Chapter 6
(the next morning)
The loud screaming of the Code Blue alarm and the rapid sound of troopers running outside of their barracks instantly startled Obi-Wan awake.
He sat up straight, his eyes immediately fixed on his Padawan, who was still curled up next to him in a comfortable position beneath the blankets.
Jaina's eyes flew open at the loud blaring of the alarm, her heart pounding in surprise, her expression dazed for the briefest moment before she sat up too. "Is that the—wait—does that mean…"
Obi-Wan stood, his face growing serious as he turned to look through the window, observing the base outside of their barracks.
It was still very dark outside—the early morning light creeping in from the east, but it was already loud with the sounds of panic, as troopers and officers scurried about with a sense of urgency.
"It means we need to get up, quickly." He answered urgently, beginning to climb down the ladder of the top bunk.
Jaina hopped off the top bunk while her Master climbed down, using the Force to pull her lightsaber back into her palm from the nearby desk.
Obi-Wan climbed down the last few steps of the ladder as the alarm continued to blare all around the Murkhana base. He turned to look at her for a moment as she summoned her lightsaber to her hand.
"Careful," he hissed, his expression quickly turning to one of frustration. "We need to get to the Command Center.
Jaina grimaced. "Sorry," she squeaked, her cheeks flushing slightly as she hurried out and followed her Master down the corridor.
Obi-Wan nodded, not showing his annoyance at her comment. "Hurry."
As they rushed through the hallways, the urgent scene around them was immediately evident as troopers hurried to their speeders and tanks, yelling at each other over the blaring alarm.
The Jedi Master turned to look at his Padawan, his expression growing even more grim. "Come on." he hurried across the base, leading them towards the Command Center at a brisk pace.
Jaina scurried faster, squeezing in between the rushing clone troopers, her short legs just barely managing to keep up.
As they reached the Command Center, Commander Cody offered a crisp salute towards her Master, before turning to gaze down towards her. "...A Padawan, sir?"
"Jaina Arden, my new apprentice." Obi-Wan confirmed with a curt nod, motioning to her.
Her tiny form stood on the step below him, her lightsaber hilt clutched tightly in her palm, a look of worry on her pale face.
"She's still a bit green. But not to worry, Cody, she is very capable. Jaina was with me at the skirmish on the shore yesterday as her first mission, and…" He offered a gentle smirk towards his Padawan. "...she took down an AAT."
"Boil and the boys mentioned that." Cody glanced back down towards her. "That was her doing, then?"
Jaina offered Cody a polite, earnest, youthful smile, snapping a salute. "Pleased to meet you, Commander Cody."
Cody, like many of the soldiers around them, looked a little shocked as they observed her—the small, tiny teenager in the soft pink tunic stood out like a sore thumb.
Obi-Wan couldn't help but offer a faint grin, watching her at the step below him, her polite and youthful expression as she met their loyal commander.
After a moment, Cody returned the salute, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice. "Welcome to the 212th, Commander Arden."
Jaina smiled once more, lowering her hand.
She really was quite adorable. Obi-Wan had to hold back a chuckle.
He turned to the Commander again.
"So, what's the situation, Cody?"
"The Separatist counterattack almost breached our outer perimeter earlier this morning, but the 501st and our heavy artillery pushed them back into the jungles. We've been receiving sporadic reports of heavy enemy contact from the northeast, sir," Cody paused.
"And we've received no word from the battalions sent to reinforce General Skywalker, after this morning's skirmish."
Jaina's eyes widened. "No…"
A terrible chill raced down Obi-Wan's spine.
"We can't afford to lose Anakin…" He sighed.
His Padawan's face grew worried as well, her expression now matching his own, and her tiny fists clenched at her side.
"...Anakin's a good soldier...but he can be very headstrong, and impulsive…" He murmured, glancing over at her. "...we need to send reinforcements down into the jungle...before it's too late."
"We'll only be able to send small ground units though, won't we?" Jaina asked quietly, her eyebrows still furrowed in a frown as the gears in her mind turned. "No vehicles, since maneuverability will be limited? So we'd have to—potentially—maximize squads with specializations in close quarters combat."
Obi-Wan glanced at her with a small smile.
He adored the small, unexpected moments like these, where the Force seemed to remind him exactly why he had selected her.
Not only did her mind work as quickly as her Master's, but her tactical assessments had already proven to be more than accurate.
"Not bad, my Padawan. Yes, exactly that. With how limited our mobility in this terrain is, we'll have to specialize our squad compositions; to maximize both maneuverability and firepower." He nodded. "Good thinking."
