4 Chapter 3: The final trial

The masters and the younglings followed Obi-wan as he led them towards the chamber in the highest tower of the Jedi temple. A number of knights glanced as they passed and understanding their journey nodded silently in respect. "The final trial is ready masters, we need only brief the younglings before we continue". As he finished speaking they all arrived outside the chamber, the Jedi masters stopping and turning to the students.

Windu focused on each student one at a time before addressing them. "okay young ones, this is your final trial, when prompted you are to follow master Kenobi into the chamber and your final trial will begin. Is that understood?" Windu asked, motioning for them to speak.

"Yes master", they responded as one. The air was filled with anxiety as the students steeled themselves for their final trial ahead. The masters barely acknowledged their response before one by one, they entered the chamber. five minutes passed, then ten, twenty and finally Obi-wan re-emerged to meet the students again.

"Come Ahtani, it is time" Obi-wan uttered walking back into the chamber. As she approached the threshold of the room, Ahtani noticed that beyond the door was pitch black. She walked into the room with her nerves almost taking over. There was no presence in the room Obi-wan seeming to have disappeared.

"master Kenobi? are you there?" Ahtani shouted, walking to the center of the room.

as she reached the middle, all at once two dozen blue, green and yellow lightsabers ignited in the room. Ahtani was almost overwhelmed by the sight before her, all twenty four figures wearing Jedi robes and completely indistinguishable from one another as a voice began to speak to her.

"Your final trial begins now, young one". The voice seemed to emanate from everywhere outside and inside her head at the same time. "For your first trial, you were tested on your ability to work as a team. For your second, you had to prove that you could control your emotions. Ahtani couldn't pin the voice down as hard as she tried her best to separate the source."And your final trial is simple in comparison". The figures lowered their lightsabers slowly until they were all pointing towards.

"Your master has already chosen you, you need only connect to them through the force and greet them to pass your trial" the voice declared. Ahtani was taken aback by the ease of this final test and couldn't quite understand it's importance. But hesitant to question the masters she nodded in agreement. "You may begin when ready, merely reach out to your master with the force and feel their presence"

Ahtani sat down and crossed her legs allowing her to take a meditative pose and focus her mind, she reached out with the force and as she did her senses were attacked by a barrage of voices. All of them were talking at once impossible to tell apart, "focus your mind, I am not the one, don't get distracted" the voices said many different things and constantly assaulted Ahtani with continuos speech. Ahtani couldn't think of anything let alone the task at hand as she had to try and Wade through all of the noise.

She began to dart back and forth around her mind to collect herself, every time she calmed another voice would stir her out of her concentration. "You will not succeed, Stop trying to see us all, You must try" the voices barked as they were relentless. In a haze of noise and frustration Ahtani opened her eyes and broke her concentration as she stood up and began to look around at the various Jedi masters.

"Who could it be?" she whispered to herself as she tried to observe them all for any sign or clue. None seemed to present itself as she sighed and couldn't think of what to do. She paced around the room a few times as the masters waited still with their lightsabers pointed. "I just don't know, I suppose one more try couldn't hurt" she murmured as she sat back down.

immediately she was hit with a column of noise again, trying everything to silence them and focus. She was having little success and was at a loss for ideas as she thought of Arrgaus and Jacinta waiting for her. She wanted one last chance to speak to her friends as she had no idea how to pass this trial. "I'm sorry guys" she mumbled to herself, "I think we part here".

Doubt and fear began to seep into Ahtani as she realised the position she was in. "Huh, Ahtani? That you?". The voice was familiar and seemed to cut through the noise, it was Jacinta! Her entire mood switched as this development filled her with hope, she was finally starting to understand the situation.

"okay, so don't look for my master, just feel their presence" she whispered as she tried once more to find her master. The voices continued their barrage as she searched. Five minutes pass, then ten and soon she began to lose track of time as she tried to calm herself. After a short time her mind slowed as she breathed gently in and out, she was calmly searching for a feeling before a unique seemed to cut through the noise.

"Find me apprentice, stand at my side" the voice whispered, Ahtani trying to picture them as her instinct was to walk towards them. She quickly found herself in front of a Jedi. She wanted to reach for the hood and mask but couldn't do so until she had discovered her master. "Now apprentice, say my name.."

Ahtani opened her eyes, "Yes master" she responded as she turned to face a figure towards the entrance of the room ignoring the one in front of her. "I look forward to your training, Master Quinlan Vos" she announced as she bowed deeply to show her respect.

The figure removed their mask and true to Ahtani's suspicion, proved to be master Quinlan Vos. "I am impressed my apprentice! I look forward to training you in the ways of the Jedi" he said excitedly as he walked over to greet Ahtani. "For now though we must return to your friends as they must take their tests as well" he said, guiding Ahtani out of the room to the excited reaction of her friends.

Quinlan looked towards Arrgaus as they emerged from the chamber, "Young Arrgaus, it is your turn when you are ready" he said giving Arrgaus a reassuring smile. The young boy adjusted himself and tried to calm his nerves.

"Thank you master!" he shouted, and he began walking into the room for his trial. He was gone for approximately forty minutes before he also emerged weary but smiling, escorted by Master Cyn Dralig. "My trial is complete and my master has chosen me, thank you master" Arrgaus said excited at his future.

"You have done well apprentice, I'm very impressed" Dralig responded. He patted Arrgaus on the shoulder and turned to Jacinta. "It is your turn, young one. Go ahead"

he said as Jacinta bowed and walked into the room. It took no more than five minutes before Jacinta returned, followed by master Ki-adi Mundi who looked greatly impressed.

"The final trials are complete" Mundi said looking at each apprentice in turn. "With this you may count yourselves as Jedi, and we all look forward to your progress". His expression seemed to sour just a bit. "But I'm afraid that recent events mean that most of the masters are needed off world so you will be required to go with them, you will be separated for some time" He explained as the apprentices frowned but accepted their fates.

As the masters began to guide their new apprentices away from the chamber Arrgaus leaned back and shouted, "Good luck guys! I look forward to seeing you two again! and the other two responded in kind. All three of them were brimming with anticipation as they were led towards the hangars. Little did they know they would soon regret leaving...