13.
Ahsoka drove while Jaina sat beside her, telling her where to go. She let her instincts, as well as the sound, guide her. After some time, she told Ahsoka to stop. Opening her eyes, she saw they were somewhere in the mountains, but it didn't appear to be anywhere near their training area.
Jaina climbed out of the speeder and walked toward a large opening in the side of one of the rocks. The sound was coming from inside. Its tune seemed to become more urgent, the closer she got to it. She looked back and realized Ahsoka hadn't followed her.
"This is something you have to do on your own," Ahsoka explained, seeing her puzzled look. "I'll be right here when you return."
Jaina gave her a short nod and returned her attention to the opening. The sound grew even louder and its urgency doubled as she stepped inside. Taking a moment to let her eyes adjust to the dimness, she saw that the opening led to a passageway that continued down into darkness.
The light from the opening slowly faded as she made her way down the path. Before long, it was completely dark, and she couldn't see a thing. She reached out into the Force, trusting it to guide her. She was getting close; she could sense it.
The path opened up into what felt like a large open space. The Force was strong in here like it had been at the old temple site. It flowed in and out of the rock, almost as if it were alive. Whatever was calling to her was also in here. As abruptly as it had started, the sound suddenly stopped, and she sensed another presence there with her.
"I know you're here," she said calmly, into the darkness.
"Perceptive," the voice replied, a hint of amusement to it. It was the same one from the temple site. "But why are you here?" Jaina smiled to herself. She wasn't going to fall for this again.
"Something called to me and it led me here," she answered.
"I see," he said. "Do you know what it is, this thing that called to you?"
"No," she admitted.
"Well, how do you know it's calling to you if you don't even know what it is?" he asked, his tone taking on a mocking edge. Jaina got the distinct feeling he was trying to bait her into losing her temper, and she chuckled.
"A feeling, I guess," she said. "I can't explain it, other than that." The voice was silent for a few moments, and Jaina quietly waited. There was a reason why he was here with her now, she just needed to be patient. He'd reveal the reason soon enough.
"I sense much change in you," he finally said, his voice low and serious. "Where there was volatility, now there is balance. Where there was uncertainty, now there is purpose. I trust you've found the answers to the questions I asked you before?"
"Yes," Jaina said solemnly, "I have."
"Then I believe this belongs to you," he said. And with that, his presence was gone.
Something began glowing from the far side of the open space—which Jaina could now see was a large cavern—lighting up the entire area. The sound was back, stronger, and more urgent than ever. It appeared to be originating from the source of light and Jaina cautiously made her way over to it.
As she got closer, she saw that the light was coming from a crystal fragment of some sort. It was attached to one of the stone formations hanging from the roof of the cavern. She hesitated, then slowly reached out, gently tugging the crystal free.
Immediately, the light vanished, and the sound ceased. She squeezed her hand tightly around the crystal, suddenly terrified of dropping it. There was no way she'd find it again in the pitch black of the cavern. She felt it warm to her touch, and its presence was somehow comforting in the darkness.
She still had no idea what it was, or what any of this meant, but she knew Ahsoka would. She made her way back up the passageway as quickly as she could. Ahsoka was waiting by the speeder, leaning against it and fiddling with one of her lightsabers. She looked up expectantly as Jaina jogged over to her.
"Well?" she eagerly asked. There was an air of excitement around her that Jaina hadn't ever felt before. She held out her hand and opened it, revealing the crystal. Ahsoka's face broke into a wide grin as she looked at it. "I thought so," she said.
Jaina was happy to see Ahsoka so pleased, but she was still confused. "What is it?" she asked, then quickly added, "I mean, I know it's a crystal of some sort, but what does it mean?"
"May I?" Ahsoka asked, motioning to the crystal. Jaina nodded, and with a flick of a finger, Ahsoka floated it into the air between them. "This is a kyber crystal."
Jaina looked at the crystal, then back at Ahsoka, still not understanding. Ahsoka chuckled. "I guess I should've known you'd have no idea what that is," she said.
The afternoon light glinted off the crystal as it hung there. "Kyber crystals were considered sacred to the Jedi," Ahsoka continued, lowering it back into Jaina's palm. Jaina stared at it. How could something so small be considered sacred? As if reading her mind, Ahsoka held out the lightsaber she was holding in her hand.
