11 BBY
Days passed by slowly, Kaleena becoming more and more powerful in the ways of the Jedi, yet in practically no time it was the perfect moment for her to take a major step forward, building her own lightsaber.
Traditionally padawans build their own lightsabers when they are both knowledgeable in the Force and the parts of a lightsaber as well as when the trainer believes they are ready to move on to more of the trials. Obi-Wan believed the time was right for his daughter, at the age of 9, to craft her own weapon.
Obi-Wan waited for as long as he could that day to pry his daughter away from her training. He opened the window and called out, "Kaleena, come here. Take a break from your exercises for a moment."
Kaleena sheaths the old lightsaber and deactivates the training droid, which was on the hardest setting. She then walked into the hut and said, "Yes, Dad?"
The aging Jedi took a seat at the dining table and gestured to the other chair, which Kaleena sat down in. "I want to give you something," he told her as he pulled a few things from an old pouch. Holding out a necklace, he looked to his daughter, saying, "This was your mother's. I once gave it to her and now I want you to have it."
The girl picked the necklace up and held it gently in her hand, gazing at the bluish-green crystal hanging from a thin chain. "Why do I feel the Force around it?" she asked. The Force signature was not unlike her father's.
"The crystal is very special. I gave it to your mother for safe keeping," he began to explain. "And now it's yours." Obi-Wan then held more crystals out to Kaleena, which she gingerly took. "All of these I found on my travels. The blue and green crystals are from Ilum, the main planet in which Jedi would obtain lightsaber crystals. Every crystal is connected to the Force."
Kaleena looked into her father's eyes. "Why are you giving them to me?" she inquired.
"Your mother would want you to have the necklace. And I believe you are ready to construct your first lightsaber."
That caused Kaleena to perk up and stare wide-eyed at her dad. "Really?" she exclaimed.
"Yes," Obi-Wan replied calmly. "First, choose one of the crystals. Let the Force guide you."
The padawan glanced over all of the crystals in her hand, her eyes settling on a cyan one. "This one." After setting the others down and putting her mother's necklace around her neck, she asked, "What's next?"
"Before you continue, you must hear a few things. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Remember, a lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi. To wield it properly, you must be disciplined and connected to the Force. If not, it may end in disaster. It is not a toy. This weapon will be your life, so treat it as such, and do not lose it. Do you think you can remember that?"
"Yes, Dad." Kaleena looked stoic and ready to take on the task, no emotion showing, completely at peace, like a Jedi.
"Good. You must imbue your Force signature into the crystal by meditating. It will take some time. Patience is the key. Only then can you put the saber together which must be done with the Force. Meditate alone in your room with nothing but the crystal. When you are done, you can gather the parts you need."
Kaleena nodded. "Will do." She stood and clutched the lightsaber crystal in her hand, then descended through the trapdoor into the cellar, her room.
It was a painstaking but necessary process. Since Kaleena had not traveled to a planet like Ilum to find her own kyber crystal in which one would have chosen her, she had to make the crystal hers.
Kaleena sat cross-legged in the center of the room, set the crystal in front of her, and turned off all the lights in the room with the Force. She sat in silence and darkness to calm and quiet her mind, but she couldn't. She could feel everything around her through the tendrils of the Force but couldn't tune it out. Instead of a black, empty space, she could see the crystal on the floor, the crystal laying against her chest, the crystal in the practice lightsaber that sat on the table upstairs. She could see her father meditating on his bed and the eopie laying in the sand outside. She could also see the sand mites. But she couldn't block anything out.
Perhaps it was her excitement for finally getting to make her own saber or frustration with how long it's taken to be able to do so, but Kaleena sat for as long as she could trying to quiet her mind. It wasn't working. Slowly, her fists closed tightly and her jaw clenched as she tried harder and harder. She let out a noise of frustration and slammed her fists into the floor. Her breath quickened as she opened her eyes and stared at the crystal. It sat on the floor, unmoving, as if it was mocking her. Her father didn't say it would be hard to make the crystal hers. He said it would take time. But how much time? And how was she supposed to focus if she could feel everything around her?
Kaleena placed her head in her hands as she hunched over. Why was all the Force stuff even necessary? She's been using a lightsaber this whole time to practice with, so why couldn't she just turn up the setting on it so it could be a normal lightsaber? The Force isn't necessary to wield one, it just made it easier. She'd read all about them in her dad's journals and datapads. The crystal is already a kyber crystal, it already has the Force, so why was she wasting time with this nonsense?
As she sat there clutching her head, the crystal resting against her chest started to pulse with life. It was relaxing and filled her with comfort, comfort she had never truly felt before. It filled the young girl with the sensation of a cool breeze and soft moonlight. The further it went on, the calmer she got. The tension in her shoulders decreased and she sat up straight, her eyes still closed.
All life surrounding Kaleena quieted in her mind and went blank. Kaleena was almost surprised that she had finally done it, until a flare of color erupted in her mind. The glittering grey and white landscape was blurry at first, with a lighter shape in the middle. The vision grew clearer as the figure turned and smiled. Her long, curly brown hair framed her soft, joyful expression as she laughed.
The vision was cruelly ripped away as Kaleena realized who it was. The vision showed her mother. Her mom. Bringing her hand up to the crystal, Kaleena held on to it tightly as a single tear slid down her cheek. The padawan shut her eyes tightly and took in a deep breath. She had to do this. She had to succeed. She had to move forward wit her training. It's her mind that's stopping her, not the Force, not her father, not some pathetic lifeforms around her. It's herself.
Kaleena forced herself to relax, unclenching and untensing every part of her body. She reached out with the Force once again and ignored every spec of life in her vicinity except for the single kyber crystal laying on the floor. She could feel the crystal rising slowly, floating in the air as she reached out with her own signature.
The pulsing started off light but grew with intensity as the kyber crystal was filled with life. Kaleena's eyes shot open. The kyber crystal floated in front of her face, glowing with a newfound intensity. The girl held out her hand and willed the crystal down until it rested gently in her palm. She was ready to build her lightsaber.
After collecting all the necessary components for her own lightsaber, Kaleena set down all the pieces in front of her, already compiling them in her mind. She knew what she wanted it to look like. She knew what her lightsaber needed to be the perfect companion weapon. Kaleena lifted the components of the saber into the air in front of her, the Force guiding the parts. The pieces fit together slowly but surely as Kaleena used the Force to put together her weapon. After a few missteps, the saber was complete.
The black-plated outside and silver-colored accents provided for a sturdy weapon. The grip felt right in Kaleena's hand. The saber ignited into a seamless cyan plasma blade. It was perfect.
Kaleena rose from the floor, keeping her lightsaber on. She swung it slowly around in order to test the balance and weight. It wasn't much different from her practice saber. It would suit her every need. The young girl swung it faster, testing it with a few moves from various lightsaber combat forms until she stood completely still, raising the blade in front of her. She was ready.