A/N~ And we have come to the next chapter. Not just any chapter! This is the final chapter to be released in 2017! I honestly could have not timed to release this chapter at a more special time than New Year's Eve.

It was only months since I started this story, but already I'm receiving a lot of love from you guys! But I wanna say that I'm not just proud of this story, but to all the other ones I've written over the years, even those that I have decided to cancel. I hope that 2018 will give me more time and ideas to write new chapters for every one of my fanfics and give you guys some fun stuff to read.

So, to commemorate my time of writing, here are the final reviewers and other people who have taken their interest in this story before the year ends!

Reviews:

Sinofdark02

Who knows what the future beholds? You'll just need to read on and see what shall happen in the future!

And thank you to anieljesu gonzalez, Sasha37, Cylon One, KoalaKiller, blindkittycat27. Jacob Gustafson, Lukemaster, Dark709, raysouza808, Tayfuno, Little Tattletail, Lolicon-Fetish-Freak, RedFalconWriter, Ragegamer243 and Sir Ludwig for liking the story so far! Also, thanks in advance to anyone who has favourited or reviewed the story before the new year! Every one of you is truly awesome!

Happy New Year to everyone! And now, let us read up the final chapter of 2017, to begin the conflict…


Chapter 2: The War Begins

Sanctum's Pride,

Remnant System,

"D'ow!" A stinging blast whipped the nerves of a soldier's knee, causing him to skip backwards in a clumsy tumble. This was where Jaune Arc ended up in; yet another round of training against a lone training droid which was nothing more than a floating white droid-controlled sphere that shifted in random directions every few seconds before zapping him with a yellow blaze of dull electricity. Right behind him, Pyrrha Nikos was watching him with discipline and care, making sure that her new partner was combat-ready by the time he would be deployed with her on the battlefields.

Both were on board Pyrrha's very own custom-made command ship, the Sanctum Pride, currently on its way to Anima. It was relatively large for a personal ship, but it was the prideful wonder of Pyrrha's arsenal, literally painted in her own image. Originally a Defender-class corvette used by the Jedi centuries ago, it has since been taken by a select few of Remnant's most prestigious officers. Pyrrha herself found the ship to be surprisingly agile and swift for a corvette, being manoeuvrable than most other craft of its size. It was the sort of advantage that she used to combat through illegal blockades or pirate fleets in the past, taking the wheel herself when the going got rough. When she was not in action in the air or in space, the ship was then managed by a well-trained crew of engineers and officers who help Pyrrha manage the Sanctum's Pride while she was conducting her missions. Right now, the champion of Mistral was mentoring Jaune in the art of defence at the conference room at the front, right side of the ship's interior.

She watched as Jaune tried desperately to use a small disc-shaped shield in place of his old one to help him work on his reflexes in battle. Surely his larger shield would give a better chance of protection, but when it came to full battle experience, Pyrrha knew he had to improve on his speed and focus in case his shield would fail him.

Both were now out of their combat armour, wearing simpler clothes that were well suited for light training. Jaune wore a simple white shirt and his blue cargo pants while Pyrrha wore a black tank top with red shorts, making themselves more comfortable but also helped to work on their agility during Pyrrha's training of Jaune.

Soldiers of the Remnant system were being prepared to be deployed into the battlefields of the upcoming war against the Separatist Alliance. While regiments were being formed for mainline infantry combat, other soldiers found themselves in other fields of the army where they were specialized for the more obscure or special of circumstances. And that was where one unlikely cadet was brought into straight off the bat.

No one would have guessed that, out of all the known amateur cadets in recent history, Jaune Arc was given the high honour of being the combat partner of one of Mistral's best. Even the man himself was surprised by the sudden revelation that he was qualified to be part of a special task force, despite not having much of the bravery to show it. Apparently, according to Pyrrha Nikos, the woman who chose him in the first place, she did see a golden narglatch within that measly scurrier. However, Jaune would choose to unleash his full courage only when his friends were in dire need. For Pyrrha, even if it was enough to amaze her, it was still not enough to qualify for active duty. If she wanted Jaune to fight by her side, she needed to kick things up in him.

