Only Wan

Episode XIX

BRYE

They came like a storm.

First, there were the Jedi who took up positions in the stands. Most of them leapt into the arena, raining from above to join Brye and the small group in the centre. Then came the battle droids - some far larger than others - and after them, Mace Windu and the bounty hunter Jango Fett.

It was hard to keep track of what was happening. Brye found herself lost in the action, swept up by the desire and need to keep her blade swinging. She wanted to impress Kollen, to show him she could handle her own, that he had taught her well. She wanted to make sure the other Jedi knew too, which took Brye by surprise. She hadn't realised how much she had wanted their approval.

But most of all, the thing which Brye desired, was to see the cityscape of Coruscant again. It was a morbid thought that she would die here, on the dusty earth, without seeing the night sky over her home planet again.

A bolt came to her left side and she blocked it smoothly. The clones were hurrying around her, Obi-Wan desperately trying to watch Ben who seemed baffled by the sudden fight. Brye started in their direction.

Anakin had lost the Reek and the beast charged thought the crowds, not knowing or caring who it trampled. Brye made sure to keep out of its path. She dove aside, losing sight Obi-Wan for a second, and came out of her roll, weapon raised.

The blade of her saber arced through a battle droid. Kollen gave her a small nod and took care of the cluster forming behind them with a slap of his hand against the warm air. The droids scattered and Brye found herself catching her breath.

"I completed my assignment," she said. "The disturbance - I discovered it was caused by the creation of the clones of Master Kenobi."

Kollen flicked his lightsaber to deal with an upcoming droid. "I did not doubt you."

"But," Brye hesitated and turned back to the droids. She wasn't sure how to tell him what she had been thinking. She ran a tongue over her dry lips and chanced a glance at the blazing sun. Why did this planet need to be so hot?

The familiar sound of ships overhead dragged her eyes across the sky. Ships were approaching in the distance. Republican ships. And Master Yoda was watching from one of them, his small body easy to spot.

"Ah," Kollen smiled. "It seems the true reinforcements have arrived."

As the ships landed, a wave of clones tumbled out, each wielding weapons and charging into battle. Brye watched them swarm around her, cutting through the droids and Geonosians, and allowed herself to laugh. She would have liked to have seen Obi-Wan's reaction.

Kollen placed a hand on her shoulder. "To the ships."

Another bolt bounced from her weapon as Byre nodded. Together, they made their way to the ships. The other Jedi were doing the same. There were simply too many of the enemy for them to take head-on, and the arena was hardly the right place to do so.

Fighting side by side with Kollen dashed her concerns about his expectations. Suddenly they weren't Master and student anymore. They were just two Jedi, doing what was needed to keep each other safe.

Byre jumped onto one of the ships and turned to check that Kollen was safely aboard. His cheek was graze, but otherwise he was unharmed. He was in much better shape than her, for sure. Brye was glad she couldn't see what she looked like.

The ship jittered as it raised from the ground, the other vessels along side it. She took hold of the overhanging supports and faced Kollen.

"You offered to come with me to Kamino. Why would you do that if you didn't think I could manage alone?" she asked.

Kollen swayed with the ship. "You really don't know?"

Something hit the ship and Brye rocked, gracefully catching her balance while the ship settled. "I can't think of any other reason."

"Perhaps I've not been obvious about how much I simply hate talking to myself." Brye raised her eyebrows as he continued. "It's been strange not having you around. For years and years we worked together - then suddenly we're off on our own paths. Kamino is far from Coruscant."

"You mean you missed me," Brye said, the corners of her lips tugging upwards.

He straightened as the clones around them leaned in. Brye couldn't be sure if any of them were the clones who had escaped from Kamino without orders. They wore identical robes to Obi-Wan - which Brye was sure the Jedi would soon fix - and bore confused expression.

"I was simply worried about your health." Kollen flinched as one of the clones narrowed his eyes at him.

"Thank you," Brye said. "It's good to know I'm not the only one."

The horizon loomed before them. Ahead, one of the Republican ships had taken the lead and was heading over the dunes of sand in the distance. Brye closed her eyes and let the breeze hit her face, doing her best to block out the sounds of the fight below and Kollen sending orders to the clones.

Her assignment might not have ended well, and she might have needed help along the way, but that didn't matter now. What mattered was what would come next.