The planet of Ilum is a precious asset of the Jedi Order. Despite its inhospitable climate, the planet is home to a significant population of sentient life; most of which are there thanks to the Order. Researchers, scholars, artisans, and many more are stationed on Ilum in order to assist the Order in understanding the wonders of the planet. Under its surface is a magnificent complex of caverns, sparkling with kyber crystals.
Long ago, Padawans would be brought to this planet by their Masters in order to find their own crystal and forge their lightsaber, the symbol of a true Jedi. This sacred ritual has been adapted over time and now Initiates like yourself are given the same chance. Although giving a child a deadly weapon may seem irresponsible at first, you have been taught lightsaber safety and responsibility since you could hold one up. The chance of one of you accidentally injuring someone is so miniscule that no Jedi could truly object to the change.
You feel a slight lurch as the ship drops out of hyperspace. The comfort of real-space is like a soothing balm upon your mind. Even though you certainly prefer hyperspace over warp shenanigans, you still feel a sense of uneasiness during hyperspace travel.
Over the course of the trip, the ship had to drop out of hyperspace, reorient, and re-enter hyperspace multiple times. Each instance of this cycle allowed you a small break, but you’re not really sure if it was worth it since hyperspace initialization is always so disorienting. Thankfully, you’ve not felt as unwell as you did during the first jump, so it’s been bearable.
As the ship burns its way toward your destination, it rotates, giving you a brief view of Ilum. It’s a relatively small planet. Icy and desolate. A globe of snow, though you’re pretty sure it wouldn’t be so pleasing to watch if some cosmic being picked it up and shook it. The planet hangs among the stars, tinged blue due to the light of the parent star Asar. From your windowed view, it almost looks like a simple painting. As if someone had flecked specks of paint across a lightless canvas, then masked out the hint of a swirly blue circle in the center.
Ilum. Home to the sacred Jedi Temple of Ilum. Home to an untold number of crystals, one of which is yours.
As the ship continues to rotate, equalizing heating across the hull, the image of Ilum falls out of view and you are once again left with merely the image of deep space. The stars burn in the far far distance, an unknowable number of light-years away.
Somewhere, out there, are the people who you saw in your dream. The Imperium.
Maybe they are your people. Maybe not. Either way, you want— no, need answers. Who, or what are you?
No. That is wrong. What you are is a Jedi.
But, what else are you? That is what you will have to figure out for yourself.
In the meantime, you will grow. You will gain knowledge and wisdom, strength and courage. You will have your lightsaber and a Master to guide you.
The planet rotates back into view and cold desolation greets you.
Soon.
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You can barely see at all as you step out of the ship — which is apparently named the Knowing Grin. You finally thought to ask Master Fulier after nearly a week of just calling it the ship. It is dark. Oh so very dark. Unlike on Coruscant, the planet-wide city that never sleeps, there are no blazing lights to illuminate the night. No clouds of smog to diffuse the light across the sky.
Here, while the ground is blanketed in darkness, all you see when you look up is a sight only equaled from space. A sight full of stars. Twinkling suns, orbited by planets. Uncountable peoples and wondrous life.
But, you can now see at the edge of the world a slight brightening. The atmosphere of Ilum shines with dim light, a sure sign of approaching dawn.
You trudge forward through the knee-high snow, trying to keep to the tracks of Master Fulier. Unfortunately, he steps high and in long strides, so you are forced to make your own path between the gaps he makes in the snow. It’s either that or try to hop between his footprints, but you won’t suffer that indignity. It is rather fortunate that it’s only this deep. You’d half expected to be buried completely when you looked down from space.
“Hurry up!”
You turn and glare backwards at Doran. The little ingrate. You’re the one doing all the hard work, to clear the path. It’s not like he would have the same trouble making it between Master Fulier’s steps!
“Stuff it! I’m going as fast as I can.”
“Okay, okay. No need to be so snippy.”
As he backs off, you continue your admirable task of snowplow duty. Then jolt as you bump straight into Master Fulier.
“Oh. Sorry about that, Xena. Here, I’ll help you out.”
With that, Master Fulier takes over your role and clears the way for you, giving your shivering legs a good break. A few minutes later, he stops in front of a wall of jagged ice, stretching to your sides as far as the eye can see, which is not very far considering your disadvantage point. Strangely, there is a circle of uncovered stone lying in front of you, carved with one massive and unfamiliar rune.
