Starlet: A Jedi's Beginning

Chapter 1: The Girl in the Forest
33 BBY, Batuu


         “Master, what are we doing on this backwater planet anyway? I don’t understand why you can’t just tell me.”
         Two men had landed on the planet Batuu, and were just stepping out of their ship. One taller, one shorter. The first to speak had short brown hair with a single braid hanging from the side. Dressed in brown robes, he also had a silver and black cylinder hanging from a belt concealed beneath. This young man was Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi-in-training, and Padawan to the other, taller man.
         “Now that we’re here, I can tell you,” began the long-haired companion. “We’re here to investigate a supposed Trade Federation presence here, something that’s supposed to be illegal due to Batuu’s neutrality.”
         The taller companion, Qui-Gon Jinn, held the rank of Jedi Master. Dressed in darker outer robes than his apprentice, his presence would command much more immediate respect from just about anybody. Even so, he exuded a sense of warmth that let people know at a glance that they could trust him.
         “Really, Master? That’s the big secret? Why couldn’t you tell me before now?”
         “There was a chance of the occupation listening in on us. We couldn’t risk being found out.” Qui-Gon calmly explained the need for secrecy to his Padawan. There was always a chance of the mission being sabotaged when they were dealing with the Trade Federation, and this was an incredibly delicate mission indeed. “Perhaps someday, Obi-Wan, you will understand the idea of a stealth mission.”
         “Sorry, Master,” Obi-Wan replied sheepishly. The plucky Padawan sometimes forgot just how much he still had to learn, and the way Qui-Gon reminded him of that fact occasionally got on his nerves. However, he knew the Jedi Master was absolutely right in this case. If their arrival was revealed too soon, the supposed enemy would likely hide their presence.
         “You learn quickly, Obi-Wan. You always have. I suspect you always will.” Qui-Gon was legitimately proud of his apprentice and the progress he had made. It was hard to believe that they once believed they were a bad match. His reminiscing was interrupted, however, by a looming sense of… “Hold on, Obi-Wan. I don’t think we’re entirely alone here.”
         Obi-Wan looked around at the lush forest around them, as well as the clearing they had come upon. “I don’t see anything, Master, but I think you’re right. Someone else is nearby.”
         The Jedi Master reached out with the Force, trying to discern the source of this… feeling. He could sense the life force of the trees and other plants around them. The motion of the creatures that called the forest home. Metallic footsteps that made the Trade Federation’s presence a certainty. And last, but certainly not least, a being who the Force was gathered around.
         “Obi-Wan, I seem to have found our unexpected guest,” Qui-Gon announced to his Padawan, pointing to something on the opposite side of the clearing. He had seen a small glint of light, and sure enough, he could just about see a pair of ocean-blue eyes staring back at the Jedi duo.
         “I see them too, Master,” Obi-Wan concurred. “It’s hard to tell, but I think they’re trying to point somewhere.”
         “Could it possibly be the squadron of Battle Droids headed our way?” Qui-Gon quipped, having already seen the marching robots in the direction the other person was pointing.
         Obi-Wan turned quickly, his hand already on his lightsaber hilt. How had he not seen or heard the intruders?
         “Hold, Obi-Wan.” Qui-Gon put a hand on his apprentice’s shoulder. “They don’t know we’re here. We have the information we need; now we should be able to leave and report our findings to the Council.”
         “Perhaps not, Master,” Obi-Wan stated. A droid had turned its visual sensors toward the pair of Jedi, and it was now approaching them with 5 others. The beige humanoid droids were largely uniform in design, but the yellow markings on this one in particular denoted its status as the commander. “Looks like we’re not getting out of this so easily.”
         “Just stay calm and let me do the talking,” Qui-Gon said, barely above a whisper. He wanted to get out of this with as little fighting as possible. None, if at all possible. Even if the droids were vastly outmatched, if their base was notified of the Jedi’s presence, their mission would be compromised. The two watched as the droid Commander came to a stop near them.
         “Identification, please,” came the nearly-monotone robotic voice. While there was some level of difference in mannerisms between droids, they all sounded the same. Robotic, soulless, lifeless. The Jedi shared a glance.
         “I’m afraid we don’t have any identification, Commander,” Qui-Gon stated calmly, as if there wasn’t a squadron of blaster-wielding droids ready to open fire at any moment.
         “Then we’ll have to take you in,” the droid responded. Rather suddenly, one of the other droids flew forward, as if some invisible being had pushed it from behind. The spindly robot fell to the ground, no longer in working order. Qui-Gon looked across the clearing, and sure enough, there were the eyes in the forest, now with a small dark-skinned arm reaching forward out of the trees. The droid Commander observed his suddenly fallen comrade, then turned back to the Jedi, its blaster raised. “Wait, you’re not a villager! You’re a Jedi! Blast ‘em!”
         The sound of blaster bolts was met with the twin hums of the Jedi’s now-activated lightsabers. As blades reflected bolts and plasma cut through metal, Qui-Gon began formulating a plan. Clearly, the person in the forest was Force-sensitive, and they seemed a lot smaller than a normal adult human. Were they dealing with a child? Getting as good a look as he could, the experienced Jedi realized that the person seemed to have disappeared.
         “Master, watch out!” Obi-Wan shouted, and Qui-Gon spun around, deflecting another droid’s blaster shot just in time. Instead of being returned to the droid that shot it, the plasma bullet ricocheted toward the trees. The bolt hit one, and the tree began falling. The Jedi Master took his eyes off the falling tree to run his lightsaber’s bright green blade through the last Battle Droid still standing. However, as he turned off his lightsaber to put it back on his belt, a shrill scream accompanied the crash of the tree on the forest floor. Looking at each other, the two Jedi ran across the clearing.
         “When we get to them, you keep watch,” Qui-Gon instructed Obi-Wan as they ran. “We don’t want any more Battle Droids sneaking up on us.”
         “Understood, Master,” the Padawan replied. Reaching the trees, the two quickly found the felled tree. Sure enough, there was someone else there, with their left leg pinned underneath.
         Qui-Gon could tell that this girl was unusual, even for a Force-sensitive. She had extremely dark skin, perfect for hiding in the shadows of the forest. Her silver hair, which looked like it would sparkle were it clean, broke the illusion of a pure shadow-dweller. And those ocean-blue eyes…
         “Come on, child, let’s get you free,” Qui-Gon said gently. This small girl, probably around four standard years old, seemed to be scared of him. As he ignited his lightsaber again, he wondered what the child had been through. Why was she out here? Why was she dressed in scraps of fabric held together with foliage? Where were her parents? And how was she already able to use basic Force abilities without training? His lightsaber blade sliced easily through the tree, but he wanted to test the girl. “There’s still a bit of the tree on your leg,” he explained to the still-scared girl. “Do you think you can lift it?”
         He could feel the girl’s eyes trying to pierce a hole through his spirit. Or was she… reading him? “What do you mean?” she asked simply. Perhaps the girl was testing him as well.
         “You were able to push that droid earlier. Do you think you can do the same to this tree?”
         The girl looked thoughtful, Qui-Gon observed. She closed her eyes, occasionally wincing with pain from her still-pinned leg, and raised her right hand toward the tree. And as the fallen foliage slowly lifted away, the Jedi Master watched in awe. It had been a long time since he felt the Force this strongly around such a young child, and the girl was accomplishing this feat as if she had been learning for a decade. Finally, her leg freed, the tree was gently lowered back to the ground a few feet away from where it had originally fallen. The girl lowered her arm, then collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
         Qui-Gon propped up the child in his arms, keeping her head steady. She hadn’t fallen unconscious, but she was clearly tired, and in a lot of pain. “Are you all right, child?” he asked, keeping his voice as soft and gentle as he could. She still didn’t seem very comfortable around him.
         “I… I will be,” she stuttered. The girl seemed surprised that someone was helping her.
         “Now, what’s a little girl like you doing out here alone?” Qui-Gon inquired. This girl fascinated him, and he wanted to know her story.
         “You greatly underestimate my age, sir.” The girl’s statement was quick and to the point. Qui-Gon was surprised that the child’s speech was as well-articulated as it was. What did she mean? The Jedi decided not to push further into that line of thought for the time being.
         “Do you have a name? And where are your parents?” Qui-Gon asked gently, especially the second question. He suspected that the girl’s parentage might be a bit of a sensitive topic for her.
         The girl looked nervous. Had he gone too far? “I don’t remember my name,” she admitted after a few seconds. “And I don’t have any parents. At least, not that I know of.”
         That certainly complicated things. Qui-Gon thought for a second about what to do, then the girl grimaced in pain again. There were drops of blood falling to the ground from her leg. She needed medical attention, and fast. “Would it be okay if I carried you to our ship? We can help heal your leg, and you’ll be in a safer environment.”
         The girl looked up at him, inquisitive yet suspicious. She looked like she was still trying to figure out if she could trust the odd man who kept asking her questions. Finally, her expression softened. The nameless girl laid her head against Qui-Gon’s arm, nodded gently, and closed her eyes. Realizing she had fallen asleep, the Jedi scooped up the small child in his arms and stood up. He approached his watchful Padawan.
         “We need to get this girl to our ship,” Qui-Gon began explaining. “Her leg is definitely broken, and she’s bleeding. Can you take her?”
         “Sure thing, Master,” Obi-Wan replied, taking the small child into his own arms. “I’ll try not to wake her. Where are you going?”
         “To the village,” Qui-Gon stated simply. “I want to find out if anyone here has any information on her. She doesn’t know how old she is, just that she’s older than she looks. And she doesn’t even know her own name.”
         “I’ll leave you to it, then,” said the Padawan. “And may the Force be with you.”
         “And with you, Obi-Wan.” With that, the duo parted ways. Obi-Wan headed back to the ship with the mysterious Force-wielding girl, and Qui-Gon made his way to the forest village.

         Breaking through the trees, Qui-Gon took in the sight of the village. There were only a handful of buildings, five or six houses and a community center. One of the houses looked vacant. Looking around, he saw the dozen-or-so villagers glance in his direction, then continue with their day. None of them seemed perturbed by the stranger’s presence, which at least meant they weren’t going to throw him out. One woman, however, approached him. This person seemed more distinguished than the others; probably a leader of some sort.
         “Bright suns, Master Jedi,” the woman began with a traditional Batuuan greeting. “I am Laniiya, leader of this fine community. What brings you here on this fine day?”
         “How did you know I was a Jedi?” Qui-Gon asked lightly. He already knew the answer; he just wanted to figure out what kind of person this woman was.
         “Well, I’d say the lightsaber on your belt is a dead giveaway,” she replied in a jokingly sarcastic tone. She seemed good-natured enough if she was able to joke around with a man she had never met.
         “Fair enough, milady,” Qui-Gon quipped. “We were sent here to investigate sightings of Battle Droids.”
         “I assume you found them?” Laniiya asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. “They’ve been causing quite a commotion in the forest. That clearing wasn’t there two days ago.”
         “Yes, we found them. We found something else, too,” Qui-Gon finally revealed. Hopefully this woman knew something about the girl. “A girl living in the forest. Looks to be about four years old, though she claims to be older. Dark skin, silver hair. Do you know anything about her?”
         Laniiya looked thoughtful, but not in such a way that suggested she was trying to remember something. “So, you found little Starlet.”
         “Starlet?” Qui-Gon inquired. “Is that her name? She didn’t seem to remember it herself.”
         “I suppose she wouldn’t,” Laniiya admitted. “It’s probably been years since she’s heard it.”
         “Why is she in the forest? How long has she been there? Where are her parents?” Qui-Gon was excited that Laniiya seemed to have the information he wanted. He wasn’t actually expecting her to know.
         Laniiya started slowly, letting each piece of information sink in on its own. “We’re not entirely sure how old Starlet is, but she’s chronologically closer to being an adult than a child. She’s probably around… eighteen? Twenty? Her mother abandoned her in the forest when it became obvious she wasn’t aging normally. After the mother left the village, it was assumed for a few years that Starlet had died. Once we started seeing her still around, we wondered how she had survived on her own. It almost seemed like someone, or something, was watching out for her.”
         “Why did no one take her in?”
         “She wouldn’t approach anyone,” Laniiya sighed. “She didn’t trust any of us, and to be honest, I don’t entirely blame her. Do you have any theories on how she survived, Master…?”
         “Qui-Gon Jinn, milady,” the Jedi supplied. “I don’t have any specific theories, but I do have a hunch. The Force works in ways we can never fully comprehend, and she’s Force-sensitive. That much is certain.”
         Laniiya was taken aback. A potential Jedi, right here in their midst all this time? “Do you think she could become a Jedi, Master Qui-Gon?”
         “Possibly,” Qui-Gon started, “but her actual age could be a problem. And it doesn’t seem like something we would be able to hide, even if we wanted to. Either way, we need to take her to Coruscant. Her leg got partially crushed underneath a fallen tree, and she needs medical attention.”
         Laniiya winced, imagining the pain Starlet must be experiencing right now. “We have healers, but we don’t have the medical equipment we would need to help her. Just… promise that you will do everything in your power to help her become a Jedi?”
         “I will do what I can, Laniiya,” Qui-Gon promised. “Now, I must bid you farewell. I need to report our findings to the Jedi Council.”
         “‘Til the Spire, Master Jedi,” Laniiya said in a traditional Batuuan farewell, bowing slightly in respect. And may the Force be with you.”
         “And with you, milady.” Qui-Gon waved good-bye, and turned back to the forest to head back to the ship.

         “Did you find out anything, Master?” Obi-Wan asked as soon as Qui-Gon entered the room in the ship.
         “Her name is Starlet, and she’s quite a bit older than she appears. How is she?”
         The Padawan looked nervous, beginning to lightly tug at his braid. “She’s awake, but she won't talk to me. I don’t think she trusts me. Her condition is stabilized, at least.”
         “That’s a relief,” Qui-Gon sighed. “Let’s see if I can make any progress with her. Tell the pilots to prepare for takeoff.”
         “Will do, Master,” Obi-Wan said before heading to the ship’s cockpit. Qui-Gon entered the next room over.
         A medical droid was tending to the clearly uncomfortable girl in bed. She looked like she was still in pain, and she seemed a little bit frightened by the robot trying to help her. Qui-Gon cleared his throat to draw her attention. She turned her head quickly, immediately softening her expression at the sight of the Jedi Master.
         “Good to see you awake again… Starlet.” Qui-Gon revealed the new information carefully, watching to see the girl’s reaction. She seemed confused for a couple seconds, then beckoned the Jedi to come closer with a quick tilt of her head. He approached slowly, gently, still trying to prove to the apparent child that she could trust him.
         “Is that my name?” she asked after Qui-Gon sat down on the edge of her bed. “Starlet?”
         “It sure is, my friend,” Qui-Gon stated. “And I think I see how you got that name.” He pointed at her right shoulder, where there was a birthmark in the rough shape of a star. The lighter color stood out against her much darker skin tone.
         Starlet looked down at the birthmark, then back at the large man. She couldn’t really say why, but she somehow knew that this person was someone she could trust. “Do you know how old I am?”
         “I don’t know your exact age, but the village leader said you should be around twenty years old.”
         “Twenty?!” Starlet exclaimed, louder than she meant to. Was she really that much older than she looked? She looked down at her arms in shock, imagining for a few seconds what she would look like if she had aged normally.
         “It seems so, Starlet,” Qui-Gon said, putting his hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her. He could feel her tense at his touch, then relax again. “And I have other news. Do you know what a Jedi is?”
         “Jedi?” Starlet inquired. She had heard the word from time to time when she snuck around the village scavenging for food. “Not entirely, but they sound like good people. Is that what you are, Qui-Gon?”
         Qui-Gon opened his mouth to respond, then paused. He had never told her his name. “Yes, Starlet, I am a Jedi. But how did you know my name?”
         “I…” Starlet began, then thought for a second. How did she know his name? “I’m not sure. I just… knew. Is that normal? I don’t think it’s normal…” She winced in pain as the medical droid continued tending to her leg.
         Qui-Gon’s suspicions were confirmed by the girl’s admission. She was instinctively using the Force without realizing what she was doing. “You possess abilities that set you apart from most others, Starlet. Whether you realize it or not, you’re using the Force. Quite impressive for someone who’s never been trained.”
         “Really?” Starlet looked quite interested now. She was invested in this conversation, and now she had been told that she had special powers? “Could… could I be trained?”
         “That’s what we’re going to find out,” Qui-Gon said. The ship had taken off from the planet’s surface a couple minutes before. “We’re headed for the planet Coruscant. Once we’re there, your Force aptitude will be tested, and you will receive further medical attention for your leg.”
         Suddenly, there was a voice over the ship’s intercom system. “Master, we’re preparing to make the jump to hyperspace,” came Obi-Wan’s voice.
         Qui-Gon put his hand to his ear, pressing a button on a small device attached to it. “Tell them to hold for a bit. I want the girl to see this.”
         “Will do, Master,” Obi-Wan responded. The Jedi Master could hear the smile his apprentice was talking through.
         “See what, Qui-Gon?” asked the newly inquisitive Starlet. Whatever it was, it had to be interesting, right?
         “I think you’ll like this, Starlet. Are you okay being carried?” Qui-Gon asked carefully. He seemed to have gained the girl’s trust, and he didn’t want to accidentally break it.
         “I should be,” came the slightly nervous reply. Qui-Gon sensed that it wasn’t him that she was nervous about, but rather the pain in her leg.
         “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” Qui-Gon assured her. He carefully took the small girl in his arms, then carried her slowly to the cockpit.
         “So this is the girl in the forest?” the pilot quipped as Qui-Gon entered with Starlet.
         “Sure is,” replied the Jedi Master. “Are preparations ready for lightspeed?”
         “Ready when you are, Master Jedi.”
         “Then go ahead. Starlet,” Qui-Gon looked down at the girl in his arms, “you’re going to want to watch this.”
         Starlet looked forward through the cockpit window. Looking out at the vast expanse of space, dotted with countless stars, she could feel Qui-Gon’s eyes watching for her reaction to whatever was about to happen. The pilot pushed a lever forward, and she watched in awe as the stars began streaking across the windows, forming lines that all met at one point. Then the ship jumped forward, and they entered the marvelous sight that was hyperspace. Looking up at Qui-Gon, she saw his warm smile, and she discovered that she was smiling as well. She looked back at the window, and forward to a new beginning.