She decided to choose a simple exercise, mandatory for those at the beginning stages in her school, but still became something of a hobby for her during pastimes. A training remote was the best choice for defensive practices. It was normally a tool to train younglings at the Jedi Order, but the device had made its way to multiple training academies across the galaxy. With their own belief in the Force and the fact that war would always pull off unexpected surprises at every turn, Anima's military training units had grown to accept the prime role these remotes had in allowing young military cadets to become in sync with their surroundings and practice defence with the remote's random shots.

It was something that Jaune was not properly atoned to, however.

"DAH!" Another shot to the shoulder and the man had had enough. He waved his hand out to stop the training session, not wanting to be stung anymore. Pyrrha shut down the remote without hesitation, though she did have to let Jaune know that he was not going to rest so easily.

"This is silly!" the Arc complained. "Can't I just like, I don't know, start with firearms or something? And why can't I use my own shield anyway?" Pyrrha shook her head, denying Jaune the luxury of using a more comfortable weapon when she knew the more symbolic one was always there on his right arm for so long before.

"Your shield is a symbol of the Arc family, is it not?" Jaune looked upon the very heirloom of his family; a mighty tool used for generations that had saved the lives of many of his ancestors for as long as the family itself existed. It leaned ever so proudly over the seat next to where Pyrrha was before she got up to lecture its master. "Then, you're going to have to start making use of it in a better way. For that, you'll need to start working on something lighter and faster if you wish to get better on the field."

Jaune sighed, letting her know that he was not going to enjoy his training any longer. So much for being chosen, he thought…

"Keep going, Jaune." Pyrrha never gave up on Jaune, prompting him to keep up the pressure. "We won't stop 'till this is over."

"Easy for you to say." uttered Jaune. "Let's try it again." He huffed up his body to prepare for another round. The training remote was activated with Pyrrha pushing the button on her remote device to start the training again.

As she had told him, Jaune slowly remembered what she taught him so far. He took a deep breath, allowing his mind to take control and let his body relax to fully channel his inner Aura into his limbs to get started. Calmly, he took another slow breath of air to reel in his energy.

BZZZT!

"Aack!" With his body so relaxed, the sudden sting of the remote's laser on his arm cut him off in a violent shock in his body, sending his arm swinging back. He grew to be quite nerved by the surprise attack, which probably aggravated him and sending his body back in its impatient state.

"Slowly, Jaune." advised Pyrrha, sensing his frustration. "Feel the Force flow through you. Allow it to calm your mind and let you hone in to your surroundings. Close your eyes and let it pass through."

"Gee, you really believe in the Force that much, huh?" wondered Jaune.

"Of course!" Pyrrha delightfully acknowledged her beliefs. "It is truly a miraculous power. We don't have to use it like the Jedi do, but we can feel its presence if you give enough effort to your concentration."

Jaune too, believed in such a power. His family was always telling stories of the times they had served alongside countless Jedi Knights; some even boasting about the day the Jedi first came to help the world of Vale to fight in the Great War, where it was believed that the Arc warriors at the time discovered such power by witnessing the might and wisdom of the Jedi in battle.

Although he too admired such an astral presence, he did not really think it was out there to make you better in what you do. He thought it was just some aura of luck and chance, only intervening at the most desperate of times. Perhaps, that was what he thought considering his own unlucky streaks. By listening to Pyrrha, though, he finally learned that some people, even if they weren't Jedi, actually feel the presence of the Force. He did not fully understand its power, at least until he would meet a Jedi or any other Force-user, but right now, the best he could learn from was someone who trained in its presence alone and not by wielding it.

So, he decided to give it a shot. This time, he calmed himself again and closed his eyes, letting his body loose to feel the energy flow through him. With his vision cleared, he could only hear the emptiness around him, with nothing and nobody to talk. Then, he heard it; there was an echoing clicking noise coming from his right. It happened to be the remote's shifting noise as he could pick out where the remote moved with the drift of noise moving along with it. The next few seconds, he heard another shift, this time hearing the drone move to the left and up a bit over his head. He prepared to make his next move, waiting for that third shift to strike.

He waited… and waited… and waited.

BZZZT!

It struck…

Jaune moved his shield directly at the buzzing blast, successfully knocking off the blast. He certainly felt the shot his small shield, giving him instant relief that he had managed to block the attack. Excited, he went for another round. Again, he waited for the right moment before the drone shot. When it did, he then moved about and rushed to deflect another shot. And then, he succeeded in defending himself with another, feeling the joy of finally making progress in training.

