General, we have arrived!" O'Connor reported.
"Excellent. Land at the specified coordinates."
"Yes, sir!"
"Puck, get the troopers ready."
"They've been ready for a long time," the clone muttered. Apparently, the steeds had been standing still for too long…
As the corvette descended through the atmosphere toward the planet's surface, we prepared for the excursion. Everyone put on warm, fur-trimmed coats. The younglings lined up behind Ahsoka and me in the corridor near the gangway.
Finally, after a slight jolt, I felt a faint bump, indicating that the ship's supports had touched the surface. A corresponding signal on the panel confirmed this.
The ship's ramp extended and lowered. The cold hit my face. I was the first to step onto the planet's icy surface, and the others followed.
"Puck, secure the perimeter. Guard the ship."
What can I say? It's cold. Ice and snow stretched in every direction, with boulders and rocks peeking out from beneath the white crust. To the east, the local sun was slowly rising.
"Follow me!" I waved my hand invitingly and headed toward the sheer wall visible to the north of us, stretching left and right as far as the eye could see. The closer we got, the higher and more imposing the ice wall became.
Soon we reached its base, at two hummocks that rose vertically upward.
"Master Vikt, there is no road ahead," said the little Togruta.
"Nevertheless, the entrance is right here. It is hidden from others, and only the Jedi know about it. Only by joining together can we enter. Use the Force."
Closing my eyes, I reached out my hand toward the rock. Ahsoka and the younglings followed my example.
I felt movement and, opening my eyes, saw a section of the wall—at first glance indistinguishable from solid ice—begin to slide downward. It wasn't telekinesis; it was something else entirely. Something was responding to our combined power, opening the way. An ancient mechanism—very ancient.
Finally, the entrance was open.
"Let's go."
After passing through a short corridor, we entered a man-made chamber—the ancient Jedi Temple. Before us lay a vast circular hall filled with statues of Jedi and wall plaques upon which the history of the Order had been recorded over the centuries. The images were composed of lines and shapes, just enough to depict places or Jedi. Names were etched in long vertical rows running from ceiling to floor.
"Welcome to Ilum, younglings," I announced.
Meanwhile, they turned their heads in fascination. And there was plenty to see. The sight was as impressive as it was mesmerizing—something evident even without the Force. With it, however, the place seemed to radiate pure grandeur.
"Let's begin our tour!" my padawan announced excitedly.
Ahsoka led the way, followed by the younglings, while I brought up the rear, making sure no one lagged behind. We passed through countless passageways, visited the chambers of the old Temple, examined numerous statues and wall reliefs, and saw a massive crystal—so large I could barely wrap my arms around it—rising more than ten meters high. As I climbed the stairs spiraling around it, I couldn't help but think that this crystal was likely millions of years old, if not older.
Eventually, we descended back into the atrium and moved on to the primary objective of our route: the Ilum Caves.
My gaze caught crystals everywhere—embedded in the walls, jutting from the ceiling. A total of three types of crystals were identified: kathracite, mephite, and pontite.
Kathracite was the most common variety of Adegan crystal. It did not focus energy in the same way as its related counterparts. This type of crystal was most often used in training swords. But even then, such crystals lasted no more than ten years—fifteen at best—before needing replacement.
Mephite was used by most Jedi in the construction of lightsabers. These crystals typically came in blue or green, with yellow being less common. Variations such as blue-green or yellow-green were even rarer.
Pontite was the rarest and most powerful of all—nearly impossible to find. Every known specimen ever mined had been either blue or green.
Walking at the rear, I occasionally stopped—only for a second—to remove another crystal from the wall. Around fifty green mephites slipped into the pockets of my robe, followed by several hundred kathracites. The latter, I intended to use purely for selfish purposes. Jedi rarely thought about it, but damn, these weren't merely focusing crystals—they were also gemstones. One such stone could be worth several hundred thousand credits.
Impressive, isn't it?
Of course, I had no intention of selling the mephites. I had entirely different plans for them…
Suddenly, I sensed… something.
"Ahsoka, will you keep an eye on the younglings? I'll be right back."
The Togruta nodded calmly.
"No problem, Master."