Chapter 2: Complications on Coruscant
33 BBY, Coruscant


         “Until we know more about her, she will not be tested, and she will not be trained.”
         Master Windu’s words cut through Qui-Gon like a lightsaber through bread. Though perhaps not unexpected from the Jedi Council, he had at least hoped that they would be a bit gentler about it. He was just glad that Starlet wasn’t there to hear it. Still, he bowed politely for the twelve council members. “I understand, Masters.” With that, he began his trek back to the medical wing of the Jedi Temple.
         Obi-Wan intercepted him outside the Council doors. “Master, is this girl really worth all this trouble?” he asked as they walked, wondering why exactly his Master was so set on making sure this girl was trained. “She won’t even talk to most of us.”
         “She’s had a rough life,” Qui-Gon responded. “She’s had precious little reason to trust others. Fortunately, I seem to have opened a dialogue with her. If she can become a Jedi, all of this will have been worth the trouble.”
         “And when the Council says no?” Obi-Wan knew what the Jedi Code said about the matter. Force-sensitives were discovered as children, and beyond a certain age, they were considered too old to overcome their attachment to those around them. If the Batuuan village leader’s estimate was true, Starlet would be considerably older than that limit.
         Qui-Gon considered his apprentice’s over-confident question. While the Master was infamous for breaking the rules when circumstances called for it, Obi-Wan clung to the Code, seemingly to lightly spite his teacher. “We’ll deal with that possibility if it comes to pass. But I believe they’ll accept her.”
         “If you say so, Master,” Obi-Wan relented. “But don’t complain when I say ‘I told you so.’”
         “You have my word, my apprentice,” Qui-Gon offered as they parted ways. He walked into the medical wing, addressing the nurse attending the entrance. “Excuse me, ma’am. I’m here to see Starlet.”
         The nurse grimaced. “I’ll take you to her, but I don’t know if you’ll be able to get her to talk. She won’t talk to any of us.”
         “She seems to trust me,” Qui-Gon said. “Maybe I can help you get through to her.”
         “Be my guest, Master Jedi,” the nurse said, unconvinced that this man had actually managed to speak with the difficult patient under their care. Regardless, she led him to Starlet’s room. “Aside from refusing to speak, she’s largely been quite cooperative. Surprising for someone who otherwise acts as young as she does.”
         “Sounds like a good sign to me,” Qui-Gon replied as they arrived at the door. The nurse typed a code into a number pad, and the door sprung open.
         “Starlet?” the nurse began, addressing the apparent child lying on the hospital bed. “You have a guest here to see you.”
         Starlet looked up, first in confusion, then in excitement as she realized who her guest was. “Hi, Qui-Gon!” she exclaimed, greatly surprising the nurse and doctor tending to her.
         “Good to see you again, Starlet,” Qui-Gon said with a gentle smile.
         “Would you look at that?” piped up the mildly frustrated doctor, Phreena. “She does speak! We’ve only been trying to get a peep out of her for the last five hours or so. At least there’s someone around she’ll actually talk to.”
         “Forgive her, Doctor Phreena,” Qui-Gon began. “She seems slow to trust.” He approached Starlet’s bed, taking a seat on a chair near her. “Starlet, I know it’s hard, but you need to talk to these people. They’re just trying to help you.”
         “I know, Qui-Gon,” Starlet sighed. “This is… a lot to take in all at once. Just yesterday, I was gearing up for a hunt in the forest, and now I’m a patient in the medical wing of the Jedi Temple?”
         Qui-Gon smiled warmly. “Things can change very quickly. It’s up to us to adapt to our changing circumstances.” Maybe he was pushing things a bit with however large or small Starlet’s vocabulary was, but she looked contemplative, so she must have understood. “Now I need you to promise me something. You need to be willing to speak with the doctors and medical droids here, so we can figure out exactly what your situation is, as well as help your leg to heal. They’re good people. You can trust them. Can you do that for me?”
         Starlet thought for several seconds. She knew these people were just trying to help, but she had been practically assaulted with endless amounts of new information and people ever since she arrived on this planet. It was all extremely overwhelming, and a lot of it was scaring her. Even so, she knew Qui-Gon was right. These people only wanted the best for her. “I promise, Qui-Gon,” she said slowly, looking directly into the Jedi’s eyes.
         “There’s a good girl,” Qui-Gon responded kindly. He then turned his attention to Doctor Phreena. “Have her test results come in yet?”
         “As a matter of fact, they have, Master Jedi,” the doctor announced. She seemed nervous about whatever she was about to reveal. “Physically, Starlet seems to be nearing four years old. Chronologically, as of today, she is exactly nineteen. I suppose a ‘Happy Birthday’ would be in order.”
         “Nineteen?!” Starlet exclaimed, the surprise and panic evident in her voice. “Wouldn’t that make me an adult?”
         “Technically, yes,” Qui-Gon replied, adopting an even calmer tone than normal. “But how does that idea make you feel?”
         As Starlet concentrated on her own thoughts for a few moments, Qui-Gon was pleased that his gentler tone had worked to calm down the suddenly panicked apparent child. The last thing the doctors needed was for the girl to refuse to speak out of fright. Slowly, Starlet began letting her thoughts out. “It scares me. I don’t feel like an adult. I feel a lot more like a child, like what I look like. I don’t exactly feel like a toddler, though,” she added quietly.
         “That’s what the mental tests will be for,” Phreena stated simply, clearly not accustomed to working with children. Her tone was very matter-of-fact, clinical, almost cold in nature.
         Qui-Gon took over the explanation, sensing a rising fear in Starlet. She obviously wasn’t comfortable around this particular doctor with her almost uncaring demeanor. “We need to know exactly where your mental abilities lie. That will likely be the final deciding factor on whether or not you are to be trained.”
         “What do you think they’ll say, Qui-Gon?” Starlet was starting to shake. She was nervous about the Council’s final decision, especially if they ended up saying no. What would happen to her in that case? Where would she go? Would they send her back to Batuu, to continue fighting for her life in the forest? Or would she simply be left on the streets of Coruscant to fend for herself? Her mind was buzzing with all the various things that could happen if she wasn’t accepted as a Jedi trainee.
         “In the end, I believe you will be trained, Starlet,” Qui-Gon assured her. He wasn’t actually sure what their answer would be, but right now, he needed to do whatever he could to calm Starlet’s mind. Thankfully, it seemed to work, as she stopped shaking as soon as he gave his answer. “For now, I must return to the Council with this new information. Don’t worry, Starlet,” he added, seeing the fear flash across her face again. “You will become a Jedi. I promise. May the Force be with you,” he added as he turned to leave.
         “And with you, Qui-Gon,” Starlet called out before the Jedi was out the door. With her friend out of the room, she turned back to the rude doctor, steeling herself for what would come next. Hopefully the next doctor would be a bit nicer.

         “Welcome back, Master Qui-Gon,” began Councilmember Ki-Adi Mundi. “I trust you have an update on Starlet’s testing?”
         “I do, Master,” Qui-Gon replied to the Cerean Jedi. “Starlet turned nineteen today. Her mental abilities remain untested, but she will likely score much closer to her physical age than her chronological age.”
         A sense of unease spread throughout the Council. “That would make her too old,” Mace Windu stated, although even he seemed unsure of the idea.
         “Her circumstances are highly unusual, Master Windu,” came a reply from Depa Billaba, a human female master with braided loops in her hair. “We do not yet know how we are to treat her.”
         “If her mindset, despite her actual age, is that of a child,” continued Eeth Koth, a Zabrak male, “then why shouldn’t she be trained if she has the aptitude?”
         “The Jedi Code has no precedent for a being such as this Starlet,” countered Oppo Rancisis, a Thisspiasian Master who had served the Council since the days of the High Republic.
         “Then let us make one,” was the retort from Plo Koon, a Kel Dor male with an intimidating appearance but gentle disposition.
         “More information, we need,” Yoda finally added.
         “Agreed,” Mace Windu replied. “Qui-Gon, return to Starlet and find out the results of her mental testing. If her mental age is on the younger side, bring her before us once she is able to walk. If not, break it to her gently, then return to us with the news.”
         “Will do, Master Windu,” Qui-Gon agreed. He bowed in respect to the Masters of the Jedi Council. “May the Force be with you.”
         “And with you, Qui-Gon,” Master Windu responded as Qui-Gon turned to leave.

         Qui-Gon could hear voices as he was guided to Starlet’s room. Sure enough, when the door opened, he saw that the girl and her new doctor, Yirel, had been talking about Starlet’s life in the forest. Clearly, the change in doctor was instrumental in getting her to open up more. “Greetings once again, Starlet,” the Master said to announce his presence.
         “Hi, Qui-Gon!” she practically shouted as she waved excitedly. Starlet noticed the raised eyebrow of Doctor Yirel, and looked down sheepishly. “Sorry, inside voice,” she apologized quietly.
         Qui-Gon smiled in amusement. The girl’s manners definitely left a bit to be desired, but she was learning quickly. “Are the results of her testing in?” he asked the friendly doctor.
         “As a matter of fact, they are,” Yirel responded. She observed Starlet’s gaze shoot upward, the girl’s eyes suddenly filled with fear. “There is some deviation with her social skills and literacy, but she otherwise seems to be just as intelligent as any average six-year-old child.”
         Starlet’s panicked demeanor softened at the news, but she was obviously still worried. “So… what does that mean?” she asked slowly.
         “What do you think it means?” Qui-Gon asked gently. “Do you think they’ll still say you’re too old?” The Master already knew what the Council’s response would be, but he wanted Starlet to listen to her instincts and come to the same conclusion.
         Starlet thought for a few moments. Her instincts were telling her one thing, but how closely was the Council planning on following the Jedi Code she had been told about? “I’m not sure. I don’t think so?” She watched Qui-Gon intently to gauge his reaction. He was smiling in that warm way that made her feel comfortable around him. She supposed that was a good sign.
         “I believe you’re right, Starlet,” Qui-Gon agreed. The girl had good instinct, but she needed to learn to trust it more. “I’ll be bringing you before them tomorrow so they can test your Force aptitude.”
         “Excuse me,” came a voice from the open doorway, drawing everyone’s attention. The attendant from the front desk had shown up quietly. “Starlet has another visitor.” Starlet, Qui-Gon and Doctor Yirel looked at each other, and Starlet shrugged.
         “Bring them in,” Yirel conceded. Her patient hadn’t had much time to meet other people around the Temple. Who was this mystery visitor?
         The attendant stepped aside to reveal a small girl. She had orange skin with white facial markings, and white-and-blue formations around her head. The attendant held her hand in front of the child to stop her from rushing into the room. “This is Jedi Youngling Ahsoka Tano,” she began. “She’s curious about the new girl.”
         Starlet knew this girl wasn’t a human like she was. “You’re a Togruta, aren’t you?” she asked with curiosity. She had only seen a couple people of this species pass through the village over the years, but she learned their name very quickly.
         “Uh huh!” Ahsoka replied, nodding and bouncing in excitement. Starlet found herself sharing this girl’s curiosity, but what exactly did she want?
         “Ahsoka was wondering if Starlet would be able to go with her to the training room,” the attendant explained. The look on her face gave away the fact that she already knew the answer.
         Doctor Yirel and Starlet shared a glance. There was no way Starlet would be able to handle anything like that right now. Yirel walked over to Ahsoka, kneeling down to the three-year-old Togruta’s height. “Starlet’s leg got hurt very badly when she was found the other day,” she started. Ahsoka winced, clearly feeling sympathetic for her potential future friend. “She needs time to recover. Any playtime will have to wait, alright?”
         Ahsoka nodded sadly, her eyes falling in disappointment. Starlet didn’t want the girl to leave sad. “Ahsoka?” she called, and the Togruta’s gaze shot up. “I might need to heal right now, but as soon as I’m able, I promise that we’ll find time to play. Okay?”
         Ahsoka’s eyes lit up in excitement. “Sounds good to me!” She looked up at her chaperone, who was looking at the time. “I have to go now. It was nice to meet you, Starlet!” She waved at her newfound friend as she began to be led out of the room.
         “It was nice to meet you too, Ahsoka!” Starlet called out before the Togruta was out of earshot. There was a pause, then rapid footsteps could be heard as the girl started dashing in front of the attendant, who could be heard trying to chase after her. Starlet, Qui-Gon and Yirel shared a smile.
         “A bit of a live wire, that one,” Qui-Gon explained amusedly. “Think you’ll be able to keep up with her, Starlet?”
         “I’ll manage,” Starlet responded, not entirely believing her own words. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the rude doctor from earlier coming back. Why couldn’t they find someone else to help her relearn how to walk? She supposed she would have to grin and bear it. Starlet knew what tomorrow would bring.

         Starlet was guided into the Council chambers by Qui-Gon, her hand thoroughly encased within his. She had to stretch her arm upward an almost uncomfortable amount just to reach. They came to a stop only a few steps inside, at which point the Jedi Master released her hand.
         “Come forward, young Starlet,” commanded the intimidating Jedi Master seated on the other side of the room, surrounded by eleven other unfamiliar beings. He had dark skin, similar to Starlet, and was dressed in similar robes to Qui-Gon, although perhaps a bit darker. Instinctively, Starlet knew his name to be Mace Windu, although she wasn’t entirely sure how or why she knew. She looked up to the Master she had come to trust and respect.
         “Go on, Starlet,” came Qui-Gon’s voice, gentle and comforting as always. Turning back to the others, Starlet tentatively began walking forward. Step by step, one foot after the other. She found herself walking with a slight limp. Her leg still hurt, but at least she was walking again. She came to a stop in the middle of the room, slightly shifting her weight onto her uninjured leg.
         “Greetings, Starlet,” Windu stated, bowing his head slightly. A sign of respect? What had she done to earn his respect? Or was he just being polite? Either way, Starlet knew she should respond in kind.
         “Greetings… Master Windu,” she replied, bowing down a bit more than the older man had. Looking up again, Starlet noticed several of the Masters exchanging glances. They seemed impressed. Was that a good sign?
         Mace grabbed the viewing screen next to him. “Here’s how this test is going to work,” he started. “A series of pictures are going to come across this screen, all things you should be familiar with. You just need to tell me what the pictures are.”
         Starlet thought the task seemed too easy. How was this supposed to test her Force abilities? Unless… “What makes the test difficult?” she asked. Master Windu responded by turning the screen toward himself. Starlet stared for a couple seconds. How was she supposed to see the screen? Was it just a guessing game? Or… she realized that she could see the screen in her mind. “Got it,” she nodded. She understood the test now.
         “Let’s begin, then,” Mace announced, then he pushed a button.
         Starlet began saying what the pictures were as they were brought up. Sure enough, she could see everything in her mind. “A tree. A branch. A leaf. A tree. A bush.” Suddenly, other kinds of pictures began appearing. “A ship. A blaster. A Battle Droid.”
         “How do you know what those are?” Mace inquired. He had inserted these pictures into the test specifically to find out how large the Trade Federation’s presence on Batuu really was. There was still an ongoing investigation, after all.
         “There was a squad of them trying to clear parts of the forest,” Starlet explained. “Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were dealing with them when they found me.” Windu nodded in understanding.
         “How are you feeling, young Starlet?” asked Yarael Poof, a long-necked Quermian councilmember.
         “Nervous,” Starlet answered honestly. “And my leg hurts,” she added as she shifted more of her weight onto her good leg.
         “About what are you nervous?” Yoda asked.
         “I don’t know what happens to me if you decide not to train me,” Starlet explained.
         “You would begin being trained for other jobs around the Temple,” Windu assured her. “You would still be a resident here. Does that make you feel any better?”
         “A lot better,” Starlet admitted, already feeling the weight of her stress lifting away. No matter what they decided, she would still be looked after. She wasn’t going back to the forest of Batuu.
         “Your circumstances are highly unusual, Starlet,” began Master Plo Koon. “You appear to be a child, yet you’ve been through more than most people your actual age could ever imagine.” He paused for a moment, preparing to ask a rather harsh question. “You’ve become good friends with Master Qui-Gon, correct?” Starlet nodded in agreement. “But you haven’t really had a chance to develop any other attachments throughout your life.” The girl shook her head. “Let’s imagine a scenario where you wake up tomorrow to learn that Qui-Gon had been killed during a mission. How would you feel?”
         The Councilmembers waited in anticipation as Starlet considered the question. Her answer to this would inform their decision as to whether or not she would be trained as a Jedi. How attached had she become in such a short time? Was she truly attached to the Master at all?
         Starlet began slowly explaining her answer. “I’m very familiar with death, Master Plo Koon. I’ve had to dodge it on a daily basis for - apparently - the last seventeen years or so. I’ve had to kill other animals in order to survive. It’s all part of the cycle of life, and I’m used to it. I guess if I were to find out Qui-Gon had died, I would be sad. But I would also be happy that he played his part in that cycle. Does that make sense?”
         The Council as a whole looked impressed with her answer. “Well said, young Starlet,” came the quiet reply from Master Windu. The Masters had made their decision.
         “You have instinct in spades,” began Ki-Adi Mundi, “and yet you have wisdom beyond even your chronological age. Perhaps enough to rival some of us.”
         “With enough training,” stated Yaddle, a female of the same species as Yoda, “you could someday find yourself sitting on this very Council.”
         “Congratulations,” said Adi Gallia. “As of this moment, you are a resident of the Jedi Temple.”
         Finally, Yoda himself spoke up. “A Jedi you will be.”







