'ello, peoples of the earth!
So who's ready to get their feels smashed by the Star Wars Rebels season finale? *raises hand* I am!
To counter the horrible overload of feels we all know is coming, I have decided to post this next chapter of Kira's story for y'all to read. So I hope y'all enjoy!
Blue light flickered from the hologram in the center of the war room. Obi-Wan Kenobi stood before the hologram of Chancellor Palpatine, Mace Windu, and Yoda, arms crossed over his chest. Kira Narro, the girl Obi-Wan had taken on as his Padawan, stood beside him, taking in all that was said.
The holographic conference was being held to discuss the route of the Fist of the Chancellor, the ship Obi-Wan and Kira had used for their latest attack on the Separatists. They'd engaged General Grievous's command ship and fighters over Nar Shaddaa, but Grievous had fled the battle on his command ship. Fortunately, the Jedi had managed to put a tracking beacon on Grievous's ship before he jumped to hyperspace.
Now Obi-Wan pulled up a holomap showing the route Grievous had travelled. So far, the general had headed even further into the Outer Rim. Personally, Kira was wondering if the cyborg had figured out that he was being tracked and was now trying to shake them off his tail. Grievous might be a droid, but he was certainly much smarter than the tinnies the Jedi typically dealt with on the battlefield.
"Our best bet, I think," Obi-Wan said as he studied the holomap, "is to bypass the Kessel and Tund systems to cut off the Separatist fleet. I believe we will intercept them quicker that way."
Commander Cody of the 212th spoke up. "General, won't that be a dangerous route? If we take the way you are suggesting, we'll be heading into uncharted territory. There's no telling what we'll find out there waiting for us."
"I agree with the commander," the Chancellor put in. "Shouldn't you set the coordinates for Kessel and follow any leads you find there? You said before that the Separatist fleet stopped there for a while."
Before the meeting, there had been a blip from the tracking beacon that indicated a stop. The naval officers on the ship had discovered that the Separatists had landed at Kessel. However, by the time the ship's navigation system had locked onto the tracking beacon's position, it'd started moving again. It'd been the reason Obi-Wan had contacted the Council in the first place - to discuss the best route to take to intercept the moving fleet.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "With all due respect, Chancellor, that truly isn't the best way to go. We know the Separatists have been on Kessel, so why waste time there looking for clues?"
Chancellor Palpatine gave Obi-Wan a nod. "My apologies, Master Jedi. As always, I shall leave the strategic planning to you." With that, he disconnected his end of the transmission, and his hologram disappeared.
Mace spoke up. "What does Master Billaba think?"
Obi-Wan sighed. "I told her we would be contacting you. I don't know where she could be."
As if on cue, the tall, dark-haired subject of discussion entered the room. Her Padawan, Caleb Dume, was right behind her.
"Speak of the devil," Mace said, a twinkle appearing in his eye. Kira raised an eye marking, for it wasn't often that Mace joked. Master Windu must be in a good mood.
"Forgive our tardiness," Depa Billaba said. She didn't elaborate. "What'd we miss?"
"Master Billaba," Obi-Wan greeted Depa. "We were just discussing the recent development in Grievous's route and were wondering how you'd like to proceed."
"Ah, yes." Depa intently studied the map and thought for a moment. "I believe we should head to the Tund system as quickly as possible. Perhaps we can get to the system first and catch the fleet as it moves in."
"General Kenobi was just saying that we should bypass Tund as well as Kessel," Mace told Depa. "What are your thoughts on that?"
Depa's dark eyes glittered with mirth. "I think that sounds like a plan worthy of Skywalker."
At that, Kira had to smile. Anakin Skywalker's tendency to take unorthodox measures to stop the Separatists was no secret among the Jedi. His ways of completing missions were crazy, sometimes bordering on suicidal, but somehow, he always came through.
"All joking aside, Master Billaba," Master Kenobi said, "Tund is useless to the Separatist cause. The system is one of uninhabitable terrain, and as such, there are neither settlements nor Republic outposts. Perhaps one day they will attempt to create a base of a sort in that system, but I do not believe they have done so already."
"Then you believe that they are heading into uncharted territory?" Depa asked.
"I do."
Depa thought for another moment. "I suppose it does make sense when you look at it that way, and I doubt the Separatists will waste time trying to shake us off their tail - if they even realize they're being tracked. Alright. I say we follow Obi-Wan's plan."
"Settled, then, it is," Yoda said.
Obi-Wan nodded. "We'll contact you again as soon as we find the fleet," he said.
"May the Force be with you," Mace said.
"And with you," Obi-Wan replied before the communications officer cut the transmission. He turned to speak with Depa about the upcoming mission.
This gave Kira the opportunity to make her way over to greet Caleb properly for the first time since he'd arrived on the ship. Caleb had had just enough time to freshen up before the meeting in the war room. "I was beginning to think your shuttle wasn't going to arrive on time," she said, grinning.
"Your concern is overwhelming," Caleb replied dryly.
The two teenage Padawans regarded each other with silence for a moment before Caleb threw an arm around Kira in a side hug. "It's good to see you."
"And you." As much as Kira liked the hug, she opted to wiggle out of Caleb's grip before Obi-Wan turned around and saw her position. She was in too good of a mood to have her day spoiled by a lecture. "What took you and Master Billaba so long?"
"Heating unit problems. The pilot had to redirect power from the hyperdrive to the heating unit to keep us from freezing to death, so the trip took longer."
