
Yoda tapped his stick against the frozen ground. "Before you enter, meditate you will. Center yourselves. Connect to each other and to the Force. Ready you must be for what awaits within."
He gestured to a flat area near the cave entrance, sheltered from the worst of the wind by towering ice formations.
We moved as one, settling into a circle on the frozen ground. The cold seeped through my robes immediately, but I pushed the discomfort aside. This was too important to be distracted by physical sensation.
I closed my eyes and reached for the Force. The transition was immediate and profound.
The void opened before my inner vision, but it was different here on Ilum. The darkness wasn't empty, it was filled with crystalline light, as if the very fabric of the Force had been woven through with threads of living crystal. The sensation was overwhelming, beautiful and alien all at once.
And then I felt them.
Seris's presence bloomed beside me, silver-white light shot through with a golden hue. Her light pulsed with determination and barely contained excitement. Derren appeared next, his sapphire blue light steady and calm, an anchor in the crystalline chaos. Barriss's jade green light unfolded like a flower, gentle but unshakeable, radiating peace and acceptance. And Anakin, his light blazed so bright it looked like it was barely contained, flickering between silver, white, and blue with passionate intensity.
We were separate, distinct, five individual lights in the void. And then something shifted.
I felt it first as a pull, a gentle tugging at the edges of my consciousness. Not external, it came from within, from the connection we'd forged. The pull grew stronger, and suddenly, we weren't separate anymore.
Our lights merged, flowing together like water, like light through a prism. All of it swirling together, distinct but unified. I could feel them. Not just their emotions or their presence, I could feel their selves. Their thoughts, their fears, their hopes, their very essence. And they could feel mine.
We are one, the thought came from all of us simultaneously, spoken in five voices that were somehow a single voice.
Outside, the Masters observed something they had never seen before in their lives. Even Yoda and Fay were amazed by what they witnessed.
The five younglings were glowing. All glowed faintly, each a different individual color. Cain a golden-yellow. Anakin a silver-sapphire. Barriss a jade-like green. Derren a deep blue with a white hue. And Seris, a silver-white with a golden hue.
"The Force is flowing so strong in them," Master Fay said, her voice filled with wonder. "It's like looking at the birth of a star."
"They are resonating with each other," Plo Koon murmured. "It's like that of a Force bond, but something more. Something... fundamental."
Time lost meaning. We existed in that unified state for what might have been seconds or hours, experiencing ourselves and each other with perfect clarity. And then, gently, we began to separate. Not completely, the connection remained, a golden thread linking all five to me, I was the center point and the anchor. As we pulled back into our individual selves, our lights distinct once more.
Then in that instant, the lights disappeared, and the five of us were standing. I opened my eyes, and the others did the same. For a moment, we just stared at each other, overwhelmed by what we'd just experienced.
"That was..." Derren started, then trailed off, unable to find words.
"Incredible," Barriss finished softly.
"I felt all of you," Anakin said, his voice filled with wonder. "Everything. It was like... like we were the same person."
"But we weren't," Seris said. "We were still ourselves. Just... together."
I nodded, still processing. "We were resonating in the Force."
Around us, the Masters stood in silence, their expressions ranging from awe to concern to something that might have been hope.
Finally, Yoda spoke. "Ready, you are. Enter the caves now. Find your crystals, and may the Force be with you."
Together, we approached the cave entrance. The opening was massive, a yawning mouth in the ice that seemed to breathe cold air. Crystalline formations framed the entrance, catching the light and refracting it into rainbow patterns that danced across the snow.
I could feel the crystals calling from within, ancient and powerful and patient.
"Let's go," I said. My body was full of energy, and my heart and mind were at peace. The only thing in my sight was my path to my crystal.
"Right," the others said behind me. I could tell they felt the same way as me. And I felt something different, like I could see what they saw, feel what they felt. But I wasn't anchored to them. It was like we were one but many.
Then in a blink, we rushed through the entrance of the cave.
We jumped and maneuvered through the cave with ease, moving in different directions with fluid grace. Other younglings noticed us moving like we were unstoppable, our coordination perfect, our purpose absolute.