“What do we do now, Master Fulier?” Doran asks.
“What do you think?”
“Um, climb?”
You smack Doran on the back of the head, and point at the circle of stone.
“Look, we’re probably at the entrance. Master Fulier already got us here. What do you think we should do to enter a hidden Jedi Temple?”
“Oh, right. The Force.”
“Younglings, please reach out the Force with me. Ready? Begin.”
The Force pulses within you as you manipulate its flow. But, after a moment, you can tell you’re struggling. The threads of Force fall apart between your fingers, dissipating into the wind. You grit your teeth, pulling on the Force both within and around you, but nothing works. You continue to fumble with your manipulations, and all you can do is helplessly watch as your clanmates and Master Fulier have to shoulder the extra work.
You can feel something beginning to happen within the circle ahead of you. Force swirls around it, seeping inside and activating hidden mechanisms. In one last attempt, you push with all your might, but only result in blasting away most of the remaining wisps of Force around you. By chance, a small part of your work feeds into the mechanism, but it’s practically worthless considering all the effort the others have put in.
Perhaps, today is one of those days. One of the days when the Force hangs heavy upon you. Today of all days! Why?!
A hum, a click, and a whirr announce the end of the little ritual. Silence reigns for a second, but then machinery groans and the earth rumbles. The clusters of ice ahead of you begin to move! And, as it moves, you can see snow and more ice flaking off, revealing quarried stone underneath. The grinding of granite on granite fills the air and snow crashes ahead of the spectacle, obscuring your vision.
As the snow clears, you are greeted by a great yawning mouth. Snowmelt runs down deep creases of its weathered face, trickling across needle-like teeth of ice sprouting downward from its stony upper lip. Straight and powerful lines reach up and down the remaining rockface, anchoring intricate carvings into the overall visage. From here, you can see deep into the throat of the cave, and in the distance is the barest hint of a starlit room.
Glancing up at Master Fulier, you see him lost in thought. Memories of his own time as an Initiate perhaps. You pat your forearm against his leg and he startles back into the present.
“Ah. Thank you, Xena. Well then. Onwards!”
And so you march. Into the cave and swallowed in darkness, with only the light at the end of the tunnel to guide you.
And Master Fulier’s unerring sense of direction too, you suppose.
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“Welcome, Younglings. Happy I am, to see you all. A long way you have come, yes? Excited you are, hmm?”
“Um, how long have you been waiting here, Master Yoda?”
“Long enough, heh! Kept me waiting, you did. Put the pedal to the metal, perhaps Master Fulier should have?”
Grandmaster Yoda is a rather strange being, in your most humble and learned opinion. Wise. You would almost say “wise beyond his years,” but if that were the case, that would be terrifying. What you find most disconcerting about him is his deranged propensity for old-person jokes. You’re not exactly sure what he meant by “pedal to the metal,” but you can probably guess based on context. You’re sure Master Fulier can too, considering the unamused frown he now wears.
The chamber you now stand within is shaped like a many-tiered coliseum. Columns rise up along the edges of the chamber, lifting numerous floors above. Stone guardians, hooded and wizened with age, raise sabers to the heavens above from their arrayed positions around the clearing. At the center of the chamber is a raised dais upon which Grandmaster Yoda sits. The same pattern you saw on the stone circle outside this Temple is repeated across the floor, but expanded in both scale and detail.
Across the chamber from you is a massive sheet of ice. It appears to be a waterfall, frozen in motion. Considering there’s nothing else in the chamber, you’re pretty sure something is going to happen there. There’s always a secret behind a waterfall! Now that you think about it, it’s probably just the entrance to the Temple proper. But, how to get past? Well, that’s probably what Grandmaster Yoda is here to help with.
When you look at Grandmaster Yoda, he appears as an ancient tree. Sturdy and unyielding, weathered by the elements, but still reaching for the sun. The roots he has set down on Coruscant anchor the Order in a growing Galaxy, but his innate curiosity is undiminished after all his years. He is the core of the Jedi Order, and you cannot imagine the Order without him.