Kira frowned. "That's unusual. I thought the shuttles were checked for such problems before liftoff."
"They are." Caleb rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know what happened."
Kira opened her mouth to say more, but she was interrupted when Obi-Wan called her name. She dutifully turned, excusing herself from the conversation she'd been having with Caleb, and approached Obi-Wan and Depa. "What is it, Master?" she asked, bobbing her head to acknowledge Depa.
"Master Billaba and Caleb are going to head the party that will be scouting ahead," Obi-Wan explained. "I have asked that you go with them."
Confused, Kira glanced at Depa, who gave the Padawan a small smile, then bowed her head to accept the command. "Yes, Master," she said. However, instead of turning away to face Caleb again, she sent Obi-Wan a look that said I'd like an explanation, if you please. It was quick and subtle, but the Master and Padawan had communicated with such gestures for five years now. Kira knew Obi-Wan would understand and most likely respond as soon as Depa left their immediate vicinity.
Sure enough, when Depa guided Caleb out of the room to brief him on their scouting mission, Obi-Wan spoke again. "You have a question, Padawan?"
"I do, actually." As Kira had gotten older, she'd gotten more blunt, too, at least when she was alone with her Master. Now she crossed her arms. "Why am I not staying on the ship?"
Obi-Wan tried to calm her down. "This is a delicate, dangerous mission, Kira," he said. "I'm not willing to take any unnecessary risks, and that includes you, my young apprentice. The scouting mission is safer for you."
A few years before, such worrying had actually comforted Kira and made her feel wanted. Now the young teenager saw her Master's worry as nothing but a nuisance. "I can handle myself, Master," she protested, struggling to hold in her frustration. "Besides, we've been in several such situations before, haven't we? And we've always pulled through."
Obi-Wan placed a hand on Kira's shoulder. "Just barely," he pointed out. "Trust me, Kira. Please. I don't want you to get hurt."
Kira would've said more if not for the emotion in Obi-Wan's eyes that conveyed the unsaid word of that sentence: again.
A few months before, a struggle on Kamino had placed Kira in the midst of a duel with Dooku, an unfavorable place to be. If not for her fellow Padawan Cadena's interference, Kira would have been killed. As it was, her knee had been shattered and had had to be replaced with a prosthetic. Obi-Wan had never said so, but Kira knew that he blamed himself for the incident and the pain it had caused her.
For that reason, Kira simply bowed once more. "I will do as you ask, Master," she said softly.
Obi-Wan visibly relaxed. "Thank you."
It was almost a pleasure for Kira to give up her place on the bridge if she had taken some worry away from her Master. Besides, she hardly ever got to see Caleb anymore since he'd been apprenticed.
Perhaps that scouting mission wouldn't be so terrible after all.
"This is the shuttle?" Caleb asked in disbelief.
The shuttle assigned to the scouting party truly wasn't much to look at. Still, Kira believed Caleb's disdain was horribly misplaced. "What did you expect, a luxury liner?" she asked sarcastically, lightly shoving him on the arm.
Caleb merely raised an eyebrow in response to her shove. "Well, no, but I didn't expect a bucket of bolts, either."
"And who put you in charge of deciding what was suitable to fly? I'm sure that shuttle will serve its purpose."
Depa interceded to stop any argument that was brewing. "Your fellow student is right, Caleb. The shuttle will do just fine."
Caleb didn't look too pleased, but their pilot's approach stopped him from saying anything more. The clone addressed Depa. "General Billaba, the shuttle has been prepped and is ready for departure."
"Very good, pilot. Alert the men."
The pilot departed to carry out Depa's order, and Caleb eyed the shuttle one last time. Kira followed his gaze. "Caleb, stop worrying. It'll be fine."
Caleb shook his head. "It's not that," he said softly.
Kira raised an eye marking. "Do you sense something?"
Caleb nodded. "Something's going to happen on the mission. And whatever it is, it's not good."
"Is there something we can do to prevent it?"
Caleb licked his lip nervously. "Nothing that I can sense. Guess we'll have to be extra careful and see how it plays out."
Kira sighed. "I hate heading into these situations unprepared."
Caleb only shrugged helplessly.
Kira glanced over at Depa, who was speaking to one of the clones they would be working with and didn't notice Caleb and Kira's exchange. "Don't you think we should tell Master Billaba?"
"I'll tell her when we get inside the shuttle. She's got a lot on her plate at the moment."
Kira was just about to ask Caleb to elaborate when Depa finished her conversation and called to the two Padawans. "Kira, Caleb, we're leaving." She turned to board the shuttle.
Caleb raced to catch up with Depa, Kira following close behind. The two Padawans stepped onto the boarding ramp and bounded into the shuttle, anxious, nervous and bracing themselves for whatever perils the scouting mission would bring.
So. Ten minutes. *starts breathing rapidly* Ten minutes until my feels get smashed into itty bitty pieces. I might have to go into therapy after this.
Kira: Calm down. You're starting to hyperventilate.
Obi-Wan: Yes, perhaps we should go ahead and conclude this chapter before you pass out.
Me: So who's doing the review notice?
Kira: I volunteer as tribute!
Me: Thanks, but you're not walking to your death. Just saying.
Kira: You're not the one who's doing it. So readers, review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn. Thanks in advance.
Me: Thanks, y'all. Now to prepare myself. May the Force be with you - and with me. Here we go...
Kira: And cue the dramatic wailing. See you guys next time!
