Tenel Ka threw her spear one last time, then retrieved it and turned to meet Luke. She and the Jedi Master had shared a special bond from the time the two of them had spent together searching for the kidnapped twins and Lowie and rescuing them from the Shadow Academy … though Jacen sensed that Tenel Ka and Uncle Luke shared other secrets as well.
“Greetings, Master Skywalker,” Tenel Ka said.
The tinny voice of Em Teedee, the miniaturized translator droid hanging from a clip on Lowbacca’s belt, chimed out, “Master Lowbacca, we have a guest. If you’re quite finished fussing with those controls, I believe Master Skywalker wishes to converse with you.”
Lowie grunted and raised his shaggy head, scratching the remarkable black streak of fur that rose over one eyebrow and curved down his back.
Jaina scrambled up beside him. “What is it? Oh, hi, Uncle Luke.”
“I’m glad you’re all here,” Luke said. “I wanted to discuss your training. You four have been in closer contact with the Second Imperium than my other students, so you know the danger better than they do. You also all have extraordinarily strong Jedi potential, and I think perhaps you’re ready for a greater challenge than the others.”
“Like what?” Jacen asked eagerly.
“Like taking the next step toward becoming full Jedi Knights,” Luke said.
Jacen’s mind spun, trying to figure out what his uncle meant, but Jaina exclaimed, “You want us to build our own lightsabers, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Luke nodded. “I normally wouldn’t suggest this so early, especially for such young students. But I think we’re in for a battle so difficult that I want you to be prepared to use every weapon at your disposal.”
Jacen felt a surge of delight, followed by sudden uneasiness. Not long ago he had desperately wanted his own lightsaber, but he had been forced to train with one at the Shadow Academy … and he and his sister had come close to killing each other in a deceptive test. “But, Uncle Luke, I thought you said it was too dangerous for us.”
Luke nodded soberly. “It is dangerous. As I recall, I once caught you playing with my weapon because you wanted one so much—but I think you’ve learned an important lesson since then about taking lightsabers seriously.”
Jacen agreed. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll ever again think of a lightsaber as a toy.”
Luke smiled back at him. “Good. That’s an important start,” he said. “These weapons are not playthings. A lightsaber is a dangerous and destructive instrument, a powerful blade that can strike down an opponent—or a friend, if you’re not careful.”
“We’ll be careful, Uncle Luke,” Jaina assured him with an earnest nod.
Luke still seemed skeptical. “This isn’t a reward. It’s an obligation, a difficult new set of lessons for you. Perhaps the work involved in building your own lightsaber will teach you to respect it as a tool, as you learn how the Jedi created their own personal weapons, each with its special characteristics.”
“Always wanted to know how a lightsaber worked. Can I take yours apart, Uncle Luke?” Jaina asked, her brandy-brown eyes pleading.
Now Luke let a smile cross his face. “I don’t think so, Jaina—but you’ll learn about them soon enough.” He looked at the four young Jedi Knights. “I want you to begin without delay.”
2
Jaina paid attention to her uncle Luke’s words with only half a mind, the rest of her concentration focusing on the problem of where to get the precious components for building her very own lightsaber.
She and her brother, along with Lowie and Tenel Ka, were in one of the upper solariums in the Great Temple, a room made of polished marble slabs inset with semiprecious stones. Bright light streamed through tall, narrow windows that had been chiseled into the stone blocks by ancient Massassi tribesmen.
Luke Skywalker sat nearby on a deep window ledge, uncharacteristically relaxed and boyish. He enjoyed being with a small group of trainees, especially his niece and nephew and their friends, talking about things that interested him.
“You may have heard about Jedi Masters during the Clone Wars who were able to fashion lightsabers in only a day or two, using whatever raw materials were at hand,” Luke said. “But don’t get the idea that your weapon is a quick little project to be slapped together. Ideally, a Jedi took many months to construct a single perfect weapon that he or she would keep and use for a lifetime. Once you build it, the lightsaber will become your constant companion, your tool, and a ready means of defense.”
He stood up from his seat on the window ledge. “The components are fairly simple. Every lightsaber has a standard power source, the same type used in small blasters, even in glowpanels. They last a long time, though, because Jedi should rarely use their lightsabers.”
“Got some of those power sources in my room,” Jaina said. “Spare parts, you know.”
“One of the other crucial pieces,” Luke continued, “is a focusing crystal. The most powerful and sought-after gems are rare kaiburr crystals. However, though lightsabers are powerful weapons, their design is so flexible that practically any kind of crystal can be used. And, since I don’t happen to have a stash of kaiburr crystals”—he smiled—“you’ll have to make do with something else, of your own choosing.”
Luke held out the handle of his own lightsaber, sliding his palm over the smooth grip, then igniting it with a startling snap-hiss. The brilliant yellow-green blade drowned out even the bright sunlight in the room.
“This is not my first lightsaber.” Luke drew it back and forth through the empty air so that its hum changed frequency. “Note the color of its blade. I lost my first lightsaber years ago … my father’s lightsaber.” He swallowed and seemed to struggle against a dark memory from his past. Jaina knew the story of how Luke had lost his other lightsaber during a duel with Darth Vader on Cloud City. In that terrible fight Luke Skywalker had lost not only his lightsaber, but his hand as well.
“My first weapon had a pale blue beam. The colors vary, according to the frequencies of the crystals used. Darth Vader’s lightsaber”—he drew a deep breath—“my father’s lightsaber was a deep scarlet.”
Jaina nodded solemnly. She remembered fighting Vader’s holographic image on the Shadow Academy—though it had actually been her own brother Jacen in disguise. Her lightsaber experiences had not been pleasant on the Imperial station … and now her feelings about the energy blades were even more confused. Her friend Zekk had also been taken by Brakiss and the Second Imperium. Jaina knew she would have to fight to get him back.
Luke continued, “One of my students, Cilghal, a Calamarian like Admiral Ackbar, made her lightsaber with smooth curves and protrusions, as if the handle had been grown from metallic coral. Inside, she used a rare ultima-pearl, one of the treasures found in the seabeds of her watery planet.
“My first true failure as a teacher was another student named Gantoris. He built his lightsaber in only a few intense days, following instructions given to him by the evil spirit of Exar Kun. Gantoris thought he was ready, and my mistake was not seeing what he was up to.
“You, my young Jedi Knights, must be different. I can’t wait any longer to train you. You must learn how to build your lightsabers—and how to use them—in the right way. The galaxy has changed, and you must meet the challenge. A true Jedi is forced to adapt or be destroyed.”
Tenel Ka spoke up. “Where will we find these crystals to build our weapons, Master Skywalker?” she asked. “Are they lying on the ground?”