The Gathering

The Jedi temple on Ilum was a sight to behold for any initiate. The main chamber had been carved out of the mountain, its round walls reaching ever upwards until they coalesced into a domed ceiling with a large crystal chandelier. The chandelier bathed the chamber in a soft white light that cast shadows over the walls. But the most impressive feature of the main chamber was the two large Jedi statues that stood on opposite sides of the room. One guarded the temple entrance with its lightsaber raised high, its head hidden beneath a hood of stone. The other, a lightsaber clutched close to its chest, stood as a watchful guide next to the round gateway covered by ice.

And in the middle of it all, stood boys and girls from many different species, all of them Force-sensitive and all of them dressed in similar brown robes to the two statues. And one of them in particular, a human boy, looked around in awe.

"It is more impressive than I thought it would be…" Lyander mumbled under his breath and traced the outline of one of the statues with his green eyes.

A sudden gust of wind swept in from the entrance and bathed the young initiates in the frozen planet's cold air. Lyander shuddered as the chill pierced his thin frame and he pulled his robes tighter around his person. His hands grew red from the chill and he hid them in the large sleeves of the robes. Yet he could not truly protect himself against the cold. Frost stuck to his lashes and brown hair and it quickly made them hard as stone.

"Why did you think it wouldn't be impressive?" Jaka asked him, the Zeltron boy hugging his robes just as tightly around his frame as Lyander.

"Well, the older initiates—"

"And you believed what they told you? They're just messing with you," Jaka said and clattered his teeth.

Jaka's skin was far redder than Lyander's, but it was not due to the cold but rather his species-specific mutations. While Jaka looked like a human in many ways, his red skin marked him as one of the Zeltrons. Not to speak of his red hair and dark eyes. In a colourless chamber like the Ilum temple Jaka stood out with his bright colours.

Lyander looked away in embarrassment at his friend's words. "They just said I should keep my expectations low, that's all. And I think I understand why… It is freezing here."

"Better here than outside!"

"Of course, but I don't want to be cold either way."

Jaka smiled. "Then just think of the gift awaiting us in the caves. Our first Kyber crystal, Ly. It will be worth it. A few hours in the cold and then we are true Jedi!"

Lyander looked around them with uneasy eyes and nodded slowly. "Maybe. But if I lose a toe I'll blame you."

"Gather round initiates! I have words for you!"

Lyander and Jaka looked towards the ice-covered gateway and saw how Master Vilkas stepped in front of it, yelling for their attention. The other initiates gathered quickly before the old master and Lyander and Jaka hurriedly followed them. Vilkas was a human male with long strands of grey hair draped across his body akin to a cape. His face was marked by a round red tattoo, one which the old master refused to disclose. Master Vilkas would have been intimidating to Lyander if not for his slightly arched back which forced him into an almost bowing position. The only thing that kept the old human standing was a cane made from beautifully polished white wood.

Lyander was always surprised when the next year came and he noticed how Master Vilkas walked around the temple with a glint in his eyes and his cane held high. The man refused to die.

"I'm surprised he survived the journey," Jaka whispered.

Lyander couldn't help but smile, his face cracking up as he did his best not to snort in laughter.

"And I'll live many more years if for nothing else than to keep you on your toes, initiate!" Master Vilkas called to Jaka with a humorous smile, his cane pointed straight at the young Zeltron.

Lyander did laugh as Jaka bowed his head and apologised profusely for his words. Despite his age nothing got past the old Jedi master.

Vilkas swept his eyes over the initiates that had gathered before him and he nodded in approval. "You have all done good this year. You have all reached important milestones in your journey to become Jedi. But one test remains, a test that will determine wether or not you are ready to serve the Order. The Gathering must be completed."

Lyander watched with a curious glance as Master Vilkas knocked his cane against the ice-covered gateway behind him. The sound reverberated throughout the chamber, sounding like a finger tracing the outline of a crystal glass. Master Vilkas stroked his beard and pointed to the ice with his cane.

"This obstacle must be overcome together. Only if you all focus upon the ice may it part and allow you entrance to the crystal caves."

Lyander threw Jaka a cautious glance before he eyed the massive pillar of ice that clung to the gateway and the wall above it. He was supposed to get rid of that? Though he soon noticed how all of his peers had closed their eyes, some holding out a hand towards the ice. With a sigh Lyander closed his eyes and found his fledgling connection to the Force.

