Hello, everyone! I guess this is my first "author's note"! I am so excited for this series and I have so much planned for it. I'm wrapping this storyline – Rose's storyline – into George Lucas's Star Wars universe and I'm having so much fun while doing it. The feedback I've gotten is really incredible, and to think the story has only been up for a day now! Anyway, as always, leave a comment with any suggestions/grammar or writing corrections/Star Wars factoids I might have gotten wrong, and I will do my best to fix them. Enjoy the next chapter!
- The Awkward Author
Also, for those of you wondering, this first book is going to focus more on the friendship aspect to Obi-Wan and Rose's relationship, as they are still fairly young in their lives (they're both about to enter the Padawan stages of their Jedi training). I will probably change the "romance" thing to like "friendship" or something along those lines to avoid future confusion. In future novels, there will be romantic involvement, but think of this book as like the prequel to the rest of the story arch. It's setting up the characters and why they become romantic. For the sake of this series, please note that I am opting to ignore the romantic involvement of other people like Duchess Satine and Siri Tachi. They will merely be friends.
"Wow, I've never seen markings like that before," Obi-Wan said to Rose, taking her arm into his hands. They were on a transport ship about to leave Coruscant for Ilum, the planet where the Jedi found their crystals to construct their lightsabers that was situated in the unknown regions. It was held in high esteem amongst them, and deemed one of the most sacred places for the Jedi.
"You gotta be apart of the cool club to have them," Rose jested, gently trying to squirm out of his grip. His unrestrained touch and intense gaze was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable. He continued to turn her arm over in his hand, taking in every detail of the crest. "It's like a family crest."
"So all of your family has one like this?" he asked.
"Well, not quite. Mine's a little… different than theirs were. Anyway, tell me about this 'Crystal Cave' we're going to," Rose said, trying to change the subject. Obi-Wan let go of her hand and scratched the back of his head.
"Well, we all just kind of go in and use the Force to find our crystals. Then we leave," he said, uncertainty on his voice. "Ilum caves are known to only have a couple colors of crystals, and I've heard that no one else can see your crystal. Makes me wonder about what would happen if your crystal wasn't in that cave."
"Oh, hush, Kenobi," another youngling, Bant, cut in. Her silver eyes were gentle and soothing. "There's a crystal for everyone in there. You just have to feel for it." It had been about a week since her trials to get into the Temple, and Rose had quickly become friends with two of the other younglings – Obi-Wan and Bant. Obi-Wan had introduced her to Bant, a Mon Calamarian, right after she completed her trials.
"I'm just saying what if there wasn't," he mumbled before sliding back into his seat. As the shuttle began to move, all of the younglings took their seats, their anxiety filling the cabin. They jabbered on about what color saber they wanted and what their future intentions were.
"Isn't it odd there are only three of us on this trip?" Bant quipped, her hands occupying themselves. "There are normally at least five who go on the trip to Ilum."
"Not enough people?" Rose suggested, but Bant only shook her head.
"Bruck and Siri were ready. Oh, uh, they're friends of ours. Well, one is," Bant quickly explained. "And you've only been with the Order a couple of days. Master Yoda seems to see great potential in you, Rose."
"Our badassery levels are going to go through the roof," Rose said, thinking. They felt the ship touch down beneath them and saw Master Yoda appear from the cockpit.
"Excited, hrmm?" he asked, raising his ears with a smile. "Put warmer clothes on, we must, lest we wish to freeze." The younglings did as he suggested, putting on the fur-lined jackets they had brought with them. As the platform descended, the howling winds of Ilum's surface shook the ship. The raging blizzard outside nearly drowned out Master Yoda as he spoke to the younglings as they exited the ship. They pulled their jackets close to their bodies and huddled close together. Rose felt the sting of the pounding snow against her nose and cheeks.
"Work together to open the door, we must. Focus your energy, younglings. Reveal the door," Master Yoda closed his eyes and began concentrating the Force onto the large ice pillars that rose above them. Bant, Obi-wan, and Rose all followed his lead, closing their eyes and concentrating hard. Rose felt the energy of the Force moving between all of them, connecting them in a ring. She heard the sliding of the ice as it crashed down, revealing a large door in the cliffside. Master Yoda led the younglings through, leaving the blizzard behind them.
