Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Luz Noceda, 13 year old Jedi Knight, was walking through the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. She didn’t have anywhere to go, she just enjoyed taking walks occasionally, especially during this crazy war that had engulfed the galaxy. Clone troopers fighting for the Republic that had been in place for millennia, against Battle Droids fighting for the Separatist Alliance who decided they didn’t want to be part of this long-standing establishment of a government. She had a fishy feeling about all this. That didn’t matter right now, though. What mattered was that she was having a killer headache, and she sat down on one of the many benches lining the Temple hallways. As soon as her rear touched the cushioned seat, she felt her head cloud like she was using Force Psychometry. This felt different, though. This felt foggier, and much less orderly. Soon, visions began flooding through her head.

She saw blue blaster fire flying through the ever-recognizable hangar of a Venator-class attack cruiser, as well as herself running from it. She dodged some bolts, deflected some others, and leapt into the open cockpit of a Y-Wing bomber, quickly taking off, but right before she was going to jump to hyperspace, one of her engines was hit and she spun around before jumping in a direction different from the one she meant to go.

Then, she saw a tall human woman with pointed ears, amber eyes, pale skin, and giant gray hair looking down at herself, wearing the same robes as earlier, and a Loth-cat-like creature with a horned skull for a head, one horn having been broken off apparently, standing nearby, while holding a stuffed rabbit and wearing a crown made of a card-like material. She heard the woman say “Us weirdos have to stick together,” but then saw a large shadow with an axe blade for a hand.

She saw herself and a human girl with green hair, gold eyes, and pointed ears running from a giant creature resembling a rabbit, while holding a giant book and sewing needle.

She saw herself with all the people earlier, plus a pair of twin teens that also had green hair (although it was a shade darker than the other child) and pointed ears, fighting off people in white cloaks and beaked masks while defending a group of people.

Herself in a black, gray, and purple outfit next to a green-eyed girl and a young black-eyed boy, both humans with pointed ears, the same outfit that she was wearing but with a different tertiary color, and differently dark-colored hair (green outfit and very dark teal hair for the girl, light blue outfit and very dark brown hair for the boy) walking away from a red door in a hallway made rather neatly of stone bricks and an arched ceiling.

This time, Luz was in her own body, but she couldn’t move. She had herself in a Form VII pose, lightsaber ignited, but its blade was purple instead of the deep blue that it normally was. She faced down a tall human woman with, as seemed to be the standard with these visions, pointed ears, but also she had long, straight black hair, mint green eyes, and she was wearing a black, form-fitting dress with a rhombus-shaped gem on the chest colored a light blue, and she was holding a white, winged staff in front of her. She had a nervous look on her face, and as Luz felt herself leap at her to attack, she heard the woman yell “Child, wait!”

The next vision, Luz was once again outside her body, seeing herself sit next to the creature with an exposed skull for a head. She appeared to be comforting him, rubbing her hand on his back in circles. She heard herself say, “You are somebody. Somebody that I, and many others, love very, very much. I’m sorry Eda lied about what she believed.” The creature then responded in a rather young-sounding voice, saying, “Everyone lied. And I was so caught up in my fantasy to know the difference, and now I don’t know if anything’s real!” before breaking down in sobs.

Luz’s next vision had her inside her body once more, looking around at a weird landscape. A forest bordering the beach, each tree having leaves of either gray or orange and a picture frame in the middle of every single one, and the sea glowing a bright amber color. The sky was flashing its colors through every color of the rainbow, and next to her was the horned skull child, though the broken section of his horn had been reattached at some point.

Luz was back in her body for this next one, with the tall gray-haired woman on one side of her and the golden-eyed girl from a few visions back on the other, though it seemed she changed her hair color to purple. They stood in front of a blue wooden egg that soon began cracking, and Luz was blinded by the golden-yellow flash.

Luz felt her body running in this vision, running from a giant being made of what looked like a galaxy. Next to her was a boy with blonde hair, red eyes, and a scar on his cheek, along with the usual trait of being a human with pointy ears, and between them was a girl that looked oddly like herself, although with red eyes, pointed ears, scars on her face, and plain brown hair unlike her own dark purplish locks. They were in a very dead-looking forest with trees that held paintings, similar to the one a couple visions back but with much more of a feeling of death and dread.

