Chapter Text
The morning started off quite normal. I was in the meditation room of the quarters I shared with my Master, reading one if my Sense class lessons, when the door chime buzzed. I looked up from my holo-tablet. “Come in!” I called, curiously reaching into the Force to see if I could detec who was there before the door opened. It was pretty easy. It was my Master. His Force signature was strong, and I had begun to grow accustomed to our bond which allowed us to feel the other's feelings and sense where the other was. Sure enough, the door slid open to reveal Master Yoda. I straightened in my seat, placing my holo-tablet fully down now. “Apologies for the interruption, Corde,” he greeted me, not moving from the doorway. “Some news for you, I have.” I nodded, curiosity piqued. “It's no problem, Master. What news do you have?” Master Yoda tipped his head at me. “A mission, I have,” he explained. “Go, with Master Kenobi, I must, to oversee a transport of weapons to Kashyyyk.” I nodded in understanding. “Great,” I replied. “When do we leave?” I assumed I was going with him, given that he took me along on every mission he was assigned to, but surprisingly, my Master shook his head. “Not we, Corde,” he hummed, resting both hands on his gimer stick as he looked at me steadily. “Dangerous, this mission will be. This trade route, patrolled by pirates, yes. Expect unwanted company, we do. A job only for experienced Jedi, it is. I'm afraid, stay at the Temple, you must.” I was disappointed to hear him say that. An important transport with the possibility of pirates coming along sounded like an exciting experience. But the look Master Yoda was giving me told me there was no room to argue. I sighed, nodding in acknowledgement. “I understand, Master,” I agreed. “I suppose it'll give me time to focus on this,” I gestured at my holo-tablet, and Yoda nodded approvingly. “Ahh, good thinking, Corde. Yes, study you should, and even, take the time to relax, hmm?”
I smiled as I nodded eagerly. “I guess I can do that if I have nothing else to do,” I said. “When will you be leaving?” Yoda spared a quick glance at the chronometer on the wall. “In a few hours. Perhaps, spend time with Master Kenobi's apprentice you can?” He added. “So eager is young Skywalker in recent weeks.” He shook his head, but I got the feeling he wasn't really surprised. I wasn't, either. Anakin had just recently passed the Gathering to get his kyber crystal, and had built his very own lightsaber a few short weeks ago. Since then, he'd been chomping at the bit to duel with anyone and anything, even sometimes spending hours on end with the training droids in the duel towers and training rooms. “Should I assume you mean try to keep him occupied so he doesn't break anything while Master Kenobi is gone?” I asked, cracking a cheeky grin. I didn't miss the amusement that flickered across Yoda's features. “Hmmh, surprised am I, that sliced nobody's arms off yet, he has,” he remarked, and I giggled at his word choice. “That, Master, is probably only because of the safety setting!”
-
It was an hour and a half later that I was in the training room with Anakin, watching as he showed me the beginning stances of various lightsaber forms Obi-Wan had taught him. “And this is Ataru,” he explained, demonstrating the beginning position. I had to smile as I watched him plant his feet and lift his hands holding his lightsaber above his head. I knew exactly what stance this was, given the fact that my Master had, well, mastered Ataru in its entirety. He had already passed down much of the form to me. “Good job, Ani, although I don't reckon you use Ataru much, do you?” Anakin straightened as he shook his head. “Not really,” he replied, deactivating his blue lightsaber. “Do you use it much? Master Obi-Wan told me Ataru is better for light-footed Jedi who don't have as much range.” I smirked, nodding. “Whatever gave you the idea that Master Yoda would teach me that form, huh?” I joked, earning a giggle from him. “Yes, Ataru is my best form at this point. Even though my range isn't limited, I can still use it for quick duels in open spaces. I can use acrobatics better in the open.” Anakin nodded, opening his mouth to respond, when the door to the training room slid open, revealing Master Kenobi and Master Yoda. “Hello, Master Obi-Wan!” I greeted, while also nodding at my own mentor, and at the same time, Anakin exclaimed, “Master!” And ran over to greet the older Jedi. Obi-Wan smiled at both of us. “You were right about where they were, Master,” he hummed in amusement as he glanced down at Yoda. He turned back to us both. “We're due to leave in ten minutes. We wanted to come say farewell before we liftoff.” Anakin and I both nodded. “Good-luck on your mission, Masters,” I bid, dipping my head at both of them. “Yeah, and if any pirates come along, just slice them in two!” He swung his deactivated lightsaber through the air for effect, causing the three of us to chuckle softy. “Right,” Obi-Wan replied after a moment. “We should be back in a few days. Anakin, don't get into any trouble, am I clear?” The younger boy nodded. “I won't!” He promised. “Need I say the same to you, Corde?” Yoda asked, tipping his head at me. I shook my head. “Nope!” I answered eagerly, rather excited now to show that I could handle something like this myself. “Wonderful then,” Obi-Wan nodded with a light smile. “We best be off.” Anakin and I both bowed slightly. “May the Force be with you, Masters,” I bid as they both began to walk off.
