Naira woke up a couple hours after sunrise, just in time to see Casino walking back to the camp. He had that child-like grin on his face that almost always meant he was getting up to some mischief.
"Morning, Raadii," he said, passing her a ration bar, "C'mon over here."
The young Jedi raised a curious brow as she followed the clone to a clearing with a lone natural rock shelf. A line had been drawn in the ground about nineteen meters from the rock, atop which Casino had set up several canisters of varying size in a neat row. Naira looked up at him skeptically.
"Ah, don't worry," he said, reading her well, "just expended rations. They make for good target practice. We'll train with stationary targets for now, then move on to mobile targets."
"Oh? You boys volunteering to be said targets?" Naira joked.
"I mean we could," Domino shrugged, tossing a fist-sized rock between his hands, "but these would probably be a lot safer."
He reared back and pitched the rock as high and as far as he could as Casino sighted up with his rifle. Naira watched as he fired his weapon not once, not twice, but five times, hitting the rock perfectly each time and juggling it in the air. It wasn't the first time Naira had witnessed Casino's skill, but she never had the opportunity to really appreciate his marksmanship. It was truly a sight.
"Obviously, there's no expectation to be that precise anytime soon," Casino was saying as he handed Naira the hold-out blaster from his boot, "Here…try to knock down one of the targets."
"Not exactly the best teaching technique," Domino critiqued.
"Why not? That's how we were trained: 'Hey, kid, I know you were just born a week ago, but here's a blaster, that's your target, now good-kriffin' luck, and don't shoot yourself in the foot!'"
While they talked semantics, Naira looked over the blaster. It felt both unnatural yet very familiar in her hand as a vague memory made its way to the forefront of her mind. She was maybe a year or two old, riding in a carrier strapped against another's chest. Her mother's perhaps? The vision was very hazy, but she was able to make out a hunting rifle held by a pair of arms outstretched in front of her own smaller ones. A hunt…she was on a hunt on Shili. She was cooing and giggling, but she was quickly silenced as the rifle was aimed at the grazing kybuck and fired.
"Whoa, hold a moment, Raadii," Casino's voice broke her from the vision.
"Hmm?" Naira snapped out of it rapidly, barely registering that she had brought the blaster up in front of her, one hand on the trigger and one on the butt to steady it.
"Okay, your grip is good; no notes," he complimented, "but this isn't a lightsaber. You can't use the same stance you would for a sword fight. Here, do what I do." He pantomimed holding a blaster pistol and placed his feet appropriately as Naira mirrored him. "There you go. Now, five things you should keep in mind when firing from a standing position: center, balance, focus, breathe, and fire. Center your weight, balance your weapon, focus on your target, breathe in, breathe out, and fire…"
Naira followed each step as Casino spoke it, firing once at the canisters, and knocking one over. She smirked rather smugly, but Casino was not so easily fooled.
"Raadii," he said, amused but disappointed, "I saw that."
"Saw what?" Naira shrugged, "I did exactly what you told me to."
Casino raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Except you missed," he said, "I'm a trained sniper; I don't need a scope to see when you're using your Jedi tricks."
"Sergeant!" Naira gasped with exaggeration, "Are you calling your commanding officer a cheater?"
"No, I'm calling my friend a cheater, because I know you well enough to catch every subtle twitch. Now, c'mon. You're not gonna learn by taking the easy way."
Naira sighed in frustration, aiming the blaster again to fire, but not before muttering something in Togruti. "Badsoorat noozahd," she grumbled.
For a brief moment, she thought she saw Casino grimace at her words, but she shook it off. He didn't know what she was saying; why would he react to it in any manner? Admittedly, it was a very mean thing to say, but how would he have known?
She lined up the shot again, repeating Casino's list in her head: Center, balance, focus, breathe…fire! Missed. Repeat. Nicked but didn't fall. Repeat. Direct hit!
"There ya go!" Casino praised, "Now didn't that feel more rewarding without using that mysticism as a crutch?"