Although old and wise, he still retains a streak of mischief and humor, which makes him all the more enigmatic. He’s probably cackling inside at his joke as well as at everyone’s confusion regarding his presence here. But, as with many other great Masters, he too has a supreme control on his emotions. He is only barely tinged purple with amusement, with the rest of his emotional cloud staying still and serene.
Beneath the emotions, the Force shines within him. It sweeps through his body, and so attuned to it is he that it is barely disturbed in passing. Only a small twisting in its movement would allow someone to notice his presence if he weren’t also lighting up the nearby world with his mere spirit.
As your group approaches him, he stands up in greeting. All of you, Master Fulier included, bow your heads to the grandmaster of your Order together.
“Now then, here for one thing, you are. A crystal, you seek, to build your lightsaber with, yes? But, what reason for such a tool does a Jedi have?”
You turn to your friends, somewhat confused. What’s with the quiz? The lightsaber is the symbol of the Jedi. You are nothing without your weapon. Your weapon is nothing without you, right?
But, that isn’t exactly correct. Without you, a lightsaber is still a potent weapon. Dangerous. Deadly. Difficult to use, especially so without training. But still, ultimately just a weapon. You, however, do not have a lightsaber yet. Does that mean you’re not a Jedi? You have the training and the Force — as tenuous as that connection is. So, what does it mean to be a Jedi?
A Jedi is a peacekeeper. One who uses their powerful abilities in the defense of others. One who holds the greater good above all else. One who would wield their lightsaber to protect the innocent.
“A lightsaber is a weapon. A weapon for a guardian of peace. A Jedi doesn’t need a lightsaber to do his or her duty, but it will always be something from which we can draw strength. A shield and a sword in one.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“Hmm. Well said. Focuses a Jedi’s connection to the Force, the lightsaber does. A weapon and a tool, in one. Young Kast, the lesson if you please.”
Master Fulier steps forward, the layer of frost across the floor crunching as he moves. Once next to Grandmaster Yoda, he turns to face you.
“This is the Temple of Ilum where you will obtain your very own kyber crystal. The crystal is the heart of every lightsaber. Without it, a lightsaber will not function. The kyber crystal focuses the energy of the blade, but is also heavily attuned in the Force. As you build your weapon, you will intrinsically link yourself to the crystal in the Force, making it truly yours.
“Soon, you will enter the caves below to find your own crystal. There are many crystals out there, but only one is yours. Do not randomly pick your crystal, for you do not choose it. It chooses you. You will know which one is yours.
“The lightsaber has been the weapon of the Jedi since our founding. It is the symbol of our peacekeeping. It is the symbol of the Jedi. For thousands of years, we have wielded our lightsabers in the name of peace and justice, defending the defenseless when needed. At present, every Jedi is trained in the art of lightsaber combat, for you will take up the same duty as the countless Jedi that have come before you.
“Your lightsaber will be unique to you. You will forge it to your own design, and you will be the only true wielder of it in turn.”
As Master Fulier finishes his speech, you notice that the light within the chamber has been growing brighter. Looking up, you see an awesome sight. The biggest kyber crystal you have ever seen hangs from the ceiling. Mostly translucent with a tint of blue, the thing practically radiates power in your Force-senses. Currents of Force swirl around it, attracted to the stone and suffusing its crystalline structure. For a moment, you entertain the ridiculous notion of trying to shove that into a lightsaber and seeing what it does, then you shake yourself as you notice Master Yoda standing up again.
Master Yoda raises his arms up, concentrating deeply and focusing the Force within him. It pulls and shudders, then suddenly the scraping of stone can be heard. A porthole to the outside slides open, letting a golden beam of sunlight into the room, pouring directly onto the kyber crystal above.
With a wave of his hand, Yoda focuses the Force once more and the crystal begins to spin. Ancient machinery rotates, bringing smaller crystals into place like a monumental orrery, orbiting the centerpiece like miniature planets. The golden light refracts through the major crystal and spills out through its numerous facets, a dozen of which pierce through the encircling stones and are refracted once more. Each beam of light is concentrated directly at the top of the frozen falls, shining with intense heat. In a few heartbeats, the crinkling sound of melting ice echoes throughout the room as the falls begin to fall once more. Water rushes downward, tumbling over melting ice and onto the floor below before being drained into gutters carved deep in the stone.
