A Few Months Later

3rd Person

Silence.

Coruscant was not the type of planet to know such a word.

Whether day or night, the roaring speeders and bustling crowds of people never subsided.

However, CoCo Town was in a league of its own.

Home to all the cheap establishments one could ask for, the dilapidated district was particularly disorderly.

Clamorous hordes of hard-working laborers, eager to secure a seat at a diner.

Noisy discourse everywhere, a side-effect of marketplace haggling.

Booming music, blasting from the myriad of shoddy taverns.

Hosting a lively nightlife, CoCo Town was a hub for the common galactic citizen.

Among the rowdy district's metropolitan symphony, one sound rose above the rest.

"Tap. Tap."

"Tap. Tap."

"Tap. Tap."

Footsteps. A staggered, pair of footsteps.

"Tap. Tap."

"Tap. Tap."

The footsteps ceased.

"SLAM! SLAM!"

Two cloaked figures landed on the roof of Bottomless Bantha Burger. Maintaining their pace, the figures persevered, seamlessly bounding across the spaces between buildings.

Zevon

'Breathe in, breath out.' I reminded myself.

There was no longer a need to repeat the phrase ad nauseum, however.

The action had assimilated with my mind completely.

As I vaulted over an electrical box, I caught view of a silhouette in the darkness.

A Trandoshan, fitted in a maintenance worker's attire.

Hearing our rapid footfalls, the reptilian humanoid looked up from her work.

"Huh?!" The Trandoshan growled, confounded.

"Nice night to you, ma'am!" I saluted, zooming past her.

Gradually, the footfalls behind me started to fade.

Sneaking a backward glance, I confirmed my suspicions.

My master was lagging behind... again.

Adi

Our run.

The... happiest part of my day.

Not that it mattered.

'Breathe in, breath out.' I ordered myself, heeding the words of my apprentice.

Nevertheless, as we dashed over the skyline, I gasped for air.

Every inhalation was akin to swallowing shards of glass...

Painful, to say the least.

Up ahead, I noticed that my padawan was decelerating.

Zevon

My master had improved remarkably over the months, but, well...

Next to my absurd physical conditioning, you could barely tell.

I felt bad about it... just a bit.

"Hey, I said no force, remember? I saw your jump back there." I accused, waggling my finger at Master Gallia.

"Fine, but... I'm still unconvinced.... that you aren't using force speed... marginally, at the very least." she grumbled through short breaths.

"Trust me, I'm not." I chuckled, ducking and weaving through stray pipes and beams.

Just then, I sighted another silhouette ahead of us.

No... a group of silhouettes.

As the pitch black unveiled the strangers, I spotted glasses in their hands.

Nighttime partiers.

"Jedi!!!" a stranger shouted, wide-eyed.

As we closed in on their position, the drunken stranger reached out toward us.

Extending my own hand, I obliged... gracing the citizen with a brisk high-five.

"She's a Jedi." I stated, pointing to my stoic master beside me. "I'm not quite there yet."

"Okay... semi-Jedi!" The stranger yelled cheerfully, slurring his words.

"What an upstanding fellow..." Master Gallia muttered.

"Hey...! Lemme... lemme see your laser swords!!" the drunk shouted after us, his voice growing faint as we bolted away.

Adi

My head tendrils, my apprentice's padawan braid...

Both floated in the air, carried by the wind as we darted over the district penitentiary.

Eventually, my breathing stabilized.

The runs were always grueling, exhausting...

They were always unpleasant in the beginning.

But, as my Tholothian cardiovascular system adapted to my pace...

I sensed the blood rush. I sensed the wave of neurochemicals.

Finally, I experienced a soaring, liberating feeling...

No description could ever do it justice.

Piloting a starfighter was the only comparable experience.

...

After leaping over another gap between buildings, I noticed that we were approaching a massive drop-off.

"Incoming." I alerted my padawan.

"Oh... yeah. Twelve meters... probably?" he guessed, seemingly mildly concerned.

"We should slow down." I advised, noting our ample momentum.

"Yeah... probably." he agreed, still indifferent.

Surveying back and forth, between the two of us, I saw no change in our speed.

The broad chasm creeped closer.

"Aren't you going to slow down?!" I demanded frantically.

"I thought you were going to slow down!" my padawan yelled in return.

"Well, we've missed our chance." I lamented regretfully.

"Fine then, let's try the slingshot maneuver." my apprentice suggested, his gaze fixed to the gap.