Naira rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide her smile. "Yeah, yeah," she chuckled, holding the pistol out to him, "So when do I get to try the rifle?"
Casino thought about it for a moment as he gently pushed the pistol back towards the Jedi. "Tell ya what," he grinned, "when you can hit every target with the pistol without missing one, I'll teach you the rifle. In the meantime, keep that with you, just in case. You'll be needing this, too." He knelt down and removed the holster from his boot and affixed it to Naira's. "That should do it," he said as Domino joined them.
"We should get moving," Domino said, dividing the packed gear between the three of them, "We've got to make up for lost time."
"Then let's move," Naira ordered as she slipped the blaster into the holster.
The next few days were filled with hours of firearm and demolitions training during the intermittent breaks from walking. They had more than made up for time lost in the cavern giving them a little extra to teach Naira basic fundamentals with non-Jedi weapons. Casino would set up targets in more complicated patterns the closer Naira got to a no-miss scenario, always keeping a close eye to ensure the Jedi wasn't amplifying her shots through the Force. He made it clear he wasn't exactly against her doing it but pointed out that her reliance upon it over her own instinct could backfire in a dire situation. Eventually, however, once she mastered the weapons on her own, enhancement through the Force would be thrice as beneficial.
Domino was a bit more lenient on the matter as being able to control the direction of a grenade could tilt the balance of a battle dramatically. Even so, he had observed moments when Naira would not be granted time to concentrate on her Jedi powers and would need to rely on her own cunning and physical strength. To that end, Domino taught her when to reserve her strength against shielded enemies, balance it for close-proximity, or go full-boar at long distance. He also gave her a few pointers on handling heavy blasters as a compliment to Casino's firearms lessons.
Around day six, the trio had arrived at a somewhat covered section of the plateau. Jutting and often arching rock formations sprouted from the ground like the mighty Wroshyr trees of Kashyyyk. It was also a perfect spot to rest for a few hours and maybe finally get some rifle training in…except for that nagging feeling in the back of Naira's mind warning her that it's been a little too calm lately. It was the first negative feeling she had since the first night on the plateau, but it was way stronger now…what was that?
"Alright, Raadii," Casino's voice nearly made Naira jump out of her skin, but if the clone had noticed, he gave no sign, "a deal's a deal."
Naira blinked in confusion, still trying to shake the feeling of danger, as Casino held his sniper rifle out to her. Shaking her head clear, she took it from him. She found it heavier than she expected, but it wasn't too difficult for her to lift. She had seen Casino sight up with this weapon a thousand times by now, so mimicking him was fairly easy. However, she was not used to the extra weight, and her balance was awkward because of it. Her aim felt cumbersome, and if she tried to fire like this, she would definitely not hit anything.
"Remember, it's not a lightsaber," Casino reminded her as he moved behind her, "and it's much heavier than the pistol, so you'll have to distribute your own weight accordingly. Straighten up your upper body, and space your feet apart so they align parallel to your shoulders. He took hold of her upper arms and posed her upright as he lightly kicked at her feet to direct them to the appropriate stance. "Now sight up," he instructed, "then fire."
Naira did as she was told, but she found the stance incredibly awkward as she braced the rifle against her shoulder. Her aim felt even more unstable than before. Nevertheless, she fired, and if it had not been for her Jedi training, the recoil from the shot would have knocked her on her rear. She was still, however, forced several paces back. Casino and Domino both let out a laugh akin to children watching a circus clown. Once she regained her footing, she sent them quite the accusing glare.
"Why do I feel like you set me up for that?" she asked, clearly hiding her own laughter.
"Forgive me," Casino said, still chuckling, "I just had to see what would happen. You did better than I expected, though. When I fired this thing for the first time, I was flipped ass over teakettle…which is usually why it's best to train with a spotter in the beginner stages. C'mon, sight up, just like before."
"You can be a real scud sometimes, Cas," Naira smirked as she repositioned herself, "You know that?"
Casino moved up behind her again and checked her stance. "So I've been told," he agreed, "That being said, I apologize in advance if I make you uncomfortable."
