"Good soldiers follow orders," Tup muttered as he shot Master Tiplar, her life extinguished in an instant.
"Kriff," Anakin cursed under his breath, a mix of frustration and sorrow gnawing at his heart. He swiftly turned, the absence of Tiplar's Force presence chilling him to the bone. "Hold your ground!" Anakin shouted to the remaining clones, his lightsaber flashing as he deflected blaster bolts.
He fought relentlessly, pushing the enemy back, realizing that they've lost all their momentum, "We've lost our position! Fall back!" he commanded, turning to his ARC Trooper, "Fives, I don't understand what's happening, but Tup is your responsibility now. Get him back to base; I want answers!" Anakin yelled as Fives nodded and dragged Tup away.
Anakin rushed to Tiplee's side, witnessing her mourning her sister. The anguish in her voice was palpable, and Anakin knew this loss would weigh heavily on Tiplar's Padawan.
"I'm about to find out what's happening," Anakin reassured Tiplee as he stormed to the room where they were holding Tup. "Rex, how's he doing?" Anakin demanded, a mix of outrage and curiosity swirling within him.
Anakin's thoughts wandered as he listened to Rex's report, but he suddenly remembered a crucial detail. Tiplar's Padawan was on Coruscant, and he needed to deliver the devastating news to her, knowing that Tiplee was in no condition to do so.
Rex turned to Anakin, pulling him back to the present. "General, are you ready to take him to the med-bay?" Rex asked, awaiting Anakin's lead.
"Yeah. Let's go," Anakin replied, taking charge of the situation.
After their group discussed the possibility of biological warfare, Anakin turned to Tiplee. "I have to return to Coruscant. Tiplar had a Padawan, correct?" Anakin inquired, receiving a solemn nod from Tiplee. "I have to let her know of Tiplar's death, and ensure she finds a new master soon," Anakin assured as he headed towards his cruiser, where R2-D2 patiently waits for him, just as he always does.
"Alright, Artoo, let's head home," Anakin said, and the droid responded with excited beeps.
Upon landing on Coruscant, Anakin made his way directly to the temple. However, as he approached the entrance, he sensed a presence on the rooftop, where he had once battled Barriss Offee. Intrigued, he changed course, spinning on his heel.
Stepping onto the rooftop, Anakin found a distraught young woman, her hair was light brown with strands of blonde mixed in and she looked to be around twenty years old. He approached her in silence, the sound of her sniffles tugging at his heart.
Sitting down beside her without a word, Anakin allowed the silence to envelop them. She eventually spoke, "Who are you?"
Anakin was momentarily surprised by her apparent lack of recognition, but he decided to keep things simple. "I'm Anakin," he replied, not inclined to flaunt his status as the Republic's hero to a grieving Jedi.
The young woman nodded shyly, acknowledging the name but showing no signs of awe.
Anakin accepted her silence as her need for it, closing his eyes in meditation. Suddenly, her words jolted him out of the silence he was getting used to, "Have you ever just wanted to die?" she asked, her voice heavy with pain and regret.
Anakin raised a hand to reassure her, she did nothing wrong, "At times, yes," he admitted, revealing a vulnerability that seemed to catch her off guard, "Especially in the last six months."
The woman nodded with understanding. "I'm Evelyn Zaad," she introduced herself, her shoulder lightly brushing against his.
Anakin smiled at Evelyn, his charisma shining through. "Anakin Skywalker," he replied quietly, and they exchanged smiles.
"Have you ever lost someone?" Evelyn asked, her thoughts dwelling on her late masters, including Evan Piell and Tiplar.
Anakin's mind instantly traveled to Qui-Gon and his mother. He nodded solemnly, "Very important people to me," he shared, "I try to carry their memory with me, but it's not always easy."
Evelyn nodded in agreement. "It's the hardest thing in the world," she acknowledged, her eyes reflecting deep sorrow. "I've only been a Padawan for six years, and I've already lost four masters, all of them becoming one with the Force." Anakin's jaw dropped at the revelation. He hadn't expected this young woman to still be a Padawan, let alone endure such loss, "Sometimes it's hard to keep going," she confessed honestly.
Anakin looked into her eyes, captivated by their beauty, "I understand," he said softly, empathizing with her pain, "But I've learned that the best way to move forward is to carry the memory of those we've lost with us, honoring them with everything we have."
Evelyn continued to gaze at Anakin, realizing that she wasn't alone in her pain. The Jedi Order often preached that there was no such thing as pain, only the Force, but she saw through that facade.
To be quite frank, it was a load of bantha shit.
The temple's interior clocks rang, prompting a groan from Evelyn and a chuckle from Anakin. She turned to him, still somewhat dazed.
"I'm being reassigned again," Evelyn explained, her voice tinged with bitterness. "It seems like whoever becomes my next master is doomed."
Anakin laughed at her bluntness. "So sure of that, are you?"
Their conversation was interrupted by Master Yoda, who had been observing from afar. Yoda assured Evelyn that her next master would be a formidable one.
As they walked with Yoda, Anakin asked about their next steps.
Yoda stopped walking. "Assigned to temple duty, you are," he said, surprising Anakin with his new station, "Complete Evelyn's training, you will," Evelyn turned to Anakin, shocked, while Anakin remained composed.
"Your wish is my command, Master," Anakin said, bowing to the Grand Master before heading to the council chambers.
Evelyn and Anakin stood in comfortable silence for a few moments before it was interrupted. "So," Evelyn began, prompting Anakin to look at her with a wicked grin. "This is going to be so much fun," she exclaimed with a laugh as the two high fived.
Anakin shook his head. "Maybe not so much fun for you, but definitely for me," he teased, causing Evelyn's eyes to widen. "I lead the Republic's best clone division, and you have some catching up to do."
Evelyn crossed her arms shyly, still processing the weight of the responsibility that came with Anakin's guidance. "So, we're going to be everywhere?" she asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice. She had never traveled much before due to the lack of trust her previous masters had placed in her.
Did that stop her from mastering a few forms of lightsaber combat? Hell no.
Anakin nods, understanding her concerns. "Yes, but don't worry. I'll teach you how to handle it," he assures her. "And remember, the best way to move forward is to carry the memory of those we've lost with us," he smiles at her, "Consider that my first lesson."
Evelyn chewed on the corner of her lip, visibly unsure about what the upcoming months with Anakin would entail. She also pondered why her previous masters had lacked trust in her abilities. Her thoughts seemed to flow too easily, and she felt exposed.
Anakin sensed her unease. "And you shouldn't think so loudly," he remarked with a playful smile, leaving Evelyn slightly embarrassed, but also amused. She blushes slightly and manages to make a small chuckle.
Evelyn has a newfound sense of comfort with Anakin, a Jedi Knight who understands her struggles and pain. "Thank you, Master," she says, using his title out of respect.
Anakin grins, his charisma shining through, "No need for formalities, we're like the same age," he says, "Just call me Anakin."
Evelyn nods, appreciating the informality, "Anakin, then," she replies, feeling a sense of camaraderie.
Anakin's smile widens, and he claps her on the shoulder gently, "We're going to make a great team."