"A Jedi's lightsaber was considered an extension of their own body," she began, "and each one was as unique as its owner. Every youngling went through the rite of passage that was building their very first lightsaber.
"But, before they could build their saber—" Ahsoka paused to make sure Jaina was paying attention "—they had to harvest their crystal." It took her a second, then Jaina's eyes widened in understanding.
"The kyber crystal is what powers a lightsaber," Ahsoka finished, then ignited her blade.
Jaina's mouth dropped open as she looked between the crystal and the glowing white blade. "You mean—I—," she stammered, suddenly at a complete loss for words. Ahsoka deactivated the blade and returned the saber to its spot on her hip.
"Yes," Ahsoka said, grinning. "That is…if you want to."
Still unable to speak, Jaina vigorously nodded. "All right then," Ahsoka said. "Let's head back and get started."
Jaina could barely contain her excitement as they made their way back to the tower. It was something she hadn't given much thought to, having her own lightsaber. Ahsoka never mentioned it, and Jaina didn't want to bring it up. With her training so focused on other things, it had been ages since the idea had even crossed her mind.
Sabine strolled out of her room when they got back, giving them both a dubious look. "Well, did you find what you were looking for?" she asked.
"Sure did," Jaina replied. "Turns out, I wasn't crazy." She held out her hand and opened it.
"That's still debatable," Sabine joked, as she walked over to look. Her eyes grew wide when she saw what was lying in Jaina's palm. She quickly looked at Ahsoka.
"Is that what I think it is?" she breathed. Ahsoka nodded. "Hang on." She ran off, back to her room. Jaina threw a questioning look at Ahsoka, who just shrugged.
Sabine returned less than a minute later, carrying something. She motioned for Jaina to come over to the table, where she set down an item wrapped in cloth.
"I didn't know for sure if you'd ever get one, and she—" Sabine pointed at Ahsoka, "—was absolutely no help whenever I asked."
"It wasn't up to me to decide," Ahsoka replied.
"Right, right, the Force and all that," Sabine said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I had this made…just in case." She motioned to the item lying on the table. "Open it."
Jaina unwrapped the cloth, revealing a long cylindrical piece of metal—a lightsaber hilt. It was slightly shorter than the length of her forearm and hollow in the center. The metal itself was grey, but there were streaks of blue, black, and white stylishly painted on. A symbol was also etched into it. Tracing it with her fingers, she couldn't recall ever seeing it before.
"It's the symbol of your clan," Sabine explained, smiling. Jaina stared at it, emotion welling up inside her. Her clan. Her eyes suddenly burned, and she quickly blinked back tears.
"I…I don't know what to say," she said softly. She looked at Sabine. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she happily replied. Jaina turned the hilt over in her hands. There was something familiar about the way the metal looked. "Is this…?"
"Beskar? Yes," Sabine answered. "Every Mandalorian warrior needs their own set of armor. I figured this—" she gestured to the hilt "—could be yours."
"It's perfect," Jaina replied. "Thank you. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."
"Just don't scratch the paint," Sabine laughed. However, Jaina could tell she was only half-joking. "It took me forever to get the design just right."
"I'll try not to," Jaina replied, chuckling. She turned to Ahsoka, who had retrieved a small bag and was getting ready to dump its contents onto the table. Jaina recognized the bag as the same one containing the parts Ahsoka had used to teach her how to lift and move objects with the Force. It felt like a lifetime ago.
"I had a feeling these might be useful one day," Ahsoka said, turning the bag over. Sure enough, the same parts fell out, with a few more added to the collection.
"Hand me the hilt and your crystal," she instructed. Jaina handed them over and watched as Ahsoka placed them among the parts. She then unhooked one of her sabers and set it on the table.
"As younglings, we used a holo-diagram as a guide to help build our lightsabers." She began to manually disassemble hers. "Unfortunately, I don't have access to that, so this will have to do."
When the disassembly was complete, she arranged the components neatly on the table, so Jaina could see each one clearly. She paid close attention while Ahsoka went through each component, explaining its purpose. She took her time, allowing Jaina to ask questions, and ensuring she understood before moving on. By the time they were finished, Jaina was no longer excited. The only thing she felt now was nervous. This was a task she really didn't want to fail.
"You have all the pieces you need to build your saber," Ahsoka assured her. "The key is to trust that they will fit together exactly how they're supposed to. You have to trust the Force. It's the only way it'll work."