"I thought we were calling it the ballista maneuver." I challenged, preferring the name I'd come up with.

"Whatever... get ready, master!" he barked.

Begrudgingly complying, I called upon the force, surrounding myself with the energy field.

Utilizing the bestowed power, I shot forward with a temporary burst of speed.

When I reached the edge of the abyss, I jumped up into the air.

Even with all of my strength, both physical and supernatural, I wouldn't even come close to clearing the gap.

But, I hadn't planned to... my apprentice wasn't far behind.

Zevon

Having closely followed Master Gallia, I hurtled straight for her.

Finally reaching her, in midair no less, I gave her another boost.

As she sailed toward the other side, my master flipped around to face me.

Extending her palms, she used the force the pull me back toward her.

"Ha!" I exclaimed excitedly, a gale rushing past my ears.

The slingshot maneuver, an invention of my own (with Master Gallia as co-inventor).

Though, it was going to be close...

'Come on, just a little further...' I thought anxiously, plummeting toward the ground.

"SLAM! SLAM!"

Barely clearing the chasm, we rolled to absorb the impact.

"It will be called the ballista maneuver, I'm exercising my authority as a master." Master Gallia stated firmly.

"As you wish." I conceded, apathetic to the matter.

Taking no time to rest, we continued our pace, darting and weaving over every obstacle we encountered.

Throughout my runs, I always tried to remember the establishments I passed over.

Dex's Diner, CoCo District Theatre, The Whimsical Wampa, a Galactic Museum...

And... those ruins Master Gallia had been fixated with, nearly a year prior...

...

Additionally, I'd picked up a new habit. Ever since... Irisella, I found myself peering down at the crowds more often.

Was it curiosity, or a newfound understanding?

It was probably a mixture of the two. Regardless, I couldn't forget what I'd seen, what I'd learned.

Yet, I never allowed myself to lose my drive. I had to become stronger... become a Jedi.

My vision narrowed.

Anything else would have to wait.

Adi

After what felt like a million strides, we arrived at the final stretch.

A straightaway, up through the residential district...

An arduous, lengthy incline... leading to a certain, grand building at the height of the gradient...

The Jedi temple.

Now or never.

My apprentice accelerated, breaking into a sprint; I did the same.

As we climbed the oversized staircase, I experienced a searing pain deep within my legs... as if several lightsabers had penetrated my skin.

Oddly enough, I'd grown to welcome such pain. It was somehow... reassuring, as if to remind me that I was alive.

As a Jedi Master, I knew how dark such a line of thought was. Embracing pain was part of Sith ideology.

Yet... somehow this felt different.

As we crossed the halfway point, my strides synchronized with my padawan's.

Then, spontaneously, I had a thought.

Zevon

I blinked, only for a split second.

And...

When I opened my eyes, Master Gallia was tens of meters ahead of me.

Force speed, no doubt.

"What did I SAY, master? WHAT DID I SAY!!?" I roared, blindsided by her treachery.

Allowing the force to flow through me, I flashed forward in similar fashion.

Eventually, we were neck and neck...

As we continuously accelerated, our bodies became streaks along the skyline...

The temple was so close...

And...

"I win!" I exclaimed, tapping the courtyard first.

"Skreeeeeeeeee!"

The soles of my boots shrieked in agony as they contacted the ground.

I slid about twenty meters before coming to a stop...

Aaaannd, I had to catch Master Gallia mid-tumble.

Adi

Dusting myself off, I ignored the quizzical onlookers around us.

"Thirty-two minutes, forty nine seconds..." my apprentice stated, reading off of his timer.

"That's a new record, right?" I asked, impressed with myself.

"For you..." he responded, bummed out.

Feeling refreshed, I checked the time.

Zevon

"My apologies, padawan, but I need to maintenance my starfighter." Master Gallia announced.

Her tone was as frigid as ever, her face deadpan.

However, my senses had improved, despite their still-limited range.

Behind her icy exterior, my master was giddy at the thought of working on her spacecraft.

She wasn't very good at hiding it, either.

"Neat, can I fly it soon?" I requested, half-joking.

"No." Master Gallia answered.

...

After Master Gallia departed for the temple hangar, I ended up tagging along, much to her displeasure.

"Come on, just this once, let me take it for a whirl..." I pleaded again, purposefully annoying the dark-skinned Tholothian.

"Padawan... I'm not about to let you defile my most sacred treasure." Master Gallia maintained, ruthless.

I paused for a moment, scheming to myself.

