9 BBY
FORTRESS VADER, MUSTAFAR
Normally, he was accustomed to her incessant pestering. Now, however, that the promise of training loomed over her, it seemed he couldn't get even a moment's respite. He had been looking over reports of Outer Rim conquests when she wandered in. It seemed the list of Separatist holdouts was beginning to dwindle.
"So, what shall we learn today?" she asked casually, hopping on his desk. He didn't look up, despite her expectancy.
"I am still determining your curriculum," he said in one breath. His thoughts were drawn back to the promise he had made with Breha all those years ago. He desired for her to grow stronger, to be able to defend herself, but not be corrupted. Vader just wished he had a duracrete answer.
She let out a long sigh of boredom. "Can it really take this long? I thought that Sith training is unstructured. I've never seen The Emperor teach you anything."
"The Emperor," he said bitterly, "has put me in a difficult position. I will not train you in the ways of the Sith," he bluntly said.
"What? Why not?" she asked, frustration mounting. "Did you keep me waiting this long just for that?"
"Your future is no small matter to me," he said. "The Dark Side is a fire. It is powerful. Destructive. However, it requires much to keep it fueled, and yet it will never be sated. I refuse to burden you with it as I have been."
She prepared her next question carefully. "Why don't you just stop using it, then?"
"I cannot," he said absolutely. He could no longer protect her from the Emperor if he did that. "You will focus on your training, instead of me."
"Well, then what can you teach me?" she asked slowly, confused.
"If you should learn only one thing from me, do not follow my path. Do not trust the Emperor," he said. Regret of the highest caliber weighed him down.
She smiled at him, taking his hands. "I understand. He's only made me his Hand to make me complacent- or something. I won't lower my guard."
Although she clearly did not understand every implication, he was prideful nonetheless. He was struck with the unavoidable idea that he was undeserving of her, so he turned his back to her, unable to face her. "The only similarities your training shares with the Sith methods is that they will be largely self-study. I will lay down the groundwork, and you will build yourself up from there."
"Where should I start?"
Vader was glad that no matter which avenue he took, the starting point was the same. "A lightsaber."
"Can't you just give me one? Let me keep the loaner?"
"No. A lightsaber whose crystal is not yours will never be able to be wielded to its full potential. Whether you find it or it finds you is irrelevant," he explained. "It must choose you, forcefully or otherwise."
"Where can I do that?"
"That is up to you," he said, much to her annoyance. He knew the fun of being cryptic now.
She pursed her lips, taking a moment to consider it. "Well, the Jedi gathered their crystals from that one ice planet, right? I think I should start there."
"Tell me what you feel, not what you think.," he said, folding his arms. Ilum was probably not the best place for her to go as the planet was currently being strip-mined for its Kyber. It was supposed to be top-secret, and he felt like doing no paperwork or providing explanations.
She reached out to the Force as she was told, begging for an answer. A desert heat warmed the room, only for a moment. "Tatooine," she said immediately.
Vader grimaced, but trusted her instincts nonetheless.
He stood up, folding his arms. "Very well. You shall return to Tatooine until you can uncover the conceivable reason anyone should feel compelled to return there," he said, disdain dropping from every spoken syllable.
"Wait, what about you?"
He began walking out of the room, sparing no time. "I will accompany you to the planet only to drop you off. Artoo-Detoo shall be your only companion as I wait for your return."
He sensed her defeat from behind him. Leia was hoping for some more support, obviously, but this was what she wanted. If she succeeded, she would come out confident and capable. Failure would drive her to being more cautious at his side until she learned confidence another way. Regardless, she would learn much and not be in any true danger.
He spoke before her anxieties reached their limits. "This will be a trial for me as much as it is for you," he said, coming to a direct halt. "Artoo, do not let her out of your sight."
The astromech trilled in sarcastic acknowledgement, rolling off toward the hangar. Leia's uneasiness fueled more uneasiness as she followed the droid. He would have to teach her to send those feelings away into the Force.
LARS HOMESTEAD, TATOOINE
Her frustration steadily built as she kicked a pile of sand near the burnt ruins of the Lars Homestead. She'd been there in the hot suns for nearly half a standard hour waiting for something to happen. Leia sat down with a harrumph next to an old moisture vaporator, still possessing no inclination to move. Following her instincts was boring, she decided.
Tatooine had probably just come to mind on a whim because of how much she had been reading about the planet. This wasn't the work of the Force but her stupid subconscious.
