12 / Rite of Passage
Ilum
3 BBY
The stars streaked in the sky outside of the narrow windows at the edges of the room as the Rogue dropped out of hyperspace. Kata braced herself against the drawers in front of her, the centrifugal force making her stumble forward. She went back to fastening the clasps on her jacket, then she pulled the top half of her thick, curly hair back into a bun. She watched herself in the small mirror as she got ready, feeling equal parts excitement and anxiety. She had known this day was coming and the anticipation had been killing her lately. She was looking forward to seeing the caves, having heard Cal, Teelo and the other Jedi talk about them before like they were truly something special. But also, a nagging doubt was ever-present in the back of her mind... what if she failed?
"Kata?"
She hummed in response as she turned towards Cal, who had stuck his head into the room.
"We're approaching Ilum." He informed her.
"I'm ready."
Kata followed him back out into the cockpit where he sat back in the co-pilot's seat, Teelo at the helm and BD-1 balanced on the control panel. Kata's mouth fell open as she looked out of the cockpit shield at the enormous ice planet floating in space before them. Her eyes widened both in awe and horror, as the first thing she noticed about the planet was the enormous trench that had been gouged out of part of its equator.
"What has the Empire done to this place?" She wondered aloud.
"Same thing they do everywhere else." Teelo stated.
"Take something you love and make it something you can't stand the sight of anymore." Cal finished.
"wooo..."
The Padawan's heart ached to see a planet treated with such contempt. It was almost like a gaping wound, a giant scar callously left on this sacred world. But she knew the Empire and how they destroyed everything they touched with no remorse – she had seen it many times before. Ilum was not the first world to bleed by their hands, and it wouldn't be the last.
The Rogue landed smoothly, the winds not too harsh for the time being. The sun was high in the sky and it made everything look brighter than Kata had expected, not having seen much of planets like this one in her life.
"Weather seems to be holding up, for now." Teelo remarked as they finished the landing sequence.
"No sign of Imperial forces." Cal added.
"Then you better get a move on before they show up."
Cal nodded at them and got up from his seat, following Kata out into the living area. Both of them were rugged up in thick coats and gloves, Cal having warned her about the cold of this world.
"You ready to go?" He smiled down at her.
"Yep, I'm ready."
"bwoow!"
BD-1 wiggled happily on Cal's back, looking ready to go himself, and the two Jedi chuckled at him.
"I'll be here, minding the ship," Teelo leaned in the cockpit door casually. "Watch yourselves out there."
"You, too." Cal replied.
"Keep your comms open." They reminded.
Cal nodded at them then turned and hit the button to open the bridge door. The cold hit them in the face instantly as the ship was opened up to the outside air and Kata shivered.
"Stay close behind me." Cal instructed.
"I will." She replied with a nod.
"May the Force be with you." Teelo farewelled.
Kata turned and waved at them with a smile as she followed Cal down to the surface, their boots crunching in the snow. The Padawan had never seen so much white in all her life. The high noon sunlight reflected off of everything around them, dazzling, and she was forced to shield her eyes against it. The light was almost warm, yet the air was chilling and surprisingly still, only the occasional breeze blowing through.
"It's freezing." Kata's voice shook.
"Most important thing in cold like this is to keep moving." Cal said.
Kata nodded in response and followed him across the clearing toward the cliffs. The snow was hard to walk in and she found herself having to really focus on putting one foot in front of the other to keep from stumbling. They soon approached what looked like it could have been an enormous door once, but time and neglect had seen it frozen shut. Cal slowed as they approached the foot of it, Kata seeing their path forward was blocked.
"That's annoying," He mused, scrutinising the ice. "I cleared this last time I was here."
"Well that was, like, ten years ago." Kata pointed out.
"Eleven." He corrected.
"Man, you're old."
"bzzt bzzt bzzt!"
Cal looked at her sideways and she grinned mischievously. He resisted the urge to use the Force to throw a snowball at her and his eyes ran up the height of the cliff before them.
"Well, guess we're climbing after all."
He produced something from his belt pouch and handed them to Kata. She took the strange objects and studied them for a moment.
"Climbing claws?"
"You'll need them to scale the ice. Be careful, it's likely to be very unstable."
Kata nodded and strapped the claws to her gloves, testing them by closing her fists, the sharp blades protruding over her knuckles.