Naira lowered the rifle slightly, but she didn't face him, "What?" she chuckled, "Why would I ever feel uncom—?"
Her entire body suddenly tensed up as Casino pressed himself against her back. He aligned his feet with hers to keep her from breaking stance then brought his arms around her, placing his hands over hers in the appropriate positions on the gun. He wasn't significantly taller than her, but just enough that he had to squat just a little to rest his chin on her left shoulder. She had become so ridged that it was impossible for Casino not to notice.
"Relax," he whispered, "Loosen your shoulders and don't lock your knees, or you're going to get thrown back again. Now, let's sight up. Good. Block out everything around you except your target, and remember: center, balance, focus, breathe—in through your nose and out through your mouth—then…fire."
Naira was so dangerously distracted that she couldn't even grab onto the Force to calm herself. Focusing on Casino's instructions wasn't any easier, not while he was so…close. The Force is my strength, she thought to herself, no emotion, only peace. She closed her eyes and focused on blocking everything out to the point she could no longer sense Casino's presence behind her. She breathed in, opened her eyes, and exhaled as her finger began to depress the trigger…
Casino saw the targeting laser before Naira could fire. "Get down!" he shouted, forcing her to drop the rifle as he threw her bodily out of the way, "Gah!"
Naira recovered just in time to see a single laser bolt strike Casino in the face. "Cas!" she cried as she scrambled to her feet, "Cas! Hold on!"
"Raadii, wait!" Domino tried to stop her as a volley of laser fire rained down on them from the north.
Naira reached for her sabers to deflect the fire away. However, as predicted, the damage to her weapons was so extensive that it began discharging energy as painful electric feedback. She managed to deflect enough bolts to reach Casino before the pain became too much to bear, causing her to drop her sabers. She cursed harshly in Togruti, disregarding the useless things to tend to her fallen soldier. She rolled Casino onto his back and checked his vitals, allowing herself a sigh of relief when she saw he was still breathing. He was out cold, though, and there was a newly-cauterized wound from the corner of his left eye on into his hair line. The bolt had barely grazed him, the lucky bastard, but it was still way too close for Naira's comfort. The fire volley began to fall again; she needed to get Casino out of the way.
"Domino!" she called out, pulling Casino's arm around her shoulders and hoisting him up, "Cover fire!"
"Yes, sir," Domino complied, slipping his bucket on, "In fact, I'll do you one better."
He laid down suppressing fire in the direction of the onslaught. He couldn't see who or what was firing back, so when he found a break in their fire, he pulled a grenade from his belt, primed it, and hurled it at the unseen enemy. Naira had gotten Casino safely behind cover just as the ground shook from the explosion. Now they could see what they were dealing with as droid parts were flung into the air and broken to pieces.
"That'll make things a little bit easier," Domino said, "but how the hell did they even find us?"
"I don't know," Naira responded, resting Casino's head in her lap, "but we won't find out if we die out here."
"Good thing they're just clankers, then. We can handle that with a few droid poppers."
"I don't think the sniper was a droid, Dom. Even though they missed, that shot could have easily taken Cas' head had he not reacted as quickly as he did. They still got too close. No droid is that good."
"This just gets better and better, doesn't it?" Right about then, Domino noticed Naira's own injury. "Ah, kriff, Raadii," he said, "your hands…"
"Minor electrical burns, Dom," Naira responded nonchalantly, "they will heal…just keep those clankers off us as long as you can."
"Yes, sir."
Domino continued he one-man onslaught as Naira tended to Casino. There wasn't much she could do about the wound itself as most of the medical supplies had been in Wild Card's pack, so she checked Casino's head for any raised lumps. Finding none, she laid him flat on the ground and set to wake him up, fearing he may be concussed. She grabbed an adrenal stim from her own pack and jabbed it into the clone's neck.
Casino came to almost immediately and tried to sit up. "Be still, Sergeant," Naira ordered, gently pushing him back down, "You've been shot. Look at me. Good. Follow my finger. Good. There doesn't seem to be any neural damage."