With the flick of his wrist, Master Yoda turned the sun dial at the top of the room, which cast a concentrated beam of light at the top of a sheet of ice. Gradually, the ice melted, revealing a hidden passageway behind the waterfall. The water trickled past them, heading towards lower ground.
"Go, you must. Find your crystals before the door freezes, or trapped you will be," Master Yoda perched himself upon a cushion of ice and began meditating. Rose turned and looked at Obi-Wan and Bant before the trio made for the ice door. As they passed under it, Rose could hear the crinkling of the new ice forming above them, their time freezing with it.
"That wasn't cryptic at all," Obi-Wan said sarcastically. Rose only rolled her eyes at him before making their way into the caves. On either side, the faint twinkling of the ice from the reflection of their lights gave them false illusions of crystals. Coming to a fork in the caves, the younglings came to a stop. From here, the cave diverged into two, long and dark passageways that were nearly identical to one another.
"Split or stick?" Rose asked, peering down both passages.
"Let's close our eyes and point to the cave we feel is right to go down. If we split up, then we split up. We'll let the Force guide us," Bant proposed. Obi-Wan and Rose agreed with her and closed their eyes.
"On the count of three," said Rose. "One… two… three… point!"
The three of them each pointed to a cave. Bant selected the one on the left, while Rose and Obi-Wan selected the other. When they opened their eyes, Bant let out a small whine.
"I had a feeling that would happen," she complained, a hint of worry filling her voice. "But it's where my instincts took me. May the Force be with you both." Bant headed down her cave, leaving Rose and Obi-Wan alone.
"Ready?" Rose asked, and Obi-Wan nodded. "Let's move out." The two of them continued down their own passageway, peering in every corner possible for their crystals. It was Obi-Wan who found his first.
"Do you hear that?" he asked, straining his ears to hear the ringing that now filled them.
"Hear what?" Rose said, likewise straining hers. She couldn't hear whatever he did.
"It's the most annoying ringing sound," he said. "I think it's coming from this direction." Obi-Wan led them down a small crawlspace in the ice, just big enough for the two of them.
"It's a little tight," Rose said, feeling slightly claustrophobic in the tight space.
"Quite, but I think we're almost to the end of it." As the two reached the end of the small tunnel, Obi-Wan pointed to the tip of a nearby pillar. Rose didn't see what he was pointing to, but if he was certain he saw his crystal, she believed him. "There! There's my crystal!" He went to the base of the pillar, his small form feeble compared to it. He began to climb the ice, but as he made it halfway up, he lost his footing and slid down, nearly landing on Rose.
"!" she called out to him. He gave her an embarrassed smile before walking around to the other side of it, looking for a way up. Rose looked up at the column herself, trying to aid her friend.
"Here, I'll give you a boost," Rose offered.
"Think you can handle it?" he said, a hint of cockiness lining his voice.
"Don't be an ass," Rose said, unamused. He faked a look of hurt before turning his attention to the task at hand. He began climbing first, and when Rose was sure he was stable, she climbed up after him, careful to put her footing in the same spots as him. As he neared the spot where the ice had gave out before, he gave Rose a thumb up, indicating that he was ready for her part of the plan.
"Do try not to drop me," he joked lightly. Rose merely shook her head.
"Don't tempt me," she said. She heard him say something else, but she didn't quite catch it in time. Ignoring it, Rose focused all of the Force energy she could scrounge up and pushed Obi-Wan higher and higher. She was nearly to her breaking point when she heard a victorious "yippee" from above her. Looking up, she saw Obi-Wan beaming down at her with proud eyes, gripping a crystal in between his fingers. The two of them slid down the pillar, looking at the crystal.
"Holy smokes that looks cool," admired Rose as Obi-Wan rolled the small crystal in between his fingers.
"You'll find one like it," he said, pocketing it.