"How about this...? Tomorrow, we run the circuit. If I win, I get to take your starfighter for a spin." I proposed, an evil grin etched upon my face.

"I'm not agreeing to that." Master Gallia stated, shooting me down.

As we entered one of the temple's many hangars, I laid eyes on my master's 'sacred treasure' once again.

It was certainly beautiful, her starfighter. While my master's prized spacecraft was an Aethersprite, hers was far more pristine than Anakin's.

While Anakin's was gray with yellow accents, my master's starfighter was a bright red, with diagonal white stripes painted over the front. Furthermore, it was expertly polished... well-maintained.

Though she didn't get to fly very often, Master Gallia was an ace star pilot. Sure, she wasn't as famous as Anakin Skywalker, but my master was still one of the Jedi order's premier pilots.

She'd even garnered an alias from her exploits... 'Shooting Star,' was it? Anakin mentioned it back on... Irisella.

"What maintenance are you doing?" I inquired, no longer in a joking mood.

"Nothing major. Currently, I want to assess whether or not I can install a hyperdrive." Master Gallia informed me, tinkering with her starfighter's boosters.

"Why? Don't you have those rings?" I questioned, picturing the accessory in my mind.

"Indeed. However, I despise them... so tasteless..." my master expressed, engrossed in her work.

"Despise? That's not very Jedi-like..." I commented sarcastically.

After freezing for a second, my master shot me an exasperated look, her fierce blue eyes penetrating my soul.

'Sheesh. No need for the death stare.' I muttered internally, dropping the banter.

"Screeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

The high-pitched wailing of sublight engines.

As Master Gallia and I turned to view the source of the disruption, we watched as Nu-class attack shuttle landed in the hangar.

As the landing ramp touched the ground, a group of Jedi started hauling their cargo out of the shuttle.

Their cargo...

Corpses...

Numerous corpses, draped in cloth.

No matter where you were, you couldn't escape it.

Everywhere... the clone war raged on...

"As the war carries on, so does the galaxy sink deeper into darkness." Master Gallia whispered solemnly.

"You can sense it?" I inquired, curious. Though my senses had sharpened, I still couldn't view the force on a macroscopic level like a normal Jedi.

I would most likely never be able to do so...

"I can, without question." my master confirmed. "Ever since the bloodshed began, the power of the dark side has only further intensified."

"Is that a sign of what's to come?" I asked, formulating scenarios in my head.

"I... don't know, padawan." Master Gallia admitted, shaking her head. "Nothing good. Something twisted and evil, surely, which reminds me..."

"Hm..?" I hummed curiously, crossing my arms.

"Count Dooku has unleashed a new agent of chaos upon the galaxy." my master stated ominously. "Savage Opress... a Dathomirian Zabrak, the same as the deceased Sith Lord know as... Darth Maul."

"Ah.." I muttered, recognition washing over my face.

I was so young when I first heard the name, but a faint recollection of that day's events still lingered within my memories.

Everyone remembered the day it happened, and those who didn't had heard the stories.

The Sith had been long-dead, extinct, and then... suddenly... he appeared.

Darth Maul.

Master Kenobi had felled the beast, while still a padawan no less, but not before the Sith Lord was able to cause irreparable damage.

And now there was another just like him?

"Opress is a being of unimaginable strength and brutality, even more than Grievous, though... he seems to lack the droid general's cunning. Still... his savagery is not to be underestimated. Have you heard about the deaths of Master Halsey and his padawan?" Master Gallia inquired.

"The work of Opress?" I guessed, coming to the natural conclusion.

"Indeed. Recently, Master Kenobi and Skywalker engaged the monster, but they were unsuccessful in subduing him. Although, judging by the information they acquired... it's unclear whether Opress's loyalties truly lie with Dooku." my master further elucidated.

"He sounds more like a feral beast than anything." I remarked. "But... he is a Sith, right?"

"Most definitely." Master Gallia asserted. "Though... it's unclear where he fits into the pecking order."

"At least Ventress is out of the picture." I commented optimistically.

Despite my inactivity over the last few months, so much had happened, so much that it was difficult to keep track of.

But, one of the most pivotal developments in the war had to be the death of Asajj Ventress.

The presumed death, anyway. During the Battle of Sullust, after dueling Anakin and Master Kenobi for a time, the Sith assassin had supposedly perished in the explosion of her command ship.

If Count Dooku had procured a new apprentice, this 'Savage Opress,' then surely the hairless harpy was gone for good.

...

