«I hear... such lovely singing.»
―Aaellu, hearing the crystal call to her for the first time.
Aaellu Lambert's crystal was a naturally-formed crystal that forged a bond with the Force Adept Aaellu when she encountered it on Jum Tarra in 28 ATC, resonating with her and her relationship with the Force. As a result, the crystal acquired its character from Aaellu and had the ability to augment her powers.
It was later used in Aaellu's personal lightsaber as a focusing crystal, augmenting the weapon and allowing Aaellu to exert an intimate level of control over its functions. Following her death, both the lightsaber and the crystal within went on to serve her daughter, Gretta Lambert, in the same capacity.
History[]
It's an incredibly rare thing. Truly special. Perhaps the Force is with us in today's battle.
—Benjamin Lambert, to Aaellu, after her discovery of the crystal.
In the year 28 ATC, at the end of what would become known as Operation: Crystal Lekku, the Galactic Republic authorized an attack on the Outer Rim world of Jum Tarra, where the forces of Sith Lord Darth Aivela and her ally Darth Madré had taken up residence in an ancient castle built by the long-dead natives of the planet. Aivela had become a target of interest due to her novel use of Sith alchemy to create a crystalline form of Sithspawn as part of her "Crystal Synthesis" project, in addition to her possession of two powerful artifacts known as "Celestial Orbs".
The attack itself was the brainchild of Project Petrichor – an Strategic Information Service initiative created to recruit rogue Jedi, Dark Jedi and other Force-sensitives – and its leader, Franklyn Pad, who deployed several of his Force-wielding agents to participate in a diversionary ground assault alongside the forces of the 372nd Legion and the First Expeditionary Fleet, led by Fleet Admiral Oteg.
Meanwhile, Petrichor's martial leader, Commander Benjamin Lambert, and his partner/protege Aaellu were dropped in the nearby forests, where they began their infiltration of the castle from below, intending to use the old mining tunnels reaching from the outlying ruins to the underside of the castle to sneak behind enemy lines and confront Darth Aivela. While traveling through the submerged tunnels, the pair encountered the remnants of an ancient crystal mine, and once they emerged from the water Aaellu began to sense the presence of something calling to her from close by. The nearer their path took them, the stronger the call became, resembling an ethereal singing that compelled Aaellu to wander off, as though entranced, in search of the source. She soon found where the call was emanating from; a perfectly spherical crystal, lined with beautiful striations, situated at the back of a narrow crevice surrounded by razor-sharp crystals.
In such close proximity, the bond being formed between Aaellu and the crystal calling to her was already cemented, leaving her no choice but to reach into the jagged confines of the crevice, straining to reach for the crystal with the very tips of her fingers. Once she made contact, the crystal detached from where it had grown and seemed to "jump" into her hand, establishing an unbreakable connection that even Benjamin was able to sense, even without conscious effort. Benjamin had heard of such bonds between Force users and crystals, though it was so rare as to be regarded as a fable more than fact, the last supposed instance of such a connection being between the "Jedi Exile" Meetra Surik and her crystal over three centuries earlier. He considered it a blessing from the Force and a sign that it was with them ahead of their confrontation with Darth Aivela.
The pair, with the help of their friend Isla Ahnkett, went on to defeat Darth Aivela, retrieve the artifacts in her possession and shut down her experiments. In the aftermath of the operation, Benjamin used the power of the artifacts – holding all four known orbs in his possession – to build a new lightsaber for Aaellu, centered around her new crystal, on her homeworld of Farrow's moon, Idlanna. Due to the strength of the bond between Aaellu and the crystal at the heart of her new weapon, only she could activate it and, if taken from her control, physically or otherwise, the blade would deactivate, though as the crystal adhered to her will others could use the weapon if she wished them to.
This was later put to the most extreme test when Aaellu passed away in 66 ATC, leaving the blade to her missing daughter Gretta, who only returned years later yet was still able to take up the weapon as her own, inheriting the powerful bond that had once been shared between the crystal and her mother.
Properties[]
Aaellu Lambert's crystal was part of a natural crystal formation in the abandoned mines on the Outer Rim of Jum Tarra. It absorbed excess energy from beings who were attuned to the Force. Upon discovery by the Force Adept Aaellu, the crystal formed a bond with her and, as such, acquired its character and strength from Aaellu's own relationship with the Force. In turn, the crystal was capable of augmenting Aaellu's own powers.
When Aaellu claimed the crystal in the cavern on Jum Tarra, it was a pale blue that faded into white on one side with numerous striations. As Aaellu's strength in the Force grew stronger, the depth of the crystal's power manifested itself as a near-blinding, radiating white light. The use of the gem as a focusing crystal in her personal lightsaber enhanced the potency of the other components and subsidiary crystals used in the lightsaber's construction, as well as ensuring that the weapon could only be activated – and remain active – when under Aaellu's control. The crystal also allowed the weapon to anticipate Aaellu's needs, allowing her to activate and deactivate the lightsaber subconsciously, without the need for an activation switch.
At some point, the crystal developed the ability to enact Aaellu's will without her being physically present, allowing her daughter Gretta Lambert to tap into its exclusive power and utilize the lightsaber postmortem, in accordance with Aaellu's last wishes.
Behind the scenes[]
Aaellu Lambert's crystal was inspired by Meetra Surik's crystal featured in Obsidian Entertainment's 2004 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Both crystals are uniquely bonded to their respective characters and take their alignment/characteristics from them, though in the case of Aaellu's crystal the author chose to expand on the lore provided in The Sith Lords, particularly in regards to the mechanics of who can or cannot handle the lightsaber in which the crystal is used.