BZZZT!

"Ouch!" Perhaps he got a little too excited… Another bolt fazed his leg amidst his excitement. Pyrrha could see the bad timing in Jaune's celebration, making the miss quite amusing. Nevertheless, this was still a great sign of improvement. Jaune put down the shield and faced Pyrrha, seeing what she had to say about his almost successful defence.

"With a little more meditation, Jaune, you'll be able to focus in no time." She walked over to him and deactivated the remote again, concluding the session at last.

"I kind of figured out the pattern." told Jaune. "Three moves and then shoot. That was all the remote did and I could pick it out. I'm not sure if I ever needed to depend on the Force or anything." Pyrrha tilted her head for a second, tolerating Jaune's opinion on his battle style.

"As long as you stay focused, it doesn't really matter. The Force will guide you regardless." Jaune let out a knowing smile. After so long being berated by most of his superiors at the Academy, someone was there to give him support for his training and not yell at him for any inconvenience. He was glad that there was Pyrrha to back him up and make him feel stronger. He hoped that in the scary times ahead, he would be able to come out on top and fulfil the family legacy.

"I can get used to do this whole partner thing." he complimented.

"It will be an honour to have an Arc like you by my side." added Pyrrha, very happy that Jaune grew to accept his new role in the army alongside her. What the war was about to throw at them, they weren't certain. All they knew was that everything was about to get real. For Pyrrha, this would be unlike anything she had ever done. The skirmishes she fought in, the disputes she helped bring down; those were only appetizers for her performance in the bigger conflict. For Jaune, however, this was going to be hell…


Cantonica,

Corporate Sector,

Outer Rim Territories,

A lone ship jumped out from hyperspace in a blink of an eye. It pulled out of a super bright tunnel of endless light to suddenly bolt into the stars again; with the desolate-looking desert planet of its destination in sight. The rusty-looking Corellian merchant ship flew slowly forward at cruising speed. The flat corvette shaped like a tombstone had a cockpit stuck out right from the centre of the front and had the typical pair of blaster cannons built at the top and bottom of the ship. Powered by two narrow engine boosters at the back and a satellite dish behind the top gun, the freighter made its way towards the planet with a pair of passengers who were on a mission.

"I guess this is it." Ren adjusted the controls to bring the ship to proper speed after its jump from Jedha all the way to his destination. He gazed upon the skin-coloured planet splattered with both dark and light patches of orange and brown, different compared to the darker brown ones found on his home world. After flicking through the switches above him, he turned around to look for his partner for the mission he was sent to.

"Nora? Are you sure this is the-?" The moment he laid his eyes on his partner, Nora was already messing around with a can of food, eating the stuff like a gorging nexu. Needless to say, Ren was not really comfortable with such eating habits.

"Mmm…" Nora rubbed her tummy after a good meal, which Ren thought was perhaps too much for her enjoyment.

"Nora, what are you doing?" he asked inquisitively.

"Mmffmm…" Nora tried to talk, still having her mouth full. She then gulped in the big chunk of meat down her throat with no difficulty in an almost disgusting display of gluttony. "This can of bantha jerky ain't so bad after all! You gotta try this!"

"I would, if you hadn't been gorging on the last of those supplements." Ren's statement gave Nora a bit of irritation on her part, hands now on her hips.

"Hey! This is my ship!" She shot herself a thumb to her head, pointing out the fact that she was the owner of the vessel. "My ship, my rules!" The ship was once a common trading vessel throughout the galaxy. Nora so happened to snag the one she owned from a rough chase from the law in Corellia. The ship wasn't much to her liking, but it was home. She could carry all the trinkets and trophies and store them in without having to carry them around for show. Ren, on the other hand, saw these rather useless items as nothing more than junk.

"Uh huh." Ren turned his head back to the cockpit glass in front of him, flying the ship on towards Cantonica. Despite his lack of knowledge of the known galaxy, he has taken Nora's ship on multiple trips in the systems surrounding Jedha before, allowing him some experience in flying around the cosmos. This current trip was, however, much more of a new journey for him. There were many questions he had about the galaxy he never knew; questions that he had to suppress.

