Ask These Are Your First Steps

[Sevrin Valtiere]

The man breezily waved off the help, in oddly good spirits despite his circumstances. He hummed to himself, walking with a slight limp. His face was gaunt and he barely had enough to eat, but he was not breaking down like the others. It wasn’t long before the local authorities were on the scene to pick up the injured bandits.

Sevrin purposely did not tell Shaw he was proud even if he was. Because Shaw needed this moment to be proud of himself. Sevrin wanted Shaw to bask in the merits of his own efforts and, for the first time, seek validation from no one other than himself. Because no one was a harsher critic.

When the two Jedi walked back into town with the liberated prisoners, the rows of merchants cheered and clapped, heralding the arrival of heroes. The Jedi influence on the planet lingered before, but seeing it in action changed a lot of perceptions today. The released prisoners ran to their loved ones, sobbing and crying while they embraced.

The man hobbling next to Shaw came to a stop as he stared ahead of him. He simply smiled through cracked lips, tilting his head, “Hey little shark,” He said casually as if he was returning from a morning walk and not from a dungeon. If Shaw followed his line of sight, he would immediately understand why the man looked familiar - because a moody girl was staring back at the man, the fish girl from earlier.

The girl broke into a run towards the man and skidded to a halt. She glared at him, first shoving him back in anger, “YOU SAID YOU WOULDN’T GO PAST THE DUNES! WHY DID YOU! WHY DID YOU DO IT, PA?!” She shrieked, clearly furious, “YOU JUST LEFT ME! I WAS STUCK OUT HERE BY MYSELF!”

The man took all the blows from the tiny fists, not bothering to dodge any of them. In the end, he managed a sad smile, “I learned my lesson, little shark, but I never worried about you for one second,” He said with a wink, tapping the knife at her side, “No one’s ever messin’ with my little girl.”

The girl scowled some more before finally launching herself into a hug. The man held her tight, “I won’t wander off again looking for other work, I promise,” He said, “I knew I’d make it back. We got them Jedi watching over us,” He drew back, smiling widely at Shaw standing next to him.

The girl turned to regard Shaw, the glare slowly fading. She studied him for a long moment. She met his gaze, noted the way he stood, took in his profile, saw the saber at his hip, the way he carried himself. This was a Jedi. This was the Jedi that saved her pa. She reached towards her neck and gingerly removed the kyber necklace, holding it out for Shaw without more than a silent nod.

“C’mon Pa, lemme show you all the fish I pulled from the underground rivers,” She said as she yanked her father away.

Sevrin, who silently watched the entire interaction, observed her leave. His gaze then flicked back to Shaw and then the kyber now in his hands.

The one that found its way to him after all.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

A hero's welcome awaited the two Jedi in town. Merchants and even some of the workers had gathered at the edge of the rebuilding site to welcome their loved ones and to thank the Jedi. Shaw shook more hands, had more hands clap him on the back in a matter of minutes than the span of his entire life. Someone tried to give them a large bag of nuts as thanks while one woman saw her opportunity and took it, trying to throw her arms around Master Valtiere's neck to give him a big hug and maybe even a peck on the cheek despite him having a very blatant keep your hands to yourself vibe.

Families reunited laughed and cried and kissed one another, abandoning their shops just to spend the day together. A few people had already broken out the wine and were celebrating. Nothing touched Shaw more than the last reunion. Now that they were standing side by side, father and daughter reunited once more, it was obvious why the older man looked familiar. The little girl had her father's stormy expression, the same dark eyes that would strike you dead if looks could kill.

Except now she was looking at Shaw with something other than contempt in her eyes. He couldn't quite place what it was, but it made him stand a little taller without really understanding why. "Are—are you sure?" Shaw spluttered as the little girl removed the necklace and handed it to him. What was he saying? This was what he had wanted.

"Th—thank you," he would say as she started to tug her father away. He didn't even know her name, and yet she had just delivered destiny into his hands. The kyber crystal—his kyber crystal—had found its way to him after all.

Shaw stared down at the crystal, watched the afternoon sun reflected in its clear surface. Then something shifted. Something changed. He felt it before he saw it, like an invisible bond was forming between him and the crystal. It was as if the kyber crystal was waking up for the first time, as if it was no longer the crystal that called to Shaw but Shaw that called the crystal. Then he could see it, slowly shifting from clear to a warm hue of orange. Its new permanent color.

