Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Shin did not get nervous. And yet here she was, staring into the mouth of a cave, nervous. She wasn't afraid of what she might find in the cave, but what she might NOT find. She just... didn't want Baylan to be disappointed. She didn't want to fail him. His voice broke through her thoughts. "Calm yourself, Shin."

"Yes, Master."

"The Force has led us here," Baylan said, "And now it will lead you to your Kyber crystal." Shin looked up at him.

"You aren't coming?" she asked.

"No. You must do this by yourself," he said. He placed his hand on her shoulder, tone softening slightly. "I will be here when you come back." Shin nodded at his words and turned back to the cave. Taking a breath, she squared her shoulders and walked in. "May the Force be with you," Baylan whispered, as her figure was engulfed in shadows.

Shin walked and walked for what felt like forever. She wished she knew how long it had been. What if I take too long? she thought, what if he leaves? Her steps quickened as she tried to find her way, the flashlight in her hand barely lighting the way. She took another step, but this time her foot didn't hit solid ground. She fell, barely managing to bite back a scream. She plunged into ice cold water. She frantically swam in the direction she thought was up, coughing and gasping desperately for air when she broke the surface. Her breaths were quick and panicked. The flashlight was gone, leaving Shin alone in the dark, with no light and no way out. Baylan would surely tire of waiting for her and he'd leave, thinking her either dead or a failure. Though, there was very little difference. She wasn't a very strong swimmer, and her body would eventually tire, or she'd succumb to hypothermia. Either way, she would die, alone. Alone.

No.

She would not die here, not like this. She was not weak. She did not fail. "I will not fail." she said. Taking a slow breath, she focused on the Force.

Go up. It wasn't a voice, or even a whisper, just a feeling.

But how? She reached out and her fingertips brushed against stone. She swam closer and ran her hands along it, stopping when she felt something to grab onto. A Handhold. She pulled herself up, feeling for another one. She found it. She did this again and again. The rocks dug into her hands, the climbing made every part of her ache, and the water made her clothes heavy, but she kept going. The higher she went, the lighter it got. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath when something in the wall caught her eye. A crystal. She reached without thinking and pried it out of the wall. It hummed with the Force as she held it, slowly changing from blue-ish white to blood orange. Placing it in her tunic pocket, Shin felt a surge of pride bubble within her. She continued to climb with renewed vigor. Eventually her hand grasped a ledge, and she hauled herself up. It was lighter now, light enough for her to see that her hands were scraped and dirty from climbing. But she didn't care. She had her crystal; she had not failed. Baylan would be pleased, maybe even proud. She stood, her legs shaking, and pulled the crystal out of her pocket. Gripping it tightly in her hand, she reached out and let the Force guide her out of the cave.

When she finally made it out, Baylan was there waiting, just as he had promised. Shin held out her hand, doing her best to keep it from shaking, the Kyber crystal resting in her palm. Baylan looked at the crystal, then at her, "Well done, Shin."

"Thank you, Master."

A/N: My best work? Probably not. But I actually managed to write, so I'm counting that as a win. I want to thank PurrfectPages for inspiring me to write again, her stories reignited my inspiration. Anyway, if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Just please keep them K or K+. I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes that may have escaped my notice. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!