Section 3 || Theron Stari - Start

1200 hours || Geonosis Airspace

It had been six hours since Theron and Delta had withdrawn from the canyon. They had spent the next two hours hopping from hotspot to hotspot on a series of gunships and AT-TEs, shoring up defenses wherever they could. Finally, though, they were on board a Star Destroyer, the Claranassi, en route back to Coruscant. They had been aboard the Destroyer for three hours, and the time was approaching when they would drop out of hyperspace over the city-planet that was the capital of the newly divided Galactic Republic. Theron had spent the first hour trying to sleep, but the leftover adrenaline still in his system had eliminated all hope of sleep, prompting him to wander the ship in the hopes of burning the adrenaline out of his system.

Rounding a corner, Theron ran almost straight into another limping young man wearing a tattered, blaster-scorched cloak with a pair of lightsabers hanging at his belt. For a moment, he thought he was looking in a mirror, as he was sure he looked just as bad as the other man did. Then his brain kicked in, and he realized that he was staring at another Jedi, one he had been in the same youngling clan in but hadn't talked to more than once or twice since they began their apprenticeships. A smile spread across his face, glad to see the other man alive. "Ethibril!"

Ethibril looked up, a smile matching Theron's spreading across his face as he realized who he was talking to. "Theron! It's been a while. What are the odds of winding up on the same ship back to Coruscant?"

"I would imagine pretty low, what with all the new ships we suddenly got."

Ethibril gave a pained smile as Theron gazed down at his friend's right leg, which was wrapped in extremely bloody gauze, and Ethibril was limping, Theron had noticed. "What the shab happened to you?" Theron asked with a mildly surprised look on his face.

"Oh, just Geonosis." Ethibril said with a wince as he tried to put weight on the leg."

"Oh, you wouldn't even believe it." Theron replied amused.

They spent the next hour relating their stories on Geonosis with each other. After a while though, their conversation turned towards other events.

. "I don't see a braid on you. When did you make Knight?"

"A few months before all of this stupidity with Dooku started up. The Trials weren't too bad, but they certainly weren't easy. What about you? Still struggling along?"

"You know shabla well that I'm just as good as you, I just got the tougher Master. And I had to learn more, what with specializing in ranged weapons."

"I know, I know. Though I had forgotten about your tendency to curse in Mandalorian."

"What can I say? I'm Mandalorian, and the Jedi didn't take me until I was nearly eight. Took them forever to look for Force-sensitives on a backwater like Mandalore."

Ethibril grinned at him. "Still, I'm a Knight, and you're still a Padawan. I think that means that I won our bet from way back when. Remember that?"

Theron groaned. "What was it? Fifty credits?"

Ethibril kept smiling. "Yeah, but you can keep your credits. I'm just going to enjoy lording this one over you for the rest of your life."

Theron muttered under his breath. "Kriffing shabuir."

"What was that, Padawan?" he asked, laying extra emphasis on Theron's title.

"Nothing, sir," Theron responded mockingly.

The verbal sparring would undoubtedly would have continued, but at that moment the Claranassi shuddered out of hyperspace. As soon as the ship cleared the last of the hyperspace tunnel, Theron's comlink buzzed with a message. Theron looked down at his com, and his face visibly paled.

Theron, Master Torin is in critical condition. There is nothing we can do. He wants to see you, but he doesn't have long. Come quickly.

- Master Yoda

Ethibril frowned, seeing the change in Theron's face. "What's wrong?"

"My master is wounded. Badly. I need to get down there now. How kriffing long is it going to take to get in close?"

"Two hours at best, sir." The answer came from a passing clone naval officer.

"Thank you, OPS," Ethibril said. "Theron, follow me. I know how we can get there faster."

The pair quickly jogged (Well, for Ethibril, it was more of a forced gallop) from the small viewport access hallway to the hangar, clone soldiers and officer stepping smartly out of the way of the two Jedi. Ethibril scrambled into the cockpit of a V-19 Torrent, signaling for Theron to climb into the one next to his. "I have access codes for the planetary shield," he explained. "I can get us down to the planet. Shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes in these babies."

"Let's go," Theron responded immediately. Theron signaled the control booth to make sure that the launch zone was clear, then followed his friend into space. It took fifteen minutes to get within transmitting range of the shield, then another two for Ethibril to transmit the clearance codes. Eight minutes later, the fighters touched down on one of the Jedi Temple's landing pads.

Theron was out of the cockpit and sprinting towards the medical halls almost before he had finished landing the fighter. He scrambled through the vast, empty hallways of the temple, finally reaching the medical suites. Yoda stood outside one of the doors, and saw him as he came barreling down the hall. "Theron!" he called in his croaky voice. "Just in time, you have come. Not much longer to live, I fear your Master has. Inside, he is."

Theron opened the door, sliding inside as soon as it opened wide enough and going to his Master's side. Master Torin was a Kel'Dor of indeterminate age, though had always had the wisdom of an ancient and the vitality of a youth. Now, his features seemed to sag and the strength that had always been readily apparent had gone. Theron immediately saw the reason why, or rather the reasons. A series of blaster bolts had destroyed one of his eyes, the side of his head, and more had struck him in the chest.

"Master, I'm here," Theron said quietly.

"Good, you're here. Took you long enough," the Jedi said, with a hint of humor. "This is very important, so listen carefully. After Geonosis, and after talking with Master Yoda, we have agreed. You are ready to be Knighted, and Geonosis has taken the place of the Trials. Hand me my lightsaber from the table."

Theron picked up the saber from where it lay on the table next to his Master's bed, placing it in the Kel'Dor's trembling hand. The lights turned out, and the three other Jedi standing in the room, Master Yoda, Madame Jocasta Nu, and Ethibril, who had slipped in while he was occupied with his Master, flipped up their hoods and ignited their lightsabers. His Master ignited his, and touched first Theron's right shoulder, then his left. Finally, he severed Theron's braid with a twitch of his wrist, marking Theron as a full Jedi Knight and Guardian. "My final, and best apprentice. I could not … be … prouder. Take … my lightsaber. It … belongs with you now." The last was a gasp, as the suddenly old Jedi entered the void, becoming one with the Force. Theron grasped the saber, hooking it onto his belt before crouching down to rest his head on the edge of the bed.

Yoda stepped up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Rest, young Jedi. Need it, you do." A wave of drowsiness suddenly washed over Theron, and he toppled over, asleep before he hit the floor.

End Section