Chapter 3: Saber Training
33 BBY, Coruscant


         Starlet was in control.
         The wooden Bokken saber was grasped tightly in her hands, and she waited for the signal her instincts would give her to begin the movement sequence. She had been working on this since she began her combat training two months ago, after a whole month of recovering from her leg injury. Two whole months of training, and it would all come down to this demonstration for her teacher, Master Sinube.
         Finally, the time came. She made the first vertical swipe with her training sword, then followed it with a horizontal one. As she stepped forward, preparing to slash diagonally upward, she felt her confidence swell. The hilt was fused to her hand, and she was one with the sword.
         And as it sailed out of her hand, clattering pathetically against the wall, Starlet discovered she was not, in fact, one with the sword.
         “Do not fret, young one,” began the Cosian Jedi Master in a comforting tone. “You have been learning for a mere two months. You will get it eventually.”
         “Easy for you to say, Master,” Starlet began with a sigh. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t keep her grip on the Bokken saber. She was gripping it as tightly as she could; how was she supposed to squeeze even tighter? “For me, it feels a lot longer. Something’s holding me back. I just… don’t know what it is yet.”
         “In time, Youngling,” Master Sinube chided lightly, patting his student on the shoulder. “All in good time. In fact, I believe you’ll pass the test much sooner than you think.”
         “If you say so, Master,” Starlet replied with a wince, pain beginning to shoot up throughout her left leg.
         The kind elder looked down at Starlet with compassion enough to ease the girl’s pain with a glance. “Is your leg bothering you again, Starlet?” he inquired, already knowing the answer. He just wanted to see if she would admit it.
         “Yeah,” Starlet admitted, faster than Master Sinube thought she would. She didn’t look ashamed in any way, only mildly disappointed that she hadn’t healed faster. “You’d think it would’ve stopped by now.”
         Good, thought Master Sinube. Starlet’s isn’t letting her pride get in her way. Or, perhaps, she hasn’t had a chance to form a sense of pride in the first place? The girl still looked like she was in pain. “Would you like to sit down to rest for a while?” the Master offered, motioning to the bench sitting against the wall.
         Starlet looked annoyed for a fraction of a second, then softened again. “I don’t particularly want to, but I suppose I should,” she replied reluctantly. She wanted to keep going, keep trying to finish her routine, but she knew that persevering in this case would only hurt her more. “Thank you, Master Sinube,” Starlet said, legitimately grateful that the ancient Master was sympathetic to her pain.
         “Master Sinube?” came a sudden call from the other side of the room. Starlet and Master Sinube turned to see the little Togruta speed-walking toward them, her arm waving in the air. Ahsoka must have been listening to the entire exchange. “Could I sit down with Starlet?” the child asked, somewhat sheepishly. “You know, keep her company?”
         “Would you like that, Starlet?” Master Sinube asked, looking down at the apparent child. These two girls had both started as shy outcasts, and yet they had made fast friends in the three months since they met. As such, the elder once again knew what the answer to his question would be.
         “I would,” Starlet answered quickly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy. She immediately regained her composure, bowing as much as the shooting pain in her leg would allow. “Thank you again, Master.” Ahsoka threaded her arm under Starlet’s and around her back, giving the injured girl some much-needed support. With their Master beaming at the bond the two shared, the girls made their way to the bench to rest.
         “Thanks for doing this, Ahsoka.” Starlet said as she sat down, lifting her injured leg outstretched onto the bench. Ahsoka took her place to the other girl’s right side. “Thanks for being a good friend.”
         “You really consider me your friend?” Ahsoka asked, sounding surprised to hear the other girl use such a word. No one else had ever used the word around her. Usually, she was the quiet one, the weird one, or the teacher’s pet. Never a ‘friend’. Until now.
         “Yeah?” Starlet replied incredulously. What else would she call Ahsoka? “Why wouldn’t I?”
         “I just… I’m not great at making friends,” Ahsoka finally admitted. “It’s hard for me to trust people, too. Before Master Koon found me on Shili, a bunch of slavers pretending to be Jedi almost kidnapped me.” She had never mentioned any of this to anyone else, but the Togruta felt that she needed to get this off her shoulders, and Starlet seemed to be very willing to listen.
         “Do you trust me, Ahsoka?” The question rang in the air around the two girls for a few seconds. Ahsoka was rather surprised by it, but she needed to think about it before she answered. Did she truly trust anyone? She was brought to the Jedi less than a month before Starlet showed up, and had yet to fully settle into her new life as a Jedi-in-training. And yet, she realized that if there was one person other than Master Plo Koon that she could truly trust, it was the silver-haired girl sitting next to her.
         “I would trust you with my life,” Ahsoka finally responded, more sure of that one sentence than she had been in anything else in her life.
         A warm smile spread across Starlet’s face, honored by her friend’s statement. Then, her smile faltered, and she looked away slightly. “To tell the truth,” Starlet began slowly, “you’re the first friend I’ve ever had. I didn’t exactly have much time for friend-making in the forest.”
         A feeling made Starlet suddenly stop talking. She looked up, then slowly around the room. It was something she hadn’t felt in a little over three months, since before Qui-Gon found her on Batuu.
         “What’s wrong, Starlet?” Ahsoka asked with an inquisitive tilt to her head. This was the first time she had ever seen Starlet seemingly worried about anything.
         “Someone’s watching us,” Starlet stated simply, her voice now barely more than a whisper.
         Ahsoka was alarmed. She didn’t see anyone unusual around, and she definitely hadn’t heard anything out of the ordinary. “How can you tell?” she asked, her voice barely any louder than Starlet’s.
         It really was just a feeling. But those feelings had proven vital to Starlet’s survival in the forest of Batuu. She always knew if a potential threat was sizing her up, or if something she was hunting had noticed her. It was like nature itself was giving her a heads-up on her surroundings, even more than her human senses ever could. “I just… know,” she finally responded, also knowing just how absurd that sentence probably sounded.
         “Well? Who is it?” Ahsoka inquired, taking everything in stride. Maybe her own senses weren’t trained yet, but she had heard several older Jedi talking about feelings like this. Starlet had survived in the wild longer than the little Togruta could imagine. Why wouldn’t her friend have similar abilities?
         Starlet closed her eyes in concentration. Maybe if she had been able to train these ‘feelings’ a bit more, she’d be able to figure out exactly who this mysterious observer was. As is, all she knew was that it was a person who didn’t seem familiar. “I don’t know,” she said once she was completely sure. “It’s not someone I’ve met. I’d very much like to though.” Starlet suddenly got an idea. Her leg was still in pain, so she technically had an excuse to leave. She just had to ask. “Excuse me, Master Sinube?” she called out. The elderly Master turned toward her, not seeming all that surprised that the girl had spoken up. He began making his way toward the two Younglings. “My leg’s still bothering me, and it might be best if I let it rest for the remainder of the day. Would it be okay for me to retire to my quarters early?” She was very much hoping that the infinitely more experienced Jedi would take the excuse.
         Master Sinube smiled bemusedly, wondering how exactly he was going to respond. He had been listening to the girls’ entire conversation, so he knew Starlet wasn’t being entirely truthful. However, she had a mission in mind, and she was going to try to carry it out by whatever means she could. Moreover, he wanted to foster the quickly growing Force power evident in the small girl. She was sensing another Jedi Master’s presence with very little training, and that needed to be commended. “I sense that rest is not your true goal,” he began, noting Starlet’s nervous expression, “but I digress. You are excused.” The relief was plainly evident on the Youngling’s face. He turned to the small Togruta. “Ahsoka, once young Starlet is finished with her actual business, please escort her back to her quarters for the day.”
         “Of course, Master Sinube!” Ahsoka agreed, attempting something that was close enough to a salute to get by. The Togruta once again offered herself to Starlet for support, and the two friends made their way out of the training chamber.
         “Glad that worked,” Starlet said quietly once she felt they were far enough out of Master Sinube’s earshot.
         “You bet,” came the quick reply from Ahsoka, perhaps louder than she meant to be. “Now, who are we looking for?”
         “If I had to guess, Youngling, that would be me.”
The two girls spun around to meet the woman who had appeared behind them. She was obviously a Jedi Master by the style of her robes, and her light skin, blonde hair and hazel eyes were quite a striking combination, Starlet had to admit. “Oh! Uh… Greetings, Master…?” Starlet trailed off, having never seen this particular Jedi before.
         “Siri Tachi,” responded the Master, bowing in respect to the two Jedi-in-training. She turned to Starlet, the one she had been keeping an eye on throughout the lesson. Siri had been trying to mask her presence, and yet the girl’s senses had proved to be even more attuned than anyone realized. “You must be the Youngling Starlet that I’ve heard so much about.”
         “One and the same, Master Tachi!” Starlet said cheerfully. She was honored that this Jedi Master had somehow already heard of her. That didn’t explain everything about the situation, though. “But why were you watching us?”
         “You show a lot of promise, Starlet,” Master Tachi replied honestly, taking a bit of a risk by potentially encouraging too much pride in the Youngling. Starlet only responded by slightly tilting her head to the side, so no harm done there. “But something is holding you back, and it’s not the pain in your leg. Perhaps I can help you figure out what the problem is.”
         Starlet suddenly forgot the pain in her leg as her smile stretched from ear to ear. “It would be my honor, Master Tachi.”

         “Now, let’s see if we can figure out what’s holding you back.” Jedi Master Siri Tachi led Starlet and Ahsoka into her personal quarters. She pressed a button on a table near the wall, prompting a drawer to automatically open. The girls watched in awe as a shiny metallic cylinder was lifted out of the drawer by the Master. “I don’t exactly have any Bokken sabers, so this will have to do. Just… don’t tell Master Sinube,” she added conspiratorially.
         “Is that a - ?” Starlet already knew full well what the object in Master Tachi’s hand was.
         “A training lightsaber, yes. Strong enough to hurt if it hits you, but too weak to do any damage.” The Master held the training saber within Starlet’s reach. “Take it, Starlet.” With her hands shakier than they had ever been before, Starlet took hold of the metal hilt. Suddenly, she stopped shaking. With how natural the weapon felt in her hand, her nerves had completely melted away. “Strike your beginning pose, and ignite the blade.”
         Starlet gripped the lightsaber hilt with both hands, then raised it vertically to her side in a combat-ready pose. Then, pushing the ignition button, a blade of plasma sprang into existence with a hum. The brilliant green of the blade reminded her of a freshly-grown leaf on the branch of a tree back on Batuu. As her nerves began flaring up again, she made sure she had a firm grasp on the lightsaber hilt.
         Master Tachi smiled warmly. Her temporary student had near-perfect form, but she had given away the problem immediately. “Ah, I see the problem right away,” she began, carefully controlling her tone so that she wouldn’t accidentally offend Starlet. “This may sound a bit odd, but I need you to loosen your grip on the hilt.”
         Siri could see the confusion on the apparent child’s face. “Loosen?” Starlet asked incredulously. “The problem is that the hilt keeps slipping from my hands!”
         The Master began slowly walking around Starlet, slipping fully into ‘teacher mode’. “When you get nervous, you start sweating. Then, when you squeeze the hilt too tightly, it’ll shoot right out of your hands. So, loosen your grip, and start your routine. Clear your mind. Let the Force flow through you. It can guide your movements. You’ve felt it before, haven’t you? In the forest of Batuu? Remember that feeling, and begin.”
         Starlet had, indeed, felt what Master Tachi was describing. Any time she had to hunt, or escape from a predator, or even during her few fleeting moments of playing around, she always felt like there was something guiding her motion. She realized that the same thing responsible for that was also responsible for her being able to sense things around her that she couldn’t directly see. The Force, as it turned out, had always been an integral part of Starlet’s life, and now she had a chance to learn even more about it. Now, she took a deep breath, loosened her grip on the lightsaber hilt as she was instructed, and allowed the Force to flow through her as she began performing her routine.
An upward vertical slash. Reset, then a horizontal one, to the left. Recover, a step forward, and the blade swung diagonally, up and to the left. Starlet allowed herself a glance, and sure enough, the hilt was still firmly within her grasp. The metal cylinder wasn’t going anywhere, and during class the next day, the polished wooden grip of the Bokken saber would stay exactly where it belonged. A small smile crept onto her face as she brought the glowing, humming green blade around in a spin to swipe at an imaginary foe. For a while, the girl wasn’t even entirely sure she was pulling off the right moves; she was simply moving naturally, as the Force ordained. Finally fully comfortable with her new lot in life, Starlet allowed herself to close her eyes, trusting in the Force to guide her to a finish.
         And finally, her routine came to a close. Starlet opened her eyes and reset to a neutral pose. Which, unfortunately, came to a full rest with most of her weight on her left leg, causing her to stumble slightly, wincing as the pain shot up her leg once again. And yet, she felt proud. She had finished her routine, something that less than an hour ago had seemed like an impossible task. Despite her pain, she smiled as she pushed the ignition button on the training lightsaber, the blade dissipating in an instant.
         Even the experienced Jedi Master was beaming with pride, seeing her student near-flawlessly pull off the task she had been struggling with so much. The girl’s leg was going to be a problem though. “Good, Starlet! Your form is pretty much perfect. Although, judging by the wincing at the end, I’d say you have other problems as well.”
         Starlet handed the training lightsaber back to Master Tachi, then began limping over to a bench attached to the wall. “When Qui-Gon found me on Batuu, a tree trunk fell on my leg. It hasn’t been the same since. I haven’t figured out how to tune out the pain yet.” Ahsoka joined her friend on the bench, putting her arm around the older girl’s shoulders.
         Siri raised an eyebrow, surprised at the apparent child’s admission. It was a statement that would normally come from someone significantly later in their life, not from someone who hadn’t yet turned twenty, and certainly not from the toddler that Starlet appeared to be. “You haven’t figured it out? It is very wise of you to refuse to say you cannot learn to ignore your pain.”
         Starlet had heard other Jedi compliment her advanced wisdom. But was that really what it was? To her, it was just knowledge gained through her struggle to survive on her own. She wasn’t afraid of death because she had become familiar with it in the forest. And ignoring pain was never a good idea. But, she supposed, to others listening in on her story, all of this would probably come off as ‘wisdom’. “In the forest where I survived for eighteen years, ignoring my pain would’ve been a fatal mistake. Any injury had to be tended to as quickly as possible. Thanks for the compliment, though,” she added with a thankfully invisible blush.
         For the first time in a while, the little Togruta piped up. “Do you think Starlet will pass next time we have class?” Ahsoka asked, still somewhat in awe of the display she had just seen from her friend.
         Master Tachi closed her eyes for a few seconds, reaching out into the future with the Force. She saw a graduation ceremony. A young Togruta with a reverse grip on her lightsaber. Starlet in the robes of a Jedi Knight. Opening her eyes, she shared what she saw with the girls. “I predict that she’ll graduate at the top of the class, with you close behind. Even if the way you grip your sword is… unorthodox,” she added, referring to Ahsoka’s preferred method of handling her Bokken saber.
         “It works for me,” Ahsoka replied with a simple shrug. Yes, she held her own Bokken saber backwards, but it sure did throw off anyone she sparred with.
         Siri smiled. These two were definitely charming, and both of them warranted further observation. In the meantime, Master Sinube had told Ahsoka to do something, and Master Tachi had a hunch that the little Togruta had likely already forgotten what that was. “Now, fulfill your assignment, Ahsoka, and escort your friend to her quarters as Master Sinube instructed.”
         Ahsoka was more than a little embarrassed that she had completely forgotten about Master Sinube’s assignment for her, but she shrugged it off quickly and raised her hand to her forehead in a clumsy salute. “Yes ma’am, Master Tachi!” She rose from the bench, offering her arm to Starlet, who took it gratefully.
         Siri found her smile widening as the two Younglings began their journey to Starlet’s quarters. “May the Force be with you both,” she called in farewell.
         “May the Force be with you too, Master Tachi!” Starlet called back, happy to have befriended another Jedi Master.
         Master Tachi pondered her future actions as she watched the two friends leave. Starlet was truly a fascinating trainee, and the Master was searching for a Padawan. Perhaps…?

