Michael was in a training room with Ahsoka practicing saber fighting with her. Except this time, he wasn't using Juyo, he already had to explain to Shaak Ti that he had no choice but to use it in the battle and how he learned it so quick. He decided to play fair in this fight however, and exchanged his usual banter with his best friend whilst jumping off the walls and around the area.
"So you've improved then, how nice" Michael joked whilst easily dodging her attacks.
"Shame I can't say the same about you" she returned smiling. "You're right. There's just no way I can improve at my skill" Michael jumped then started attacking.
"You're being quite arrogant today you know" Ahsoka couldn't suppress a smile.
"Well I am fighting you" pointed out Michael.
Just then the door slid open and Anon and Jala, who were now adolescents themselves, entered the room with a message. "Hey guys" Anon greeted.
"Hey, how are you two?" Ahsoka greeted.
"Not bad. We've just come back from the council, as we've just been assigned to a master each, to go on missions with them" Jala explained.
"I have a feeling there's going to be a lot more missions that war's been declared for several months now" Michael came up to the three, but why was he kidding himself, he knew there'd be a ton of missions now.
"Aren't you both a bit too young to be assigned to master right now?" Figured Ahsoka.
"I think it depends on the lifespan of your race. That and i think, now that there's going to be quite a lot of fighting they want the masters to have some help as soon as they can" Anon explained.
"They sent us to tell you two that they have a master for each of you now, they are going to assign you to them" informed Jala.
"Us? Already? Wow, i'm going to be going on actual missions, like a real Jedi" Ahsoka's eyes brightened.
"Thanks, are you guys going on any missions any time soon?" Asked Michael.
"Not that we're aware of, but we there'll be one pretty soon. We've only been at war for a few months but with the CIS gaining new ground on a various of systems i think we'll be sent off quite soon" replied Jala.
Michael and Ahsoka bowed farewell to them and walked past them out of the room. "Well good to you on your missions guys, you're gonna need it" Michael said that last part almost inaudibly.
"By the way, the council members are in the holograph spire" Anon called out.
"Thanks" Michael called back and walked alongside Ahsoka.
"They're probably going to send us off to a mission where ever our designated masters are straight away, so expect to have to pack a few things in a minute" Michael reminded Ahsoka.
"I can't believe my first Jedi mission is going to be a battle, providing that my designated master is in the middle of one right now" she figured. "I hope it's master Plo."
The pair continued walking and Michael thought about who his master would be. Deep down, he did kind of want to be apprenticed to Master Ti, for personal reasons, but then again, all she was doing at the moment was overseeing clone training. Not only would that be very boring but, in order to keep his mission and promise to the Time lords, he had to be with a master that would go out into battlefields and be a part of this war.
"Who are you hoping for Michael?" Ahsoka's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Oh me? Well, no one in particular really" he admitted. But then again, there were some certain Jedi who were important to the future of this galaxy, like the chosen one, Anakin Skywalker, for example. It would be a big help if he were apprenticed to him, in order to keep an eye on him.
Michael and Ahsoka arrived at the spire and bowed to the few council members who were there.
"Padawan Res and Tano, we requested you two as we have important messages to send to certain masters on a battlefield right now" Master Windu informed them.
"And those masters whom you are sent to, apprenticed to them, you will be" Yoda added.
"Who are they?" asked Ahsoka eagerly.
"We aren't able to communicate with our Jedi on Christophsis, padawan Tano we want you to deliver the message that commander Jedi knight Skywalker has to return here for a far more important mission."
"Skywalker? So he's my master?"
"Indeed. Take you to Christophsis a ship will , go there, deliver this message and become his padawan you must" Yoda informed.
'So she's going to be apprenticed to Anakin, maybe that's, not such a bad thing after all' Michael thought. Maybe he couldn't keep a close eye on the chosen one, but since Ahsoka was his best friend and she was going to be his padawan, maybe he could keep watch on him after all.
"Padawan Res" Mace got his attention. "We need you to deliver a message that reinforcement's will be delayed on Rhen var, so just keeping holding the line until then."
"To whom?" Asked Michael.
"Master Plo Koon is commanding the forces on that system, apprenticed to him you are" informed Yoda.
"Really?" was all Michael could say with eager surprise in his voice. Not the master he was expecting. Without looking he could already sense the disappointment in Ahsoka next to him.
"You'd better pack anything you two need, you should head off immediately" Windu instructed.
"Thank you masters." Both Michael and Ahsoka bowed and left the room. They were told each of their ships were waiting for them in the temple hanger.
"So, you're apprenticed to the chosen one then" Michael tried to break the ice.
"If he is that anyway" Ahsoka figured.
'Oh he is, trust me i know' Michael thought to himself. "An actual mission. I hope we're not too young" Ahsoka said.
Michael let off telling her that he was 183 years old, not to mention that he had been in defense missions in a far worse war at a far younger age. "Well even if we are, that's not going to make much of a difference. We've been in a lot of training missions before, remember llum?"
"Yes, we would never have gotten out of there if it weren't for you. It was like you've been in those type of situations before or something."
"Yes, well, I'm sure if we just remember our training and feel the force we should be fine. And no offense to the other padawans in our old group, but weren't we the two best performers in training? I mean you lifted things further then most of the padawans and displayed a lot of physical skill" Michael reminded.
"Except for you of course" remembered Ahsoka.
"C'mon 'sokes, you're without a doubt the most powerful Jedi I know."
"What about all the masters?"
"Alright, the best padawan I know."
"Yeah, and i can definitely say the same about you" she put a hand on his shoulder.
