He always made me proud, even when he was speaking nonsense…

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus sat in the cockpit of her corvette and awaited a returning Padawan. Every now and then missions and assignments got in the way of training and Corvus hadn’t seen Ardeo for some time. But her Padawan had made contact that their mission had ended successfully and not only were they returning but they wanted to craft their own saber.

Corvus knew Ardeo was particuarly keen to go to Ilum before they were parted, so she set the coordinates for the journey there once the Jedi came on board.

And oddly, for a Jedi of over two decades of service, Corvus had never been to the ice planet. She knew all about the valuable Adegan crystals — and the fact the planet was over 90 per cent ice. If Rhen Var was cold, this promised to be freezing.

As she waited, she read up on the crystal caves. They were located deep within the side of a mountain cliff and she marvelled at the names of the Jedi that had come here before to craft their blades — and wondered why she hadn’t visited there before…

[member="Ardeo Sophos"]

 

[Ardeo Sophos]

Ardeo had recently returned from a mission to deep space, and upon arriving back at the jedi temple, had contacted his master Corvus Raaf. He was truly thankful to have her as his master. She had others, but he counted himself lucky to be apprenticed to the grandmaster of the order. He hoped that one day he could be as powerful a jedi as her, and even serve on the jedi council. He would have to become a knight first of course, and to do that he would have to first make a lightsaber. He did have the parts for it, and planned to make a double bladed saber. He could never really settle on a design though. Nothing he made ever felt right. He hoped the force had a larger plan for him, because so far he was failing, and he didn't know why.

Ardeo entered the hangar he had been told to come to. A large corvette class ship was prepped and ready to go. Though he couldn't see Corvus, he could sense her presence within the cockpit of the ship. His two training sabers jingled on his belt, as he walked up the ramp and onto the corvette. Ardeo carried a backpack with him, that held some essential items. Rations, rope, water, and of course his cold weather clothes. He would change into them before they reached Illum, but for now he kept them stowed away.

He greeted Corvus in the cockpit with a small bow. "Hello master Corvus, It's good to finally see you again. It is unfortunate that training was interrupted for so long. I'm glad to be back, though. So are we ready to set off for Illum?"

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled when she sensed Ardeo enter the ship. It remained on her face as he made his way through the ship and to the cockpit.

She approximated a bow as he entered – given she was sitting down. “There is a cabin for you, so you can put your gear away shortly. But for now let’s get this thing off the ground and chat.”

Corvus knew they could talk about his mission at length over the next few days but for now, as she left the hangar that was quite literally carved into the side of a cliff near the Academy, she had more pressing and interesting questions.

“Unfortunate but necessary, your interruption was.” She could never resist a corny Yoda gag. Her impression had not improved any over the years however. “So yes, Ilum it is. I can sense when a Padawan is in need of his own sabers and I’d say right now, you’re leaking all the signs that say you’re one of them.”

“But tell me, what design had you in mind?”

[member="Ardeo Sophos"]

 

[Ardeo Sophos]

Ardeo smiled at Corvus' attempted Yoda impression. "You master, I hear that master Yoda still lives in the force, i'de be careful, he might come visit just to teach you how to do a proper impression."

Ardeo took his back pack, unbuckling a single over the shoulder strap the ran across his chest, and set it on the floor of the cockpit. He sat down in a chair next to Corvus. " well I was planning on making a saber staff. My plan is to have the sabers connect at the pommels, that way they are seperate energy systems. I don't want it to shut down if the hilt get's cut.... But if I am being truthful. None of the designs I have come up with haven't felt.... right. I understand that we are as jedi supposed to create a unique Lightsaber, and I am prepared to do that, but... There is something that I have found in a record of past lightsabers. Sateles shan's lightsaber... It feels perfect, but the records are incomplete, and I have no idea how to make it. I can only see what it looks like. I feel like maybe the force is telling me to get this lightsaber. I will of course be a good jedi, and craft my own to go through that right of passage, but I think Satele's lightsaber is what I need. Does all that make sense or am I speaking chiberish? "

Ardeo waited patiently for his masters response. He knew it was an important milestone for a jedi to craft a unique lightsaber, unlike any other jedi's, and teachnically he hadn't fully succeeded at that.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled. She’d seen a few Force ghosts but not Yoda’s. But then she’d spoken to him – or rather the gatekeeper that was him, which was quite close.

