A Star Wars Story: Not Our Time: Shadow Corps the Green Squad

Chapter 1

Evadne hurried through the halls, weaving in between padawans, knights and masters alike, apologizing profusely. She was once again late for her training session with her master, Ingrid Shimez. But, could she really be blamed? It was her birthday after all. She deserved a few extra minutes of sleep!
She entered the training dojo. The disapproving look of her Master greeted her. Evadne gulped. "I apologize Master Shimez! I swear this won't happen again!" She bowed, still out of breath.
"You said that last time," Ingrid replied.
"Yeah, but that was six months ago..." Evadne's shoulders sagged. She stood back up to her full height and suddenly realized that they weren't alone in the room.
Standing off to the side was a lean boy with messy sandy hair, around the same age as herself. Evadne's eyes lit up, instantly recognizing him.
"Ani!? What are you doing here!?" She exclaimed. "And what the heck are you wearing?"
Anakin shifted awkwardly on his feet, glancing down at his outfit. He was wearing an ascot and dark brown tunic with a poncho on top. Evadne stifled a laugh while looking him over once again. He looked so dorky in it.
"Hey! Don't laugh at me!" He crossed his arms, "Besides, this is for an important undercover mission I've been assigned to."
Evadne raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with her Master. "Oh? And what is this important mission?" Evadne asked, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.
Anakin looked down at his boots. "I... was assigned to escort Senator Padmé Amidala back to Naboo and protect her while Obi-Wan finds the person who attempted to assassinate her," he looked back up at Evadne, his blush slowly growing.
"OoooOooooO, Padmé~" Evadne teased.
Anakin's face turned dark red in a second. "Stop! I told you before, I don't have feelings for her!"
"Yeah, sure. And I didn't sleep in today."
Ingrid rolled her eyes and shook her head, her pink lekku swaying with her movements. "Anakin, tell her why you're here," she encouraged.
"Oh yeah, um," he cleared his throat, back straightening, "So, I'm going very soon. And I wanted to say goodbye. Oh, and happy birthday! I didn't forget about that, I swear!"
Evadne smiled. "The first time you remember, and it's the year you're going to be gone for the day..."
"...Sorry..." Anakin said, cringing.
Evadne laughed and tackled Anakin with a hug. He stiffened, but relaxed after a while, returning the hug. "Don't worry! We have our friendship bracelets to connect us!" Evadne let go and looked up at Anakin, holding him at arm's length. She gave him a serious look. "You still have your friendship bracelet, right?"
Embarrassed, Anakin lifted his right arm and showed the blue beaded bracelet on his wrist.
Evadne held up her matching pink one. They'd made them when they were eleven. Evadne was the one to come up with the idea. She remembered it had taken some convincing to have Anakin make one with her.
"You know this bracelet thing is kind of childish, right?"
Evadne rolled her eyes. "I don't care. It shows our bond to each other and how it's unbreakable."
"But the bracelet is breakable... I've broken mine multiple times..."
Evadne shot Anakin a frown. "You know what I mean!"
Anakin chuckled and put his arm down. "We're nineteen now, I thought you grew out of that kind of stuff."
Crossing her arms, Evadne opened her mouth to deliver another snarky response, when the sound of the door whooshing open startled her. She looked to see Obi-Wan Kenobi standing in the doorway.
His hands were on his hips and he gave Anakin an irritated look. Evadne thought he looked like a parent about to scold their child for something. His face softened when he saw Evadne and Ingrid.
"Ingrid. Evadne," he gave them a nod. "Anakin. Come on. We're going to be late," he said, turning back to Anakin.
Anakin let out an annoyed sigh. "Yes, Master..." he mumbled, shuffling towards Obi-Wan, before quickly turning on his heel to face Evadne again. "Bye, Ev! Don't party too hard tonight!"
Evadne laughed. "Don't worry, I won't do anything dumb without you. Besides, you're taking all the stupid with you."
"Yeah, yeah. See you later, Ev."
