It was two months since the three became masters when Fisto said, "Sue, I've seen you training trainee Reann. What is going on with that?"
Susan sighed and said, "She saw me practicing on my first day of my week vacation and I helped her out now we meet up every morning after breakfast and I help her with her training. She's getting better and if she keeps it up, she will be good a duel wielding. Who ever becomes her master will be impressed?"
Fisto smiled and said, "Sue, I think that you should think about becoming her master. She trusts you when you help her, and you would make a fine master."
Susan replied, "But, I just got promoted even if I skipped knight."
Fisto replied, "We did it with Anakin, he was only a knight for a few months before we sent Ashoka to him to teach him some responsibility. I still think that the council shouldn't have done it because Ashoka is becoming too much like Skywalker even for my liking."
Susan nodded as she knew that Anakin would listen to the council then do it his way. He pretty much would get the job done but there always seem to be a pit stop in between. It got him in more hot water with the council then any other Jedi Knight. She wonders if Anakin was able to channel Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn.
Fisto just said, "Think about it, Susan, you would make a good master and trainee Reann could use someone like you."
Susan nodded as she made it to the security room as she had a message waiting on her desk saying that there were no new messages for her to decode. Susan smirked as she thought free day.
As the months past Susan, Aaron, and Tessa finally got to meet Ashoka and instantly liked her. They were upset with the council when they exiled her for a crime that she didn't commit they had Susan investigate the matter as she was trained in the area. Susan tried to tell the council that Ashoka was framed for the crime, but because of the backlash that the media was causing, no one listened to her. Once the real culprit was caught, they saw Ashoka leave the Jedi for good. Susan was pissed and told the council that they just lost one of the best Jedi they could have had.
Susan had taken up Reann as a padawan now that everything was slowing down in the war. Even though it wasn't over yet and Susan felt like it would never end she could tell that not much was going on. She was teaching Reann how to decode messages which Reann was starting to understand and was having fun especially when Susan would give her a data pad filled with different coded messages and told her to figure it out. The messages were just normally a quote to live by. It was a good way for padawan to understand what her job was about sometimes she would even give her what their mission was in code to see if she could figure it out.
Two months later Susan got a mission and took Reann with her it was only a security detail of a senator that felt his life was threaten. Susan was always alert on these missions knowing that anything can happen at a moments notice. Reann was with her looking out the view port and said, "Master, do you think something is going to happen?"
Susan replied, "I hope not Padawan, but with Grievous and Dooku are both out there so anything can happen."
Reann nodded as she watched her master. As they landed and Reann and Susan were walking down they were halfway down the loading ramp when they saw Grievous walking towards them. Susan quickly told the senator to get back to the ship as she got ready for a fight. She had both lightsabers out while Reann did the same just behind her master. Susan looked at her padawan and said, "I want you to go back to the ship and protect the senator. You may keep an eye on the fight and if I fail to hold off Grievous then you are to take the senator off this planet."
Reann wasn't happy but she understood her master's concern. She knew that this was her first mission and was in no way a match for Grievous as he was a hard-enough opponent for most masters.
Susan wasn't happy about this turn of events; she saw Grievous bring out his lightsabers and ignite them. Susan did the same knowing that she would need both lightsabers just to hold him off. She knew that this was going to be her hardest challenge yet. As they started to fight Grievous had to give the girl credit as she was good. Grievous saw an opening kicking Susan in the stomach. Not expecting the kick Susan flew back and was knocked out as she hit the ship. Reann noticed this and went into the defiance of her master and tried to stop Grievous. She was also doing well when Susan started to wake up again both Grievous and Reann noticed Susan getting up and starting on there way. When she got to the front of the loading ramp Reann sent an apology to her master along the bond and forced pushed Susan back up the ramp and closed the door. With one last act she gave the captain the go, signal and watch the shuttle take off without her. The last thing she saw was the shuttle take off as she was stabbed in the back from Grievous lightsabers.
Susan not expecting her padawan to force push her into the shuttle knew that something wasn't right as she hit the couch. She went to go to run out, but the door was close, and the shuttle was taking off. She then knew that her padawan was going to sacrifice herself to let them escape. As they got airborne, she felt Reann death through the force and she went into complete shock. She was not able to move and was crying for her loss.
The Senator asked the pilot if there was any republic ships nearby, he knew that he needed to get Susan to one and he needed the extra protection of the Jedi and clones. The pilot said, "Yes, Senator Anakin's flagship is in this sector."