I was left alone with Anakin again, who turned to look at me with a mischievous grin. “This is where the fun begins,” he told me cheekily, and I lifted a quizzical brow. “What do you mean?” I asked. “You want to try to duel me for real now?” I figured Anakin was referring to our earlier lightsaber activities, but he shook his head. “No, not that!” He exclaimed. “We're going with them!” He pointed out into the hall where our Masters had gone. “What are you talking about?” I asked him, leaning against the wall by the still open door. “We aren't going with them, why do you think they came to say bye before they left?” Anakin smirked at me. “They don't think we're going with them, but I do! I'm not gonna miss my first ever real mission! I have a lightsaber now, I can face anyone!”
Understanding began to dawn on me. “Ani, the mission is dangerous, that's why we're not allowed to come. What in the galaxy are you planning?” The boy didn't answer me, instead, he grabbed my wrist, tugging me out into the hall. “What are you doing?” I demanded as I had no choice but to follow. “Just come on!” He told me. We ran quietly through the Temple halls, until we came across the small secret landing bay. As we peeked into the room, I could see Masters Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Windu standing by the open ramp to a small shuttle. “Are we completely sure the pirates will show up on this journey?” Obi-Wan was saying, glancing between Yoda and Master Windu. “The weapons your transport will be carrying are high-value,” Master Windu answered. “It is very likely the pirates will try to disable the transport and board the ship. You must be on alert at all times, Obi-Wan.” Anakin's mentor dipped his head. “Yes, Master, I understand,” he hummed. “Alright, let's not keep the Wookiees waiting any longer, shall we?” He turned to begin walking up the ramp, but Master Windu called him back. “Just a minute, Obi-Wan. Where is your apprentice?” This time, it was my own Master who answered. “Ah, training with Corde, young Skywalker is,” he said. “Told them, I did, to keep him occupied.” Obi-Wan gave a light breath of laughter. “You mean keep him out of trouble, right?” I had to stifle my smirk of amusement. That was the same thing I said!
Meanwhile, Anakin was looking at me. “Master Yoda told you to look after me?” He demanded softly. I sent him an apologetic glance. “Sorry, Ani, we were just meant to practice together so you could get used to your lightsaber.” He rolled his eyes as we glanced back into the bay. Obi-Wan and Yoda were just disappearing up the ramp into the shuttle, and Master Windu was already beginning to walk away. Anakin urged me away from the doorway, and we shuffled behind a massive pillar as Master Windu strode straight past. Then Anakin tugged me forward again, back into the room with the shuttle. “Ani, what are you doing?” I whispered, becoming more nervous. “Come on!” He urged, making quickly and quietly for the shuttle's ramp. “Wait!” I called, hesitating. “Ani, if we get caught, we're going to be in so much trouble!” Anakin only shrugged. “Then we don't get caught!” He decided simply, before turning and scrambling softly up the ramp. I didn't want to follow, but there was no way I was going to let Anakin go by himself. The boy was only twelve, if something happened, I didn't trust his abilities to deal with it safely. So I reluctantly followed him up the ramp into the shuttle. Just in time, as well, because it began closing just as I reached the top. The shuttle shuddered as the engines were started. Anakin led me out of the ramp bay into one of the halls, pausing in front of a small storage unit. He opened it, revealing a small empty space that was just large enough to fit us both. He waved me inside, and we both ducked down into the unit as he closed the door again. “I have a bad feeling about this,” I told him softly, shaking my head. “We were told to stay behind for a reason, Ani, don’t you think this is a bad idea?” But Anakin didn’t look at all fazed. “We were told to stay behind because they don’t