Chapter Four: Weapon of The Jedi

"Troop casualties?" asked Clone Commander Gree.

"Two hundred and fifty." Jace Malcom sighed, looking down in shame.

"And civilian casualties?" Commander Gree asked worriedly.

"One hundred twenty civilians in District Nine were slaughtered," Jace Malcom sighed again, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What a mess." Commander Gree said with a sigh, shaking his head in disgust.

Katniss was in the debriefing room with them and tried her best to hold back tears. It had been merely a day since the Jedi Republic Union's retreat from District Nine, and she could not forget what she had seen. Although she was now safe in District Ten, she grieved for the people she had not been able to save. The innocent people lying dead or wounded in the streets under the burning rubble, crying out desperately for help. The troops of the Imperial Sith Shadow Empire as they stormed into the city, killing all in their path. And most of all...the eyes of The Inquisitor, boiling with the cancerous poison of evil, seething with dark ambitions and most of all...vengeance, and the threatening words he had sent to her, simply by looking at her.

"I will break you. I will take away your strength, courage, and all those you love. And when I do, there will be nobody to save you. I will have revenge and you can't stop me."

The words still echoed fresh in her mind, like a seed freshly planted, and she knew, even after twenty years, they would always haunt her mind. Taunting her at night, trying to make her feel small and weak. Reminding her of the day she and her squad had been blindsided by the enemy, and where the evil she had sworn to defeat had gained vengeance and victory.

"And Katniss?" Commander Gree asked.

Katniss snapped out of her trance, as if waking up from a dream.

"What?" she replied.

"And you say there was a traitor in the base's ranks?" Clone Commander Gree inquired.

"Yes." she replied. "It was one of the guards that had been stationed on the East Wall, an Old

Republic trooper named Thompson," she said. "He broke into the Command Center and shut down all communications and radar long enough for a battalion of Imperial Sith Shadow Empire troops to come and attack. We were overrun too quickly." she finished.

"And you say a member of your squad shot him immediately when you found Thompson out,

per your orders, correct?" Commander Gree inquired yet again.

"Yes. I thought it would be too difficult to hold him down during the assault." Katniss said

with a straight face. "And I knew he'd be executed anyway when he was brought to the Supreme High Command. Did I do something wrong?" she asked nervously.

"No. Your logic makes sense. The High Command will understand. You'll be fine." Commander Gree assured her.

Katniss felt a wave of relief wash over her.

"One more question." Commander Gree said. "Isn't it true one of the other members in your

squad took a prisoner in the battle?"

"Correct. ARC Trooper Fives captured a First Order Stormtrooper." she said.

"Well, at least that's one good thing to think about." she thought.

............................

Finn began to wake up and started to open his eyes. He saw a bright light up above him in what

looked to be a dark room...but his legs and arms couldn't move. His neck hurt, his back felt like it was pressed against a sheet of metal, and his helmet was off.

"Wake up!" a voice suddenly boomed.

"Gaaaahhh!" Finn let out a startled gasp. He was in an interrogation room! He looked in front of

him...the ARC Trooper who had stunned him at District Nine! He was questioning him!

"Glad you finally came to." the ARC Trooper sneered, "Did you have a nice nap?" he said

with his voice laden with menace.

It took a split-second for Finn to realize he had succeeded. He had escaped the Imperial Sith

Shadow Empire and was in a Jedi Republic Union base!

"I just want to be in a different part of it." he thought.

"No, wait!" Finn said hurriedly. "Let me explain! You don't need to interrogate me!"

"Better make it quick," the ARC Trooper said, pounding his fists together. Finn shuddered as he

heard those rock-hard knuckles crack. Oh yeah, he would explain all right.

"I'm not on their side, I've never been or wanted to be!" he began to explain, "I've always hated the Imperial Sith Shadow Empire ever since my first battle. In my first battle, my division's Captain, Captain Phasma, ordered us to massacre innocent villagers. I have always looked for an opportunity to escape them, and you finally gave it to me!"

