# The art of war. An unforeseen factor. chapter 1-3

Аноним Адептуссибириус

Old armor. A trip to the Archives. Ahsoka becomes Vict's padawan.

Do you want to make God laugh?

Tell him about your plans.

(national).

***

The shuttle, accompanied by four gunboats, landed on one of the landing pads in front of the Jedi Temple. During the flight, I sat quietly in my chair and did not shine. From sin. And, actually, no one cared about me. Yoda and Windu were silent, Amidala was whispering with Anakin, Obi-Wan was dozing, or meditating. The other Jedi were also busy with their own affairs, trying not to show their concern.

Well, what can I say?.. Yeah. They know how to build here. With a flourish. I don't remember who took care of this Temple here, but he was clearly not limited in funds. Yes, the area in front of the Temple is so large that it can easily accommodate about six "Approving" people. And the Temple itself occupies an area of about ten square kilometers. Its four-kilometer spires alone are worth something.

The magisters went about their business decorously. They were joined by some of the Temple's mentors and teachers, probably those who had been admitted to the Order's politics. Skywalker, along with Obi-Wan, sent his feet to the medical wing, clearly in a hurry to get a prosthetic. Here it's a matter of a couple of hours. Amidala will most likely go to the Senate (naturally, changing her outfit and powdering her nose - where without it). As far as I remember, Padme, accompanied by Anakin, will leave on a yacht to Naboo, where they will secretly get married. Conspirators, damn it.

All in all, I was left alone on the landing pad. No one came out to meet us, the escort clones with the transport left for their places of deployment, the summer sun was hot on top of my head and peace and grace settled around me, as if nothing had happened. I chuckled. You don't know the latest news yet.

***

As I walked through the Jedi Temple, images of this body's past, which has now become mine, flashed through my head like a kaleidoscope: here I enter the temple for the first time; together with other Younglings, I listen to a teacher telling about the history of the Jedi Order; for the first time I pick up a lightsaber - a training sword, true, but still; This is my first time fighting a mock battle; I'm discussing with my friends what kind of sword I want to assemble. Yes. A lot of memories are connected with this place. Unsurprisingly, many Jedi consider it their home.

To begin with, I directed my steps to the technical and economic department, colloquially referred to as the warehouse. I had to get my hands on some useful household items before the whole Order took care of it and there was a choice, besides, it was worth updating the wardrobe. I had no problems identifying the road - my memory helpfully pointed the way I needed. Slowly (let the wounds heal properly, and it's kind of inconvenient to run around here) walking down the corridor, he silently bowed to the Jedi he met. They nodded automatically and noticed my bandaged carcass. Some even stopped to watch me go.

"Wait a minute, Miko! Wait, I'm telling who!" Suddenly, an angry female voice rang out from behind. A vaguely familiar voice. I turned around. Zio Kad'ishi was approaching me at a fast pace, as it immediately came to mind, a Devaron and my former classmate. She looked almost like a human woman, the differences were two dark "bumps" of horns on her forehead and the presence of hair on her ears, such tassels like a lynx, and her facial features were a little harsh. We got to the Jedi Temple almost at the same time. A very domineering person, she always built everyone as she wanted. Well, it's not surprising, as far as I know, they have a matriarchy on the planet.

Next came Sleet Cavendish, a melancholic Rodian guy, another friend and acquaintance of mine. Like almost all Rodians, he was green with large faceted eyes, tube ears, and an elongated mouth. Fortunately, I had already gotten used to my memory, and my body had been used to such a neighborhood since I was a baby, so there were no unpleasant excesses from a close encounter with a representative of such a different race from humans.

A few steps away from me, Zio slowed down, seeing my outfit and "heroic" wounds. After that, without ceremony, she dragged me to the nearest dead end niche. I didn't try to resist - it's easier to get a rancor to dance a yutabi than to convince this self-confident lady.

"Tell me!" Devaronka put her hands on her hips, barely managing to pin me against the wall. "We just got back, and the Temple is half empty! You're not here and no one knows anything, and then all sorts of rumors started spreading, one worse than the other! You were there, so spit it out. Where did you all go, why did so few of you come back, and what happened at all? And who are these strange soldiers?"

