Chapter 5
Obi-Wan turned back and forth towards the gunship door and his Padawan, his gaze harrowing and his fists clenching as he gazed at the ongoing battle outside.
His Master senses had turned this from apprehension to danger, his expression immediately shifted into that of a Jedi General.
"Jaina," he snapped. "You must focus. Now!" His gaze met hers, and his voice rose with a sudden intensity. "You cannot hesitate, do you understand me?!"
Slowly, reluctantly, Jaina managed to tear her gaze away from the mayhem outside, and turn to look up at her Master. There was no longer any sympathy or kindness in his expression. Only determination. Urgency.
Her instincts slowly began to take over, as her mind wrestled frantically for control over her racing heart.
His Padawan's eyes were wide, afraid. It was obvious that she was trying to keep her emotions at bay, but she was also fighting for control.
Not that he could blame her.
"Your focus determines your reality," he said firmly. "You will focus."
The moment their eyes met, it was as if something suddenly changed within the young apprentice. Her eyes became more sharp, more determined, even despite the frightened, furrowed brows they rested beneath.
"Jaina. Concentrate."
She blinked. Her mind was sharp once more; her nerves, her anxiety, and her apprehension replaced by determination and pure, utter humiliation, in equal measure.
She was Obi-Wan Kenobi's Padawan, for Force sake.
In that moment, she was ready.
She had no choice but to be.
Her lightsaber snapped to life in her hand, its blue hue standing out brightly in the dim gunship.
Obi-Wan nodded once more, satisfied with the wordless response. It was now time to face the reality of the battle. His eyes turned to the chaos outside. "Let's go," he said simply. "On me."
With that, the Jedi Master turned to head for the exit of the gunship, ready to face the droids head on.
The sounds of blasterfire and the clanking of droid armor echoed around them as they hurried across the black-sand beach—his eyes taking in the troopers taking cover, blasting enemy droids, and hurrying on. He glanced back towards his apprentice.
She wasn't crumbling under the pressure, not anymore. She was rising to it; and he could only imagine what other lessons his Padawan would learn from this harrowing first mission.
"Watch your right!" he shouted.
Without missing a beat, Jaina shifted her footwork slightly, angling her body towards the right and smoothly deflecting the blaster bolts back towards the B1 droids, her Soresu swipes clean and efficient as they continued to push forward along the shore
She was doing well.
Her stance, her footwork, her swipes, her slices, were all textbook examples of Soresu.
Though she was clearly nervous underneath it all—her heart rate was up, her breathing labored—her technique, muscle memory, and skills didn't falter.
She was handling herself well.
"Keep that up," he praised, his tone encouraging. "Make sure to watch every angle. They'll hit us fast and hard—"
Sand and saltwater flew in all directions as another explosion hit the shoreline too close for comfort.
Jaina's eyes widened as she recognized the Separatist Armored Assault Tank from her research back at the— "Wait, is that a—"
"Take cover!" Obi-Wan barked.
The tank was towering over them, its main turbolaser firing repeatedly—raining down death on the Republic troopers, who were now retreating further into the nearby trees of the jungle next to the shore.
The deafening noises of the AAT cannons filled her ears; the stench of smoke and fire and blood overwhelming her nostrils.
Jaina swallowed through the pang in her throat, hearing the screams and the yells all around her as she hurried towards and behind the nearby trees. "Don't we have AT-TEs for this sort of thing?!" She asked, cringing and covering her face with her arm as more sand and soil flew, the explosions continuing to follow into the tree line.
Obi-Wan tensed up, his eyes darting all around the field in search of any advantage. But that cannon was too powerful—no normal ground unit could take it out, and they had no rockets.
"AT-TEs are too slow for hit-and-run tactics and even so, they're at the base," he shouted back, his tone stern but calm. "We need to—"
Obi-Wan fell silent as a massive explosion erupted in front of them, the shock wave sending them both flying backwards on impact. His ears were ringing, and he felt lightheaded from the blast itself.
"Get down!" He barked, his words barely audible to himself, as he dragged her further into the woods, where they took cover behind a tree. "There—"
A second explosion erupted nearby, the force of it sending them both reeling back a second time, the air filling with flying shrapnel and tree debris.