         “And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Final results!”
         The Cosian Jedi Master stood in front of his students two days later to congratulate them on their performances. He took special note of Starlet and Ahsoka, seated next to each other as if they had been best friends their entire lives. Master Sinube addressed the Younglings as a group. “Every Youngling in this class has passed, but, as is tradition, I would like to draw your attention to the top three performers.
         “In third place, Sireya Vanarto!” A Twi’lek girl with deep blue skin stood up and bowed as the class applauded her achievement. “In second place, Ahsoka Tano!” Ahsoka shot up out of her seat and bowed as well, a lot faster than Sireya. “And finally, at the top of the class, is Starlet!” Starlet stayed seated as her leg had entirely given out after her routine, but the entire class could feel just how proud she was of her accomplishment. A simple bow of her head was the most she could manage. “Congratulations to all of you!” Tera Sinube continued. “And may the Force be with you all.” With a final bow, Master Sinube retreated to join the other Master in the room.
         “We did it, Starlet!” Ahsoka exclaimed as the class began to disperse. In her excitement, she accidentally bumped Starlet’s injured leg, prompting a small shriek from her friend. Her hand shot to her mouth in concern. “Oh, your leg! Sorry…”
         Starlet recovered relatively quickly from the sudden jolt of admittedly excruciating pain. “That’s alright, Ahsoka,” she assured her friend as Ahsoka bent down. The two had gotten used to this arrangement, with the little Togruta supporting her friend as she struggled to walk on her injured leg. With the leg's condition getting worse over the last two days, She had been ordered to scale back her training for the next month to let her healing catch up. “I heard that you were only a couple points behind me. We almost tied!” Ahsoka was happy to hear that the two were so close in skill level, especially after watching her friend’s routine.
         Master Sinube addressed his colleague, allowing himself to speak casually and warmly. “The friendship between those two is quite heartwarming, is it not?” he asked, motioning to Starlet and Ahsoka.
“It sure is, Master Sinube,” replied Siri Tachi, who had been watching the class that day. She had business to attend to, and that business was continuing her Padawan scouting. “Speaking of which, one of them has caught my attention,” she continued coyly.
         “Ah yes, young Starlet told me of your assistance. That was very kind of you, Master Tachi.” Tera had his suspicions as to why Siri had taken such an increased interest in this class in particular. “Are you hoping to take her as your Padawan?”
         “Perhaps someday,” Master Tachi relented. “For now, she still has a lot to learn.” She had never needed to teach such an inexperienced Youngling the ways of the Force, so she didn’t necessarily believe she was the right person for that step in Starlet’s education. Siri certainly knew of another who would be a better fit. “Perhaps Master Qui-Gon would be a better teacher for the time being? He is an expert on the Living Force, after all.”
         Tera pondered the suggestion. Qui-Gon had his hands full with his own Padawan, but if he was merely acting as a tutor, there wouldn’t be any problem with that. “I can bring it up with him. I’m sure he would be delighted to assist in the teaching of the Youngling he discovered.”
         Master Tachi nodded in agreement with her senior. “I will keep an eye on her in the meantime. I think she would do better learning as a Padawan than in these classes. No offense, Master Sinube,” she added quickly. It was true that Starlet was clearly more advanced than the other students around her, with only Ahsoka coming anywhere close to her skill level. The unconventional Youngling very much had the heart and mind of a child, just an older one than she appeared to be.
         Master Sinube smiled, agreeing with his younger colleague. “None taken, Master Tachi.” He looked out once again. Starlet and Ahsoka hadn’t quite made it to the end of the hall, so they were still within his sightline. The two may not have been able to connect with many others, but they certainly had each other to lean on. “Let her learn and mature at her own pace, and she will be a true Jedi sooner than she could possibly imagine.”







Chapter 4: Premonitions
33 BBY, Coruscant

         “Hello? Master? I’m here!”
         Starlet called into the apparently empty room, searching for the Jedi Master she had been told to meet. She knew someone was here; she could feel their presence. Just in case it was a trap of some kind, the girl’s hand fell to the training lightsaber hanging from her belt. She had been gifted the weapon soon after graduating from Master Sinube’s class, and she practiced with it regularly against a lightsaber training droid. Not sensing a trap of any kind, she instead reached out with the Force, trying to learn the identity of the other being in the darkened room. There they were, seated in the shadows. A man with a kind soul, positioned comfortably in waiting for his pupil. This Jedi Master was most familiar to the fledgling Jedi.
         “Master Qui-Gon, I’m here for my lesson.”
         The Master in the shadows smiled to himself, still unseen by Starlet. She had passed the first test. “Very good, Starlet,” Qui-Gon said softly, officially revealing his presence. He leaned forward a bit, putting his face in the light. “I see you’ve been training yourself in my absence.”
         Starlet smiled, walking toward her friend. “Nice to see you again, Master. It’s been too long.”
         Qui-Gon’s smile widened even further. “I can certainly agree with you on that, young one.”
         Starlet’s arms snapped to her side, and she bowed slightly in respect. “Always an honor to spend time with you, Qui-Gon.”
         The experienced Master smirked at the sincere flattery displayed by the girl. Starlet had certainly matured in the months since they had last seen each other. “You’ve been very patient, waiting this long for my lesson. I apologize that I couldn’t find time any sooner.”
         The wait had been no problem to Starlet. She was used to waiting for things to happen. Patience was a virtue after all, especially when you were hiding in a tree on Batuu, waiting for a predator to pass by. “When I was surviving in the forest, impatience could be a death sentence.. You had your own… things to attend to, and I had mine. I’m just glad we’re here now.”
         Even with the lapse in her vocabulary, Starlet had made her point. It was something Qui-Gon had never considered. The girl’s past experiences were truly foreign to him, having been mostly raised in the Jedi Temple right here on Coruscant. Starlet had shown him flattery; now it was his turn. “Once again, you showcase the wisdom that has made you the talk of the Council. Wisdom far beyond your age.”
         “I am older than three, you know,” Starlet stated with a slight giggle. People around her constantly forgot her true age. To be fair, it wasn’t like she could blame them; she looked like a little girl about to turn four, instead of the nearly twenty-year-old she really was.
         “I am aware,” Qui-Gon said with a smile. Starlet had always shown she was older than she looked, but she certainly had a childish air to her that made her approachable for everyone around her. She had even helped train the other Younglings around her, since she was able to grasp the lessons faster than the actual children. “I’m saying you possess wisdom beyond that of even your actual age. Your experiences are unique among Jedi, perhaps among sentient beings. You have chosen to learn from those experiences rather than leave them behind. That is why you will be learning to meditate today.” That was the clincher. This was a more advanced lesson than some other Masters believed Starlet was ready for. Qui-Gon had more faith in the girl.
         Starlet wasn’t aware of any of Qui-Gon’s thoughts. She knew meditation was something older Jedi practiced, not Younglings. “I thought I was too small for that?” she asked with a head tilt, a habit she had picked up from Ahsoka.
         “You’ve proven yourself time and time again, Starlet. I believe you are ready.” Qui-Gon saw Starlet’s smile widen even as she sheepishly lowered her head. He was sure the girl was blushing. But now was the time for business. “Now, sit in the seat across from me,” Qui-Gon instructed. “Make sure you’re comfortable.” Starlet walked slowly to the raised platform as if it was the most precious object in the galaxy. She pulled herself onto its surface, assuming a cross-legged position. There was no wince of pain from her injury nine months prior. “Now, I want you to close your eyes. Close yourself off from the physical, and reach out into the Force itself. Tune out all distractions. Listen to the Force. Heed what it has to tell you.” The Master watched the girl follow his instructions, and observed as she almost immediately fell into a meditative trance. “Starlet?” Qui-Gon leaned forward, waving his hand experimentally in front of his student’s face. She gave no indication whatsoever of reacting to him. He was impressed; she was a natural. “Huh. She’s even better at this than I thought she would be.” Qui-Gon sat back, simply watching for Starlet to come out of her trance.

         Starlet had entered a completely different world. She saw little other than darkness. The girl couldn’t shift her vision, and she didn’t even feel like she was in her own body. She was simply observing. The Force had something to show her. Scenes began floating in front of her; wavy, out of focus. But they were clear enough.
         She saw the inside of a house on a desert planet. An eclectic group was seated around a table, and Qui-Gon was among them. He was speaking to a boy, possibly eight or nine years old. “No one can kill a Jedi,” the child said confidently. Starlet wondered what had happened in the conversation before this. She was chilled by Qui-Gon’s simple, regretful response.
         “I wish that were so.”
         The scene shifted. Now she was at a funeral. Many people were in attendance, but Starlet noted that Qui-Gon wasn’t among them. She saw Masters Windu and Yoda talking to each other. Yoda was the first one she heard speak. “Always two, there are. No more, no less. A Master, and an Apprentice.”
         “But which was destroyed?” Master Windu wondered out loud. “The Master, or the Apprentice?”
         Another shift, and Starlet was in a blinding white room. A tall, long-necked alien was speaking to a man who looked like he could be an older version of Obi-Wan. She didn’t catch much of their conversation, only the tail end of what the alien was saying. “... And a million more well on the way.” A million more of what?
         She wouldn’t get an immediate answer, as the Force showed her the Jedi Council’s meeting room. Masters Windu and Yoda were there along with the older Obi-Wan. They seemed bothered by something, and it was Yoda who Starlet heard speak. “Begun, the Clone War has.” Clone War? What was a clone, and why did war break out?
         Starlet was confused, but she was whisked away before she could ponder further. Now they were in a courtroom, surrounded by the entirety of the Galactic Senate. The main attendees she could recognize were an older Ahsoka, as well as an older version of Barriss Offee, a Mirialan Padawan whom Starlet had shared a quick conversation with once. Weirdly, both Ahsoka and Barriss were handcuffed.
         “The only thing the Council believes in is violence!” Barriss screamed. Strange. Why would she believe that? Starlet knew the other Jedi couldn’t be right about that. Could she?
         Now the scene shifted to the Council meeting room again. She could only really see Master Windu, who looked deep in contemplation. He looked troubled. “I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi.” That sounded ominous.
         The scene didn’t continue, instead replaced with a hanger full of starfighters. Master Windu was speaking to a young man who looked disturbed by something. Master Windu leaned into the other’s face. “A Sith Lord?” he asked, sounding alarmed. Sith?
         “Yes,” the other man replied. “The one we’ve been looking for.”
         Now they were in a large room, painted bright red. Even in this vision, Starlet could feel the strong presence of the Dark side of the Force. Master Windu was there, along with several other Jedi. “In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest,” Master Windu announced to a man outside of Starlet’s sight. Was this the ‘Sith’ they were talking about?
         The scene didn’t shift much this time. They were in the same room. A shriveled excuse for a man was getting up from in front of a shattered window. The young man from earlier was present, but the other Jedi were conspicuously absent. What had happened to them? “What have I done?!” the young man lamented. Starlet wondered the same question.
         Once again, the scene stayed similar. The young man was gone, but the shriveled one was speaking to a hologram of someone in white armor. “Execute Order 66,” the man said in an almost venomous voice.
         “It will be done, my Lord,” the armored man said, as if in a trance himself. What was that supposed to mean?
         Now, the scene changed to a planet of lava. Two men were facing each other, blue lightsaber blades ignited. One of them was the young man from earlier, while the other appeared to be an older Obi-Wan. “From my point of view, the Jedi are evil!” the young man shouted. How could he say that?!
         “Well then, you are lost!” Obi-Wan responded furiously. What had happened between these two?
         Finally, Starlet returned to the Senate room. The shriveled man was addressing everyone, including a woman the Force clearly wanted her to focus on. “The Republic will be reformed into the first Galactic Empire!” shouted the shriveled man. Starlet was shocked. Was all of this going to happen in the future?
         “So this is how democracy dies,” the woman stated plainly, the disappointment evident in her voice. “With thunderous applause.”

         Starlet came back to reality in the meditation room, falling from her comfortable sitting position in a cold sweat. Qui-Gon quickly got up, rushing to support the girl who had been in a deep trance just moments before.
         “Starlet?” the Master said softly. The girl was shaking, clearly disturbed by whatever she had seen. She was almost whimpering. “It’s okay, Starlet, I’m right here. I’ve got you. Give it a few seconds.” He helped his student into a sitting position, keeping his hands on her shoulders for comfort. She suddenly seemed so… vulnerable. Helpless. Scared. He waited a few seconds for her to calm down. Qui-Gon needed to know what had scared Starlet so much. This girl who had seen so much. Survived so much more than even he could possibly imagine. “What did you see?”
         It was all Starlet could do to respond with a few simple words. “War. Destruction. Violence. Death. Loss.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper, almost looking like she was afraid of her own voice. How could the confident girl have gotten to this point?
         Qui-Gon tried to dig a little deeper, being careful to keep his voice soft and low so as to not accidentally scare the girl. “Did you see anything specific? Can you tell me?”
         Starlet turned her eyes toward her teacher. She took a deep breath, preparing herself to say something. Anything. Qui-Gon needed to know what she saw. “I saw the end of the Republic. The end of the Jedi. It was horrible.” Starlet fell forward, burying her face in the Jedi’s robes, her tears falling freely onto the fabric.
         Qui-Gon wrapped his arms around the girl, comforting her, trying to raise her spirits as much as he could. “No more visions today. Would you like me to escort you back to your quarters?” He could feel Starlet nodding her head, still clinging to his torso. “Alright, young one. Don’t worry. You’re safe here. No need to be scared.” He scooped the small girl into his arms, carrying her out of the room, keeping his walking speed as slow as he could. Starlet fell asleep before they reached her room.

         “You say Starlet had a premonition? What was its nature?”
         The shock was plainly evident in Mace Windu’s voice. Even given Starlet’s actual age, Younglings of her experience level just… didn’t have premonitions.
         “She saw a war,” Qui-Gon replied gravely. It wasn’t pleasant news, but then again, there hadn’t been much of that lately. “The end of the Republic, and of the Jedi Order. She wouldn’t tell me much else. She was… rather frightened by the experience.”
         A hush spread throughout the room. None of this was anything they could’ve expected. It all sounded unbelievable, to be honest. Especially one little detail.
         “Starlet, frightened? That’s a first.” The other Masters were thankful for Depa Billaba’s tension-cutting statement. A slight lightening of the mood was welcome in this instance.
         “I’ve never seen her like this before,” Qui-Gon continued. “I just hope that, once she recovers from this, she’ll open up more.”
         “Speaking of which.”
         Mace Windu nodded his head toward the entrance. The Masters turned their attention to Starlet, who had just entered the room. Or, more accurately, she had almost absentmindedly stumbled into the room, even if she knew she had a mission. It was like she was on autopilot. Her mind was too distracted to truly focus on anything, but she had to ask the Masters about something.
         “Forgive my intrusion, Masters,” Starlet began with a bow, her voice low and quiet. She stumbled forward before catching herself. She felt embarrassed, but at least she caught herself. This time.
         Yoda studied the small apparent child in front of them. There was much fear in her, but it wasn’t necessarily the type of fear the Council would normally be concerned by. Starlet had seen something terrifying, and it was clouding her mind. However, she had been able to make her way here on her own, of her own volition. “Feeling better, are you?” Yoda asked, keeping his voice carefully controlled. The girl may have been nearly twenty years old, but she definitely still had the mind of a child.
         “Yes, Master Yoda.” Starlet had been spending the last few hours being comforted by Ahsoka. The Togruta’s unquestioning care for her friend had helped Starlet immensely, pulling her out of the non-responsive state she had been in before. “Thank you for asking.”
         Master Windu wanted to get straight to business, but he knew to keep his voice gentle. “Would you be able to share more about these premonitions of yours?”
         Starlet tilted her head to the side. “Premonitions?” In all the time she spent secretly listening to the villagers on Batuu, and even through her time with the Jedi, she had never heard a word like that before.
         Mace allowed himself a smile. Even in her current state, Starlet remained curious and willing to learn. “Your visions of the future,” he explained. “Can you share more?”
         Starlet thought for a few seconds, then realized something. There was another word she wanted defined. “I heard the word Sith. I’ve never heard that word before, but it seemed important. What does it mean?”
         A sudden feeling of unease settled around the room. Qui-Gon made the decision to speak up. “The Sith were a group of Dark Force users. They believed in power, and wanted total galactic domination. They hated the Jedi most of all.”
         Starlet listened intently. Obviously, these Sith weren’t exactly good news, but Qui-Gon was only referring to them in past-tense. “What happened to them?”
         “They waged war against the Jedi,” explained Master Ki-Adi Mundi, “and lost.”
         “As far as anyone knows,” Master Windu continued, “the Sith have been extinct for a millennium.”
Seeing the somewhat disappointed look on Starlet’s face, Master Adi Gallia decided to speak next. “That is not to say that your vision should not be heeded, young one. Just know that premonitions are not always entirely accurate. Either they only show a possible future, or they show events out of order, out of context.”
         “Is there anything else?” inquired Master Even Piell, perhaps more roughly than was required. “Names? Faces?”
         Starlet’s voice began to falter. She felt her fear begin to creep back into her mind. “No. No names, no faces. Just voices, and I didn’t recognize all of them.”
         “Which ones did you recognize?” Master Windu asked quickly, forgoing his earlier gentle tone.
         Qui-Gon could tell that Starlet’s breathing was speeding up. The other Masters were beginning to scare her. The girl had enough on her mind; she shouldn’t have to deal with how the older Jedi were treating her. “Calm down, Master Windu,” Qui-Gon began calmly, his voice still controlled so as to keep Starlet’s nerves in check. “You’re stressing her out. This is not an interrogation.”
         Mace Windu was disappointed in himself. He had let his own emotions get the better of him. Starlet was still mentally a child, after all. Qui-Gon was right. “So it is not. Apologies, young Starlet.”
         Starlet craned her neck up to look Qui-Gon in the eye. She had been slowly gravitating toward him the entire time. The Master looked down at her, seeing the fatigue building in the girl’s face. He knelt down in front of her, still too tall to be at her eye level. “You can return to your quarters if you feel that is where you need to be.”
         Starlet nodded silently, thankful for Qui-Gon’s gentle tone, then she turned to leave the room. She moved with a slow walk at first, then began running so as to not break into tears in front of the entire Jedi Council. The entire ordeal had been too much for her, and she wanted to get back to her own room as quickly as possible.
         Siri Tachi, having been on her way to the Council, watched in confusion as Starlet ran past her in tears, barely holding in her cries. That wasn’t like her. In the last six months of observing the girl, she knew Starlet to be strong, courageous, even fearless in many cases. The Master had never once seen the girl cry.
         Master Tachi walked into the Council room. Qui-Gon seemed like he was about to leave. She made her entrance, bowing in respect. “Greetings, Masters. What’s wrong with Starlet? I’ve never seen her like this before.”
         Qui-Gon smiled grimly. Of course Siri was concerned about Starlet; the girl was probably the reason why she had come here in the first place. “She is a bit… shell shocked,” Qui-Gon explained. “She had a premonition of the end of the Republic, and it seems to have affected her on a rather deep level.”
         “Are you concerned about her, Master Tachi?” Adi Gallia wondered.
         A slight chuckle from Yoda brought the attention to him. He knew Siri had come here for a reason. “Hoping to train her, you are?”
         Siri nodded. “I am hoping to take her as my Padawan, yes. However,” she continued nervously, “I sense that now is not the right time.”
         There was a pause as the Council processed what Master Tachi had just said. “Not the right time?” asked Master Eeth Koth.
         Siri took a breath. This is what she had come to the Council in the first place. “Starlet isn’t the only one receiving visions lately,” she admitted. “I have seen a dark-skinned girl with silver hair… and a prosthetic arm, wearing a Padawan braid. I believe I am meant to wait for this unfortunate injury to take place. When that happens, she will need encouragement. Comfort. And I believe I am meant to provide those things. Until then, I will continue watching her progress.” She watched the Council’s expressions closely. What were their thoughts on this matter? Siri held her breath, waiting for a reaction. Any reaction. Her thoughts turned to the girl whose progress she had observed for the last six months. The girl who needed encouragement at that moment, still recovering from her terrifying vision. Would Siri be allowed to provide what Starlet really needed?
         Finally, there were nods being shared amongst the Masters. Yoda watched the others, then made his decision. The Council was unanimous. “When right the time is, your Padawan, Starlet will be.”
         Siri Tachi smiled. Perhaps not now, but in the near future, Starlet would officially be her apprentice. And she couldn’t be more proud.