"Tell Padmé I said hello~"
Anakin sent one last glare her way, before turning to leave. Evadne giggled; he couldn't hide his true feelings from her, but it was cute that he tried.
"It was nice seeing you, Ingrid. And Evadne, happy birthday. We'll see you again once everything settles down," Obi-Wan smiled, his blue eyes twinkling, bowing slightly.
Ingrid and Evadne returned the gesture. With that, they were alone in the wide open dojo.
Her Master turned her, her purple eyes gleamed with excitement. "How about some light sparring for today?" she suggested.
Evadne scratched the back of her neck. "Well, I am a little tired today..."
"I mean, we could just meditate all day today, if you wanted to."
"No!" Evadne exclaimed. She blinked and cleared her throat. "I mean, no, that's ok. I'd rather spar. Besides, it could wake me up." She wasn't about to risk falling asleep while meditating today. Ingrid had scolded her, and Anakin had made fun of her for it for a whole month, the last time it happened. Not like he'd done it a few times himself...
Ingrid chuckled. "Alright." She grabbed her lightsaber and ignited it, the yellow blade glowing faintly in the naturally lit room. "Just remember what I said this time, Padawan."
"Right." Evadne tied her wavy brown hair up, a few strands falling to frame her delicate face. She let out a long breath, calming herself. "Tune out all distractions, stay focused. Let the Force guide me," she reminded herself. She brought out her own lightsaber. The silver hilt was twisted in an elegant design, embroidered with flowers. The blue blade sprung to life, humming lightly. She took a deep breath and got into a ready stance. "Okay, I'm ready-"
Evadne didn't even get to finish her sentence when she saw a yellow blur rushing towards her. Out of instinct, she brought her blade to meet her Masters. They bounced off each other.
Evadne looked with wide eyes at her Master. I guess she's not going easy on me today, even if it is my birthday...
"Focus!" Ingrid's voice brought her back. She barely had time to get out of the way as her Master swung at her.
Evadne tried to recompose herself, squaring up as Ingrid came in for another hit. Blue met yellow, a flash of light blinding Evadne. She was knocked back by the blow. She stumbled back a few steps, her boot slipping, she crashed into the floor.
Embarrassed, she tried to get back up. But she looked up just in time to see Ingrid bearing down on her. Evadne swiftly blocked the swing, dodging out of the way. She jumped to her feet, somersaulting backwards to avoid another slash. That's when Evadne realized that she had been backed into a corner.
Kriff, come on Evadne, you can do better than this.
She swung Ingrid's blade away, just for them to meet again. Evadne wasn't going to lose like this. Teeth gritted, she pushed back. Using the Force to aid her, Evadne flipped over Ingrid. She made the landing with only a small stumble. She stood tall and straight, ready to meet her Master this time.
Bright flashes of light and the sound of their lightsabers clashing filled the room. With a sudden rush of courage, Evadne swiftly twisted her blade up and struck her Master's out of her hands.
Ingrid looked surprised. To be honest, Evadne was surprised too. But that was quickly replaced by a proud smile as Ingrid went to retrieve her lightsaber.
Evadne wiped her brow, not even realizing she was sweating until then. That's when the exhaustion hit. Her limbs were like noodles. But her body was still buzzing with the adrenaline from the intense fight.
"Good job, Padawan," Ingrid congratulated her. Evadne puffed out her chest. "But...." Ingrid dusted off her robes and twirled her lightsaber before going into a ready stance and igniting her second blade. Evadne's heart dropped. ".... Let's see how you are against this."
Evadne groaned. "Come on, it's my birthday!" She protested.
"That's no excuse. Do you think a Sith Lord would care if it's your birthday while fighting you? Besides, what if I told you there was something special waiting for you after this?"
Evadne jumped at that promise. "I guess you've got a point. I mean, how can I pass up that deal?" She readied herself.
Ingrid gave her an amused smirk before twirling elegantly towards her. As Evadne evaded her, she could tell that she was now going all out. Her blows were even more powerful than before but still, every movement was smooth.