Jaina couldn't hold back the small smile that crossed her face for a moment
Her tiny, tired smile sent an adorable surge of warmth through Obi-Wan's heart.
She was far too precious.
"Excellent. Let us begin." He turned back towards Cody. "Assemble a special operations squad—a commando unit; specialized in close quarters and heavy artillery weapons. Maybe a demolitions officer as well."
"We need to get down into that jungle now."
(one hour later)
Jaina glanced downwards at the muddy ground as she and her Master trudged along the soil in the humid Murkhana jungles, alongside Commando Captain Gregor, and the rest of Foxtrot Squad. Her small, pale hands were wrapped tightly around the hilt of her lightsaber, her blue eyes keenly taking in the muddy, humid surroundings around them.
The heat and humidity were almost palpable, and at this moment, she was reminded of just how much bigger the Galaxy really was outside the pristine, perfect hallways of the Jedi Temple.
She glanced over at her Master, seeing his face grow more stern with every moment that passed, his eyes fixed on the surroundings, as if he were expecting a fight at any minute.
Jaina turned to gaze towards the opposite end of the jungle, the tree canopies seeming to extend endlessly.
She looked up and towards the tops of the trees—the thick, lush foliage offering little visibility into the jungle. The light, hazy mist of the jungle seemed to be growing thicker and thicker alongside the humid heat.
"Stay sharp, everyone," Obi-Wan said sternly, his voice steady. "We'll have to maintain comm silence for the time being."
His expression became even more grim.
"We need to find General Skywalker and the 501st battalion. Fast."
Jaina continued gazing around, at the mud, the trees, the foliage, listening to the faint sounds of the birds.
It all seemed too quiet...
Indeed, the jungle was eerily quiet. The soft hums of insects, along with the faint sounds of the wildlife were present.
But there was something else, something that was missing from the jungle.
The noise of war.
The silence was unsettling.
"...the jungle is too quiet…" Obi-Wan said softly. "Be on your guard."
"What if it's a trap..?" Jaina murmured, frowning and continuing to gaze around as they trudged on.
The corner of Obi-Wan's mouth curled upward in a small smile. "Precisely my little Padawan," he said lightly. "In all likelihood, it is a trap."
His eyes grew stern once more, and his grip on the hilt of his lightsaber tightened. He gestured towards the west and nodded at Captain Gregor, who gave a sharp nod back in return, turning to his Commando team.
Gregor barked an order, pointing off to their left, and they all began to break off and scatter amongst the trees and foliage.
As the Commandos began to fan out, Jaina stepped over a fallen tree log and hopped past a small stream, her eyes drifting back and forth between the uneven terrain and the seemingly endless jungles around them.
'It was so noisy here last night…" she murmured, more to herself than anything. "All the explosions and the blasterfire...how is it so silent now?"
There was a sudden surge of worry on Obi-Wan's face as he heard his Padawan's voice, soft yet full of wonder as she looked around the jungle and reflected aloud on its unexpected silence.
Almost as if to respond to her silent pondering, an intimidating roar boomed out across the jungle, instantly jolting the small teenager and her Master out of their deep thoughts.
They both turned in the direction of the sound, Obi-Wan's hand instinctively activating his lightsaber.
Jaina ignited her own lightsaber a split second later, immediately shifting to a defensive stance as her eyes surveyed the area. "...what was that?"
"Cover!" He yelled, grabbing Jaina's arm in his grasp and dragging her towards the base of a tree.
A small crack filled the air as a series of blaster bolts zipped over their heads and into the tree's bark, the explosions of the bolts shattering the tree, showering splinters to the jungle floor.
Jaina raised her arms over her head as the splinters flew in all directions, her eyes widening in surprise for a brief moment before narrowing in concentration once more, as the metallic clangs of droid footsteps on mud began to echo nearby.
Obi-Wan tightened his grip on the hilt of his lightsaber, pulling her close. "Stay low," he whispered sternly.
The whirring of the B2 Super Battle Droids could be heard over the rain of broken shrapnel.
Suddenly, a trio of the droids emerged from the dense foliage off to one side of them as they treaded through the mud.
The droids stopped moving and froze for a brief instant. Then, their red scopes immediately turned towards the pair, and the droids fired a coordinated burst towards them.
"Master, SBDs!" Jaina swiftly raised her lightsaber, deflecting the sudden onslaught of bolts and sending them back towards as many droids as she could.