Slowly, the light begins to drift away from its target, losing alignment as the planet rotates. And much too soon, the rays fall away, leaving the water to flow no more. But, now you see. The secret you surmised has appeared: an entrance to the Temple indeed lies beneath the falls. Now uncovered, an ancient cave invites you in for exploration.
“If Jedi you are to become, enter the crystal cave, you must. However, quick you must be, for the entrance will close.”
As Master Yoda speaks, you can hear his words becoming true. The faint crackling sounds of freezing ice can be heard throughout the chamber. Looking up, you can see the sheet of ice growing downward, ever so slowly.
“Trust in the Force. Trust yourself. Trust each other. Succeed you will, return you must. Trapped you will be, when this entrance closes.”
At this, Master Fulier also speaks up.
“To clarify, the entrance can only be opened every seventeen days. If you are still within when the entrance freezes over, we can do nothing for you. But, I have every confidence in you all. You will succeed. May the Force be with you.”
And so, you and your friends turn and enter as one.
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“Dark. Dark. So dark!”
“Shut it and focus! We need to hurry. I really don’t want to be stuck in here.”
You’ve been walking for the past few minutes listening to Doran and Cho’an chatter. The first few steps were easy, the ground paved and the walls of the cave brightly lit. Now, however, it is so dark that you have to lead your friends by the hand, calling out patches of uneven ground so that they do not trip. The eight of you are strung out in a line, you at the head leading the way with your blazing eyes.
You weave your way past stalagmites, ducking your head under stalactites, and hop over crevasses in icy chambers. It is frankly terrifying. The survival of your friends hinges on your success and you’re starting to worry you took a wrong turn.
“What’s that?”
You turn toward Tera but then find her covering your eyes with her hand.
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
“I see something! A light! Your eyes were making it hard to see, sorry.”
She points past you, far off into the distance down an inky black tunnel. But, you can’t see anything and you say so.
“No. I can definitely see something. It’s really bright!”
“Hey, let me see!”
There is some shuffling as your friends shove their way forward, each of them vying for position. However, none of them see anything, so you turn back to Tera.
“You’re sure there’s something?”
“I’m sure.”
“Wait!” Doran cries, “I see something too!”
And with that, he points. In a different direction, of course.
Seriously?
“Xena, I think I can make it on my own. The light is bright enough that it’s actually lighting up the path a bit. If I go slowly, I’m sure I could make it.”
“Same here.”
You stare at the both of them in disbelief. Venturing out, into the darkness, alone? Are they insane?
“Xena, I think we have to do this. It’s… kinda far. If you go out of the way to help us, then no one else will get their crystal. Keep going. Once I have my crystal, I can make my way back using it as a lamp.”
“Do you remember the way?”
“Yes. Probably better than you.”
Wait, do you actually remember the way? You think for a second.
You backtrack through your mind, recounting the steps and landmarks. Phew. You do remember.
“Um… If you’re really sure. Doran, you too?”
“Yeah! We’ll be fine. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be extra careful. Since we found ours so early, we have plenty of time to take it slow.”
“Alright. I trust you two.”
And so they go.
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Twenty minutes later, so too has everyone else. Each one of them spotting a twinkling in the distance, down one tunnel or another. You would be more worried considering how far you’ve come, but the darkness has been steadily receding. There are crystals everywhere. They shine and sparkle, somehow producing their own light in the dark underground. Your friends have thankfully had this light source to find their way, so you have no need to be concerned about them tripping and cracking their heads open on unseen rocks in the dark.
Now, all you need to do is find your own crystal.
Easier said than done.
There are so many crystals in sight, but you have no idea which one is yours. All the others saw a bright light in the distance, but you have yet to see the same. All you see is a constant twinkling everywhere you look. While pretty, each crystal looks the same as the next, so you have no idea which it could be.
So you continue on.
And on.
Down corridors and caverns. Down twisting spiral landings carved out of the bare stone walls. Up uneven stairs and sheer cliff faces.
Until you walk into the room. A cavern. A massive, beautiful cavern.
The interior is… spectacular. Scintillating crystals of myriad sizes cover the floor and walls. Most are so miniscule as to seem like gleaming grains of polished sand upon an obsidian beach. Some are so enormous that starfighters—or even the Jedi Temple Spires!—could possibly fit within them. Upon gazing upwards, you’re treated to a sight that calls to mind the view of the stars that you saw upon planetary arrival. Sapphire blues and malachite greens fill your vision.
