4 hours later, Fang Company Barracks, Coruscant, 1138 hours

"I'll make this clear, Jedi," said the Master Chief as he walked through the courtyard of the company barracks towards the command center. "You're stepping into some shoes I'd rather leave unfilled, so don't expect a warm welcome from anyone."

Aturo walked by his side, looking all around her. The company barracks were built in the new brutalist architecture that was starting to emerge in Coruscant. It was a hardened, rectangular building hundreds of meters long and about half as wide, with nearly no windows or visible weaknesses. On the east and west sides of the building, the shorter sides, were built two large landing bays, each of them capable of holding up to five shuttles or a larger number of LAAT/i gunships. On each corner of the building's roof was a DBY-827 heavy turbolaser turret, and multiple smaller point-defense laser cannons lined the length of the building. At its center was a large courtyard that could also be used as an improvised landing zone. On the northern end of the courtyard stood a tall, metallic flagpole from which flew a red banner with the Republic crest in white at the center.

The unlikely pair walked past the flagpole, and Aturo couldn't help but notice the small axe it had been struck with at its base. Distracted by this, she almost didn't notice the Mandalorian exit the courtyard and walk back into the building.

He turned to face a pair of metallic doors on the side and they opened once he pressed the button on the control panel. The Master Chief walked inside the room, which was filled with every model of blaster a clone trooper had been trained to use. The walls were covered with racks holding DC-15 series blaster rifles, DC-17 blaster pistols, and other more exotic weaponry like the DC-17m and Z-6. Though Chiru didn't know the model of any of these weapons, she recognized them as the standard-issue weapons of the clones. She made a face of slight disgust upon seeing these crude, uncivilized tools of war. Instead, she focused on the Mandalorian as he dragged a large chest towards her.

"Lesson number one: A good leader is in two places at once. In the front to lead his men, and behind them to always have their backs." He glanced at her and nodded at her tunic, then started opening the chest. "Ditch the robes. If you want the men to believe you belong here, you have to look like you belong here."

Aturo looked down at the arm of her outer tunic skeptically. The tan and brown clothing typical of the Jedi Order was the only one she had worn since she could remember, so if she was going to give up their comfort and familiarity she at least expected it to be for a good alternative.

She focused her attention back on the Mandalorian as he stood up and breathed deeply, as if preparing himself for something. Slowly his hands came up from his side and to his helmet, removing it from his head and tucking it under his left arm. Aturo's breath caught in her throat as she laid eyes on the Mandalorian. She knew he was young by the sound of his voice, but she was utterly surprised upon finding out he was a human of almost the same age as her, with light skin and dark brown hair in a short crew cut. And yet for some reason he seemed to be more serious than even the strictest Master of the Jedi Order. His gaze met hers and she felt as if she had suddenly been sent to the icy surface of Ilum, sending a shiver down her spine and giving her a hint of just how much the Mandalorian had been through. His piercing hazel eyes fixed on her as he spoke slowly, his face betraying no emotions.

"These men will follow you because they were trained to follow you. But if you want them to follow you because they respect you, because they trust you, then you'll have to earn that trust. Got it?"

His words almost went unheard by Chiru as she took a few seconds to process the sudden shift in the Force around her, confused as to how the mere presence of the Mandalorian had such an impact on her as if they were connected in some way. Unsure as to how to respond, Aturo simply nodded, her gaze never leaving his, and the Master Chief swiftly put his helmet back on before returning his attention to the chest at his feet.

A door hissed open and Aturo walked through it to where the Master Chief was waiting for her. The Mandalorian turned to watch the Pantoran and remained unfazed, his arms crossed as the Jedi Knight approached him.

"It's... new," she replied, taking a moment to find an appropriate word to describe the armor she was wearing.

Using a few spare pieces of Katarn-class armor, the Master Chief had created a decently well-suited armor for the Pantoran. It did not provide the same amount of protection as a full set of armor like the ones he or the clones wore but it would do for the Jedi Knight, whose smaller frame required the larger pieces to be cut down to fit her size. A collar plate cut from a larger Katarn chestplate protected the base of her neck and her upper chest, ending just below her breasts. Her forearms were likewise armored with vambraces, but the lack of armor around her biceps and shoulders allowed her to bend her arms more easily and raise them over her head if she ever needed to, such as when blocking an incoming attack from above with her lightsaber. Last, her shins and knees were covered by a pair of greaves similar to the ones the Mandalorian wore. The white armor pieces matched the tan tunic she wore underneath, with the Jedi symbol painted in dark brown on the left side of the collar plate, over her heart. As a result, the armor gave her a good balance between protection and mobility, ideal for a Jedi Knight of her skills and fighting style.