Finn paused to let that sink in. He could tell the ARC Trooper was clearly taken aback. Good...

exactly what he had hoped. He didn't wait to be interrupted and continued.

"I've always pretended to fight when I was in a battle, but I have never killed a single soldier

of the Jedi Republic Union," he said with emphasis, "You don't need to interrogate me, take me the Command Center of this base, and I will tell you everything I know! I want to fight against the Imperial Sith Shadow Empire! Please, let me help you!"

The ARC Trooper seemed to consider this for a moment. Finn's heart was racing by this time.

"How do I know this isn't a trick you're playing to try to escape? "the ARC Trooper asked with irritation, beginning to raise his right fist.

"You seriously think I would try to fight an ARC Trooper? I've seen what you guys can do!"

Finn quickly answered, "Besides, if I was lying, I would've tried to shoot you back at District Nine!"

The ARC Trooper mulled this over.

"Alright, fair enough," he replied, "but I'm still taking you to the Debriefing Room in handcuffs,

with a blaster to your back, so watch it." he said warningly.

"Oh man, come on." Finn complained.

"It's either that, or I leave you here," the ARC Trooper replied.

"Fine." Finn said. The ARC Trooper removed Finn's restraints, then turned Finn around. Finn felt

handcuffs being slapped over his wrists, then the barrel of a blaster pistol being jammed into his spine.

"Let's move." the ARC Trooper replied, and they walked out of the cell. Turning right, they began

walking down a corridor.

"Excuse me?" Finn asked, "But just so I know, what is your name?"

"Fives," Fives replied. "Welcome to the Jedi Republic Union base in District Ten. Your name?"

"Finn." Finn replied, "Good to meet you, Fives!"

"Likewise," Fives replied. "But don't get your hopes up yet, pal."

............................

Petta brought his electro staff up, just in time to deflect Gale's blow. Gale's glowing blue lightsaber blade crackled as it connected with Petta's electro staff. They both groaned, their faces contorted with strain as they both tried to overcome one another.

Katniss and Ahsoka stood at the side of the training arena, watching the proceedings.

Petta twisted his electro staff to the right, forcing Gale's blade to the left. When the moment was

right, Petta brought his knee up to Gale's waist. Gale grunted in pain, but quickly recovered and swung from the right side. Petta brought his electro staff over his back and caught the blow again. Just what Gale wanted...Gale brought his leg up and kicked Petta in the chest. Petta staggered back in surprise, and Gale, not one to miss out on opportunity for victory, continued his attack. He swung his lightsaber in an upward arc. But Petta swung his electro staff down horizontally, catching Gale's blade at last second. Gale executed a series of rapid-fire blows, starting with a downward stroke, then a left swing, right swing, then finally a spin. Petta parried them but sweat was streaming from his face. He looked for a potential blind spot...and saw one. Gale could not parry a thrust to his side when his arms were up, could he? Petta decided to try. Gale brought his arms up for another swing. Petta thrust his electro staff forward, right beneath Gale's right shoulder, hitting his mark.

"Aah!" Gale exclaimed, as the staff sent a shock up his body. Petta spun his electro staff

expertly and swung his electro staff downward, then to the right. But Gale was not a warrior to be underestimated. With great speed, he expertly parried Petta's attack. But Petta always knew how to get past a barrier. When Gale began his counterattack, Petta swung back with equal ferocity. Once again, their weapons locked together, and they struggled for domination. Petta forced Gale's blade over to the left, then executed a perfect roundhouse kick aimed right at Gale's head. Once again, he hit his mark. Gale was caught off guard, and he fell to the ground from the force of the blow. Petta then quickly put his right foot on Gale's right arm to pin down his lightsaber, then his other leg on Gale's back. He raised his electro staff over his head in triumph.

"Another victory for the Electro staff Vanguard!" he exclaimed with a laugh.

"Alright, fine, geez!" Gale grunted back, deactivating his lightsaber. Petta turned powered down

his weapon in turn. He stepped off Gale and helped him to his feet.

"Payback for last time, Gale." Petta playfully remarked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Gale chuckled, giving Petta a playful shove. "You've beaten me three times

already, oh great Electro staff Vanguard."