"I'll go first, you follow along behind me."
"Ok."
Cal leapt up and grabbed onto the icy rock with his own claws, getting his footing before ascending carefully. Once he was clear, Kata followed, using the Force to aid her propulsion as she kicked off the wall beside her, not being able to jump quite as high as him. Cal climbed up and to the left, testing the ice as he went, making sure it wouldn't break off. He knew if it could hold his weight it would hold hers. Kata watched him carefully, making sure she followed his path across the cliff face exactly.
Cal reached the gap in the centre and readied himself, jumping across it to the other side. The ice held at first, then Kata heard very loud cracking and saw Cal drop down a few feet as the rock he was holding onto gave way above him. He pressed his body to the cliff as broken ice and snow showered down over him.
"You ok?!" Kata called up when the noise settled.
"I'm good!" He called back.
"wooow!"
"Shit, that's cold." He muttered to himself.
Both he and BD-1 shook the snow and ice off of themselves and carried on. Cal was relieved when both his and Kata's feet were safely on the cliffside at last.
"Can we not do that again?" Kata asked.
"Fine by me." Cal agreed.
"bwee-oop!"
The view from the cliffside caught Kata's eye and she stepped out towards the edge, being careful not to get too close. It was nothing but ice and snow as far as the eye could see, the mountains loomed tall and ancient around them and the sun shone brilliantly in the blue sky. She had never seen anything like it. It was breathtaking; spectacular. Cal joined her in admiring the scenery.
"Amazing, isn't it?" He echoed her thoughts.
Kata simply nodded in response. She looked towards the south and saw some ominous-looking clouds rapidly approaching.
"Looks like a storm rolling in." She nodded towards them.
"Then we better make this a quick visit." Cal said, tapping the back of his hand to her arm.
Kata turned and followed him around the cliffside and into the first chamber. She looked around, seeing a round door to her left and some kind of mechanism on the far side that she guessed was her first test.
"Ok," Cal instructed. "Light the way."
He stood off to the side of the doorway, allowing her to take the lead and solve the puzzle before her. She studied her surroundings for a moment then leapt to the far side and pulled some sort of coupling on a long cable towards her, which opened the door and allowed a beam of light through.
"Before the Purge," Cal began, talking as she worked. "Younglings used to come here in groups to retrieve their kyber crystals and construct their own lightsabers, with Master Yoda or Master Windu, or someone else as their guide."
"How old were you when you came here?" She asked.
"I don't really remember... maybe five or six? A lot younger than you are now."
"Why did we wait so long to come here?"
"Because Ilum has changed a lot, and I didn't want to bring you here until I knew you could handle it."
Kata nodded, understanding. She guessed the Empire's presence made this a much more dangerous place to be than before. She rejoined Cal at the start, the way forward now open.
"Well done." He praised.
He allowed her to lead the way through to the Temple proper, even more covered in snow and ice than the first chamber was. Kata could see it falling from a break in the roof, the sun's rays streaming in. It looked like it had once been very impressive, and it still was, but now the stone statues and walls around them were crumbling, decaying with time.
"Wait, where's the...?"
Cal started to ask, then he looked down and saw the giant crystal that had been suspended from the ceiling now resting in the snow below.
"Well, I suppose we'll have to find another way through that." He nodded toward the ice wall blocking the way forward.
"Cal, did you damage the ancient mechanisms when you were here last?" Kata teased.
"Hey, I didn't do that, the Empire did. That's what happens when you unleash them on a place as fragile as this."
"The Empire breaks everything they touch." Kata lamented.
Cal looked at her pensively as she peered around the chamber, looking for a safe way down, but also thinking of other ways she could bust through the ice. It looked far too thick and solid to even try using the Force to break through, but there might have been a way.
"I have an idea," She said eventually. "Follow me."
She dropped down to the next landing and Cal followed loosely behind. She carefully climbed her way down another rock wall and approached the ice. She sized it up before approaching and resting her fingertips on its cold, hard surface. She closed her eyes and allowed her Magick to flow through her, using her fire to heat the ice. The surface of it began to list as green tendrils worked tiny veins through the thick frozen wall, forward, up, down, until cracks started to form from the heat. Kata could hear the ice start to creak and groan and she pressed her palms to its surface, using the Force to shatter it. The ice rained down in a million pieces, some larger chunks, some just dust and Kata shielded herself from it. When the last of it hit the ground she shook it from her hair and brushed it from her jacket, turning when she heard Cal clapping slowly.