Finally able to tear his eyes away, Shaw looked up and grinned over at Master Valtiere. "Did you see that??" he asked excitedly. @Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

The atmosphere was jovial and happy, though Sevrin’s mind drifted briefly to a few people standing around in mourning. There was a death during the commotion, after all, and Sevrin took a moment to speak with the families and remind them that they were under the protection of the Jedi. The Sephi looked over to regard the now orange kyber in Shaw’s hand, staring in silence when the boy blurted out his excited question.

This time, Sevrin opted to take a page out of Shaw’s book to make a Holomovie reference at a completely inopportune time. He lowered his voice a few octaves before responding in a drawn-out, “I seeeeee youuuuu,” While gazing at him intently. The delivery was flawless and Sevrin’s ears twitched in amusement before he spun on his heel and started to walk towards the temple.

“Come, padawan, let’s get rid of that training saber.”

The temple on Jedha was small and modest, with a few classes and a facility to construct sabers. Sevrin led him towards a chamber that had rows of saber parts he could collect from. While most students chose a hilt from here, the Sephi paused to reach into the folds of his robes. He drew out an elegant and sleek hilt to hold out for Shaw, “A gift for you, apprentice, and one I constructed on my homeworld of Thustra,” He had taken a detour back to his planet in between Kashyyyk and when he picked up Shaw from Takodana.

His faith in Shaw had been unwavering from their first meeting.

Sevrin sat down on a mat, motioning for Shaw to gather the remaining parts from the room. He would have been taught the mechanics of the construction in his academy classes, but doing it in practice was different.

“You cannot force or engineer this,” Sevrin explained, “You must close your eyes and open your mind to the Force like we practiced. Just as the kyber found its way to you, just as the color was chosen without you pushing it, so too must you allow your saber to construct itself. It will be your subconscious faith guiding it.”

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

There was no doubt about it this time. Master Valtiere had made a Ring of the Lords reference, which meant he had seen the movies and had been making film references back on Cularin when Shaw wasn't sure if it was just a coincidence or if he had been messing with him. Now Shaw knew that the sephi had been messing with him. His grin tugged wider. Master Valtiere always had a trick up his sleeve.

Inside the reconstructed temple, the sephi led Shaw to a chamber where his brown eyes roamed over all the different lightsaber pieces. He didn't even realize that he was holding his breath, clutching the kyber crystal to his chest like his life depended on it. This was where he would construct his lightsaber. Shaw's very own lightsaber. Just when he thought this moment couldn't possibly get any better, Master Valtiere pulled something out of his robes. The cloth wrapping fell away to reveal a lightsaber hilt.

Shaw just gaped. He didn't know what to say, and his emotions were too all over the place to define. But he knew what do do, hands wrapping around the sleek hilt. He ran his fingers over the metal hilt, admiring its intricacies and every little detail. It felt like just the right size in his hands. It wouldn't be long until he had every inch of it memorized.

"You really made this for me?" Shaw asked, wiping furiously at the tears that fell from the corners of his eyes. "I don't wanna rust the hilt," he sniffed. "It's so beautiful." A ridiculous statement of course, but Shaw wasn't known for using his head before he spoke even when he wasn't overcome with emotion. "Thank you." Two simple little words, but Shaw hoped the sephi knew just how much this meant to him. How much he would cherish this hilt for as long as it was his to carry. Shaw would have hugged him right then and there but remembered that that was a privilege reserved for the day he passed his trials. Today this hilt, this moment was more than privilege enough.

Now there was nothing left to do but assemble his lightsaber. Sitting down and crossing his legs, Shaw would arrange all of the pieces on the floor in front of him. The hilt Master Valtiere had made, the orange kyber crystal, and all the different components from the focusing lens to the pommel cap. Everything he needed was right in front of him and, as Master Valtiere reminded him, within him.