"She's a Jedi, a commander, and a nurse all in one," Casino said weakly with one of his signature grins, "How did I get so luck—ow!"
Naira had shined a penlight into both of Casino's eyes, checking for pupil dilation much to the clone's discomfort. Fortunately, his eyes responded naturally. "Okay, good," she said, not registering Casino's distress, "you won't lose any of your vision to that sharpshooter's attack, but you'll have added a new scar to your collection." She grabbed a bacta swab and proceeded to clean the wound as best as she could as the blaster fire and marching metal feet got closer.
"Ah, kriff!" Casino cursed in pain, "Do you have to be so rough?"
"Kind of under attack here, Cas," Naira reminded him, "I'm sorry we can't afford for me to be as gentle as Quads."
"Fair enough, I guess…at least you're easier on the eyes—ow!"
That had taken Naira off-guard, causing her hand to slip and graze the wound. "I really need you to stop talking, Sergeant," she said shakily, trying to hide her apprehension, "I'm trying to concentrate. These droids are distracting enough without…whatever this is that you're doing."
"You need to work on your bedside manner," he chuckled, "Do you treat all your patients like this, or is it just the pretty ones?"
"By the Force, Cas, shut up! And quit being such a baby!"
"Aw, but, Nurse," Casino faked a pout, "I am a baby…and a very injured one."
Naira rolled her eyes as she finished treating him then joined Domino. He had been singlehandedly holding back the droid legion and doing a damned good job, but he was running low on steam. Worse yet, the sniper was still somewhere out there waiting patiently for their next shot. Then Naira noticed another problem: the droidekas.
"Scud!" she shouted, "We've got rollies coming up on the right flank!"
"Then I think it's time to field-test your new training, Raadii," Domino said rapidly, ducking back into cover, "Here. EMP grenade. Prime it here, give yourself a three-count, and get it as close to the center of the rollie cluster as possible. It'll bypass their shields and, if you get close enough, may take them out altogether."
"A droid popper?" Naira questioned, "That's not what you used before. Wouldn't that be more effective?"
"Uhhh, well, yes…but I don't think you're quite ready for thermal detonators just yet."
Naira tried not to come off as offended. "It can't be that different from any other grenade," she argued.
"All due respect, Raadii, they are not the same. Baradium is one of the most volatile explosives in the galaxy; thermals are designed very differently to compensate. One misstep, and we'll be taking us all out with the tinnies."
"Are you saying I would be so careless?"
"I didn't say th—"
Naira snatched the EMP from him. "Hannehvardeh tushaar," she said very harshly in her native tongue. This made Casino bust out laughing inexplicably, making Naira wonder if she accidentally overdosed him on the stim.
"I don't know what you just said," Domino commented as he positioned himself on the edge of the rock wall, "but I don't like the way you said it."
"Good, that was the idea!" Naira smirked, setting up on the opposite edge and priming the grenade, "On three…THREE!"
Domino swung around the side of the outcropping and fired into the melee, drawing attention away from Naira. In turn, the Jedi gave the grenade an underhanded throw, sending it rolling undetected towards the droidekas. Using the Force, she provided a little extra push, planting the EMP directly at the center of the six-droid cluster just as they unfolded themselves to attack. They didn't even have a chance to activate their shields before the device went off in a ball of electricity, frying their circuits and putting them out of the fight. That slowed the enemy down significantly, but then Naira was reminded about the sniper.
"Kriff!" she shouted as she narrowly missed getting hit by the sharpshooter, "Dom! Get down!"
She grabbed Domino by the backplate of his armor and pulled him behind the barrier just as another bolt clipped the edge.
"Thanks," Domino said appreciatively, "but we won't be able to keep this up much longer with that sniper pinning us down like this. We gotta take them out and real quick-like."
He was right, Naira knew, but their own sniper was out of commission. Worse yet, his rifle had been dropped several meters away from their cover. Naira scanned the field as she heard the clankers advance on them again. Finally, her eyes landed on the discarded DC-15x sniper rifle in the sand, and she reached for it through the Force, calling it to her outstretched hands. Casino then attempted to sit up and reach for his weapon, but Naira forcibly pushed him back down by the shoulder.