"Yes, my friend. You have to tell us everything", Cavendish fixed his eyes on me in agreement.

Sighing, I briefly told them the gist of recent events. Of course, without dangerous revelations about things that I shouldn't know in principle, just a vision from the position of my predecessor. Like, anyway, nothing foreshadowed, then an excited Windu jumped in, gathered almost all the adult Jedi who happened to be in the Temple, gave a short speech on the topic of saving his own and protecting the Republic, drove everyone into transport, and so on, right up to the battle for Geonosis.

"What's going to happen now?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"War."

"This is outrageous! The Jedi are guardians of peace in the Galaxy, not soldiers. We must keep this world in balance, and not unleash conflicts. I'm not going to let this go!"

"And what will you do?" what's happening is starting to bother me. Well, a little more than having to answer to someone I only know from someone else's memory. No, it's clear that this is a necessity and there's no getting away from it, and they seem to be good guys, but... in general, her rhetoric bothered me.

"If the Order does not stop its policy of pandering to the Senate, we will have no choice but to leave the Order in protest!" The girl said hotly. "This is the wisest and most correct decision."

The Rodian nodded in agreement.

"The Jedi Council is acting recklessly. Such a policy harms the ideals of the Jedi Order. We have to leave."

Damn it... I completely forgot that after Geonosis, some of the Jedi left the Order, disagreeing with its policies. Almost a thousand, or even more, went into exile, not wanting to fight. Are these my friends from the so-called outcasts or something? And they want to drag me into it too?

"We?" I stopped liking what was happening at all.

"Aren't you coming with us???"

I shook my head no.

"No. You know, the war cannot be canceled. So, I have no choice but to try...."

"A brainless and blind Bantu!" The devaron woman indignantly poked me in the chest with her finger, literally pinning me with a burning look, as if I had spat into her soul. That's who you are! Are you following the advice? Aren't your wounds enough for you? Do you want to die defending the ideals of this rotten Republic? Let it be so!"

The girl abruptly turned her back on me, glared at me with one last angry look, and ran off down the corridor at a fast pace.

"Think, Miko. Your path is only your path" Sleet sighed sadly, then went to catch up with Zio.

"That's the time..." that's all I could get out of myself. What happened threw me a little out of my rut.

Sorry. Judging by my recollections, they are, in general, really good guys. We were really close friends during our studies. Memories of this... They kept me warm. Even though I knew they weren't really mine, but... sorry. I can't help you. Even if I tell you everything, you just won't believe it. My path is only my path.

***

Absorbed in my thoughts, I finally reached the warehouse. I'll tell you honestly - Ali Baba's cave is resting. The warehouses were huge. No. Not like that. HUGE ONES. Thousands of square meters. Hundreds and hundreds of shelves. Dozens of different containers and bags.

It's worth explaining something. The specifics of the Order do not allow Jedi to own personal property, but at the same time, any Jedi can come to this warehouse and receive any item for free. Naturally, having constructively justified this need. That is, let's say you can't just get a frigate here, but as for clothes or any other consumables, it's simple. Within reasonable limits, again.

"What brings you to us, knight?" the Toydarian warehouse manager, who clearly belongs to the hired staff, greeted me with a nasal accent. In general, the Order often used them, hired workers in the sense if they possessed certain talents. This one clearly upgraded the hamster and toad to the eightieth level, no doubt. Judging by the condition of the warehouse. I began to outline my requests.

By itself, the Balance Corps, where my predecessor was a member, does not involve frequent absences from the Temple, because Miko had practically nothing necessary for life in isolation from civilization, not to mention the conditions of military operations, in the bins. I wanted to live, and preferably not too little. Therefore, it is not surprising that as the items were listed, the storekeeper clicked his teeth in surprise and with a degree of respect. When I finished, he whistled:

"However, it's been a while since anyone approached me with such an interesting list. Let's see how I can help you."

Clicking the keys on the terminal, the storekeeper sent a couple of droids somewhere deep into the warehouse. Then, flying on his wings to the nearest shelf, he returned with a bundle, and headed back to the shelves.