Eventually, the remainder of the fallen were transferred out of the transport shuttle. At the same time, Master Gallia concluded her inspection.

Still haunted by the parade of the veiled departed, my master and I fell into a silence.

As Master Gallia made her way to the hangar's gate, I tailed behind her.

The view was awe-inspiring...

Coruscant during nighttime, laid out in front of us.

Amidst the brilliant darkness, the cityscape was dotted with millions of flickering lights.

Beyond the towering buildings, beyond the skyline, beyond the horizon...

The night sky.

More vast and expansive than any ocean.

The galaxy's billions of shimmering stars far outnumbered the city lights below.

"Quite appealing to the eyes, isn't it?" Master Gallia voiced, stargazing as well.

"I'd say so." I agreed, understating the beauty.

"When I look upon the night sky, I'm reminded of the cosmic force. Just as the cosmos confines Coruscant, the force binds us together." Master Gallia confided. "The stars hold me to my vow. They reassure me of my purpose."

My purpose...

Become a Jedi.

"Don't you think the view is better up there?" I contended, remembering beholding the stars from the inside of a Venator.

"No, no..." Master Gallia insisted. "That's a different experience, although... Coruscant isn't the best location to stargaze, you're not wrong about that."

"How come?" I inquired, pondering the matter. "Huh... too much light pollution?"

"Precisely. For example, Tython is a much better locale... there are no cities there to suffocate the natural light." my master further explained.

"I got a quick look at the sky on Jedha, but, other than that, I don't think I've really been able to slow down and appreciate my surroundings." I reflected. "Master... someday, maybe when all this is over, I'd like to see the stars with you. The real, natural stars I mean."

Master Gallia paused, taken aback.

I sensed a trace of warmth spread across her cold, emotionless shell.

"I'll consider it." she responded, suppressing a smile.

The warmth within her soon vanished.

...

After leaving the hangar, Master Gallia and I found ourselves walking through the temple's noble halls.

"I'm going to my quarters to turn in for the night." Master Gallia notified. "What will you do?"

I hesitated to respond, but I didn't hesitate out of uncertainty.

I knew what I exactly what I would do.

I knew exactly what I had to do.

"I... was going to head to a meditation chamber, to do some more training." I finally confessed.

Master Gallia didn't seem very surprised.

"No. You've trained more than enough today." the dark-skinned Tholothian stated doubtlessly.

"I decide when enough is enough." I spat angrily, pushing back.

"Padawan, I'm not questioning your resolve..." Master Gallia assured, pausing for a moment. "You've... you've impressed me with it, time and time again."

"Then don't tell me to stop... I won't." I declared, rigid in my decision.

"Your anger is showing." Master Gallia warned.

Realizing that I was allowing my emotions to run wild, I toned down my temper.

"Sorry." I apologized half-heartedly.

There it was again, that piercing, blue gaze. Within her irises, I could tell that my master was struggling to find a way to convince me.

"Padawan... to develop your mind and body properly, you need rest. Considering how you spent the last several years, I find it hard to believe that you don't understand that." Master Gallia finally rebutted.

Conflicted, I considered the validity of her words.

Yes, I needed time to recover. Overtraining was something I was well aware of.

I knew my master was right, but...

What else could I do?

"I'm still going to the meditation chambers." I eventually replied, putting my foot down.

As my master walked through the archway of the High Council Tower, she shook her head slightly.

"I won't stop you, but... try to reflect on my counsel." Master Gallia urged, climbing the first step of the tower's snaking spiral staircase.

Before I could leave, my master turned around to face me one last time.

Then, she spoke.

"Zevon, what is your goal!?" she asked, her voice booming.

"To become a Jedi, master!" I reiterated loudly.

"Your goal is no different than the journey up this staircase." Master Gallia stated. "Throughout your ascension, you must be mindful of each step... diligent... patient in completing each one."

"Yes, master!" I echoed loudly.

"However..." Master Gallia added, peering up through the spiral. "You must never lose sight of the top. Never forget where you want to go."

"Where do you want to go, master?" I challenged, catching my master off guard.

"...I'm already there, padawan. I've already arrived at my destination." she declared, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Before my journey to the meditation chambers, I set a course for my private quarters.

There was something I needed to retrieve.

The temple's halls were as grand as ever. Some might have said they were larger than life...

I knew the layout well, but I could picture myself getting lost in the labyrinth regardless.

The temple was vast, eternal, immortal... sometimes, the vastness was overwhelming...

Additionally, within the temple, I'd had a lot of bad experiences. I'd been patronized, alienated, overlooked...

