Bit of a shorter chapter, just to wrap up the end of the movie.
Reivews;
AutumLeaves03: Thank you! That's just Count Dooku, waiting for them to leave so he can lie to Hutts. These first three chapters were all taking place over the 2008 movie.
MisterShiryo: Thank you very much! I hope this meets expectations!
Chapter 3: Komari's Blades
Aliette had never expected that her first day with her Master would be as busy as it was, and now it was proving to be even more eventful as they descended onto Teth as back up for the 501st, moving in at the behest of Master Skywalker. An assassin by the name of Ventress was present, and Master Kenobi had already ordered her to avoid engaging the woman. Aliette wasn't sure if she was offended or not. On one hand, she was not near as skilled as her Master and would follow his advice when given. On the other, she was not completely inept when it came to combat. She just didn't like participating in it.
The girl braced herself for the jump as she followed her Masters lead, handing the controls over to her little R3 unit. Her hand slid to her hip where her Light Saber hung, her fingers curling around the weapon. It twitched in her grip, like it wanted out and she frowned.
It had never liked her, even when she was creating it. Even when she was tuning the crystal and focusing solely on its creation there had been something wrong about it, about them. Like two pieces of a puzzle that looked like they should fit but never did. In the end she had to force the metaphorical corner down and deal with it.
She assumed at first it was just her own pacifism getting in the way, but that wouldn't make sense. Master Sha'ak Ti was known to dislike fighting but she was one of the greatest Knights that Aliette knew.
Not wholly unlike her own Master, who had beat her to the ground and was slicing through droids. The wind whipped around her, tugging at the loose clothes of her sleeves and shirt, trying to blind the Padawan with its rough assault.
She landed with a blast of the Force that toppled a number of droids, allowing the blue-stripped troopers a moment to regain their bearings and start shooting. The planet hummed with light beneath her feet, the jungle sang the song of Life and Welcome to the young woman.
Her blade ignited and she moved, putting herself with purpose between the Clones and the droids, trusting the men not to shoot her in the back by accident and she twirled the green blade with every intent of defending them, as well as herself. Defense, once again. Her Center was more aligned here, in a world so brimming with life, she felt safer somehow, as if the trees themselves might lift a twig to help her if only she knew how to ask.
The Troopers of 212th that they had picked up along their way to help dropped after the pair, shooting with shouts and orders.
Her master was fighting and, flirting? With a bald woman who's heart over flowed with pain and anger. Aleitte hurt with sympathy for her, but moved on without a word. She was Sith, her blades glowing red and deathly as they lashed out against her Master.
Aliette looked away long enough to moved across the field to a small gaggle of pinned clones, slicing through the droids on her way. When she looked back the assassin was no long with her Master, but Kenobi was staring at her with his mouth open to shout.
The world shouted suddenly, its voice overpowering her Masters, yelling for her to move and, on instinct, she dove sideways. The ground sparked with Light Saber strike and she brought hers up just in time to block.
The force of the blow was jarring, sending Aliette stumbling back as she tried to get her feet settled under her again. She barely managed to center herself before the next blade slashed towards her and she was holding it, barely.
A pang of recognition shot through her, familiarity slapped her across her face.
She knew these Light Sabers. They were bloody and saturated with hatred now but she knew them, knew them. Even in this new form she would recognize them anywhere in the Galaxy for what they were, for who they belonged to.
"Komari," she whispered her surprise. The woman's blue eyes narrowed in return and she flung the secondary sword towards the younger girl. Aliette felt her heart threaten to break at the feel of it, coming at her deadly precision.
Aliette moved out of the way, her body remembering what her mind did not. Her Light Saber followed its commands, barely tolerating the demand that it block. Even still the Pantoran moved smoothly. She not only knew the Light Sabers, she knew the style with which they were being used. Eleven years after the last time she had face the graceful, deadly movements taught by Dooku and she could still see where his instructions would have been.
"Lin'ha, you're moves are still sloppy, raise your blade higher," his voice was commanding for all it was patient with the batch of Younglings, all of Clan Bergruufta. Not that Master Dooku referred to them as such. He focused on individuals rather than groups. Everyone adored and dreaded the days that he and his Padawan helped them train in mock-combat. Dooku was a perfectionist, and Komari was… passionate.
This, the young Pantoran had known going in. She barely kept her training Saber up with the two that Padawan Vosa had picked up and was now coming at her with. They struck quickly, moving in a graceful combination that few others could achieve.
"Keep on your feet, Ansa," Komari ordered, nearly knocking them out from under her with one of the blue lines.
Aliette jumped over the attack, flipping gracefully across one that came from behind her before she landed and back off, holding her Light Saber in front of her with both hands. It cross diagonally across her, thrumming with power that tried to run from her grasp.
The young one rushed in, ducking between the arms of her assailant to try and 'stab' her through the belly. Instead she barely escape a near-embrace that would bisect one in real combat.