Obi-Wan grimaced, trying to clear the ringing in his ears. The shock of the blast had almost physically staggered him, and he could sense his Padawan's confusion and pain.
"Are you alright?!" he asked her, though he didn't dare take his eyes off the approaching AAT and the danger it presented.
"Yes—" Jaina mumbled dazedly, shakily pushing herself off the ground. "Uh—I-I read somewhere that they're vulnerable from the sides—what if we outflank them or something, and—"
"—You're correct," he replied curtly, thinking out loud. "The turret can't turn very quickly. If we can get around it, strike from its left flank, and—"
They both ducked as another blast of fire roared out of the AAT, the debris and shrapnel falling like raindrops.
Jaina cringed and blinked dazedly, her ears ringing—
Obi-Wan turned back to face the machine, feeling his anger and his concern building at the same time.
Why couldn't this be easier? Why couldn't her first mission have been simpler?
He could sense her discomfort—her body language, her expressions, especially her heart rate—and it was causing him to worry for her very wellbeing.
"Jaina, look at me. Take a second to breathe," he said quickly, his eyes still darting around the jungle. "You can't focus if your senses aren't steady."
"I'm—I'm okay," she mumbled, nodding shakily. "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Obi-Wan frowned, his eyes tightening in concern. There was something about her answer that didn't feel right—like she was just trying to push through it.
"Tell me something," he asked her abruptly, his tone almost a growl, his concern overriding his normal softness. "What should you never do when dealing with a machine like that?"
"Are we really doing a lesson right now, Master?!"
"Do not take a tone with me, young lady!" Obi-Wan snapped. "We are in the middle of a crisis, I need to know that your head is in the right place, and that you can still think clearly, even in a situation like this." He narrowed his eyes. "Now—what should you never do when dealing with an armor-plated, turret-mounted AAT that's hellbent on killing you and everything else within a five-mile radius?!"
"A—a frontal assault?" Jaina muttered. "Move too slowly? Become an easy target? There are so many potential answ—"
"Keep your answers short and concise," he interrupted curtly. "We're talking about a three-thousand-kilogram machine, capable of firing a high-explosive shell every five seconds—this isn't the time to make a list!" he snapped, his patience beginning to wear thin. "You know the answer, Padawan—what do we do?"
Jaina's eyes darted back and forth between her Master and the approaching AAT.
"Focus," he reminded her, his tone softening. The Jedi Master took a breath. "Now. What is the correct next move, Jaina?"
"Uh—move-move within the trees," Jaina stammered, her voice a humiliating higher pitch than normal. "And—and, uh—stay out of the limited field of view—maybe—maybe, try and get close enough to attach an explosive towards the rear, where the repulsorlift generators are?"
Obi-Wan let out an exhale of relief, nodding in approval. "Good. Very good," he said. "You're using the landscape to your advantage, and you're considering its weaknesses."
"Now then, how do we get close enough to do that, without being seen and shot on the approach, Padawan?"
"Diversionary tactics."
"That's correct," he commended, his eyes scanning the trees around them. "Now…"
The Jedi Master turned to look back towards the Separatist tank. "I will create a diversion—you plant the bomb," he said quietly, but firmly. His tone was that of a Jedi Master…and a General.
She was his Padawan, but also his subordinate…and in moments like this, the line between teacher and leader grew blurred.
Jaina's eyes widened. "M—Me?"
Obi-Wan nodded briskly. "Yes, you. You won't get far if you can't learn to trust your own instincts in situations like this." His tone was still sharp, though his expression was soft as he looked at her—she wasn't a mere Padawan in this moment anymore, she needed to be a Jedi Commander. "I can't always be there to hold your hand, my Padawan. You have to step up."
He placed a gentle, but firm hand on her shoulder, meeting her gaze with reassurance. "I wouldn't put you in danger unless I trusted your capabilities."
"Okay..." Jaina mumbled. "Okay."
