Chapter 3
The Battle of Murkhana
(one week later. three weeks after the Battle of Geonosis)
The next week passed by quickly, in what felt like a flash.
Jaina had adjusted as best she could, to her new life as Obi-Wan's Padawan, with the Jedi Master still thoroughly impressed by what his Padawan had already displayed to him.
She was kind, mature, polite, and brilliant, in every sense of the word. In her Master's eyes, they were an ideal match.
They had both begun to settle into their new roles, which now led to his favorite moment of the month…their first mission.
Following her Master in her usual respectful half-pace behind, Jaina gazed around the bridge of The Negotiator—the newly commissioned Venator-class flagship—in awe, barely managing to keep her Jedi facade up. She kept her expression as neutral as she could manage, for the clones working around the different consoles and terminals.
Her eyes still lit up though.
She was finally leaving Coruscant for the first time.
Obi-Wan noticed her eyes, and had to smile again, thinking that in such a short amount of time, she had grown on him too much.
They were like two peas in a pod, and she had done a magnificent job at keeping up with him so far.
"I see someone is excited to travel off-world for an assignment." He chuckled, his expression kind as he cast a glance at his apprentice. "You know, it is only natural to feel that way about your first mission."
Jaina smiled sheepishly, clasping her hands and gazing out the viewport at the beautiful world of Coruscant, as The Negotiator began to pull away from orbit, and prepare for hyperspace.
"Excited, and perhaps a bit nervous too," she admitted, chuckling.
Obi-Wan felt his heart grow ten sizes when she spoke those words. He knew exactly how she felt right now—and he was absolutely going to take care of her.
"Nervous?" He asked. "Do not worry. You and I will get through this together. You will be fine."
He glanced down at her, his expression gentle. "Trust me, my young apprentice."
Jaina smiled softly and nodded.
Another pair of footsteps reached the bridge as The Negotiator entered hyperspace, and Jaina turned around to see Anakin Skywalker, an amused smirk on his face as he folded his arms across his chest.
"So," the young Jedi Knight said. "Do I get to meet my old Master's new Padawan now?"
Obi-Wan smirked back at Anakin. "You may," he confirmed, his gaze shifting back to Jaina. "Anakin Skywalker, meet my new Padawan, Jaina Arden."
"Jaina, this is Anakin."
Jaina lowered her head respectfully, a polite smile on her face. "Master Skywalker."
Anakin smirked at her for another moment, taking in her slightly flushed cheeks, the pale pink ribbon that tightly held her brunette curls back, and her four-foot-ten frame.
"Please," he said. "Just 'Anakin' is fine."
He turned back towards his old Master, smirking. "Is it just me, or are the younglings getting smaller and smaller these days?"
Anakin was correct—she really was quite…undersized for her age. But Obi-Wan chuckled playfully, glancing down at his young one for a moment.
Before he could have retorted, Jaina met Anakin's mischievous expression with a sweet little smirk of her own. "Well, I expected you to be a bit taller too. Guess we're both a bit disappointed."
Obi-Wan smirked. He had warned her that Anakin would try to test her, and it seemed that she had just passed his test.
After a moment, Anakin tilted his head back and…laughed. "Nice. I like her already."
He turned back to look at Obi-Wan. "She learned that from you, I imagine." He chuckled. "She's a sassy one."
"Actually, that's all her." Obi-Wan smirked. "I did tell you, didn't I, that she walked up to me, and spoke to me about wanting to become my Padawan."
The Jedi Master shrugged. "She's very polite in all other aspects, but it appears that when insulted—perhaps particularly about her height—she has no problem matching wits."
Jaina smiled awkwardly at them both.
Obi-Wan smirked. Those adorable little dimples!
"Oh," Anakin remarked, chuckling. "This is going to be so much fun."
Obi-Wan turned to look back at his Padawan. "She is an interesting one, certainly."
"I think, Anakin, that she will one day make a great Jedi Knight." the Jedi Master glanced at Anakin and added with a smirk. "…even if she still needs to grow a couple more inches."
Jaina mockingly folded her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow. "I think you both are forgetting that our Grand Master is shorter than three feet."
Obi-Wan chuckled.
Jaina's snide little remark was a perfect response, and Anakin could only laugh at her clever reply.
"She really is yours, Obi-Wan, and I see she's already learned from your sarcasm in the span of a week." Anakin said with a smug smile, glancing over at his old Master.