"You'll get used to it," the Mandalorian replied dismissively, but secretly proud of his creation. A glimmer of happiness emerged from him for a split second, and Chiru stifled a smile as the Master Chief received a transmission. His visor moved to the side as he listened to it, then after a moment he nodded tightly to end the transmission. The horizontal section of his visor met her gaze as he spoke firmly, "We have a mission. Let's go."

The Master Chief walked out of the room without saying anything else, and the Jedi Knight followed him. The new set of armor, while not uncomfortable in and of itself, was unfamiliar and she found herself tucking the sleeves of her tunic under her vambraces as they walked together, drawing the attention of every clone they passed in the hallways of the base.

"So, how long have you been here?" Aturo asked, hoping to learn more about the nature of her assignment and the Mandalorian she would be working with.

"Long enough," was his reply. He entered a turbolift, then turned around to face the door as the Jedi followed him in.

She glanced at the Mandalorian to her side. His gaze remained fixed on the door in front of him, and Aturo still had no idea of what was going on in his mind. She spotted the central plate in his chest armor, a vertically elongated hexagon with a smaller one in the center, and remembered seeing the symbol in the clones' armors as well. Her master had taught her about multiple cultures during her training, although the information in the Jedi Archives about the Mandalorians was often contradicting in some aspects as a result of the several civil wars they have fought through their history.

"That symbol, I saw it on the clones. What does it mean?"

The Mandalorian remained silent as his visor lowered ever so slightly, and an uncomfortable silence emerged between them as the elevator came to a halt.

"That's classified."

The doors opened and Aturo once again tried to sense his feelings, only to be met by the same wall of black stone as before. It was clear to her that whatever emotions or memories the Mandalorian was trying to suppress, they were tearing him apart from the inside.

The Master Chief and the Jedi Knight once again walked through the hallways of the barracks, the former returning to his solemn demeanor as a large pair of doors opened in front of him. They entered the west hangar where, similar to the one where they had met before, ground crews worked around the clock to service the incoming transports.

"Republic Intelligence intercepted transmissions suggesting hostile activity in the Merrick sector. They want us to check it out."

"Shouldn't a clone team be able to handle this?" asked Chiru. The Master Chief took a turn to the right, walking precisely and deliberately as he approached the starship at the end of the hangar.

"A squad of commandos would draw too much attention. It's best if we go alone."

He stopped suddenly next to a saucer-shaped ship, the model of which Aturo recognized as a Lancer-class pursuit craft thanks to Master Di's lessons on starship design. It was fitting for the Mandalorian to have a ship produced by his people, and she observed every detail with great attention as she started walking around the hull, grazing her hand against the cold metal plating. The pairs of heavy and medium laser cannons protruding from the chin of the vessel served to discourage any possible attackers and punish those who were foolish enough to try. The sponsons at the side of the ship had been reinforced, as were the ordnance racks mounted on the underside of the fuselage. The engines were in pristine condition, with no carbon scoring visible inside of them. But although the hull seemed to be intact and structurally stable, it was not hard to spot the areas where the grey and green paint had been burnt or scratched. That, along with the tally painted next to the canopy, made it clear that this ship was no collector's item, but had a story of its own. It had seen its fair share of fighting and had kept its pilot safe from certain death. Likewise, one couldn't deny the devotion the ship's owner must have had to maintain it in such fine condition, yet still proudly displayed the scars of battles most would not have survived.

"I see I arrived at just the right time."

A familiar voice spoke from afar, and Aturo turned to see Master Di walk towards them with his hands behind his back. A clone trooper walked by his side, wearing a skirt similar to the one the Mandalorian was wearing and with rust-colored markings adorning his white armor. Aturo smiled at her former master and although the closest thing the Kajain'sa'Nikto could do to return the greeting was flattening his mouth flaps due to his species' physiology, she could sense he was as happy to see her as she was.