"Good." Obi-Wan turned back towards the AAT, looking at it carefully. "Stay in the bushes and the trees, and move quickly," he said quietly, his voice low. "I'll move the machine's turret away so it can't spot you, then you place the detonator behind. You'll need to have both good aim and timing—once you attach a thermal detonator, you can't reset or shut down the timer."
"I know, I know, I read the manual," she muttered, sighing and pulling out a thermal detonator from her back pocket.
"Good. Now go," Obi-Wan said, his tone sharp, but soft at the same time. "Time is of the essence here, there are lives at stake."
He looked back at her, his expression growing tender. "Don't worry, I trust you." With this encouragement, he headed off towards the AAT, hoping to draw its turret towards him, away from her.
Jaina sighed and crouched through the bushes, inching herself closer and closer towards the AAT's opposite flank.
Obi-Wan saw her approach, carefully, efficiently, and stealthily. Her technique was improving quickly. She had taken to his teachings of Soresu like a sponge. She was moving in the shadows, using the trees as cover and concealment, taking advantage of the darkness and shadow.
And that was good—very good.
He could sense her anxiety and her uncertainty, even at a distance. But he also sensed her determination and her focus. She'd pull this off.
He pushed the thought out of his mind, and reached out with the Force, throwing a nearby rock far to the right, hoping to catch the AAT's attention.
The Jedi Master heard the turret gears slightly—the pilot was taking the bait.
"Come on," he whispered under his breath. "Turn…"
Reaching a few meters away from the AAT, Jaina leapt towards the tree next to her, and used it as a jump-off point to launch herself into a somersault that landed directly behind the Separatist tank.
From his position, Obi-Wan caught sight of her jump into the air, somersaulting and landing behind the AAT, almost like a shadow.
Good—the pilot still didn't know she was there. He needed to keep it that way.
"Over here, you blasted hunk-of-scrap," he yelled out, waving his lightsaber.
Hearing her Master's yell, Jaina glanced up, muttering anxiously under her breath as the AAT turret began to turn towards him. She carefully deactivated the safety switch of the thermal detonator, and worked to plant it directly between the tank's repulsorlift engines and fuel line.
Obi-Wan felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he continued to shout and wave, keeping the AAT's turret pointed away from Jaina as the cannon inched closer to and closer to his location. It was an intense, nail-biting moment, each second feeling like an eternity—each movement of the turret sending jolts of anxiety spiking through his nerves.
He could feel her presence behind the tank, working to fix the detonator into place. Time was ticking, each second a potential threat to their lives.
"Oh Force—" Jaina squeaked, as the magnetic adhesives on the detonator malfunctioned, causing it to fail to attach to the—
Obi-Wan's heart skipped a beat. "Blast," he muttered. "Come on, come on..."
He could sense her struggling, the magnetic adhesives on the detonator failing to take hold. It was a critical moment—and a dangerous one.
The adhesive was failing—why was it failing?!
The thermal detonator lay limp, useless, in her hand, not even connected to the repulsorlift generators.
And the AAT's turret was still turning.
Towards him.
"No," Obi-Wan murmured under his breath. The AAT's turret was almost facing him completely, its cannon fully swiveled around now.
He held his ground, his grip on his lightsaber tightening, his heart racing as he prepared himself for the imminent attack.
And behind him, he felt the sense of panic and frustration from his Padawan—her attempt to attach the detonator was failing.
No, no, no, no, no, she would NOT get her Master killed on her first day.
Jaina quickly stood back up, the gears in her mind working furiously as she activated her lightsaber and slashed through the fuel cells, causing them to gush towards the ground.
Just because the thermal detonator could no longer attach, it didn't mean there were no other solutions...
She activated the detonator timer.
As the Jedi Padawan watched, the fuel cells ruptured, spilling a stream of clear liquid all over the ground beneath the hovering AAT and creating a dangerous puddle—a puddle that was now extremely flammable.
And that was when Obi-Wan realized what his young Padawan had done. "Jaina, run!"
He turned and sprinted for cover, leaping behind a large oak tree.