"Out of the question!" she barked, "You've got a concussion; your balance and perception will have been affective. Now stay down."
"I'm still fit to fight, Raadii," Casino protested, trying again to get up, "just let me—"
Naira cut him off with a spine-chilling glare, baring her teeth at him. "I said stay down," she growled, "It wasn't a request, Casino."
The clone blinked in shock. "Staying down, sir," he gulped, "but let it be known it's because I want to and not because you are absolutely terrifying right now…"
Satisfied, Naira ordered Domino to continue laying down cover fire while she attempted to locate the sniper. She tried to concentrate, to reach through the Force to guide her search, but the barrage of enemy fire forcing her back behind cover made it near-impossible. She'd have to use her natural instincts. That wouldn't be enough either, as the droid army continued to advance.
"We can't wait any longer!" she shouted to Domino as she activated her comm, "We have to break radio silence and get that Full House now!" Domino nodded his acknowledgement and sent several droid poppers rolling into the encroaching phalanx as Naira shouted into the comm. "This is Commander Naira Raadii to all units," she said without thinking, "is anyone receiving? Repeat: this is Commander Raadii. Domino, Casino, and I have been separated from House and Wild Card; Casino's been hit…we're pinned down on top of the plateau with incoming clankers and rollies! We need a Full House on the River! Does anybody copy?" She was then momentarily distracted by Casino laughing heartily. "What is so funny now?" she asked incredulously.
Casino shook his head, still smiling broadly. "Absolutely nothing at all," he said before adding in sweet reverence: "Commander."
Naira was stunned briefly as the realization hit her. She'd finally allowed herself to fully embrace her role without hesitation, and it felt…natural. She gave Casino an appreciative nod then smiled before returning to the fight.
She dashed over to a bit of rock wall that allowed her to stand at full height without losing any cover. She needed to find that sniper and take them out of the game, and so she sighted up with Casino's rifle. Her incomplete training became instantly obvious to her, but she couldn't worry about that now. She looked towards where the nerf-herder had been firing from, and…she found them! They were mostly obscured by the rocks, but there was enough of their body visible to confirm Naira's claim that they weren't a droid. She had to duck back into cover before she could even prepare to fire as two droidekas unfolded close by and opened fire on her.
"Scud!" she cursed, "Commander Raadii to all units! Does anybody copy? We are pinned down atop the plateau!"
"We copy, Naira," the familiar voice of Master Surill came a little staticky through the comms. A moment later, the Shistavanen along with Roulette, Monte, 8-Ball, and Black Jack appeared behind enemy lines after rappelling up the northern ridge of the plateau. They began drawing the back ranks of the droids away from Naira's team, which helped, however, they also drew the sniper's attention. Unfortunately, the droidekas were still covering Naira, preventing her from dealing with that.
Just then, another voice came through the comm, instantly lifting Naira's spirits. "On your right, Commander," House announced as he and Wild Card emerged from a cave opening to the east of the battlefield, "We've got the tinnies. Concentrate on that sniper!"
Naira didn't hesitate as she moved out of cover and aimed at the last place she saw the sharpshooter. Much to her surprise, they hadn't left their chosen nest. She still couldn't see their head, but she didn't need a headshot to end this battle. What she did need, however, was more training with this damned gun. She knew if she tried to fire it now, she was going to lose her balance and most likely topple over; she would miss her shot, and her target will have gotten away. As these anxieties filled her mind, she heard a soft voice speaking to her from somewhere.
"You've got this, Naira," it was Casino over her comm, "Center, balance, focus, breathe…and fire."
That was it. That was what she needed. In her mind's eye, she could feel Casino behind her, helping her steady the weapon as she aimed at her target. All other things faded around her until all she could see was the other sniper. Time seemed to slow as she released her held breath and fired…the figure went down! Naira had hit them in the shoulder socket, which would be enough to keep them down until they could be apprehended. Moments later, the battle itself came to an end as the last of the droids fell to poppers and laser fire.