"I see you have made some changes to your outfit," he said, noticing the armor plates she was wearing. Most Jedi were starting to wear pieces of clone armor as the war progressed and he himself was no exception, wearing a pair of white plastoid vambraces. "Though I hope you never have to rely on this armor."

"That's Katarn-class armor made from reinforced duraplast. She'll be fine," the Master Chief replied, defending his creation.

Di nodded at the Mandalorian's comment about the armor. He was still not convinced about allowing his former Padawan to work with a Mandalorian, but at least he had provided her with the right equipment. Chiru's smile grew, as although the Jedi were supposed to keep their emotions in check she and her master had never been the most conventional members of the Order.

"General, the fleet is ready to depart for Ryloth. Admiral Dao is waiting for us, sir," the clone informed him.

"Ryloth?" Chiru asked, confused.

As a Jedi Knight she was given the rank of Jedi General once she officially joined the GAR and she should have been given a command, but an exception was made for her case as she was under the Mandalorian's supervision. So while she was the youngest Jedi Knight of her generation and now the youngest Jedi General in the GAR, she had instead been assigned as a liaison to the 8th Commando Battalion of the Special Operations Brigade until she was deemed ready to assume command, and was the only Jedi in the entire battalion.

"Thank you, Captain. The Confederacy has invaded Ryloth and I am being sent to reinforce the Outer Rim garrison." Di sighed deeply, lamenting the misfortune of Ryloth and the Twi'leks. It seemed as if no matter the conflict, their homeworld always suffered the consequences of war firsthand. He quickly shook those thoughts away, then looked at his former Padawan. "I was hoping you could hold on to this while I'm gone."

Master Di held a holocron in front of him with his right, scaly hand, which nearly enveloped the cubic device completely. The face of his former Padawan turned into one of pure shock and surprise, her lips slightly parted as she was left speechless. Like most Jedi holocrons, this one had a blue crystalline surface with bronze details and edges. Within it was all of Master Di's knowledge, and after a nod of approval from him Chiru took the holocron in her hands, holding it with great reverence.

"We have to go," said the Mandalorian, mildly annoyed by the delay this unexpected visit was causing.

Neither Jedi replied to his comment, but Master Di looked Chiru in the eye and said, "May the Force be with you, my former Padawan."

He bowed slightly at her, and the Pantoran returned the gesture with a smile. The boarding ramp at the back of the Gray Hawk lowered and Aturo entered first, still holding the holocron between her hands. The Master Chief followed her in, but as he was walking up the ramp Master Di spoke.

"Master Chief," he said, his voice gravelly and gruff. Jansek halted in his tracks and turned his head to look at the Nikto on the left. "Good luck."

His eyes said what his words did not, an unspoken request to the Mandalorian. Though the Mandalorian could have simply dismissed the Nikto, he took note of how much he cared for the Pantoran. A fellow Jedi would have seen this attachment as unacceptable, but to him it showed that perhaps the Jedi were not so emotionless as he might have thought.

Karel tipped his head, silently accepting the Jedi Master's request. He turned his head back to the front and walked inside the ship. He sighed, but said nothing as he saw Aturo sitting in the co-pilot's chair and completely focused on the holocron in her hands, undisturbed by the arrival of the Master Chief, who instead sat on the pilot's chair. The memory of the first time his father had taught him to fly a ship ran through his mind as his right hand grazed the instrument panel.

"Are you alright?" Aturo asked.

Her native Pantoran accent surfaced for a brief moment as she looked up from the holocron at the Mandalorian. Had he not let his guard down she wouldn't have even sensed his presence behind her, too occupied with her master's holocron, but for a moment she clearly felt his memories of his father and it had been enough to draw her attention to him once more.

Jansek said nothing as his head jerked up and his visor met her gaze, and in an instant his memories were safely behind a wall of stone. His gaze traveled back to the controls, and his gloved hands tightened their grip on the device.

"I'm fine."

Aturo didn't need the Force to know he was lying, but before she could probe further the Gray Hawk lifted off the ground smoothly, its pilot familiar with how the starship handled. Her gaze returned to the viewport in front of her as the ship cut through Coruscant's atmosphere. The stars turned to streaks and she smiled to herself as they entered hyperspace.