trust us,” he countered. “Come on, Corde, you can’t tell me you didn’t want to come on this mission!” I looked at the ground through slightly narrowed eyes. I wasn’t sure what frustrated me more; the fact that Anakin had convinced me to do something like this so easily, or the fact that he was right. I would have loved to be chosen to go on this mission with Master Yoda. I sighed, shaking my head. “Even if I did,” I answered softly. “Doesn’t mean I’d willingly go against my Master’s wishes to do so.” Anakin rolled his eyes at me. “Don’t be a wuss,” he told me. “This is going to be great!” I sighed again, leaning back against the wall. “How do you plan to explain this if we get caught?” I asked him. Anakin just shrugged again. “We’ll just say we wanted to watch to learn how to fight pirates or something.” I quirked a brow at him. “Yeah, I’m sure that’ll go over well.” Anakin gave me a light push on the arm. “Don’t look so worried, Corde! This will be fun, I promise.” I sent him a doubtful look, but didn’t argue any further.
It wasn’t too long later that the ship began to rumble again, and a soft thud shook the walls. Then everything was still, and the steady hum of engines faded away. Anakin looked up with eager eyes. “We landed,” he guessed, shifting position. “Now we just wait until the Masters disembark, and we sneak off the shuttle to see what’s going on.” I didn’t respond, simply stayed as quiet as I could, listening. It wasn’t long later that I heard footsteps approaching from out in the hall. Along with them, the soft tap of something hitting the floor every few seconds indicated that my Master was probably walking alongside Obi-Wan. Voices soon followed, muffled through the door of the storage unit we were hiding in. “When do you think the pirates will make a move, if they do, Master?” Obi-Wan’s voice asked. “Uncertain am I,” Yoda replied. The footsteps and voices seemed to be passing right outside the storage unit now. “On the lookout, we must be. A surprise attack, I believe they may launch.” The footsteps continued past us, and Anakin and I exchanged tense, nervous looks. “Well, I don’t think they’ll suspect Jedi to be on this transport,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “Are the wookiees…” His voice trailed off as the footsteps faded, indicating they’d left the hallway. Anakin cautiously pulled the storage unit door open just enough to peek through. A smile grew on his face as he nodded and pulled it open fully. “The coast is clear,” he whispered. “Let’s go!” I followed him again, quite reluctantly again. We headed down in the direction the Masters had gone, slowing as we approached the doorway to the ramp bay. The door was open, and we slid up to peer just inside. The ramp had been opened, revealing the larger landing bay of another ship, which I guessed was the transport ship carrying the weapons. At the bottom of the ramp, Obi-Wan and Yoda stood before two Wookiees. They both bowed. “Good to see you, again, it is, Chewbacca,” Yoda greeted. One of the Wookiees kneeled to his level and engulfed him in a furry-looking hug. I clasped my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing as the second Wookiee shook Obi-Wan’s hand. “Wuuaarrr, aaruwwwur,” Chewbacca said as he stood up, patting Obi-Wan’s back in greeting. “Of course, it’s no problem,” he replied with a nod. “We’ll make sure your transport makes it safely to Kashyyyk.” The two Wookiees nodded as they began to lead the Masters out of the landing bay. I sent another look at Anakin as we both relaxed slightly. “It isn’t too late to go back and wait in the shuttle, Ani. We can just tell them we were curious, but didn’t want to get in the way.” But Anakin shook his head stubbornly. “And miss all the fun?” He asked, as if I had suggested something ridiculous. “No way! Come on, let’s go! Maybe we can see where the pirates will appear from!” And off he went down the ramp into the transport ship’s landing bay. I had no choice but to follow. I was sure I’d get in more trouble if I let Anakin go off on his own and possibly get hurt.