The senator replied, "Take us there, we need the clones and a Jedi for protection and someone to console our Jedi friend here. I don't blame her she was fighting well until she got kicked and her padawan just sacrificed herself must have been a huge blow."
The pilot nodded as they went toward the republic war ship that he hoped held not only Anakin Skywalker but also Obi-wan Kenobi. He knew that both working together should come up with a brilliant plan. As they landed, he wasn't surprised to see Anakin and Rex standing near the door until the ramp came down.
The senator walked down and said, "General Skywalker sorry about the abrupt arrival but please tell me is General Kenobi also here?"
Anakin said, "It was no problem Senator and yes Obi-wan is in the war room. Rex do you mind running and getting him, I think there is more than just a visit."
Rex ran out of the room while the Senator replied, "I was going to ask Kenobi, but I have my Jedi protector in the ship in complete shock after what happen on the planet that we were on and I can't seem to get her out of it. Your flagship was the closest since you were in our sector."
Anakin only heard that his Jedi protector was in shock and he was running to the ship to check it out. He never heard of a Jedi Knight or Master going into shock unless they felt something wrong in the force. The last time he had seen it was when they cremated Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. As he got in the ship, he was shocked to see Susan crying and staring at nothing as the tears came. He sat next to her and tried to get her to talk to him, but it was like she just wasn't there.
He heard Obi-wan and said, "Obi-wan, I'm in here it's Susan. Whatever happen it was bad I can't even get her to respond."
Obi-wan walked up the ramp and saw Anakin sitting next to Susan trying to get her to respond or at least move. He went to the pilot and the senator and said, "What happen to Jedi Master Thieme?"
The pilot said, "Grievous came when we landed Jedi Master Thieme told us to go back to the ship along with her padawan. Well after a well-placed kick Susan hit the ship and was knocked out for a short amount time. Reann seeing her master was up she forced pushed her master into the ship then singled me to lift off. As I did Padawan Reann was murdered by Grievous."
Obi-wan sighed Susan must have felt it through the force it was always hard when you lose your master or apprentice and he knew that Reann was only her padawan for a few months.
He said, "I will accompany you with my troops to finish off the mission while Anakin stays here to help Susan as he should be able to get her back to normal don't worry senator we will get everything back on track. You did the right thing."
Anakin came down the ramp slowly dragging Susan along the way. Susan was starting to come back to reality, but she still wasn't fully there. Obi-wan sighed as Anakin was already walking towards them to get Susan to med bay. Obi-wan asked, "Are you on a time limit Senator?"
The senator replied, "No general, in this situation I think waiting until tomorrow would be our best option."
Obi-wan nodded as he showed the senator and pilot a room that they could sleep in as he wanted to check up on his formal padawans friend. He knew that it was hurting Anakin to see his friend like this and there really wasn't anything they could do about it.
As he got to med bay, he saw Anakin sitting next to Susan who look like she was sleeping peacefully. Anakin said, "They sedated her for the night. I didn't think she should be alone so what are we going to do?"
Obi-wan replied, "Your going to stay here with Susan protect her for the night. I'm going to report to the council and tomorrow I am going to finish Susan's mission. I'm surprise that Grievous was here it doesn't make sense."
Anakin nodded as he made himself comfy, he didn't mind watching after his friend since that means he didn't have to report to the council.
Obi-wan made it back to the war room and called the Jedi council he wasn't surprise that they picked up quickly. Yoda replied, "A report you have Master Kenobi?"
Obi-wan sighed and said, "Sadly yes, about an hour ago we got a call form a republic shuttle asking for permission to board, Anakin allowed it as they were sounding panicked. Anakin was told by the senator that his Jedi protector was in shock and we were the closest ship. I found out that Susan ended up fighting Grievous and it ended up with Susan padawan getting murdered and she felt it through the force. She is sedated right now in the med bay I have assign Anakin to watch over her. I will take the senator tomorrow with a few of the clones until he decides to return to Coruscant while Anakin will take our dear Susan home."
Windu nodded and said, "That will be for the best. Have Master Susan brief us tomorrow before everyone leaves. She knew the dangers and it's sad that we lost one of our own today."
Fisto frowned he wished that he had gone with Susan, but everyone thought that it was a safe enough mission and no clones would be needed reason why they allowed Susan to take the mission with her padawan. Now this happened and Susan wouldn't take up another padawan again. He knew that he was going to be needed to bring Susan around again at least until Tessa and Aaron arrived back, which hopefully will be in a week.