Trust in the force and let go. Allow the saber to construct itself. Shaw took a deep breath, glancing one last time over at the sephi for reassurance before closing his eyes. Once he was able to meditate each lightsaber component began to levitate in front of him. It was a slow and time consuming process that put the teenager into a deep meditative trance. It was like putting together a delicate and complex puzzle, and yet the puzzle assembled itself. One piece at a time. Until it was complete. A lightsaber. A Jedi's best friend. @Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

While other Jedi may have found the tears uncouth, Sevrin had meant what he said about embracing emotions. This was a momentous occasion, and it was the time to be happy and let the tears flow. Sevrin let Shaw have all the time he needed to collect himself before he began to assemble the saber. The process was painstakingly slow and Shaw would hear the pieces clatter to the floor a few times until his elation at the hilt subsided and his mind found tranquility.

It was a few hours later when the pieces finally clicked into place. The hilt gingerly floated back into Shaw’s hands. Sevrin opened his eyes from the meditation he was doing as well. He looked at Shaw and gave a silent nod to ignite the blade for the first time.

When Shaw ignited it, he would feel a pulse from the kyber and a hum that he would forever recognize. Of all the weapons he ever held, he would know that this one, without question, was his. It had his essence in it, and with it, the trust of his master who constructed the hilt. All of it culminated into a lightsaber that had the faith and strength Shaw had.

“A Jedi’s duty is to protect, Shaw,” Sevrin reminded him, “This is a tremendously powerful weapon, so wield it responsibly. Treat it with care and respect, and it will serve you till the last of your days and beyond should you pass it down to your kin,” Sevrin said, “Use it to craft a story all your own and find your path to Knighthood.”

His gaze lingered on the saber for a moment before he looked back at Shaw, “I must leave you here now. This temple connects to all the other temples so you can travel easily back to Takodana. I will find you again in three months' time to resume your training when we will head into enemy territory,” Sevrin stated, “Use the time to lead efforts as a Jedi, and know that I walk with you wherever you are. We have a bond now,” He said before he took a deep breath and exhaled.

“You may..” He hesitated, “Send me memes if you so desire,” Sevrin added dryly. He could already tell it was Shaw’s method of communicating and he didn’t want the boy to feel abandoned.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

With Master Valtiere's permission, Shaw ignited his lightsaber for the first time. It hummed to life, casting the entire chamber in an orange glow. It vibrated in his hands, and he could feel the energy that coursed through it. It felt more like an extension of his own right arm than a merely a weapon. It was so much more than just a weapon. So much more than just a lightsaber. He was forever connected to the kyber crystal housed within its metal casing, would forever cherish the intricate hilt forged by his master's own hand.

Just as Master Valtiere had forged this hilt on his homeworld Thustra, he had forged Shaw on Kashyyyk and Cularin. He had shaped Shaw into the young man and the Jedi that stood before him now. By throwing him into the heat and pushing Shaw beyond his limits, he had hammered the teenager into something useful, had begun to process of refining Shaw by allowing the impurities to rise to the top and be removed. Shaw owed this lightsaber to Master Valtiere, but he owed so much more than that.

And of course there was no time to thank the sephi properly. Shaw almost started to ask, "Do you have to go?" but bit his tongue. Master Valtiere was one of the higher ranking Jedi within the order. He had responsibilities outside of training Shaw. They each had a life separate and apart from the other, even if the last six months had been a very different story. There were a lot of things Shaw could have said, a lot of things Shaw wanted to say, but he knew that Master Valtiere didn't want to hear any of that.

"I will use this to protect," Shaw cleared his throat, extinguishing the blade. "You have my word, master." That was what the sephi wanted to hear. To know that the teenager had taken his training and instruction to heart.

Still, when the sephi gave him permission to text him, he couldn't help but add, "I... thank you." That was sufficient for now. He watched Master Valtiere disappear, and Shaw was left by himself. He stood in the empty chamber alone, with just his newly crafted lightsaber and his own thoughts for company.

This was an incredible moment. One of the highlights of his life. He was proud of himself. Really, truly proud of everything he had accomplished. Proud of the lightsaber in his hands, of all the sweat and blood that had brought him to this moment. He would get to return to Takodana soon and see all of his friends again. So why did he feel so lonely? Like a part of him had left with Master Valtiere? He pulled his dataphone out and sent the sephi a quick meme with the caption is this how I'm supposed to use it?

When they saw each other again in three months, Shaw would make sure the sephi found a better apprentice than the one he had left. A better Jedi than the one he had left behind. Whatever it took. @Sreeya

/ end thread​

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