Anakin led the way out of the landing bay and into the much larger hallways of the transport ship. He seemed to have a good idea on where to go, so I just followed him, constantly glancing over my shoulder, worried I’d find one of the Masters watching us. But nobody followed as we ducked into another large bay. Inside this room were massive wooden boxes, all of which had wooden lids bolted onto them. “These must be the weapons the Wookiees are transporting,” Anakin marveled, walking between the stacks of boxes. I nodded in agreement. “Probably.” Anakin spun around to face me, his expression telling me he had another genius idea. I raised an uneasy brow. “Oh no,” I said. “What are you thinking, Ani?” The boy grinned, grabbing my wrist again and tugging me behind a stack of crates next to the wall. “Let’s wait in here,” he suggested as we crouched between the wall and the boxes. “If the pirates do come looking for the weapons, we’ll be here to surprise them! Master Obi-Wan and Master Yoda will think we’re heroes for protecting the cargo!” I sighed in defeat as I leaned against the wall. “Anakin, I really don’t think we should do that. We have no idea who the pirates are, if they’ll even come. And if they do, who knows how many there will be?” Anakin looked bored as I spoke about my concerns. “Oh, come on, Corde! You’ll thank me later when the Council makes us Jedi Knights early because of our ingenuity!” I scoffed, looking away. “Yeah, right. And what if this plan of yours goes terribly wrong, hm?” Anakin didn’t look worried. “It won’t,” he told me. I couldn’t believe how confident he was in this whole thing. But I couldn’t be bothered to continue arguing. Nothing I could say would change the young boy’s mind. So, I settled against the wall, content to wait and see what would happen.
-
I must have somehow fallen into a doze from sitting there for so long, because the next thing I knew, I was being shaken awake by Anakin, who looked both nervous and excited at the same time. I shifted upright, immediately becoming worried. “What, what is it?” I asked worriedly, and Anakin put his finger to his lips, shushing me. I made a confused face, and he gestured past the stack of boxes we were hiding behind. I followed his gaze towards the door, just as it opened to reveal Obi-Wan and a Wookiee I didn’t recognize. “Awaaaurr,” the Wookiee stated, and Obi-Wan nodded. “Yes, I understand, Tyvokk,” he replied. “This bay doesn’t look very protected, perhaps you should post a guard or two to warn us if-” he never got to finish. Just then, the ship gave a sudden groan as the ground shook, causing Anakin and I to nearly fall over. Obi-Wan looked alarmed as he reached inside the bay to the communication panel. “Master, Yoda, what was that?” He asked. A moment later, the response came. “Our pirate friends, joined us at last they have. A surprise attack, as I expected.” Obi-Wan looked uneasy. “I understand, Master. I’ll return to the bridge at once.” He pressed the communication panel again, then turned to Tyvokk. “I believe you should stay here,” he instructed. “I will help Master Yoda and see if we can convince the pirates to break off their attack. They might think twice if they know there’s two Jedi aboard this ship.” Tyvokk gave a nod. “Wuaarrr, waaaaurr,” he bid, and Obi-Wan nodded once before taking off out of the bay. Anakin and I shuffled back behind the wooden box. “Now what?” I whispered as quietly as I could, glancing warily at the door where Tyvokk stood guard. “There goes the idea of surprising the pirates!” But Anakin didn’t look like he was bothered at all. “Leave it to me, Corde,” he whispered, taking a few steps away from the boxes. My eyes grew wide with fear. “Ani!” I whisper-yelled urgently. “What the blazes are you doing?!” But the boy offered me no response as he cleared his throat, striding right up to the Wookiee. Tyvokk spun around with a short roar of surprise. “It’s okay!” Anakin lifted both hands. “Don’t be alarmed! Master Kenobi told me to wait here under cover,” he explained, and I wanted to shove my head in my hands. “I’m here in case the pirates get through. Don’t tell anyone! Not even the others, alright? Trust me!” Tyvokk seemed quite confused and on edge, but he gave a soft, “Auuarrw,” in response, before turning back to face the doorway. Anakin hurried back over towards me behind the box, and I gave him a death glare. “What were you thinking?!” I demanded under my breath as he kneeled beside me. “Now we don’t have to worry if Tyvokk spots us,” he told me, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. “Ani, I have a bad feeling about this,” I told him. Before the boy had a chance to respond, however, the ship rocked again, and I suspected we were being fired upon from outside. Tyvokk gave a grunt of annoyance as he clung to the wall to keep from falling over as the ship shuddered and quaked again. The communication panel suddenly