"Very impressive." He complimented.
"bwoow!"
"Fire Magick, one; ice wall, zero." She said smugly.
Cal chuckled as he approached, the ice crunching beneath his feet.
"This would've been a lot easier last time if I'd brought you with me."
Kata laughed once and she continued through into the darkened passage. She twisted her hands and summoned a small ball of Magick that illuminated the passage in a green glow. Her mind wandered back to Tanalorr briefly, when she had first met Merrin and seen her do the same.
"This used to be a sacred place to the Jedi," Cal continued. "But now the Empire is destroying it for its natural resources."
"The kyber crystals."
"Exactly."
"What could they want with so many?"
"Nothing good."
Kata looked up at him and his expression was hard, the green light of her Magick dancing strange patterns across his face. The Magick dissipated as they stepped out into the light and Kata stopped at the end of the passage, standing on a ledge several feet above a pool of water.
"After you." Cal prompted.
"Is it safe?" Her voice was concerned.
"It's actually quite warm," He explained. "There are volcanic vents down there that stop it from freezing over."
Kata wasn't exactly convinced, but it wasn't like he would drop her into freezing water just for the laugh. She thought about making him go first, just to be sure, but she knew this place was meant to test her. She pulled her rebreather out from her belt pouch and popped it in her mouth, then she closed her eyes and stepped over the edge, landing feet first into the water below. Cal was right, it was quite warm compared to the cave.
She opened her eyes and saw Cal land in the water next to her, BD-1 clinging to his back and turning on his spotlight for them to see. The two of them swam through the murky water, weaving between the pillars that held up the cave above them. Kata saw the volcanic vents Cal had mentioned spewing gas and heat into the water either side of them. She swam as fast as she could, not being the biggest fan of the water, and eventually broke the surface. She pulled her rebreather from her mouth and started to climb the rock to the landing above. She rubbed her arms, instantly freezing as she reached the top.
"Keep moving." Cal reminded as he climbed up behind her.
She nodded and forced her body forward, her teeth chattering. They made their way through another short passage before they entered the caves. Kata's mouth fell open and her eyes widened as she took in their wonder. They were far bigger than she had imagined, stretching as far and wide as she could see. Snow covered everything as it drifted down from the skylights above, thousands of stalactites of every size hanging from the ceiling. She could see steam rising from the heat of the volcanic rock below, and at the far end, she could see something – no, feel something. A faint light, a shimmer, not dissimilar from what she felt on Tanalorr; it beckoned to her.
"Do you feel it calling to you?" Cal asked.
She nodded slowly, finding herself transfixed by the pull from the Force.
"Then you must follow it."
Kata turned back towards her Master, questions in her eyes.
"You're not coming with me?"
Cal smiled at her.
"You have to go on without me from here."
Kata was suddenly incredibly unsure. She'd never really gone anywhere without him before, always there, watching out for her. He'd told her this was something she would have to do herself, but now that the time had come for her to continue alone, she didn't know if she could.
"BD-1," Cal turned toward the droid on his back. "Look after her for me."
"woo-woo-woo-woop!"
The droid hopped up on Cal's shoulder and Kata held out her arm for him to leap across to her. He settled on her back and wiggled excitedly, raring to go as he always was. Kata hesitated a moment longer, looking out at the caves, then back to Cal as he spoke.
"Be careful, and if you see the Empire—"
"Don't engage, come straight back, I got it." She assured him.
Cal nodded in approval with a small smile and jerked his head forward, motioning for her to go on. Kata turned toward the glinting light, her objective so close yet so far away. She took a deep breath, then jumped off the edge, running along the wall to her right and leaping down to the tunnel below, choosing not to look back for fear of losing her nerve as she made her way through.
The path through the caves was a precarious one, every step threatening to slip her up, break the ground beneath her or otherwise cause her to fall to her death. It almost seemed like this place was trying to kill her, though she had a feeling that was sort of the point. Finally she reached the centre of the cave and she could feel the pull from the other side growing stronger.
"Almost there, BD-1."
"bwoo-doop."
Kata looked back up towards the entrance where she could see Cal's red head pacing back and forth, probably trying to keep himself warm. He would be able to see everything she was doing from up there and she suddenly felt very self-conscious. She put it out of her mind and focused as she continued her climb to the top.
