Chapter Text
Gathering Together
Gungi, Zatt, Katooni, Ganodi, Byph, Petro, and Ahsoka all sat gathered together around Master Yoda in the cave. “Proud of you all, I am, younglings,” he said. “Proud, too, am I of you, young Padawan Tano. Before you return to the Jedi Temple, a story I have for you. It is the tale of the first Gathering which I led by myself. Many, many years ago was this, when young, was I. Young for my species, that is.
“The students were named Kolit, Tirta, Ohwun, Kitova, and Adin,” Yoda went on. “The top of their class, they were, much as you, and the time had come for them to find their own lightsaber crystals.
“Like you, of varied species, were these five,” Yoda continued. “A Mon Calamari boy, a Quarren girl, a Durese boy, a Wookiee girl, and a Human boy, they were. Fly to Ilum, we did, as did you, to retrieve your own crystals. But a difficulty, we encountered on our journey, or rather, a difficulty found us, for even Jedi cannot foresee everything that might occur in life. And, as it happened, a sixth passenger had embarked on the ship with us, though we knew it not then. That passenger was tiny, invisible to the naked eye. But wreak havoc and disrupt plans, quite easily, it could,” he chuckled slightly. “Quite well learned, by that time, was the Coruscanti flu in infecting many diverse species.”
“Someone got sick?” Petro demanded, tone slightly incredulous.
“All got sick, apart from myself,” the Grandmaster replied, somehow managing to be humorous and grave at the same moment. “Adin woke up the next morning running quite a high fever. Life threatening, it was not, but clear it was, that out of the question, was entering the caves that day for him. One by one, did I find each youngling to be in a similar condition. As difficult as it may be to imagine, quite at a loss as to what to do, was I. For, little experience had I at the time, in caring for those who were ill. Clear it was to me, however, that delayed, their Gathering must be. Inform them of this, I did. Most of them took it well enough, but Ohwun did not. Quite eager, was he, to take part in this ritual, quite eager, and quite impatient. Plead, for some time, did he, even as we told him this journey required a clear head, if success he wished. Stubborn about this, he was, and request that we simply give him medicine, he did, but we replied that the effects might wear off before he could complete his task.
“Keep them all aboard the ship that first day, we did. That night, stay with them, Professor Huyang promised he would, while I slept. About halfway through, however, wake me up, did he. It seemed that while he had been tending to two of the other children, wander off, Ohwun had. Huyang had been unable to find him on the ship. He had alerted the Grandmaster at the time, who was waiting for us there, but I was informed I must also to go search for the boy, and so, go out to look for him I did. A frightening experience, it was, for greatly worried for the boy, was I. Much younger, was I then, and much more prone to fear, than I am now,” he added, seeing the gathered younglings’ surprised faces. “Tell the Grandmaster, did I, that I did not think I could find the boy. Search we must, nonetheless, I was told. And search we did. Some hours, was it, before find him, we finally did. Unconcious, and clutching something in his hand, was he. Find his crystal, he had. We took him and the crystal back to the ship. Yet punish him, we did, when he recovered, for most foolishly, he had acted, and placed himself, and us, in danger,” Yoda continued narrating. “It took the other children a few days to recover, yet recover, they did, and all five went on to become Padawans, then, later, Jedi Knights, then, later still, Jedi Masters,” he finished. “And long and successful careers they had, as well. And now,” he concluded, “embark on the next stage of that journey, the six of you must.”