lit up, and Obi-Wan’s voice came through, drawing Tyvokk’s attention. “Tyvokk, the pirates have the ship locked in a tractor beam! I suspect they’re going to try boarding, be ready! I’m sending two more warriors down to help you out.” Tyvokk pressed the panel. “Awaaurrr,” he said, and I felt my heart sink a little. “Wuaaarr, aur waaaurr!” There was a brief pause during which I sent Anakin a look of unease and worry. “What do you mean you don’t need more backup, Tyvokk, you can’t hold them off on your own!” Tyvokk sent a look around the room, and I didn’t have the clarity of mind to duck out of sight before he spotted both of us behind the box. His eyes grew wide as he realized there were two of us, but then he turned back to the communication panel. He was about to say something more when the ship gave a violent heave, causing Tyvokk to stumble slightly as the lights in the room flickered. A moment later, static came over the comms panel, indicating the transmission was being jammed. More groans and rumbles of metal under pressure shook the ship’s frame, and I began to hear an alarm ringing through the room and the hallway. Tyvokk gripped the weapon around his body, which turned out to be a cross-bow, and stood at the ready at the room’s entrance. I turned to look at Anakin. “Great job, Ani!” I told him softly. “Now nobody else is going to come help! We’re stuck here alone with one Wookiee!” Anakin, however, looked absolutely thrilled. “That’s right! We’ll be able to show those pirates what happens when you mess with Jedi.” I was beginning to grow frustrated. “Anakin, you’ve made a terrible mistake. You don’t understand how much danger we’re in!”
Anakin sighed, rolling his eyes again at me. “Relax, Corde. We’ll be fine!” I didn’t have time to argue further as we heard more groans and the sound of screeching. The ship jolted to one side sharply. Then there was complete silence. It stretched between us as we both stared at the doorway, where Tyvokk was still standing in an attack stance, looking ready to fight anyone who dared come near the cargo bay. As the silence continued, I began to wonder if perhaps the pirates had given up their attack. Maybe Master Kenobi and Yoda had scared them away after all. But that theory didn’t last for very long as I heard the sound of sharp, unfamiliar voices from out in the hall. Tyvokk stiffened, looking out the doorway to the left, and we watched as he gave a sharp, “Wuaaawaar!” of defiance before he aimed his crossbow. He fired it once, and the sound of yelling soon echoed down the hallway. Anakin shifted beside me, and I watched him grip his lightsaber hilt in his hands. I bit my lip as I turned away, angling myself slightly in front of him. If it came down to a fight, I didn’t exactly trust the young boy with his weapon yet. He hadn’t really been training with it for very long. I refocused my attention on the doorway as Tyvokk gave another roar, dodging behind the doorway every few seconds while firing down the hall. Blaster fire echoed down the hall as I saw a few stray blaster bolts fly past the doorway. Just as I heard the yell of pain from one of the men Tyvokk was firing on, I watched another blaster bolt nail the Wookiee right in the shoulder. He let out a, “Uaaaawrr!” of pain as he stumbled into the room, his gaze flashing towards us behind the boxes. I glanced back at Anakin, who seemed both nervous and excited at the same time. “Let’s go help him!” He insisted, slipping around me into the open. “Anakin, wait!” I cried, but he wasn’t listening. I had no choice but to leap out to his defense as Tyvokk flanked us in a final display of courage. From the hallway came five men who I recognized as Weequays immediately. Anakin immediately activated his new lightsaber, and I took my own hilt from my belt and ignited it as well. The leader of the pirate group glanced the three of us up and down, looking quite amused indeed. He gave a bark of laughter. “This is the defense group the Jedi could produce?” He sneered. “A Wookiee and a couple of younglings. And I thought Jedi were meant to be resourceful!” His words earned a chorus of laughter from the men behind him. “Let’s not make a scene, now, shall we?” The leader said with a wicked grin. “Hand over your lightsabers, step aside, and we’ll just gather what we came here for and leave you alone. Savvy?” Tyvokk responded with a defiant, “Aaauwr!”