I do not own Star Wars or Avatar: The Last Airbender. They belong to their respective owners.
After reading a suggestion from a reviewer, I made a slight change to the last chapter. It should be up now.
(One recent update. A poll has been placed on my profile regarding this chapter. Please feel free to leave your votes if you'd like.)
Enjoy!
23 BBY- Cophrigin V
"Tighten your grip Zuko. And remember not to focus too much on the blade itself. Allow the force to guide your movements."
Zuko took in and released a deep breath as he strengthened his grip on his amethyst blade. The practice droid was floating directly of him. And it was Zuko's job to react in time to the stun blasts that it would shoot out.
*PEW*
The droid shot out a yellow beam. Zuko angled his lightsaber in front of his face, deflecting the beam away from him.
"Good. Remember padawan, the purpose of the lightsaber is for self-defense. As Jedi, it is our duty to avoid harming other beings whenever possible."
"I understand master."
Zuko continued to block and redirect the Marksman droid's attacks while Kina Ha kept her gaze intently on her padawan. She kept her focus squarely on him to see if the same mistakes of the past would repeat today.
Unfortunately, it would seem that today was not the day of improvement that both of them hoped for.
Zuko's focus wavered for just a small moment. And at that moment, the practice droid fired another shot. One that hit him square in the shoulder.
"Ah! Come on!"
In both frustration and anger, Zuko waved his arm at the droid. A blast of fire came out, incinerating the droid. It fell to the ground, leaving little more than a burning husk of metal on the grass.
Kina Ha sighed as she used the force to lift the remains towards.
"We need to discuss this Zuko," she said as she threw the droid into the pile of broken practice assistants.
"Your emotions run away with you whenever a setback occurs. Remember Zuko, a Jedi must always be in control of their emotions. To lose control would mean to fall to the dark side."
"I know that master. It's just... it's just... frustrating."
Kina Ha folded her hands into her robes. "In what way? Explain your frustrations to me?"
"I want to get better, but I keep making the same mistakes. My focus wavers for just a moment, and I get hit. This keeps happening no matter what I try."
The master cupped her chin as she tried to find a way to respond.
"Perhaps... there is something else distracting you."
Zuko frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I have not known you to give up on anything easily. That goes against your nature Zuko. The only explanation I can think of is that something is distracting you. Can you think of what it might be?"
Zuko had trouble thinking of a possible answer. He had been so set on trying to finally beat the droids practice protocol that he hadn't considered anything else.
"I think... maybe it has to do with my fire?"
Now it was Kina Ha's turn to frown. "Explain."
"I still don't really understand how it works. Every time I've used it, it's either because I'm angry or fed up, or I'm feeling some other emotion. But Jedi aren't supposed to feel emotion."
Kina Ha was starting to see his point.
"Jedi aren't supposed to be emotional. Is- something wrong with me? Is that why this firepower works the way it does?"
Kina Ha shook her head as she knelt down to face her student directly. "No Zuko. There is nothing inherently wrong with you. This is merely a cause of a lack of knowledge."
"A lack of knowledge?"
"Ever since I found you on that planet many years ago, there have been no expeditions to explore it again. Not a single member of the Republic has even shown interest in establishing connections. Because of that, any knowledge of your people that we have is scarce at best. And non-existent at worst."
Zuko nodded as he saw her point. They couldn't say that anything was wrong with him, because they didn't know anything about his people. Zuko had never even met another person from his planet. He assumed they were human, but he couldn't say for certain. No one knew.
Kina Ha shared his concerns. While the Jedi Order frowned upon attachments to one's world and felt that they would only lead to the dark side, she had never seen the logic in it. Knowing where one came from was an important piece of knowledge in every being's life. Kina Ha felt secure in her identity because she understood where she came from, and how she differed from her people.
Zuko had no such assurance.
And without the wisdom of his own people, it was unlikely that Zuko would ever master his power over fire. While his people may not be the most advanced, they were bound to have traditions and a culture surrounding this power. There were many primitive planets in the galaxy that held traditions surrounding the Force, even if they didn't call it by that name. It was more than possible that Zuko's planet would be one of them.
And Zuko could without a doubt benefit from that knowledge.
"Perhaps it is time for us to visit your homeworld."
Zuko looked up, his eyes wide. "Really?"
"Yes, I do think it would be beneficial to your training. I can teach you how to call upon the Force and master your lightsaber. But this power of fire that you have is something I cannot teach you to control. Returning to your home planet for secondary training would be the best course of action."
"When do we go?" Zuko asked, excited at the prospect of seeing where he came from.
"As soon as we are done."
"Doing what?"
Kina Ha called forth her lightsaber from her belt. She activated the weapon, releasing the blue blade.
"Let us see how much you have learned of Form II."