She closed her eyes and all the disassembled parts of her lightsaber floated into the air. One by one, they methodically fell into place next to each other, forming a straight line. Then, in one smooth movement, all the pieces slid together. After a final click, her lightsaber was reassembled once more.
"You make it look so easy," Jaina grumbled.
Ahsoka gave a short laugh. "Maybe now. It wasn't so easy when I built my first one. Now, close your eyes." Jaina obediently closed them.
"Think of what your lightsaber feels like," Ahsoka continued. "Not what you think it should look like, but what it feels like when you're holding it. Does that make sense?"
After a moment, Jaina nodded. "Good. Now think of the pieces laid out in front of you. You already know they'll fit together, so arrange them in your mind to match what you feel."
Jaina spent the next hour or so arranging and re-arranging the various parts in her mind, trying to get them to match what she felt, just like Ahsoka had instructed. It was as difficult as she thought it would be, but she refused to give in to the frustration that was trying to edge its way in.
Finally, something clicked in her mind, and she immediately knew where each piece was supposed to go. She lined them up, gave them a once-over to be sure, then slid them together. She smiled, hearing the satisfying click that signaled the lightsaber was finished.
She opened her eyes to find her finished lightsaber floating in front of her. Hesitating for only a second, she reached out and grasped it. It was slightly heavier than she had imagined, but everything else felt exactly as it should. She beamed at Ahsoka.
"Well done," Ahsoka said, smiling back. "Now, let's see if it works."
Jaina's face fell. "What if I put it together wrong?" She hadn't even considered that possibility.
"Then it'll explode and probably kill us all," Ahsoka replied nonchalantly. Jaina looked at her, terrified, and Ahsoka shrugged. "I'm sure it's fine."
"Only one way to find out!" Sabine chimed in from the other side of the room.
Jaina stared at the saber, her finger refusing to move to the ignition switch. "Maybe I should take it outside…."
"Oh, for the love of—turn the damn thing on already!" Sabine yelled. Jaina held her breath and hit the switch. A brilliant blue blade sprang up from the hilt, lighting up the room with its glow. Ahsoka had a smirk on her face, and Jaina belatedly realized she'd been messing with her.
"Not funny," she said sourly. She waved the saber back and forth a few times, listening to the sound it made.
"How does it feel?" Ahsoka asked.
"Perfect," Jaina replied. She waved it around a few more times before shutting it off. "And like I have no idea what to do with it."
"Maybe you should start with a training saber," Sabine teased, "you know, like a stick or something. So you don't cut your hand off right away."
Jaina made a face, grabbed one of the motor parts lying on the table, and threw it at her head. Sabine ducked out of her line of fire, laughing all the way into her room.
"We'll begin training with it in the morning," Ahsoka said, shaking her head at the both of them. "But first things first. I'm going to tell you the same thing my master told me. Your lightsaber is your life. Don't lose it."
"Okay," Jaina said, securing the saber on the hook attached to her belt. "I promise I'll try not to."
"No," Ahsoka said sternly, "look at me." It was a tone she rarely used with her, and Jaina immediately obeyed. "I mean it. If you lose it, there's no guarantee you'll be able to find another crystal to build a replacement. The crystals are already rare and are becoming harder to find. And this one called to you. It's yours. That lightsaber is a part of you now. Treat it with the respect it deserves."
The seriousness of her words finally sank in, and Jaina bowed her head slightly. "Yes," she said, then automatically added, "Master."
She froze. In all the months of training, the nature of their relationship had never been discussed. It felt natural to say it, and the word had just slipped out. Internally, she cringed, waiting for Ahsoka to correct her. For a split second, Ahsoka looked taken aback; then the shock was gone, quickly replaced by a small, but pleased smile.
"All right," she said, breaking up the awkwardness of the moment. She clasped her hands together in mock excitement. "Now for the fun part."
Jaina raised an eyebrow and Ahsoka's smile turned mischievous. "You get to help me rebuild this motor."
Jaina groaned. "I thought Sabine was helping you."
"She was," Ahsoka said, "but I'd rather have your help. Besides, being able to repair and rebuild things is a useful skill to have. You can start by retrieving that part you threw across the room."