“Awaauurr, wuaarw, aaauwwur,” Tyvokk explained, and my breath hitched in my throat as I realized both of us had been found out. “He and another youngling were here?” Obi-Wan repeated in disbelief. “A surprise attack? No, Tyvokk, I never told him anything like that. He was never meant to come on this mission!” I heard another grumble, and I knew it was my Master. The next thing I heard made my heart drop even further. “Corde! Show yourself!” My eyes grew wide. It was then that I realized; my Master had known all along. I had no choice but to get up, stepping out from my cover behind the stacked boxes. I kept my gaze on the floor, unable to look up. “Corde?!” Obi-Wan exclaimed in shock. “What the blazes is going on here?” I took a breath as I replaced my lightsaber on my belt. “I’m so sorry, Master,” I mumbled, trying to figure out how I could explain this without getting Anakin into too much trouble. But before I could continue, the boy murmured something from where he was sitting up against one of the crates. “It’s my fault,” he mumbled softly, wincing as he sat up. “I convinced them to sneak aboard the shuttle with me. Corde tried to stop me like a hundred times, and I didn’t listen… I’m sorry, Master.” Obi-Wan and Yoda both looked from Anakin, back up to me. I finally looked up to meet my Master’s gaze, and drew in a sharp breath when I saw the look in his eyes. They were narrowed in a glare, and I could feel the disappointment coming in waves through the Force. “True, is this, hmm?” He asked, and I swallowed uneasily with a nod. “It’s true, Master.” Yoda lifted a hand, and I glanced down as I felt my lightsaber hilt detach again from my belt, and fly into his waiting hand. “No longer ready for this weapon, you are,” he told me sternly, and I looked away, wincing in shame. “Chewbacca, deal with these prisoners as you see fit, you can. Master, Obi-Wan, leave you with young Skywalker, I will.” Obi-Wan nodded. “Yes, Master,” he hummed, not taking his eyes off Anakin. “Corde!” Yoda’s tone was unusually sharp, startling me as I looked back up at him. “Come,” was the only thing he said before leading the way out of the cargo bay. I followed, unable to look at Anakin or Obi-Wan as I ducked out of the room and followed my Master. He led me silently to a lift, which we rode in silence to a few levels above. The lift doors opened to reveal the bridge, which was manned by a few human pilots, with some Wookiees stationed around various consoles. Everybody glanced up to look at us as Yoda led me to a separate room, which looked like a small meeting room with a large table and some chairs around it.
Yoda gestured for me to sit, and I obeyed, as he settled beside me, turning the chair to face me. There was a long moment of silence during which I stared at the table, guilt churning within my stomach. Yoda finally broke the silence after far too long. “Thinking, what were you, hm?” He demanded, his words still sharp, disapproving. I inhaled sharply, unable to look at him. “I didn’t want to go, Master-” I began, but I was cut off by a sharp thwack on my leg from his stick. “Talking to who, are you hm? At me, you look, Corde!” I hastily did as he told me, feeling my ears grow hot with embarrassment and shame. “I didn’t want to go, Master,” I repeated, forcing myself to maintain eye contact, no matter how uncomfortable I felt. “Anakin wanted to see the pirates, I think, to practice with his new lightsaber. I kept trying to tell him no, but he wouldn’t listen. I wasn’t about to let him go by himself, though, it would have been way more dangerous!” Yoda lifted his head slightly, his ears drawn back in obvious displeasure. “Older, you are, Corde, than young Skywalker. Padawans are you both, yes, but look after him, you were meant to. A test, this was,” he told me. “And failed, you did.” He poked his gimer stick into my leg again as he spoke, and I dropped my gaze again. “I know, Master, but I couldn’t let him go by himself, could I?” Yoda shook his head. “Let him go at all, you should not have. Told a Knight or Master, you should have. Put both of you in danger, it did, going with him.” I sighed, wrapping my arms around myself. But Yoda wasn’t finished. “Disobeyed direct orders, you did,” he went on. “And in the process, young Skywalker was hurt.” He shook his head before fixing me with his narrow-eyed glare again. “None of this,” he told me, waving my lightsaber hilt in front of me. “For a few months, I think. At the Temple, you will remain, as well.” I couldn’t help the shock that came over me. “What?” I asked without thinking. “No missions or lightsaber training for a few months?!” I knew right away that I had spoken out of line. Yoda looked at me with a look so full of reproach that I had to look away. “Perhaps, longer, we should make it, hmm?” He asked me, and I swallowed hard. “N-no, Master. Forgive me,” I answered quickly, keeping my eyes on the floor. “Taught you better than this, I have, Corde,” he told me. I sighed, nodding, too guilt-ridden and ashamed to continue arguing. I knew I had let my Master down, and I felt the impact it had deep within the Force. I wasn’t generally one for troublemaking, but I didn’t exactly put up all that much of a fight against Anakin’s ideas that whole time. Yoda said nothing more as he pushed off his chair and left the room. I stayed where I was for a long time, wondering how long it would be before I could regain my mentor’s trust again.