The whizzing sound of the deflected bolts echoed out across the jungle as the droids' laser fire was sent flying back towards them through the air. They all struck their targets and the droids were hit by blast after blast as they all fell into the mud, one by one, all with a metallic clang and thud.
As the lasers ceased and a silence fell over the jungle once more, Obi-Wan took a deep breath and turned back to her.
"Do not drop your guard, Padawan. We have no idea what else could lie in these woods."
Jaina nodded solemnly, keeping her blade raised. "Yes, Master."
"Stay calm, stay focused," He scanned the jungle around them, the air now still. An odd silence filled the air, punctuated only by the rustles and chirps of the wildlife. "Stay close."
Suddenly, Obi-Wan's eyebrows rose as a loud crash sounded out across the jungle ahead of them—followed by the soft thud of a body falling to the ground.
"Come on, my little Padawan." He said quietly. "Let's investigate carefully."
Jaina followed slowly, her eyes squinting ahead. "Do you think it's Anakin and the 501st?" she whispered.
"It could be." Obi-Wan grumbled, a faint hint of worry crossing his expression as they crept towards the source of the noise.
It took several moments of movement, but the two of them eventually reached their destination.
Their worst suspicions were confirmed as they saw a wrecked Separatist Commando Droid, right next to a fallen Trooper lying on the jungle floor—a deep wound in his chest with a vibroblade protruding out.
His armor plates were all dented and damaged. But Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed when he saw the clone's decapitated helmet.
Jaina immediately looked away, her eyes wide, her heart pounding, her stomach churning in relentless knots.
Obi-Wan immediately stepped in front of her, blocking her view from the horrific sight. It was a terrible shock for such a young Padawan to witness such a gruesome scene. He gently squeezed her shoulder and turned her body away.
"Look at me, Jaina," he murmured softly, his tone gruff yet gentle as he cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her face until she looked him in the eyes. "Don't look over there. Focus on the objective. We need to find Anakin and the rest of the 501st."
Jaina nodded shakily, her gaze lowering to the muddy ground. "I...I hope they're okay…"
"There is no point in wasting time and energy worrying, my Padawan." Obi-Wan said firmly. "Do you understand?"
He looked down at her, his eyes growing stern, yet tender, as if he were speaking with a small child.
She nodded slowly, but Obi-Wan could tell that she was still extremely shaken by the gruesome sight before them.
"There is no time to stop or dwell," he said firmly. "We must keep moving."
Jaina nodded shakily once more, forcing her face to return to its neutral expression, willing her mind to focus despite her trembling hands. "Understood, Master."
Obi-Wan nodded at her, his expression softening. "Good." He grunted, as they both continued along the muddy floor of the jungle.
Suddenly, another terrible sound boomed out from further within the dense foliage, and both Obi-Wan and Jaina stopped in their tracks.
Their heads turned towards the sound: it was a combination of blasterfire, explosions, shouts, and the clang of metal.
They both exchanged worried glances.
"That cannot be good…" Obi-Wan said bitterly. "Keep on alert."
Jaina frowned, gazing in the direction of the noise. "Could it be them?"
"It could be...and if it is, it means only one thing." Obi-Wan said grimly. "Our Jedi General is in trouble. We need to move."
The explosions increased in frequency as the two Jedi moved deeper into the jungle. The shouts that echoed from between the trees were more frantic and urgent too.
Anakin…
Obi-Wan's brow furrowed, his hand tightened around the hilt of his lightsaber.
Something was very wrong here...
Jaina tightened her grip on her lightsaber and continued to follow her Master through the jungle, leaping over the fallen logs and rocks along the uneven terrain, her delicate features twisting into a deep frown as the shouts and the explosions grew louder.
They finally reached their destination after several minutes of careful movement—and the scene they saw upon arriving was, simply, chaotic.
Anakin Skywalker—alongside the majority of his men—was surrounded by a battalion of super battle droids and Commando droids, all firing and tossing thermal detonators while Anakin and his troops fought back; firing their DC-15s, and hurling grenades.
And the sound of Anakin's voice could be heard, his tone urgent, almost angry, as he fought back against the Separatist droids.
Jaina's heart dropped into her stomach, the sight of the fierce battle somehow just as intense as the skirmish along the shore the day before, and infinitely more chaotic for her second day on active duty.
It was a cramped space, with the rocks, trees, and uneven terrain providing excellent cover…when they weren't also serving as large obstacles.
She gulped, tightening her sweaty grip on her lightsaber, her keen eyes scanning through as much as she could.
Obi-Wan marched in front of her, his gaze narrowing as he took in the situation around them.
