The first few chapters of this fanfic will largely be those I published in the previous story. Events are "flowing" fairly well, so there's no need to add scenes yet. That may come soon enough, though, because there is a lot happening on Taris.
This passage brings together two chapters of the previous story. I have made some changes in the form (reformulations, etc.). The content remains unchanged.
The Endar Spire had remained stationary for several days. Where I stood, motionless, I could see the Commander of the ship, Colonel Tavhir. He was pacing nervously along one of the many docking bays of the Republican cruiser, with his head down. The Colonel was a tall, slender man. His greying hair, military cut, infused the man with the glow of age and experience. Tavhir was a highly respected soldier, one of a small caste of fighters who no longer needed to prove their worth. However, Tavhir could not hope for any further advancement, as his rather straightforward personality had already offended Republic high officials on numerous occasions. But it was well known that the Colonel was not interested in being promoted or not; all that mattered was being given the opportunity to express his views. Yet his men knew that he could not mask his frustration with the fact that he could not act as he liked.
The present day was one of those days when Tavhir had to practice self-restraint. The Republic had certainly given the Colonel the most unbearable order of his entire career.
Not far from him stood one of his men, his hands clasped behind his back. The man was wearing a thick pearly orange jacket, with dark trousers that finished with a pair of black boots. The soldier, probably in his mid-forties, also wore a rather remarkable beard and short, albeit relatively full, brown hair. He was eyeing his colonel, who kept coming and going in response to his own anxiety.
Right behind the two individuals stood a group of about thirty soldiers arranged in four rows, clad in full Republican armour. They were the brand new garrison to which I had been assigned at the very last moment; following two months of training on Coruscant, I had been sent to the Hammerhead cruiser Endar Spire to serve as a translator and interpreter for the garrison that was apparently going to accompany Bastila Shan on some unknown journey. Anyway, at this point, I was staying in the third row. We were all maintained in complete silence several metres away from our two leaders, although we could all clearly hear the grunts of the very bitter Commander.
« They're late. » The Colonel snarled, only getting our silence in reply.
« They're late. » He repeated even more sharply. « Carth ! » He barked, looking up at the man in the orange jacket.
« Yes, they are likely to be late, Sir. » Carth rectified.
« They dared to board and eject me from my own ship, forcing me to abandon my men, and they don't even have the decency to be on time! »
« Commander, as you know, this is a temporary measure. You have not been dismissed. » Onasi added, in a disguised attempt to comfort his superior.
« That' s fortunate. Without that, believe me, I would have worked hard to make her life impossible! That girl would have had a hard time! »
« She doesn't need that to get herself into trouble. She's a Jedi after all. She knows nothing about military work. If you want your men back in the same condition as you left them, you'll have to be more gentle with her. »
« That's why I'm relying on your professionalism, Lieutenant. You have qualities in this matter that I readily admit are lacking. » Tavhir finished.
Carth nodded, agreeing with the Commander's last words.
An alarm rang out. The officers looked up into the electromagnetic field of the very large docking bay, which revealed the first small shuttle slowly making its way towards the cruiser from the distance. Tavhir frowned. Things didn't seem to be going as planned; there had to be two shuttles. Carth glanced over at us. We were not making a move, as we had been ordered to. Then he glanced back at his superior, who looked like he was about to implode. The shuttle broke through the energy field and landed smoothly several hundred meters from the officers. The ship's ramp deployed violently and crashed onto the hangar floor with a deafening sound. Two people stepped out, both dressed in standard Republican officer attire. Tavhir sighed and, with a brief wave of his hand, ordered his Lieutenant to follow him and join the other two newcomers. Carth complied, and the pair walked for a few seconds before they came to face the newly arrived guests.
« Colonel Tavhir, Lieutenant Onasi. » The first of them greeted. « We apologise for the delay, as well as the confusion over the handover of the Endar Spire. »
« Why? Is there another problem? » Tavhir questioned, trying his best to restrict his exasperation.