Chapter 5: The Boy and the Handmaiden
32 BBY, Coruscant


         Even blinded by the specially-made helmet, Starlet could sense everything around her. The room, the plants in each of the four corners, the significantly larger ancient droid in front of her, and the glowing green blade of the training lightsaber in her hand. She had thrown herself into her training over the past three months, ever since that horrifying vision. Even with this very day being her twentieth birthday, she would much rather sink herself into fighting this droid than deal with anything else around her. Not that she wouldn’t mind company. She just didn’t particularly need it.
         “Miss Starlet?” Huyang, the ancient droid employed by the Jedi Order, tried to get his pupil’s attention. Truthfully, Starlet had sensed the three beings at the door. She was simply too engrossed in her training to care until Huyang said something. “There are people here to see you.”
         With a deep sigh, Starlet retracted the lightsaber’s blade and hooked the hilt onto her belt. She removed the helmet, gently placing it on the small shelf on the wall. Hoping to get this interaction over with as quickly as possible, she walked to the door, pressing the button on the wall to open it. Standing there patiently was Master Qui-Gon, as well as his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. They also had an extra person with them, but the girl hardly cared. Of all people the intruders could’ve been, she was at least happy to see Qui-Gon.
         “Hello, Master Qui-Gon! Obi-Wan! Nice to see you. What brings you here?” The words spilled out of her mouth like water rushing from a waterfall. Starlet may have been happy to see the Jedi Master, but she would still rather get back to training. It had been her comfort since her premonition, and she very much wanted to continue.
         Qui-Gon allowed himself a smile. He knew fully well that Starlet wanted to get back to training as quickly as possible, so he instead gently led the girl out of the room, prompting the door to close behind her. She needed to open up to others again, and he was willing to draw this out as long as he could. “Nice to see you too,” he began, bowing slightly. “Starlet, there’s someone I would like you to meet. A new potential Jedi-in-training, straight from the desert planet of Tatooine. Meet Anakin Skywalker.”
         Now he had Starlet’s attention. The boy next to the Jedi Master looked surprised to see such a small person wielding a lightsaber. He must have been about nine years old. Would the Council even let him be trained? That said, Starlet knew Qui-Gon’s game here. She wanted to train, and he wanted to draw her out of training for a while. She was determined to get her way. “Greetings, Skywalker,” she said, quickly and curtly, with a slight bow for good measure.
         Anakin was confused. Why would he be interested in meeting this diminutive trainee? “Master Qui-Gon, why are you introducing me to a toddler?” he asked, sounding perhaps a bit ruder than he meant to.
         Starlet was shocked. Couldn’t he just keep that one to himself? If there was one thing she was self-conscious about, it was her size, especially compared to her actual age. “Hey, I might not look like it, but I’m more than double your age, kid. Watch your mouth.” The hurt was plainly evident in her voice. She felt insulted, and she was going to make sure this not-so-little brat knew it.
         And she immediately felt bad about her tone, seeing the similarly hurt look on the boy’s face. He could never have guessed that she was older than she looked. “Oh,” was his simple reply. Anakin was obviously embarrassed at his own lapse in manners. So he switched to asking about Starlet. “How long have you been here?” he asked, doing his best to sound as genuinely interested as he now was.
         Well, he sounded genuine. That deserved an answer. “About a year now. I just turned twenty.”
The incensed look on Anakin’s face told Starlet that she had absolutely said the wrong thing. “Twenty?!” he shouted. “Wait, didn’t the Council say I was too old to be trained?” That was it. He had been brought in front of the Jedi Council at the age of nine, and told he was too old to train. Now there was a twenty-year-old who looked closer to four who had been accepted just a year before?
         Qui-Gon could sense the tension growing between the two. Both of them had had their feelings hurt in different ways. He knew he had to explain the situation to Anakin, as well as lessen his fear of rejection. “Starlet’s circumstances were so incredibly unusual that they made an exception. Just as I believe they will for you, Anakin.”
         “If you say so, Master.” Anakin was thankful for the explanation, but he still wasn’t convinced that the Council would ever change their minds about him.
         The Jedi Master sensed that all welcomes had officially been worn out. “Well, I suppose we’ll be going, then,” he announced reluctantly, wishing he had gotten Starlet to socialize longer. “So long for now, Starlet. May the Force be with you.”
         Starlet bowed in respect to Master Qui-Gon. “May the Force be with you as well, Master. I’m sure I’ll see you around, Anakin,” she added with not-so-subtle venom in her voice. Feeling tears welling up in her eyes, she quickly turned and ran, headed for her quarters. Even training wouldn’t console her right now.
         “Nice to meet you, too!” Anakin called after Starlet, seriously regretting his earlier attitude. He turned toward Qui-Gon. “Master, I insulted her. Will I get a chance to tell her I’m sorry?”
         “You will have a chance to apologize to her soon enough. I promise.” Qui-Gon could only really hope that he was right as he watched Starlet run toward her quarters.
         “I hope so,” Anakin admitted. “I feel really bad about it.” There was another question on the boy’s mind. He had to know. “Do you really think the Council’s gonna change their mind?”
         “Don’t count on it,” Obi-Wan snapped quickly. Qui-Gon shot his Padawan a sharp look of irritation before beckoning the small group to leave.

         Starlet kept running, tears running freely down her cheeks and occasionally falling to the floor below. She had never felt like this before. Why exactly did Anakin’s words hurt her so much? Sure, she didn’t like being reminded of her size, but it was a fact that she looked significantly younger than she really was. And he really did seem sorry about what he said, but he hadn’t actually apologized. Why did that bother her to the point of crying?
         So lost she was in her own thoughts that she barely even noticed when she hit the floor. She had run headlong into someone else, who had merely stumbled backward a few steps. Looking up, Starlet saw a young woman. Or was she? Her age was hard to decipher, covered in a bright orange-and-red robe. Either way, she looked quite embarrassed to have run into someone so much smaller than her. “Oh! Sorry, I didn’t see you there!” Her voice was gentle, clearly having noticed the apparent age of the girl she had run into. Seeing Starlet’s admittedly drab uniform, the young woman perked up a bit. “Wait, are you a Jedi Padawan?” she inquired, her voice still soft and comforting.
         “Not a Padawan technically,” Starlet began explaining while picking herself up, “but I’m in training.” She decided that this new person seemed much friendlier than Anakin. Maybe a bit more socialization wouldn’t hurt. “I’m Starlet! What’s your name?”
         There was a look of contemplation on the woman’s face as she made a decision on how much to reveal. “I’m Padmé,” she began, “one of the Queen of Naboo’s handmaidens.” Padmé knelt down to the apparent child’s level. “Sorry again for bumping into you. You’re really well-spoken for someone your age.”
         Ah, this again. At least this ‘Padmé’ was still pleasant about it. Starlet was certainly getting tired of explaining her situation to people. “Well, I just turned twenty today,” she explained.
         Padmé’s eyebrows raised in surprise. She wasn’t entirely sure if she believed this girl. “Twenty? Really?” She did her best to hide her incredulity.
         Starlet steeled herself for the full explanation. She started quickly, then slowed down by the end. “I age five times slower than normal. No one knows why. I’m not even sure I want to know why.” That was that out of the way. But Starlet sensed that her two recent encounters were connected somehow. “Say, have you met that Skywalker boy?” she asked, adding a bit of venom to the name Skywalker.
         “Anakin? Yeah. What about him?” Padmé was confused. Why did Starlet seem to not like the boy?
         “He was kind of rude to me earlier. He called me a toddler.” An eyebrow raise from Padmé prompted an eye roll from Starlet. “Yes, I know I look like one. It still hurt.” Starlet put her back against the wall, quickly sliding down into a sitting position.
         Padmé knelt down next to Starlet. She now fully believed that this girl was as old as she said, but she clearly possessed a child’s emotions. The Jedi-in-training needed comfort. Besides, maybe she could set the record straight between Starlet and Anakin. “Hey, I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it. He’s really sweet once you get to know him. I would know.” Padmé watched for the girl’s reaction.
         Starlet responded by looking deep into the handmaiden’s eyes. “If you say so.” Or… was she a handmaiden? The little Jedi-in-training sensed something in Padmé’s mind. The older girl hadn’t been fully truthful when she introduced herself, even if it was for her own safety. Starlet lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. “Queen Amidala.”
         Padmé, the fourteen-year-old girl who was also the disguised Queen of Naboo, was shocked. How had this girl figured that out so quickly? “How did you know?” she asked, matching Starlet’s low volume. You never know who might be listening in, and it seemed like the apparent child had figured that out as well.
         Still keeping her voice quiet, Starlet revealed her thought process. “I’m really bad at controlling my telepathic abilities. Also, you’re… really nice. Regally so,” she added with a wink. Starlet stood up once again, soon followed by Padmé. “Thanks for talking to me,” she said with a respectful bow, her voice back to its normal volume. “I’ve been training practically non-stop for the last three months. I needed someone to talk to.” She really did feel better after her conversation with the ‘handmaiden’. However, she really wanted to get back to the training room. Starlet had had enough socializing for one day.
         “My pleasure!” Padmé said honestly. She found Starlet fascinating, and maybe together they could find out why she aged the way she did. The false handmaiden hoped she would be able to spend more time with the little Jedi-in-training. “Just… don’t tell anyone who I really am, okay?” she added, lowering her voice again. “I do this for my security. There are bad people in the galaxy who -”
         “Who want you dead?” Starlet finished Padmé’s sentence without even looking at her. She had seen it in her new friend’s mind without even trying. She really needed to learn how to control her telepathic Force abilities. “Sorry,” she said, a bit ashamed of herself for her lack of control. “I should get going. I’m sure you have more important things to do than talk to some random Jedi-in-training who looks like a toddler.” With that, Starlet began running toward the training room, not looking back once.
         “Starlet!” Padmé called after her little friend. “Don’t go! I… I was enjoying the conversation…” After a few seconds, the disguised Queen of Naboo dejectedly walked back to her own quarters. The conversation may have been cut shorter than she would’ve liked, but something told her she’d be seeing Starlet again.

         The door to the training room opened, and Starlet walked inside in silence. Huyang observed the small girl as she retrieved her helmet from the shelf on the wall. “Welcome back, Miss Starlet,” the ancient droid began, oblivious to the emotional rollercoaster she had just been through. “Did you enjoy your little adventure?”
         Standing in front of Huyang, Starlet responded by unhooking her training lightsaber from her belt, holding the hilt in a ready position. “Just start the program,” she requested simply, pressing the ignition button. The brilliant green blade ignited from the hilt. Starlet may not have been able to see it directly, but the Force allowed her to sense its position regardless.
         Huyang blinked in confusion. Starlet was acting rather strange, even compared to a few minutes ago. Regardless, she had made a request, and he was going to honor it. “Very well, miss.” The ancient droid, for possibly the millionth time in his nearly twenty-five thousand year long existence, started the advanced training program. His second, smaller pair of arms were revealed, and beams of light shone from his four hands. Starlet readied herself, and began swiping at the beams of light with her lightsaber, just as she had done many times every day for the last three months.
         She couldn’t possibly have known just how much her life was about to change.







Chapter 6: Digging Too Deep
32 BBY, Coruscant


         It had been a few days since Starlet met Anakin and Padmé. She had started removing herself from her training every now and then to walk the halls of the Jedi Temple. She knew she had to do something, anything else. And today, it looked like she had stepped out of the training room just in time.
         It seemed like every Jedi in the Temple was crowded in one area, discussing… something. Starlet wanted to find out what was going on, but she wasn’t quite brave enough to randomly ask a Jedi Master why they were gathered. Luckily for Starlet, she saw a friendly face on the outskirts of the group.
         Starlet ran up to her friend, noting the expression on the little Togruta’s face. She seemed to be sad about something. Maybe she could cheer her up while gathering information. “Hey, Ahsoka! What’s going on? Why is everyone gathered out here?”
         “Hey, Starlet,” Ahsoka began solemnly. She seemed at least a little bit happier, seeing her friend. “It’s Qui-Gon.”
         “What about him?” Starlet was confused. Had the kindly Master done something? Or had something happened to him? Ahsoka’s next words would chill Starlet to the bone.
         “He’s dead.”
         In the shocked silence that followed, a small verbal exchange from her premonition began echoing in Starlet’s head. The boy, who she now realized was Anakin, had claimed that no one could kill a Jedi. It had been Qui-Gon who responded. Did he know this was going to happen? At the same time, Starlet couldn’t believe that her mentor could possibly be gone, just like that. “No. That… that can’t be. He’s one of the most powerful Jedi in the Order. He can’t be…”
         A Jedi Master had been listening to the girls’ conversation. Councilmember Adi Gallia turned around and knelt down to their level. “I’m afraid it’s true, young one,” she began somberly. “Master Qui-Gon was killed in battle with a Sith Lord. Obi-Wan was able to avenge his Master’s death. His last wish was for Skywalker to be trained.”
         Starlet took all of this information in. Qui-Gon, the Jedi Master who rescued her and cared for her, was gone. His last words to her were ‘So long for now’. She had never even gotten a chance to truly say goodbye. That hurt a lot. But, at the same time, she had been told that when someone died, they became one with the Force itself. That was something to be celebrated and honored, not mourned. Qui-Gon had played his part in the galaxy, and while it was heart-breaking to know he was gone, Starlet knew that she would be fine. Everything would be fine.
         There was one other thing on her mind. If there was anyone who might be more bothered by Qui-Gon’s death than Starlet, it would be the Master who trained him. How were they handling this? “Who trained Qui-Gon?” she inquired of Master Gallia. “I’d like to talk to them.”
         Adi Gallia smiled warmly at the change in the apparent child, having practically seen her thought process through her expressions. “That would be former Jedi Master Dooku,” she explained. “He was just here not too long ago. He’s likely at his residence.” She handed a small datapad to Starlet. “Here, I’ll give you the coordinates. I trust you to get there alone, alright?”
         Starlet nodded, then took off running. “Thank you, Master Gallia!” she called out behind her.
         Standing up, Adi Gallia watched the little Jedi-in-training run off with a smile. “Your friend has a lot of heart, little ‘Soka.”
         “I know,” Ahsoka replied, watching her friend with adoration. “She was my first real friend.” Suddenly, the Togruta’s blood chilled. A feeling washed over her. A feeling of dread. Something bad was about to happen.
         Master Gallia noticed the worried look on the child’s face. “Is something wrong, Ahsoka?”
         “I just got this feeling that Starlet’s walking into something. Something bad.”
         “Don’t worry, little one,” Master Gallia assured Ahsoka, placing her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. Have faith.”
         Ahsoka watched her friend turn a corner, disappearing from view. Sure, she had faith in Starlet, but she couldn’t shake this feeling that her friend was about to get hurt somehow.