Naira made her way back over to Casino and knelt beside him. "Thanks," she said, smiling softly as she held her hand out to him to help him up.
"You did the work," he responded, taking Naira's hand in a thumb-grip, "All I did was cheer from the sidelines."
"Well, it worked. Now, up you get."
As she pulled him to his feet, Casino looked at her quizzically. "Huh," he mused, "Can't believe I hadn't noticed before…"
"Noticed what?"
"You have violet eyes."
Casino grinned, seeming to enjoy the stunned expression on Naira's face even as House approached them. Thankful for the unwitting rescue, Naira turned to face House. The two grasped each other's arm by the wrist and gave a single shake before releasing.
"Nicely handled, Commander," House said proudly, handing Naira her lightsabers, "Here; found these laying in the field."
"Thanks," Naira said, placing her blades back on her belt, "but let's not be too hasty. I'm not married to the title yet. I'm just glad you got here when you d—whoa. What did you do to your bucket?"
She had caught sight of House's helmet tucked under his arm. It had always had the four card suits stenciled on the left side of the dome, but now he had what looked like Togruta montrals painted above the T-visor. The pattern on the montrals looked suspiciously like Naira's.
"Oh, right," House chuckled, holding the bucket up to show off, "We, uh, got bored halfway through the week and found some therma-paint in an abandoned storage chamber."
"Timing was quite perfect, too," Wild Card added, his helmet on his hand like a puppet, "We only just finished when you broke radio silence. Like it?"
Naira smiled warmly. "I love it," she said, "I'd better join Master Surill. You two go retrieve that sniper. His nest should be there in the mountain."
House nodded then looked at Casino. "Ah, for Kamino's sake, Casino," he joked, "is it your goal to get a new scar from every planet we go to?"
"Hey, at least I'm getting something out of this war," Casino laughed.
Naira just shook her head and chuckled as she walked towards Surill and his team. They were looking over the edge of the plateau at the factory they were to infiltrate. The building was nearly as tall as the plateau and looked to be the size of a small city.
"Padawan," Surill greeted with a sigh of relief, "it is good to see you safe. Seems you were right about the death gambit. They were waiting for us at the end of the canyon, so it's safe to say there is definitely more going on here than the senator admitted. I'm also told there was a sniper in the vicinity?"
"Yes, Master. House and Wild Card have gone to retrieve him from his nest up in the cliffs. I only hit him in the shoulder, but—"
"You struck him?" Surill inquired curiously, "With a blaster?"
"It's a long story, Master," Naira sighed, showing him the electrical burns on her hands and arms, "but the short version is my sabers were damaged in an explosion in the tunnels, so I got a crash course in demolitions and firearms, which came in handy when Casino got injured."
"I see…" the Shistavanen said, "I'm going to want more details later. Now, let's deal with this sniper."
"That's going to be a problem, General," House reported as he and Wild Card returned to the group, "Our friend is long gone."
"What?" Naira asked in confusion, "How's that possible?"
"Your guess is as good as ours, Commander. We found the rifle—Valken-38x, by the looks of it—but no shooter."
"There were no tracks leading away from the nest," Wild Card added, "Nothing on thermal scans, either, and that cliff is too steep to climb without being seen."
Naira exchanged a worried look with Surill. "What now?" she asked.
"For now," Surill sighed, "we will have to forget about the sniper and continue on to the ware—"
His words were drowned out as the city-sized building suddenly exploded, raining scorching metal and rock debris on top of the Jedi and company. Naira was instantly encircled by Casino, Domino, House, and Wild Card as they used their own bodies to shield her from the falling hazard. When the dust settled, the team stood up and observed the massive crater where their target had once been.
"What the scud?" the normally silent and enigmatic Monte voiced his surprise.
Almost immediately, everyone's comms started squealing at a painfully high frequency, forcing them to cover their ears. Someone was trying to hack their comms! When the succeeded, a holo of the mysterious general from the tunnels was projected in their midst.