First of all, he laid out a set of clothes and a raincoat on the counter. I have no doubt that everything is exactly the right size. He was followed by six YR-2P12 training droids. A pair of practice swords. A medium-power comlink combined with a holoprojector. A dozen empty holo disks. A pair of standard batteries for the sword. A certain amount of rare metals and standard components for creating a sword. A roomy backpack. A small set of "survival" - so, nothing serious - a couple of briquettes of dry rations, a desalination device, a universal breathing apparatus, a coil of durable cable.

"But about the armor, I have to clarify - which one do you need?" Once again, the quartermaster turned away from the screen and glanced at me expressively.

"Well, probably not too bulky, so as not to restrict movement, but if anything, it should somehow protect, at least from blaster shots. Are there any options?"

"Oh yeah. This product, so to speak, is not very popular with the Jedi, yes. In fact, you're the first person to apply for it in the last twenty years. Although I have about seven thousand sets of various armor in stock," the Toydarian proudly announced.

"I think I'll leave the choice up to you." I replied diplomatically.

"You know," the storekeeper chuckled, rubbing his chin with his hand and looking me over, "I have something interesting for you."

Clicking a couple of keys, he brought up an image of an unusual armor on the projector. I'd seen one before, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember where.

"It's not power armor, of course, and it's not a Mandalorian бескар"гам, but it's the best option for you."

"Oh, what kind of armor is that?" I asked.

"Oh, that's a pretty good replica of one of the antique armors", There was a hint of self-satisfaction in the Toydarian's voice. This armor was produced by a private company about seven hundred years ago for the army of one of the planets. I don't know exactly what happened there, but some of the armor came to us as a trophy. In general, this model was quite popular at one time. The helmet has been redesigned and is more comfortable than the original one. I've got a dozen of them under conservation. It's easier with helmets, your brother doesn't use them, so they're in their original packaging. Back then, they still knew how to do high-quality work, yes ... - the storekeeper respectfully blew the last sound and looked thoughtfully at something on the monitor, clearly moving the cursor. What else is there, yeah! So, the armor plates are durasteel, coated with cortosis, however, only chest plates and bracers. The lining is made of fabric armor, a more than common material that can disperse a few not too strong blaster hits and deflect a couple of lightsaber strikes, you know. The design is designed just for humanoids and does not restrict movement, even with your jumps and other acrobatics. A medium-range comlink and a soundboard are built into the armor, somewhere on your hands you need to look. There is also a compact shield generator, but this model has been outdated for three hundred years: it provides protection only from energy weapons, besides the operating time is limited to thirty seconds. After that, it takes at least half an hour to charge the storage cells. Although we also need to look at them, maybe we'll have to change them," the quartermaster finished his monologue and looked at me expectantly.

Yeah, he rolled up his lip. This armor isn't that bad, though.

"No, don't think about it!" the interlocutor understood my facial expression in his own way. "I have newer things, but they won't suit you, the Jedi, well, after the first training session, you'll come to change them, or you'll sit down to redo them. The ergonomics of the elements is not the same: either the joints are tight, or the arms cannot be lifted because of the plates, trust old Rolfo: what do I not know, what kind of plug do your training droids have with a degree of limb freedom? By the time you find a suitable pair of hinges, you'll have drained seven pots into a jar. And the Temple has not ordered armor specifically for itself for a thousand years."

"Okay, I think I'll take it" am I an idiot to refuse protection, even like this?

I hope she helps you, knight....

***

I came out of the warehouses in high spirits. We found the armor, carried out a technical inspection, and with the help of such a mother and several droids, we were able to put it in order. The filling really had to be changed by almost half, but I already told you about the size of the warehouse - we managed. With the help of the same cunning Toydarian, I put on the armor. In principle, she didn't weigh that much- about fifteen kilograms. It's a little unusual, but nothing. Hard in training, easy in battle. The armor did not restrict movement at all, and was only a little too big, but it did not matter. The armor systems were controlled via commands from the helmet, plus a holographic deck built into the bracers, and for the Jedi there was a way to control with the Force - well, press a couple of buttons with telekinesis - even a youngling could handle that. And I can survive a weak generator somehow. I'm not going to pretend to be a droideka, am I? I put everything else in my backpack and headed for the inner sanctum. To the Archives.