Before she exclaimed in frustration once more, something on the horizon caught her attention. She pulled out her macrobinoculars, spying as hard as she could. Leia thought she recognized them as Bantha just as a transmission came from Artoo about lifeforms approaching.
She sighed, zooming in on the handful of listing Bantha. "Yeah, I can-"
Danger screamed at her as two rounded eyeholes met her own through the binocs, and a hoarse war cry filled the air. She gasped instinctually as fear filled her. Leia dropped her macrobinoculars, calling the lightsaber at her belt to her hands- just in time to cut an incoming Gaderffi stick in half. The warrior managed to redirect the blunt end into her gut, knocking the wind out of her.
Leia leapt backwards and raised the weapon defensively, signaling to no less than six Sandpeople that she was not afraid to cut more than their weapons in half. While maintaining what she could best describe as eye contact, her would-be assailant dropped what remained of his weapon to the ground, saying something as gently as someone speaking Tusken could.
Her guard did not lower, even as the other five brought their own weapons down. She sensed some kind of fear radiating around the lightsaber she held.
The one closest to her slowly moved his hands, an attempt at a signed language. Unfortunately, she understood none of the sort. "I don't understand you, but I understand your fear towards this," she said, raising the blade high. The Sand People all recoiled. "I won't harm you if you don't harm me," she said, extinguishing the weapon.
The Sand People slowly came back to their full heights. Reluctance and caution filled the air. That doubled when Artoo came up from the burnt homestead, arc welder sparking. "Hold it," she ordered both groups. "Artoo, I don't suppose you speak their language?"
His head swiveled back and forth. Tensions remained high and palpable.
"Do you know anything about them?"
Artoo beeped something soberly before mentioning water. She was grateful she'd been brushing up on her binary.
"Then go get some. A peace offering," she said, handing it over as soon as the droid brought some in a flask.
Their leader cautiously accepted it, before looking inside, most likely to confirm the contents. He grunted excitedly. The others seemed not to share his sentiment. Shortly, he poured the water into his own flask before returning Leia's.
Leia looked up at the Tusken, who seemed to be regarding her with more curiosity than caution. His compatriots clearly did not agree. The Sandperson conversed with his companions, seemingly defending her as he motioned back and forth.
"Is there anyone in your tribe who speaks basic? I'm looking for something," she asked, elongating her sentence for emphasis. "Basic?"
The Sand People stopped, their leader beckoning her forward. Leia cautiously approached just as their Bantha caught up. Artoo wheeled along behind her, muttering atrocities. She was urged to follow, and did so optimistically. Something was to be found in the sand, and if anyone could help her find it, it would be the people living in it.
Even for their size, the Bantha had quite the smell. It wasn't bad, but distinctly one of livestock. All but the Tusken nearest her hopped up on their mounts. Leia was helped onto the leader's Bantha, Artoo tied snugly to the side of the creature.
They began their trek single file, just as the second sun blazed overhead.
MOS ESPA, TATOOINE
While Vader had great confidence in his daughter, it was no easy task for him to send her out on her own. Especially if her destination was Tatooine. At the very least he was on the planet, ready to pick her up if she fell, which he constantly told himself in order to not worry.
As fortune would have had it, he already had reason to come here. Obi-Wan had been here for years, and surely someone would have information regarding that. He marched into the palace of Jabba the Hutt, anger filling him as usual. It went without saying that as a former slave, he detested the filthy slugs. Not much was keeping him from flying to Nal Hutta and making them extinct.
The death in his wake was no more than usual, he grimly supposed. He'd been forced to kill two guards, and needless to say, the jovial music stopped when he entered the audience chamber.
Jabba curled his lip at the Sith. /Lord Vader. Why have you come here?/
The slime-caked protocol droid next to him lit up. "The mighty Jabba-"
He deactivated the droid with a wave of his hand, unwilling to stand the needless flattering. Simply put, he had no respect for Jabba. "I have come for information. You will give it to me if the Empire is to continue to turn a blind eye to your kind."
/Big talk for the Emperor's lapdog. Everything has a price, even-/ Jabba stopped as an invisible hand tightened itself around his windpipe.
Weapons clicked in his direction, and murmurs broke out through the crowd of ruffians.
"Your life will be sufficient payment. With such a precious resource waning, I will not waste any of your time," he said, vice grip still enacted. "You will tell me every rumor you've heard about any Jedi survivors."
