Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Resuming My Duty

The Masters sat around the fire. Ahsoka watched as Master Drallig kneeled, facing the fire as a tree limb floated in the air in front of him. She saw the pile of scrap parts beside him, and mused for a moment. It then hit her. He was crafting a saber cane. She was momentarily confused, then allowed the emotion to fade. Only the most ancient or crippled Jedi used canes, and most still chose to wield their Lightsaber seperate. Very few ever combined the two. It normally took weeks of intense meditation and exquisite attention to detail; but Ahsoka knew those ancient masters who needed or crafted them had no shortage of patience. She only knew of one Jedi who used a saber cane, and he was most likely one with the Force: Master Tera Sinube. Oh, how she missed him. She sorely missed most of the Order, though she had few true friends. She knew several other Jedi who used canes for support, such as Master's Yoda and Tholme.

She watched as Master Drallig let the limb fall, then turned to the pile of parts and began to sort through them. She watched as Mace Windu returned from the direction of the crashed ship carrying a small durasteel box, roughly six inches square and four deep. She saw as he kneeled down next to Master Drallig, and handed him the box.

Cin looked at Mace Windu in confusion. Although they had gone through a veritable hell together, the stoic Master remained a mystery. He took the box from him, and opened it. He gaped in suprise. The box was divided into two parts, and the two divided into several smaller sections. One was full of Lightsaber focusing crystals, and the other was divided into color crystals. He looked at Windu and simply asked

"Where and what kind are these ?"

The stoic Master chuckled and simply said "I raided the Holocron Vault after I put you into the bacta tank. The clones had attempted to break it open, and the automated defenses had kicked in."

Rahm Kota chimed in then and rasped

"Those fools. How they thought that they could break into a vault of that magnitude. Only High Council members may access that vault, and some of them had issues accessing it. I trust you snagged at least one Holocron , Master Windu ?"

Windu nodded, deep in thought.
"Yes, Master Kota. I procured two minor teaching holocrons and the Holocron of Master Vodo-Siosk Baas."

Kazden Paratus glanced towards the conversation in confusion and inquired

"I thought that the specific Holocron was lost or destroyed centuries ago."

Master Yoda sighed, and hobbled to his feet.

"Kept many secrets we did. Should not have done such, we should have. We stockpiled supplies and weaponry on the Temple Mount. Kept many techniques hidden, we did, for fear of misuse."

Master Drallig then muttered in awe

"Mace, are these crystals what I think they are ?"

"Yes. Opila, Nextor, Damind, and Solari. Powerful crystals. I trust you will find a use for them."

Cin Drallig muttered "That I will my old friend. That, I will."
With that, he turned to the pile of scrap next to him, and sank back into his meditative state.

Ahsoka watched as Rahm Kota Rose to his feet and came over to Obi-Wan. Although she did not personally know him, she knew of him. A gruff and calculating exterior hid an interior that was staunchly loyal to the Jedi Order and the Republic. She had heard rumors throughout the war about him not accepting the clone army, of him instead putting together his own personal militia. He had hijacked a Venator cruiser; several actually, and went into hiding. She could not fault him, looking back. She watched as the middle aged Jedi, just beginning to grey at his temples, stopped near Obi-Wan and spoke:

"Master Kenobi, I have heard of your dueling prowess, and I would like to test myself against you in a sparring match. We need to stay in practice. What say you ?"

Ahsoka looked on, bemused, as Obi-Wan nodded and simply uttered
"As you please, Master Kota. I concur."

He rose to his feet, shedding his outer robe; and followed his fellow Master to a patch of dirt several meters away.

Ahsoka watched as the two renowned Masters ignited their sabers and squared off into their preferred opening stances. She knew Obi-Wan was, possibly, the greatest master of Soresu in several generations, and was, without question; the master of Soresu in his own generation. She was unsure of Master Kota, but he survived the Clone Wars and Order 66; so he had to be remotely competant. She heard a faint whisper through the Force as Master Drallig came from his place near the fire, to stand by her. She turned to him in suprise, and questioned:

"Are you finished with your new lightsaber ?"

Cin Drallig, still looking toward the two Masters who had yet to begin their spar, answered her quietly:

"No. But it can wait. I failed in my duties as Temple Security Chief. I will not fail in my duties as Battlemaster. I must not."

With that, he took a step forward and called out "At your ready !"

In an attempt to continue the conversation, she asked
"What is the difference in you supervising a sparring match between two Masters than a match of two Padawans ?"

Drallig, still eying the two, who had begun to circle each other, answered:
"In a match of this nature, with Masters of their caliber, it is primarily reprimands on minor slips of technique and form that occur over time, especially on a battlefield."

Still eying the two Masters, he called out
"Keep you guard tighter Master Kota !! Widen your stance Master Kenobi !!"

He continued their conversation,

With Masters of Master Yoda's or Windu's caliber, there is little I can teach, if any. Now, let us observe these two."

As the two Masters sparred, Ahsoka and Cin Drallig watched them. The aging Battlemaster quietly pointed out the flaws in their technique. This made Ahsoka realize that, although one could practice technique and form how ever much one wished, no one could be perfect. It was impossible. It was why she enjoyed Niman. You did not have to practice endless hours of technique. It was well, but if Shii-Cho could not prepare you for combat, then you did not need to be in combat. Of course, the Jedi did not train combat as other groups did. From the age they could hold a blade and grapple, they were taught combat. Even before that, they were taught history, and the Force. She thought back to what Master Drallig had said, about resuming his duty. She mused, and came to the conclusion that the Old Order had needed change. Not destruction, no. But they needed change. They had laid derelict in their duty for generations. If the Order had been more active, more wary, more vigilant, then none of this would have happened. She remembered her earliest lessons at the Temple. The original order, founded millennia ago, came together from all walks of life. Warriors, philosophers, healers, scholars, and countless others. The original order was successful because they were not bound by strict rules. If a Jed'aii Master had settled a dispute on a planet, and they thought that one party was severely out of line, they could settle the dispute as they saw fit. When the Order became bound under the Republic, they had traded a minor gain for major complications. She considered telling the others her thoughts, but dismissed the idea. She would be considered a heretic. They were close minded. She thought "I will tell them anyway. They should know my thoughts."