I do not own Star Wars or any of its characters.
Training
Ace followed Eila into the dojo and raised an eyebrow as he found Asha waiting. He sighed heavily.
"We're doing this again?" Ace asked.
"Not like last time," Asha said. "There's something that I've been considering telling you since we met."
"What's that?" Ace asked.
"You're Force sensitive," Asha said simply.
"I'm what?" Ace frowned. "That sounds like a condition."
Asha smiled as Eila laughed. "You're like us. You can feel the Force. It's why you have such good reflexes and instincts, it's why you're so good at combat and with a rifle. And with training, you could control the Force."
Ace stared at the floor for a few minutes. "I'm a Clone. I can't be Force sensitive. Are the others?"
"No," Asha said, shaking her head slowly. "You're the first one ever."
Ace considered. "That's why I was spared despite being abnormal. That's why when I was released early, I wasn't disposed of."
"That's right," Asha nodded. "We sensed your connection to the Force and believed we should prevent that. Given everything that's happened so far, we were right to."
He considered. "So...you want me to be a Jedi?"
Asha considered, then shook her head. "Not a Jedi, no. You're too old to be formally trained, and if the Jedi Council knew that there was a Force sensitive Clone Trooper, it would throw the entire idea of a Clone Army into a different light that we can't afford during a war."
"Wait, the Jedi Council don't know?" Ace asked, eyes wide.
"No," Asha shook her head.
"Then...why train me?" Ace asked.
"Because if you're not trained to control the Force, you'll be more susceptible to temptation from the Dark Side," Eila answered. "Even if you can't actively use the Force, you'd still be able to fall. You wouldn't be a Sith, but you could turn just as cruel and evil as them. I don't want that to happen, so I asked Master Asha to train you in secret."
"You asked?" Ace blinked in surprise, Eila nodding, somewhere between shyly and worriedly. Ace sighed, nodding. "Alright. How do we start?"
Asha nodded. "Mastery of the Force requires years of training. However, I can teach you the very basics, enough to be able to resist the Dark Side, easily. It's mostly about shielding your mind with the Force."
"You're not going to teach me to actually use the Force?" Ace asked.
Asha laughed. "If you learn to shield your mind fast enough, maybe."
Ace sighed, nodding. "Alright. How do we start?"
"So, what's it like living at the Jedi Temple?" Ace asked as he and Eila sat on the floor of the observation deck, staring out at the stars.
"It's...different than living on a starship," Eila said. "The hallways and rooms are less cramped, but this ship has more overall space than the temple. And things are calm there, all the time. There are so many Jedi and Padawans there that the Force is just...all around you. It's so alive. Well...it's always alive, but..."
"I get it," Ace smiled. "It sounds beautiful."
"It is," Eila nodded, then frowned. "It can also be really stifling, though. Every day has a strict schedule for training and classes, everything you do is carefully controlled according to tradition and rules. It's actually freeing being away from it for a while. Like we wouldn't be sitting here talking like this, if we were there. If the stars were out there, it would already be curfew, and if we were out of our rooms we'd be punished. And males and females can't be roommates because it creates too much...temptation, which is really stupid since girls can be with girls, too, and guys can be with guys."
Ace laughed. "You have an attractive roommate, I take it."
Eila groaned. "She's gorgeous! She's a Zeltron."
Ace laughed again. "I've never met one in person, but some of the older Clones have stories."
Eila sighed, pulling her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, leaning on his shoulder. "I like it here much better."
Ace smiled, wrapping an arm around her. "Thank you for making sure I was saved that day."
"Of course," Eila smiled. "Just because you're a Clone doesn't mean you're not a person. I couldn't just let them murder you for being too young." She fell silent for a few minutes before sitting up and looking over at him, grinning. "You wanna learn to use a Lightsaber?"
Ace grinned instantly, nodding. Eila grinned and nodded, standing and tugging him to his feet before quickly leading him to the dojo. She handed him a wooden stick shaped into a sword, and he frowned in confusion.
"I only have my lightsaber, and even if I had two, you're not ready for one yet," Eila explained.
Ace nodded, and Eila began to teach him basic form and stances. As Ace continued, Eila began to inspect his form, making corrections and helping him adjust his posture when needed. Ace realized how close of proximity this placed them at times, but pushed that thought down and focused on the task at hand. However, as they continued for hours, neither noticed Asha watching them from the observation window, a small, knowing smile on her lips the entire time.