For what felt like one of the final visions, Luz was still in her body. She stood inside a weirdly shaped building, and she looked outside of a giant round, sloped skylight alongside several children she’d seen in previous visions, plus a couple she didn’t recognize as of yet. The sky was a blood red, at the very center of it an eclipse of a sun and moon, with a giant yellow aura coming up from the land in a beam surrounding it. They prepared to get onto different animal-themed staves, but before they could, a giant green laser blasted it out of the sky from what looked like a pure gray Venator, but larger and with a single bridge instead of two.

Cut to the next vision, feeling as though it was the final one, Luz was kicked out of her body again, fully able to see herself in black armor with a different lightsaber hanging from her belt than the one she was used to, and menacing red and yellow eyes adorning her face instead of her regular copper-gold tint. Opposite of her were all of the children from the previous vision, their staves pointed at her. Curiously, instead of reaching for her weapon or staff, which was strangely mechanical-looking and strapped to her back, she began to speak.

“Come on guys, join me! Together we can help them bring order to the galaxy! Maybe even others too with the portal magic!” At this, the girl with lavender hair, now faded to a shade of pink, shook her head.

“Luz, I don’t know what these bastards have done to you, but you’re not yourself anymore. We’re getting our old Luz back, and if that means we’re doing it by force, then we will.”

This Luz just shook her head with closed eyes. “Shame,” she said, “We could’ve done this the easy way.” With that, she grabbed her staff and it shrunk, allowing the saber on her belt to be attached, and it ignited into a double-bladed saber staff, both blades a deep red.

After that last image, Luz felt the haze start to dissipate, and the scenes she had just seen began slowly pulling themselves out of her head. Soon, she was back in the temple, her headache dulled down to just a slight throb every few seconds. Was that a vision? she asked herself. She just shrugged and felt a buzzing on her wrist, which she knew meant she had a new assignment. She quickly got up and ran to the Temple hangars to grab a speeder over to her Venator for her assignment.

She had forgotten all about her midday experience within the hour.

Chapter Text

(26 BBY, 4 years before the beginning of the Clone Wars.)

7 year old Lucelyn "Luz" Noceda stood aside many of her peers, all 20 of them waiting for the arrival of their prospective masters. While she was several years younger than all of the soon-to-be padawans around her, she was at the same level of skill as them, if not a higher one. She guessed it must be a trait of having a much higher Midi-Chlorian count than the average member of the Jedi Order, hers being at around 18,000.

While she didn’t remember much from her early years on Coruscant, she did recall how confused the High Council was when she was first brought there. So many of her traits didn’t match any species in the galaxy, let alone humans like her. A heart 35% larger than a regular human, a ratio that no other species seemingly had? Ears that were quite expressive in their movements despite humans having ears that barely moved, if they moved at all? Fur covering certain parts of her body, like her arms and legs, and bone-like protrusions on her knees, elbows, and waist? Eyes that had their sclera darken and irises glow based on her emotions!? It was nothing like they’d ever seen! That was why she was so excited for today, to be chosen by a potential master. She’d prove that she could be just like any other Jedi, not just a weirdo!

Soon enough, she heard footsteps, and turned her head in the direction that they were coming from. Apparently she had better hearing than the others, because it took them a few more seconds to hear them, and turn their heads in the same direction. Out walked over 30 notable Jedi from the order, like Depa Billaba, Plo Koon, Shaak Ti, Luminara Unduli, and even Mace Windu, the Master of the Order! With that many masters, all of them were almost guaranteed to get a teacher. After them, Grand Master Yoda walked in, and as he didn’t come in with the others, it was clear that he wasn’t taking another apprentice for himself, not to mention Luz sensed his intentions through the Force. Soon he had walked up to a platform, which rose above the other masters, even the long-necked Master Poof.

“Students,” he began, “Today, selected to be padawans, you shall be. Chosen by the masters in front of you, you will be, hmm? Begin selecting your padawans, you shall,” he declared.

Right after Yoda finished, Master Depa Billaba stepped forwards. She paced back and forth for a moment, before walking up to a boy with brown hair, fair skin, and blue eyes.