         Starlet ran out of the Temple, immediately beginning to dash through the streets of Coruscant, following the beacon the whole way. She slid under people, Force-jumped over others, and barely paid any attention to where she was going. She had a place to be, and she wanted to get there as quickly as possible.
         Unbeknownst to Starlet, a small girl happened to be watching her. That girl looks a lot like me, the seemingly random citizen thought, her bright yellow-and-red eyes gleaming with curiosity at the girl who had just launched herself off the side of a building. Could it be that one of the others survived? Shrugging to herself, the girl filed this new knowledge away in her mind. Maybe someday, the two would meet again. In fact, she would make sure of it. Or her name wasn’t Nebula.

         Standing at the door to former Master Dooku’s residence, Starlet experienced a bit of an upwelling of positivity. Surely Qui-Gon’s former Master would need comfort after the news of his pupil’s death. And Starlet was able to be the one to provide it. Having already knocked on the door, she waited with bated breath for the door to open.
         At last, the door slid open, revealing an older man with dark brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard. The gray streaks in his hair, along with the faint wrinkles set into his face, showed a man who had seen his fair share of hardship in his seventy years of life. He looked around at his own eye level for a while before finally lowering his gaze to find the small child at his door. A smile crept onto his face; a fairly warm smile of endearment, but certainly colder than that of the late Qui-Gon. “Well, who are you, little one?” he asked with a slight tone of amusement.
         The little Jedi-in-training bowed deeply in respect. “My name is Starlet, Master Dooku,” she introduced herself. “I came to talk to you.”
         Dooku’s eyebrow raised, amused by this ‘Starlet’ character. “And why would a young one such as yourself care to talk to an old man like me?” he inquired honestly. Why would a child such as her seek someone like him out?
         “I wanted to check on you,” Starlet began earnestly. “See how you’re doing. You were Qui-Gon’s Master, right? How are you handling this?” Starlet’s fairly chipper tone had decreased into a more somber one, betraying the fact that while she had already fully accepted the loss of Qui-Gon, she was still deeply affected by his death. Perhaps more so than Dooku.
         The former Jedi’s smile warmed further. This Youngling legitimately seemed to care about him despite never even meeting him before now. “I’m… managing just fine,” he responded, though only partially honestly. Dooku stepped aside, offering his abode for the time being. “Come inside, young Starlet. Let us talk of our lost friend.” He may have had… other places to be, but he was certainly willing to entertain this admittedly fascinating girl for a while. Starlet stepped inside slowly, looking around the residence in awe, unaware that its owner had been emptying the place for the last few days. “So, young Starlet,” he began as Starlet took a seat on one of the remaining chairs. “Who was Qui-Gon to you?” How had this child even met the late Jedi Master, whom he himself had trained for so many years?
         Starlet looked down at her lap. “He was my rescuer, a mentor, and a friend. He’s the one who found me on Batuu, and he’s been part of my life ever since. I still can’t believe he’s gone.” Now there were tears in her eyes. As a Jedi, she was supposed to be in control of her emotions, not practically a slave to them. So why didn’t it seem like she was ever in control?
         Dooku’s emotions were controlled, calculated, subdued. Still, he chose to put on a show of being sadder than he truly was. “Nor can I, little one.” A thought entered the former Master’s head. “And what are your thoughts on his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi?”
         Starlet’s face scrunched up in thought. What did she think of Obi-Wan? He hadn’t really talked to her very much, usually staying silent while Qui-Gon talked to her, choosing not to pay attention to the conversation. “Honestly, he doesn’t really seem to like me very much. He seems irritated that I was accepted into the Order in the first place, given my actual age. But enough about me. I still don’t know anything about you. What have you been doing today?” A pause chilled the room. Starlet’s uncontrolled telepathic abilities were beginning to unearth something in the former Jedi’s mind. “You did something you regret, didn’t you?” Dooku’s eyes narrowed. He was obviously hiding something, so Starlet chose to dig deeper. There was something about Jedi Master Yaddle. For some reason, this man didn’t expect to see that particular Councilmember again. Come to think of it, Starlet hadn’t seen the diminutive Master earlier. It was time to see if she could outsmart Dooku. Get him to say something he didn’t mean to. “Did you know that Master Yaddle has gone missing?” she inquired, almost conspiratorially.
         Dooku’s mood instantly soured. It hadn’t been very long since his encounter with Master Yaddle. “What?! How could that possibly have been reported already…” Dooku trailed off. He had said too much.
         “I didn’t say she was reported missing,” Starlet began quietly, still gauging the former Master’s reactions. She was in control of this situation. “Right now, the only people who know are me… and you.” She let Dooku’s realization sink in as she searched further in his mind. “What did you do?”
         Dooku’s eyes narrowed further. He was trying to resist Starlet’s mind reading, but she was far more powerful than he had counted on. She was dangerously close to discovering the truth. What he had done to Yaddle. “You’re digging too deep, little one,” he said, the venom all too clear in his voice. If she figured it out, he would do whatever was necessary.
         Starlet was close to uncovering the truth. She knew it based on the resistance she was feeling. “I’ll dig as deep as I need to,” she stated simply. Then, she found it. She saw an image of Dooku standing over Yaddle, his lightsaber drawn and ready to make the final strike. Starlet revealed what she knew with the simplest of utterances. A single word. “Murderer.”
         Dooku’s face twisted into a scowl. He slowly turned toward the now-defiant child. It was a shame, really. This Starlet seemed to be a fine young Jedi. But now that she knew the truth, she had to be silenced. “Now you go too far. It is regrettable, but you know too much. It seems Yaddle is not the only Jedi going ‘missing’ today.”
         With a mental push from the infinitely more experienced Force user, Starlet was jettisoned out of Dooku’s mind, leaving her dazed for a few seconds. Even through the haze filling her mind, she could hear the signature hum of an ignited lightsaber. Was this really happening? Was she about to be killed by the man she had set out to bring comfort to? Could this seriously be the end of her story?
         No. This wouldn’t be the end. She wouldn’t let it be the end. As Dooku’s lightsaber’s bright blue blade sizzled through the air, aimed squarely at her neck, the brilliant green of Starlet’s training lightsaber rose to meet it. The plasma blades clashed, preventing a quick beheading. But the Jedi-in-training knew this fight was far from over. Pushing with all her strength, plus help from the Force, she managed to force the offending blade away. Dooku pulled away, preparing for another strike, but Starlet had trained for this. Reading his movements, she prepared to parry his next strike.
         At the same time, she knew she had to get out. She didn’t really stand a chance against the man she now recognized as one of the best duelists the Jedi Order had ever seen. Swing after swing was parried by the tiny Jedi, but she was running out of steam quickly. Sooner or later, her training lightsaber would be overwhelmed by the repeated full-power strikes carried out by Starlet’s opponent.
         Through it all, Dooku was largely unfazed. It was certainly impressive that the little telepath had held out this long, but he wasn’t really trying. This insolent child carried absolutely no threat to him. But he was getting tired of this little game, and he really did have other places to be. So, with a quick flick of his wrist, Dooku pushed out with the Force, sending his pint-sized opponent flying.
         Starlet hit the door back-first, her lightsaber blade deactivating on impact. Her head spun for a second, but she quickly shook it off. More important than her increasing headache was the sight of Dooku slowly advancing toward her, lightsaber blade spinning in an effort to intimidate her. Well, fine. If he wanted to play dirty, she would too. Pulling her arm back, she thrust it out again, calling on the Force to give her just a little more time. Even seeing her adversary be flung backward, Starlet didn’t allow herself a single moment of satisfaction. Pushing the button to open the door, she found it securely locked. Did Dooku do that? If so, when? Before or after their fight started? She needed another way out.
         While Dooku recovered from the sudden Force push, Starlet ignited her training lightsaber again, and forced the green blade through the wooden door. If she couldn’t open the door, she would go through it. Cutting a circle through the thin wood as quickly as she could under pressure, she had almost finished when a blur of blue light flew past her face. She watched as her lightsaber deactivated, and most of her right arm fell limply to the floor, suddenly separated from her with an already cauterized wound. Her shock drowned out any reaction she could have had to suddenly only having one arm.
         Dooku watched the shocked one-armed child in near-amusement, barely masking his seething anger. “You have made the last mistake of your insignificant life, child,” he spat at the defeated Youngling. With that, he raised his lightsaber once again, preparing to deliver the final, lethal blow.
         Which left him quite surprised as he once again flew backward. Starlet’s left arm was outstretched, and she looked rather shocked that such a powerful blast had come from her. Thinking quickly, she swung her remaining arm toward the door, her nearly instinctual Force push punching the incomplete circle of wood out of the door, impacting the wall on the other side of the hall. Before Dooku could pick himself back up again, Starlet dove through the new hole in the door, rolling to her feet in the hallway and beginning to sprint to the stairway.
         Dooku dusted himself off after the sudden tumble, quickly regaining his physical composure. Internally, he was nearly nervous. He spoke into a small communicator he had taken out of his pocket. “Guards, stop her from escaping.” The order was quick and simple. He had to make sure this nosey girl couldn’t implicate him in Yaddle’s murder.
         Starlet saw the guards draw their blasters, guessing correctly that they weren’t exactly set to stun. With the knowledge that everyone in this building wanted her dead, the adrenaline-fueled girl reached out with her left hand once again, aiming squarely for the small stained glass window. With the right positioning, she could fit through the opening that had shattered into existence. Barely even thinking about her actions, she used the Force to launch herself off the floor, sliding neatly through the open space and out into freedom.
         But not safety. Below her were the tops of the skyscrapers that called Coruscant home. Without thinking, she prepared to roll to a landing wherever she happened to end up. Then she was running again, jumping to another building, and running, jumping… It was like her body wasn’t her own; rather, it was responding to the whims of the Force itself, gradually leading her lower toward street level. Adrenaline and fear kept her going, and Starlet was barely conscious of any of it.
         Finally, she looked ahead and saw a rooftop with a hatch that could lead her safely down to the solid ground. At the same time, she was running out of energy, and the adrenaline was beginning to wear off as well. She prepared for one last jump, calling on the Force to make her land true. With a smooth motion, she launched herself off of the rooftop, aiming for the next.
         And she watched as the edge of the next rooftop fell out of her sight. Starlet reached her remaining arm out as far as she could, feeling her outstretched fingers find a tentative hold on the edge. The rest of her body swung forward, impacting roughly on the dense metal. Still, she held on for dear life even as she felt her hand begin to slip.
         Looking below her, Starlet saw a group of people amassing in the street. “Kid!” one man called out. “Let go! We’ll catch you!”
         Starlet turned her gaze back to her left hand, gripping the edge of the roof as it was. She knew she couldn’t hold on for long, and it wasn’t like she had another arm to use to climb up. Dooku had made sure of that. She drew in her breath, closed her eyes, and allowed her grip to fail, sending her falling into the group of people below.
         As she was gently cradled in an older woman’s arms, Starlet’s vision blurred. Her breathing quickened in pace. She could just about hear the people’s murmuring around her. “What happened to her?” “She’s a Jedi!” “What’s she doing out here?” “Is she okay?” She tried to look up at her savior, but her world swirled around her in a thick haze.
         There was a hand against her face. “Who did this to you?” the kind older woman asked. Starlet couldn’t answer even if she wanted to. The shock of what had happened began fully washing over, and she began hyperventilating. “No, no, it’s okay,” the woman cooed, trying to comfort the panicking child in her arms. “We’ll get you back to the Jedi where you belong. You’re gonna be okay. You’ve fought enough for one day. Let it take you. I’ve got you.”
         Starlet wasn’t listening. She couldn’t listen. She could barely even hear. Her thoughts raced in her head. She had just gone to Dooku to check on him, see how he was feeling! And then she found out that he killed Yaddle, and then he attacked her, and he cut off her arm, but she got away, and her remaining arm was bleeding from the shattered glass, and she could feel the blood dripping down her arm and onto the woman’s sleeve, and…
         Her anxieties took over her mind. Starlet closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep under the bright sky of Coruscant.







Chapter 7: Not All Wounds Heal
32 BBY, Coruscant


         “What do you think happened?”
         As Starlet began groggily coming back to consciousness, she heard the unmistakable voice of Master Siri Tachi. She began slowly opening her eyes, her vision blurry from being closed for a long time. The light was blinding, so she quickly squinted her eyes shut again. She slowly raised her left arm to cover her eyes.
         “We don’t know, but it was definitely a lightsaber wound.” There was another Jedi in the room. Adi Gallia’s voice was just as unmistakable to Starlet as Siri’s. Master Gallia noticed the stirring Initiate. “Oh, look! She’s waking up!” Both Masters approached Starlet’s bedside. “Well, good morning, sleepyhead!” Adi chirped playfully.
         Starlet’s left hand met the side of her head. “Morning?” she asked, her voice scratchy from disuse. “Where am I? What happened?” Her head felt extremely hazy. She was a bit confused as to where she was, and her foggy memory wasn’t helping very much.
         Siri prepared to answer all of the girl’s questions at once. “You’ve been out for nearly three days, you’re in the medical wing, and you tell us,” she finished while bringing attention to Starlet’s right arm.
         “I…” Starlet’s gaze fell on what had become of her arm. Constructed mostly out of black and brass metal with wires and gears carefully placed inside, it was painfully obvious that the arm was entirely artificial. It had a full range of motion while being stronger than her old arm would have been. The cybernetic arm met what was left of the real one a few inches away from her shoulder, right where Dooku’s lightsaber had… Starlet raised both hands to her temples. “My head hurts. My arm…” She trailed off, her mind not quite ready for full sentences. At least she was more awake now.
         “Your cybernetic arm was installed yesterday,” Master Tachi explained. “You… missed Qui-Gon’s funeral, by the way.” Siri knew Qui-Gon had meant a lot to Starlet, and was sure she would’ve liked to be there to show her respect. To say goodbye.
         “It’s okay. I don’t know if I would’ve been able to handle it,” Starlet admitted. Her emotions had been getting the best of her lately, something she was supposed to train herself out of. Her thoughts were interrupted by a looming sense that Master Gallia had a reason to be there other than watching over an injured Jedi Initiate. “There’s something else, isn’t there?” Starlet asked nervously.
         The Masters looked equally as nervous. The Councilmember among them spoke up. “The Council is curious about what happened to you. We would like you to report to us when you’re ready.” Master Gallia watched Starlet closely for her reaction.
         With that revelation, Starlet’s mind cleared. “I’m ready now,” she said with determination in her voice.
         Master Gallia nodded, recognizing the shift in the girl’s energy. “Then start getting ready. Familiarize yourself with your new arm.” The Tholothian reached into a bag she had with her and pulled out a small metal object. “Here is a new training lightsaber. Try not to lose it. I will go ahead of you.” Adi bowed to Starlet and Master Tachi in respect, then departed from the room to let the rest of the Council know that the Initiate was coming.
         “...It wasn’t my fault…” Starlet said in a whispery voice, offended by the well-meaning Master. She looked down at her hands. One, the same dark brown skin she’d had her whole life. The other, dominant hand, now a mixture of metal and wires, controlled by electrical impulses sent by her brain and converted into mechanical motion. With every movement there was an almost imperceptible whirring noise, constant testimony to its artificial nature.
         Master Tachi sensed the girl’s rising discomfort, choosing to take a seat next to her. She took Starlet’s hand into her own. Starlet’s cold, metallic hand. “I know it wasn’t,” she began, her voice carefully controlled. “You can tell the Council what happened. I’ll be meeting you there, but I have to get something ready first. Can you get to the Council chambers by yourself?” Siri looked into Starlet’s eyes, seeing the light return to them. Her hunch was right; all she needed to do was show that she trusted the girl. Trusted that she could do things on her own, even if she still needed a little direction now and then.
         “I should be able to,” Starlet replied with a smile. “See you later, Master Tachi.”
Siri smiled warmly, slowly stepping backward out of the room. “Looking forward to it, Starlet.”