His mind was racing, trying to figure out a plan that would end in Anakin and his battalion surviving.
It was like an unstoppable tide of the droids, all firing and throwing thermal detonators at them with relentless brute force.
"Come on," Obi-Wan said, his voice firm—his expression growing even graver. "Stay close to me, Jaina."
Jaina pursed her lips and nodded, raising her lightsaber. "Yes, Master."
Together, they thrashed through the mud, rushing towards Anakin and his troops— who were still trying to defend themselves against the barrage of blasterfire, droids and thermal detonator attacks.
Anakin's eyes were wild, his expression that of sheer ferocity as he used the Force to levitate multiple droids in the air in front of him, hurling a few of them against the jungle trees as they continued to attack.
Sticking close to her Master, Jaina continued to deflect as many bolts as she could and aim them back towards the droids, her Soresu slashes efficient and clean.
As a Commando Droid hurled a thermal detonator their way, her eyes widened but her instincts kicked in.
She extended a hand, and used the Force to push it back towards the trio of droids.
"You two sure took your time," Anakin said wryly.
Obi-Wan merely rolled his eyes.
He continued to cut through the droids with his lightsaber, but the Separatist droids kept firing—blasterfire and thermal detonators alike.
"This situation requires extreme force, my little Padawan," Obi-Wan said gruffly, gesturing with his right hand, causing four droids to be crushed with the Force. "Use the environment."
Jaina's eyes widened in awe.
She continued to deflect the blasterfire, her eyes scanning through the jungle for anything that could be used to their advantage.
Obi-Wan raised his hand once more, using the Force to send a nearby boulder flying through the air, slammed it into a group of super battle droids. Suddenly, a battle droid took notice of the Padawan and aimed its blaster at her.
"Jaina!" Obi-Wan shouted. "On your lef—"
Jaina whirled around and raised her blade, deflecting the bolt and sending it right back into the droid's circuit board.
She continued to cut through the B1s closest to her.
Anakin and the troopers were valiantly fending off the assault, but the remaining SBDs and Commando droids continued to advance along the jungle floor with ruthless determination, their blasterfire sounding with relentless force.
"Jaina," Obi-Wan said quickly, stepping in front of her and guiding her behind a tree. "You need to be cautious—keep a wide view of the battlefield, and watch out for their thermal detonators."
Jaina nodded. "Yes, Master."
A pair of Separatist Droidekas rolled out from behind the nearby bushes and began to whir their way towards them.
Her eyes widened.
Obi-Wan scowled. Droidekas were dangerous—their shields impervious to most forms of weaponry, their blasters fired a constant stream of bolts that could overwhelm even a Jedi's lightsaber defense.
And they had the mobility to attack, retreat, reload, and fire from unexpected angles…
They needed to be smart about this.
"Jaina, take cover!"
Jaina raised her blade immediately, tightening her grip as she began to deflect the incoming barrage.
"I read that they—" she grunted, hopping back, and avoiding a series of blasts aimed for her feet. "—are weak against slow movements, and when they're—" she deflected another bolt towards the shield, one that futilely bounced away, "—on roll mode, is that true?"
"That's correct," he responded, also deflecting a few blasts. "But with their firepower, a single mistake can be catastrophic."
The Droidekas continued to advance, their movement steady and their progress relentless.
Obi-Wan stepped forward, slightly in front of Jaina, his lightsaber raised in a two-handed grip. His expression was both focused and grim, as he watched the two Droidekas continue to advance toward them.
"Their shields are impervious. You'll have to find their critical point in order to disable them."
Jaina nodded, her eyes narrowing as she gazed once more at the pair of Droidekas, while continuing to deflect the bolts.
Her eyes drifted upwards towards the branches that extended above, and the canopy of trees.
She glanced back towards her Master, her lips pressed into a thin line. "May I?"
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow—what was she up to?
But his words of caution came quickly:
"Go. But be quick. And don't make any mistakes."
He stepped aside—to let the Padawan have her way. And so, she jumped onto a nearby tree—and began to leap and somersault from branch to branch, until she got a position overhang the two Droidekas.
Obi-Wan watched on, his eyes on her every movement.
As soon as she was directly above the two Droidekas, Jaina took in a deep breath and leapt back down below.
She landed on the ground into a roll, in between the two deadly droids. She slowly slipped her lightsaber beyond the first Droideka's shield and stabbed through the power controls, then whirled around and slipped through the second Droideka's shield and sliced in neatly, diagonally in half.