The next day Susan woke up with a groan as she got up, she noticed that she was in a med bay and saw Anakin sleeping in the bed next to her. She smiled sadly at him and saw the medic droid roll over to her. As she got all clear she went to go and get into a fresh pair of clothes as she went to go find someone who was up to tell her where she could get some food. Thankfully, she bumped into Captain Rex, who was happy to show were the cafeteria was.
She sat talking to Captain Rex and Commander Cody asking on how to heal after you loose one of your men even if she lost her padawan she knew it was the same thing for these men. They gave her a few coping mechanism but Susan knew that it most likely wouldn't work and would just wait until she saw Tessa again. She finished eating when she saw Obi-wan who told her that if she was ready then she should go and brief the council. Susan nodded as he gave her directions to the war room. As she got in, she called in for the council.
Fisto took the look of his former padawan and could tell that this was eating herself up. He listens to her tell her tale and knew that there was nothing she could have done. Her padawan took it upon herself to protect the crew when she notices her master not getting back up then when her master was out, she did what she believed was best. Yoda also noticed that Susan wasn't dealing well and knew that she would not be leaving the temple for awhile if he could help it.
As Susan finished her debrief Windu said, "We are sorry for you loss Master Susan, as the others might have told you Anakin is going to bring you home while Obi-wan will finish your mission. We let you go since we didn't think Grievous would be anywhere near there and you don't have a clone army. Since we know the Grievous is in that area it's just best to leave it to Obi-wan and his team."
Fisto said, "Susan, if you need to talk call on your commlink. I will help you through this until you get back to the temple."
Susan replied, "Don't worry masters I have Anakin watching my back, we all know that he won't let anything bad happen to me."
When Susan left the war room, she gave Obi-wan a hug and thanked him for taking over her mission. She asked that if he sees her Padawan's body to give it a proper Jedi burier. Obi-wan nodded to her as he gave her a hug and said, "Try to keep Annie out of trouble."
Susan replied, "I'll try he won't fly wildly with me feeling like I am."
She waved as he flew off with the senator and went to go find Anakin so they could get back to Coruscant.
As they finally got back to the temple Susan was slightly happy seeing that there was nothing that she could have done differently to keep her padawan safe one of them were going to die that day. She didn't want to go after him for revenge as she knew that one of these days, he would meet his match. As she met with the council Fisto noticed that she was falling into a depression and knew that she needed to talk to someone about it and he was the only one that she more than likely open up to. He knew that he would have to be careful going about it since she was known to be too loud or violent when corner.
Anakin left to be back with his troops after spending a day with his wife Padme. He told her what happed. She felt bad for Susan as she was a sweet girl and for this to happen must be depressing, she remembered when Annie had told her that Ashoka had decided on exiling herself from the Jedi. All Padme knew was that this war was killing everyone involved inside.
Weeks went by and Susan was starting to get back to her old self after talking it through with Fisto until Tessa got back. When Tessa got back Fisto let Tessa deal with Susan who had to deal with her like this once before when her Great Nana died when they were 10 years old. Tessa knew how to get Susan to deal with it and had her back to normal in about three days.
A year later Susan was getting close to decoding the latest separatist message that they were able to intercept when the council called her. She hadn't been called on a mission since she lost her padawan which didn't bother her as she felt like she had more success at decoding messages then she did on the field. She still trained everyday as she believed one who didn't train would get rusty and died. She stayed away from the trainees though not wanting a padawan after the incident with Reann.
As she made it to the council room she literally bumped into Aaron as they both came from different directions. Tessa sighed as she heard then loud ouch. Aaron helped Susan up as the two walked in still rubbing their heads and butt. Tessa shook her head as she saw her two friends.
The two new comers bowed to the council as Yoda told them that they believed that the chancellor was the sith lord, they were looking for and wanted the three to go to Tython and make sure that everything was ready for when they got there. Still not too worried about furniture as they would figure that out when they got there.
Susan said, "How long are we staying there?"
Windu replied, "Only a week unless Skywalker find out for sure that the Chancellor really is the sith lord we are looking for then we will evacuate as many Jedi as we possibly can to Tython."
Susan nodded as they bowed and said, "May the force be with you." With that they left to full fill their mission.
A week went by when they were getting ready to leave, they called Obi-wan Kenobi on his personal commlink and was told that most of the Jedi were killed and the ones who weren't were going into hiding on different planets. Susan nodded as she went to go and tell her two friends. They decided to stay on Tython for a while then they would go find a better planet to hide on.