If Evadne wasn't struggling before, she was now. She was frantically blocking every stroke, her feet stumbling over each other. There were no openings. All she could do was stand her ground and try not to get cornered again.
Evadne was knocked down onto one knee. One arm went up to fend off the incoming saber with her own. She felt the impact vibrate through her bones.
"I yield! I yield!" Evadne cried.
She heard her Master's double bladed saber turn off. Evadne switched her own lightsaber off, dropping it. She panted as she looked up to meet Ingrid's gaze.
Her hand was outreached to help her up. Evadne took it. She was pulled up onto her feet. Ingrid handed her lightsaber back to her. Evadne didn't like how quiet she'd become.
"You did fine, Evadne. But..." Ingrid sighed. Evadne swallowed nervously. "You understand that in a real life situation, you won't be able to yield?"
Evadne nodded, looking down at the lightsaber in her hands.
"Your enemies will not hold back, Evadne. They will want you dead, no matter what. And-" Ingrid let out another sigh. She thought for a while before continuing. "- What I'm trying to say is that most Padawans your age don't struggle this badly with combat."
Evadne winced. Ouch, that hurt a lot more than I thought it would.
"I suggest you practice more."
"But, I already do practice a lot! I do it everyday with the training bot. What more can I do to get better?" Evadne pleaded.
"Get out of your comfort zone. Set the bot to a harder setting; try learning about other forms besides Shii-Cho and Soresu." Ingrid's expression softened. She gently placed a hand on Evadne's shoulder. "Hey, look at me, Ev."
Evadne begrudgingly met her Master's eyes. She was met with a caring look she'd imagine a mother having for a child. But, I'm not a child anymore.
"Listen, you'll get there someday, trust me. This is supposed to be hard. But, before long, this will be easier for you. Believe me, you'll become a Jedi Knight someday."
"Yeah, and when will that someday be? Next year? The next ten years?" Evadne snapped.
Hurt formed in Ingrid's eyes. Evadne immediately felt bad for her words. A tight smile formed on Ingrid's lips. "Just be patient, Evadne."
I won't let you down, Master. I'll prove to you and the Council that I was worth your time of training.
"Anyways," Ingrid chirped, standing back and clipping her lightsaber onto her belt, "Now you can find out what that special thing I had planned for you is."
The spark of excitement rose into Evadne's hazel eyes again. She'd almost forgotten about that promise.
Ingrid smiled and nodded at her to follow her. Evadne ran after her master out of the dojo and through the halls of the temple. Evadne still wasn't sure what was up, but her interest only grew when she noticed Ingrid was leading her to the entrance of the temple.
Before they reached the main hall, Evadne caught sight of another friend who was close to her age, Aayla Secura. She looked like she was waiting for someone. It didn't take long to realize that she was waiting for them.
Aayla looked up and made eye contact with Evadne. She smiled and waved. Evadne returned the gesture as they approached her.
Aayla turned to Ingrid and politely bowed to her. "I came here like you told me, Master Shimez."
"Thank you Aayla. And no need for formalities here. This is a... off the books offer," Ingrid smiled.
"Wait, do you know what's going on?" Evadne asked.
"I'm just as clueless as you," Aayla admitted with a small laugh.
"About that," Ingrid interjected, looking conspicuously at the few passing Jedi. "As you know, today is Evadne's birthday, and I wanted her to spend a little free time with her friends."
Evadne and Aayla shared a look. They hung out more than Ingrid probably knew. It was nice that Ingrid was giving her a day off at least.
Ingrid shuffled in her pockets for something. "And I know you guys don't get to go explore Coruscant much, so-" she gestured to Evadne to hold out her hand. In it, she placed a credit chip. Evadne's eyes lit up. She looked at Aayla who also shared the same excited look. They both knew where this was going.
"- I thought you two are old enough to go alone with each other. Have a little girl time together in the city. Just stay out of the shady places. And make sure not to spend all my money," Ingrid grinned.
Evadne could barely hold back her excitement. "Wait, really!?" she asked.