He released Jabba only to hear his answer, waiting patiently as the Hutt gasped for air. /Why didn't you say so before? I've heard of many unexplainable things in the desert. Most recently, someone altered with the memories of my enforcers while collecting my water tax./
"Water tax?" he asked absentmindedly. No such thing existed in his childhood.
Jabba latched onto that. /Why has that caught your interest? Water is a precious resource here, and thus I tax it during this time of drought./
"No matter," he said, fuming. "How recently did this occur?"
/Months ago. I recognize a Jedi mind trick when I hear of one,/ Jabba explained.
"You will provide me with a bounty hunter. Your best," Vader commanded. "It is my mission to hunt down this Jedi."
Jabba motioned sharply with one of his vestigial arms, and a voice he'd heard in a thousand men rang out behind him. "That would be me."
Vader turned around, seeing a man in green Mandalorian Beskar. "Boba Fett."
"What's the job?" the hunter asked, an air of professionality around him.
"I have heard a great many things about your methods. I wish to deal with this Jedi myself, not his ashes," Vader said.
Fett showed great initiative in approaching the dark lord. "You pay me enough and I'll follow any and all special instructions to the letter."
"Very well," Vader said, motioning for the hunter to follow. They walked out of the palace at a leisurely pace, stepping over the guards.
"You think my methods are extreme?" he quipped, dodging a puddle of Gamorrean blood. He didn't actually expect an answer, but his fear spiked slightly.
"Are you familiar with Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Vader asked as they stepped near the Firespray that Fett called home.
"You could say that," the bounty hunter said, distant. "Where was his last position?"
"A homestead in the Jundland Wastes. I believe he intends to join the Rebellion. You should be able to make do with that, given your reputation. I would not like to be dissapointed," Vader told him.
Fett nodded his helmet. "A Jedi goes for five times my usual rate."
"Ten times. Your discretion is required."
Vader watched as the bounty hunter departed, arms crossed.
DEEP DUNE SEA, TATOOINE
It was hours before they approached what she presumed to be the village. Despite her thoroughness in covering up, she could feel a sunburn manifesting upon her cheeks. They arrived near a cluster of drab hide domes, and it seemed nearly everyone had come out to anticipate their arrival.
The confusion, displeasure, and fear were palpable, especially as she hopped down to the ground, not as a prisoner.
A large Tusken with an elaborate headdress approached the rider of the Bantha she'd rode in on. They had a back and forth, with warriors backing both men up. Something was said, causing fear to dominate the atmosphere. A smaller, high pitched voice broke in, causing anger to fill the dry air.
Several hoarse cries filled the air as a Tusken her height was thrust forward through the crowd. They nervously barked something to the elders through the slit in their facial mask.
"Basic?" Leia thought they asked. It was difficult to decipher due to the speaker's presumed tendency to forcefully push all the air out of their lungs by the end of each sentence.
"Yes, I speak that," she replied.
The child looked to the elder, conversing presumably to gather sentences to translate. "You're too young to be the Demon Outlander, but you have a fire sword."
"I don't know about that," she said, brandishing her deactivated weapon. "This is a lightsaber, and I'm not the only one to wield one."
"Why come here if not to punish?"
Leia sighed, tired of their fear. "I'm looking for a crystal of some kind. A gem, you know."
The child translated for the chief once more. "We will help you. You are welcome to stay. Don't want to anger the Demon Outlander."
"Who exactly is this Demon Outlander?"
"A neighboring tribe was killed in the night many years ago by an angry demon with a fire sword. The biggest murder of our people since the Builders," they explained. "Every so often, he returns. We have a shrine."
Her attention was directed to a wooden effigy in the center of the village depicting none other than her father. Temporarily disturbed, she dismissed it. Perhaps her father had modeled his armor after a Tatooine legend. He did grow up here. That seemed to be the most sensible conclusion, so she resolved to get back to asking questions.
Leia raised an eyebrow along with her next question. "Why do you speak Basic so well?"
The child seemed to become nervous for the first time, despite speaking to someone with a weapon used to exterminate a clan. "I… sneak away often. To trade and talk to outlanders in town. It is good fortune you do not speak the Hutt tongue. I am not so good at that one."
"Well, I'm thankful for your hospitality," she said. The child cocked their head, as if awaiting an explanation. "Hospitality. It's treating your guests well. I'm Leia, by the way."
"Reiren," they responded. The chief barked something. "Ahk'Rei wishes to speak with you."