         Starlet walked into the Jedi Council chambers, still experimentally clenching and unclenching her mechanical fist. It was pretty easy to use, but she certainly wished she hadn’t lost her real arm. She took her place in the middle of the room, in the center of the eleven present Masters, Ki-Adi Mundi notably being absent.
         “Greetings, young Starlet,” Master Yoda greeted warmly. “Feeling better, you are?”
         “Still a little bit in shock,” Starlet began sheepishly, “but otherwise better. Thank you for asking, Master,” she added with a bow.
         “Now, to business.” Master Windu’s sudden, forceful shift in the atmosphere of the room was startling even to the other Masters, let alone the girl standing among them. “Master Gallia told us you were on your way to speak to former Jedi Master Dooku. Is this true?” Mace’s tone had absolutely no semblance of warmth, and it immediately made Starlet nervous. Was she in trouble somehow? Mace was certainly making it seem that way.
         “Easy, Master Windu,” chided Master Billaba, sensing the quickly rising tension in the room, particularly from Starlet. “She is still mentally a child, regardless of her true age,” she reminded Mace.
         Master Windu smirked in a failed attempt to hide his embarrassment. With Starlet’s maturity and chronological age, it was easy to forget that everything she thought and felt was being filtered through a brain that was physically only four years old. “Forgive me, Starlet,” he conceded with a slight bow of his head. He then carefully shifted his tone. She had been through enough lately; she didn’t need to be frightened of a Jedi Master as well. “What can you tell us about what happened three days ago?”
         Starlet took a deep breath. Master Windu’s shift in tone made her feel better about this exchange, but she was still nervous. “I wanted to check on Master Dooku after Qui-Gon’s death,” she began softly, her voice gaining strength as she continued speaking. “We talked for a little while, then my telepathic abilities ran wild again. I learned that he was behind Master Yaddle’s disappearance, then he pulled his lightsaber on me. He almost killed me. I barely got out with my life. I believe it is through the will of the Force that I’m standing before you now.”
         “You believe Dooku killed Yaddle?” asked Shaak Ti, the Togruta woman who had already taken Yaddle’s seat on the Council. “That is quite the accusation.” Starlet had been afraid of this. She was accusing a former Jedi Master of murder, something that would likely seem preposterous to anyone she told. Truthfully, she had been considering not mentioning it at all, but she felt it was important to say.
         “Yaddle’s body was found with lightsaber wounds,” Master Eeth Koth offered. There were nods around the room.
         “And Starlet here came back from a meeting with Dooku with a lightsaber wound herself.” Oppo Rancisis’ statement was met with more nodding, as well as quiet murmurs of agreement.
         “Not to mention the fact that Dooku left Coruscant less than a day after Starlet’s encounter.” Even Piell’s addition was the smoking gun. Everything lined up perfectly to corroborate Starlet’s story.
         Unfortunately, they didn’t really have a smoking gun. All they had was circumstantial evidence, hardly enough to try Dooku in court. “We will have to conduct our own investigation,” Mace Windu admitted. He sensed that Starlet was absolutely telling them what she believed; he just hoped that they could find concrete evidence. “But thank you for telling us what you know, Starlet. You’ve been very brave.” Starlet’s beaming put a smile on the faces of all twelve Masters in the room, including a certain new arrival.
         “Greetings, Master Tachi,” Yoda said to the newly-arrived Jedi. “Something to say, have you?”
         “As a matter of fact, I do, Masters.” Siri Tachi knew that the time had come. Here she was, standing only a few paces behind the very girl she had seen in her vision. A girl with dark skin, blue eyes, silver hair, and a cybernetic arm. “I have been watching Starlet’s progress for nearly a year, and I’ve seen her advance far beyond her peers. Not only that, she has taken on a former Jedi Master and lived to tell the tale. I believe she should be rewarded for her skill and bravery in the face of insurmountable odds. Masters of the Jedi Council,” she started, standing straighter and taller than she had been before, “I ask for permission to take young Starlet as my Padawan learner.”
         The Council took in the entirely expected request from the Jedi. They all knew this was coming, and they were all in agreement. However, there was one person whose opinion was still unknown. “What say you, Starlet?” Yoda asked, already seeing a look on the girl’s face that immediately gave away her answer.
         “I would be honored to learn under Master Tachi’s supervision,” Starlet replied with a wide smile and a deep, respectful, thankful bow. Master Windu noted that she hid her excitement well.
         “Then you are no longer a Jedi Initiate,” Master Gallia announced in a congratulatory tone. “From now on, you are Padawan Starlet. Congratulations!” There was a round of respectful applause, and the grin on the newly-pronounced Padawan’s face couldn’t possibly get any wider. Any lingering thoughts about how odd her new arm was, or the disastrous encounter with Dooku, or her own grief from the loss of Qui-Gon… All were forgotten in that moment.
         “Be sure to tell little ‘Soka the news,” Master Plo Koon suggested, knowing of Starlet and Ahsoka’s strong friendship. Ahsoka wasn’t the type to get jealous, and the little Togruta was smart enough to know that Starlet’s older age made her old enough to become a Padawan, while Ahsoka was still years away.
         “I sure will, Master Plo!” Starlet chirped, having already decided that telling Ahsoka would be the first thing on her to-do list.
         Master Tachi laid her hand on her new apprentice’s shoulder. “Come, my Padawan,” she began warmly. “There is much to be done.”
         Moving her hand to her Padawan’s back, Siri led Starlet out of the Council chambers. The girl looked up with a smile at her new Master, and found that Siri’s smile matched her own. Finally, she looked forward, ready to embrace her new future.







Chapter 8: The Gathering
32 BBY, Ilum


         It had been a long month of preparation for this day. Normally, Jedi Younglings would embark on this particular mission long before apprenticing under a Jedi Master. Starlet’s situation, however, was quite unique. She had been a Padawan for a full month, and it was only now that she was deemed ready for The Gathering. The little Jedi trainee had boarded the ancient starship Crucible along with her Master and three Jedi Initiates, and they were in hyperspace en route to the planet Ilum.
         Jedi Master Siri Tachi turned her attention to her Padawan. Starlet had been clinging pretty closely to her Master ever since she was introduced to the other Younglings. To be fair, one of them, the Zabrak boy Kualorn, hadn’t exactly been a pleasant companion. He was just turning eleven, and aggression was starting to come naturally to him. Starlet had been the target of some of his incessant teasing, and the girl hadn’t taken too kindly to him. As such, it was decided that Starlet should be separated from the others for the remainder of the trip.
         Siri reached her hand over to her apprentice, laying it on the seat next to her. Without looking, Starlet’s hand found her Master’s, finding comfort in the Jedi’s presence. “How are you feeling, Padawan?” Master Tachi asked gently, sensing a lot of turmoil in the girl’s mind.
         Starlet turned her aimless gaze toward her Master. She had been letting her mind wander, stroking her Padawan braid, trying not to think too hard about this mysterious field trip she had been dragged along to. At the same time, she found herself looking forward to it, whatever it was. “Nervous and excited at the same time. Master, what will this require of me?” she inquired, hoping to get some larger amount of information out of Master Tachi. As it was, her Force telepathy couldn’t pierce the wall Siri had constructed in her mind.
         Starlet was answered with a smirk from the older Jedi. “You’ll find out when we get there, Starlet.” Siri knew exactly what the Padawan was trying to do. She wanted it to be a surprise. “Have patience,” she reminded the girl.
         Only mildly deterred, Starlet decided to try pushing further with another question. “Where are we going, anyway?” Maybe if she knew what planet they were headed toward, she could make a guess?
         “To the planet Ilum,” Master Tachi replied, knowing that Starlet had never heard of that particular planet. The Padawan didn’t seem overly invested in research. “There is no place more sacred to the Jedi.” The slightly dejected look on Starlet’s face told Siri everything she needed to know. The girl was done asking questions, having accepted that she simply wouldn’t be able to pry any useful information out of her Master.
         Their moment was interrupted by the sound of Crucible exiting hyperspace. Siri could see the mixture of anticipation and anxiety on her Padawan’s face. “Come,” she stated simply while standing up. “We’ve arrived.”