Ingrid nodded. Evadne and Aayla shared a squeal as they hugged and jumped up and down. Facing her master again, her smile faded a little.
"But, this is your money. And what will you do all day?" she asked.
"I trust you with my money. And don't worry about me, I've got plenty to do," Ingrid reassured her. She got a little closer and lowered her voice. "Just don't tell the Council that I let you do this."
"Don't worry, we won't tell," Aayla said.
Evadne nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we're not snitches," she said.
Ingrid laughed at that comment. She stood back up to her full height. "Well, happy birthday, Evadne."
"Thank you, Master!" Evadne grinned.
"You deserve it. And I hope you two have fun." Ingrid bowed. Evadne and Aayla returned it. Ingrid flashed one last smile towards Evadne before turning to leave.
Aayla grabbed Evadne's hand. "Come on! Let's go! We should go to that one mall that's close to this district first!" she excitedly suggested as she led Evadne out of the Temple.

••••••••••••••••••

Evadne lay on her bed, drifting off to sleep. The night time was still young, with the last rays of sun peeked through the lit up skyscrapers. But, it had been a long day, full of excitement for Evadne.
               That was one of the best birthday presents ever she thought as she watched the light polluted sky get darker outside her window.
Her boots had been kicked off and forgotten somewhere amongst the mess of her room. A handful of shopping bags were also scattered near her bed, a few already opened. Evadne had obviously gotten too tired to finish sorting them out.
She had to get her room tidied up before tomorrow. She knew having this many possessions was looked down upon by the Jedi, and if she was caught with it she could get in trouble. Either that, or they would just scold her to be more responsible for it. But, as of now, she could care less.
As sleep took over her body, Evadne realized she still had to train the next day. Oh great.... Maybe she would risk falling asleep while studying or meditating, as long as she didn't have to do anything too physical. Just this one time....
Either way, she knew she would have trouble staying focused. But all that soon was forgotten as she fell into a deep sleep.
Evadne had that one dream again. She never thought anything of it. It wasn't frequent enough and too disconnected from her life to mean anything. But it disturbed her every time she had it.
There wasn't much to interpret either. With mostly darkness and incoherent yelling. The only thing that it left Evadne wondering was why that was a reaccuring dream for her. It was a little unsettling, but otherwise, it was an uneventful dream.
Evadne woke with a start, a loud banging disturbing her from her sleep. It was darker now. She felt like she'd only been asleep for a few minutes. But, Evadne didn't bother to check the time. She groaned and turned in her bed, thinking that noise was a part of her dream.
The knock came again, louder this time. Evadne realized it was at her door. She sat up and let out a huff. "Who is it?!"
"It's me, Ingrid," a voice came from the other side. "Open your door Evadne, I need to talk." Her voice sounded urgent.
Evadne swung her legs over the side of her bed and got up to unlock her door. It opened with a woosh, and on the other side stood her Master, a worried look etched on her face. "What's going on, Master?"
"It's an emergency," she explained, "get your boots on and let's go."
"Wait wait, slow down a little!" Evadne protested, "What kind of emergency is it? Is someone in trouble?"
"Yes, now get your boots, I can explain on the way."
Evadne scrambled around her room, searching for her boots. She found one and stuffed her foot into it, while hopping around on one leg to find the other.
"Here," Ingrid said, holding her other boot and handing it to her.
Flustered, Evadne snatched it from her and hurriedly put it on. "Thank you, Master." She grabbed her lightsaber off of her nightstand. "I'm ready, Master."
Ingrid didn't wait, turning on her heels, practically running down the halls. Evadne struggled keeping up with her.
"Master! Aren't you going to tell me what's going on?" Evadne demanded.
Ingrid stopped and turned to her Padawan. "It's Anakin and Obi-Wan," she explained, out of breath. "They're in danger. On Geonosis."
Evadne's heart dropped. She didn't need anything else explained about the situation. She ran past Ingrid to the hanger. She wasn't going to lose her best friend, she was going to make sure of that.