"Hayat least you get a lightsaber! Petta retorted.

"Hey Petta!" a voice rang out. They turned. Finick stepped onto the arena. He took his trident

off his back...now upgraded to have a three-pronged fork on each end. When he activated it, an energy field hummed to life over the entire trident, increasing its damage capability.

"My turn, pal!" he said challengingly.

"Good luck." Gale said, patting Petta on the shoulder, and jogged off to the locker room to rest.

He nodded to Katniss and Ahsoka as he walked by. Meanwhile, Petta and Finick charged to each other, and their duel began.

"Well, your friends certainly know how to have fun." Ahsoka remarked.

Katniss laughed. She was glad Ahsoka could lighten her mood after her ordeal.

"You haven't seen anything yet." she replied with a playful smirk.

"You sure you don't want to try using a lightsaber yourself?" Ahsoka asked, "I think you'd be

pretty good at it." she said with a smile.

Katniss had been considering this for a while, ever since Gale had started training with his

lightsaber a week ago with Jedi Master Plo Koon. Apparently, the Jedi had said even people who weren't Force-Sensitive could wield a lightsaber, just their training would take longer, and they couldn't use the Force. Petta, and Finick had also gotten new weapons after they had taken part in retaking District Six. Petta had begun training to use an electro staff, and Finick now used a vibro-trident, a trident with a three-pronged fork on each end, and an energy field installed on it to prevent it from being cut by a lightsaber. They were all getting pretty good with their weapons, and Katniss figured she should get a lightsaber or something herself as well. After all, what would she do if she crossed paths with another Sith on the battlefield again? But even then, for some reason, she still wasn't so sure.

"I don't know, "she replied with doubt in her voice. "I mean, how hard is it going to be to learn

how to use it? And who will train me?"

"Oh pfft, don't worry!" Ahsoka assured her. "You'll get the hang of it pretty quick. And I know

just the perfect person to train you!" Ahsoka added.

"Who?" Katniss asked.

"A friend of my master's, a Jedi named Satele Shan." Ahsoka said. "She'd be excellent at

teaching you. Not to mention she's not too strict or anything. Maybe later when we have lunch, I can introduce you to her."

"Sounds good to me," Katniss replied.

"OW!" Petta suddenly cried out, and Katniss and Ahsoka turned their heads.

Petta lay on the ground, clutching his leg.

"It's supposed to be on the low setting!" he yelled at Finick.

"It is on the low setting!" Finick yelled. "I didn't hit you that hard!"

Katniss and Ahsoka tried not to laugh.

............................

Two hours later, Ahsoka and Katniss were in the mess hall of the base, and Satele Shan sat across

from them. Satele Shan was pleased to meet Katniss.

"So you want to train to use a lightsaber?" Satele asked, stirring the bland but nutritious

field chow that had been served by cook.

"How else will I be safe on the battlefield? The Inquisitor will undoubtedly be looking for

another chance to fight me." Katniss replied.

"And I think she'd be great at using one!" Ahsoka added with a grin.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Satele said, "I'll help train you. Your first step will be to build it."

"Build it?" Katniss asked, slightly confused.

"It's not a weapon of simplicity," Satele Shan explained. "The hilt is various metal components

combined, with a crystal, called a Kyber crystal, inside. The crystal is what gives energy to the blade."

"Oh, so that's how the blade is formed." Katniss said, now understanding.

"Precisely," Satele said with a smile. "Don't worry, we have all the supplies and crystals available, since we have to teach our younglings how to make them when they're ready. I will have to build it, because lightsabers are not assembled mechanically, but with the Force. That is not much of a barrier though, don't worry. As a matter of fact, I know somebody who will help you build your lightsaber. He's been serving the Jedi for eons."

"Is he here now? "Katniss asked.

"No, he's stationed at another base, I believe in the Western Jungles. Satele Shan replied. "But

after we eat, we can all take a transport there."

"Sure, why not? "Ahsoka asked.

"Let's get to it, then," Katniss said.

............................

