CHAPTER ONE: LOYALTIES
As Alma Twill stood before the Jedi Council, unease crept down her spine. She struggled to remain calm, gently opening and closing her hands.
"Do you understand what we're asking of you, Knight Twill?" Jedi Master Mace Windu was leaning forward in his seat, as Alma noted he did when stressing something of utmost importance.
"Yes Master." She nodded.
Ki-Adi-Mundi shifted in his seat. "This is a very important task for you, young Jedi. It is of utmost importance in these times that the Chancellor remain safe. Threats are being made daily."
Alma had never met Chancellor Palpatine. She had heard his addresses and such from the massive holoboards of Coruscant, but she had never met the man. And now she was to be entrusted with his life.
Absentmindedly, her hand drifted to a lock of dark brown hair behind her right ear that was shorter than the rest, where until mere weeks ago her padawan braid had hung.
"Worried about your inexperience, you are." Master Yoda observed. Despite the seriousness of the situation, his eyes still same warmth Alma remembered from her Youngling days. Alma nodded weakly, trying to remain both honest and collected.
"You won't be alone, Alma." Master Kenobi spoke now. "General Skywalker will be assuming most of the responsibility, but Anakin can't do this alone."
Anakin Skywalker. One of the most powerful Jedi to ever live. A man who had led armies into hundreds of battles and was rumored to be the chosen one. And yet she, a newly bestowed Knight with little experience was supposed to assist him?
"Further concerns, have you?" Yoda pressed her.
"If I may, Masters, why me?" the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. "I'm sorry, I-"
"It's alright, Alma. We understand. You feel unqualified, frightened. But your former master described you as the most loyal padawan she'd ever encountered." Shaak Ti, present via hologram, consoled her kindly. "Strength is but one part of being a Jedi. Kindness and loyalty is important as well."
Still feeling a little unsure, Alma swallowed. "I understand, Masters. If you have this much faith in me, then I can do it. I accept. "
"Then dismissed, this council is."
Outside the council chamber, Jedi Master Samwin Unarin crouched to talk with a group of younglings. Her red hair was braided back, but sprigs of curly hair fell loose and framed her face. The younglings were chattering excitedly about the new system of planets they were studying, and Samwin was asking them questions, her freckled face and animated expressions making her look like a padawan again, despite having trained two padawan herself.
"Dewbacks, huh? What other kinds of animals live on desert planets?"
"Um… krayyt dragons… and uh…" a little togrunta boy no more than six stammered.
"...and banthas!" finished a little girl.
"That's great!" Samwin smiled. The door to the council room opened, and Samwin hurridly stood up.
The younglings, sensing Samwin had more important duties to attend to, left with a cheerful goodbye.
Samwin merged with the crowd of Jedi leaving the council room, falling into step by her friend and former padawan. "How was it?" She asked, putting a supportive hand on her shoulder.
Alma rubbed her temples. "Master, I'm not sure you want to know."
The two younglings watched the pair, admiration glowing in their eyes. "I hope Master Samwin is my master when I'm a padawan."
"Well she's gonna be mine." countered the boy.
"Not if I'm made padawan before you!"
"The Chancellor?" Samwin exclaimed in equal parts shock and disbelief. "and along Master Skywalker too?"
"I'm having trouble believing it myself." Alma remarked.
The duo had decided to go for a walk around the shopping district of Coruscant to catch up. Wearing brown cloaks to avoid unwanted attention, they navigated through shopkeeps and booths closing up as the sun set.
"This is such an excellent opportunity for you, Alma. The Jedi Council must have big plans for you. Still a shortlock and you get to serve alongside Skywalker."
"Shortlock?"
"Ah, sorry. It's what the Jedi Knights called me when I was knighted. My master had cut my padawan braid at such an awkward angle that it took forever to grow back." Samwin laughed, and Alma couldn't help but join too.
They were two Jedi, two generals in a war. Two lives that at any day could end in the war they fought. But in that moment, in the setting sun on Coruscant, they were friends again, laughing at silly nicknames and then nothing at all. Laughing for the sake of laughing, to forget the lives lost, the sacrifices made. Laughing to be happy for once in a harsh world that offered no peace.
In that moment, Samwin wished better for her friend.
Author's note: Hey! Thanks for reading! This is my first Star Wars story. Writing a story with an OC is always a difficult task, and this is no exception. My goal is to make Samwin and Alma believable characters while still making them interesting. Please leave a review with any comments, or any inaccuracies I made have made! Updates will be pretty much every day except maybe Saturday because those are busy.
-MontyBeth