And then she listened to Ardeo’s thoughts as they tumbled out, and sensed his misgivings.

“I know Master Karr has one of Master Shan’s sabers, and one was broken from memory. But that still leaves one up for grabs I believe.”

“So, we find you a couple of crystals and then we find you a saber. To truly honour the hilt, I’d recommend replacing the crystals with yours, or perhaps simply retune the existing ones to be in sync with you. Believe me, that is as much greater challenge than simply crafting one from scratch.”

“How does that sound to you?”

[member="Ardeo Sophos"]

 

[Ardeo Sophos]

Ardeo nodded, with a smile on his face. "Yea that sounds like a great idea. I'm certainly up for a challenge. I'm gonna take my stuff to the other room ,and change into the cold weather gear."

Ardeo collected his things, and began to leave the room, but stopped in the doorway. Master... do you know if Illum has some of the more rare crystals? I know it has green and blue, and sometimes yellow, but would it have colors like viridian and silver? Also I know that the 3 main colors are generally used by either guardians, sentinels, or consulars, but then what do the other colors signify? I've just been wondering."

Ardeo waited to see if his master knew, his few things gathered in his arms.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded at his question. It was commonly asked.

“I have always believed the crystal chooses the Jedi, not the other way around. You will somehow find the crystal that is right for you. It will just seem like the right choice.”

“Green and blue are the most common,” she agreed, “But there are always exceptions. And the designation of colour to denote role was a practice from many years ago. There is nothing wrong with maintaining it, but few Jedi these days seem to follow it. My own are a shade of lilac, that happened during the construction. The crystals were actually a shade of orange when I started – but transformed during the process. I have never understood why and perhaps the Force will one day explain to me. Or perhaps not.”

She smiled and got up, moving to her own cabin to change into cold-weather attire.

[member="Ardeo Sophos"]

 

[Ardeo Sophos]

Arden reflected upon this. The force was so complicated. He almost felt like he could sit down and have a conversation with it, and not be labeled as crazy, but perhaps that was something for another day. He moved into his cabin. His decided not to take any of his jedi robes off, and to instead layer everything else over it. He did slip of his leather boots though, and exchanged them for a payer lined with a wool. This would stay much warmer. "Hmm, this is gonna be fun." Ardeo clipped his two training lightsabers he had been using for months onto his belt. A matching set of green blades. They were nothing fancy, just enough to get by. He put the snow goggles on but rested them just above his eyes, then pulled his hood up over his head. It was comfortable. He stepped back into the cockpit, and took a seat, letting his eyes close, if only to get a brief rest before arriving on Illum. This was going to be an interesting journey.

He began to dream. He was inside the crystal caves of Illum, but he was not himself. He was watching from outside his body. something was wrong though.. something was different. Arden looked into a crystal of ice, and clearly saw his reflection. "Wait I am me, so who is.."

"I am you, and you are me.... We are one and the same. I am the darkness inside you." The figure turned around, and Ardeo could see now that yes it was him, but he was twisted. His eyes were yellow, with black slits, his hair turned red. "You can't escape me, you can only keep me at bay, and one day I will break out, and I will hurt all those around you that you hold dear. Ahahah!"

" No. I won't ever let you. I am strong."

"I am just as strong as you. Just wait... I will bide my time."

Ardeo woke back with a start, cold sweat beaded on his forehead. "That was strange."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus changed quickly and attachd her saber and shoto to a belt on the outside of her snow attire and reflected on their upcoming journey.