"Lighten up! We're going to hit the big city at last! Where the richest of the rich make it their all! To be greater than the greatest! To live the luxurious life of a grand nobleman!" Ren couldn't understand Nora's glee for the corporate world. Whenever he thought of the rich and glorious compared to the people of his own world, he often thought of the hopeless scenario where these rich folk had buried themselves in their money all this time that he knew nothing was done to help out the poor. It was suggested that there was something conniving behind the scenes, hiding behind the shiny curtain of their fancy image.

"These people feed off from other worlds, Nora." explained Ren, still disgusted over the thought of such people existing. "All that money and life is such a vile motivation for the greedy. That's the Corporate Sector for you."

"Exactly!" cheered Nora, willing to justify her excitement. "These guys don't give a thing! They all got the mullah to afford the greatest things most forms of money can't buy!" Ren shook his head, not wanting to go on and make things more complicated for their conversation.

"Well, don't get yourself too excited." reminded Ren. "We're not here to gamble our savings for some other low-life's fortune. We've got our mission to do." Nora shrugged her shoulders, not really feeling the fun out of Ren's little errand.

"Yeah, yeah. Find that friend of yours and find the relic…" She walked to the dashboard and sat herself next to Ren at the co-pilot seat, kicking back with her feet on the control panel to the right and laid the back of her head on her hands. "This will be a breeze." Ren didn't really agree with Nora; even a young Guardian of the Whills from a backwater world knew well enough that the galaxy was never as simple to go around as she thought, let alone one that was about to burn in the fires of war.

"In a galaxy like this, nothing is ever a breeze, Nora." Pushing the throttle stick forward, Ren fired the ship right for the greedy world before him. He was anticipating to find himself in a city where the corrupted and the despicable aristocrats gather and throw all their money on some of the most unlawful or crooked activities out there.

If everything worked out the way he planned, it would be one sure way to finally hone in on the location of the ancient Jedi relic to return to the Temple back home. Otherwise, he would have to result to his training and the art of zama-shiwo to help him survive whatever danger may come to him. No matter what came his way, all was as the Force willed it and he would have to go with the flow as the dice rolled.


Concordia,

Mandalore,

Mandalore System,

Her Kom'rk fighter ran for a good few minutes since escaping the ground. Blake was able to reach the clouds by the time the guards contacted their superiors. Keeping her hands on the controls ever so tightly, she was sure she would be pursued by more fighters from the surface. There could be some more waiting in orbit as well, so she was feeling the noose tightening around her, threatening to trap her in and finish her off.

When she could see the sky gradually turned into the endless void of stars, she could also feel the pressure of the gravity well pushing her from the inside. Once she got out of orbit, all the tension was released in an instant, regaining her breath and composure while safely cruising away from the planet of hell. While finally relieved from the actual pressure crushing her, she was still feeling uneasy by the heat she was about to get behind her.

The fears of being caught in the crosshairs again came too soon for her liking. Yellow blazes of laser fire already began to zoom right past her, shooting up her nerves with the sudden sounds of rapid fire passing her ship, coupled with the racketing sounds of metal being blasted all around outside.

From the scanners shown on the screen above her, she could see the red dots blipping all behind the centre where it indicated her own fighter. Five of them to be exact, meaning she was in for a heck of a chase. She pushed the controls to full thrust to try and get into the right position to make the jump to lightspeed while avoiding the Death Watch fighters right behind her, firing upon her with their rotating wings shooting lasers at a wide radius which made manoeuvring around them a whole lot more difficult.

There was no point fighting back. If she turned around and engaged her pursuers, there'd be a good chance more would arrive to make things complicated. The only thing Blake could do was what she planned to do this whole time.

Run. Away from all the lies she heard; away from the diminishing hope of fulfilling her ideals. She needed to run from the White Fang as far away as possible. She planned to retreat to another system far away from Mandalore as possible before she could back and find the one person she wanted to bring along for her exile in life. The friend she could always depend on during her first years in the White Fang. She knew she was on Concord Dawn where she was about to finally enter the real harsh world of the radical ideas of the corrupted organization. Ilia had to be saved, or Blake would be alone in an unforgiving galaxy where she would have nothing else to fight for.

The fighters began to swarm in closer to her fighter, still blazing it with heavy fire at its hull. Eventually, Blake could feel the ship shake violently as another projectile hit the ship. The blast triggered the panicking noises of the ship's alarm system whirring within the cockpit. A red blinking light on her dashboard flashed on and off, giving Blake more of a reason to feel agitated. Her shields were down; having been bombarded by the barrage of lasers behind her. And the shots kept coming, threatening to blast open her hull and blow her up, putting an end to her tragic life for good.