Ace extended his arm toward his helmet, focusing, struggling to recall what it felt like to feel the Force flow through him. He had been making progress shielding his mind, but compared to learning physical things like fighting, wielding a lightsaber, or at least a wooden sword, and shooting a gun, he felt like he was making no progress at all with the Force. Eventually, he sighed, setting his hand back on his stomach, staring up at the top of his bunk. The next day, he spent more time training, continuing to learn with both Jedi separately and spending nearly the entire day with Eila. As they had the last few days, they sparred a bit with their wooden swords, but then eventually headed up to the observation deck.
"You're learning really fast," Eila smiled. "I really shouldn't be surprised, but still, it took me months to get good enough at basic form to be allowed to spar."
"Yeah, but I'm awful with the Force," Ace sighed. "I've been trying to see if I can learn to control the Force by myself using the experience of shielding my mind, but I've gotten nowhere."
Eila was silent for a moment before looking over at him. "Do...you want to try now?"
Ace raised an eyebrow, then nodded. Eila nodded and set a credit chit on the floor off to the side. Ace raised his hand and Eila wrapped her fingers around it from the side.
"Remember, it's not about this," she said gently. "More experienced Jedi don't need their arms at all to move objects."
She trailed her fingers lightly over his bare arm up to his shoulder, then gently up to his temple, her other hand following an expedited trail starting at his left shoulder and running up to his opposite temple, arriving at the same time. And as her fingers lightly brushed over his body, tingles and chills raced across his skin as his scalp squirmed in the most strangely pleasant way he'd ever experienced.
"It's about this," Eila continued in the same gentle, soft voice. "Focus on imagining it moving to your hand. The Force is something you can feel, but it's not something you can control. You simply guide it. You'll learn to feel the Force, which will help you with control, but I know you can do this."
Ace nodded, calming his mind and imagining the credit chit drifting through the air to his hand. And suddenly, he could feel it. It wasn't something he could have described, but he could feel the Force flowing through his body, through the air, and pulling on the chit. It was pure energy, pure life, passing through him, and as the chit drifted calmly through the air to him, he could feel the Force guiding it. And then, his fingers closed around it, and Eila cheered. Her excitement was contagious, and soon he was laughing and celebrating as well. And then she kissed him on the cheek as a reward and his smile grew wider.
"I could feel it," Ace said. "I could feel the Force that time."
"That's great!" Eila cheered, hugging him. After a moment, she pulled back. "So, I've been thinking. Before I become a Jedi Knight, I'm supposed to make a new lightsaber. Master Nu says I should be ready soon, so when I do, do you want this one?"
"Really?" Ace asked. "Can you do that?"
Eila shrugged. "I don't see why not."
Ace considered, then nodded, smiling. "Okay, sure! When you become a Knight, I'll take your training lightsaber."
Eila smiled radiantly, hugging him. They stayed there for a while longer before they headed to bed.
"Hello Ace," the Clone guarding the door greeted him. "On shore leave?"
"Only for today," Ace said. "Is he here?"
"Yeah," the Clone nodded. "He's not happy having an escort, but orders are orders."
Ace nodded, passing the Clone and heading into the apartment where Camren was working on something resembling math, though very creative math.
"Hey Camren," Ace smiled.
"Ace!" Camren cheered, running over and hugging him. "I'm so glad you're here! It's so boring here!"
Ace laughed. "Boring is good, Camren. It means you're safe." He glanced around at the Clones, all of whom were standing stiff and alert, none of them interested in socializing with Camren, simply standing constant guard against the slavers who had escaped, leaving nothing but a recording of a vow to reclaim their property. "Come on. Let's go to the movies."
Camren nodded, grinning, and Ace took him out of the apartment, the clones all scattering to follow without making it obvious. Camren didn't seem to mind them, and instead was practically buzzing with excitement the entire cab ride to the theater. All through the holofilm, Camren watched it with rapt attention, almost unblinking, and Ace smirked. Clearly, Camren didn't get to go to the movies often.
After a couple hours, the holofilm ended and they headed outside to get a cab, all climbing into it and taking it back to the apartment, the other clones all beating them there. Once they were back inside, Ace helped Camren with his math for a while before it was time for him to leave.
"You'll come back to visit, right?" Camren asked.
"It'll probably be a while before I can come back, but I will as soon as I'm able," Ace promised, hugging Camren. "You be good in the meantime, alright?"
"I will," Camren promised.
"Good boy," Ace smiled. "You're gonna be okay."
Camren nodded, smiling, and Ace gave him one last hug before leaving again.
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