Star Wars: Heir of the Menace (Book 1)

Chapter 13: Flying Again

Marquikise's POV

Back at the Jedi Temple, Dalka and I are able to load ourselves back into the Eta-Class Shuttle. Dalka makes the final preparations while I change back into me Jedi robes, carefully hiding my blaster underneath my clothing for safe keeping. Leaving it on the ship or in my room at the temple could be disastrous. A Jedi possessing a potentially illegal weapon might mean my last day as a Jedi. My plan is to toss it once we get to an ideal spot.

"Strap in, we're taking off." I hear Dalka call from the cockpit. Quickly making my way to the front and strapping myself in, we lift off the hanger floor, exit and begin our climb through the atmosphere.

We made contact with my master and are meeting him to join an ongoing battle with a CIS force. Our mission is to aid in the areal combat and hopefully make it planet-side after gaining control of the air. While in the mess, we might be able to locate the commander whom the Jedi Council wants me to find.

After breaking free from the atmosphere, Dalka starts the computers on hyperspace calculations.

"After we make the jump, we are training." Dalka tells me.

"Is that a request?" I laugh. She gives me a look.

"Come on, you owe me." She debates.

"That's fine with me."

"Here we go." She redirects the ship and we make the jump. As the streaks from stars begin to start across the glass in the cockpit, she is already up moving to the cabin.

I unlatch the straps to my seat and follow her to the main cabin. She stands across from me, holding her sword up in a ready position. My lightsaber jumps to my hand and ignites. Before swinging my lightsaber, I test it against the sword. My pressure on her blade is met with resistance from her tight grip. Stepping back, I extinguish my blade.

"First, lessen your grip on the grip." I pause to push on the side of her blade. "You want a little give and take. This is an extension of your arm, not a club."

She nods, adjusting her grip accordingly.

"First, the basic swing." I demonstrate a swing from the point of the blade pointing up through a downward slash, stoping before I swing too far.

She replicates the swing with some accuracy, trying it several times before mastering it. We work on a few defensive stances and swings before trying to lock our blades together in a predetermined strike pattern. She in this short time has shown a proficiency in the first form of lightsaber combat. While not proficient in it, she could challenge a Youngling in single combat. A rapid beeping rings out from the cockpit.

"Our mission." Dalka breaths, taking a deep breaths. I too am breathing more deeply, while not tired, I am feeling my lightsaber's weight more than I did before. A sign of exercise.

I join her at the cockpit, just as we start to drop out of hyperspace. The four Republic cruisers hover above the battle that is raging below on the planet's surface. A few troop transports make their way to and from the planet's surface. Dalka guides our shuttle to the closest cruiser.

"Padawan, it's good to see that your back from Coruscant in one piece." He must have known about our adventure. "We need you and your pilot to take a clone fighter ship to intercept the CIS bombers. Our clones are holding out but we are deploying another team to face them. You will be a part of this team."

"Yes Master."

"May the force be with you." The communication ends quickly.

"Must be rough down there." Dalka comments. "I agree with your master, let me do the flying."