Lyander became keenly aware of his friends' presence, their Force-signatures like lanterns in a dark forest. But the thing he noticed the most was the star-like presence of Master Vilkas. The old human must have truly refined his skill and knowledge to reach a point such as this, and Lyander would be lying if he said he wasn't jealous. Though he soon let go of his envy and focused his attention on the wall of ice.

He could feel the cold blockage crack and pull as the other initiates focused on it, and Lyander also pushed against the wall of ice. Though it felt more like pushing against a boulder than ice about to break apart. Lyander growled and focused his will to push against the wall, only to once again fail in breaking it apart. A crack soon sounded throughout the chamber and Lyander opened his eyes just as the ice blocking the stairwell entrance shattered.

Lyander gritted his teeth in frustration. His fellow initiates had been forced to clear away the ice without his help. He cursed his weakness.

"Good! Now follow me!" Master Vilkas said in excitement and hurried through.

Lyander followed him through the gateway, passing a stairwell. He had been told that the stairs up led to the meditation chamber while the stairs down led to the storage area. But the students did not go to either of them, instead they followed a small corridor until they emerged in a passage that would take them to the crystal caves. At the end of this stone passage Master Vilkas stopped them and pointed his cane into the caves.

"I can not follow you beyond this point. From here onward you are on your own. But a Jedi with the Force as his ally is never lost. Let it guide you to your Kyber crystal and listen to its warnings and suggestions. But be aware! You will experience visions once you enter these caves. You may see things you fear, or remember things you wish to be left forgotten. But as long as you listen to the Force you will defeat whatever these caverns may throw at you. I have seen what each and every one of you can do, and I am certain you will succeed."

Lyander and Jaka eyed the network of crystal tunnels before them with both curiosity and trepidation, but Lyander took the first step and walked into the crystal caves. The chill in the air made him shudder, but he pressed on anyway. Jaka soon followed him but they took different paths almost immediately. As Lyander watched Jaka disappear down one of the tunnels he saw wonder in the Zeltron's eyes as the Force gave him guidance.

In comparison Lyander could just barely make out the Force's will, the Light ambiguously pushing him down a tunnel riddled with glowing white crystals before changing directions and forcing him down dark paths so narrow the walls pushed against his shoulders.

"Follow your friends! Do not keep your crystals waiting!" Master Vilkas said and slammed his cane against the floor, making the other initiates rush into the caves in search for their first Kyber crystals.

The Gathering had begun.

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The cold bit into Lyander's fingers like a thousand hungry maws. No matter how much he tried to move them or blow on them it did not stave off the chill of the crystal cave. His feet fared no better as he trudged over frost covered stone and he worried he would lose his toes to frostbite. But he could not leave, not yet. The warmth of the ship on the surface beckoned him but he stilled his worried mind and released his stress into the Force. The cold still stung, but it no longer occupied his thoughts like a restless enemy. His mind was his fortress, those were Jaka's words, and they rang true for him as well.

Lyander closed his eyes and focused on the soft chime that had guided him down natural arches and tunnels. It grew in strength only to pull back and return with a muted cry. The chime repeated this pattern many times like a calm wave. No matter what happened, whether that was rocks falling from the ceiling or water-logged tunnels blocking his path, he followed the wave.

As he pushed further into the cave he had to hunch down and eventually crawl as the dark rock and cool crystals pushed against his back. The further he crawled into the tunnel the stronger the wave became, and it was accompanied by a twinge in the force. Lyander stopped and considered its meaning. Was it a warning? Or an indication he was going the right way?

He looked around but he saw no indication of instability or loose ground. And the wave still called for him. So the boy pushed on, even as he had to lie down on his stomach to continue down the tunnel. That was when the Force called to him again, much clearer this time, and now it was accented by a woman's fear-filled voice.

"Leave me alone!"

Lyander flinched at the fearful shriek and he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He released his worry to the Force and continued to crawl.

Master Vilkas had been very clear, very very clear, that the initiates would experience visions the further they went into the crystal caves. Yet Lyander felt uneasy as the tunnel opened up into a chamber flooded by a warm yellow light. He pushed through the fear and crawled into the chamber, towards the chime and its wave-like pattern.

And suddenly he was no longer on Ilum. He was no longer dressed in Jedi robes. Whereas he had barely fit the tunnel before it now seemed wide around his shoulders. And as he stood up his head barely reached above the tunnel's entrance. Lyander looked down at his hands and gasped as he saw how small they were. And he felt a clump of ice form in his stomach as he saw the green shirt around his small frame. He barely dared to look around him, for he knew what he would find, but he forced himself to look anyway.

