I cut out at the inbound blaster bolt that's coming right for me and deflect it away.

That felt right—

Dooku's cane comes into contact with my lower calf. "No. Raise your foot. You are dragging it!"

The Force informs me that Dooku is resetting the probe droid, scheduled to fire on me as we drill this one particular technique.

"Again." Dooku instructs me then taps my shoe.

Lifting my foot as Dooku desires, I pivot backward while blocking the bolt from the probe droid—

"Again."

Seriously? Let me get to the second set. I'm lifting my foot—

"No, you are not." Dooku counters me.

I keep forgetting that I have to shield my mind here too…

I'm relaxing too much out in the real world.

"You may believe that you are lifting your foot as you retreat. But you are not in physical reality. It is a trick of the mind. Again."

Holding in my desire to sigh, I blink behind this blindfold and reset.

Feet even, shoulders close to square. Left hand behind my back, right hand I have my lightsaber up in a textbook ready position.

One…Two…

Again, lifting my foot and pivoting back, I successfully—

Cane.

"For someone in a dance class, you move your feet like cinder blocks."

"My instructor thinks I have the best footwork in class!" I get back at Dooku.

Rinaldi's raved to the class about it. It was awkward.

Dooku makes an indifferent noise. "Then she must not be a good teacher."

"I've learned a lot." I disagree while moving back into a ready position once Dooku raises his cane.

"Your head and your feet could both be filling with misbelief. I know one of them isn't."

My head, meaning…

"Again."

Dammit.

Exhaling, I fall into the desired stance, pivot back and—

"No. Again."

Reset the droid…

I rotate my lightsaber once and get back into my stance again, swivel backward and bl—

…

Dooku's cane.

"Shall we go get the shoes you bought using my money, or stay in Jedi boots?"

Don't pop off…it's your index fund that's currently serving as my bank account and budget.

Granted I started with a million of Dooku's money. But now I've got more than that. And I've stayed within that.

It's my money.

"Again. Let the action itself, the steps the rise, the turn, the swing of your lightsaber be the intention of your attention. Focus." Dooku taps on my shoe with his cane while resetting the droid.

In position…One…Two—

"The rest of the motion is tolerable, the blade, the turn…it's just the foot."

"I'm raising it!" I bite in frustration.

I AM!

"You think you are. You are blindfolded, my very young apprentice. I am not, and I see all of your motion as you attempt to execute this move."

That's not what I'm saying.

…

My mental shields hold before Dooku responds. "Again."

Alright…One….Two—

I block the bolt and complete the pivot backward, then hesitate for a split second.

He didn't stop it.

I repeat the move, making sure to lift my foot decidedly this time. The rest of the movement flows through me and my lightsaber blade is in the perfect position to block the next bolt before the droid beeps.

Dooku stopped it.

"Now we'll see if it's replicable. The first rotation was the best. On the second the lift was a bit exaggerated but adequate. Again."

…

…

The bolt is redirected to the wall beyond before Dooku speaks again. "This is not an offensive act. You are defending yourself against the bolt. What is the primary goal of Makashi?"

"Using precision blade work to counter broad attacks."

Dooku's cane taps on the ground crossly. "No. It is to prevent disarmament. To remain balanced. Keep your rhythm. Again."

Settling my feet, I put myself into my first position and reach out into the Force before executing the movement that Dooku is drilling into me.

"Much improvement. Have faith in the movement, commit to it. Everything else will follow."

"I feel late. Like I'm going to be late." I reveal.

Even though I had to really pull around to get back to the bolt in time.

"You are not. Believe in yourself, trust in the Force. Trust your training." Dooku advises me.

"It's not that simple!"

What about the physical problem here? Do I have to 911 clear my hips in order to get back to the bolt in a situation like this?

"You drill your own charges, but do not practice those lessons yourself." Dooku's tone turns taciturn.

I—

"If you so choose to open your ears, my advice is in front of you. Place your blindfold on, I am putting you on a twenty-minute timer. Long enough to go brew up some tea…"

…

"Yes, Master."

Dooku holds his silence while making his way to the door. "I would imagine if Michelangelo's marble for David could speak, it would sound a bit like you, my very young Apprentice."

Wha—

"Our time here means nothing if you do not open up your mind. Expand your mind, get off these mental binaries. Faith…young one. Faith."

Dooku's cane taps twice on the floor, activating the drone. My attention falls to the drone as Dooku slips out of the room, closing the door so softly I don't catch it.

Lift, pivot, turn, block.

(Hours Later)

The sound of simulated gunshots echoes throughout the hall and down here to the kitchen.

Guess we know what they're doing.

Grabbing the bottle of water I was looking for, I Push the door closed and make my way into the theater room.

Just in time for Matt to rush into a hail of bullets.

"You know, the goal is to not get shot?" I open the conversation.

JJ tries not to laugh but does anyway as Matt respawns. "Happens to everybody."

That's fair.

Both of them focus on the television screen for a moment as I find my normal spot in the corner of the couch before JJ asks "No Sabine?"

"No, she took what she's working on over to Roski."

"Roski?" Matt inquires.

"Art College," JJ explains. "Why? Jaicey's said she's been working on homework all week."

A distant "Yeah!" floats to my ears from down the hall beyond the setup we have here.

I always assumed that was JJ's room. Which means…

—Not your business.

"Her professor marked down her grade for no real reason and she's overthinking it." I explain.

Started last Friday. Beforehand she was thinking about starting a sketch for Hera and Kanan's piece. Then here she comes back Friday, tears in her eye going on about how her professor hates her.

"No real reason?"

Matt replies "It's art. Isn't that sort of thing in the eye of the beholder?"

"I think in this situation that is the professor." I give him my answer. "I saw her work on it, she explained a bit of the process to me. He's just being a tough grader."