As the detonator countdown neared zero, Jaina darted back towards the tree line and the shore. She leapt away from the AAT and hurled the thermal detonator towards the trail of dripping fuel—
The entire scene erupted into a blinding flash of light and a deafening explosion, as the thermal detonator came into contact with the spilled fuel. The ignition sent a blast of heat and debris outwards in all directions, and the force of the blast was staggering.
Obi-Wan watched as the AAT debris was blown several meters into the air, smoke and shrapnel shooting everywhere.
Jaina landed clumsily behind a trio of palm trees, stumbling towards the black sand as the shockwave ripped through the air.
Obi-Wan was stunned.
He couldn't have planned that attack any better than she had just done.
She had seen an opportunity, capitalized on it, and destroyed the tank with a single thermal detonator—one that had been faulty.
It was brilliant.
And with the force of the blast subsided, a new, heavy air of stillness settled over the landscape.
Jaina coughed through the smoke, remaining on her knees for several moments as she caught her breath and dusted the soot and sand that had gathered all over her tunic and robes.
Obi-Wan approached her in the sand, and crouched down beside her, his eyes scanning her small frame and making sure she was unharmed.
With a small smile on his face, he brushed the soot from her face with a thumb, the tiny gesture a sign of his growing affection.
"Well done, my little Padawan." He said, with a small, proud smirk. "Very well done. Tell you what—next mission, I'll give you some lessons on how to land."
Jaina nodded shakily, rolling her eyes. "That might've been useful ten seconds ago."
Obi-Wan chuckled softly at his little apprentice. For someone who was always so composed and soft-spoken, his little Padawan could also be clumsy.
She was a strange, delightful mix of elegance and awkwardness, of intelligence and anxiety, of bravery and insecurity.
And he wouldn't have it any other way.
"Come on," he said, his voice gentle as he offered his hand. "We need to regroup with the others."
Jaina managed a small smile, taking the extended hand and pulling herself off the ground. With her braid now a slightly disheveled mess, she tucked a loose strand of her curls behind her ear and gazed at the remaining Separatist forces
Obi-Wan saw that she had already turned her attention back to the remaining enemy forces, and felt a new wave of pride.
Good. She was already thinking several steps ahead.
"Before that," he said, gesturing at the smoking remnants of the AAT she had just destroyed, folding his arms across his chest.
Jaina turned to glance at it. "Hmm?"
"See the thermal detonator?" Obi-Wan said, pointing at the remains of the machine. She had attached a thermal detonator, and had used it to destroy the tank. He watched her expression carefully. "Do you know what happens after the detonator is attached?"
Jaina nodded, raising an eyebrow. "It counts down, and explodes."
"And do you know why that is, my little Padawan?"
"Because once it's activated, it begins a localized nuclear fusion reaction to generate heat," Jaina said. "And atomize anything within its blast radius."
Obi-Wan blinked. That was exactly the answer he was looking for. She didn't just remember the factoid—she understood the concept, the science behind the technology. "Yes... perfect."
He smirked softly. "But let me ask you this—" He turned and gestured towards the tank, eyeing the explosion zone it had left behind. "What happens when you mix the nuclear fusion reaction of the thermal detonation…" he paused, his smirk growing. "…with a trail of spilled fuel?"
It took everything Obi-Wan had to contain his laughter.
There she was again, speaking with her usual softness, but there was also a hint of teasing, of mischief in her voice. Her own brand of subtle sarcasm, her own witty sense of humor.
Oh, the Force sure was testing him.
"You are insufferable, you know that?" he said affectionately, ruffling her hair.
Jaina grinned. "I told you. I read the manual." She shrugged. "...Actually, I read a couple of different manuals on the way here."
Obi-Wan laughed quietly. "So that's what you were doing on your datapad."
He was still stunned and overjoyed. His Padawan had just destroyed an AAT by herself—on her first mission.
He tilted his head towards the remaining Separatist droid squads, who had taken notice of the destruction of the AAT and were now retreating back into the jungle—or at least, as much as the Republic troopers would allow them.
The Jedi Master smiled. "Come along then, my little one. We still have work to do."
The battle for Murkhana was far from over—but it was clear that his Padawan was made of good stuff.
And that was a victory in itself.
A/N:
Stg. Oddball: Thank you!