"Aliette!" Dooku barked, "Never put yourself inside the arms of an enemy unless you wish a bloody death," his voice dropped to a quieter, less harsh tone, "For one who leaves you little time to retaliate, wear them down with your defense, or better yet, get behind and strike them from there. Understood?"
Aliette, paused from the fight to listen attentively, nodded and faced forwards once more.
Komari grinned, a feral, battle loving smile that made Aliette's heart jump with fear for herself. The human was always so hard on her, it was awful. Vosa always went after her with more force and skill than any Initiate would be able to hold up against, usually Aliette walked away with bruises and some decent advice.
The Pantoran blocked and moved against the familiar moved, never striking back as she kept from getting struck down or killed. She knew this style, she had known it since her first arrival at the temple. Any of her year mates would recognize it but few were as familiar defending against it as she.
Green clashed against red, one Jedi falling into a strange sort of calm as the assassin grew angrier by each strike. The clones around them shot down and beat away the droids along with her master, who was quickly making his way to her. She wished he would hurry, she could only just keep up with the rapid fire attacks and the fact was that Ventress was much stronger than her.
"Hey Ansa, wanna see something cool?"
Aliette was most certain that the answer was 'no' but she wasn't given a chance to say it before Komari had stuck the two ends of her play-sabers together with a burst of Force and was coming at her with them joined, sweeping long arcs at the youngling. Aliette shouted as she was struck in the chest, and sent tumbling to the ground.
She saw the twist even as Ventress was swinging at her and pitched herself backwards, rolling onto the ground and flipping over her shoulders. Her Saber rose above her head as her knees planted themselves on the ground, just barely stopping the twin swords of her assailant.
Her Master came flying in from the side, sending Ventress on the defense. The rest of the droids were already gone or going, an effort she helped with once the assassin had fled.
Through the clean-up and the travel off world her mind remained on the Sith blades and the Force Signature of their creator, still clinging stubbornly to their core.
"So," Aliette began once they were safe on one of the cruisers, "How was your first day?" More like four days.
Ahsoka looked at her from where she had been ticking through a book, the paper fluttering lightly under the Torgruta's fingers. Blue eyes met gold, an inversion of themselves, and the girl smiled, close lipped to hide the predatory point of her teeth.
As she set the book aside Ahsoka turned to her elder, crossing her legs on the bunk that she had been given in the room that they would be temporarily splitting. With so many officers on one base they had agreed to share one room with two bunks.
"Wanna compare notes?" she asked, a sort of teasing in her tone.
Aliette smiled softly as the young Padawan, one of the most talented combatants that any of their teachers had ever seen. There was a reason she was being deployed during war times instead of waiting, like many Younglings were being allowed to do.
Before she could agree and share with her young friend what had transpired that day there came a knock on the door. The girls looked at each other before Ahsoka called, "Come in?"
There was no denying that she was more outgoing and confident of the two, for good reason. She was very well skilled, she was smart and Aliette doubted very much she would be able to compete if they ever came to blows.
A good match for Master Skywalker, from what she had observed earlier that day. An unorthodox Jedi and a quick thinker, he was, and Ahsoka would no doubt flourish under his tutelage.
Aliette had high hopes for her own Master, a well-known man as Diplomat and a strong Knight, he had already taught a great Jedi, and would hopefully be able to help her progress onto a route she had thought lost to her years ago.
Now that it wasn't her heart was light. He had accepted her as his Padawan, and all they needed now was to complete the braid that she would wear for years to come.
It would come out, and be washed of course, it was no way going to last for the next decade, or however long it took her to become a Master. And after each time it did so the two of them would come together and once again create it, strengthen the Bond that they would share as Teacher and Student.
Ahsoka already had hers handing between her back and right Lekku. The Silka beads swung when she moved, and every now and again Aliette would catch her running her fingers over them. Hers would not need to be redone the way those made of hair did, and it would not come off unless Ahsoka herself removed it or she became a Knight.
The door opened with a gust of air pressure and in strode a clone in 212th copper, his helmet still in place. Aliette didn't recognize the designs he had done, nor did she recognize him through the Force. They had yet to meet then.
He stood at attention before the two Padawans. "Sir, General Kenobi needs you in his office."
Aliette knew an order when she heard one and, with a wave at her young friend, stood to follow the trooper out into the hall. He stayed lock-step the entire way, not responding beyond, "Stiff, Sir," when she asked his name.
Stiff fit his name, he didn't let up on his attention the entire way, until he had dropped her off inside her Master's office.
The room was militarily furnished, with scant decorations and mostly business necessities. There were chairs and a desk, and whole stack of Holo Pads sitting on top of it. On the other side sat her Master, skimming through data until she walked in, at which point he set it aside to greet her.
The light was just as blaring as all artificial ones, though its harshness was offset by the lingering scent of teas in the air. She didn't recognize the type, it was something earthy and low.
"Master?" she asked curiously when she strode in, once she'd risen from her bow. She hoped for a braid, but did not ask. He would give it to her when it was time, and form their Bond along with it.
That wasn't quite what he had planned though.