Hey guys, quick authors note: As many have requested, this story is now on AO3, enjoy!
None of the padawans got much sleep, that night. It was rare that padawans so young were allowed to leave the temple at all, and tomorrow, they would be travelling across the stars to one of the many crystal caverns, around the galaxy, frequented by the Jedi, to find their lightsaber crystals.
Restless beyond sleeping, Chloe snuck out of her chambers and into Max's and Rachel's, to share her excitement with them, until they kicked her out, one after the other, so they could sleep, prompting Chloe to sneak out onto the roof, to practice her forms. Regardless, she was still chipper, and full of energy, early the next morning, as the Coruscant morning sun lit the orange smog on the metallic horizon.
Rachel, Chloe and Max were three in a class of six Jedi younglings, who had joined the order at the same time. They had all their lessons together, spent much of their free time together and, as the Masters often told them, they were bound, through the Force, although none of them fully understood what that meant.
First, there was Alyssa, a Mikkian, a humanoid race, distinguished by their vibrantly-coloured skin (light purple in Alyssa's case), and mane of short tentacles, that floated freely from their scalp, making them look like they were underwater. Even though any padawan worth their midi-chlorians knew that what most people called "luck" was simply the will of the Force, it couldn't be denied that Alyssa's luck was bad, leading her to make a lot of self-deprecating jokes about how the Force hated her. It seemed like every day, that Alyssa would trip, drop things or even befall physical mishaps that were other people's fault.
It was difficult for her friends too because, although Alyssa was sweet and friendly, her misfortunes were usually very funny, making them feel bad for laughing.
Then, there was Brooke, the Rodian. A reptile with green skin, wide, starry, black eyes and a pair of small antennae. She had a passion for technology. Since the six padawans met at the Temple's hangar, she had been talking the ears off anyone who would listen (and a few who tried not to) about all the different kinds of lightsaber, how they worked, and how tangible science melded with the enigma that was the Force, to make the weapon possible.
It was Brooke who helped Max keep her photographs safe. Although she had no eye for art, herself, she valued her friendship with Max, and was happy to help her, when Max needed it, knowing Max would do the same for her, in a heartbeat. In fact, her penchant for gadgets had taken its toll. Years of excessive staring at data pads had left Brooke with a pair of corrective circular lenses, fitted securely over her eyes, by a strap.
Finally, there was Warren, the other human in the group, and the only boy. Unfortunately, there was only so much, Jedi training could do, the sequester adolescent hormones. He was a notorious flirt, and not nearly as good at masking his intentions, as he thought he was. He would often find flimsy excuses to spend time with the other padawans alone, with only a slight preference for Max. Like most humans, Warren wasn't especially attracted to Rodians, which was ironic, because Brooke was the only padawan who seemed to have feelings for him.
Despite his advances, Warren did respect his colleagues, and was thoughtful and considerate (although his kindness could sometimes be hard to tell from his flirting). While he could be overzealous at times, his heart was in the right place.
It was almost an hour, after the over-eager padawans arrived at the hanger, when Master Plo finally arrived in the hangar. Walking with him, was a droid. Most people would incorrectly guess that this was a Protocol Droid, due to its mostly humanoid form, while being confused by its eerily human face, its fingers, more dexterous than most organic life forms, and the second pair of arms, folded against its back. In fact, this was an Architect Droid, a very rare breed, and one who had served the Order longer than any living Jedi, for the singular purpose of assisting in the crafting of lightsabers.
"Good morning padawans." Master Plo greeted, bowing slightly.
The padawans returned his bow, and his greeting.
"Most of you have already met Professor Huyang."
"Hello younglings." The droid casually greeted. Like his face, the droid's voice could easily be mistaken for that of an organic, although it bore a deeper, metallic echo.
Plo Koon was correct. Unlike most padawans, these six had had many dealings with the droid who would one day help them build their lightsabers, before that fateful time came. This was entirely due to Brooke. She had found out about the droid years ago during her studies into Jedi technology, and had tracked him down, to geek out over his workings. While annoyed by Brooke initially, Professor Huyang came to appreciate the padawan's technological skills, and, although he would never admit it, was even slightly endeared by her fascination with him.
"I'm sure it's crossed all of your minds once of twice what kind of lightsabers you might one day wield." Huyang stated, prompting a couple of smirks, "Once you've found your crystals, I'll be happy to help you finally get your answer."
Along with the droid and the Jedi Master, the padawans boarded the ship they had been waiting in front of, The Crucible. The ship was a large, Jedi cruiser, similar in size and capabilities to the freighters smugglers often used. It was large enough to comfortably house the entire group for an extended voyage, and reliable enough to traverse dozens of star systems, before needing maintenance or refueling.
In the heart of the ship, was a spacious room, lined with small drawers, each one filled with lightsaber components. It was here, that Master Plo led the younglings.
"Professor, take the ship into orbit." The Jedi requested. "I shall join you on the bridge, once the padawans have informed me of our destination."
"We have to tell you?" Alyssa asked, in a panic.
"Of course." Plo Koon answered. "Your Kyber Crystals are connected to you, just as you six are connected to each other. Only you, can know where your crystals are to be found."
Plo Koon sat on the ship's floor, and crossed his legs, the padawans followed suit.
"Reach out, through the Force. Find the connection. And Padawan Celeste? Perhaps you could join us, even though you undoubtedly already know where we're going?"
Max smirked in embarrassment. It was true. She had known, since her morning meditation, that there was only one possible destination, of their trip. Luckily, everyone had been too focused on their lightsabers to ask her.
The padawans closed their eyes, and exhaled slowly. Even though Max already knew where it was, she too, tried to feel her connection with her Kyber Crystal, feeling like she had cheated, somewhat.
"I feel… warm." Rachel said, quietly. "And humid!"
