"Concentrate," the weathered Jedi Master reminded his students. The Padawans were practicing an ancient concentration technique of performing a handstand while levitating lightweight orbs in front of them using the Force.
The Master began to pace in front of the Padawans, before stopping in place, and closing his eyes, "the Force is everywhere, flowing through everything. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. It gives us life, it gives us purpose. The Force will guide you, you just have to embrace it..."
In the midst of the Master's speech, a pretty seventeen year-old girl slowly began to move her orb farther off the ground, before positioning it immediately behind the older Jedi. A mischievous smirk crossed the girl's face, as she winded the sphere back and prepared to launch it into her mentor's back.
Right as the girl was about to execute her plan, she felt herself lose hold over the orb. Her grin quickly faded, as she attempted to wrestle back control.
In a twist of irony, the orb launched back towards the girl, struck her in the torso, and she toppled over onto the stone floor in a heap.
The Master turned around with a raised eyebrow, "kriff around with the Force, however, and you'll always get burned, Clara."
Clara rubbed her back and groaned as the other Padawans laughed at her expense, before the Master raised his hands to silence the room, "you are all dismissed for the day," Clara began to rise with the rest of the Padawans, but the Master stopped her, "except for you, Miss Skywalker." A dejected look crossed over Clara's face as she sighed and turned to face the Master.
After the rest of the students had left, Clara began to offer her apologies, "I'm sorry, Master Katarn, it…" Clara trailed off mid-sentence as she stared in confusion at Katarn's beaming face.
Katarn chuckled heartily, "kid, if I wasn't used to your hijinks by this point, the stress would have killed me already, don't worry." Clara had been chosen as Katarn's apprentice since she first began her training as a small child. For reasons of conflicting interests, her father had wanted Clara to be trained by a non-family member. Master Katarn had become like an uncle to Clara, and the two shared a very close relationship.
Clara cocked her head slightly, "so what is this about?"
Clara and Katarn strode through the long, stone corridors of the Temple. The pair walked in silence, until Clara spoke up, "so why are we going to the storage-bay again?"
Katarn turned to face Clara, "patience, you'll see soon."
Clara brushed a stray strand of raven-hair behind her ear, "any word from my parents?" Her parents had been asked by the Republic to oversee diplomatic proceedings in the Mid-Rim.
"Yeah, they sent a transmission last night. Things are going well on Ord Mantell, and they should be back by next week." Katarn answered with a smile.
Clara's jade-eyes twinkled, "good."
The two reached the end of the hallway, and stopped in front of a door. Katarn pressed a button on a control panel, and the door slid open. Stepping to the side, he motioned for Clara to walk in ahead of him, before following her inside the room.
As Clara stepped inside, she glanced around the room. The floors were covered by crates that were presumably filled with galactic artifacts that the Jedi had recovered on missions.
Katarn walked over to one of the crates, and removed something from the container. The wise Jedi then turned, and slowly approached Clara. As he became closer, she knew what the object was; it was a lightsaber hilt.
"This lightsaber was used by both your father and grandfather," Katarn explained.
Clara stood in blind awe of the weapon before her. Her father had told her that he lost the saber during the Rebellion, and now, it was being held right in front of her eyes, "how..."
"Master Saganey recovered it from a merchant on Nar Shaddaa," Katarn looked his apprentice straight in the eye, "this lightsaber has been in your family since the age of the Old Republic," Katarn paused for a moment, "and your father wants you to have it after you're knighted," he extended the hilt towards her, "take it."
Clara gingerly grabbed the saber from her master's hand. She ran her fingers over the cold, metallic surface, before igniting the weapon. A pale-blue beam emerged from the end of the hilt with a resounding buzz. Clara swung the saber in short motions in front of her, mesmerized by the cyan glow.
Eventually, Clara turned off the saber, and returned it to Katarn, who placed his hand on her shoulder, "it has been my greatest honor to train you, kid, very soon, your training will be complete-"
A breathless Jedi appeared in the doorway, interrupting Katarn, "Master, you need to come to the briefing-room, now."
Clara anxiously paced back and forth in front of the briefing-room door. What was going on? Every present member of the Jedi Council was there, as well as several Knights; things like this almost never happened.
Eventually, the door slid open and the Jedi filed out, their faces solemn and reflecting deep graveness. Clara spotted her master in the midst of the group, and approached him, "Master,"
Katarn continued to walk, "the Republic shipyards over Kuat are under attack, I'm leading the defense."
Clara's eyes widened, "what? Who is it? The First Order?"
Katarn shook his head, "I don't know, but it seems doubtful; the war's been over for decades."
Determination crossed Clara's face, "well, I need to go."
Katarn stopped and turned to face her, "Clara, you're not ready."
Clara folded her arms, "the Republic is going to need all the help they can get, and besides," she bit her bottom lip, "what else do I have to learn?"
Katarn looked her in the eye, before answering her in a near-whisper, "much more than you know, my young Padawan".
The veteran Jedi turned and left Clara to her thoughts. She was ready; she understood that Master Katarn was only being protective, but he said it himself: her training was nearly complete, and soon she would be Knighted. Her father was Grand Master of the Order, and one of the most respected Jedi in history. She was at the top of her classes, and held incredible prowess with the Force in spite of her age. The Republic was calling for help, and she had to answer.
The door to the storage-bay opened. Slipping inside, Clara quickly moved to the small box. She opened the lid, and removed the shiny, chrome hilt.
Clara clipped the hilt onto her belt, she had to answer.