***

Yeah, the great Archives... Yes, this array of information cannot be digested in a thousand years! Yes, it's cooler than Chomolungma!

For one of my "Battles" requests, such a mess was issued that even a wolf howled. Well, why would I want to describe a war between two tribes of some aborigines on some seedy planet that happened thousands of years ago??? Somehow concentrating, I began to highlight more or less familiar information on the main conflicts of the past years - and it all started almost with a rackat. Although no, I'm lying, there are records in an ancient way. I was going to not only view the information I received, but also copy it onto holos for further thoughtful reflection.

Actually, on a cursory glance, I got the impression that either I didn't understand something, or the commanders of ancient times were terrible geniuses.

According to the articles, ninety percent of major galactic conflicts were resolved by some cunning maneuver and necessarily by the complete and unconditional collapse of the forces of "Evil." Well, or "Good", here's how the card will fit. There were practically no cases of peace, revision of some borders and further coexistence. The same Republic has always had the strength not only to defeat, but also to completely suppress the enemy, seize its territories and clean them up, destroying all resistance. And it sometimes looked very wild. Seriously, how can you capture a space comparable to your own state if you have only a fifth of the pre-war army and navy left? You have to be either a genius or...

Or have a cheat, in the form of a loyal Order of the gifted, ready to tear their veins just to "eradicate Evil once and for all"...

Some semblance of common sense was observed only in the Mandalorian Wars and the New Sith Wars, and even there in the archives the emphasis was on the actions of the gifted, and ordinary soldiers, it feels like they didn't decide anything except for very elite pros like Shay Vizla, who later became Mandalore the Avenger, but I repeat, they focused on individual skill and tradition, not cohesion and tactics.

Ordinary soldiers were meat, as in the case of the Republic (dying under loud slogans), they were a militia from the world to the thread, from the forest to the pine, armed with all sorts of shit, or even artificially bred-created (like the Sith fusion), or even just droids - these were not considered at all.

So, the Mandolorians had the Republic as they wanted, but after the intervention of the Jedi (led by Revan), a wild mess began, as a result of which the Mandolorians were defeated.

Yes, and the same Revan - he merged dozens of ships under Malakor V - as a result, victory, but the planet, after using another wonderwafly called the "Gravitational Shadow Generator", turned into a graveyard world. The Sith have no luck on uberwaff. Or, for example, Ruusan and everything that happened after him is nonsense of epic proportions. In my opinion, the Sith made the biggest strategic mistake of the entire war by allowing their forces to be drawn into the battle of Ruusan. Before him, the Sith, again, had Jedi as they wanted and where they wanted, but...

Since the first volleys of the battle of Ruusan, the initiative has completely passed to the talented Republic Jedi warlord Lord Hoth. The Republic suffered terrible losses. But in this case, the end justified the means. There is no doubt that it was the actions of Hoth and his generals that saved Coruscant, and with it the entire Republic. Although, in general, this shabby Ruusan had no strategic use, both sides were fighting like crazy for this piece of stone. A long-term positional war has begun on the planet. Well, it's a long time, by the standards of local realities, a long time.

At this time, the warships, time after time, converged in linear battles in the orbit of Ruusan and throughout the entire star system. The skies were ablaze, starships were exploding, taking the lives of thousands of people and non-people overnight, showering debris on those fighting on the surface. Landing craft and supply vessels from both sides often missed their targets. It was a complete mess. Hundreds of Jedi, Sith and soldiers of their armies sometimes did not even have time to land, dying in low orbit or in the atmosphere of the planet.

As a result, the Main Sith Kaan went completely insane on the grounds of the extermination of the Jedi, and staged an all-out gamer. Well, how about you create a Mental Bomb and destroy all your followers and enemies? Of all the Sith, two survived. Two of them!