Despite all that, I felt a sense of familiarity within the grand halls...

In spite of all my negative experiences within the temple...

It was my home.

...

As I reached my block of the dormitory, I spotted a familiar face... one I hadn't laid eyes on in many months.

"There you are. You don't ever check your holofeed, do you?" Ahsoka greeted, leaning against the wall next to my quarters.

"No, not really... I have priorities." I stated casually, crossing my arms. "New outfit?"

Ahsoka's change of appearance had immediately registered the second I spotted her. It'd only been a few months, but...

Her lekku had grown a little longer... her montrals had gotten a little taller.

She'd gotten a little taller.

Her white facial markings had become more defined.

Additionally, Ahsoka now wore a dark red, backless dress.

Evidently, she'd shed her previously skimpy attire for a more mature look.

"Yep!" Ahsoka exclaimed, seemingly proud of herself. "Just wanted to change things up."

"Good. Your old one looked ridiculous." I confessed out of nowhere.

"What? If that's really what you thought, you could've told me earlier!" Ahsoka exclaimed, flustered.

"Who fights battle droids in a tube-top and miniskirt?!" I cackled, to Ahsoka's embarrassment.

"It was cultural!!" Ahsoka insisted.

"Sure it was." I mockingly agreed.

"At least I'm not a void of fashion sense like you." Ahsoka grumbled, gesturing to my plain Jedi robes.

"Hey, we're not supposed to care about those sorts of things anyway." I maintained, shrugging slyly.

"Oh, shut up." Ahsoka scoffed, trying to hold back laughter. "You must care enough to shave at least."

With that last bit, I realized that Ahsoka had taken notice of the budding stubble around my face.

"I'm just trying to grow a beard like Master Kenobi." I shrugged, earning a smirk from Ahsoka.

Once our conversation really started flowing, we began filling each other in on our lives.

There was a lot to catch up on.

Well, she had a lot to tell me, anyway. My adventures had been sparse throughout the months.

After acquiring a satchel from my room, the two of us wandered through the temple's halls, chatting.

"Did your master tell you about what's going on with the council?" Ahsoka suddenly asked, injecting a slightly irritated emphasis into the 'master' bit.

"No... not at all." I answered, completely in the dark.

"A faint transmission was received from the Chrelythiumn system." Ahsoka expounded. "The scholars are saying it's an ancient Jedi distress code... Master Yoda isn't even familiar with it!"

"Sounds like a trap to me." I suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"Could be." Ahsoka agreed, then stopping in her tracks. "The council is talking about sending Master Kenobi, Anakin, and I to investigate."

"The usual trio." I chuckled, slightly envious.

"I was wondering... if you wanted to tag along?" Ahsoka added, to my surprise.

"Pffft, I'd just weigh the three of you down." I scoffed.

"I don't think so." Ahsoka denied, shaking her head. "From what I've seen, you're pretty light on your feet."

As I struggled to formulate a response, an uncomfortable silence spread out between us.

We passed by the medical bay.

"New lightsaber?" I pried suddenly, pivoting to a new topic.

I'd noticed the device a while ago, swinging back and forth at Ahsoka's side. Evidently, she'd constructed it quite recently.

"I was wondering when you would notice." Ahsoka confirmed, flashing a sly grin.

"You liked it that much, huh? You know... I would've given you this one, if you'd asked nicely." I teased, pointing my thumb at the hand-me-down clipped to my waist.

"You need a lightsaber too, laserbrain. Wait... then, did you..." Ahsoka began, cutting herself off abruptly.

"No, I haven't finished it yet." I confided, shaking my head.

"Can you at least tell me the color?" Ahsoka requested, her wide eyes pleading for the truth.

"Nope... it's a surprise." I denied firmly, winking as I stared at the Togruta's orange-skinned face.

"You're really gonna drag this out, aren't you?" Ahsoka groaned, disappointed.

Eventually, the topic drifted to one of Ahsoka's recent escapades.

"Senator Amidala is friends with separatists?!" I repeated, stunned.

Ahsoka nodded nonchalantly.

"Originally, I reacted the same as you, but... it makes sense to me now." she explained. "Count Dooku, General Grievous... they're terrible... but that doesn't mean the separatists are wrong about everything. It's not like the Senate is without its problems, yet we still fight for the republic... because we believe in it. It's the same with the people I met." Ahsoka monologued, sorting through her thoughts.