And the floor itself! A singular, enormous gem of pure deep red. The embedded crystals glitter as you turn, calling your attention out of the corners of your eye.
And as you turn, you see it.
Your crystal. A spherical gem of pure kyber, embedded at head height within a glowing pillar of quartz.
It calls to you. It shines in your Force-sight, pulsing in time with your heart. A beautiful blue, shining like an icy blue sun. Glinting with pure starlight.
As you walk up to it, you reach up, resting your hand on the crystalline surface, centimeters away from your crystal. Blocked. Thwarted at the last moment!
Your crystal is right there, but it lies behind a sheet of pure quartz! What do you do?
Focus! The Force. You are a Jedi, and that kyber crystal is yours. The Force wills, and so do you. So you reach—
—and fall short.
NO!
It’s right there! You’ve come all this way, and you're stuck just because of a few measly layers of glorified rock?
Pulling your fist back, you wind up for a mighty swing—and stop. No, you’re just going to hurt yourself if you punch a rock. What are you, stupid?
So you lean down, pick up a loose stone the size of your fist and smash it straight into the quartz, directly over your crystal!
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You wake up, groaning in pain. Your head hurts!
You clutch at your forehead, gasping as a wave of pure agony rockets through you. What happened? You’d found your crystal, discovered it to be encased in some other stupid rock, then decided to do some excavation with another rock. You’d tried to use the Force, but it failed so you used your brain!
“There you go, monologuing as usual.”
“Wha—?”
Your eyes snap back up, just in time to see… you.
Your reflection in the quartz, but not? It’s standing, but you’re sitting. It leans forward, smiling at you, blood dripping around a bruised blue eye.
Wait, what? You reach up and pat around your head, but all you feel is skin and blood. Where’s your headband? You whip your head from side to side, then sag in relief when you see its dull metal gleam a couple meters behind you. As you look back toward your mirrored-self, you see it… smiling?
“The Force didn’t fail. You failed.”
“Huh?”
“You can’t blame the Force for your inability to control it. You just lack discipline.”
And with that, you gasp as she strides closer and closer, then steps out ever so carefully from the mirror of quartz, smirking ever so annoyingly.
“What are you?”
“Oh? Not who are you?”
“Obvious,” you choke out.
“Well, either way, it’s still the same answer. I’m you!”
You squint at her as you scramble to your feet. You shuffle backwards toward your headband, keeping your eye on her.
“Smashing a rock with another rock? What are you, some sort of primitive abhuman? And you call that being smart! Ha!”
She begins sauntering after you as you continue retreating. Your eyes dart around, looking for an escape, but you see nothing immediately useful. And suddenly, she’s here. Face to face. Nose to nose with you. In shock, you step back, trying to make distance, but she grabs your arms and moves with you.
In panic, you try to twist away, but she simply steps along with you. And as she moves, she draws you closer until all you can see is… you.
Your mundane eyes find your own within the reflections of your eyes and the reflections of those inside. But, your warp-eye beholds nothing but blue, a shining crystal floating in the realm beyond. You’re mesmerized, watery eyes locking your own in place. But, wait…
Your crystal! It’s there! Once embedded in the quartz, it now rests within your reflection’s forehead. You jerk backwards, looking down with your warp-eye trying to see something, anything, within your foe.
But, you see nothing. Absolutely nothing! A darkness like you’ve never encountered lies within your mirror-self, nothing escaping as if her body were a black-hole. It’s nothing. There is nothing there! No emotions, no sense of self!
“Ha!” she barks out, “Typical. Always relying on your witchsight. A crutch from which you will never be weaned off of. Tell me, how can you truly know what a person thinks? Could you do it without your witchsight? Oh, you think that a person’s ‘true-self’ or ‘inner-self’ is everything you need to know, huh? That no one can hide from you?”
“W-What do you mean?”
“So conceited are you! So sure in your own power! So reliant on it that you can’t even function without it! Tell me, what do you see in me? What do I feel like? What am I here for?”
“I…”
“That’s right! Nothing at all, huh?”
“Stop it! Go away!”
“Oh? And what about this?” she says, tapping on her crystal-eye. “Are you gonna go back empty handed?”
You blink, suddenly unsure of your purpose. What is she? What does she want?