Once she got there, she saw two distinctive paths ahead. One that looked like it involved more swimming, which she wasn't thrilled at the prospect of, and the other was a tunnel to the right. The tunnel certainly looked safer, but she knew from experience that the path that seemed easier at first glance wasn't always. Not really knowing which option to choose – and knowing Cal was watching her – she decided she should take the route that would challenge her more. Just as she was preparing herself for another lukewarm swim, she looked up and noticed that the tunnel at the end of that path was actually blocked, which she couldn't see from where she was before.
"Suppose that makes it simple, then." She shrugged.
"bwoop?"
"Guess we're going this way."
Admittedly relieved, she turned and headed for the tunnel to her right. She saw a rope hanging from the roof and jumped up, pulling it to her hand mid-air and swinging to the other side, then she stopped as she saw a familiar black blast door before her. Every instinct she had was screaming at her to go back and find another way, which was exactly why she walked right through the door into the room beyond. The distinctly Imperial architecture here had an instant lump forming in her throat. She swallowed her fear and proceeded cautiously down the steps, treading lightly, trying to disturb the silence in the air as little as possible. She passed through the door to her left, finding that she was outside once more and she held out her hand to catch the snowflakes as they fell, melting in the palm of her glove.
"brrrrrt!"
BD-1's angry sound had her head turning to the right and her eyes widened in horror as she saw what he saw; the trench they had seen from space. They were right in the thick of it and it seemed to stretch on for miles before them. None of the machinery was active right now and somehow it only made it more menacing in the eerie stillness. She looked down and saw nothing but mist below, the great wound created by the Empire seeping down to the planet's very core.
"Why would they do this," She wondered aloud, careful to speak softly, knowing her voice would carry in this chasm. "What do they want with the crystals, BD?"
"prrtat."
"Cal's right about one thing: whatever the Empire's up to, it isn't good. They have to be stopped."
"bwoo?"
Kata sighed, looking out at the irreparable damage the Empire had done trying to bleed this world dry.
"That's the big question, isn't it?"
Kata's head turned back around as the beckoning grew louder and she pulled herself away from the ugly sight to follow it. She headed down another tunnel, this one blocked by walls of stalagmites, almost like gates, that she was able to cut through easily. She knew the last time Cal had come down here was without his lightsaber, but thankfully he'd had the good sense to let her hang onto Cere's. The pull was growing stronger by the second as she neared the end, soon stepping into one of the caves. The glimmer she had seen earlier was almost blinding now, she could hear it calling her, willing her toward it.
"There it is, BD."
"woow!"
She crossed the cave to the far side and reached out with an unsteady hand to grasp the small crystal, nestled atop its pillar, and gently prize it from its shell. She placed it in the palm of her other hand, watching it with awe as it glowed brightly, feeling the Force so concentrated within an object so small. Without warning, the crystal shook a little and split itself in two, but instead of despairing, Kata smiled. She turned toward the ice table behind her that looked obviously man-made and walked up to it. She held the crystals up into the light beam as Cal had instructed her to and focused, closing her eyes and concentrating all her power and will into them. When she opened her eyes again, the crystals were glowing dimly, their colour a more distinctive shade. She placed them down on the table and pulled her newly constructed saber from her bag, preparing to get to work.
She was very pleased with the design she had landed on, spending the better part of three months getting the details exactly right. It was a beautiful object, with its intricate design and the pearlescent white accented with bronzium and the black leather of the grips. She had carved every pattern, smoothed every surface, fitted every piece together herself, insisting that this was something she did with minimal help from the others, and it was a project she was most proud of. Now the moment had come to find out if all of her hard work had paid off.
She pulled the pieces of her lightsaber apart and fit the kyber crystals into each end before putting everything back into place. She held out her hands and closed her eyes once more, channelling the Force into the object, feeling the crystals respond in kind, almost like they were speaking to her. She opened her eyes and reached out with a slightly shaking hand to grab her new weapon, it somehow feeling like the heaviest object she had ever held. She looked to BD-1 for courage, who had been sitting on the table nearby watching her work curiously, and he gave an encouraging "bwoop". She nodded at him with a sigh and turned, holding the hilt in both of her hands and pressing her thumbs to the switches.
