The Second Padawan

Chapter Seventy-Nine

"The talent is there..." I sighed. He holstered his lightsaber, about to complain, "But you're not taking in what I'm teaching you." 

"I did everything, just because I get the forms mixed up doesn't mean anything. I know these forms, I've been learning them since I was a youngling! It's frivolous to keep doing it over and over again."

"If that's really what you think, I'll just assign you book work."

"You already do that." He rolled his eyes.

He was so unwillingly, no hard headed was the word. No matter why I told him he insisted there was another way around it. "You don't listen." I got up from my seat and walked back into the cockpit. I could feel his discontent as I left him in the hull.

"Did the training go well?" Jado asked. I shook my head and took the co-pilot seat. "Where's your Padawan?"

"Brooding. He won't talk to me for a while. He does that." I admitted. "What did you want to tell me earlier?"

"Nothing..." He obviously lied.

"Nothing?"

"I thought we were alone, that's all."

Before I could reply, the astromech beeped, I recognize the sounds, we were exiting hyperspace. "There's Jakku." Jado sighed bitterly. The planet was so dull looking, it was almost melancholic, I guess that was a common notion with desert type planets.

R7 beeped loudly, as the navicomputer beeped. I recognized the sound, our scanners were picking up a shuttle exiting hyperspace, and it wasn't Jakku-Type. "Who is that? It's not the battle ship!" It was a Separatist battle ship. The ship rumbled, and the steer moved involuntarily.

"It's a tractor beam!"

Anatoli barged in the cockpit, "What's happening?"

"We're being ambushed by the Separatists." I informed, "Where's your escape pods?" I asked Jado. I never really got the chance to review the schematics of his ships, they were so new to the Republics System.

"There's only one, and it's cramped. It's meant for only one person.." He cursed. "Blast, you two could probably squeeze into it." He led us, including R7, towards the escape pod. The ship was being dragged into the Separatists hangar.

"Okay, you two, get in. I'll hold them off." Jado said. I nodded, ushering Anatoli to get in first. He reluctantly stepped into the tight escape pod. "Hurry, we don't have time." Jado urged me.

"I know," I grabbed him by his shoulders and pushed him into the escape pod, pressing the button I closed the doors and launched the pod towards Jakku. R7 beeped in panic. "It was either him or me..." I shrugged.

My commlink started beeping. "What is wrong with you!" Anatoli's voice screamed through. "There's no other escape pod! You'll be pulled into the ship!"

"I told you I was going to stay, Liyah." Jado interjected.

"You just leave me with this guy!?"

"It was my mission to protect You." I added. "Anatoli, you have to see my mission through. Do you read me?" I asked when I was met with silence. I heard Jado and Anatoli whispering but couldn't make out what was happening.

"Okay, Master. I'll do it. I'll see him to Jakku."

"And until his constitution is reviewed and verified." I added, killing any thought of him bailing out as soon as they touched the planets surface.

"Okay- Ma-" The transmission was being jammed, I was now in the hangar.

R7 beeped loudly rode around the room in circles. "R7!" I grabbed him and held him in place. "I can't survive this without you, and you can't survive this without me, okay?" The droid beeped worriedly. "I'm going to come up with a plan of action, okay?" I slowly let go of him, trying to make sure he composed himself.

"I know these battle ships." I said, "The door to the right, it leads to the hyperdrive, escape pods, and the one to the left leads to the bridge." R7 beeped in response, he wasn't of Republic Military origin, so he didn't know these things.

I was trying to think of what Anakin would do. I got two different paths, "conquer the ship," or "escape," I was definitely going down the path of escape. I felt a presence, it was dark, it definitely was Count Dooku. This was his battle ship. I knew he was a coward, he'd jump into hyperspace to take me elsewhere, so I'd have nowhere to go. "Okay, there'll be droids all around. I cover you while you get the door on the right open. From there we'll find a console, well take out the hyperdrive first. Then we'll get to an escape pod. R7 whirled around panicking. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the droid with the force. "I need you focused." I said sternly.

R7 calmed down. "Let's go, remember the plan. I need you to open that door."

I opened boarding ramp and was met with the dozens of droids. "Jedi!" A battle droid pointed to me.

"Don't worry! I come in peace!" I put my arms behind my head.

"What? Hey! You're not joking with us are you?" The lead droid accused.

"Oh no, I'd be much too scared to go against the Separatists." I lied and watched the droids collectively lower their guns.

"Take her away. Alert Count Dooku we have a Jedi prisoner." The lead droid walked passed me and onto the boarding ramp. I walked slowly "escorted" by the droids towards the door leading to the bridge. "Hey! What are you doing here!? What's your serial number-" The lead droids voice was silenced, as his head rolled down the ramp.

R7 bolted for the right door. I drew my lightsabers and cut down the nearest two droids. "Fire!" They shouted. Surrounding me in a circle, they began firing blasts at me.

After I became a knight, I never stopped Masters weekly exercises. Swinging my blades in circular motions, I blocked and deflected the blast shots to the ground, filling the area with dust and smoke.

Using the smoke as cover, I leaped over to the door. "Good job R7!" I commended him as he opened the door. He rolled along inside with me, I slammed the console to shut it. "Can you seal it from the inside?" I asked the droid, who beeped in response. "Oh, and don't forget, I need you to locate exactly where the hyperdrive and the escape pods are. We need to act quick and precise."

R7 hacked into the console and displayed an entire scan of the ship. I squatted down to his eye level. "So the hyperdrive is straight ahead and to the left. Then the escape pods are to the right... it seems the hyperdrive is far closer." R7 beeped in complaint. "The plan remains the same R7, Count Dooku knows I'm here, he'll launch into hyperspace and then who knows where we'll end up. It's best to destroy the hyperdrive while we can now, let's go."

We ran, well I did, R7 rolled squealing the entire time. He was no where near as brave as R2, but nonetheless I needed him.