« Colonel, as you can see, the Jedi shuttle is still away. »
« Good thing you're here to point that out... Novice. » avhir said ironically, insisting on the much lower rank of the man facing him. The latter resumed with embarrassment:
« We've been told that the shuttle will board the Endar Spire in approximately fifteen minutes. »
« Good. Let's wait then. » The Colonel stated, his eyes locked on the Novice, who looked increasingly uncomfortable.
« Colonel. I'm sorry, but you must leave the cruiser. We must get you back aboard the Arbiter as soon as possible. »
Tavhir made no reply at first. Carth displayed a nervous, uneasy pout. This was not going to be fun.
« Please give me a better understanding, will you? » The Colonel demanded in a falsely benevolent tone. « Please give me a better understanding, will you? " The Colonel demanded in a falsely benevolent tone. "You're telling me that I have to vacate my ship and my men when my successor has not even arrived yet? You're asking me to leave my cruiser without any commander? »
« Did you not appoint a quartermaster, as Admiral Dodonna ordered you to? » The other man - who had been silent until then - retorted annoyingly. Tavhir glared at him, then answered:
« Lieutenant Carth Onasi is my quartermaster. And who are you? » The Colonel questioned as he scanned the man's jacket, certainly in search of some military insignia.
« Dreshan Norr, Senator of the Taris system. I am well aware of the measures recently taken by the Admiral, who has entrusted me with the supervision of this handover. You are therefore ordered to obey, Tavhir. The Jedi have experienced a minor setback, which is in no way Commander Shan's fault. »
Tavhir looked to be gritting his teeth as he listened to these very last words. There was no option. These were Dodonna's orders. Even though it was widely known that he did not always share his Admiral's views, he still held her in deep respect. She had always proved herself worthy of her rank. He had to trust her.
The man sighed, then quietly unclasped his badge and handed it to the Senator. He gave Carth a cordial look, before heading for the shuttle. The Senator and the Novice watched him, as if worried that the officer might change his mind. Once he had boarded the shuttle, the Senator ordered the Novice to join him in the ship. Norr then addressed Carth, and handed him the Colonel's insignia:
« We must leave. You will give this to Commander Shan. Don't worry, she will be here very soon. Before I leave, I will notify her that she will have to speak to you. Our apologies for the chaotic handover. »
« Thank you Senator. » The Lieutenant simply replied.
Norr nodded respectfully to the very temporary head of the cruiser, then joined the shuttle, which took off immediately with Tavhir on board. One minute passed. Carth Onasi came to us, still waiting right behind him. He then called out:
« Ladies and gentlemen, please get ready to welcome your new Commander. Hold your positions. »
We all remained in silence, but some of us wiggled around a bit, so that we could get into a proper posture to meet the new Commander.
There was not long to wait. As Norr had said, the Jedi shuttle appeared promptly and landed smoothly. Once again, the ramp lowered heavily onto the hangar floor, and two people emerged: a man and a woman, both dressed in pale brown robes. They moved with lightness. Carth looked almost mesmerised by the sight of these two individuals. So did I. Most of us were used to the military roughness and brutality of Tavhir; a touch of delicacy was most welcome. The pair paused at the foot of the ramp, and waited for the third and last person, finally showing up, who stepped off the ship. When she reached the very bottom of the ramp, this last person took the lead and headed with inspiring determination towards Carth Onasi, examining her without realising it.
So there she was - Bastila Shan, the new Commander of the cruiser, Tavhir's nightmare. Indeed, everyone here was familiar with the young woman. Bastila Shan was, in her own field, a war hero. Her almost unique power of Battle Meditation had allowed the Republic to postpone again and again the fatal outcome of that war against the Empire of Darth Malak. Bastila Shan's Battle Meditation restored the strength and resolve of allied forces, while demoralising enemy troops. The power was already known to the Jedi, but the exceptional thing was that Bastila Shan was undoubtedly the most gifted user in the history of the Jedi Order, and even among the very few who could master it. Not to mention her stunning victory over Darth Revan during their confrontation on the latter's ship. Tavhir's hostile reaction to the decision to leave the Endar Spire under the command of a young, untrained Jedi was understandable, but it was hard not to feel profound respect and even gratitude for the woman.
