"What's wrong with you?" I looked to Anakin as he stomped around the temple in frustration late at night.

"The 501st have an early mission tomorrow, but went out to 79s tonight and now they refuse to sleep" he complained with a huff. "Where were you this late at night?" Anakin raised an eyebrow as he clued in that I was up later than normal.

"Well we got back from a mission and I had to return my library book so I checked out some new ones as well" I shrugged, showing him the stack of book in my hands.

"Hey, I have an idea" Anakin started a lightbulb going off in his head. "You are on your way to read those books right?" I nodded back. "How about you read to the 501st? That'll put them to sleep"

"I'll do it, but you owe me one" I pointed at him while turning to head towards the barracks.

"Technically you should have been the one owing me one as I haven't told Rex about your crush on him"

"I do not have a crush on Rex" I groaned, walking away from further embarrassment.

Walking towards the 501st barracks I heard shouting and laughing coming from inside. I opened the doors to see Fives and Jesse throwing pillows at each other. Tup hanging upside down off his bunk. Kix shouting at Tup about how he is going to hurt himself and Rex holding his head in his hands with tired frustration.

"Troopers, sit down!" I shouted out in a loud stern voice, catching them off guard. They all looked up to see me when they were expecting it to be Rex or Anakin. Sudden fear shot through them as they knew I was rarely stern and loud. Rushing to their beds everyone of them sat down calmly and waited for me to continue.

"General Jayko" Rex stood up to salut.

"Relax, I'm just here to put you to bed because Anakin wouldn't stop grumbling about it" I told them all gently, calming down which allowed them to let out a collective sigh of relief. "So, I want everyone ready and laying down in their bunks within the next 5 minutes before I start reading."

"Your going to read to us?" Rex asked, still wearing his armour.

"Yes, so go get ready" I nudged him off with a smile. With slight confusion he followed his brothers lead and took off his armour, leaving him in his blacks before laying in his bunk and looking over at me as I sat down on an empty bunk and picked out a book from my pile. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yes" Fives replied.

"Yeah" Kix called out.

"Ready" Tup answered.

"Go ahead" Jesse told me.

"I think we are all good for our bedtime story" Rex smiled at how odd it was that a republic General was reading a bedtime story to a battalion of soldiers.

I opened the book and started reading it out loud to the men. Most of them drifted off after the first few pages as they didn't realize how tired they really were. I continued on without realizing that most of them had already started sleeping until I looked up at the sound of snoring.

"Oh" I laughed slightly in embarrassment as I was so excited to read and nobody was listening anymore until I noticed the clone Captain watching me with a content smile on his face.

"Well, I think they are down for the count" Rex spoke up quietly.

"Yeah, I should probably go to bed too, Master Yoda wants me to join in on training the younglings tomorrow" I stood up and gathered my books together once again. "Do you need anything else?" I looked up at Rex as he stood to walk me out.