Barriss was the first to separate from the group, and the first one to find her crystal. Her path led her to a narrow passage where roots of frozen ice had grown through the cave walls. Nestled between two of these roots, a translucent crystal pulsed gently. When she touched it, the crystal's color shifted from clear to a jade green light, a reflection of her soul's inner peace and harmony.
Derren was next to break off. His path took him through a tunnel lined with shattered stones and ice. But his focus was sharper than it had ever been in his short life. The world's colors disappeared from his sight until only gray remained. With the Force guiding him to a pile where one color stood out, he reached in and pulled out a translucent crystal. As he touched it, its color changed and the color around him returned. A snow-white crystal shined in his hand with a bright white hue, his inner quiet strength and purity that very few knew shined brightly.
Seris was the next to separate from the group. She had been next to Anakin and me until a pulse led her to another path. The two of us continued to run deeper into the Ilum cave at full sprint as she was led through an iced mirrored cavern.
She ran gracefully through the cave tunnel, her reflection cast back at her, along with visions of her former self reflected all around her. Their mouths moved, but Seris was so focused on her goal that she didn't even register their voices.
In the center, atop a frozen pedestal, a translucent crystal pulsed with light. When her small hands grabbed it, the color shifted. A yellow, almost golden crystal glowed like a sun in her hand. She knelt, her unwavering conviction shining brightly as she spoke. "I did it."
Anakin and I ran through the cave together. The two of us moved, jumped, and flipped like nothing could stop us. Even when we encountered an ice wall so translucent no one would be able to tell it was there, we both noticed it.
Anakin didn't stop for a moment, letting his instincts guide him. Without a shred of doubt, he passed through a hole in the wall like it was meant for him.
I, on the other hand, did not have such an opening. But my eyes saw an opening for me, I would just have to make it myself. I saw cracks on the ice wall but knew instinctually what they really were. Shatterpoints.
I stuck out one finger before I touched the translucent ice wall. No force was needed to break the wall, the Force told me it would shatter from my touch. And it did, the entire section collapsing into crystalline fragments.
Then the two of us continued to move forward like nothing could stop us. We were the unstoppable force incarnate. Two little boys who were only ten but loved by the Force.
Then in a graceful and abrupt motion, Anakin stopped when he noticed a passage opening. I continued to move forward deeper into the cave while Anakin moved with purpose down the cave passage.
His blue eyes shined brighter than normal, almost silver-white. Then he felt it before he saw it. A translucent crystal stood floating high above the ground, close to the cave roof. Anakin somehow knew without even knowing that he just had to reach out with the Force.
The crystal came floating down to him like it was waiting just for him to arrive.
Then as it dropped into his hand, a strong pulse rang through the cave that even the Masters above felt it. I felt it too, but instead of stopping, I knew what had happened. I just smirked and kept moving.
Then the translucent crystal shined while filling with color. An indigo color appeared with a dark hue instead of a white one. White indigo lightning danced inside like a storm trapped in the crystal. It pulsed with passion but also clarity.
Anakin's internal struggle would not conquer him. No matter how much he leaned toward the dark side, his friends would be there to pull him back to the light.
My path was much different. As I reached the deepest parts of the frozen cave, I had reached a dead end, but I didn't panic. I approached the wall of the cave and placed my hand on it. The pulse felt stronger than before, and I felt a bright light behind it calling to me.
Even my shatterpoint sight was telling me how important this moment was as if this was I where I was meant to be. I began to see the shatterpoints in the cave wall. In a respectful nod to one of my favorite martial artists from my old world, I stood straight and placed my hand on the wall, fingers first.
Then I took a deep breath and exhaled. My breath was visible in the cold air. Then I did a one-inch punch, and the cave wall shattered in an instant. Behind the giant hole I made was a translucent crystal. As I reached out and touched it, another strong pulse was felt throughout the cave. Then I saw a flash of visions.
A planet. Harsh and beautiful in nature and the Force. An army of armored individuals, what looked like Jedi, Mandalorians, Dathomir witches, and clone troopers united.
Then darkness surrounded me. A dark void and soulless demonic eyes devoid of light surrounded me. Their sharp white teeth in a sadistic smile started to approach me. Pale shadowy tendrils started to creep in on me in the vision.
