Here's the next chapter! Let's hope I keep updating regularly... [Edit: fixed a few things regarding accuracy]
"Good Padawan Ream! Very good!"
Grace steps back, breathing hard, and swings her lightsaber around to block another blaster bolt from a droid. Master Ti is standing off to one side, watching and praising her padawan.
Grace huffs and tries to blow a stray strand of hair out of her eyes as the training droids advance further towards her. It doesn't work, but she doesn't try again, because the droids are firing at her. Her green lightsaber is a blur as she whirls it around, deflecting bolts back at the droids.
She allows the Force to flow through her, letting everything but her lightsaber and the bolts flying towards her slip away.
"Padawan, you may stop now." Her master's voice cuts through her haze of focus, and the droids stop firing. Grace steps back, deactivating her lightsaber and turning to face her master, who says, "That was very good. I am impressed with your progress. However, I have some people I would like you to meet. Clean up and meet me at the main hangar in fifteen minutes."
"Yes Master." Grace heads out the door and to her quarters. They aren't much different than the ones she had on Coruscant, except the walls are that stark white. Everything on Kamino is, except the skies. It's Commander Colt's favorite joke. He trains ARC troopers and has given Grace many pointers on how to take down a battledroid over the past year and a half.
And despite being so very different than them, the clones have made a real effort to make her feel welcome. When they can, Commanders Havoc and Colt will train with her, and she's even shared a meal with them on the rare occasion that they're all off duty at the same time. There's one clone that's been the exact opposite to her though.
And it's this clone that is standing next to her master when Grace steps into the main hangar. Commander Blitz, who trains cadets, doesn't so much as acknowledge Grace. Though her master gives her a smile.
Her attention is drawn away though, by a beat-up looking shuttle that lands in the hangar. Its left engine is smoking, and the ramp doesn't so much lower as it does drop with a loud clang. But all that is forgotten as the occupants of the shuttle stride down the ramp.
They must be clones, Grace thinks, but their armor is different from anything she's ever seen. It's bulkier almost. The glowing visors are what gives it away. They're commandos, something she's only ever seen in holograms.
Their leader, who has green camouflage painted on most of his armor with very little white visible, stops in front of Grace's master, saluting, "General Ti," he doesn't even turn to look at Blitz, and Grace might be imagining that his voice grows cold as he says, "Blitz."
Shaak Ti inclines her head to the commando, "Commander Fin. Thank you for responding to my request."
"Of course, sir. Just looking to do my duty."
One of the commandos behind him, who's armor is painted with yellow and white, leans over to the commando with black and white armor and mutters, "It was more of an order than a request."
"Quiet," a commando with dark red camouflage snaps back at them and they shut up.
Grace's master simply turns toward the doors out of the hangar, "If you would please, we have much to discuss."
Grace watches the commandos argue with each other through the soundproof glass from her spot on a bench in the hallway. She doesn't blame them. If the order hadn't come straight from the Jedi High Council, she'd be arguing too.
From what she understands, the council wants her, a padawan, to lead this squad of commandos. Because they want to create a more effective infiltration squad. And her master believes her to be the best candidate for this. The same master that is in there with the commandos, observing them as they argue.
"Hey kid, what's going on?" It's Colt, coming down the hallway towards Grace, his helmet tucked under one arm.
"I'm to lead this squad," Grace gestures toward the commandos on the other side of the glass.
Colt's eyebrows shoot up as she says this, and he stops dead when he sees the commandos. After a second of silence, he says, "General Ti approves of this?"
"The order came from the council, even if she doesn't it's still happening."
Colt's brows furrow and he's silent for a while before he asks, "Do you know what happened to the original commandos on Geonosis?"
Grace shakes her head, but before he can respond, the glass door slides open, and the commando squad follows Master Ti out. All but Commander Fin are wearing their helmets, and his expression looks carefully controlled.
"Padawan," Master Ti addresses her directly, "this is Star Squadron. You will be leading them on infiltration and information gathering missions for the Republic."
Grace stands, covering up her nervousness, "Of course master. I will do my best." Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Colt frowning and his fist tightens for a brief moment.
Shaak Ti smiles, "I know you will. I shall leave you to become acquainted with them. Colt, with me please." She walks off down the hallway, Colt following her.
Grace swallows nervously and turns to face the commandos, her squad, she supposes. Fin is watching her, and he looks far from happy. But she squares her shoulders and rallies her crumbling determination, "I'm Padawan Grace Ream."
Fin is silent for a moment, "Commander Fin. This is Captain Van, Sergeant Click, Tech, Patch and Spark."
Grace surveys her squad as they all pull off their helmets. Click has a range finder on his helmet and a sniper attachment on his back, Tech has a pack on his back, as does Patch who also has the medic's symbol stamped on his red and white armor. Spark has flames painted on his, Click is the yellow and white one, Van has the red camo and Tech has the black and white armor. But they all look battle worn.
"I know that commandos don't like Jedi at all," Grace surprises herself as she opens her mouth, "I don't know why, I've never been told. But I promise I'll do my best to lead you."
They're all silent, watching her. Fin shifts his weight, "It's true, we don't like Jedi much. And most of us would much rather continue without being led by one. But we're willing to give this a shot."
The rest of her squad nods and Van adds, "And hopefully not die along the way."
Hours later, as Grace lays down in her bed, it occurs to her why she feels so nervous around her squad. When Colt or Havoc talk to her, there is a definite friendliness to their voices. When Blitz does, his voice is all ice. Her squad reminds her of Blitz.