Meanwhile, in the Debriefing Room of the base, Finn was busily telling Commander Gree,

Captain Antilles (a Captain in the Rebel Alliance), and Jace Malcom all he knew about the Imperial Sith Shadow Empire and their tactics.

"They always send out sunrise patrols from their camps in the mornings. "Finn explained. "So if

you ever wanted to take prisoners or stage an ambush, that's a good place to start. If you ever wanted to sneak into or attack one of their camps, you could either capture a droid patrol and reprogram the droids to go against them or disguise yourself in Sith Trooper armor."

"What about their troop maneuvers?" Commander Gree asked. "Do you know of any other

attack plans they are making?"

"Yes!" Finn exclaimed, suddenly brightening up. "I remember before their attack on District

Nine, some troops in the mess hall were talking about an infiltration operation the Sith were planning. They said Darth Malgus, one of the Sith Lords, was planning to send a squad of Peacekeepers to District Seven. The plan was they would pretend to be defectors so they could spy on you." Finn said.

"And how did you find out about this?" Captain Antilles inquired, rubbing his chin with his

fingers.

"Two of the troops near where I was sitting were Peacekeepers assigned to that operation." Finn

replied.

"When was this supposed to take place?" Jace Malcom asked.

"Three days from now, from what I remember," Finn answered.

Commander Gree, Antilles, and Jace pondered this information.

"One question," Fives piped up. "Of all the bases you know of, which one do you think would be easiest for us to take?"

"There's an outpost in the jungle quite a few miles from here that is little more than an airbase." Finn began. "I was stationed there at one point. They only have one Sith Trooper company there, and a small garrison of droids. They have many fighters stationed there, so the best thing to do would be lure away most of their air support, and a battalion of Galactic Alliance troops should be enough to take the outpost. One weakness of that outpost is that on the runways, near the fighters, that's where the fuel tanks are stored. A bomb on the fuel tanks would easily blow it to smithereens, damaging the base." Finn concluded.

Commander Gree, Jace, and Antilles exchanged some thoughtful glances. Finn waited

nervously for their response.

"Fives take Finn back to his cell. Finn, thank you for the information, but for now, while we

discuss what we are to do, you will have to remain in your cell."

"Fair enough." Finn said with a sigh. Fives grabbed Finn's handcuffs again.

"Come on, Finn." he instructed but less gruffly this time.

Finn was back in his cell minutes later. This time, however, Finn was not locked back in his

restraints.

"How long will it take them to decide whether or not I'm lying?" Finn asked Fives.

"It's hard to say." Fives replied matter-of-factly with a shrug. "Could be a month, for all I know."

"I'm willing to wait, just don't torture me, okay?"

Fives laughed. "After what you just did in there? Don't worry pal, you'll be fine...just try not to

complain too much about the prison gruel."

"At this point, anything's better than the Imperial Sith Shadow Empire."

"That's the spirit, trooper." Fives replied.

............................

One hour later, Katniss and Ahsoka stepped off the gunship into the hangar of Jedi Republic

Union Base 4768, out in the Western Jungles of Panem. A lot had happened in one month and a week...

with the arrival of all these new armies, the war had now expanded beyond the Thirteen Districts. Both sides had established various bases, outposts and camps all over the forests surrounding the Districts in Panem as well as all over the world. Bases and outposts of the Panem Freedom Force were transformed into Jedi Republic Union bases, and likewise for the Peacekeepers and the Imperial Sith Shadow Empire. Since new bases took a lot of time to build, any new troop positions made by both sides were currently little more than small camps that would stay until a base could be built. Katniss recognized the base she now stood in like it was yesterday...this had once been a tank division base that had housed at least three Resistance tank divisions. It had been one of their strongest fortifications...now, with Rebel Alliance troops practicing marching drills and Rebel pilots fixing X-Wings, it looked even stronger.

"This way. Satele Shan said, and Ahsoka and Katniss followed.