The two of them sparred, though it was clear Zuko still had a lot to learn. His natural aggression made it difficult to remain centered, a centerpiece of Mikashi, and it gives his master more openings to exploit. It was the reason that Kina Ha was considering teaching him more combat forms to supplement his style.
The two of them continued training until the sun had set. Once the light of the day was gone, they returned to their dwellings in the ship, ready to take a trip the next day.
That Night...
Dreams were often a tricky thing for a Jedi. While some would be nothing more than the fancies and elusions that all sentient beings would have, a Force-user might have a more substantial sight.
Force Visons were known among the Jedi. And cautioned about.
While one might see the future through the eyes of the Force, the view would often be clouded. There was no guarantee that the vision showed the truth, or simply a possible outcome of endless choices. In fact, there have been cases in the past of Jedi who, through their fear and panic, created the very tragedies that their Force visions warned them against.
And yet, Kina Ha was experiencing one now.
She stood upon a single structure built atop an endless ocean. There was nothing for miles around. Nothing but water and a stormy sky. Lightning struck and hundred every other moment, making peace an impossible sensation in this world.
And then they appeared.
From the distance, a new platform appeared on the waves. There was no warning, no buildup, it simply appeared. And on this platform, stood an army cloaked in darkness. The eyes were of different glowing shapes, and that was the only light they emitted.
They all carried hidden weapons, and they stood still as the platform moved closer to Kina Ha's structure.
She tried to reach for her lightsaber, but it was gone. She had no defense. And the Force refused her calls for aid, leaving her trapped to an approaching unknown enemy.
One of them lifted their weapon. They aimed.
And fired.
Kina Ha shot her head upward as she forced herself awake.
"Master?"
Kina Ha turned to her padawan. Zuko was looking at her, his golden eyes filled with a child's concern.
"It is alright Zuko. It was just... a troubling dream."
"A dream? Master, is it...?"
"It is nothing you need concern yourself with. Go back to sleep Zuko."
"But-"
"We can discuss this tomorrow after training if you are still worried. But you need to sleep before then."
Reluctantly, Zuko settled himself back into his pillow and blanket. Kina Ha waited until she could feel him truly asleep before she went into her thoughts.
Her dream was a force vision. Of that much, she was certain. What she was not certain of was the content of her vision.
A planet of water, and a dark army that would arise from it. That was what she had managed to gather. But she was having trouble making sense of it.
It was possible that the Mandalorians were the army she saw. There were known bounty hunters throughout the entire galaxy. But that culture had lost its strength centuries ago. The las crusades were the last time the Mandalorians held any threat over the galaxy. They could not be the dark army she had seen.
Kina Ha was more concerned with the origin of this dark army. A world with structures built upon a world of water. There were many aquatic planets in the galaxy, but there was only one that Kina Ha had a personal connection to. And she recognized it well, even in a dream.
Kamino. Her homeworld.
If homeworld was even an appropriate word to describe her time on Kamino. Her genetic differences had always cast her apart from her people. Her connection to the Force had afforded her a greater understanding of the universe, but none of the other Kaminoans could claim a similar understanding.
One of her happiest memories was when Kras'Dohk had found her and agreed to train her. It was her Trandoshan master who had bestowed upon her then rank of Jedi Master. And it was her who encouraged her to follow the will of the Force above the will of any council or Republic. Advise she carried to this day and hoped to pass on to Zuko.
Unfortunately, it seemed that the will of the Force was instructing her to return to a place she highly disliked. She doubted that Kamino had improved at all in her absence.
Kina Ha sighed sadly as she saw her padawan packing his bags. He had few personal possessions, so the bag was small.
"Zuko. I'm afraid I have bad news."
Zuko looked up at his master. "What is it?"
"We cannot go to your homeworld. Not yet, anyway."
Zuko frowned. "Why not? I thought you said it would help me."
"I do believe that. But I have received a vision from the Force. It has directed me elsewhere."
"Kamino. My homeworld," Kina Ha said as she internally debated whether to give more information. She decided that honesty, at least partially, would be a better path. "There is a possible threat of the dark side on that world. I cannot in good conscious let it be. I must know for certain."
"Oh. Ok."
Zuko was disappointed, without a doubt. He had hoped to finally see what his homeworld had been like. His master had found him in a basket floating down the stream, so she was unable to truly tell him anything about his world. He had hoped to finally see what his people were like. And maybe get some answers as to what his power over fire was.
Sensing his disappointment, Kina Ha placed her hand on her student's shoulder.
"I am sorry about this Zuko. I truly am. But I promise, once the time comes, we will visit your homeworld. You will find the answers that you seek."
Zuko sighed as he came to terms with the facts. His trip to his homeworld would have to wait. If he wanted to be a Jedi. The fight against the dark side would have to come first.