The Droidekas sparked and smoked—the sparks and smoke quickly turning into flames as their systems melted down under the Padawan's precision.
Obi-Wan smiled.
She had not only found the Droidekas critical point, she also used the environment to her advantage—to position herself above them. "Well done, my little Padawan."
Jaina grinned, a few strands of her brunette curls framing her face, having fallen out of the ribbon that held her hair back. "Thank you, Master."
A few meters away, Anakin and the remaining 501st troopers destroyed the last few droids.
The smoke and ashes from the destroyed droids were still hanging around in the air as Anakin pulled away from his troops, and stepped over to meet them.
Obi-Wan offered his good friend a friendly smirk. "Impressive. You seem to be in one piece, Anakin."
Anakin glanced down at his muddied tunic, filled with soil and soot, and shrugged. "I'm unharmed."
Jaina offered the Jedi Knight a smirk of her own, relishing the delicious irony…and the opportunity for sweet, sweet vengeance.
Repeating the words Anakin had teased her with yesterday, Jaina folded her arms across her chest, her voice equally as mischievous. "You need a bath, big brother. You look absolutely disgusting."
Anakin narrowed his eyes.
It was on now.
"Don't tempt me, little sis," he countered smugly, gesturing at a nearby river. "I might just throw you in there."
He reached out abruptly, grabbing her by her curls and dragging her in his direction.
"OUCH!"
Oh, he was definitely going to toss her into the ice-cold river now—just to annoy her.
"HEY!" Jaina yelped, stumbling slightly as he dragged her towards the river. She glanced back pleadingly towards her Master.
Obi-Wan watched Anakin with amusement in his eyes. He knew very well how much this would irk the little Padawan—but that was exactly why Anakin seemed so intent on doing it: to get a rise out of her.
Obi-Wan offered a sheepish smirk himself, and shrugged. "Lesson of the day, my little Padawan—do not start something you cannot finish."
It was difficult not to be amused by the sheer hilarity of the situation.
Anakin was dragging her closer and closer to the river, his gaze intent on the flowing waters.
"Master…" Jaina whined, grimacing as they reached the icy riverbanks.
She turned around to stare at Anakin with wide eyes, and began to struggle against his grip. "Perhaps we could negotiate terms of surrend—"
"—I don't do negotiations." Anakin was now fully committed to throwing Jaina in the icy water. He had that same fiery look in his eyes that he had when battling droids.
So much so that Obi-Wan couldn't help but watch on with sheer amusement.
His darling little Padawan was utterly doomed in a completely hilarious way.
Still holding Jaina's hair, Anakin turned to Obi-Wan, offering him a smug look as they reached the river banks. "May I, my old Master?"
Jaina turned to look at her Master, her eyes wide and pleading…
Obi-Wan put on an air of feigned thoughtfulness, scratching into his beard and pretending to contemplate the Jedi Knight's request.
...but the truth was, he was simply delaying the inevitable.
He offered Anakin a small shrug and a smug smirk. "Be my guest."
Jaina's eyes widened. "No no no no—"
Anakin smirked.
And then, he shoved Jaina into the river hard.
Jaina landed with a loud splash, gasping and spluttering as the frigid water soaked her from head to toe.
Her hair and clothes instantly clung to her form as she let out an anguished yelp, the chilly water soaking her all the way through.
Laughter—from both Obi-Wan's own lips and Anakin's—rang out and echoed across the Murkhana jungle, their joy and amusement clear, and utterly infectious.
Jaina glared at Anakin for a brief moment, utterly freezing, then…
…she smirked, spotting an opportunity.
The Jedi Padawan raised a hand and used the Force to levitate a nearby fallen log behind Anakin, and pulled it towards the river, in an attempt to knock him in.
Still dying of laughter Anakin barely had time to react before the log hit him, slamming into him, and knocking him into the river.
He splash-landed next to Jaina, the water soaking him in much the same way it had soaked her.
The Jedi Knight gasped as he realized what had just happened—and he wasn't sure if he was more pissed off…or amused.
His expression was a perfect mix of the two—and then he began to laugh at the humor of it all, along with Obi-Wan.
Jaina burst out laughing, clutching tightly at her sides.
It was a light moment after a dark day.
Laughter despite the waterlogged clothes.
Laughter despite chattering teeth.
Despite soggy hair.
Despite being soaked to the bone.
And despite the chilly waters, there was something very refreshing about it.
Laughter...despite the war.
And just like that, Jaina Arden had survived her first mission.
But her journey as a wartime Padawan had only just begun.