         The Master, Padawan and Younglings trudged their way through the thick snow and fierce blizzards of Ilum. Outfitted in garb made specially to withstand the cold of the inhospitable planet, the five Force wielders tried to make conversation as best as they could. Unfortunately for Starlet, it would be the Zabrak boy who spoke up first.
         “So, why is the kid with us?” Kualorn asked, rolling his eyes in irritation. “She looks too young to be here.” He was annoyed that such a small child had been invited on this trip. This was supposed to be a sort of coming-of-age thing for Jedi, right? Then why was this toddler here?
         “Can it, Kua,” quipped Xeronya, a human-and-Theelin hybrid girl in annoyance, tired of dealing with the boy’s recent bullying streak. “She’s older than we are.”
         “She could totally take you in a fight,” claimed the human girl Enith, the youngest of the three.
         “Younglings!” snapped Master Tachi, tired of hearing the children’s back-and-forth conversations either praising or disparaging her apprentice. “Enough gossipping behind Starlet’s back. She is my Padawan, and thus technically your superior. You will treat her with respect. Understood?” Her tone wasn’t harsh; rather, she had adopted her best ‘teacher’ voice. This was a time for learning, not chastisement.
         “Yes, Master Tachi,” the three Younglings said in unison. Kualorn looked annoyed that he was being silenced. The group trudged on through the snow in silence, Starlet being sure to keep close to her Master. Her smaller size made this already unfriendly environment legitimately dangerous for her.
         Finally, they came to a bit of a stop. “Master Tachi?” Kualorn began, the annoyance evident in his voice. “All there is in front of us is a wall of ice!” Sure enough, there was a gargantuan barrier of ice that the group of Force wielders had come across, seemingly making any further progress impossible.
         “How are we supposed to go forward?” Xeronya asked in a panic. She was usually the first to run out of ideas in a bind, her anxieties always getting the better of her.
         Enith, always the investigator, had already knelt down to inspect the ground. It was as if she was looking for a button or something. Finally, she perked up, having noticed something odd etched into the ice. “Wait, there’s a design on the ground!” she announced to the group. “It must be some kind of puzzle!”
         “Very perceptive, Enith,” Siri congratulated the girl, impressed with her intelligence. It was why she was here, after all - she had passed her classes with top grading earlier than most. But now was the time for more progress. “Younglings - and Padawan,” she added, looking down at Starlet, “outstretch your arms and focus the Force. Together, and only together, can we move forward.”
         Siri raised her own arm, reaching out with the Force. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her Padawan and Younglings share a glance, then do the same. She could see the shine of the sunlight reflecting off of Starlet’s cybernetic hand. Shaking off the pang of pity she felt, she could feel the ice wall responding to the group’s combined efforts.
         With a deep rumble, the closely packed pillars of ice began shifting, then falling away, revealing an ancient Jedi sigil underneath. The ice crumbled away, and the group beheld the entrance to the Ilum Temple.
         “Whoa!” Xeronya exclaimed in awe. “We really did it!”
         Master Tachi smiled at the congratulatory shouts coming from the children around her, with even Starlet joining in. Finally, she addressed them as a group. “Come, Younglings,” she began. “And Padawan. There is much to do.” With that, Siri turned toward the opening to the Temple, leading her students inside.
         Seated on a pedestal in the center of the room was the esteemed Jedi Grandmaster Yoda, who had been patiently waiting for the children’s arrival. “Greetings, Master Yoda,” Starlet and the Younglings said in unison, each one bowing in respect.
         Yoda smiled at the Younglings and Padawan before him. “Greetings, young ones,” he began, remembering to replace the word ‘Youngling’ in his usual spiel. “The Force made physical, a Jedi is. Comes great responsibility with that, yes? Protect others, how does a Jedi, hmm?” He pulled out his lightsaber hilt, using the Force to levitate it near the children and safely ignite it from a distance. The bright green blade sprung into existence with a faint hum. “Build your own lightsaber, you shall. But first, harvest your crystal, each one of you must. The heart of the lightsaber, the kyber crystal is. Focuses the Force from the Jedi, it does.”
         The small Jedi Master raised his hand toward the ceiling, focusing the Force on one spot on the wall. A window slid open, shedding light on a crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the room. The giant crystal, guided by the Force, began spinning, and soon began shining a brilliant light all its own. Eventually, the light focused on a smaller orbiting crystal, and a laser beam of light shot out, hitting an icy border around a large frozen waterfall. Seemingly all at once, the frozen waterfall melted, cascading beautifully down into a depression on the floor. Starlet and the Younglings gazed in awe at the newly opened cavern opening. The Padawan finally fully understood what this trip was for.
         Yoda continued his oft recited speech. “If Jedi you are to become, enter the crystal cave, you must. Trust yourself, trust each other, and succeed, you will.”
         Siri joined in on the instruction. “Once you have found your crystal, do not remain inside. As daylight ends, the door will freeze over again, and you will be trapped.” She knew that the young Force users could technically break through the ice pretty easily, but she was supposed to make them think there was a hard time limit. If they didn’t make it out in time, there was a chance they would give up hope, becoming trapped by their own minds instead. It was all a part of the test. One she wasn’t particularly a fan of, but it wasn’t for her to decide.
         Xeronya raised her hand, forgetting that she wasn’t really in a classroom environment. “How will we know which ones are ours?” she inquired, the anxiety of possibly choosing the wrong crystal weighing heavily on her mind.
         Master Tachi had fully expected this question, especially from the anxious Theelin/human girl of the group. “Only you can know which one is yours,” she answered cryptically. She sensed that the child’s anxiety would be part of her personal trial. “Now hurry.”
         The children looked at each other, their faces varying mixtures of excitement, fear, anxiety, and nervousness. Then, one by one, they walked forward into the crystal cavern, passing the threshold as ice began forming at the top of the entrance.
         They entered an opening, looking around in awe. Everywhere they looked, they saw beautifully carved ice formations, some natural and others artificial. The moment was broken suddenly by Kualorn harshly shoving Starlet aside, heading for one of the splitting tunnels.
         Starlet hit the ground hard. “Hey!” she shouted after the rude Zabrak boy. “What was that for?!”
         “See ya, suckers!” Kualorn announced loudly, already running ahead. “Last one to their crystal’s a rotten mynock!” His brash voice echoed through the cave.
         Enith knelt down, offering her hand to Starlet. “Don’t worry about Kualorn, Padawan Starlet,” she said as the Padawan took her hand, allowing the blue-haired girl to help the smaller trainee to her feet. “He’s always been a bully. He’s just gotten worse lately.”
         “Thanks for the help, Enith,” Starlet said in gratitude as she found her footing on the ice. “Should the rest of us split up or stay together?” she asked the remainder of the group, rather wishing for some time to herself.
         The other girls thought for a few seconds before the usually timid Xeronya spoke up. “I… guess we split up?” she suggested, turning her head toward one of the tunnels. Unseen to the others, this particular opening seemed to be shining with light. “I think I’m being called this way.”
         “I’m fine with that,” Enith said with a shrug. She turned to the dark-skinned girl with the cybernetic arm. “You, Starlet?”
         “I should be fine on my own,” Starlet replied, waiting a few seconds despite her mind already being made up. She wanted to give the impression that she had to think about it. Perhaps part of her own trial was learning to teach those younger than her, despite the size difference. “You two go on. Find your crystals. And may the Force be with you.”
         Enith and Xeronya bowed slightly in respect to the small girl that was nevertheless their superior. “May the Force be with you as well, Padawan Starlet,” responded Enith. With that, each of the three girls took a different tunnel, going their separate ways.
         Starlet slowly made her way through the tunnel the Force had guided her to, her left hand held out the whole time. “All right,” she quietly said to herself. “If I were a kyber crystal, where would I be?” Coming to a two-way split, the Force seemed to be guiding her into the left tunnel. “This way?” she asked no one in particular. “Let’s go then!”
         “Are you really trusting solely in the Force?” An odd, airy voice sounded in Starlet’s ears. Or was it entirely within her head? “Use your eyes!” Starlet chose to ignore the weird voice and continue onward. Something about it felt familiar though.
         Starlet’s path remained simple for a few more minutes before it split again, this time in three ways. “Another split in the path?” she said, already holding her hand out to sense which direction she was supposed to go. The Force was directing her toward the right path, but she could hear air movement coming from the left.
         “Well?” came the ethereal voice in Starlet’s head. “Do you trust the Force, or your own senses?”
         The Padawan knew where she had heard this voice before. She heard it every single day. The voice was her own. It had the same accent, the same mannerisms… it just sounded more shadowy, almost evil. “Who are you?” the Padawan asked her surroundings, now rather unnerved. “And why do you sound like me?”
         “Heh… You’ll find out soon.” The eerie voice disappeared again. Starlet chose to answer its question by continuing to trust in the Force, going down the right-most path.
         Several more minutes passed before anything interesting happened, which was, unfortunately, a five-way split in the path. Starlet was getting a bit annoyed. “Another split? This is getting old.”
         Suddenly, the path in the middle began shining with a brilliant light, and the one furthest to the left seemed to darken significantly. Yet it was the darker path the Force was leading her into. “Looks awfully dark,” came the taunt from the formless voice. “Why not take the path shining with light?”
         “The Force is guiding me this way,” Starlet replied, entirely assured in her decision. “And I’m not afraid of the dark.” She had spent hundreds - no, thousands - of nearly pitch-black nights in the forest of Batuu before the Jedi found her. She wasn’t scared then, and she certainly wasn’t scared now.
         “We’ll see,” the shadowy voice responded, then faded away again. Starlet hoped she wouldn’t have to put up with her sound-alike anymore as she pushed onward.
         Finally, she came out of the system of tunnels into a large cavern. There didn’t seem to be much here, just an island surrounded by a shallow pool of incredibly clear water. “A cavern?” Starlet asked absolutely no one. There was no pedestal, no defining features other than the water, no crystal… and no exit. She looked around, finding that the opening she had come in through had mysteriously vanished. “Wait, it’s a dead end!” Now panic was beginning to rise in her mind. Had she been wrong to trust so fully in the Force? Had it led her here to be trapped, potentially forever? It could take weeks, months, for anyone to find her in here, and that was assuming they could find the suddenly entirely separated cavern she found herself in.
         “Well, well,” taunted the voice again, now sounding like it was coming from behind her. “Looks like you made the wrong choice. And now the entrance is gone. No way out. Remember, the only thing you can trust is yourself. And that’s why I’m here.”
         Starlet turned around to find the source of the voice, and just finishing materializing was a figure. A shadowy figure, flickering at the edges, exactly the same size as the Padawan. Some dark, murky colors were evident, particularly its gleaming yellow-and-red eyes. It looked like it was wearing metallic armor of some kind. Physically, its resemblance to Starlet couldn’t be denied. Especially with its cybernetic right arm. “Who are you?” Starlet asked cautiously, her hand already grasping her training lightsaber.
         “You already know the answer to that question,” sneered the shadowy apparition. “I am you. I am what you could have been, had your filthy mother not abandoned you. You can feel the power, can’t you? It can be yours.” The being reached out its hand, and Starlet took a step backwards. “Take my hand, embrace your inner darkness, and claim what is rightfully yours.”
         Starlet understood what her trial was. This shadowy entity was a reflection of the darkness that dwelled inside her. This… thing… was indicative of what she could have become had her life turned out differently. No abandonment, no eighteen years in the forest, no Jedi… But none of that was what she wanted. “I don’t need you,” the aspiring Jedi stated plainly, refusing to give in to her rising emotions. Anger. Fear. Starlet didn’t pretend they didn’t exist; she simply wouldn’t let any of these things rule her. “I don’t deny that you exist; I simply choose to tune you out. Now give me my crystal.”
         The shadowy reflection looked angry, reaching for something on her waist. Grabbing a cylinder that appeared to be a lightsaber hilt, it slid open a compartment, revealing a glowing crystal inside. “You’ll have to take it from me, worthless Jedi!” The lightsaber ignited, the blood red blade contrasting greatly against the icy surroundings.
         Starlet responded by readying her own training lightsaber, the brilliant green blade already humming. The shadow sneered. “Oh, how cute. A training lightsaber. Too bad you’ll never get to build your own.” It raised the scarlet saber above its head, then began furiously swiping away at the Padawan. The shadow fought with passion, strength, power… but not skill. It was wild, untamed, untrained. Starlet met every savage strike with a skillful parry, eventually taking offensive swings of her own. Even so, she was quickly tiring.
         Starlet was finally able to fake out her shadowy opponent, managing to slash against its chest. However, instead of slicing through, her lightsaber blade simply bounced off harmlessly. Taken off guard, the Padawan chose to back off, beginning to act entirely defensively again. The shadow smirked at the useless blow. “Fascinating armor, right? You could have your own if you would just listen!” It began spinning its lightsaber in an even more aggressive manner than it had before. It clearly had an infinite pool of energy while Starlet was running out of hers.
         Finally, the shadow swung directly at Starlet’s neck, forcing her to raise her lightsaber to defend it. The blades clashed together, the shadow trying to push its blade further. “You’ve seen what will happen to the Jedi!” it shouted in Starlet’s face, reminding her of the premonition she’d had so many months ago. “Leave them behind, and you will live!”
Starlet didn’t have to think for a single nanosecond. The Jedi had rescued her from her harsh life in the jungle. They nursed her back to health. Taught her about the Force. Introduced her into society. Gave her the closest thing to a family she had ever had. “I would rather die than betray the Jedi!” she yelled with absolute certainty.
“That can be arranged!” the shadow taunted, the hatred evident in its voice. It broke the connection between the two lightsabers, allowing Starlet to call upon the Force to jump over her opponent. She tried to take it by surprise, but it seemed to know her every move before she carried them out. Another clash of plasma blades, and the shadowy entity caught the Padawan off-guard.
         An arm-wrenching spin, and Starlet’s training lightsaber flew out of her hand. Having deactivated the moment it left her grasp, it slammed against the wall of the cavern, sparking as it fell, broken and useless, into the pool of water. “Lost without your pathetic lightsaber, little Padawan?” the shadow taunted, raising its hand. Suddenly, Starlet was lifted off her feet, slamming into the wall just as her training lightsaber had done mere seconds ago. She could feel something incorporeal constricting her throat as her opponent advanced on her. “You can avoid your death, you know. Embrace the darkness, and live. Stay in the light,” it said, raising its lightsaber blade to Starlet’s neck, “and your neck will be as red as this lightsaber.”
         “If I am to die here,” Starlet began, straining her throat to speak, “then so be it. Do your worst.” The shadow looked surprised at the girl’s words. “I see now that you are only a reflection of my inner darkness, which I’ve come to peace with. You cannot harm me.” With that, Starlet closed her eyes, trusting that the next time she opened them, the shadow would be gone.
         With a mighty screech, the shadow drew its sword arm backward, then slashed forward. The crimson blade passed through Starlet’s neck effortlessly… and then dissipated into nothing, leaving no trace of injury behind. The entity dissolved into thin air, and the Force hold on Starlet disappeared, dropping her lightly back to the cavern floor. The Padawan had passed her trial.
         Starlet, still squeezing her eyes closed, heard a light clinking noise below her. Opening one eye, then the other once she deduced that the shadowy entity was gone, she looked down. Lying on the floor of the cavern was a shining crystal. She bent down, picking it up gently between the fingers of her left hand. She felt a connection to the little crystal, knowing that the kyber would soon power her very own lightsaber. The Padawan slipped the crystal into her coat pocket, then began looking around for an escape path.
         As if answering Starlet’s thoughts, the entire cavern began rumbling. “Oh, what now?” she asked the air, still exhausted from her fight with her reflection. Then, the ground opened up beneath her feet. With a scream, the little Padawan plummeted, landing painfully on her left leg several dozen meters below with a sickening crack.
         Starlet was overcome with an immense wave of light-headedness, brought on by the sudden snapping of her left femur. “Ow, my leg…” came her weak utterance as she looked down. Her vision was a bit blurry, but she could certainly see that her left thigh no longer stretched in a straight line. There was no way she could stand up, let alone walk and find her way out of the cave. “Help!” she screamed, beginning to be overcome with panic. She had fought off her literal darkness and survived, and now this was threatening her life?! “Somebody help! Xeronya! Enith! Kualorn! Anyone!”
         A flash of red caught Starlet’s eye. At first scared that the shadow entity was back, she was relieved to instead see the horned head of Kualorn rounding the corner. “Kualorn! Please, you have to help me!” she pleaded. “My leg’s broken!”
         Unfortunately, Kualorn didn’t look like he agreed that he had to help her. He simply shrugged and kept walking. “Sorry, kid, but I haven’t found my crystal yet.”
         Starlet watched in horror as the Zabrak boy started to walk away. “You’re just gonna leave me here?!” she shrieked, the pain in her leg starting to creep into her psyche.
         “You’ll be fine,” Kualorn claimed with a cocky lilt to his voice. “It’s only one night.”
         Starlet realized that Kualorn had no idea how ‘days’ on this planet worked. They were told that they would be trapped inside the cave system for one rotation, not one day. “Kualorn, the sun here only rises every nineteen days!” she reminded the rude Youngling. “I’d never last that long. Especially not with a broken leg,” she added, her voice breaking a little.
         Kualorn stopped in his tracks. He hadn’t thought about that. “Nineteen days?” he exclaimed, second-guessing everything he ever thought about the tiny Padawan. “Geez, I might not like that you’re here, but that doesn’t mean I want you to die…” Making his decision, he turned toward Starlet with a mission. He was going to get her out of this cave. “Come on,” he said, hoisting the girl onto his back, being particularly and uncharacteristically cautious with her broken leg. She seemed… oddly prepared to trust him. Kualorn, the boy who had been bullying her the entire trip. “Hold tight. Let’s get outta here.”
         Kualorn carried Starlet in silence for a while until the quiet started to get on his nerves. “So…” the boy started, trying to think of a conversation topic. “Enith mentioned that you’re somehow older than the rest of us. How old are you, anyway?” If the two were stuck together for the time being, he might as well try to learn a bit more about his injured companion.
         “Slightly rude question,” Starlet reminded the brash Zabrak, “but I turned twenty last month.”
         “Twenty?!” Kualorn shouted in shock, entirely louder than he had meant to. Regaining his composure, he shrugged it off. “Huh. Wasn’t expecting THAT answer. You do look like a toddler,” he remarked snarkily, trying in vain to maintain his reputation as a ‘tough guy’.
         “I know.” If Kualorn could’ve seen Starlet’s smirk, he probably would have dropped her right then and there. The Padawan had proven that the Zabrak had a soft side, and he could easily be startled with little more than unexpected information. “It’ll take another thirty years before I look as old as you do now. Master Tachi is trying to teach me how to use my size as an advantage instead of a hindrance.” Suddenly, a realization hit Starlet. “Wait, you never found your crystal!”
         “The glowing in your left hand says otherwise.” Starlet saw no such glowing, but when she opened her fist, there was a glistening kyber crystal nestled within. “You found yours, right?” Kualorn asked, finally starting to care more about the little Padawan.
         “It’s in my pocket,” Starlet replied. “I guess this one’s yours, then.”
         Kualorn gratefully took the crystal from Starlet’s hand, then took a deep sigh. It was time for him to shed the ‘tough guy’ persona entirely. It wasn’t the Jedi way. “Listen, Starlet…” he began, almost deciding against saying anything at all. “I can’t apologize enough for the way I’ve been treating you. I misjudged you. Badly. Can you ever forgive me?”
         “I already have,” Starlet replied with a smile. “Now let’s get out of here. I sense that the others are waiting for us.”
         Finally exiting the start of the tunnel Kualorn had brashly run down earlier, the training Jedi were met with an enormous wall of ice. “Oh no, it’s too late!” Kualorn complained. “The door’s already frozen over! Now what are we supposed to do?!” The thought of having to survive a whole nineteen days in this cavern weighed heavily on the Zabrak’s mind.
         Starlet’s smile widened, having already figured out the solution to this particular puzzle. “You do realize that the door is just ice, right?” she said, lightly making fun of Kualorn’s snarky tone. “I can take care of that.” With that, Starlet reached out with her right hand, finally internally accepting her cybernetic arm for what it was. The wall of ice began forming cracks, small hairline ones at first, then growing until a large hole was blasted out of it. The Padawan’s hand fell limp as she tried to catch her breath, the showcase of her Force abilities tiring her out.
         Kualorn looked forward through the giant hole in the ice with his mouth wide open in awe. “Remind me to never underestimate you,” he quipped with wonder still evident in his voice, then he stepped through the hole and into the Temple.
         Xeronya and Enith had almost given up on the other two when they saw the cracks forming, followed by a shower of shattered ice. They saw Kualorn finally exit the crystal cave, carrying an unconscious Starlet on his back. “Kualorn!” shouted Xeronya, newfound confidence already evident in her voice. “You’re back!”
         “And it looks like you made a friend,” Enith added with a smirk.
         Kualorn glanced at the sleeping girl on his back. “Turns out, Starlet’s a pretty cool girl. And… I couldn’t just leave her in there,” he finally admitted, though not reluctantly.
         Starlet started moving again, already recovering from her exhaustion. It was clear that she was in a lot of pain. Master Tachi stepped forward. “Here, I can take her. Careful of her leg,” she reminded Kualorn as she cradled her waking Padawan in her arms.
         Yoda smiled, having sensed exactly what each of these children had gone through during their trials. “Lessons you have learned,” he began, always using altered versions of the upcoming speech for each new group of Younglings. He began slowly walking down the line, addressing Kualorn, Enith, Xeronya, and the fully-awake Starlet in turn. “Find empathy, you did. Improvisation. Confidence. And balance. Yes? Take your crystals back to the Temple, and keep them safe, young Jedi.”
         “We will, Master Yoda!” the three Younglings replied with a bow, and Yoda knew Starlet’s answer would be the same.

         “Can everyone gather around, please?” Master Tachi announced, prompting the Younglings and Padawan to gather around a table in the main compartment of the Crucible. Starlet’s leg had been wrapped and supported after arriving on the ship, and she was making do with a bit of a hobble to her walk. She had been using the Force to dull her pain the entire time. “You have all successfully passed The Gathering and harvested your crystals. Place your crystals on the table.” The four trainees followed the Master’s instruction. “Your lesson begins now. May I introduce you to architect and lightsaber designer, Huyang?”
         Starlet may have already been familiar with the ancient droid that now made his presence known, but he was very much new to the three Younglings. “These are them,” he stated in the simple, matter-of-fact way that only a droid could manage. “All have passed The Gathering?”
         “They sure have, Professor,” Siri responded, as if she was following a script. Which, to be fair, she was.
         “Nearly twenty-five thousand years I have been on this ship,” Huyang began, following his own script that he had recited countless times, “teaching many a Jedi before you, and I will continue teaching many a Jedi after you. Inside my memory banks, I contain a record of every lightsaber ever made, and the Jedi who fashioned them.” He pressed a button on the table, and a hologram appeared showing a dozen different lightsaber designs. Starlet recognized two of them as having belonged to Qui-Gon and Dooku. Another caught her eye, thicker and simpler than the others, attributed to a long-passed Jedi named Sol.
         “Which will you choose?” the ancient droid continued. “A simple grip? The curved approach? One inlaid with the bone of the Cartusian whale, pastillion ore or black onk? Well? From Battles of Rashfond to the Peacekeeping of Parliock, the lightsaber is a Jedi’s only true ally.” Huyang pressed the button again, making the hologram disappear. “But how do they work, hmm? Yes, you have brought me crystals, but they’re all useless unless you give them life. Do you know how to awaken the Force within the crystal?” He was met with the light shaking of heads from his students. “No? Then I suggest you listen and learn. It is my job, before you leave this ship, to ensure you will have everything you need to build your lightsabers and the knowledge of how to do it. So let us begin. There is much more work to be done. Now, young Starlet,” he said, bringing special attention to the pupil he had trained before, “what do you see your lightsaber looking like?”
         Starlet understood that Huyang wasn’t asking what she wanted her lightsaber to be; rather, what she saw herself wielding. She closed her eyes, calling on the Force to guide her in her decisions. “Small enough for me to use with agility,” she began, already feeling the cold metal in her hand. “Elegant, but simple… A guard around the base of the blade… Perhaps a mix of gold and another metal? My mind is telling me that it should be resistant to other saber strikes.”
         “Ah, it is beskar you seek,” Huyang revealed. It was curious to him that this girl’s mind turned to the infamous Mandalorian metal. “Or maybe cortosis? No matter; I do not have access to the latter. For beskar, on the other hand, I may have a few components that should fit together with a gold overlay. Let’s see, let’s see… Where did I put those specific pieces?” he asked himself while using all appendages available to him to begin searching through the drawers. “No, that’s not it… Oh, forgot I had that! Ah!” he exclaimed, finding the exact pieces he wanted. “Here we are!”
         Huyang procured several components, some made of beskar and others of gold. A cylinder with an indent where the gold overlay would fit nicely. A fairly basic blade guard to protect the emitter. And a small golden cylinder that could be covered with the remaining beskar pieces and capped with a durasteel belt clip. All were laid on the table in front of Starlet. “Thank you, Professor!” she exclaimed, already excited to see what these pieces would look like once properly assembled.
         Over the next several minutes, this process was repeated for the three Younglings. Kualorn chose a durasteel and black onk hilt with a black blade guard stretching like a claw from the emitter; Enith chose a much simpler durasteel design; and Xeronya used a mixture of durasteel and gold pieces, seeming to be eager to emulate Starlet’s choices. As the Younglings and Padawan used the Force to arrange the hilt pieces, electrical components and kyber crystals in the air, Huyang and Master Tachi watched with interest. In all four cases, the components fit together perfectly.
         The children admired each other’s handiwork. “Wow, that’s really pretty, Starlet!” Xeronya complimented the Padawan. Siri couldn’t help but notice that Starlet’s hilt clearly took inspiration from the late Qui-Gon, while still very much being her own design.
         “Thank you, Xeronya!” Starlet said in gratitude, taking notice of the similarities between Xeronya’s hilt and her own.
         “Now, everyone gather in a circle,” Master Tachi instructed, getting some level of satisfaction at how quickly the students followed her order, Starlet’s injury notwithstanding. “Quickly now! Take your hilts, raise them toward the ceiling, and ignite your lightsabers for what will be the first time of many.” She raised her own hilt, igniting the bright purple plasma blade.
         The Younglings and Padawan followed Master Tachi’s example. First, Kualorn’s blade ignited in a deep blue, symbolic of the warrior he was destined to become. Next, Enith’s shone a brilliant lime green, showcasing her innate intelligence and wisdom. Xeronya’s erupted in a soft yellow, showing her willingness to negotiate and compromise with others. And finally, Starlet’s blade ignited into a brilliant deep purple, similar to her Master, symbolizing her balance of light and darkness. And thus, the four took their first huge step toward being fully-fledged Jedi together.