Then a bright golden light shined in front of me. The eyes and tendrils disappeared in the golden light.
As the vision faded, I saw my Kyber crystal shine. A bright golden-yellow crystal with a black hue. I was beyond surprised because I had never heard of or seen a crystal like this in the Star Wars lore I knew.
I felt my conviction burn brighter, and my connection to the Force deepen.
The crystal continued to shine and sing in my hand. Not with sound, but singing in the Force, and it was beautiful. Like wind chimes and rainfall making a harmonious sound. It filled my body with warmth and strength. And through me and my resonance with the others, they felt it as well.
I clasped my hand closed. "Time for the forging....."
Coruscant
On Coruscant, in the elegant chambers of Chancellor Palpatine, the man who was secretly Darth Sidious sat in his chair. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and measured. To an outside observer, he might have appeared to be sleeping.
But behind those closed eyelids, Darth Sidious was very much awake. And the Force had rippled around him like water disturbed by a stone, and then it surged.
Sidious's eyes snapped open, his carefully maintained facade cracking for just an instant as he felt the disturbance wash over him. It came from far away, impossibly far in the galaxy, but its intensity was undeniable.
He knew the feeling, not one but multiple individuals were making ripples in the Force. He then remembered the Jedi were on Ilum for their Gathering rite, but he knew if he was feeling this, then it wasn't an ordinary Gathering. This was something... unprecedented.
Sidious rose from his chair and moved to the window, his hands clasped behind his back. The Force swirled around him, dark and probing, reaching out across the vast distance to touch the source of the disturbance.
He thought it was just Skywalker, but no he felt five presences. All powerful in different ways. And unified in a way he'd never felt before. His mind worked quickly, cataloging possibilities.
The Jedi had always emphasized individual mastery, personal connection to the Force. Battle meditation could link minds temporarily, but this was different. This was five separate presences existing as one while maintaining their distinct identities. All growing in the Force together.
It should have been impossible for ones so young. And yet, there it was, a blazing star in the Force, visible even from Coruscant.
Sidious probed deeper, his awareness sliding through the currents of the Force like a serpent through water. He felt the individual signatures now, each one distinct: A gentle and peaceful presence. A steady and calm presence . A serene and determined presence. All three potentially useful.
Then there was a bright light shifting in the Force. That one he recognized as young Skywalker, the boy Qui-Gon had brought to the Temple. The Chosen One, if the Jedi prophecy was to be believed. And then... Sidious's concentration sharpened.
The fifth presence was unlike anything he'd encountered. A golden light like the fierce sun, but with an essence of shadows that even Sidious felt like was drawing him in. This was not the corruption of the dark side, this was something deeper, almost primal and ancient.
It was the center of the five. It shined just like Skywalker's, but was also a void of potential. It seemed to attract the others around it and amplify their abilities to a dangerous degree. Even Skywalker seemed more powerful than he should be for his age, just after joining the Jedi.
This was impossibly paradoxical. Sidious pulled back from his meditation, his expression thoughtful. This was not part of his calculations.
For decades, he'd carefully orchestrated the Republic's descent into chaos. The Trade Federation blockade, the election to Supreme Chancellor, Killing his teacher, the secret construction of the clone army, the manipulation of the Separatist movement, every piece had been placed with meticulous precision.
And at the center of it all was going to Anakin Skywalker. The Chosen One. The boy who would become his greatest weapon, his perfect apprentice.
But this new variable...
Sidious moved to his desk and activated a secure terminal. His fingers flew across the keys, accessing databases that officially didn't exist. Jedi Temple records, carefully stolen over years of patient infiltration. Personnel files. Training reports.
He found what he was looking for quickly enough.
Name: Cain
Species: Sephi-Human hybrid
Age: 10 standard years
Midichlorian count: [REDACTED - COUNCIL EYES ONLY]
Sidious's lips curved into a thin smile. Redacted. How interesting. He pulled up more files, piecing together a picture of the boy. Exceptional student. Mature beyond his years. Close relationship with several other younglings, including Anakin Skywalker.
Including Anakin Skywalker. That was the detail that made Sidious pause.