"No, I'm alright. Good luck with your youngling training tomorrow" he waved before I smiled and walked out, leaving him with his sleeping brothers.

~~~

"Are you ready to chaperone the youngling's gathering?" I asked Ahsoka as we met up in the hall just outside of her room.

"Yes, it's going to be so cool to pass down the tradition!" She cheered with excitement.

"Watch where your going" I scolded, pulling her out of the way from the incoming Captain who she had almost crashed right into.

"Hello General, Commander" Rex nodded to the both of us. "Where are you two off to?" He questioned the Padawans excitement.

"We are taking the youngling's to Ilum for their gathering" I explained happily, reminding him that I was training the younglings today.

"What is that?" He asked with confusion written all over his face.

"Oh, right. It's where the youngling's go to find their kyber crystals and build their lightsabers" I explained simply.

"Sounds like much more fun than the war, we will make sure to save you a battle for your return" he waved us off again.

"Ooh" Ahsoka taunted with a smirk as we turned back towards the hanger.

"Oh be quiet" I shook my head with a slight laugh at her actions.

"Hurry, younglings." Ahsoka called over to the group of children approaching us and the ship. They stood before us and waited for us to explain the adventure we were about to take them on.

"You have proved to be the top of your class. And so now is the time of The Gathering. For a Jedi, there is no greater challenge or honor." I explained.

"What is The Gathering, Padawan Tano?" Petro questioned.

"Petro, Ganodi, Byph, Katooni, Zatt, and Gungi, the time has come for you to build your own lightsabers."

"I knew it. That's so wizard." They cheered.

"Whoa! I knew it."

"This is no simple task, and many perils lie ahead of you. Where we are going, there is no place more sacred to the Jedi." I knelt in front of them to make sure they understood the seriousness of this. Leading them onto the ship, Ahsoka and I flew them to the ice planet of Ilum.

"Not the most hospitable place." Katooni spoke as we exited into the cold air, everyone bundled in their jackets for warmth.

"I think that's the point." One of the boys told her.

"It's a dead end." Petro called out as Ahsoka knelt to dust off the symbol below us as we reached the ice wall.

"Younglings, outstretch your hands and focus the Force. Together, and only together, can we enter." Ahsoka instructed leading the way as I followed with the kids. The wall opened with a crack and the kids cheered at their accomplishment.

"Now hurry. The sun has already risen, and we must begin." I rushed them into the temple quickly to begin the challenge they would face.

"Master Yoda." The youngling's bowed before him as he waited inside for our arrival.

"The Force made physical, a Jedi is. Comes great responsibility with that, yes? Protect others, how does a Jedi, hmm?" Yoda stood and pulled out his lightsaber to show them the green blade of his very own lightsaber. "Build your own lightsaber, you shall. But first, harvest your crystal, each one of you must."

"See, I told you."

"Yoda, wow."

"No, I told you."

"No, I told you."

"The heart of the lightsaber, the crystal is. Focuses the Force from the Jedi, it does." Yoda used the force to open a window of light above us. He also turned the sun dial with a Crystal to point a beam of light and melt away the next door to the crystals cavern. "If Jedi you are to become, enter the crystal cave, you must. Trust yourself, trust each other, and succeed, you will." Yoda instructed.

"Once you have found your crystal, do not remain inside. As daylight ends, the door will freeze over again, and you will be trapped." I explained as they all stood where the ice door once was.

"For how long?" One child asked with worry.

"For one rotation. There will be nothing anyone can do for you." Ahsoka answered, making the fear seep into them.

"How will we know which crystal to pick?"

"Only you can know which one is yours. Now, hurry." I instructed as the youngling's entered and it started to freeze at the top again.

~~~

"Looks like I'm the first back with my crystal." Petro ran out as Ahsoka, Yoda and I waited patiently, meditating together. "That wasn't so hard."

"And the others?" Yoda looked up at him.

"Who knows? I didn't wanna gloat, since I found mine so quickly." He claimed.

"Show us." I ordered softly but sternly. He held out the crystal in the plan of his hand to show us with pride.

"A crystal you have found. Water you have brought." Yoda laughed as it melted away in his hand from the sunlight.

"But that's impossible. It was my crystal. I was sure of it."

"Mm. So certain were you. Go back, and closer you must look."

"But the door is already half closed." He looked up with complaint as ice had started to form from the top of the wall, beginning to close off the entrance.

"Then you better hurry." Ahsoka warned, causing him to run back in with urgency.

"Well done, Gungi." Ahsoka told him as he ran out and held up his crystal proudly for us to see.

"But two still remain." I reminded and he looked back sadly for them, knowing time was running out soon.

"Will they make it, Master?" One child asked.

"We should help them." Another stated.

"Left the cave, you have. Help them, you will not." Yoda stopped them from going back in with his cane.

~~~

After waiting for another while, Katooni had slid under the wall just before it froze over completely.

"I have my crystal, but Petro is still inside." She rushed over to our group sad that she had to leave her friend behind.

"Give up on your friend, do not." Yoda told her his words of wisdom. We all watched the door carefully as Petro dove through at the last second, breaking the not completely frozen ice of the bottom.

"Petro! You made it." Katooni cheered as he held up his crystal proudly.

"How did he break the ice?" One kid questioned.

"Only water made solid was the door. Easy to break if you have the will." Yoda laughed.

"You-you said we would be trapped." Katooni remembered our words.

"Not by the cave you were, but by your mind. Lessons, you have learned. Find courage, you did. Hope, patience, trust, confidence, and selflessness. Yes?" Yoda looked to each of the kids as he listed. "Take your crystals back to the temple and keep them safe, young Jedi."

"Yes!"

"So exciting."

"Yay!"

"All right!"

.....................................................

Question of the day: what colour lightsaber would you like to have?