"Alright," she said, keeping her guard up as she followed the chief and the child into a large tent.
Ahk'Rei roared, gesticulating as he urged the girl to sit. Leia and Reiren did so. The latter turned to the former. "Why do you need this crystal, he asks. For glory?"
Leia took out her lightsaber, trying her best to replicate what her father had done in meditation. The weapon came apart, the blue crystal in full view. The two were gobsmacked by the display of sorcery. "This is borrowed. I need to make one of my own. The crystal… powers it."
Considering it after Reiren translated the message, he spoke again. "Does shape matter? Ahk'Rei knows where you can find a round one."
Leia opened her mouth before shortly closing it. She raised a brow. "I'm unsure. As long as light can pass through it, it should do."
Ahk'Rei produced a pearl from his robes, black and translucent in color. "Will this do?" Reiren asked in his stead.
As the pearl wasn't Kyber in nature, she knew it wouldn't do. However, something about it felt right. "That one specifically won't, it's not connected to the Force," she demonstrated, putting the weapon back together. "Where did you get that? I have a feeling I can get one that'll work."
"A… Krayt Dragon that he killed in his youth. He killed it and took it from its stomach. It's our coming-of-age ritual, to take a Dragon's gizzard stones," Reiren explained without waiting for the chief to speak.
That didn't sound good, especially since she was drawn to this method. "Krayt Dragon? Is that as bad as it sounds?" she asked for confirmation. Of course, given the size of the gastrolith, she was fearing for her life already.
"Yes," Reiren said. "We can take you to the graveyard if you wish, although those bones have been picked clean. He doubts you can take on the challenge yourself, even for one with a fire sword."
She considered her options. "That would be a nice place to start, this graveyard. Do you leave their remains there?"
"Sometimes we do. Sometimes they do. The old ones," Reiren explained.
Leia stood up. It sounded as if they were unlikely to encounter a live one, and even then, any Krayt they ran into would be going there to die. It wasn't too bad of an idea, she decided, but she'd omit details to her father. "I'd like to go there."
Ahk'Rei stood in turn. "He will gather warriors," she was told.
THE PROFUNDITY, HYPERSPACE
Needless to say, three Jedi walking down a hallway casually caught the attention of most aboard the Profundity. Not even Luke minded, as he was more interested in how magnificent the bulkhead was. Mon Calamari ships were works of art first, cities second, and ships third, as the saying went. The walk to the command bridge was relatively speedy, though.
All eyes were on them even after they arrived. Mon Mothma smiled. "Commander Tano, you've done well."
"Senator Mothma, it is good to see you," Obi-Wan said.
She chuckled. "I can't imagine seeing me alive is as fortunate as seeing you, General Kenobi. With you on our side, morale and support for the cause will increase exponentially. An added bonus is of course a reunion with the great Negotiator. I wish you had come to more Republic events. Your company was finer than most."
"I might as well act like I'm deserving of the accent," Obi-Wan said with a smile. "There will be more opportunities to socialize, I'm sure, when the Empire is gone."
"Forgive me for going off track. I'm not sure I'm familiar with your young friend."
"This is Luke Skywalker," Obi-Wan said, motioning to him.
Luke nodded and smiled. "It's very nice to meet you."
Mon Mothma clearly recognized the implications of such a surname. "Likewise. Are you training to be a Jedi?"
"Just like my father," he answered.
She smiled. "I'm glad to see the Jedi didn't end like the Empire hoped. If you become even half the Jedi Anakin Skywalker was, there's no more reason to be concerned for your order's survival.
Obi-Wan would have preferred her inspirational words to not be so charged. Luke already had quite the reputation to live up to, and it seemed everyone they met was more than eager to add to the burden. He had his faith in the boy's humility, though.
"No pressure, huh?" Ahsoka said with a smirk. Luke was standing flabbergasted.
Mon Mothma nodded. "I apologize for bombarding you with such a loaded question, General Kenobi, but are there any other surviving Jedi?"
"I'm unaware of any others, I'm afraid. I entered exile in order to watch over Luke almost immediately," he lied. He didn't think it polite to reveal Master Yoda's survival to anyone here.
"If they're out there, we'll find them," Ahsoka declared.
Mon Mothma nodded. "Let me find someone to give you a tour of the ship."
He decided that was in order. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to back these rebels, if they were so organized.