Obi-Wan chuckled again at his former apprentice's words. "Yes, it would seem that she has," he smirked, glancing back at his young one. "...I think I may have created a monster."
Jaina giggled, playfully shaking her head.
Obi-Wan smiled and nodded. "But I think she's a monster I quite like," he teased, his voice gentle as he cast a glance down at his apprentice, with an expression of pure affection. "My little Padawan."
This entire exchange was exactly what Obi-Wan hoped it would be.
Jaina was learning from him, learning from Anakin, and she had learned how to give it right back—and she was good at it too.
"'Little' Padawan?" Anakin chimed in, chuckling. "I think 'tiny' might be more fitting than that."
Jaina scoffed playfully. "Tiny just means I have a lot of room to grow."
Anakin burst out laughing once more. "This," he repeated, grinning, "will be fun."
It was a lovely moment.
The three of them, despite being so different from each other—an older and seasoned Jedi Master, a young, boisterous Jedi Knight, and a sweet, gentle teenage Padawan who still had much to learn—got along well. And it was a wonderful sight to behold.
(hours later. Murkhana)
As The Negotiator arrived in Murkhana's orbit, Jaina silently followed her Master along the row of gunships in the hangar bay, the gravity of her first mission beginning to settle in, amidst the thoughtful silence.
After a few moments, an orange-striped trooper of the 212th hurried towards them and stopped, saluting swiftly.
"General," he greeted quickly. "I've just received word from Cody, the landing zone is hot."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Thank you, trooper. Inform Cody we are en route."
He looked over his shoulder towards his little Padawan.
"We'll be landing in an active war zone, Jaina," he said, his tone firm. "Remember all the rules we discussed. Stay close to me at all times. Do not take any unnecessary risks."
Jaina pursed her lips and nodded solemnly. "Yes, Master."
Obi-Wan nodded once more, before turning on his heel and boarding their waiting gunship.
He glanced around at the other troopers within the ship; sensing apprehension, eagerness, and focus from them as well. It was a sight that brought a quiet ache inside of him.
As the gunship closed its blast doors and the interior was lit only with a single, dim red light, Jaina stiffened, glancing around at the Clone Troopers who seemed to tower over her as they charged their weapons and adjusted their helmets.
Her senses felt like they were on heightened alert. Her feet very aware of the thrum of the engines beneath her, her ears heard every click of every DC-15.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
She took in a deep, calming breath, reaching up to hold on to the handle bar above as the gunship pulled away from The Negotiator and began to make its way to the surface.
Obi-Wan could sense her heightened senses, as well as her rising heart rate. He could feel her nervousness, her apprehension. The thrum of the engines was loud, and it was something she would have to get used to, he knew.
"Focus, Padawan," Obi-Wan said quietly. He knew her nerves would cause her to be distracted, and he was already sensing that she was beginning to overthink the current situation. "Focus on the mission, and on staying alive."
He knew that the rush of her adrenaline would only grow as the gunship approached the landing zone that was undoubtedly teeming with CIS forces.
He needed her to stay calm and focused.
The Jedi Master turned to his Padawan once more, gently resting a hand on her lower back. "Relax," he said softly.
Jaina pursed her lips and nodded, grimacing slightly as the gunship began to jolt under the Separatist anti-aircraft batteries. "Yes, Master."
Obi-Wan was aware of how much bravery his little one had.
She wasn't trembling or shaking, and she wasn't going to be crumbling under pressure.
She held on to the handle above with a firm grip, and though her eyes were narrowed and her jaw set tight, she didn't let herself spiral into panic.
His heart swelled as they continued on their descent.
With each explosion that rocked the ship, Jaina felt her stomach drop. She clutched the handle bar tighter until her knuckles were white, her face still maintaining her Jedi mask as much as she could manage, her lips tightly pursed to control her breathing.
The trooper next to them turned his head down towards her.
"First time?" He asked, not unkindly.
Obi-Wan had to smile. "She is my new Padawan, and our new Commander. Yes—this will be her first time on an actual battlefield."
She was doing an excellent job of keeping her fear and nerves in check. She was his Padawan, and she needed to face her fears head-on.
He had no doubts that she would be facing worse enemies than droids as the war dragged on.
Jaina forced a small smile, consciously focusing on her slow, steady inhales and exhales.
The clone pilot's voice echoed over the loudspeaker. "LZ ETA thirty seconds."