Naturally, the Republic and the Jedi won, and they happily disbanded the army and navy, saying the Sith were destroyed once and for all. The morons. Although all power was in the hands of the Jedi, even the chancellor could only be a Jedi, but after Ruusan, everything changed....

The Jedi rejected the principles of warrior knights, and became guardians of the world. Power in the Republic passed to the Senate and the elected Chancellor. The army and navy were disbanded. There was a pathetic stub left in the form of the Justice Corps. And so it went on for almost a thousand years.

All the other conflicts didn't deserve attention at all. Except for Stark's Hyperspace War, and then only by ship maneuvers and the very cause of the conflict.

After that, a lot of technology has advanced. But not in tactics. Perhaps if the army of the Republic had not been disbanded, there would have been some kind of officer school where all these battles would have been studied and analyzed. There would be at least some instructions and rules, but alas. Moreover, I did not find any instructions even from the time before the Russan reform. And when I searched for the "Charter of the Republic", I got something painfully reminiscent of the instructions for using a microwave oven for American kettles, well, of those where almost half of the text are paragraphs like "it is forbidden to dry cats in a microwave oven." The only difference is that instead of a microwave oven, there were names of different models of equipment, as it is not difficult to guess, which have long been obsolete.

Nevertheless, I've been going through more and more documents, reports, descriptions, and book excerpts. They were often in languages unknown to me, but the built-in translator somehow conveyed to me the meaning of what was written.

Hell, thousands of years ago, even the Hutts, those lumps of fat weighing a ton, had their own army in armor! And they fought successfully, by the way. What can't be said about today's times: they can only rely on mercenaries.... No, I think there's only one Hutt Jedi living right now.

The droid uprisings were of little interest, but they mostly ended with the same intervention of the Jedi - they flew in, cut out the main troublemakers with pinpoint strikes, and the uprisings choked on that. No tactics, no strategy.

Well, I decided to get knowledge... great Archives. I thought I'd come like this, learn secret knowledge, and become a brilliant commander. Yeah, right now. He ran away. Kenobi's phrase comes to mind: "Maybe the archives are incomplete?" Apparently, you'll have to get out on your own. No, you can catch some grains of truth, but you have to think long and hard. However, that's why I took the holos - we'll read and analyze them during breaks.... But I still need to find out what is expected of me, but there should still be breaks, I don't have to run around the clock....

Feeling that his head was already swollen from trying to wade through the hodgepodge of dates, names and geographical names, trying in vain to fish out the dry, stating facts (They came. That's how many fights we've had. We won.) After a few lines, at least some clear descriptions of the tactics of the parties, I decided to take a break and look for information about Strength techniques and the development of sword fighting techniques. Looking through the numerous instructions and descriptions, I eventually came to the conclusion that the ideal option would be to study the third form, Soresu, ideal for deflecting blaster shots and numerous weak opponents. What the doctor ordered.

And the fact that this is an exclusively defensive form of combat doesn't bother me at all. No more full-length saber attacks at a gallop. No, thanks, it was enough for me once. Well, okay, let's not be sad, I'll also copy this information to the holodisks. I hope I'll have time to study it all. Immersed in a lengthy treatise by some ancient Jedi, I fell out of reality....

***

Wearily falling away from the projector, I stretched my slightly stiff arms and legs, and only then did I glance at the time indicator hanging on the wall. Wow, I've wasted seventeen hours here. Well, yes. That's what Jedi politeness means-if they see that you don't care about them, then they won't bother you much.

After leaving the Archives, I trudged to the wing where the dormitories were located, cubicles used by the Jedi for meditation and solitude. I should have rested my head, which was buzzing with information, then picked up the training droids from Rolfo in the morning and, indeed, arranged for myself to train in armor, just to assess the level of capabilities, after which there are several more cases where I will need to communicate with the local administration, oh...

With my last strength, I dragged myself to the bunk, as I was in armor, and collapsed on the mat and passed out. Tomorrow was going to be another difficult day.

***

Oh, if it weren't for my meditation practice, my body would definitely go numb, but it's okay, it's bearable. Having finally opened my eyes, I hastily washed my face and had a snack with a briquette of something from a dry ration. Something told me I should hurry up. Clearly the machinations of Power. I'd rather believe her....