To her great relief and surprise, the blades ignited from each end, lighting up the ice around her with their purple glow. She laughed once in shock and disbelief at the sight. She twisted the hilt of her lightsaber from the centre and separated it, twirling each half in her hands before reattaching them. She laughed again giddily, absolutely overjoyed that she had succeeded.
"We did it, BD."
"bweeeep!"
Kata giggled at his excited twirl and deactivated the blades. She pulled Cere's saber from her belt to replace it with her own, holding the Jedi Master's weapon in her left hand and starting at it fondly for a moment more. This saber had been with her everywhere the past few years, and in a way, it felt as though its previous owner had, too.
"Thank you, Master Junda." She whispered.
"woop..."
Kata stowed Cere's saber in her bag and clipped her new lightsaber onto her belt.
"Kata, you read me?" Cal's hushed voice came through on their commlink.
"Cal, what's wrong?"
"Heads up, the Empire's here."
Kata's head whipped up towards her exit, but she couldn't see or hear anything alarming.
"Are you safe?"
"Don't worry about me, get out of there."
Kata immediately rushed back up the tunnel and outside into the falling snow. In the time she had been in the cave, the winds had begun to pick up, whistling and howling through the trench. She made her way back up the path she had come in until she reached the centre of the caves. She heard blaster fire and looked up to see Cal fighting Stormtroopers at the entrance, his orange blades giving away his position. Thanks to his efforts, they hadn't made it any further in. She dropped down to the platform below, rolling in the snow as she landed, and rushed back to help him.
She climbed up and ran back along the wall at the end, landing on the ledge behind Cal. One of the troopers saw her approach and fired in her direction and she got her saber up in time to deflect the shot back at them, hitting them in the leg. Cal killed the last trooper and turned toward her, startled, his face relaxing when he realised it was her. Then he smiled as he saw her holding her purple saber and she couldn't help but grin back. The trooper Kata had hit in the leg tried to get up and hobble away, but Cal turned, pulled his blaster and shot them in the back, then he stowed his weapons.
"Alright, let's go." He said, taking the lead.
They traversed their way back through the Temple, Cal dispatching the Imperials with ease as they went and Kata mostly defending herself from blaster fire and dealing with the irritating probe droids. Cal had a thing about her not killing Stormtroopers, since they were people and not droids or animals. She understood where he was coming from, but in moments like this it frustrated her to no end that there was only so much she could do to help. She didn't want to kill people either, but one day she knew she wouldn't have a choice.
They made it back outside to the cliffs and Kata could see the storm overhead, rapidly drawing closer, the winds already whipping the snow around them. Cal pulled out his ascension cable and stuck it securely into the rock wall near the edge, then he held out his arm for Kata.
"Come on." He motioned to her.
Kata went to him and grabbed hold of his waist and he put his left arm around her, holding onto the cable with his right as he rappelled them both over the edge. When they were a few metres from the ground, the cable reached its length and he retracted it, dropping them the rest of the way.
"You good?" He checked.
"Yup."
"bwoo!"
"Let's go."
They jogged back towards the ship, their pace slowing as the crosswinds hit them, both of them shielding their faces from the icy needles being thrashed through the air and pulling up their hoods. Within seconds, visibility around them dropped to almost nothing, Kata barely able to see Cal in front of her. She held up her hand and summoned her fire Magick, providing a small area of green light, though it didn't help much. They heard them before they saw them; the distinctive mechanical walking sounds of AT-STs slowly approaching, looming out of the blizzard like terrifying metal beasts.
"Walkers!" Kata exclaimed.
"Take cover!" Cal called back, diving to his left.
Kata took off to her right as much as she could against the wind as the walkers opened fire where she had just been standing. The red lasers ripped up the snow and she ignited her saber as she took cover behind one of the large ice pillars that were scattered around them. She looked to her right, starting to worry as she couldn't see Cal, but then she saw his orange blade appear out of the fog as he engaged one of the walkers. Kata was about to move when she heard the other walker firing at the back of the pillar she was hiding behind, hearing pieces of the ice break away with every shot. Her breaths were panicked and she forced herself to calm down, knowing she needed a clear head.
"Get ready to zap it, BD-1!" She shouted at the droid over the noise.
"woo-woop!"