Obi-Wan's head turned forward, his eyes on the viewport in front of him.
Jaina, sensing her Master redirect his gaze, turned her head to look up at him. His expression was calm and relaxed, despite the vibrations and explosions that were rocking their gunship—which was currently taking direct hits from the droids below.
How was he so calm?!
She watched as he took a deep breath, his eyes still keenly studying what lay beyond the viewport—his focus on the mission.
As Jaina followed his gaze outside, her grip tightened.
They had entered cloud cover now, and she could see flashes of red in the distance.
She felt a lump in her throat.
Her heart beat in her ears.
Her muscles tensed up as she blew out another slow exhale, as subtly as she could manage, through her nose.
They were almost there.
As the gunship suddenly dove lower towards the active landing zone, she could see more than just flashes of red; she could see flames and smoke and destruction.
She could hear the sirens, the roaring of the droid bombers, and the rumble of the battle being waged on the surface.
She could feel the gunship's turbines beginning to hum louder as the gunship suddenly lurched downwards again—
Jaina subconsciously shut her eyes at the violent lurch, her grip on the handlebar above tightening—
Obi-Wan could sense her discomfort, and it filled him with concern.
"Jaina," he began softly. "Look at me, my Padawan."
Jaina forced her eyes open once more. "Sorry—" she muttered shakily. "Sorry, I—"
Obi-Wan gave her a reassuring smile. "It's alright to be scared, my little one," he said gently. "But I need you to stay focused, all right?"
Jaina exhaled sharply, as the gunship lurched once more, then turned to gaze up at him. "…'my little one'?"
Obi-Wan chuckled. "Am I wrong?" He replied with a smirk, glancing back down at her.
"...No, I suppose not," Jaina grumbled, her cheeks heating up.
Obi-Wan laughed. "It suits you," he teased, reaching out towards the small of her back once more. "Just hang on."
The gunship suddenly dove, and she could feel her stomach plunge.
"We're almost there," the Jedi Master said quietly.
It was as if he knew exactly how much she needed to hear those words.
"We will get through this."
The flashing red lights of the droids grew brighter and brighter as the gunship broke through the clouds and came into direct sight of the battle.
The thrum of the engines grew steadily louder, the vibrations from the blasts becoming even more intense.
As the gunship neared the ground of the black sand beach, Jaina took in one last deep breath and slipped her lightsaber hilt off her belt, gripping it tightly in her other hand.
He sensed her taking in that final breath, readying herself.
It was clear that she knew what was expected of her in a situation like this.
"Remember your training." He turned to place his hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before releasing.
"And remember—stay close to me," he repeated sternly. "At all times."
Jaina nodded solemnly, her eyebrows furrowed, her delicate features firm as she struggled to find her center, her focus. "Yes, Master."
Finally, the thrum of the gunship's engines came to a sudden halt as it settled down onto the black-sand-and-dust-filled air of Murkhana.
The dim red light turned green and the blast doors immediately opened…into dust, flames, explosions, blasterfire, death, and…
…chaos.
She could hear the clones scrambling to exit the gunship, the vibrations of the engines dying down, as the troopers began to blast the nearest droids.
In the next second, a burst of blasterfire came from somewhere nearby, and several of the troopers began to drop dead, as the others hurried across the beach-head.
Obi-Wan felt his young Padawan tighten up, her grip on her lightsaber becoming tighter and more secure, her expression becoming both apprehensive and blank at the same time, as the sights, sounds, and smells completely overwhelmed her.
Suddenly feeling glued to the floor of the gunship, Jaina stared blankly ahead at the view of her first moment away from the Temple.
The fires, the death, the advancing enemies, her ears ringing with the loud explosions, her nostrils filling with the stenches of smoke and charred metal, her mind somehow refusing to—
"Jaina." Obi-Wan could sense her disorientation, her mind and body struggling to react to the sudden influx of stimulation and sensory input. "Jaina, focus."
She was still so new to this, and had no experience with the horrors of the battlefield—even a Padawan as sharp and promising as she was would be overwhelmed at a time like this.
"Jaina!" His Master Senses and instincts were telling him that his young apprentice needed to know something, immediately.
"Look at me." His tone had shifted—it was no longer one of softness or sympathy. His voice had hardened in that moment, taking on a more authoritarian edge. There was no room for hesitation.
"Look at me," The Jedi Master repeated, "as if your life depended on it. Because right now, at this moment, it does."