She had to put in all of her efforts to escape the system. Seeing no need for her weapons, she rewired all the power to her engines, making the ship go much faster at the cost of her attack power. Once the ship reached the maximum speed, Blake prepared to flick through the buttons that would send her ship to hyperspace.

The fighters continued to shred her ship's armour apart. At any moment, Blake would be in dire trouble once the insides were exposed. There was nothing more she could do but continue to fly forward and hope she was right in position to make the jump. She closed her eyes, holding on to her last bit of determination that she would make it past the danger and finally escape. The more she sped, the more blaster fire she was sustaining. The lights around her flashed red, indicating a danger level that told her that her fighter was about to be disabled or worse. She began to feel the tremors inside become more violent after each set of hits. Her hands wrapped around the control stick even tighter than ever, about to brace for the possibility that she could blow up and become nothing but a memory.

The ship was now being rocked by more firepower; the controls began to spark out from system failure and the heat was building up from an eventual burnout. Blake was now out of options, ready to embrace death and see no more of her miserable existence…

BEEP!

Then, there was that one beep from her dashboard that gave Blake that flicker of hope. She opened her eyes to see another light being shined upon her. A green one. It was the sign she was waiting for. Moving quickly, she clicked through the buttons and flicked through the switches that would finally see her off the system.

"Come on… Make this work." Despite that she was still in danger, she had that brief moment to make it right. She finished up with the last of the buttons she needed to press, but she then held on and prayed that she managed to get the right sequence from all of the rushing.

When she pressed the button that would activate the jump, she desperately prayed that she was on her way. In front of her screen, she could see the beams of light converge in a bright vortex that was now about to shoot her ship away into the unknown. Blake had done it. She was now finally entering hyperspace. In an instant, the ship had flashed off into nothingness, as if it had been popped like a balloon. The ship was gone, leaving behind the Death Watch fighters to scramble around from their failed attempt at destroying the traitorous Faunus.

Thanks to her quick thinking and precise response to danger, Blake was now out of harm's way… for now…


Jedi Temple,

Coruscant,

Coruscant System,

Ruby couldn't believe what had happened to her that night. She just got what was probably the ultimate plot twist in her life's story. She had always wanted to be a great Jedi; someone who would go out to make sure the galaxy was a more peaceful place to live in. She had never wanted it to happen like this.

At that moment, everything was a blur to Ruby. She had just been made a Knight. An actual Jedi Knight. A rank only given to those who have passed the Trials to prove their skills and connection to the light side of the Force. She felt that she was far behind anything to be made worthy of even going into the Trials, and yet, she was knighted before she could start thinking about going through with that path. A path she was going to take based on her preparations within the Jedi Order.

She felt quite mixed about the sudden rise in rank. She didn't really feel like she deserved the title as she was far from being ready to take the Trials. Her confusion played with her mind, messing with her thoughts and giving her all sorts of questions. All in all, she could not understand what made the Council decide on her early rise to knighthood.

But it wasn't just the illogical workings behind it all that perplexed her. When she heard that the Jedi were going to war, she felt that she was going to lose all the friends she made who were most definitely going to join the fight; one that would prove bloody and devastating. And now, thanks to the Council, she was going to be part of it as well. Fear was driven into her, making her forget about the endless amounts of times she was reminded to be strong and fight the anguishes in herself. Of all the crazy adventures she had with her Master, she seemed like the one Padawan who would be psyched about going on an even more dangerous crusade. Alas, the thought of going through a conflict which would see death and destruction at a rate never before imagined was all too much for her to take.

"Congratulations, my old Padawan." Yet, even with her fears, her own Master didn't seem to notice her anxiety. It was plain clear on her face. Why was he not worried about her? "Or should I just refer to you now as Ruby from here on?" Ruby remained silent, refusing to play along with her Master's attempts at cheering her on.