KRAYT DRAGON GRAVEYARD, TATOOINE
Gather warriors, they did. Only four or so accompanied Reiren and Leia, including the chief, and she was glad for it. A small part of her wished more had come as they approached the graveyard. The force was incredibly strong there, calling for all those remotely sensitive to it, like a beacon. A sense of unease was present, and only increased as the silence did.
A canyon was where they had come, one with deep valleys and craggy hills. They passed through a gnarled section of what she thought were dead trees, realizing they were in fact within the ribcage of a massive creature. Then Leia noticed a skull bigger than her father. And another. And another, until they were fully within the heart of this garden of bones.
"The warriors will keep watch while you search," Reiren explained after an exchange with the chief.
Leia sighed and hopped off the chief's Bantha, the sand absorbing most of her momentum. She went to a skeleton she thought was suitable and began to clear sand away where she believed the belly of the beast was. Of course, she found a few stones, but none remotely brilliant, let alone connected to the Force.
"How will you know you've found it?" Reiren asked, nearly startling her.
She shrugged. "The Force, I suppose. It's got to be able to let light pass through it, for sure. Like this," she said, demonstrating by flashing her lightsaber hilt.
"What does it feel like? The Force?"
It was such a natural part of her life that she had difficulty explaining it. "It's… like a calling. Like gravity. It draws me to things, and warns me of danger."
"Like me?" Reiren asked.
She shrugged. "I suppose. What are the odds I'd find the only Sandperson that speaks Basic on this whole planet?"
"You are like me."
"Hm?" she asked, a puzzled look on her face.
"I can feel how your weapon is alive. I see things before they happen too. I'm the best fighter among the children," she said. "But I am a girl," Reiren whispered, almost scandalously. "Do not tell anyone before my coming-of-age."
Leia reached out with the Force, feeling her presence, and indeed, the Force did favor the Tusken too. It was far from the strongest she'd felt, and she supposed that being around such powerhouses as her father dampened her ability to identify Force-sensitives. "You really are. Wow."
Reiren leaned in closer. "Take me with you, to the Outland. Teach me to control this power."
"I can't teach you- I'm learning myself," she explained. "I know who might be able to, but what about your family?"
"They hate me. I am… future thinking. They are mad I learned the language of outlanders, and can fight well," she explained. Looking over her shoulder for the warriors. "But it saved them from you."
If her father said, no, there was always the Inquisitorius. "If you truly believe your life is beyond Tatooine, I can try my best."
"My gratitude," Reiren said. "How do you reach out? I felt you touch me, but your hands stayed still."
Leia held out her hand, deciding to demonstrate. "I just… try my best to fill the surroundings. To stretch myself without moving."
Reiren attempted to do so, immediately recoiling. "Feel that?"
Leia widened her vision, and soon, her eyes. "That's my crystal."
"No, the thing moving!" Reiren exclaimed, first in basic, then in Tusken.
On second thought, it was mildly alarming that her future Kyber was moving towards them, navigating through the canyon walls. Then, she came to the realization that the gastrolith she'd come for was in a living Krayt Dragon speeding toward them. Leia stood up, pressing the Lightsaber's activator. Nothing happened.
The Force screamed at her to get it as far away from it as she could, so she threw it, directly into the face of a behemoth reptile she could only assume was a Krayt Dragon. On impact, the weapon exploded, causing the beast a great deal of pain as it roared in anger. Leia had never heard a sound as intimidating before. The cry penetrated her very being, sending the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end.
"Your fire sword!" Reiren said as the two cowered behind a rock. The Dragon made a short meal of one of the Bantha, and the four warriors barked and hollered as they fought the creature. "Canyon Krayt."
"Is that bad?"
"All Krayts are dangerous."
Leia resisted scoffing as she turned around. The Dragon had two presences, though one was clearly organic and the creature itself. "How do you kill one? I need that crystal!"
"Like any creature. Hitting it until it is dead," Reiren said. "Can you use force somehow?"
"The Force," she corrected, "and it's not like I can just-"
A gruesome realization hit her. She didn't necessarily need to kill the Krayt, she just needed access to the gizzard stones.
"What?"
"Tell them to run," she said, standing up on the rock they were using as cover.
She closed her eyes and opened her mind, reaching out for the inorganic life within the beast. When she had located it, she called it to her as forcefully as she could. The Krayt bellowed in agony just as Reiren gave the order, a bulge on its wounded stomach starting to form. Leia pulled as hard as she could, an organic squelch ringing out through the canyon.