So long ago, Qui-Gon Jinn, with some encouragement from Master Yoda, had taken Obi-Wan as his Padawan. But they had gotten off to a rough start, and it only became rougher when Obi-Wan temporarily renounced the Jedi Order to join the revolution on the planet Melida/Daan, a decision that he quickly came to regret. Qui-Gon had forgiven him and accepted his return, but there remained an uneasiness between them. Still, despite their disagreements and conflicts, a bond had developed, and both were confident this bond would grow stronger over time.

And so it was that Obi-Wan and his Master, travelling in a small transport ship on loan from the Galactic Senate, had made the pilgrimage to the snow-covered world of Ilum. And here she was, with a Padawan of hr own, about to take those very same steps.

So she headed to the exit ramp as they landed and nodded to Ardeo as he arrived – and wondered if she looked as silly as he did, which she surmised she probably did. “Are you OK,” she asked as the ramp lowered - shouting slightly as an icy biting wind whipped in from the planet’s surface.

[member="Ardeo Sophos"]

 

[Ardeo Sophos]

Ardeo followed Corvus down the ramp, with his snow goggles over his eyes. A icy blast of sow and wind pressing hard against his face.
" I'm not really sure if ok is the word I would choose. So many different things are going through my head. I had a strange dream on the ship, I am excited to finally be getting my lightsaber crystals. This planet is strong in the force. I can feel it all around me. It all concentrates near by. I would assume that is the crystal caves. I've heard lightsaber crystals grow in places where the force is concentrating, and so they become almost physical manifestations of the force. We need to be careful when we enter the caves. Gorgodons often nest there. They have poor vision, but excellent hearing and smell. their hides are blaster proof, so they should be a little harder to cut through with a lightsaber."

Ardeo took a step into the snow, his boots doing their job and keeping his feet warm an dry.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded. Ardeo was thorough and she admired that in a Padawan.

She stared up at the mountain cliff and marvelled at how many Jedi must have trodden the same path over the years. But first they had to enter and pass through the ancient and now unused Jedi Temple. Selected because of its isolation, it was still a pilgrammage for many Jedi of various Orders. And quite rightly so.

"Be wary of the footing too," she reminded her Padawan."Don't forget Master Seta-Le fell through the ice here." She made it sound so matter of fact, as if every Jedi knew the story. They were now in the temple, it was snow covered and bare. Large transparisteel windows allowed pale light in from the snow-swept world.

The entrance to the caves was covered in ice, so Corvus used the Force to open the circular windows high in the chamber. These allowed light to enter and refract through a series of massive crystals that were suspended in the chamber. Using the Force to focus them, the ice soon melted and they were able to enter the caves themselves.

"After you," Corvus said.

[member="Ardeo Sophos"]

 

[Ardeo Sophos]

Ardeo entered into the caves through the door that had so recently been covered by ice. He entered reverently, and with a clear mind. He didn't know what to expect. The crystal caves of Illum could be a mysterious place indeed. He had heard recount of jedi having visions, or strange tests. He was unsure of what would happen once he was inside, and was somewhat nervous, but he took care not to show it. "There is no emotion there is peace", he said this tenant of the jedi code over in his head to quell the nervousness, and fear of the unknown. Fear was the path to the dark side.

"What happens now? I will need two crystals for a double bladed sabre, and I don't know how to choose one, let alone two. How will I know if they are right?"

Ardeo questioned Coruvs as they walked. No holo books, or records told of how you actually retrieved or chose a crystal, he only had his instincts, and Corvus' guidance now. As they walked he imagined his lightsaber in hand, and thought of what adventures would come once he had his own saber.

"Corvus? Perhaps this is a strange time to ask this question, but... how does one become a member of the Jedi council? One of my goals is to one day be made a member. You know after I become a full fledged Jedi. I mean I of course want to take on a padawan, and pass on the jedi teachings, but I also want to help shape the jedi order, and be a leader."