I noted that Carth Onasi still remained perfectly motionless. He still appeared hypnotised by the arrival of the Jedi. Suddenly, as if he had just woken up from his contemplative mood, the Lieutenant hurried on, and awkwardly followed the lead of the three newcomers, already well on their way to him. I could perceive in him a trace of nervousness. This was no time to draw the attention of his future superior, who just happened to have the reputation of being rather unpleasant.
« Lieutenant Carth Onasi, I suppose? » The young woman asked, giving no clue about her state of mind.
« Himself, Madam. Himself, Madam. I would like to welcome the three of you to the Endar Spire. And may I immediately deliver to you the insignia of Command of the cruiser. »
Carth solemnly handed the small item that was hanging on Tavhir's jacket a moment ago. Bastila Shan narrowed her eyes at the badge, grabbed it and slipped it into a pocket under her Jedi robes.
« Thank you. » She spoke coldly without making eye contact with Carth, causing him to shudder uneasily. Bastila cast a glance towards our garrison, positioned behind Carth. A few seconds passed before she resumed in an impatient voice:
« Well? Have you planned to be staring into my eyes all night? What's next, Lieutenant. »
Carth Onasi now held the Jedi's gaze with defiance. The man looked to be channeling a boiling anger deep inside him, and he went on:
« Commander, if you don't mind, I'd like to introduce you to this group of soldiers, specially selected to assist and protect you. »
Carth Onasi motioned for the young woman to follow him, which she did. All of us were perfectly still. At least, most of us were. From my position, I couldn't help but stare at the Jedi. " There she is..." I thought, my eyes firmly locked on the famous young woman. Although the visibility was partially obstructed by my fellow shipmates from the other two ranks, I was able to get a clear view of the Jedi. Like her colleagues, Bastila Shan wore a brown robe. The classic Jedi outfit. In her gestures and movements, the woman sometimes gave a glimpse of her illustrious double-bladed lightsaber, attached to her belt. An oddity. Very few Jedi tried their hand at such a weapon, and Bastila Shan was a renowned duelist. I couldn't help but smile in fascination. However, I was jolted out of my reverie by an indiscreet clearing of throat. I lifted my head and realised that the unpleasant noise was coming from my companion on my right, who was standing still but trying to get me to regain a concentration worthy of such a moment. But I failed to do anything that needed to be done in response. Rather than recovering my posture and pretending nothing had happened, I turned my head briskly towards my comrade, betraying my distraction even more for all to see. My superiors included. Noticing that my colleague had not broken out of his expected posture, I turned my gaze back to the Lieutenant and the Jedi. They were glaring at me, especially Onasi. Bastila Shan took a step towards us and addressed me in a chilling voice:
« Come here. » She ordered harshly.
I was stunned by the request and cast a doubtful glance at the Lieutenant, who said dryly:
« You have been given an order, Recruit. »
So I left my position quietly, slipped through the ranks, and took place before the superiors. Commander Shan looked at me with uncommon gravity.
« I'm going to have a bad time. » I thought.
The young woman was examining me. What could she be watching so intently? I was a man, like the others. Even though, as I glanced at Carth Onasi, I realised I had a much more massive stature. Standing at more than six feet tall and with my broad shoulders, I dominated my superiors. Besides that point, I was neither better nor worse than anyone else. The only uniqueness was perhaps my dark brown hair, which I wore quite long, though carefully tied back for the occasion. Not being a fully qualified soldier, and indeed at that time not hired for any fighting skills, I was allowed to enjoy this extravagance.