Lyander saw a small room with a single bed, a bookshelf riddled with datapads and toys, and a stuffed animal that was almost as big as himself. He remembered this room, as faint and clouded as the memory was.

The sudden flash of light that swept across his room made Lyander jump but he relaxed as he realised it came from the window. Air taxis and speeders flew by outside over the Coruscant landscape. The amount of light produced by vehicles and the many skyscrapers of the ecumenopolis made the night sky seem far away and making out the stars was difficult.

Lyander shook himself out of his thoughts and slowly made his way to the door. He pressed on the console next to it and watched it slide open at an agonisingly slow pace. He remembered the slow door, how it creaked and whirred as the old machinery pushed itself.

"Go away!"

The scream made him wring his hands and Lyander looked out into the dark hallway. There was a crash further inside the apartment followed by the pained moans of an injured woman. Lyander squeezed his eyes shut and took deep breaths, but they only grew more ragged the more he tried to calm down. He stumbled and barely caught himself against the doorway.

Breathe, he needed to breathe.

Yet no matter how much Lyander tried to release his fear into the Force it returned, each time invigorated and more cold. He shuddered and let out a cough. He needed to breathe! Lyander fell to his knees and held his throat. Tears slid down his cheeks and his face twisted into a snarl.

He was beyond this! He had attended meetings with the damn mind reader! He no longer had night terrors or anything else! He could even meditate now! So why was he here!?

A woman's scream brought him out of his thoughts and he looked up. Lyander slowly peered out into the hallway and turned right to look into the living room. Shame crushed down on him as he couldn't hide the sob that ripped through his chest.

Lyander saw the back of a man dressed in dark clothes and sturdy boots. He held a blaster rifle lazily in his left hand as he hunched down over a human woman with long brown hair. Blood pooled from a wound on the woman's head, forcing one of her eyes shut and staining her simple white dress. Her face was distorted in terror and shock and she mouthed soundless questions to the man above her. The attacker ignored the woman and looked through her pockets and ripped a necklace from her neck with a disappointed 'tsk'.

"Mom…" Lyander said with a whisper and he gripped the doorway tightly.

The man froze and turned around, looking straight at the boy, revealing a brown wrinkled leathery face with bulbous growths on its sides. The man's eyes and mouth was covered by a metal mask that gleamed in the light and every few seconds a small foggy excited exhale seeped out of the mouth piece. The man was a Kel Dor. And even though his face was covered the boy could swear the man grinned.

Lyander stumbled back into his room and he slammed his hands against the console to close the door. As the metal door whirred and slowly shut he heard the banging of the man's boots against the floor. He tried to run but he found his legs stiff and unresponsive. He could only stare as the door shut just when the man reached it.

He fell back and crawled, sobbing in fear as he hid under his bed. He could only curl up and hide his face in his hands. He needed to breathe! Why couldn't he breathe!? It was not real! But it felt real. The man looked real. And the woman… His mother… Her face made him remember, despite the fact he had been told to move on by so many of his peers.

A small boy, sobbing, prone over the bloodied remains of a woman. "Please wake up! Wake up!"

He hugged his knees and shook his head. He couldn't lose her again. He couldn't see her like that again. With her beautiful face cracked and cold.

Law enforcement dragged a terrified child away from his mother's body. "Please don't leave me!"

He didn't want to be left alone again.

A new initiate, wracked by nightmares every time he closed his eyes. "Mom!"

He'd be abandoned, just like before…

An injured woman reached out to him with pleading eyes. "Lyander, please…"

His eyes widened and he slowly looked towards the door. That man had hurt her. That thing had stolen from her. That monster had broken into their home through the old front door, thinking a lone woman and a small child was easy prey. And that nightmare would do something worse if he was left alone.

The fog over Lyander's mind finally cleared and he managed to take a deep breath. He forced himself to get up and move. He needed to save her. He couldn't fail her again, he couldn't hide again. He could never again let fear dictate his actions.

Lyander hit the console next to the old door and steeled himself. As it whirred open there was no attacker waiting for him, and so he walked out into the hallway.

And suddenly he was no longer in his mother's apartment on Coruscant. He found himself in the crystal caves of Ilum once again. Lyander looked around in confusion and eyed his body. He had regained his true form, no longer a child but a Jedi youth. Yet the Force screamed at him, begging him to listen to his surroundings. Lyander walked around the small cavern on high alert until he suddenly felt the Force tell him to dodge. Lyander threw himself onto the floor just a blaster bolt whizzed past him.

He looked up just in time to notice the Kel Dor hiding behind a rocky outcrop with the blaster rifle aimed right at him.