“Caleb Dume, I choose you as my padawan,” she declared. She offered her hand to him, and he took it, and they walked off to the side to observe the rest of the ceremony. Next, Master Unduli walked up and repeated the process, selecting Bariss Offee to be her new learner. Over the next 10 minutes, all of the other younglings had been chosen, leaving just Luz to be selected. For about a minute, not a single master stepped up, and she began to worry. What if none of them choose me!? she thought, will I be the only youngling not to get chosen? But, before her panic truly set in, she noticed a master finally stepping up, and to her surprise, it was Master Windu!

“Lucelyn Noceda, I choose you as my padawan,” he announced. Luz had a very good feeling about this.

-=-

(23 BBY, 1 year before the beginning of the Clone Wars.)

Luz felt the icy chill of Ilum even through her heavy robes. Unlike when she was chosen to be Master Windu’s padawan, Luz was sent to the Gathering at the same time as others in her age group, at ten years old. She walked through the frozen caves, feeling out through the Force, listening to see if she could feel her blade calling out to her… nothing. She slammed her fist against the cold wall in frustration.

“Okay,” she says to herself, “it’s okay. You just need to calm down, and focus.” In through the nose, out through the mouth. She didn’t even notice herself getting into the meditation position. Eventually, though, she heard what sounded like… animals? She opened her eyes, but she didn’t see anything, and yet, she still heard them. She stood up, closed her eyes, and focused on where they were coming from, letting the Force guide her.

The first sound she heard, to her left, was some sort of bird, tweeting and flapping its wings. Then, it slowly changed to an insect, buzzing excitedly, before gradually shifting to a chirping lizard, a mammal that sounded similar to a Loth-cat, and finally, a slithering serpent hissing at her. She opened her eyes, and before her lay a chasm, seemingly bottomless, with crystals within it glittering like stars in the night sky. None of them were the sound’s origin though. The thing they were coming from was on the other side of the canyon: a crystal, shining with all the colors of the rainbow; her crystal.

She knew that she couldn’t jump across; it was too wide of a gap for that. No, she would have to use the Force to reach out and grab it. But you’ve never been able to pull things from that far before! her inner narrator whined. Shut it, she told herself, now isn’t the time to doubt yourself. You’ve got this. She reached her hand out, and felt the Force flow through her. She guided the current towards the crystal, but no matter how hard she tried, it stopped just a few meters before the crystal.

“C’mon, c’mon…” she whispered, reaching further, until she felt something pulling at her mind. Luz focused on that feeling, mentally grabbing it and pulling it closer, until she felt a rush of the Force, and before she knew it, the crystal was flying towards her hand. It smacked dead-center into her palm, and she quickly closed her fist, keeping it inside so it wouldn’t bouche off her hand. Right as she did that, though, she felt the force of it slam into her, and she flew backwards, landing hard on her back and sliding backwards. She closed her eyes, ready for the sure-to-be-coming immediate pain, but soon she felt a light tap on the top of her head.

Luz leaned up and confusedly opened her eyes, and she saw that, somehow, she was back at the entrance of the cave! The sheet of ice had refrozen about three-quarters of the way down, and several of her fellow Padawans and younglings were waiting with Master Yoda, though not all of them. She looked down at the crystal in her hands, and to her confusion, it looked to be half the size of the average crystal, and its Force signature felt incomplete, like it was just half of a complete crystal. She shrugged it off and excitedly jogged back towards the group, so very happy to have a crystal of her own, though she would certainly be asking Huyang if this was common or not.

-=-

(21 BBY, 1 year after the beginning of the Clone Wars.)

Luz walked towards the center of the Temple. Specifically, towards the turbolifts that went to the Jedi Council chambers. While most padawans would be excited, of course, Luz wasn’t most padawans. Her mind filled with worries about what would happen when she got there. What if they aren’t satisfied with my performance? What if they don’t like how I’ve been using different Force abilities from different masters, like Master Plo’s electric judgement and Master Vos’s Force Psychometry? What if they kick me out for having no friends and being too weird!? Thoughts like these occupied her head, shoving the positive possibilities to the back of her mind. At least, until she focused on them.