An object sailed through the viscera, arriving in her outstretched hands just before the blood did. Red splashed on her, obstructing her vision. She still had enough sense to jump down, the other stones in the stomach crashing against the cavern wall. The Krayt Dragon let out a harrowing yelp of pain and desperation. Despite her current visual impairment, she could tell it was fleeing.
"Will it die?" she asked, breathing heavily as she wiped the gore from her face.
"I do not think so. They have multiple stomachs," she explained, her own nerves calming. "That was impressive. Are you really that untrained?"
"Believe it or not," she laughed, remembering to open her hands. Inside she found an aquamarine pearl, perfectly rounded by time. It sang to her, glad to be free of the monster's stomach. "Now my training can begin."
DEEP DUNE SEA, TATOOINE
Vader received the message from Artoo sooner than he thought. While she was his own progeny, he had expected her to be out until at least the next day. She wasn't giving in, judging by the droid's lack of sarcasm.
All of his pride melted away as he approached the rendezvous coordinates. He recognized the style of housing of the village he landed next to, and he was furious. A thousand possibilities ran through his mind, and as he exited the shuttle with his lightsaber at the ready, confusion was all he felt.
Leia stood triumphantly next to Artoo, a village of Sand People behind her. Panic was soon sent throughout the force as most of the savages dropped to the ground, prostrating themselves before him.
The child next to Leia surprisingly spoke in basic before dropping to her knees. "The Demon Outlander! H- He is real!"
"Tell them to rise, child. I am not here to deliver vengeance on this day," Vader said authoritatively, visibly confusing his daughter.
The Tusken child did as she was commanded, and shortly, all of them were up and terrified.
"How-"
"It is best to play along with the delusions of these… primitive savages…" Vader told her spitefully.
"Take… Take me with you!" the child cried hoarsely, somehow the most courageous yet fearful of them all.
Vader cocked his head. It had learned to imitate the speech of men. "Why should I do that?"
"She's-"
"Let it speak, Leia," he said, more furious than he had ever let her hear him. Despite all of her ferocity, she was speechless.
"I am connected to the Force, like her!" she said, motioning to his daughter. "I can tell them you demand sacrifice. Take me with you, and teach me!"
He felt it was true. "Why?" was his only word, let alone question.
She seemed taken aback. "I do not belong here. I- I can serve you, like my people once did for the Builders!"
Perhaps Tuskens were not entirely without sentience. "Your myths are not baseless. I performed every deed you recite around campfires and more. You still wish to follow me? Are you not afraid?"
"I am," the child responded immediately. "But I should face it."
Vader ignited his lightsaber, and suddenly panic flooded the mind of every Tusken. They all fell down, scrambled for cover, or readied themselves to fight. All except the child. He extinguished his lightsaber. "Tell them I demand your life in exchange for their safety."
She once again did as she was told. The Tuskens seemed more than eager to be rid of her, and he could feel her negative emotions building. She was clearly unprepared for such an enthusiastic response.
"Let us leave, before I make another myth," Vader said, turning around and marching up the ramp of the Lambda.
Leia, Artoo, and the Tusken child followed him. "My gratitude," the Tusken said.
"Do you have a name?" he asked.
"Reiren," she answered quietly.
"You are now a servant of the Empire. My daughter will catch you up to speed while I fly. Before that, go beyond those doors to the passenger lounge," he said, motioning for the far wall.
"Why are you being so hostile to her?" Leia asked as soon as the door closed.
"We will not speak of that," he said sternly. He had spoken little of his mother to her, and she could not write in her journal while imprisoned. "I trust you found more than desert vermin out there?"
She produced a Kyber, holding it up high and observing how the light passed through with one eye closed. "I found this."
"A Krayt Dragon Pearl?" he mused aloud. "No… That is a Kyber rounded by the ages."
"Does that mean it ate a Jedi? Will it work like this?" she asked.
"It will, although you have just made your task much more difficult. A round crystal produces a more powerful blade. Powerful but unstable…"
"Great…" she sighed. "You'll be there to make sure I don't blow myself up, right? Speaking of, I may have… accidentally destroyed the loaner you gave me."
If he wasn't before, he would now. "Yes, I will."
"I'd better go talk to Reiren," Leia said, leaving to go to the Tusken.
"Wait," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her. He had felt her terror and wished to quell it. "You have done well."
Leia smiled at him, easily tripling the pride he was previously experiencing. "Say, why do they have a statue of you in their town?"
The pride fizzled.
"Go to the lounge."