« Declare your identity to the Commander. » Carth continued, increasingly annoyed. The Jedi didn't look away from me.
« Recruit Corem Galhor, Commander. »
« Where were you assigned before you were sent to the Endar Spire, Recruit? » Bastila Shan asked, in her curious accent.
Carth Onasi gave me no chance to speak, as he cut me off:
« Madam, he is the translator you requested. He's not from the military, he's not very familiar with the rules and procedures. » The man defended himself to the Commander.
Bastila glanced coldly at the Lieutenant, wordlessly. Then she turned her attention back to me.
« Where were you assigned before you were sent to the Endar Spire ? » She asked again.
« I was working at the Republic Embassy on Onderon. I was there for about four months before I was assigned here. There, I had the opportunity to work closely with the royal authorities, and I... »
« I didn't ask for so much, Recruit. » Bastila Shan interrupted curtly, looking almost angry now. « We know all about what you were about to say. Here, there will be no such thing as "royal authority". Just do what you are instructed. And for the time being, what is required of you is to stand still in your place in the third row. You are a brainy person, aren't you? This is not an intellectually demanding task, is it? » The Jedi concluded in a particularly condescending tone, glaring at me.
I was not sure how to react. I thought the young woman's attitude excessive, to say the least, but I knew that I and my fellow soldiers were expected to behave flawlessly. I had just undermined the reputation of an elite corps. Nevertheless, I could not help but feel that she had taken a dislike to me.
« Back to your place, Recruit. » The Jedi ordered haughtily.
I complied without delay and walked back to my original position. Unexpectedly in such a situation, Bastila Shan gave a simple nod to Carth Onasi and left the hangar without even saying a word to her garrison. The officer watched her in awe; he surely wasn't approving such provocative behaviour.
« This is not going to be a smooth collaboration. » The Lieutenant said quietly, before ordering us to break ranks and leave the hangar.
« Well, buddy. That must not have been a pleasant experience ! Were you leering at your Commander »
Seated on one of the benches of the common room, I exhaled an exasperated gasp at the mocking comment of my companion next to me.
« Yeah, that's it. I felt the need to be humiliated today. I am satisfied. » I ironically replied.
« Well, I must admit that she is much more enjoyable to the eye than that old Tavhir. » My colleague went on, slumping down a little more on the bench, feigning that he had not been listening to me.
« Just keep your mouth shut, Harden. » Another of my companions, currently occupying a table facing us, snapped sharply. She laid down a data pad that she was browsing before stepping into our discussion, then she resumed:
« This woman has no consideration for us. She has barely even taken a glance at any of us! We are nothing but cannon fodder to her, entirely devoted to the protection of her holy person! Come on, you guys, for once, switch on your brain! »
« You're not being fair, Hannah. » Harden suddenly retorted with gravity. « You think we're just rutting monkeys, simply because of some jokes. » He added rather harshly. I watched him stand up and walk to the table where Hannah was sitting.
He paused for a moment, observing his colleague with an air of disappointment, then, a teasing smile on his lips, he whispered in her ear: « With the robe she was wearing, it was absolutely impossible to get even a glimpse of the lady's bottom. »
« You're pathetic. » Hannah responded casually. Harden chuckled, left his colleagues and headed for the refectory.
I got up to join the woman, who could hardly get back to her reading after this low-level talk. Once I had settled into a chair, I spoke up:
« I am sorry for embarrassing you all. » I confessed. « It was just weird to see this woman. We've been hearing so many stories about her. I found her presence distracting. It was like standing in front of a fictional character: everybody keeps talking about her, but you can't really think that you'll ever cross paths with her. »
Hannah lifted her eyes from her data pad and stared at me intently.
« It felt a bit weird to me too ». The young woman admitted in return. « I can hardly stand being under her command. I think she's a detestable person. But I can't help looking at her with envy. »
I observed my friend with understanding.
