Chapter 4: Lessons in Lightsabers
Location: Ilum Temple
Ten minutes later...
Jacen could feel his cousin's presence even before he heard the sound of his boots racing down the hallway. As he looked up, he saw that much of the entryway had iced itself back over, but not so much as to be a concern. Uncrossing his legs, Jacen slid down from his perch, and landed on the permafrost covered ground. Ben reappeared mere moments later, sliding across the stone tiles to get himself under the archway. It was an unnecessary move on Ben's part, only meant to impress those present to witness it.
"I did it!" Ben declared, scrambling back to his feet.
"Show me," Jacen demanded, placing his hands behind his back.
The boy gingerly made his way down the steps, careful not to make a misstep that would send him tumbling the rest of the way down. As the stopped in front of his mentor, Ben removed one of his mittens and showed him the crystal.
"Good work, Ben," Jacen praised, ruffling his hair.
During his cousin's journey into the Crystal Caves, he had taken the opportunity to set up a small campsite that he had set up, allowing him a chance to warm himself by a portable heating unit. Jacen removed a thermos from that knapsack he had brought with them, and poured out a brown liquid into a plastoid cup. Offering it to his cousin, he eagerly accepted it, wrapping his hands around it for warmth. But when Ben drank a mouthful, he found himself nearly choking on the unexpected sweetness.
"This...This is hot chocolate," he said, surprised.
"What, you were expecting Caf?"
"Well...um," the boy muttered, feeling somewhat guilty.
During the war against the Yuuzhan Vong, seven out of eight planets capable of producing the pods necessary to make chocolate had been re-shaped, making it a rare and expensive commodity.
"You've earned it, Ben," Jacen said, sensing his cousin's guilt.
"So...what happens now?" he asked, taking a seat in front of the heater.
"We'll head back to the temple," he answered, taking a seat as well, "Uncle Luke'll probably be the one who'll instruct you on lightsaber construction."
"When you built your lightsaber...what was that like?" the boy inquired.
Jacen considered the question for a moment, feeling himself getting swept up in the nostalgia, and the bitter memories that would soon follow it.
"It took me a week to construct my own lightsaber," he admitted.
"A WEEK!?" Ben cried out, his sky blue eyes widening significantly.
"Calm down," Jacen urged, "It's not the same for everyone. In fact, Uncle Luke said that it took him over a month to built his."
"Geez! I thought building a lightsaber would be a quick and easy thing," the boy muttered.
"There can be no shortcuts when it comes to building a lightsaber," he said, his words coming out more angrily then he intended.
Ben had noticed his change in tone, his eyes now regarding his cousin with a fair amount of suspicion.
"Do you know how Tenel Ka lost her left arm?" he asked with a sigh.
With a shake of the young Skywalker's flame-red hair, Jacen continued, hoping that his cousin would be educated.
"Fifteen years ago, she, myself, Jaina, and Lowbacca were tasked by Uncle Luke to construct lightsabers for ourselves. In a rush to complete her own, Tenel Ka cut corners, ones that proved nearly fatal. During a sparring exercise, her lightsaber malfunctioned, and I severed her arm."
"Bloah!" Ben said, his mouth totally agape.
"I blamed myself for what happened, still do sometimes, which is why you mustn't cut corners," he said, hearing the sternness in his voice.
Ben nodded his head vigorously, coming to understand the seriousness of his cousin's words.
"Good. Let's pack up and we'll head back to Coruscant," Jacen said.
Location: Jedi Temple
Several hours later…
"This is the Lightsaber Construction Chamber," Luke announced, leading his son into a chamber that rested within the very heart of the temple, "Jedi of all sorts come here to either construct or modify their lightsabers."
The wood-paneled chamber felt somewhat small, with half of the available space being taken up by wall-to-ceil cabinets. There were workbenches occupying the other half, with just enough room in the center to allow for one to practice. Brought before one of the workbenches, Ben was instructed to place his recently harvested crystal on its surface.
"In the past...the distant past, apprentices would construct their lightsabers as a final test before becoming Jedi Knights," Luke explained, "This was during a time when the Jedi Order had relocated to Tython. Here you will find all the necessary components needed to build your lightsaber."
"Jacen said that took you over a month to complete yours," Ben stated.
"I was...thorough," he admitted, "I also had to interrupt my work when a chance arose to rescue your Uncle Han."
"Wait, you didn't have your lightsaber when you rescued Uncle Han?" the boy questioned.
"No. It was during an unsuccessful attempt to rescue him from Boba Fett."
"Oh," Ben muttered in understanding.
"I want you to consider these words as you're building your lightsaber," he said.
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.
"That's so cheesy, dad," Ben commented, letting out a snort.
"Ben, can we please be serious?"
"Right..., sorry."
"Let it be the Force that guides your hands," Luke instructed, "Do not imagine what your lightsaber will look like, imagine what it will feel within your hands. What will make you strong in battle and humble in defeat?"
"I...I think I understand," the boy admitted.
"Good. Take your time," Luke urged, "No one is timing you."
"I know."
"Use extreme caution when using your lightsaber, it's not the training saber you've been using, it's is a real weapon and it won't have a safety feature preventing you from lopping off a limb."
"I know," he repeated again, this time with a sigh, "Jacen told me what happened to Tenel Ka, he said that I shouldn't take shortcuts."
"He's not wrong. You'll find all the components you need are in the cabinets."
Nodding, Ben watched as his father exited the chamber through the circular door, allowing him to begin the construction process in peace.
"The crystal is the heart of the blade. The crystal is the heart of the blade," he repeated as he got to work.