He popped his electro-dart module from the top of his head and charged it up and Kata steadied herself as she waited for the walker to approach from around the pillar. As soon as it was in view, BD-1 fired, hitting it square in its 'face'. It only stunned it for a few seconds, but it was enough. Kata drew her second saber, pulled back and threw them both forward, severing the legs of the AT-ST right at the joints. The walker fell apart in a manner that would've been funny under less stressful circumstances; its legs falling away to the sides and the head dropping with a thud that shook the ground beneath her feet. She saw the pilot tumble out of the hatch at the top and try to stand and she reached out and rooted them to the ground with her Magick. A blue blaster bolt came from somewhere beyond the pillar that struck the pilot through the side of their helmet, killing them instantly.
"Kata!" She heard Cal's voice calling to her faintly.
"Cal!"
She emerged from behind the pillar to see him squaring off with the other walker as it dropped stun grenades to the ground around it, which he flipped backwards to avoid.
"Hold it down!" He motioned to the walker.
Kata didn't hesitate, stowing her saber and reaching out with both hands to hold the walker to the ground. She had never attempted to immobilise something that big before and the effort was immense, feeling a sweat immediately break out over her forehead despite the bitter cold of the storm. Cal charged forward and sliced right through the walker's legs with his sabers, causing it to fall to the side, the pilot falling from that one, too and Cal executing them.
"Come on!" He called back to her.
She started to follow when they both stopped as they heard that sound again and another walker emerged from the fog in front of them.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Kata exclaimed.
Just as it was about to open fire on them, a white saber ripped right through it from top to bottom, straight through the middle of the walker and its pilot, its two halves collapsing to the ground. Kata and Cal could barely make out Teelo's hooded form in the blizzard ahead as they pulled their weapon back to their hand.
"This way, come on!" They shouted.
Cal and Kata pushed forward around the wreckage, following their dark shape contrasted against the white. Eventually they reached the ship and the three Jedi piled in, Teelo and Cal immediately gunning for the cockpit while Kata closed the door. Within seconds, the Rogue was in the air and they were flying blindly up through the cloud until they were clear of the storm at last. Kata was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she heard and saw the tie fighters screaming towards them.
"Uh, guys..." She warned.
"I see 'em," Teelo responded. "Cal?"
"Punch it." Cal replied as he finished entering the coordinates.
Teelo threw the hyperdrive lever and they blasted into hyperspace. Kata heaved a massive sigh and flopped into the gunner's chair, physically exhausted. BD-1 jumped onto the control panel behind her and 'booped' at her, scanning her face, which she laughed at and shooed him away. Cal turned his chair towards her.
"You ok?"
"Me? Yeah, I'm great," Kata said, giving Cal a thumbs-up without looking at him. "Never better."
Teelo chuckled at her and Cal kicked her boot as he passed her into the main room of the ship, silently scolding her for her sarcasm.
"Rude." She said to his back.
"wrrt wrrt."
Kata got up to follow him into the living area where he was removing his gloves. She pulled Cere's saber from her bag and held it out to him and he looked down at the object.
"Thank you for trusting me with this," She said sincerely. "But it belongs with you."
Cal waved his hand dismissively.
"It doesn't belong with me any more than it belongs with you."
"But she was your Master, your friend, I-I just wouldn't feel right—"
"It's yours," Cal insisted, closing her hand around the saber with his own. "You should hold onto it, you never know when you may need it again. You'd be surprised how many lightsabers the average Jedi goes through in a lifetime."
Kata chuckled and looked down at the object in her hand. Every time she held it, it was like she could feel an energy from it; like it held at least a small piece of Cere's life force. She had never known the Jedi Master, but she felt connected to her through all these years of wielding her weapon. It felt strange and almost sad to set it aside now. She grasped the object tighter and returned it to her bag with a nod to Cal.
"Speaking of lightsabers," Teelo prompted, making their way over from the cockpit. "Come on, let's see it."
Kata grinned widely at them and stepped back so she wouldn't damage anything. She pulled her new saber from her belt and ignited the two blades, twirling it in one hand, the violet lights flashing before her eyes.
"Very nice," Teelo complimented. "It suits you perfectly."
"How does the balance feel?" Cal asked.
"It feels good." She nodded, holding it in her open palm.
"You're a true Jedi now, Kata." Teelo remarked.
Kata deactivated her weapon, holding the hilt in her hand still and smiled up at the two Jedi before her, both of them beaming at her proudly.
"Almost."