Kamino was not a hospitable planet. It was little more than a series of building built on stilts above the water.
And it was these buildings that Kina Ha was studying as she flew across the thundering sky.
"Why are we still flying?"
"I am trying to find the structure that most resembles my vision. If there is strong darkness on this planet, it will be found on that structure. I must find it."
Zuko nodded as he waited for his master to find the right building. It took some time.
"There."
Kina Ha directed the ship towards a sleek, seal-shaped structure.
The two of them left SP in the craft and walked towards the door. And once it opened, they were greeted by the sight of another Kaminoan.
"Tuan We."
"Kina Ha."
The female Kaminoan greeted the Jedi master, though there was no telling how genuine it was.
"I must say, I was not expecting you to return at any point." Tuan We turned her eyes to Zuko. "And what is this creature?"
Zuko frowned as his master answered. "This is Zuko. My Jedi padawan. He is accompanying me."
"I see," the Kaminoan said with no discernable emotion. "Try not to cause any damage to the experiments. And should you ever return to the Jedi Order, let them know that their order is ready. Our patience is not infinite."
Both Zuko and Kina Ha shared a confused look as Tuan We walked away.
"Do you anything about an order, Master?"
"No. I do not."
The two of them continued their walk through the halls of the building when Zuko decided to share an observation.
"You're people are not very welcoming."
"No, they are not. And I'm afraid that is a cultural issue," Kina Ha explained. "Kaminoans used to live on the surface of this planet before the water levels rose too high. The only reason we were able to survive the great flooding was by turning all our attention towards genetics."
"Genetic? How did that help?"
"We learned how to access and manipulate our own genetic structures. With that knowledge, we were able to expel and remove any genetic weakness we had as a species. Once those weaknesses were gone, we were able to adapt and overcome our predicament."
"Was humor one of the 'weaknesses' given up?"
"Unfortunately yes. Among other things," Kina Ha lamented. "Joy, happiness, sadness, anger, all emotions, and all sensations are seen as a distraction on Kamino. The scientific rationale is held in the highest esteem."
"That sounds..." Zuko had trouble finding the right word. Sad or scary wouldn't work, since the Kaminoans apparently rejected all emotions. Bad was a subjective word.
"It is the way of Kamino. I know it would certainly never work for you," Kina Ha said with a smirk. "Fortunately, Kaminoans are also isolationists. They don't make a habit of exploring other worlds, let alone forcing their ways on to others.
Zuko could at least take comfort in that. No one here was going to force him to do anything against his will. But he still had one question to ask.
"You said we were here to search for something master. What is it?"
"I am not entirely sure padawan. But I feel we may be close."
"Why?"
"Because they are smiling."
Standing on a balcony only a few feet away, two Kaminoan scientists were observing something while taking notes. And their lips were curled upwards as they studied their subject.
When Kina Ha and Zuko reached the same balcony, they were shocked at what they saw.
Beneath them was an entire colony of humans. Each of them was a male, and they were entirely identical to one another. Completely identical, down to their appearance and mannerisms.
"Clones."
Zuko's eyes widened slightly when he heard his master speak out the word. He knew what clones were, and that their existence was possible within the galaxy. But he had never seen any before now. Let alone an entire army's worth.
"Master? Is this the thing you were worried about?"
Kina Ha frowned before answering her student. She reached out with the Force, but she could feel no trace of the dark side on any of these clones. And the more she saw them, the less convinced she was that this was an army of the dark side. She felt no malice from any of them.
But if she had been guided here, then what was her purpose on Kamino?
"I do not know Zuko. I truly do not know."
The Clone Wars will start soon enough. I look forward to seeing how Zuko does in the war. And his interactions with whatever Clone regiment he ends up working with.
Currently, I am thinking that Zuko would work best with a Commando Squad. Those are the clones sent on recon and espionage missions, which Zuko has canonically shown to be skilled in. I think he could work with a regular legion, but commandos would fit him best. Now I just need to figure out which Commando squad he could work best with.
Would the Bad Batch work for anyone?
Also, I have been putting some thought into the possible pairing for the story. After reading through the reviews, there are three paths I could go through.
For those who want to see Zuko with a Star Wars character, Merrin is the main option in that regard. She is a character I loved in the Fallen Order game. And I think their personalities could work well together. For those who like Mae, I still think they could come to like each other. And since I don't hate Mae, I could work with her. The third is Yue. I kinda think it could work similarly to Anakin and Padme's relationship. The whole Jedi and Princess angle.
I'll admit that I am leaning towards Merrin, just because of how much I like her character. But like I said before, romance isn't exactly important to the story. I just want to put the options out there.
Anyway, please leave reviews, tell me what you think, and I will see you all next time.
Bye!