Timeframe: 32 BBY
Setting: Jedi Temple – Council Tower, Meditation Chamber, Initiate Dormitories
Focus: Council summons, emotional weight of the Trials, each Initiate learning what they must face individually.
Summoned
The summons came at dawn—a soft pulse in the Force, felt by all five.
Cain, Anakin, Seris, Barriss, and Derran stood in silence in the lift leading to the High Council Tower, robes neat, hands folded, hearts hammering in different rhythms.
No one had told them why.
But they all knew.
As the doors opened, the Council Chamber welcomed them with golden morning light streaming through its windows. Masters Yoda, Plo Koon, Shaak Ti, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Adi Gallia, and Fay stood or sat in a loose semicircle.
Master Windu stood in the center, hands behind his back.
"You five," he said, voice calm, "have been summoned because you are no longer considered Initiates."
An audible breath from Derran.
"You are now candidates—for Padawanship," Windu continued.
"However," said Master Gallia, "the strength you've shown has accelerated this moment. The Council believes you are ready… sooner than expected."
"But the Trials, we will not rush," Yoda added, stepping forward with his cane. "Face them, you will. One at a time. In full."
The Trials Explained
Master Fay turned toward them, her voice like wind through crystal.
"These are not mere tasks. The Initiate Trials are a reflection of your essence. They test not just your ability to act—but your ability to be still."
"The trials are not identical for all," Shaak Ti explained. "But their core is shared."
Master Plo Koon stepped forward, activating a small hologram to show three symbols circling a radiant Jedi sigil.
"These are your pillars:"
Demonstration of Knowledge
"You must show your understanding of Jedi history, philosophy, and the Code—not as memorization, but through choice and reflection."
Self-Discipline
"You will be placed in emotionally charged scenarios. Through meditation and control, you must prove mastery over your impulses."
Force Proficiency
"Finally, you will face a challenge where only the Force can guide you. Not strength. Not speed. Not pride."
Cain stared at the hologram. The balance of it. The flow.
It felt right.
One by One
Master Fay turned toward the five with a gentle expression. "Each of you will take your trial alone. Your friends may walk beside you in training—but in the test, you will be with the Force. Nothing more."
Master Gallia nodded. "You will not be tested with illusions. These are real trials—customized to reveal who you truly are."
Master Windu added, "You may not all succeed. Not yet. And that is no shame. A Jedi's path must be walked at the pace of the soul, not the pressure of expectation."
Cain looked to Anakin.
Anakin to Barriss.
Seris to Derran.
They all breathed together.
"We understand," Cain said.
The Order of Trials
Master Plo Koon stepped forward and held out a scroll—ancient and etched in crystalline script.
"In keeping with the Will of the Force," he said, "we have meditated on the order of trials."
He read:
Barriss Offee will go first, then Derran Talvos, followed by Seris Vhalan, then Anakin Skywalker And finally… Cain.
Fay stepped forward again, eyes only on Cain.
"You are last," she whispered, "because your trial will be the most different."
Cain bowed.
"I'm ready."
That Night
Back in their dormitory, the five sat together in silence.
No one spoke of fear.
Only stillness.
Barriss closed her eyes and took a long breath. "Tomorrow," she said, "I'll walk in first."
"We'll be waiting for you," Cain said gently.
Seris placed a hand on Barriss's knee, for once not hiding how deeply she cared.
Derran cracked his knuckles. "Don't finish too quickly. Make the rest of us look good."
Anakin laughed.
Cain smiled but didn't speak.
He could already feel it.
Their paths would soon begin to diverge.
But this bond—this moment—was forever.