He said paint something with two items in the background that will catch your eye. Can't be gaudy or obvious, but has to catch somebody's attention.

Sabine did that, and apparently, the guy wasn't being literal. He wanted metaphorical depth. Like a book report for art.

At least what I understood from it.

"What'd she get?" Jaicey calls out to me before I catch footsteps coming our way.

"A C."

"C isn't bad." JJ turns to the sound of his approaching girlfriend.

"Not if it's your major." She points out. "That's what she's been working on all week?"

"Weekend too." I nod. "I tried heading her off because all this started Friday. Went to some art museum downtown. Came out deeper in the hole than where we started walking in."

It was like seeing all of these shown works crossed her up or something.

"She's getting in her own head." JJ diagnosis the situation.

I agree.

Jaicey stops halfway into sitting on the couch. "You said Roski right? The building with the big arch and fake Parthenon on top of it?"

"I thought that was Architecture." Matt queries.

"No." I frown at Matt. "That's Roski."

"I'm gonna go get her. Save her from herself." She declares before starting back to JJ's room again. "Have you ordered the food yet?!"

"No!" JJ replies just before falling prey to a well-placed mine. "Really?"

"Good! I'll text you when I've convinced her to come out of her art cave and am headed back!"

Matt takes down an enemy as JJ locks back in on the game, which is coming down to the wire.

"Bye!" He calls out, just after I hear some keys jangling. The door opening and shutting is concealed by a grenade and more gunshots.

"So what's new with you?"

I fall back into the voluminous couch and try to let myself relax. "Nothing much. Sorry, I'm late, work ran long."

Matt throws out a query while he and JJ hunt for the last kill. "What'd you do at work?"

"Talked about this summer. Class schedule." I backtrack a few days.

That happened when I wasn't with Sabine over the weekend.

The Council apparently didn't believe that my next semester's schedule didn't deserve a full Council meeting. So Master Skywalker, Dooku, Kenobi, and Kanan all pulled me aside and we talked through it.

"Clearing up the last of those Core classes?" JJ assumes.

I nod as the screen goes to a scoreboard, indicating JJ and Matt's victory. "Gotta take math for sure. The rest is TBD right now. Need to schedule an appointment."

"Have you taken Biology?" Matt turns and asks me.

No.

"Ooh, you've gotta be careful with that one. It's tripped up a lot of people if you pick the wrong professor." JJ advises him, then glances at me as well.

"Do you know the name of who I want to avoid?" I ask him.

"No." JJ shakes his head. "I'll ask my buddy and text you."

"I don't think Sabine's taken Bio either. Maybe we could all three take it together." Matt throws it out there.

He's thought about that. I know a test balloon when I see one.

"Have you signed up for anything yet?"

Matt's face turns negative while maneuvering himself back to the character selection screen, their next match about to begin. "No, but I've got my appointment. Apparently, they're hard to nail down."

Shit.

"Yeah, you've gotta act fast," JJ adds on. "But you know the folks in that office, right Ezra?"

"Yeah, I do."

So it might not be so bad after all.

"Sounds like we have…a plan to me," JJ concludes by selecting his character. "You want on the sticks?"

"Nah, he can take my place." Matt volunteers.

JJ replies "I've got to order food. Jaicey just texted me."

"Already?" I blurt out.

"Yeah." He nods while turning his attention to his phone. "Take the sticks."

"Nah, I'd rather watch right now." I settle back into the couch.

I need a second after all the drills Dooku put me through today. Good drills, but still…

I'm kind of tired.

(30 Minutes Later) - (Sabine Wren POV)

"I won't nag you about it." Jaicey promises me as we both pile out of the car. I grab the pizza boxes and my lap and move towards the house.

"Thank you." I call back to her.

I'll still have to go back at 7 when they open and get my canvas back.

And I can't forget that I'm leaving everything else in Jaicey's car.

"Ezra's here by the way. Have you guys been good? I know you've been quiet."

I push forward towards the front door and ignore her subtext. "No, just working on classwork. All that."

"Quiet's good!" Jaicey chastises me.

"I know it's good!"

"Then why are you saying it to me like it's bad!"

Because you annoy me about it Jaicey!

Jaicey grabs the door and I march right into the kitchen before setting the pizzas down. "Food's here!"

"Aww, babe!" JJ instantly snaps before there's a commotion in the entertainment room.

"I paused it." Matt tells JJ as footsteps hustle towards us.

JJ appears, a thin smile on his face. "What?" Jaicey asks.

"Ezra…passed out. Babe."

She woke him up.

"Oh!" Jaicey cringes just before Matt and a heavy-eyed Ezra appears behind him.

His hair's sticking up like it does in the back…

"I'm sorry I woke you up…" Jaicey hustles right to Ezra and gives him an apologetic hug.

Ezra laughs it off while returning the hug. "Power nap. I'm all good. Might need some caffeine with dinner though."

"There's tons of caffeine in there." JJ welcomes Ezra to it.

Jaicey nods, adding "Yeah, Red Bull caught him in the tournament sipping on one while he was walking in—"

"It helps me get going." JJ rationalizes it to himself.

"So a representative called him, got his address, and sent over a ton. We've still got a bunch in the garage."

"Should it be stored in the garage?" Ezra asks darkly.

I can't stop a giggle, only for Ezra's eyes to find me and for him to smirk only at me.

"Probably not." Matt pries open a pizza box. "But it is now, so the damage is done. Speaking of that, that's supreme and that's disgusting…"

He hastily shuts the box before I take it from him. "Thank you…"

Both Ezra and Jaicey laugh before JJ goes a little pale. "Oh, my bad. I thought I was dunking on Jaicey."

"Oh, you can barely even dunk…" She unloads a volley at him.

"But I can!"