"You should have stayed in your room, brat," the Kel Dor growled.

Lyander stared down the barrel of the rifle in fear. He was prone, unarmed, and out in the open. Even if he made a dash for it he would never make it to safety. If he had been stronger in the Force maybe he could have advanced his speed, but he was not strong.

"A Jedi with the Force as his ally is never lost."

The boy couldn't help but snort with a grim smile. The world seemed to slow down for just a moment as the end of the barrel lit up and the rifle jolted as it sent another blaster bolt towards him. The Force was some ally for leading him to his death, for never being there when he needed it. Perhaps the older initiates had been right all along. He should never have been a Jedi. He had always been weak.

The sudden familiar heft in his hand made Lyander's eyes widen, and then tear up. The cylindrical object almost seemed to guide his thumb towards the breaker, and he hit it.

The sound of a lightsaber's activation was unique. It was almost like a wild animal's cry followed by the sound of fire. And that very sound echoed down the tunnels as Lyander held up his lightsaber and blocked the blaster bolt with a swift swing.

The red laser bounced against the plasma blade and hit one of the walls, leaving a scorch mark.

"What in the world…" The Kel Dor said with a tremble.

Lyander stood up and held out his hand. With a cry he pulled the blaster rifle from the Kel Dor's hands with the Force. The rifle clattered over the ground and landed by Lyander's feet. With a swift roll of his wrist Lyander severed the rifle with his lightsaber and he glared at the Kel Dor. The monster that had attacked his mother stood frozen in shock, fear radiating off him in the Force. In fact Lyander could have sworn the man's fear whipped around him like a harsh wind, anchoring him to the ground.

That was good. Lyander wanted him to fear. "Leave."

His words woke the Kel Dor out of his shock and the attacker grabbed a knife from his belt. The man ran towards him with an angry cry and Lyander smiled.

"Then so be it."

The boy took a step back and then thrust his blade outwards, piercing the attacker's stomach. The Kel Dor let out a horrible cry, but Lyander was not done. He swiftly raised his arm and shoulder, almost splitting the man in two as the blade travelled up through his torso and head. The Kel Dor fell down dead and the smell of burnt flesh filled the cavern. Lyander clenched the lightsaber tightly and took deep breaths as he eyed the man's corpse.

"That was for mom," he spat.

That was when the surroundings shifted. The Kel Dor vanished like smoke and so did any signs of battle in the cavern. Lyander's eyes scanned the crystal-covered rocky walls and he realised that he must have ended up further in the cave system than he previously thought, seeing as he no longer saw the tunnel he had crawled out from. In fact he saw little that would help him find his way back. But he did feel something, something grasped tightly in his right hand. It was no longer a lightsaber, but a crystal that sang in the Force, its song ebbing and flowing like a wave. Lyander looked down at it and his eyes widened, first with wonder, then with worry, but ultimately with grim acceptance.

Once Lyander started his trek back through the caverns and tunnels—following the direction the Force took him—he quickly realised that he must have missed the deadline. The opening to the passageway must have frozen solid by now, and the other initiates were likely waiting in the main chamber, worried that he'd been lost to the darkness. He was proven right once he reached the passageway and he saw a wall of ice blocking his way back into the main chamber.

But he hadn't come this far just to be stopped by a sheet of ice.

Lyander held out his hand and he closed his eyes. He felt his connection to the Force, the wave that ebbed and flowed, the serenity that grounded him whenever he felt worried or fearful, and he then squeezed his hand shut.

And nothing happened.

Lyander growled at the wall of ice and closed his eyes again. He reached out with the Force and tried yet again to crack the ice sheet, but yet again nothing happened. He felt how the Force seemed to slip from his finger whenever he got close to cracking the wall.

It was during his third attempt that the sheet of ice exploded into a thousand shards. Each hit the ground with the sound of broken ceramic and shattered glass. For a second Lyander felt elation and pride, only to notice that Jedi master Vilkas stood before him, his fist closed tightly with a determined frown on his face.

The Jedi master hunched down and asked him how he felt, but Lyander could only stare at his own hand with a scowl. He was still weak. He had tasted the true strength of the Force in his vision, but in the real world, he could not even break through the ice.

Though the Kyber crystal in his hand thrummed with happiness at being free from the caves. And so Lyander grinned at his fellow initiates and held up the crystal for all to see.

Jaka looked at him with awe. The other initiates looked at the crystal with equal wonder and curiosity. Master Vilkas's eyes widened at the sight.

Because the Kyber crystal of Lyander Strasa was red.