Michael and Ahsoka packed the things they needed for their missions but both travelled light. Michael considered taking the small projector that he spoke to the consciousness of Kaben and Henga with, and in the end decided to take it, hiding it in his coat he was bringing with him since Rhen var was an ice planet.
On the way to the hanger Michael decided to ask "You're not, disappointed are you? About me being a padawan to master Plo Koon instead of yourself?"
"Well, a little, that I didn't get to be his padawan, but since I know it's you, I know he's in good hands." Michael smiled, and saw their ships in front of them when they entered the hanger.
"This ride is mine, hope this'll be interesting" said Ahsoka boarding the ship.
"It should be. Just look after Kenobi and Skyguy."
"Skyguy?"
"Just a name I came up for him" smiled Michael.
"Well you look after master Plo okay?" Michael just gave a small salute.
"And I want the person I practice combat with in one piece for our next battle" Ahsoka said with a more serious expression as the ship's ramp started to close.
"I doubt he would miss that for the galaxy." Both Michael and Ahsoka smiled at each other one last time before the ramp closed and Ahsoka's ship took off.
Michael boarded his and sat down examining the projector in his hands as the ship went into hyperspace. He sensed that no one was close enough in audible range and he was in the room on his own. He activated the projector and the images of Kaben and Henga appeared.
"I'm on my way to Rhen var now. I've been apprenticed to master Plo Koon. I'm about to enter the battle going on on that system" Michael informed them.
"The battle of Rhen var? The battle that has that huge cave in whilst a platoon of clones are still inside?" Kaben remembered. Michael sighed. He knew they would bring that up.
"Well Michael, nothing really happens in this battle that affects time or this galaxy, so just make sure nothing becomes too drastic in this battle" Henga instructed, and they disappeared down into the projector.
Michael grabbed his coat with the force and zipped up, since he was now exiting hyperspace. The ship flew through storms and the blizzard was hard to navigate through, but somehow they managed to land safely without crashing and the ramp opened to a Republic command post near an old ancient Rhen var building.
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The snowstorm was very mild and the sounds of wind surrounded them. Michael approached master Plo Koon who was standing next to a few clone commanders. He turned to greet him.
"Master, I'm padawan Res, here to tell you that your reinforcements have been delayed for the time being."
"Great" one clone commander sighed.
"It'll be okay, we just have to hold our defensive line against the CIS until they arrive" Plo Koon reassured the commander and turned back to Michael.
"I take it you're my new padawan Res. I remember you, Michael. I'm proud to accept you as a padawan. I'm afraid not much action has happened at the moment, and we haven't really made any progress. We've managed to hold our post but we haven't advanced against them. We were thinking about using the ice caves to flank them but we don't think they're too stable."
Michael knew that they eventually would anyway. He tried to forget about that and looked over to the snowy wasteland which Michael concluded was a frozen sea.
He wondered "Master, what would happen if we put an AT-TE out into that blizzard. Would it stand up to the severe weather conditions?"
"Well of course an AT-TE would. They're built to stand against a lot more than just a blizzard" a commander rebutled hearing Michael.
"Well then could we possibly send one out that way on the frozen sea to flank the droids from behind?"
"We won't do much damage with just one AT-TE" said the same commander.
"Then we'll send most of them" Plo interjected, obviously agreeing with Michael.
"I think the padawan is right. The droids won't go out into the blizzard because it'll freeze up their circuits. And we destroyed a majority of the droids tanks and ground vehicles already, they won't be expecting an attack from the sea of ice."
The commander sighed but obeyed the Jedi general's orders. "I need most of the AT-TE's on my position, prepped and ready for battle. Yes, immediately."
"You're, really going through with my plan master?"
"Indeed. I want you to enter the one that's going to be at the back. It's still a dangerous mission and i'd prefer it if you were kept at a safe line where you can still co operate" Plo Koon instructed.
Although a little disappointed, Michael didn't want to leave a bad first impression on his new master. Michael nodded and headed towards the last AT-TE that moved towards the Rhen var sea. He climbed into the back of the tank on legs and master Plo climbed in next at the front.
"Move around the droids base and go around the back so we can flank them. Stay at a safe distance from their base so they can't detect us on radar" he commanded.
Michael just sat at the back holding his saber waiting for further orders, until his master came up to him.
"So Michael, sorry about the suddenness of this battle, but normally, padawans aren't signed to masters in the middle of a war."
"It's okay master. I was in the battle of Geonosis so I have experience in this."
"When we get to the other side of the droid base, make sure to stay with me, watch my actions and the ways I use the force to enhance my abilities. You might as well help me in battle whilst I teach you" Master Plo was preparing to go outside the tank since it was nearing the base.
Michael still wasn't use to having a master to himself, it would take some warming up to each other first. But from what he could tell, Michael had made a good first impression, and he seemed a nice enough master.
"Oh and Michael" Michael looked up to Plo at the roof of the tank. "If I've decided to go along with a plan you've come up with this early, I think you and I are off to a great start."
I know i'm slow at updating but now it's at the point where things are going to be hard for Michael in these different situations he's in where he has to make sure the timeline doesn't stray off. Whether he becomes tempted or has to do something to make it happen we'll have to wait and find out. It was quite hard to think how Michael and Plo Koon would first be like with one another, i couldn't just repeat Anakin and Ahsoka, plus i don't think Plo is like Anakin, but i'll try to develop their master/padawan relationship more in the next chapter. Doctor Who belongs to BBC, Star wars belongs to lucasfilm/disney.