The Failed Test

19 BBY: Jedi Temple, Coruscant

AT THE TEMPLE's

medical bay Kema lay asleep inside a Bacta tank that a droid set and calibrated. Xido sat by her bed if she would wake up from the tank. Goldie was right on the chair beside her, "Is she going to be alright," he wondered.

"Yea, she's just passed out."

"She did good today," he smiled. Goldie was Kema's "good friend" she always said.

"Did I not?" she laughed.

"No, it's just that...you tried to stop her," he said. "It was funny,"

"No, I think I'm way funnier," he chuckled out of his seat.

"I know you remember Pantooine when we went Batha riding and Captain Tar caught us,"

"You almost got me court-martial, you dummy," she punched him.

"I'll have to go now, meet you in Yossut later?" he asked, Yossut was a sacred Jedi planet with a Republic presence hidden in the Outer Rim. It required a Jedi to show the way. "Sure thing, Goldie. We can...have a swim then?"

"Oh I'm not a scuba trooper!" he laughed. "But for sure,"

"Get out of here," she giggled watching him walked out to whatever he had going on, she stared for a while.

"Who are you looking at," out of nowhere Kema appeared. "Oh Blast, you're not supposed to be here...how'd you even get out?"

"Are you blushing?" she began laughing like crazy. "Oouuuu Xido loves somebody,"

"Quiet you're being too loud!" she covered her mouth and looked back at the tank with no glass break but a little bit of Bacta that puddled on the floor. "How did you do that?"

"I just walked out," Kema paused, "I think I have a little Bacta inside, wait!" she felt the Bacta that sneaked into her stomach spew out to the side. "So you and Goldie, huh?" she winked. "I won't tell trust me,"

"Get some rest before I take you back," she refused to acknowledge even though deep down she felt something.

-

Kema, Kai and Jysell all met at Yoda's hall ready to hear his announcement. This was a big moment for padawans, "be ready when you go with Yoda," the padawan masters occasionally reminded them before they were announced to. The hall was filled with about twenty young padawans all diverse.

"Alright children calm yourselves," Yoda waved his hand as they all sat on the floor. They sat attentive waiting for him to utter begin his announcement. "An eventful day it is. Yes, hrrrm." As he began, they giggled in his raspy-cracked voice.

"After the tests, to go with me to Ilum and become a Jedi padawan you will!" he rested as the kids began to chatter in excitement. "Jedi master Yu'sarai will test your skills in the force, but into Ilum as you go, tested of character you will be,"

"You heard that?" Kema began, "we might go to Ilum!" gazing to her friends.

Ilum is the icy planet in the outer rim that was utterly sacred to the Jedi. It is a literal milestone for any padawan and this could be a life-changing experience for one. For Kema it could change her forever! She'd never been there, not even knowing where it was.

"What do you think will happen?" Kai wondered.

"We'll be freezing in ice!" a bored Jysell blurted, "Ilum is where you get kyber crystals."

"How do you know that?" she and Kai looked at her puzzled. "Yea!"

No one knows what's in Ilum, or any padawan for that matter. It wasn't in any major space lane and its side of the galaxy was a spirit world of some sort. It took some knowledge to actually know that, or just be a Jedi.

Jysell paused for a moment looking perplexed for words. "People go there and come back Jedi, duh!"

"Alright, children head to the testing rooms then come back here to wait for your name!" he finished the statement as the children went to their respective rooms to be tested. The tests included weapon training, combat training and strength in the force.

-

19 BBY: Cholu Town, Sung Planet

In a dark alley of a small town, a hooded man ran down near a street slum that housed the homeless. He pulled out a holoprojector and pressing it he received a call. "Hey, I'm here!" his raspy voice cut through the comms.

"Good, get the item and you will get your credits!" a young hooded person, a woman it seemed like, voiced her happiness.

Shutting off the holoprojector he pushed it into his pocket and rushed into the slum with a tracker in his hand. As the tracker beeped he looked around the slum where people stood outside in the dark usually in their old ages. As it turned off, he came before the destination he entered the small house. Knocking-in he entered the house to find an old man sat by his chair.

"What do you want you spy?" he questioned the masked figure that invaded his house.

"The Holocron of Knowledge!" he uttered calmly.

"That is something you can never withhold-" just before he could finish, the spy blasted him right in the belly. Painful groans came with a fall to the ground and the spy searched him for the artefact.

Empty.

He began tearing through his house, combing and searching every space and chests that were present. However knowing that this was a wise man, he found a mysterious painting and blasted it revealing a red spherical Holocron. Taking off his mask he looked at the object sideways.

"Hey, I've found it!"

-

At the Jedi Temple, the time had come to where Yoda would take students to Ilum. It was a monumental part of a Jedi's life. A part where they would acquire a special crystal, connected to the force and them at the same time.

"Ta'surai!"

"Zena Dolpho!"

"Kai Prudal!"

"Kema Kordall!"

"Jysell Harik!"

Yu'sarai called out names of the padawans up to her platform declaring who was to go to Ilum and become a Jedi thus after. Kai would walk up to the platform to receive his holo watcher, so did Jysell. As Kema walked up, she held her head high waiting to hear the news!

"So did I pass?" she excitedly asked.

"Dummy you're not supposed to ask she's giving you the results!" Kai laughed.

"C'mon let's go!" Jysell smiled as they hoped off to the lobby where they found their results. "Alright, Kema you're first up!"

"Why?" she sighed but accepted anyway because it was hard to change Jysell's mind. "Oh-"

"So? What'd you get?"

"Yea I'm not going!" her heart dropped hard, she couldn't carry her smile and her throat began to harden. Seeing all the other padawans jumping for joy was almost sad to her. "Alright keep going!"

"Yea I'm not either!" Jysell almost crushed her watcher.

"I'm Going!" Kai jumped up and down, in the news, the girls jumped up with him!

"Are you serious?!" Kema was left speechless.

"Yep! Look," showing them the watcher, it was truly legit.

The three friends sat at the lobby in happiness discussing what he would pack or where he would be going. It was crazy! It was a rite of passage to greatness and they couldn't wait to see it come to pass. But after a while, Xido would find Kema sat along and toying with her watcher waiting for her time.

"Hey, why aren't you outside jumping around like the others?" Xido chuckled as she approached her but finally after noticing what her face as she froze. Pausing she sighed and sat next to her. "You can't go can you?"

"Yes, master." Kema sighed. "I've always wanted to be something greater, to help do things right. But without a sabre and these powers, I can't do anything!"

"You can do something!"

"No master, I don't think so," she sighed.

"Yes, you can," she stopped her. "We are protectors of peace, and you are a great example of one!"

"But if I can't even use the force even a lot?"

"Yeah sure you can't use the force," she laughed. "But you're brave, strong and have a heart! Most Jedi here don't have that!"

Looking at her padawan, she held Kema's face as if her mother did! "I won't give up on you and I hope you don't on me!"

"You have my word master!" Kema leaned in for a hug and was stuck there for almost a long while. She felt comfortable, warm as if her mother, held her once again! It was magical!