Two months later
I was in the Temple library, studying my latest Sense class content. The past two months had been spent within the Temple’s walls, studying, meditating, and carrying out various chores. I had even been tasked a few times to help the non-Jedi refectory staff clean up after mealtimes. It wasn’t generally that fun or entertaining, and it had been very disheartening to have to tell my former clanmates about why I was stuck in the Temple for so long. My good friend Votren and my other former clanmate, Bazi, had taken to spending time with me when they could, offering some encouragement and positive words to make it less dreadful. Now, it was late, and the sun had already dipped below the horizon. I was so absorbed in what I was reading that I didn’t notice someone approaching until the soft tapping of something on the ground alerted me to my Master’s presence beside me. I straightened, dipping my head in greeting. “Oh, Master, sorry, I didn’t notice you at first.” Yoda shook his head at me, his eyes sparkling in the way I knew meant he had something planned. “Apologize not, Corde. Studying hard, you have been, hm?” I nodded, glancing at my holo-tablet. “Yes, Master, I feel like I’ve never gotten so much class work done before.” Yoda looked thoughtful as he nodded. “Learned a lot, have you?” He asked me, and I nodded again. “Yes, I actually find the class quite interesting, honestly.” Yoda looked pleased, but he shook his head. “Not just your classes, Corde. Learned from the past, yes?” I realized he had to have been referring to the incident two months ago that had led me to this point, and I nodded more seriously. “Yes, Master. I’ve learned from my mistakes.” Yoda nodded, and he glanced down as he pulled aside part of his outer robe to reveal not one, but two lightsaber hilts. I recognized the second one immediately as my own, and my eyes grew wide. Yoda took my hilt in his hand. “Long enough, this penalty has gone on for, I think, yes?” He asked me, holding my lightsaber out to me. I reached eagerly for it, but he side-stepped at the last moment, pulling it out of my reach. “Ahh, eager are we, hm?” He asked, sounding quite amused. I got the feeling he was enjoying this a little too much. “A promise you must make first, Corde,” he chided softly, and I sighed slightly while smirking. “Alright, alright. I promise I’ll never disobey your orders like that again, Master. And if I’m put in a position where someone else’s influence may sway my judgement, I’ll stand firm and tell someone else if needed. I'll give you my word.” I made eye contact with him, and I didn’t miss the approving sparkle in his hazel gaze. Finally, he reached forward and placed my lightsaber hilt in my hand. “Accept this, I do,” he told me with a nod. “Resume, your normal training may, and missions you may take again, Corde.” I couldn’t help the smile that took my features as I placed my lightsaber hilt back on my belt, where it belonged. “Thank you, Master Yoda!” I said eagerly, earning a soft smile from him. “Ahh, now, revisit saber training we should, hmm? In case forget everything you did!” I gaped in mock offence at the notion, springing to my feet and following my Master as we began to head for the dueling towers. As we walked, I realized just how big a lesson I had really learned. And I knew it was yet another important skill I would need to become a full, proper Jedi Knight.