He'd been monitoring young Skywalker carefully since Qui-Gon's death. The boy was powerful, yes, but also emotionally volatile. Attached to his mother. Struggling with the Jedi's teachings on detachment. Perfect raw material for corruption.
But if this Cain had influence over him... Sidious leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers.
Variables could be useful or dangerous. The key was determining which category they fell into before they could disrupt carefully laid plans.
This Cain was clearly powerful. The unprecedented nature of his power in the Force that rivaled that of the Chosen One, showed what potential that even the Jedi Council might not fully understand. And his connection to Skywalker could be leveraged.
But there was something else. Something that nagged at the edge of Sidious's awareness. The boy's presence in the Force felt...primal.
Sidious had felt something similar before, in ancient Sith holocrons. The presence of those who had glimpsed the future, who had touched the deeper currents of the Force and emerged changed.
Could this child be the true Chosen One or possibly the reincarnations of ancient Force sensitive soul?
The thought was both intriguing and concerning. Sidious closed the files and sat in darkness, considering his options.
He could have the boy killed. A simple accident, a training mishap. The Jedi would mourn, but they would move on.
But that seemed... wasteful. And potentially dangerous. If the boy truly was connected to deeper the maybe even Cosmic parts of the Force currents, his death might create ripples that would draw unwanted attention or unforeseen events.
No. It would be better to watch and wait. I must understand what this variable represented before deciding how to handle it. Possibly even use it.
Yes, he could be a good replacement should things with Skywalker not work out.
Sidious smiled in the darkness. After all, the brightest lights cast the deepest shadows, and he was very good at working in shadows.
Serenno
On the world of Serenno, in his palatial estate, Count Dooku sat in his private meditation chamber. The room was austere despite the wealth surrounding it, simple stone walls, a single window overlooking the valley below, and a meditation mat at the center.
Dooku had felt the disturbance in the Force the moment it occurred. A massive surge of power rippled, unprecedented in its intensity and nature.
He would had dismissed it at first. Such things happen from time to time. Especially with the Jedi and certain individuals. What did it matter to him now?
But this disturbance was different. It was stronger then anything he had felt before like it was demanding his attention. So he had retreated to his meditation chamber to investigate.
As he sank deeper into the Force, he understood why the disturbance had been so strong. This was not a simple someone strong in the Force, it was five. Four individuals growing in the Force while gathering around one that was like a beacon drawing in his awareness. It was so bright Dooku couldn't look away.
And then the vision came in the bright light. It struck him like a physical blow, vivid and undeniable. He stood in a green scenery. A wide open field on a planet rich in the Force, not one he recognized, but the large architecture in the distance suggested a Jedi temple. Before him stood two young boys, no more than teenagers. But both clearly Jedi from their robes, and their powerful presence in the Force.
They both wielded lightsaber's unlike any Dooku had seen. The first boy wielded a lightsaber whose blade was golden-yellow, but with a shadowy black hue. The other boy wielded a indigo colored lightsaber. It's dark hue was contrasted by white lightning which was surging around it like a contained storm.
The young man with the golden lightsaber had rich brown skin, long white hair moved with elegant precision, his footwork perfect, his strikes reminded him of both Windu fierceness and Plo Koon tactical brilliance. And his eyes, his bright golden eyes that seemed to see through Dooku, reading his intentions before he could act on them.
The look in his eyes. Was just like the Look Windu would have when he would read people through his Shatterpoints.
The second boy was more familiar. His bright blue eyes blazing with intensity, his movements aggressive and passionate then the other boy but no less tempered with control. His lightsaber form felt like Qui-Gon Jin's, but so much more.
Both boys were dueling Dooku in the vision
Dooku attacked. His Form II was flawless as usual, his technique refined over decades. He should have been able to defeat two teenage Jedi with ease. But for some reason he couldn't.
The golden-eyed boy read his every move, countering with minimal effort, turning Dooku's own attacks against him with powerful counter's. And the other boy, the raw power in his strikes was staggering, each strike carrying the weight of a falling star.
Together, they felt unstoppable, even fighting one alone Dooku believe he would barely win, if at all come out from the duel without losing a limb.
Dooku saw his defense crumbling. His elegant technique was being systematically dismantled. The inevitability of defeat settling over him like a shroud.