The silence was already noticed by Kenta. To be honest, he had already predicted Ruby's appalled reaction to her knighting the moment he heard that the Council was willing to make her a Knight. In fact, she wasn't the only one. Many more Padawans were being rushed to knighthood, as a way to increase the number of Jedi warriors to be sent to battle. It was a move that he found to be very troublesome, if not completely bogus. Regardless, despite his initial opposition to the idea, he decided to let the Council run its course, rising his Padawan to prominence, even if she didn't make it to the Trials yet. He had been loyal to the Masters so far, and they didn't fail him once. It was just that, being in war at all, he was beginning to think that the Council was starting to put their opinions to the test. Whether this was a bold move or a misconception of ideas, he was not certain. He just had to follow along for he had no choice but to allow things to happen.

"Oh come on. Now what's wrong?" He asked his Padawan, although it was plain clear she wasn't liking the Council's choice.

"I just don't understand." confessed Ruby. "Why did the Council make me a Knight? I've never even been close to taking the Trials. Why make me a Knight now?" At last, Kenta could finally stop pulling wool over her eyes. He let his breath out in a mixture of anxiety and disappointment, as opposed to the false face of cheers he just had.

"It's been a subject of debate." he told Ruby. "As far as I've seen from our Masters, apparently, your ascension to Jedi knight has been very… mixed." Ruby had thought just as much; to hear that this sudden ascension was not a hundred percent approved, it was enough to give her chills about the way things were going to be. "But it was in favour of the majority. Because of this war, the Council could use all the Knights they could have. And you, Ruby, are just one of those worthy of being one." Again, Ruby was not seeing the picture. She was not on board with what her Master was telling her. She was not qualified to go through with the Trials, so why was Kenta telling her that she was already ready to face the tribulations of a Knight?

"I'm not sure if you could have passed the Trials, but what is certain is that you are indeed skilled enough. You've helped wrestle down certain criminal plots, hunted down several cult groups threatening the Republic, and even guided the younglings throughout your time here." Kenta was taking his speech to heart. Even if the decision to knight Ruby was questionable, he had to remember what Master Yoda used to tell him.

Trust in the Force. As he had mentioned, if Ruby was beyond all the things he had reminded her of, then surely enough it was probably as the Force willed it.

"Plus, let us not forget your prowess in combat as well." he added. "It's not common to see a Padawan take on a group of gundarks all on her own, and won without her Master's aid. You even saved me from those Black Sun pirates during our mission to Fondor."

Ruby couldn't really have the energy or reason to smile brightly. She knew how hard she worked to fulfil her Master's teachings and gladly reminisced about those wacky adventures of hers. She just didn't think it was all well enough to prove her worth to becoming a Knight. Nevertheless, she found the mood to give a small smile, grateful for her Master for his part in showing her the way to becoming a Jedi.

"All thanks to your teachings, Master Kenta." While she was feeling a little bit better, she could not shake off the feeling of fear that she would face the horrors of war. And that was not all she had to worry about…

"But, there is still much fixing needed." Kenta then continued with a critical tone. "Apparently, you are still reckless and you lack discipline. I must always be there to lecture you should you disobey an order from me or the Council." At once, her thoughts were washed away, going into another one of those defensive arguments to save what little prowess she had over her actions.

"Hey! If it weren't for me not listening to you, you would have been squashed back at Fest." she reminded.

"That was only a lucky chance, Ruby." Kenta fired back with a low but solid comment. "You are already a Knight by approval of the Council. At this point, you would have been disciplined enough to carry out decisions with wisdom and patience. Two traits that you tend to lose in battle."

Ruby wanted to fight back, but after what she had been through, she knew already that she could never best her Master in the battle of minds. He was right. She couldn't bear to hold in her excitement when jumping into the thick of the action, making her impulsive and quite rough when it came to battling. It was something her Master always disciplined her for.

With nothing left to fight with, Ruby finally gave up saying anything. She had to let her Master be right about what he thought of her.

"Fine. I will try and…" Just as she was about to pledge her efforts, Kenta stopped her, finger pointing up as to silence her.

"No. Try not. Do. Or do not." He put down his hand and shook his head, showing Ruby the real way of approaching her problems.

"There is no try." Yes, it was the same thing she was told by Master Yoda. And in her heart, she understood what it meant. Never to attempt and assume how things would go. Just believe in the Force and take on the danger with faith and calm.

"I will do my best, Master." She bowed, with new hope filling in for the war ahead. "I promise." Master Kenta then placed his hand on her shoulder, letting her know that he was behind her all the way. He too was going to be pushed into the conflict, so he had to give his full support to his old Padawan, even if he was not going to be there for her most of the time.