Having difficulty remembering the way (my memory almost gave up, after all, it was a long time ago), I went to the Tower in which the Council of Definitions "lived". They were in charge of distributing younglings to teachers. Well, as they were doing, usually a Jedi would come there and say that he was taking such a youngster as his padawan. In most cases, the Jedi's decision was not disputed - it was believed that he knew better, because the Council believed that the teacher and the student should bring the Force together. Those Younglings who were not chosen as padawans were usually assigned to the Agro Corps.

Well, in exceptional cases, such as with Anakin Skywalker and Rama Kotoy, the decision was made by the Supreme Council. The usual cases were routine, designed more to put a decision on the list (so as not to stupidly lose sight of the person, not otherwise). Taking a high-speed elevator up, I entered a small oval room where a lone Jedi woman was sitting. Her memory had briefly failed to identify her race as Kodiank.

"Dear..."

"Ntorra Ailio is my name, knight..."

"Mikore Vict. I'm glad to meet you."

"Choosing a padawan brought you here, didn't it?"

"You're completely right, Master Ailio," but why would a Jedi come here?

"What is the name of your student?"

"Ahsoka Tano, togruta."

"Oh, I remember when I was a Youngling. She often acts impulsively and is prone to emotions. Of her stream, only a couple of Younglings remained, who were not chosen as padawans. Are you sure about your choice?"

"Yes, the Force says that," I know I'm not lying childishly, but it should work.

The master closed her eyes.

"Well, so be it. I hope she becomes a worthy Jedi. I'll arrange everything accordingly. You can go now."

***

Ahsoka silently practiced her set of punches, even though a storm was raging in her soul. She couldn't figure out why she was still a Yongling. Many of her acquaintances have already become padawans. Many were chosen by the teachers themselves, and some had the courage to ask the Jedi to become their teachers. But no one wanted to take her. But she's capable! She even collected her first battle blade! Even Master Yoda praised her!

If this continues, her fate will be decided by the Council. And he can send her to the Maintenance Building. Or to the Agro-Corps.

"Well, no, that's not going to happen." A slight anger gripped little Togruta. She started putting more force into her punches than she needed to.

"Look, look," someone's voice rang out from the crowd of Younglings waiting for their turn.

The girl, without interrupting the exercises, squinted her eyes.

An unknown Jedi knight was leaning against the wall in the passage. Well, there was nothing unusual about it, except for one thing-it was the strangest Jedi she had ever seen. The outlines of real armor appeared from under the usual cloak, the metal parts had a bluish sheen, the gloves and collar were dark brown, the man's forehead, by the way, was bandaged with a bandage, and a bulky backpack was visible over his shoulder. Actually, he looked a little... shabby.... And he carefully looked around at the Younglings who were training.

Ahsoka continued to practice her punches, but her thoughts jumped to a new wave. "Wow, that's probably someone who participated in the Geonosis raid. Anyway, I haven't seen him before. What was he doing here? Maybe... no. Not happening. What if he's looking for a padawan? And the war started, and the news announced that the Jedi had been appointed generals. Oh, I wish I could go to war! I would have shown my worth there. Commander Ahsoka Tano sounds good. But Padawan Ahsoka Tano is even better, and yet..."

"Ahsoka Tano?"

Togruta, who had been dreaming, jerked sharply and turned around. The blade of her sword, making an intricate trajectory, almost cut into the body of the approaching Jedi, but was stopped by his own sword, which he barely managed to activate. Everyone froze. The sword that Tano trained with was a combat sword.

"Oh!" was all Ahsoka could manage.

The Jedi grinned and said:

"It was close. I almost killed him, by the way."

Ahsoka became despondent. "Well, I screwed up. This had to happen. No, what a shame. How did I not notice him?!"

"Excuse me, knight, I..."

"However, I like your approach." Meanwhile, the stranger continued. "You hit me first, and then you ask. I think you're right for me."

"Is he really..."