"Ever since... Irisella, I've started thinking more." I divulged, frowning. "Maybe before then, I would've called it crazy, but... I still can't imagine why the Senate would allow its own citizens to be abused like that."

"Same here, I think that's where the seeds of doubt were planted." Ahsoka observed. "They've only started to grow recently."

"What, are you going to defect now?" I joked.

"Ha! As if." Ahsoka snorted. "Like I said, I would never serve Dooku or Grievous, and I still believe in the republic. But... recently, the battles feel so much more hollow. I just wish Senator Amidala's peace initiative had gone through... then the fighting could stop."

"I wouldn't mind if the battles stopped. No more bombardments, no more blasters, no more armies. Without all the big, fancy weapons, I can just settle things with my fists." I declared, punching my knuckles together while wearing a big, stupid grin.

"The battles will stop, but only if the right person has the power to stop them." Ahsoka claimed wistfully.

"What, is it going to be you?" I teased.

"Someone has to make this right." Ahsoka stated adamantly.

"Shouldn't that someone be your master? He is the chosen one, right?" I suggested.

"Not everyone believes that, or even the prophecy in general." Ahsoka pointed out, unsure herself.

...

When we reached my destination, I bid Ahsoka good night.

As we parted ways, she gave me a final reminder.

"Let me know if you want to check out the transmission!" she yelled, waving me off.

Alone with my thoughts, I entered a meditation chamber of my choosing.

Sitting cross-legged on the pedestal within, I withdrew the contents of my satchel...

A collection of delicate mechanical parts, and a single, glowing kyber crystal.

My master, as well as HK-74, had been generous enough to scrounge together the necessary components that a lightsaber was made up of.

As I held the otherworldly gemstone in my palm, I noticed a structure in the corner of the chamber.

A lustrous rainbow arch, also kyber.

Of course... the Kyber Arch. Well-known throughout the order, the antiquity was composed of the lightsaber crystals of fallen Jedi throughout the ages.

...It reminded me of what Master Gallia had said, once I revealed to her that my crystal had chosen me.

Flashback

"Then, it's exactly as I predicted." Master Gallia stated cryptically.

"What?" I said out loud, bewildered.

"For a kyber crystal to gain color, and therefore power, it first it must be awoken. That is to say, an initial bond is formed in the force, between the crystal and the wielder." Master Gallia elucidated.

"Ah." I voiced knowingly. "So, you're saying I can't form that initial bond."

"Exactly... you're unable to. Now, if a crystal already bestowed with power were to choose you, that's a different story." my master further explained. "Kyber crystals are known to sync with new users, or even change color when their current user experiences a change in personality."

"Then, why did this chunk of kyber choose me?" I inquired, still fascinated by the simple fact that I'd been chosen.

"It's simple, you resonated with the crystal." Master Gallia declared. "Whatever last wishes the previous user held, whatever regrets they possessed, they linger on within that stone. The will of an unknown Jedi resides within that crystal, and the kyber itself judged you as a worthy successor."

End Flashback

Unfortunately, due to the destruction of that unknown Jedi's lightsaber, I would never know who.

But... I had a general idea of who they might have been. At the very least, I knew how they met their end.

'Now... wake up, go after Grievous.' the voice had ordered me.

That's why the crystal had chosen me, to take down that slimy cyborg.

I clenched my fist.

Whoever the previous user had been, we each held that wish.

And, we had another thing in common...

Neither of us were good at constructing lightsabers.

I couldn't even utilize meaningful telekinesis, so it was impossible for me to construct my hilt with the force.

Every Jedi created their hilt with the force, it was tradition.

I was the only one who had ever tried it by hand.

And... as could be easily imagined, it was extremely difficult.

"Krackowww!"

My lightsaber components burst apart, scattering across the chamber floor, a consequence of misaligning the crystal with the focusing lenses.

I still remembered when Ahsoka had done the exact same thing, roughly six years ago.

My entire clan, gleefully designing their laser swords.

Meanwhile, I had sat alone in the corner, defeated.

...

Yet again, I gazed upon the lightsaber components dispersed throughout the chamber.

The emitter matrix, the focusing lenses, the power cell...

It wasn't the first time.

How many times had I attempted the exact same thing over the last few months, only to see the same result strewn across the floor?

Failure... every time.

What had I done to deserve so much torment, so much persecution?

It was as if the force itself loved dangling my deepest desires directly overhead...

So close, but never within reach.

Overwhelmed, I slouched over, putting my head in my hands.

"I always fail." I mumbled, devoid of emotion.