Ardeo waited quietly for his master to answer. He had been wondering about this for a while, but had not asked. He had not wanted to seem impatient. He understood that only in time would he be able to achieve his goals, but he was the kind of student who wanted all the information, so that he had a clear plan ahead of him.

((Sorry about the delay. School has come back with a vengeance.))

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus walked and talked - still wary of her footing. "I was once told the crystal chooses the Jedi, not the other way around," she said. "Or rather the Force I guess. I don't know how true that is, but my advice is always the same. You will just know which are the correct crystals for you. I can't explain why, and won't try. But when you see them...you'll sense it."

"And the path to the Council is not prescribed. Clearly you become a Knight first. Then a Master. And then the Council will one day say...you know Master Sophos? Why isn't he a member of this Council? It could be your wisdom, or dedication or prowess in a specific field. But something will set you apart from the others and that's impossible to define. Just be a good Jedi and the rest will take care of itself. That's my advice."

"Now I'll hang back. Once you've found the crystal, we can go about seeking this saber."

[member="Ardeo Sophos"]

 

[Ardeo Sophos]

((Are we still constructing a saber, or going to look for satele's?))

 

[Corvus Raaf]

[member="Ardeo Sophos"]

Spoiler

I edited my post - and will use this for my next post

 

[Ardeo Sophos]

Ardeo entered the winning caves. as he went deeper into the caves, he relied don the light from one of his training sabers to guide him. so far he hadn't found a single crystal. He was starting to wonder why these had been called the crystal caves, yet he continued on, determined not to return a failure. He was a jedi, and he would succeed. He just had to... right? He thought of all the jedi that came before him, the lightsabers that rested on the belts of all the knights of the order, of master Raaf. All the jedi had succeeded so he could too. Something was missing though. He hadn't seen any crystals, and he couldn't understand why. He had his lightsaber for light, and he could see all his surroundings. "Wait! that's it! I can't rely on these. I must trust in the force." Arden deactivated the saber he was using. He closed his eyes, and reached out with the force. He could feel the ebb and flow, he could feel a stream of energy. He locked on, and as if the force itself moved him, he began to walk. He followed the energy, like a leaf in the wind. Nothing more than a vessel that the force could work through. One step after another he walked, deeper into the caves.

After what seemed like mere moments, he arrived in what could only be described as the epicenter of the force on the planet. He could feel the warmth, and life in the cave. His eyes flickered open, and what he saw took his breath away. All colors, shapes, and sizes of crystals, filled the room. There were so many. Corvus' words echoed in his mind. He let his eyes close once more.

"What is it I want to represent? What is my lightsaber to me? It is an extension of not only my body, but my soul. It is a part of me. It is not just a tool. It is a gift that will allow me to protect those precious to me. My blade will be pure, it will be just, It will be the light, but it will also carry wisdom, and knowledge. That is what my blade will be, it will be me."

As Ardeo's eyes opened two crystals floated infant of him. He reached out and the crystals dropped into his hands. They were so light they were almost white, but with a faint green glow to them. These were perfect. After much back tracking, he arrived exactly where he had left Corvus. He held out the crystals. "I trusted in the force, and in turn the force gave me a hand. Will these work?"

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus viewed the crystals. She rarely, unless expressly asked, held another's saber or touched crystals they intended to use in their saber. She saw them as personal and given the Crystal Code, felt there was such a strong link between the Jedi and the Force and the crystal that she always held back.

The crystals shown to her were perfect - but more precisely were perfect for Ardeo. If a Jedi trusts in the Force and finds crystals, Corvus' own view seemed superfluous. So she nodded. "The Force has never let me down yet, so I would trust it implicitly."

"Now, we need to find this saber. Did you have any ideas of your own? If not, we can do some research on the ship."

[member="Ardeo Sophos"]