"My name is Mikore Vikt, I am a Jedi knight," The man introduced himself, smiling, and it was clear from his face that Yongling's mental groans had not remained a secret to him. "Ahsoka Tano, would you be willing to become my padawan? I've already been on the appointment Board...

"Yes. I agree!" Togruta answered on instinct alone and almost with a "cry of the soul", while her brain was stalling in impotence, afraid to believe what she had heard.

"Great. Come on, we need to talk."

Turning around, the Jedi headed for the exit of the training hall. The girl hurried after him, blinking in prostration and almost forgetting to turn off the sword. Whispers accompanied her from all sides, only further fueling the storm of feelings that flared up in her soul.

"Yes, yes, yes! I became a padawan! Finally!"

"Ahsoka," her companion broke the silence as soon as they entered a more or less deserted corridor, "I'll take you as a padawan, and you won't have to go to the Agro-corps, but before that we have to agree on something", The knight turned around and looked closely into her eyes.

"Is he a mind reader or something?"

"About what?" Ahsoka asked cautiously, unable to think of anything, but fearing the worst in advance. True, she didn't really understand what the "worst thing" was, but she was afraid anyway.

"First- we're going to war, so don't argue with me in a combat situation! Before or after I allow it. I even insist that you express your thoughts and criticize my ideas, but during a fight, if I say "Go!" you go forward, if I say "Stop" you stand, if I say "Run" you run, even if you don't understand the reason at all."

"The Jedi are not retreating!" She stated reflexively and immediately shut her mouth hurriedly.

"Well, yes, well, yes. "If we are retreating, it means that we are advancing. In the opposite direction,"" the knight mimicked someone, breaking into an ironic smile and squinting somewhere to the side.

Ahsoka felt the blood rush to her cheeks...

"So, do you agree with this point?" Vict continued.

"Yes," Togruta managed, ashamed.

"Then the second condition is that it is possible and even encouraged to joke and make fun of others, if it does not harm the cause, but," The Jedi emphasized the last word intonation, "You can't make fun of me!"

"Uh... why is that?" it's not that she resents the condition very much (Ahsoka has never considered that she is abusing this case too much. The girl didn't know what the people around her thought about it. Well, almost... And they were wrong anyway, that's it!), but... but it was weird! And dishonest, yes!

"So are you against it?" the man tried to raise one of his eyebrows, but due to their absence, it looked... funny.

"No, Teacher," Tano barely restrained the taunt on her tongue. Togruta could tell by the look on the knight's face that he didn't really believe her.

"Well, then let's go pack up. I feel like we'll be on our way soon."

***

Well, Ahsoka Tano looked exactly as I imagined. Although I wasn't very good at taking a thirteen-year-old girl seriously. And what could I teach her, so far it seemed weak. "Yes, she can teach me something, too. By the way, it's worth holding a couple of training matches. I hope I don't merge in the first few minutes." A goofy smile crept onto his face.

Following my padawan through the Temple's winding hallway, I stopped in front of the door leading to her room.

"I'll be waiting for you here."

"I'll be quick, Teacher!" And my student disappeared through the door.

"Fast" dragged on a bit, but while I was waiting for the comlink built into the armor, to which I had already transferred the settings from my predecessor's old device, something chirped loudly. Surprised, I activated the connection.

"Mikore Vict?" a small projection of Master Shaak Ti appeared in front of me.

"Yes. How can I help you?"

"As you know, the Senate has appointed Jedi generals in the new Grand Army of the Republic", Yes, I just found out by glancing at the news while I was looking for Ahsoka. "If you are ready, you must report to Hangar three-er-fifteen immediately. There is an appointment and a first assignment for you."

"I'll be there soon." Well. The rest is over. I have my first battle ahead of me. "Ahsoka, stop eavesdropping," I say to the door, behind which I sensed the girl's presence a few seconds ago. Strength is still a great thing, but a small one can't even hide. However, me too, I'll have to make up for this omission. Run, pack your things, and let's go.

"I'm ready now, Teacher", A young padawan immediately jumped out and showed me a small backpack.

"Then we won't keep Master Shaak Ti waiting..."