The golden-eyed boy's blade found an opening. The other boy followed through. And Dooku fell as his head was severed by the two.
The vision ended abruptly, and Dooku gasped, his eyes snapping open. His heart was pounding, his hands trembling. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool air of the meditation chamber.
It had felt so real. His death did not feel like a possibility, but a certainty. The Force gave him a glimpse of a future that he knew would come to pass unless something was changed.
Dooku rose from his meditation mat, his mind racing.
He would have to research the Jedi current younglings from his Masters reports. If he had to he would go to the temple himself to see who fit the looks of those boys.
These two unknown variables must be understood. Otherwise they will be his end.
Dooku knew he had prepare.
Dooku moved to the chamber's communication panel and activated it. A protocol droid appeared on the holographic display.
"Yes, Count Dooku?" the droid inquired.
"Prepare me training droids, and program them with intensive data on the Jedi lightsaber forms," Dooku commanded, his voice steady despite the turmoil within. "I want them to be advanced combat droids activated and programmed with the most challenging scenarios. Prepare a specialized diet regimen focused on building, and maintaining peak physical conditioning for myself."
"At once, Count Dooku. May I inquire as to the reason for this intensive training regimen?"
Dooku's expression hardened. "I have felt a spark of inspiration, and it seems some upstart's think they can surpass me, I will not let that happen."
"Understood Count. I will proceed and preparing your droids and diet plan." The hologram flickered out, and Dooku stood alone in his meditation chamber, staring out the window at the valley below.
Those two young Jedi better watch out. When they do meet Dooku will make sure he is ready, and Sidious will be next as well.
But for right now he will train. He will refine his technique, and become stronger, faster, more deadly despite his older age. And he will surpass his old self in his prime.
The future was not yet written. And Count Dooku would do whatever it took to ensure his survival. And the fall or the corrupt Republic....
Illum
Back on Ilum, the five younglings emerged from the crystal caves, each holding their chosen crystal. The sun was still high in the sky, they had completed their quest with hours to spare.
The Masters stood waiting, their expressions a mixture of pride, concern, and wonder.
Master Yoda's eyes lingered on each of them in turn, seeing not just younglings but the future of the Jedi Order. Master Fay's gaze was knowing, as if she had expected this outcome all along. Plo Koon and Shaak Ti exchanged glances, recognizing that something fundamental had shifted.
And Obi-Wan looked at Anakin with a mixture of relief and apprehension, seeing the indigo crystal in his Padawan's hand and understanding that the path ahead would be anything but simple.
"Show us your crystals, you will," Yoda said softly.
One by one, we stepped forward.
Barriss presented her jade green crystal, and Yoda nodded with approval. "Peace and harmony, your crystal reflects. A healer's heart, you have."
Derren showed his snow-white crystal, and Plo Koon placed a hand on his shoulder. "Quiet strength and purity. You will be a guardian to many."
Seris held out her golden-yellow crystal, and Master Fay smiled. "Unwavering conviction. You have found your path, young one."
Anakin stepped forward with his indigo crystal, and Obi-wan's expression stiffened as his eyes narrowed.. "Well Anakin I will admit, I am surprised." Obi-wan said rubbing his chin. "I knew there was a possibility with, your strength and abilities in the force something like this was possible. A indigo crystal is extremely rare. Especially one that looks alive with power like yours does."
And then it was my turn. I held out my golden-yellow crystal with its black hue, and silence fell over the group.
Master Yoda leaned forward his eyes studying the crystal intently. "Never seen, a crystal like this I have. A golden light and shadow as one. Interesting crystal you have found, young Cain."
"Yes it is Master," I said quietly.
Yoda nodded slowly. "Hope for the future, you five represent. But also uncertainty. The Force has bound you together for a purpose. What that purpose is, time will reveal."
Master Fay stepped forward, her gray eyes meeting mine. "You have changed something fundamental today. The five of you together early created a resonance in the Force that has not been seen before. This bond you share, it is precious. Never forget it or take it for granted."
"We won't," I promised, and the others nodded in agreement.
We boarded the Crucible for the journey back to Coruscant, I couldn't shake the feeling that we had done more than just find our crystals today. But right now it was time for the Forging.