The Force Shall Guide Me

The bottom of greatness.

Military vehicle traffic became quite a common thing for Coruscant skies since the cone wars started. And nobody could ever suspect two Jedi were piloting military gunship to escape from the city center to the industrial area.

'Have you ever been there?' Shiri asked, looking at the grim industrial landscape.

'Yeah, twice,' replied Riv. 'It's not that bad as many people tend to believe.'

'And what we are going to do there?'

'We need a ship. Clean, civilian ship with working hyperdrive,' said Riv.

'So where are we going to go then?'

'To the Pongarlon. My clone mates are still there. I want to see them.'

'Are you serious about it?' Shiri exclaimed. 'Clones assaulted our Temple and accused Jedi of treason. We barely made it out alive, and you just said we got to stay low.'

'Yeah, I know. Listen-' Riv tried to calm Shiri down. '-those clones are my friends. We've been together since the first days of the war, saved each other countless times. They won't turn against us. Even if Chancellor himself would order it!'

'I hope you are right,' sighed Shiri.

'I trust them my life, so you can too.'

The gunship arrived at a large well going deep down towards the underworld of Coruscant. Riv began descending the gunship, avoiding other vehicles.

'Wait, we might need to change our appearance,' said Shiri while they were descending.

'What do you mean?'

'If those clones said Jedi are traitors of the republic now... Won't it be safe not to look like a Jedi now?' She pointed out.

'Yeah, guess you are right-' Riv touched his padawan's braid. '-better not to attract any attention now.'

Riv managed to find a dark docking platform in the wall of the well. It looked empty, with nobody being there. He landed LAAT right on that platform.

'Alright, let's see if there is anything we can put on,' said Shiri jumping over the platform. She walked deeper into the dark warehouse, which appeared to be abandoned for a while. There were many empty old crates and boxes around, and something like a work robe.

'That going to be fine for now,' said Shii, took one for herself and one for Riv. Riv went into the warehouse to see if there is anything valuable to take. Shiri gave him a robe to change and pointed on Riv's padawan's braid.

'You need to remove it,' she said.

'I'll cut it off,' said Riv, but Shiri stopped him.

'No! It should be done in a right traditional way.'

'It doesn't matter now,' said Riv.

'It does!' Shiri insisted. She ignited her green lightsaber. 'Riv, Kneel!'

Riv kneeled in front of her.

'By the right of... The Council,' she lowered her lightsaber over Riv's left shoulder.

'By the will of The Force,' she brought a lightsaber above Riv's right shoulder.

'I dub Riv Veldo a Jedi Knight.' Shiri cut Riv's braid with her lightsaber.

'Now rise!' She said and disabled her lightsaber.

'Thank you!' Riv smiled. 'But I'm not sure this would count in.'

'I did everything exactly like the ceremony when Council granted me the rank of Jedi Knight, so it does count!' Shiri smiled back, and they both laughed. It was the first time they both were having some positive emotions together for the last several days.