Okay Luz, she thought, they’re not gonna kick you out. Time and again they’ve told you that you’re extremely powerful, and that you’re a prodigy for your age. It can’t be anything bad, right? Soon she arrived at the turbolifts in the middle of the trapezoidal structure, and pressed the button to summon the transportation. Within a minute it had arrived, and a trio of Jedi stepped out, specifically Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano! The Chosen One and both his padawan and his master! Excitement filled her veins at encountering three of the most famous Jedi of the age. They walked past her, but just a few seconds later, Ahsoka, caught sight of Luz and ran up to her.

Now, most Jedi Luz’s age tended not to like her. After all, she was chosen as a Padawan much earlier than other initiates. Heck, Ahsoka was fourteen years old, and she had only been assigned to Anakin a few months ago during the battle of Christophsis, while Luz was just half that age when she was taken on by Master Windu! However, Ahsoka was mostly an exception to that rule. While they weren’t really friends (bonding is kind of necessary for that, which Luz hasn’t had any of), Ahsoka was never mean to Luz, unlike most other members her age. In fact, when she wasn’t with any other younglings, Ahsoka was quite nice to Luz, so it was no surprise when she ran up to her.

“Hey, Luz!” Ahsoka called out, sounding delighted at seeing her fellow Padawan.

“Oh, hi Ahsoka,” Luz responded with a small wave.

“So, how have things been going with Master Windu?” she asks excitedly.

“Oh, you know, the same as always. What about you?”

“We just got back from a mission to the Citadel on Lola Sayu to rescue Master Piell from the Separatists.” Luz remembered hearing about that place, how it was made by the Republic to hold rogue Jedi but it was captured by the Separatists.

Walking up behind Ahsoka, Anakin put his left hand on top of her head. “Snips here wasn’t even supposed to go on it, but she snuck into it anyways.” His tone was a little miffed, but mostly playful, making the motions of ruffling hair despite Ahsoka not having any. Luz envied Ahsoka, how her Master seemed to actually enjoy spending time with her, and she was jealous of the familial relationship she sensed.

“Unfortunately, Master Piell was mauled by an anooba, but before succumbing to his injuries he gave his critical information to Ahsoka here,” Obi-Wan interjected, making Luz gasp. “We may not have succeeded had she not come with us.”

“That’s quite a tragedy, I’m sorry to hear that. I heard he had an excellent sense of humor, and a gruff exterior but a heart of gold.”

Obi-Wan looked at her oddly. “You’re Lucelyn Noceda, right? Padawan of Master Windu?” he asked

“That would be me, though I prefer to go by Luz. What can I do for you, Master Kenobi?”

“Oh, nothing. I just remember when you were found on a planet called Titania, you really confused the council with your biology. Nothing like you has ever been documented by any organization, be it the Jedi, the various guilds in the galaxy, or even the Galactic Republic! You truly are a genetic mystery.”

Luz felt her face flush in embarrassment. It seemed Jedi Masters enjoyed explaining how different she was every time they came into conversation with her.

“Master Kenobi, with all due respect, I’ve heard those exact same points countless times since I was able to speak, and to be quite frank, I don’t enjoy talking about it in the slightest. Could you please refrain from approaching me about this topic in the future, and if possible, ask your fellow Masters and Council Members to do so as well?” The sheer eloquence that Luz displayed shocked all three other Jedi present, especially for a twelve year old.

While Luz had been taught the traditional Jedi topics by Master Windu, she was also educated on many things other children that weren’t Jedi were usually informed on, such as mathematics and language. Strangely, though, it seemed that Luz had an innate knack for speaking any language she heard, at least to her current vocabulary, like Hutteese, Rodian, and almost all different types of beasts, though she often spoke Spanish, but weirdly, no one else knew it, let alone knew of it. She often told people it was her birth language, however Titania had no accessible records of anyone on it speaking that language. Then again, Titania seemed to be exceedingly difficult to access, and most Jedi who made it there decided to leave soon after, never telling why.

Obi-Wan quickly regained his composure. “Of course, Miss Noceda. I did not mean to offend you in any way, and I was unaware of this topic of discussion bothering you. Speaking of the Council, don’t you have an appointment with us in a few minutes?”

Luz felt her face light up at the question, but remembering to regain her composure, she quickly made her face change to a more formal expression. “Sí, Master Kenobi. I was just waiting for the Turbolift to arrive.”