Twenty minutes later, they stepped into a room with several desks all along the walls, and a

desk at the front of the room with stacked rows of drawers behind it. Small children, some human and some of alien species, were sitting at the desks, and metal components, with a crystal in the center of the mix, were floating in midair before their faces. Then it dawned on Katniss...these were Jedi Younglings assembling their lightsabers with the Force. She remembered Ahsoka had told her about this. A tall, brownish-tan colored droid turned to face them. Katniss immediately began to mentally marvel at his design. He had a backpack, and although his lower legs were gray, his upper legs were brown, and down to his knees, were covered by what looked like a brown metal skirt. His torso was mostly whitish-brown, and the wires at his sides were partially exposed. There was a small circle on his chest that looked like a button, with a line through the middle with two blue dots on either side of the line. His shoulder plates were wide, and his arms were long. His neck looked like it was a metallic spring of some sort, and his head was somewhat strange compared to other droid designs...it had two points that spread from either side. His eyes were yellow, and above his right eye, there was what looked like a magnifying glass, poised to flip down over his eye when he wanted it to.

"Satele Shan! "the droid exclaimed. "Good to see you again! Katniss! Oh my, never expected you would ever visit! And Ahsoka, my you look like you've grown a little bit!"

Ahsoka chuckled. "You always say that, Professor Huyang."

"Cannot help it." Huyang teased.

The younglings had all finished their lightsabers by this time. They all stood up, and each one

activated their lightsaber to see if they had assembled them correctly. A brilliant circle of bright blue and green lightsaber blades immediately illuminated the room, and the younglings smiled in awe.

"Very good, children!" Huyang addressed them delightedly. "Now, class is over. It is time for

lunch. Report to the cafeteria and return here promptly."

"Yes, Professor Huyang!" they chorused, and Katniss, Ahsoka and Satele had to step from the

door to make way for them. But one youngling held back a bit and looked up at Katniss.

"Are you the Mockingjay?" she asked.

Katniss knew what was coming. "Yes, I am." she replied.

"Hi! I'm Katooni, one of Professor Huyang's students! Nice to meet you!" Katooni replied

eagerly.

Katniss felt a smile spread across her face. "Nice to meet you too." she said. Katooni held out

her small hand. Katniss shook it and found Katooni had a surprisingly firm grip.

Katniss knew from looking at Katooni that Katooni was a Rodian. Ever since the Jedi Republic

Union had arrived, Katniss had been doing as much research as possible to learn more about this other galaxy. She remembered reading about the Rodians as she looked into Katooni's big black eyes.

"I've heard so much about you," Katooni went on. "We've all heard great stories about you, me

and my class. I hope to be like you one day." Katooni said with a wide grin.

Katniss almost blushed at the remark...she was glad she had people who looked up to her, but,

truth be told, she sometimes didn't like all the attention. But she didn't mind it this time.

"You don't have to be me to be a good warrior," Katniss replied. "What matters more is your '

heart, and I can already see you have a very noble one. Keep that up, and you will be a great Jedi."

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! Katooni suddenly cried joyfully, and hugged Katniss at

the waist. Katniss almost had to hold back a laugh. She never expected that would ever happen. But Katniss embraced Katooni back. After all, it wasn't unwelcome.

"Now, now, Katooni," Huyang piped up. "I'm sure she appreciates your welcome, but please go

to lunch now, Katooni."

"Aw," Katooni whined, but pulled away. "Bye Katniss! "she said and jogged out the door.

"Hope to see you again soon!" Katniss called back.

"Well, let us get down to business," Professor Huyang piped up. "Why have you come here

exactly, Katniss?"

"She would like to train in using a lightsaber," Satele Shan answered. "We came here to see if

you could spare us any supplies to build one. Or do you need to conserve them for the younglings?"

"Not at all, not at all!" Professor Huyang replied excitedly. "I have plenty to spare! Just let me

gather the necessary components from the back drawers."

He turned and walked to the drawers in the back, that, Katniss observed, were stacked all the

way to the ceiling. He walked into the middle of the aisle to look in the drawers. He began opening the drawers...several at a time, and a blink betrayed Katniss's surprise. Two arms that Katniss hadn't noticed that were on his backpack sprang to life, and she found he was deftly searching over six or seven drawers at once. He pulled out various metal components, and in a matter of seconds, he walked back and laid them all out on one of the desks.