I headed toward a barely visible fork in the path—one so narrow that an adult could scarcely pass through it. Pitch darkness enveloped the passage. Activating my lightsaber, I stepped forward. The glow of the blade dispelled the darkness, and on the walls of the uneven yet clearly man-made passageway—the floor was perfectly smooth—I saw dozens, hundreds of crystals and rosettes formed from them. They played with color, reflecting the faint light of the blade or transforming it into something entirely different.
I couldn't understand what was drawing me there, forward, but… I felt no danger. So I kept going. And going.
Quite unexpectedly, I found myself in a small, circular hall. The ceiling was high, and the chamber was filled with light coming from somewhere above. I could see perfectly well that there was no way forward. And just as suddenly, the feeling that had been urging me onward vanished.
Grunting, I turned around—
—and did not see the corridor I had come through.
Before I had time to be surprised or react in any way, the room was plunged into absolute darkness. Even the light of my lightsaber could not dispel it.
What…?
The silence of this place was replaced by barely audible sounds: the rustling of leaves… the patter of falling raindrops… the faint vibration of strings. My sense of smell unmistakably picked up the scents of fir branches and freshly baked bread…
What's going on here, damn it?
Suddenly, the pitch-black darkness gave way to a grayish twilight. And at that very moment, I sensed someone's presence.
Right behind me.
I turned around.
Behind me stood… me.
More precisely, an exact copy of myself. The same clothes. The same face. Only the lightsaber rested on his belt.
"Who are you? And what are you doing here?"
"The future is predetermined," the figure proclaimed.
Then it dissolved, melting like mist, which immediately coalesced into a new form.
It was me again—but different. Completely different. The body was covered in a web of tattoos and incomprehensible symbols, and the eyes burned with yellow fire. His mouth was twisted into a savage grin, and his teeth… his teeth were sharp, like a shark's.
He was the spitting image of a... Sith.
"The future is predetermined," he growled—and melted away, giving rise to yet another figure.
It was me again… this time, dead. My skin was peeling away, and in places, bare bones protruded through rotting flesh. Maggots writhed where my eyes had once been.
"The future is predetermined," the figure mumbled with rotten lips, and vanished.
In its place appeared the next "me."
A figure clad in black. Entirely black. A faceless, dark helmet concealed the eyes and nose, leaving only the lips visible. Yet the contours of the face were clearly discernible behind the gray, translucent visor. And as a final touch—tightly pressed lips. Gray. Completely lifeless.
"The future is predetermined."
Me again.
Strict military attire. My gaze fixed somewhere far away.
"The future is predetermined!"
A flash of light blinded me.
Blinking, I found myself in a completely different chamber. Carved columns rose upward, and in the center, upon a small platform, stood a statue. It was shrouded in a cloak and held a small tray in its outstretched arms.
Stepping forward and climbing the steps, I saw lightsabers resting there. Silver, with black inlays along the hilts, slanted emitters, no unnecessary ornamentation. Both were practically identical. Only one hilt measured sixty-five centimeters in length, while the other was forty-five.
There was no doubt.
These were my lightsabers.
Then the statue moved.
The tray vanished, and the hilts settled into her palms. With a barely perceptible motion, their ends connected with a soft click, forming a single whole. After that, she extended it toward me.
This… I didn't even know what to call it.
I stepped forward, reaching out my hand.
"There is no turning back!" the statue said.
"I know," I replied, touching the hilts—
—and banged my head against the wall.
Groaning, I shook my head and realized I was back in the same round chamber. And directly in front of me, a small recess had appeared in the wall—one I hadn't noticed before. A faint light glowed deep within it.
Without hesitation, I reached out my hand.
A moment later, I was staring at five crystals resting in my palm. They were orange in color.
Turning around, I noticed the very passageway through which I had entered.
It was all rather incomprehensible, but it seemed that I had obtained my crystals. Only the color… it wasn't what I had expected. Not at all.
Walking back through the passage and into the main corridor, I focused and oriented myself. Before long, I caught up with the younglings and Ahsoka.
She immediately rushed toward me, her face lighting up with a smile.
"Master! I found a crystal for the shoto!" she exclaimed, showing me a small crystal. It was yellow-green in color.
"Well, that's just great!" I smiled back at her.
Notes:P@treon: /SadRaven
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