"I wonder how Bant is doing," Rose said, thinking of her friend, who was probably scared from being alone in the cave.
"Bant can take care of herself. She's going to be a good Jedi. The Force led her down that path, and it also led us down ours. Now, let's find your crystal," Obi-Wan offered an encouraging grin to Rose, but she still wasn't convinced.
"We're running in circles," she said. "This Force thing is still super annoying."
"Rose, you're being silly," Obi-Wan said, a little impatient. "We'll find yours, just be have your eyes peeled."
"People didn't always get crystals from here," Rose pouted, crossing her arms. "Master Windu didn't."
"Master Windu is different. He crafted his after years and years of experience. We all start out the same," Obi-Wan threw back, throwing up his nose into the air. Rose, accepting defeat, quietly seethed behind Obi-Wan as he wound them through the caves, Rose looking for any sign of her crystal. She was glad Obi-Wan was with her, but she knew time was running short. Rose looked down at the timer Master Yoda had given them on the way to Ilum. It told them how much time they had left before the water door froze over. There were only two hours left. Rose felt a rush of panic and fear surge through her.
"Oi, Obi-Wan. It's time for you to split out of here," Rose hollered at him, not wanting Obi-Wan to be stuck with her.
"I'm not leaving until you leave," he said defiantly. "And we're not leaving without that crystal. Besides, who knows what's in these caves. Something could get you," he teased her, twinkling his fingers in front of her face menacingly, which she only slapped away.
"Shut up, dork. I'd rather not be stuck with you for nineteen rotations," Rose said, grabbing Obi-Wan's arm. He whirled around to face her and shrugged off her grip.
"Rose, we're finding that crystal. That's the end of it," Obi-Wan said a little aggressively. Rose pursed her lips, but didn't have the energy to protest anymore. The two searched deeper into the caves before Rose saw a light behind one of the ice walls.
"There you are," Rose said, rushing up to it.
"Here, if we both concentrate on it, we can crack the ice," Obi-Wan said. The two younglings put their hands up to the wall and focused the Force onto it, causing the wall to shatter. Rose saw a small, white crystal and took it out, its light fading as she put it into one of her back pockets.
"Alright, I think we're go-," another light on the other side of the way caught her attention, it too stuck behind the glass wall.
"What's better than one flashy swords, you might ask? Two flashy swords," Rose joked, walking up to the other wall.
"Really? Another crystal?," Obi-Wan said, eyeing his friend.
"Yep. Help me out here, dork," Obi-Wan nodded, and the two repeated the process they had done on the other wall, smashing it into a million pieces. Rose picked out another small, white crystal.
"Got it," she said with a smile. The two younglings rushed out of the caves to be greeted by Master Yoda and Bant at the entrance, just in the nick of time, as they had to slide under the crushing ice.
"Teamwork, you both have learned," Master Yoda said, approvingly. "Go now, we will." They all headed back to the ship, the younglings sharing their adventures in the caverns with one another. The ride to Coruscant would take four days to get back, and the younglings made themselves makeshift beds in the sitting area. Rose and Obi-Wan fell asleep playing Dejarik, their heads falling together.
Rose was only awoken at the sound of someone's voice calling to her – a voice she only recognized from a distant memory – saying to her "Dantooine".
"What system are we going by?" Rose asked with a yawn to Master Yoda.
"The Outer Rim systems, we are passing. Trouble sleeping, you are having?" he asked, his voice rising at the ends of his questions.
"I had a dream someone was calling out to me. Something about Dantooine," Rose said, her voice still groggy. Obi-Wan stirred beside her, his own eyes fluttering open.
"Hmm… Explore this, we shall," Master Yoda said, leaving for the cockpit. Rose saw the stars outside slow down into view as starship slowed out of light speed. The planet Dantooine came into view of the windows, the soft blues and greens of the planet swirling around.
"Wait, just like that we're going?" Rose called out to the now returning Yoda, getting up from her seat. Obi-Wan, who was still leaning on her, fell into the seat, jutting him awake.
"Indeed, young one. Follow the Force, you will," Master Yoda said, a small smile on his lips.