"Now, what color would you like your blade to be?" Professor Huyang asked her, the lens

beside his right eye flipping down to peer at her.

Katniss thought a moment. Blue was a good color, but Gale had that already taken. Not that she

cared too much, she knew thousands of Jedi had blue lightsabers. Maybe...hmmmm...

"I think I'd be fine with green." she replied.

"The same color as mine!" Ahsoka said with a cheerful grin.

"Give me a moment." Professor Huyang told her, and walked back to the drawer aisle, this time

entering a closet that was located at the end of the aisle. A moment later, he came out with a small crystal in his metallic hand and plunked it in the pile on the desk.

Katniss suddenly found she was curious. "How are these crystals obtained? "She asked.

Professor Huyang looked at her in surprise, then to Satele.

"Do you think she'll understand?" he asked Satele.

"Oh please, Huyang." she sighed. "Katniss will understand fine. Their troops adapted to our

advanced technology quickly."

"Very well then," Huyang said, and turned to Katniss. "In our galaxy, there was a planet called

Ilum. It was an arctic planet, where the crystals, called Kyber Crystals, were obtained by our younglings for them to build their lightsabers." Huyang told her. "Sadly, due to our war with the Imperial Sith Shadow Empire, it became more dangerous to send our younglings there, as well as the fact the Imperial Sith Shadow Empire did temporarily take control of Ilum. So then, we initiated a project, codenamed Project Kyber, in order to see if we could make synthetic copies of the Kyber Crystals. Although it took three years of extensive research, we eventually discovered we could. Fortunately, we managed to retake Ilum, but we have always kept synthetic copies at the ready."

"I see." Katniss replied. Although she knew what he said was true, she still found herself

having a hard time grasping the information.

"Let us not waste time," Satele Shan replied, and sat down at the desk. "Katniss, behold. You

shall witness not just the creation of a great weapon, but the power of the Force."

With that, Satele closed her eyes, and her face took on a look of serious concentration. At first, nothing happened. Then, all the pieces of the lightsaber began to float in the air, picked up by the Force. Katniss was amazed at how this could be possible. She observed how the components were assembled; the crystal was in the center, and all the metal pieces fitted around it to form the handle. They all fit perfectly together, like an intricate puzzle...a puzzle that could be used as a deadly weapon.

Minutes later, the lightsaber was complete. Satele handed it to Katniss, and Katniss gripped it

firmly, feeling the smooth solidity of it in her hands. A jolt of confidence surged in her.

"The button to ignite it is right here." Satele said, pointing out the small button on the right side

of the handle. Katniss decided it wouldn't hurt to test it, and back away a few steps. She held the handle upward and pressed the button.

The emerald-green blade emerged from the hilt, illuminating the desk in a green glow. Katniss suddenly felt a calm serenity fill her veins. Whatever stress, doubt or fear she had felt before was disintegrated in that instant as the green blade ignited. Briefly, she closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, feeling the firm grip of the hilt in her hand. Katniss no longer felt burdened with the defeat in District Nine...now, she was fueled with new hope, and she was determined to strike back at the Imperial Sith Shadow Empire. After a few more moments, she opened her eyes and deactivated the lightsaber.

A smile was spreading across Satele Shan's face as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Very superb, "she said. "You'll be a great lightsaber wielder yet."

"You won't regret this, Katniss!" Ahsoka exclaimed excitedly.

"Your potential is indeed high." Professor Huyang agreed. "Now, onto the next matter. Satele,

do you know of anyone who could train Katniss to use her lightsaber?"

"I will train her. Satele replied. "I was made a Knight sometime after my master's death when

the Sith retook Korriban. I see great potential in her, and therefore I would be honored to train her."

"And I would be honored to be your student. "Katniss replied with sincerity.

And in that moment, Katniss felt a new power surge through her. Power that gave her courage,

hope, and a calm serenity. One that told her she could win this war.