"Despite all the flaws and shortcomings, you have proven yourself time and time again. Even if your rise to the rank of Knight was due to a desperate attempt to prepare for war, you are, without a doubt, a great student. And I couldn't be any prouder to be your Master." confessed Kenta. Finally, it was enough to give Ruby enough to make her trademark smile, thankful for the Master who took her so far.

"And I couldn't have asked for a better Master than you, Master Kenta." The two finally bowed to each other, quite enough the affection the teacher and the student could give. No doubt, however, Kenta was a wonderful father figure, even if she had her own. Speaking of whom, she hoped that one day, she could return home to help her father from his depression, and give him the joy he so deserved. The only way to do that was to bring Yang back home.

For now, she had to think about the war, still worried about the horrible things she might have to face. The deaths, the destruction, the fear… She had to face through all of this in such dastardly times.

"I really wish we could have avoided all of this, Master." said Ruby. "I'm just not sure if I'll ever be ready for war."

"I'm afraid times have changed, Ruby." responded Kenta, equally concerned. "Soon, we will be called to serve a greater duty. One that shall determine the fate of the galaxy. War tends to do that most of the time." Then, he corssed his arms, as if he had thought about something that might lift the burden up from Ruby's shoulders. "But you know what? Once we pull through and end this war quickly, we could finally make the galaxy a better place. I just know it."

Ruby's concerns were soon replaced with hopeful thoughts. Granted, she was still shaking from the idea of war, but it didn't matter if she was a Knight or not; one thing was clear and that she had to contribute and help win the war, not just for the Jedi or the Republic, but for everyone in the galaxy. This was her chance to make things right.

"I'm sure we can prevail, Master. As long as we trust in the Force, right?" With their sights set on victory and peace, the two Jedi could now enjoy a little bit of fun before the inevitable conflict. A friendly conversation was just what they needed. Things, however, were going to be a little bit different between them. Before the turn of events, they were teacher and student.

Now, as of this moment, they were both Knights, ready to fight alongside each other as equals, not in skill or power, but as blood siblings, standing up for what was right.

"Now, let me tell you more about Geonosis. You won't believe the stuff I've been through…"


Coruscant,

Coruscant System,

Now, the powder kegs have been lit up and blown apart. The war was finally about to kick off. Numerous systems throughout the galaxy were already waging their bets and contributions to the two sides of the conflict.

The Republic and the Separatists. Two different powers with different ways of fighting a war. It was the militaristic might of a clone army against a mechanical menace of a droid one. The fate of the galaxy now rested within these two factions consisting of an ever-shifting balance of allegiances. The Republic would have to mobilize before more systems were to be lost to the Confederacy.

As such, the clone armies were prepared to deploy, marching through the city of Coruscant to demonstrate the tremendous power and superiority of the Republic war machine to the galaxy. Large squares of white-armoured soldiers crowded the wide open spaces of landing zones, grouped up with battle walkers and armed gunships; all waiting to be loaded into large, triangular starships that would then lift them all the way to the forming battlefields of the galaxy.

While politicians may ravel in the glorious battles ahead, some others would not see the light of the growing conflict. Even with all of their opposition towards open conflict, the Jedi Order knew they had to pledge their loyalty to the cause of peace and safety of the galaxy, leaving them no choice but to send their own warriors to battle.

It was the thing that one individual was not happy about. Watching the armies march into their transports from atop the roof of a skyscraper, a lone cloaked figure stared on with dread. He had long predicted the day would come that the Jedi Order was now falling into a state of uncertain doom, and he was seeing it all unfold in front of his eyes. He lowered the cowl hiding his head, revealing a man, dirty and sour in appearance, but all of that hid the inner wisdom that he harboured ever since he left the Order.

"I don't think Summer would have been prepared for this…" the man wondered. "To see her daughter become a Knight so early, and to be sent to a war from which we won't come back alive from." He took out a canteen from his belt and unscrewed the cap, drinking up a somewhat savoury fluid before wiping his mouth and gulping down the fluid to return to the sour taste of reality hitting him hard.

"Seriously. What has the Council come to these days?"