« I think I might be a bit jealous, actually. I'm definitely older than her, and what can I possibly have to say? She's the brightest student in the Order. We all certainly owe her our lives, even though we don't even know her. Besides, the little we've just been able to experience hasn't given anyone any desire to know more about her. It's infuriating. »
« You belong to a unique corps of elite soldiers, Hannah. You've proven yourself to be at least as essential as that harassing harpy in this war... And you have a wonderful family waiting for you, may I remind you. Don't you dare forget them. There's no way she can ever say the same. »
The words of kindness I had just spoken appeared to produce an almost euphoric effect on my friend. The woman smiled tenderly at the mention of her family: her husband, her two daughters, who were her reason for being. It was true that Bastila Shan would never be able to compete on that ground. « Besides, even if she were allowed, who would ever want her? » Hannah said sweetly, letting out a nervous laugh, to which I replied, amused.
« I would not be the one taking such a risk. » I added even more lively, intensifying Hannah's laughter.
« Thank you Corem. » The young woman said gratefully. « It is just a hard time for us. We'll certainly be laughing about it when it's over. »
« Yes, that's for sure. » I told her with a grin.
Suddendly, another soldier burst in, and briskly declared :
« Don't hang around here any longer, or you won't be allowed to eat tonight! »
« We are on our way, Lieutenant Ulgo. » The young woman replied reassuringly.
I stood up and placed a hand on Hannah's shoulder:
« Come on, let's go. »
Hannah nodded, laid down the report she was still holding in her hands and walked with me to the refectory, where all the rest of the garrison was gathered.
The hall was huge. Several hundred people could be seated in it, all arranged by unit. I was sitting with my colleagues for about twenty minutes. I was not particularly interested in their discussions. The general hubbub was not really helping me to concentrate on what everyone was saying, and I was paying much more attention to what was going on at the leadership table, a few metres away from ours. There I could actually see Lieutenant Carth Onasi, Commander Bastila Shan and the two other Jedi accompanying her, all seated at the table.
I paused again and took full advantage of the time to observe the Jedi. She had obviously replaced her Jedi robes with the dark, slim-fitting uniform of the Republic's general officers, which, I readily admitted, gave the young woman a convincing presence. Nevertheless, I wondered whether this choice of clothing was a demonstration of her respect for her rank and for the men in her charge, or whether it was another attempt at provocation.
A Commander could not be blamed for dressing up as a Commander.
Then I focused on the Jedi's face. Harden, though his primitive male behaviour greatly undermined the quality of his arguments, was not mistaken: Bastila Shan was a truly beautiful woman. She was wearing her dark brown hair tightly tied in a single bun at the back of her head, which gave me ample opportunity to study her features. They were fine, drawn with the greatest care and delicacy. But the most remarkable thing was undoubtedly her eyes. Two large, almost opaline grey eyes topped by meticulously drawn dark eyebrows. Nothing to do with mine, which were a common, boring brown. I was fascinated. Not only by the woman's eyes in themselves, but by the intelligence emanating from her gaze. Admittedly, Bastila Shan had shown herself in an unflattering light so far, but there was no denying that, despite her cold disposition, she had a particularly serious presentation.
I was suddenly snapped out of my contemplation by the woman herself, who stood up and, after politely greeting Carth, left the dining hall with the other two Jedi.
« Told you it was a pretty piece. »
Harden said, elbowing me playfully. It took me a few seconds to be sure of what I had just heard.
« I don't see it that way. » I responded in a certain absence. « I find in her a sort of elegance that I've rarely seen in anyone else. »
« Mmh. » Harden pronounced, uncon. Ten seconds or so passed.
« She did rebuke you elegantly earlier. » He eventually commented, restraining himself from laughing.
I cast my eyes over my companion and winked in disapproval. I breathed deeply, and made my way away from the table, heading for the quarters, under Harden's bewildered eye.