“Ah, of course, young one. In fact, I am required to be present for this meeting.” He turned to Anakin and Ahsoka. “I’ll leave you two to go do… whatever it is you do when not on missions. Please keep the chaos to the minimum,” he pleaded with them. At this, the master and apprentice duo gained huge grins on their faces.

“Of course Master. Let’s go Snips,” Anakin said as he turned to his Padawan. “Good luck, kid!” he called out to Luz. They walked off together, and Luz sensed that they were giving off very chaotic energy. She looked back at Master Kenobi, and he looked like he was about to have a massive migraine.

“Those two are about to cause so much chaos,” he said, exasperated. He motioned to the turbolift. “Shall we?” Luz nodded, and they stepped inside. She pushed the button for the Council Chamber, and the turbolift flew up the floors. In less than a minute, they were at the top floor, where even before the doors opened, Lu z sensed the rest of the Jedi High Council, including her Master.

Lo and behold, there sat the other 10 Masters that sat on the High Council: Grandmaster Yoda, the Togruta Master Shaak Ti, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi of the Cereans, the Kel Dor Master Plo Koon from the planet Dorin, the Nautolan Master Kit Fisto who invented the Bifurcating Cyclical-Ignition Pulse lightsaber which was suitable for use underwater (unlike normal sabers), Master Adi Gallia of the Tholothians, Master Eeth Koth and Master Agen Kolar, both of whom were Zabraks, Master Coleman Kcaj known for his incredible speeches, and last but not least, Master of the Order Mace Windu, who created the variant of Form VII, Vapaad and taught it to his apprentices, including Luz, his latest and final padawan. Unfortunately, there was an open seat that they hadn’t been able to fill yet due to Master Even Piell’s untimely demise.

Master Kenobi looked down at Luz and gave her a friendly, “you got this” look, and took his seat next to Master Fisto. Luz quickly walked to the center of the room, as is customary for those going before the Council.

“Young Luz,” began the deep voice that belonged to Plo Koon, “you are a little early, are you not?”

Luz steeled her nerves. “Well, Master Plo, a Jedi should always be punctual, and it is always better to arrive before you are scheduled to rather than after. Besides, I once heard Master Grey give a lecture, in which he said ‘A Jedi is never late, nor are they early, they arrive precisely when they mean to,’ and I thought I’d follow his example.” Several masters gave a chuckle at that.

“Alright then,” spoke her master, Master Windu. “We shall begin with the proceedings.”

“Indeed,” replied Master Yoda. “Padawan Noceda, kneel, you must.”

This shocked Luz. Was what she thought this was about to happen? Or was it something worse? Nevertheless, she did as told and kneeled in the center of the chamber. She then heard all elven Council members ignite their sabers, and the Grandmaster spoke once more.

“We are all Jedi. The Force speaks through us. Through our actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real. Today we are here to acknowledge what the Force has proclaimed.” Ten sabers lowered towards her, all but that of Grandmaster Yoda.

“Your ability to detect that Commando Droids had replaced a squadron of Clone Troopers on Ryloth was your Trial of Insight,” announced Master Mundi.

“Your capability to defeat those droids was your Trial of Skill.” That one was from Master Ti.

“Your willingness and ability to hold off a group of Bounty Hunters that attacked your master was your Trial of Courage.” Master Gallia.

“Your capacity to take a blaster injury in a limb and keep fighting those Bounty Hunters was your Trial of Flesh.” Master Fisto.

“Your aptness for withstanding intense discussion of your uniqueness unflinchingly was your Trial of Spirit.” Master Kenobi.

Luz would’ve been vibrating out of her skin if she wasn’t in such a formal ceremony, though that last comment did dampen her mood slightly. Was it happening? Were they truly doing it?

“By the right of the Council,” Yoda began, lowering his saber to just above Luz’s left shoulder, “by the will of the Force,” he raised his saber and lowered it in the same position, but upon the right shoulder, “Lucelyn Noceda, rise, as Knight of the Jedi Order.” He made a small slice, and Luz’s Padawan braid fell to the floor. Luz rose from her kneeling position.

“Thank you, Master,” she said, the happiness still evident in her voice despite her best efforts to remain professional. “This is a great honor.”

“It was time,” replied her now former master, Master Windu. “You truly have been an absolute prodigy, and a pleasure to teach,” he said with a rare smile. He held out his hand, and Luz shook it. She had a good feeling about what might happen next.