"Ah, Clone Battalion-77," the modulated voice greeted them with great respect, "I thought I recognized those tactics. A pleasure to finally meet you all, especially you, Commander Raadii."
Surill glanced at Naira in confusion before addressing the hologram. "I am afraid you have us at a disadvantage," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Oh, yes, where are my manners? I am General Toorick of the Separatist Army, and I have been something of a fan since our first encounter on Ord Mantell. I've regretted not facing you personally back then as it seems I have grossly underestimated you all. That was one hell of a shot, Commander Raadii. I shan't be able to use my right arm for some time. Nor shall I be foolish enough to underrate you again. This was a fun game while it lasted, and while I'm certain we will meet again for another round, I'm afraid asset denial was the only way I could best you this time. Can't have such clever minds poking around CIS intelligence. Farewell, 77th. Until we meet again, I will be watching you…primarily you, Naira…good day."
Naira's skin crawled in horror when Toorick spoke her name. She looked at her master and the Flush as they all glanced back at her with deep concern. The feeling lingered even as she stood by Surill's side looking down at the destroyed warehouse.
"How about a wager, Master?" the Togruta asked softly with no levity in her voice, "That Senator Rodd somehow spins this story to put us at fault for this critical mission failure?"
"No, Padawan," her master snarled, "that would be what we call a sucker's bet. Let's deliver our report and get this over with."
Back on Coruscant, the 77th were given leave to relax at Grobba's Dive while Surill and Naira returned to the Jedi Temple to give their report. About halfway there, Surill veered off in the direction of the courtyard, away from the Council Chamber.
"Master?" Naira inquired worriedly, "Where are we going?"
"To speak privately," Surill answered as they approached the Great Tree, "What is troubling you, my Padawan?"
Naira shook her head in confusion. "Why would anything be troubling me, Master?" she asked, "I mean, besides this mystery general, Toorick…my skin crawls just think—"
"No, not the obvious, Naira," Surill interrupted her almost admonishingly, "There's something…deeper…I sense a great deal of conflict within you. Did something happen in those days separated from House?"
"I…I don't know what you mean."
Surill raised his brows at her, his ears flicking backwards to indicate he was not fooled in the least. "It's Casino again, isn't it?" he asked compassionately, sighing with worry when naira looked away in shame, "Naira, I thought we got past this after—"
"I know, I know!" she huffed as she sat on the bench and buried her face in her hands, "I know these feelings are forbidden by the Order, and the last thing I want to do is hurt him."
"You are presuming he shares your feelings."
"No, Master. I'm not so delusional to assume such things. I don't even think he's noticed. I just mean that…I don't want to allow these feelings to become so apparent to the point they could become mutual. I don't know if that makes sense to you, but it does to me. I am a Jedi, and he is a soldier under my command. It's…not right, but…how can anyone just turn off how they feel about someone? It's not as simple as flipping a switch, Master."
Surill nodded in understanding. "Perhaps this was my folly," he mused, patting her on the back, "for encouraging you to bond with the troops without considering how easily you form attachments. I won't lecture you about that, but you're treading dangerous waters, Naira. I advise you to meditate regularly and call upon the Force to mitigate and deafen these feelings. Perhaps, consider a mantra."
"I had worried you'd chastise me for violating the Code."
"Well, that's because you haven't—yet. Naira, we Jedi aren't above these feelings, but we avoid them to keep those we care about safe. Consider your position in the Order and in the GAR. Your enemies would not be above using these men to manipulate you, costing innocent lives and important battles. It would be far worse if they notice you favoring any one of them. Now, I stand by my encouragement to be their friend, but you need to be prepared to let them go in the inevitable event of tragedy. Control your feelings, and put them aside for their safety as well as yours. If you cannot, I will have Casino redeployed with another unit."
That sent a sharp pain through Naira's heart as she nodded her acknowledgement. She wasn't sure how, but she was determined to find a way to quell these feelings for her friend. That was all they were. She needed only trust in the Force, and it would guide her back to the Path.