Atop the landing platform just outside the Temple hangar, Ruby walked forward, exiting the complex she called home to finally head off to embrace the duty of fighting for peace. Her red cape was blasted by the wind as it fluttered strongly with the breeze. She looked around to see other Jedi being loaded into the same gunships she once saw at the assembly halls where she first laid eyes on the very soldiers she was going to fight with.

There she saw a few of her good friends like Velvet, Yatsuhashi and more also heading off to join the fight. After all the times she spent with them, she feared that she would never see these wonderful friends ever again. She could only hope that they would make it out alive so she could enjoy the victory with them. That is, if she could help win the war…

There was no time to think about all that. She had to face the then and now; she had her own missions to do. Right off the bat, she was already on her way to do one. Her first mission of the war was about to come.

In front of her, Ruby could see the shuttle she was going to take to her next destination. She was to recover a lost droid that held some information about the Republic that would prove vital to the war effort. She felt the whole burden being brought back to her, feeling the pressure of a critical mission being given to her. If she failed this, then it would give her new enemy the upper hand. She could not afford to lose this mission. She was going to finally prove that she had what it took to help the Republic.

The vessel she was going to take was another new sight for her. She stared at its strange design, with a wide and long dorsal fin on top and two bent wings, flipped upwards to reveal the landing gear. The cockpit of the shuttle stuck out forward in a bulky head with the boarding ramp being lowered below it. These were the kind of stuff Ruby would be excited about; seeing new machines and weapons were all the rage for her, despite being taught to not indulge in such matters. Perhaps now, she would have a reason to care about these new things, to better understand how they work and how she would use them in the war.

Ruby was about to enter the ship, but not before seeing her Master standing right in front of the ship. She knew that he wouldn't be accompanying her this time, but she was not going to let the loneliness get to her.

"Well…" she uttered, taking a deep breath from the nervousness. "This is it."

"You seem nervous, my old Padawan." Kenta was quick to notice the expression on her face.

"I'm still just… not sure if I'm ready for this." Ruby shook her head, still wondering if things would have been different if war was not happening right now. She then looked back to how things were before the war was announced. It was weird how sudden the feeling sank in when she was being pulled into this unfortunate event. "Funny. It was just yesterday when I was still a Padawan learner, feeling like taking on the galaxy. Then now, I'm a Knight. Not full-fledged, but still… a Knight. I don't think I'll ever be ready soon enough for the chaos."

"No." reminded Kenta again. "Don't think. Feel. Let the Force guide you, and you'll be on your way." Ruby remembered well, taking in another deep breath and letting the energy inside of her flow smoothly to give her a head-start for the troubles ahead.

"To Iego, I go then!" she finally cheered, making Kenta give out a smile as well.

"That's my Padawan." Finally, the time had come; for both master and apprentice to go their separate ways. Ruby was told that Kenta was to be sent to another mission to meet up with his own clone forces. She wondered that, since she was a Knight now, would she get a clone force of her own? How awesome would it be to be followed by a squad of clones to fight her battles with? She could squeal in anticipation for such a chance to test her leadership skills, as she so claimed to have anyway.

There was no time to dream about leading soldiers in shining armour and cool weapons to battle now. She had to focus on the mission at hand. No matter how boring it may have sounded, Ruby accepted that it was still a mission she had to take for the Jedi Order and the Republic. So, with her thoughts cleared and goals set, she moved on towards the shuttle, but not before hearing her Master call out to her with the words of encouragement she always loved to hear.

"May the Force be with you!" She turned around and smiled back, wishing her old Master the same.

"You too… Kenta." The Jedi Knight cracked a grin. Finally, she could call him his real name without being restricted to honorifics, at least not all the time. Kenta waved back, accepting Ruby's slightly more informal wish to him. He watched as she disappeared into the transport before the ramp was lifted, not to be seen for a while. The ship was then lifted into the air, taking off to Ruby's first mission.

As the transport began to take flight and soar into the sky, Kenta prayed to himself. Through the Force, he pledged his hopes that Ruby would be able to rise even wiser than before, to become the Knight she always wanted to be and save the galaxy alongside her masters and everyone else she knew and would know later on. Today, her skills were about to be put to the test.

Today, the war begins…


A/N~ And that was that! Finally, we're about to kickstart the story and have our characters fight in the big war ahead of them. I hope everyone has enjoyed this chapter and here's to a bright future ahead of us!

Once again, Happy New Year and let us pray that we will have a great 2018! May the Force be with us all!