Jaina suppressed another groan and went to go pick up the part lying on the floor. She spent the next few hours trying her best to pay attention to what Ahsoka was teaching her, but it was hard to keep her mind focused when all she could think about was the lightsaber hanging from her hip.
As promised, the next morning they headed out to the training area. Ahsoka started at the beginning and walked her through the various forms of lightsaber combat. Her ribs were still very much broken, which only added to the difficulty of the movements. Doing anything other than slowly going step-by-step was out of the question for the time being.
Which was completely fine by Jaina. Sabine's comment about cutting her hand off hadn't sat well; all morning, it was the only thing she could think about every time she swung the saber. It felt strange in her hand and she started off more than a little afraid of it. But as the day went on, she became more and more comfortable using it.
She told Ahsoka as much after they broke for lunch. "That's because you're connecting to it," Ahsoka explained. "The Force is constantly flowing through you into the crystal, and from the crystal into you. Eventually, it'll feel as though it's just an extension of your arm."
By the end of the day, Jaina could already feel a difference. She was no longer afraid of it, nor was she afraid of accidentally losing a body part due to her inexperience. She went to bed that evening, tired, extremely sore, but excited for the next day's lesson.
Each lesson built on the previous one and Ahsoka was only willing to move on to the next task once Jaina demonstrated proficiency with the current one. As soon as Jaina's ribs were fully healed, Ahsoka didn't hold back. The intensity of the training sessions increased significantly. It was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time.
From the forms, they moved into learning how to block, then accurately deflect blaster bolts. It was a skill that didn't take her long to pick up, given that she'd already learned how to sense and avoid blaster fire before she ever had a lightsaber. This was simply sensing it, then making sure her blade was in the right place at the right time. Those lessons also gave her a chance to give Sabine a little payback for all the times that Sabine had blasted her before, which Jaina enjoyed immensely.
Almost two months after she'd begun training with hers, Ahsoka started allowing Sabine to join in with the one she had. The first time Sabine brought it out had been a shock to Jaina. She'd had no idea Sabine even had one.
She knew Sabine wasn't Force-sensitive, so she was more than a little curious as to where she had gotten it from. Sabine refused to say when Jaina asked her, and Jaina had felt so much anger and sadness coming from Sabine that she never brought it up again.
Regardless of how and where she'd gotten it, Sabine proved she was adept at using the saber, and provided somewhat of a challenge for Jaina, at least in the beginning. But without being able to utilize the Force as Jaina could, it didn't take long for Jaina to surpass her.
And that's when her true saber training started. Ahsoka began to incorporate all the things she had already learned about using the Force and started teaching her how to use them in tandem with the lightsaber.
Those lessons almost always consisted of Ahsoka showing her how to do something, then dueling with her until she got it right. As mesmerizing as it was to watch Ahsoka demonstrate something with a level of focus and intensity Jaina could only hope to ever reach, it was equally as terrifying to have that focus and intensity trained on her. Jaina almost pitied those who had been caught on the wrong end of those lightsabers before.
The days turned to weeks, and the weeks turned to months as Jaina gradually became more and more skilled: both with her lightsaber and the Force. She knew she'd never reach the level Ahsoka was at—not in this short amount of time—but that didn't stop her from giving everything she had every single day.
The bond between them inevitably grew strong, with Ahsoka embracing her role as master, and Jaina embracing hers as her apprentice. Ahsoka had become the mentor Jaina never knew she needed, teaching her just as much about how to be a decent person as she did the Force.
With the majority of her attention focused on her training, Jaina all but forgot about what had brought her to Lothal in the first place. The events on Garel seemed like a distant memory, and any thoughts or worries about the Inquisitor or the Empire had been pushed to the back of her mind.
Lothal had become the home that Akiva had promised to be, and Ahsoka's assessment of the Imperial threat had been correct. The Empire continued to leave the planet alone, just as Ahsoka had said they would. And unless Sabine made a point to give her any news, Jaina had no idea how the war was going. But that didn't mean she'd forgotten about it. Or Emry. The two were inextricably linked, and Jaina couldn't think about one without thinking about the other.
But besides Emry, she gave no more than a passing thought to what was going on outside of Lothal. For the first time in a very long time, she felt safe and happy. What she didn't realize—or, rather, didn't care to think about—was that just because they were safely tucked away from the Empire's reach, that didn't mean the Empire couldn't reach them at all.
It was a reality she'd soon have to face.