49 Chapter

"So... explain again why I can't simply buy a crystal for the lightsaber? I can afford it, you know..." I asked the little green Jedi master as we slowly made our way to the ship that landed on the landing pad close to the temple.

Nisica was safely in the hands of the Freedom for All organization but I intended to check up on her from time to time just to make sure she was OK.

Yoda nodded as he led me towards the ship with a waiting group of six younglings and an older, human Jedi. "You could. But tradition it is."

The human Jedi nodded to us when we approached. "Master Yoda. Padawan Atreus."

I gave him a small glare. "I am not a Jedi!"

He gave me an amused look before answering. "I am Jedi Master M'jik, I will guide you all on your search for your Gathering."

He motioned to the younglings. "Come with me, it is time we leave."

I switched my look down to Yoda. He gave me an amused look and chuckled before turning to hobble back along the path. Someday, I was going to drop that little green muppet into a well.

Sighing, I followed the group into the rather cramped spaceship. I could fit in the corridors and rooms, but this would not be fun.

Two days later, I was in the middle of a snowstorm, wading through the snow while trying to follow M'jik. Burring up my feathers, I tried to get away from the cold as much as I could. Morrigi preferred hotter and dryer conditions than humans... and this was not it! I was going to KILL that little dustling! Most of my ship was kept at human comfortable temperatures as it was a decent compromise for most species but this was silly!

I glanced down and to the side at the tiny humans and the two small twi'leks moving along in snow that reaches almost to their waist, using me as a windbreak.

"How much further?" I asked M'Jik.

He glanced back at me. "Not much. Only a few minutes at this rate."

Sighing, I raised my wings a bit more, giving the younglings a bit more cover from the wind. At the very least, the wrappings around my feet and the Force kept me warm and prevented frostbite. If I was allowed my damn suit, this would hardly be a problem!

M'jik stopped and turned back to us, smiling slightly. "Extend your hands towards the ice wall. We must all use the force to be able to lower it, together."

I glowered at him as the younglings stepped up and followed his command. He turned to do the same. I crossed my arms and accessed the Force, focusing on lowering the wall. The entire hand thing was a focusing method. With concentration, it was not needed... but it was normally used when you were in a hurry.

This was not in a hurry and such just showmanship. I won't play into their ice-cold games.

Part of the ice wall slowly lowered with a grinding sound to reveal a structure buried in the ice.

I shivered and burred up my feathers a bit more as we entered the ice-cold temple, getting us out of the biting wind at the very least... Only to find a certain little green Jedi master sitting with his arms crossed at a small central pillar in the center of the large chamber.

Glaring at him, I followed the rest of the Jedi. Tradition or not, he was having WAY to much fun with this, getting into a faster ship to get here before we did.

I joined them as they lined up before him and he opened his eyes.

"The Force, Made physical, a Jedi is. Comes great responsibility with that, yes?" Yoda said as the younglings slowly nodded. I nodded as well.

"Protect others, how does a Jedi?" Yoda asked as he stood up on the small pillar before he slowly floated his lightsaber in front of him with the Force while turning it on. "Build your own lightsaber, you shall. But first, harvest your crystal, each one of you must."

The younglings grinned happily as he turned it off, floating it back into his hand. "The heart of the lightsaber, the crystal is. Focuses the Force from the Jedi, it does."

Yoda tucked away his lightsaber before lifting his hands into the air, using the force to activate a stone shutter. He allowed the light from the rising sun inside before he rotated a crystal array on the ceiling to focus the light of the sun and flash-melt part of the wall. As the water flowed away, it revealed a large tunnel into the wall.

I blinked at the sight before glancing up at the array hanging from the ceiling. There was not enough energy in the sunlight here to do that... Something else was going on.

He smiled slightly. "If Jedi you are to become, enter the crystal cave, you must. Trust yourself, trust each other... and succeed you will."

I gave him another look to which he just smiled in response as the group moved to the opening. M'jik stepped up as we all moved to enter the chamber. "Once you get your crystal, do not remain inside. As daylight end, the door will freeze over again and you will be trapped for one rotation."

One of the younglings, a human girl with brown hair spoke up. "How will we know what crystal to pick?"

He smiled at her before answering, "Only you will know which one is yours. Now, you better hurry."

With that, the younglings turned to enter the tunnel.

I sighed and shook my head before following them into the dark.

They talked among themselves about what the best strategy was as we slowly make our way down the icy cave. To stick together or to split up. Personally, I could see pros to both but how to find crystals in an ice cave, I have no idea.

I stopped maybe thirty meters in and one of the twi'leks, a male with blue skin glanced back at me. "What do you think, Atreus?."

I shook my head. "I do not know T'elik, but some paths are closed to me as they are simply too small. I believe it is better if I go alone, that way I do not limit the choices of the group."

I didn't exactly get to know them that well, but at the very least, I learned their names during the two days in hyperspace.

They slowly nodded and before turning to head deeper into the cave, the brown-haired girl, Mya, spoke up. "Ok, but be careful."

I looked around at the icy walls. This was clearly some kind of Jedi test... Finding see-through crystals in an icy cave seemed exactly like one of their ideas of fun.

Spending a few moments thinking it over, I closed my eyes and reached into the Force, letting it flow through me before I let it guide my step and path.

Unless I needed the Force in a quick and dirty fashion, like in combat, I could keep my glamour under control nowadays.

I didn't know how long I walked but I didn't run into anything, didn't trip on anything, and didn't hit my head... Then it was time to stop.

I opened my eyes to reveal a shining light right in front of me. I extended my hand and the light flew into it, only to go out.

As I opened my hand and looked down, it revealed a small dark blue crystal.

I trilled happily and then turned to follow my claw scratches back to the entrance. When I reach it... it is blocked by a wall of ice.

I was too late.

I hesitated for a couple of moments before I snorted, shaking my head. This was stupid... It was ICE. I extended my hand towards the wall of ice in front of me and I let the Force flow before I PUSH.

The decimeter-thick sheet of ice shattered, shards go flying before I exited through the hole I created to the cheers of the younglings that had already arrived with their crystals.

Turned out, I was the last one back.

Yoda, the little green dustling, gave me a happy smile.