"Yeah, the crystals are somewhere with a bunch of trees!" Alyssa added.
There was some excited murmuring. For a bunch of kids who grew up on Coruscant, there wasn't much that was more exciting than visiting a planet teeming with wildlife, where the air could be heavy with dew, instead of smog.
"Whoa… I feel weird." Warren said. "I feel… Oh Force!"
The other padawans opened their eyes to see, to their astonishment, Warren was floating a few inches in the air.
"What's happening to me!?" Warren cried. "Am I TOO connected to the Force!?"
While the other padawans shared Warren's shock and alarm, Plo Koon exhaled loudly. "Padawan Preeva, a moment of sincerity, please, if you can manage one."
The group span around, to see Chloe subtly extending her fingers, and giggling to herself.
Once Chloe had released Warren, and calm had been restored, the group continued to meditate. Together, they saw towering forests, monstrous creatures, and gigantic, glowing mushrooms, the likes of which one might find in a fairy tale. Even though the planet had relatively little contact with the rest of the galaxy, it was fairly well known, for its unique, and spectacular ecosystem.
"Felucia!" Brooke, Alyssa and Rachel said, at roughly the same time.
"I shall inform the professor." Plo Koon announced, with a hint of pride in his voice, as he climbed to his feet, and headed towards the bridge.
Rachel made a high-pitched squealing sound. "I can't believe we're going to Felucia! I read there are trees there, the size of Coruscant skyscrapers!"
"I heard there are bugs, the size of freighters…" Brooke nervously added.
"I can't believe we're gonna be a billion lightyears from the nearest cop, or Jedi Master with a stick up their exhaust port." Chloe announced, cheerfully. "The first thing I'm gonna do with my lightsaber, is carve a gigantic, abstract sculpture out of a tree!"
"I know Master Plo is cooler than Master Windu, but how long as you hoping he'll wait around?" Max asked, teasingly.
Before Chloe could respond, Warren chimed in, with what excited him, about Felucia. "First thing I'm gonna do, is tame a Rancor with the Force, and then ride it!"
"Rancor are from Dathomir, dingus." Chloe taunted. "I would know."
It was true, that Chloe's interest in her mother's home planet, made Dathomir one of the few subjects she could study extensively, without falling asleep.
"Yeah, but smugglers took them all over the galaxy, and a bunch of them populated other planets. They're really popular with gangsters. Some people even think Jabba the Hutt has one."
The flight from Coruscant to Felucia took several hours, not one minute of which wasn't spent by the children, excitedly discussing their upcoming adventure. In the cockpit, Professor Huyang shot more than one exasperated expression at his stoic companion, in regard to the distant chattering.
Finally, the ship lurched slightly, as it exited hyperspace. The six padawans raced to the outer corridors of the ship, to press their faces against the windows. The planet was beautiful. From space, it looked a mossy green, with vast oceans and swirling clouds. There wasn't a puff of smog or an electronic light to be seen, unlike the children's home.
The sight was nothing though, compared to how it felt. Coruscant was teeming with life, of course, but almost all of that life, was made up of people, people of thousands of different species, of course, but people nonetheless. The entire planet had roughly enough plants to fill a small garden, and the planet's animals, were all either pets or vermin. On Felucia, on the other hand, life roamed free. It flourished and bloomed in every shape and form. There were people, and beasts, and insects and plants, and fungi and monsters, and countless combinations of the above. The Force here, was familiar, yet drastically different, and even from orbit, the children could instantly feel it.
Plo Koon and Master Huyang lowered the ship, first through the planet's atmosphere, and then through a dense canopy of leaves, eventually coming to rest, on a mushroom, the size of a small mining platform. The Jedi Master and the younglings reconvened at the back of the ship, as the boarding ramp slowly lowered, letting in a waft of intoxicating, flowery air.
"We are close to the crystal cavern." Plo Koon announced. "Can you feel it, younglings?"
Even as overwhelmed as they were, by how different the Force felt here, the younglings could feel the allure of their Kyber Crystals, as through they were calling out to them, through the jungle. The children shared some nods and verbal confirmation to each other, and the master.
"You'll find the cavern just a few minutes' walk from here. Stay together, and help each other, and I've no doubt I'll see you all soon, with crystals in hand."
"You're not coming with us?" Alyssa asked, nervously.
"Why would I? I already have a lightsaber." Plo Koon reminded her.
Although the others seemed nervous, Chloe almost immediately clapped her hands together. "Awesome! Let's roll out, people!"
With Chloe fearlessly leading the way, the other padawans nervously descended the ship's ramp, and embarked into the forest. They leapt gracefully over the mushrooms and rocks, following the call of their crystals. Max struggled to keep up with Chloe, at the head of the team, while Rachel flew effortlessly at her side. Twice, on their journey, the six of them huddled together, against the bark of a tree, as a leviathan of a rancor stomped past, scaring the group so much, that Warren didn't even say "I told you so" until long after it passed. On another occasion, the group was set upon by a swarm of blood-sucking mites. Sensing the danger, they pooled their powers, standing back to back, generating a dome-shield around them, with the Force, until the swarm gave up and moved on.
True to Master Plo's word, it wasn't long, before the padawans found the end of the trail, left by their crystals, although it wasn't what they were expecting. As the trees thinned, the padawans found a crater they could barely see the other side of, lining it, were hundreds of enormous, spiked teeth, pointing inwards. Reaching high into the air, from the center, were tentacles, taller than any tree they'd seen so far.
Anyone with even a passing knowledge of the Galaxy outside their own home knew what this was. It was one of the reasons Felucia was famous. The children had no idea they had landed near it, or that it would somehow be the destination of their search for Kyber crystals, but partially submerged in the dirt, before the children, lurked the galaxy's largest Sarlacc.