"And I will." She told herself.

............................

"Just like we rehearsed, men." Lieutenant Williams whispered under his breath.

"We know sir." one of the Peacekeepers whispered back.

"This is crazy," Lieutenant Williams thought. "How does Darth Malgus seriously think a

simple trick like this is going to work?"

But he and his Peacekeeper squad had their orders: they were to approach the troops of the Jedi

Republic Union at the gates of District Seven, unarmed, and pretend to be defectors. If the Jedi troops fell for it, the Peacekeepers could then infiltrate their ranks and sabotage their plans and hopefully extract vital information. Williams hoped it would work they had been transported by Imperial Shuttle under the cover of darkness to at least three days walking distance from District Seven. Of course, they had the appropriate camp supplies for the journey. Nevertheless, Williams was nervous...if this plan failed, there was little they could do. After all, they did not have their weapons, since they had to pretend to be defectors. If the Jedi troops figured them out, they could not defend themselves.

"Hey you! Hands above your heads!" a voice called out. Williams looked, and saw a group of four Rebel troopers approaching from the left, blasters raised. He and his squad complied.

"Don't shoot, let me explain!" he replied, trying not to sound frantic. By now, another group of

Rebel troopers were approaching from the right, and the Republic Troopers on the wall were leveling their guns down at them as well.

"Better make it quick, Peacekeeper scum." one of the Rebel troopers warned. Williams gulped.

"Me and my squad here have come to defect to your side," he began. "We were based in District

Five, and we took an Imperial Shuttle from there to escape. But on the way, our shuttle ran out of fuel about three days distance from here, and we have been walking ever since then. Please, we are not trying to trick you. In fact, we have vital information for you. Take us to your commander, and we will prove we are not bluffing."

The Rebel troopers exchanged glances with one another. But not glances of surprise or

suspicion...they were smiling mischievously at each other.

"Nice try." one of them said.

"What do you mean?" Williams asked.

His question was answered by the barrage of stun bolts he and his squad received. They

crumpled to the ground. The Rebel troopers stood over the stunned Peacekeepers victoriously.

"Remember that transmission Commander Gree gave to our General Crix Madine, about three days ago? "Rebel trooper Samuel asked another trooper named Kyle.

"Like it was yesterday," Kyle replied. "He warned Crix he had learned from a First Order

Stormtrooper who defected that a Peacekeeper squad would try to pull this off. That stormtrooper obviously wasn't lying."

"We'd better report this to General Crix Madine now." Samuel added.

............................

The door to his cell hissed open, and Finn looked up. Fives was standing in the doorway, but

this time, his helmet was off, and he was smiling.

"Congratulations, Finn," he said. "Commander Gree and Captain Antilles now have proof you

were not lying."

"They do?" Finn replied, slightly surprised.

"Remember what you told them three days ago about how that Peacekeeper squad would go to

District Seven, pretending to be defectors?" Fives asked.

"Oh, that. Yes, I remember." Finn replied, knowing what was coming.

"Well, one of our Generals there, Crix Madine, recently contacted Commander Gree and

Captain Antilles," Fives explained. "He informed them that his troops at the gate caught that Peacekeeper squad, and they are now imprisoned for interrogation."

"Yes!" Finn hissed joyfully, a wide grin on his face. "So you believe me now?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Fives chuckled. "Now that you're cleared, how would you

like to meet the rest of my squad?"

"I would very much like to indeed!" Finn said excitedly.

Five minutes later, they were in the mess hall, and Fives had introduced Finn to Hevy, Echo, Tup, Gregor, and Hardcase. They were all glad to know Finn had been truthful.

"Now that you're with us, how would you like to take that old stormtrooper armor off, and we'll

teach you how to really fight like a good trooper?" Gregor asked.

"I thought I'd never get to. When do we start?" Finn asked eagerly.

............................

Meanwhile, in the training room section of the base, Satele was coaching Katniss in the

basics of using a lightsaber.

"Up, down, left, up, right." Satele intoned pacing back and forth.

Katniss moved her blade as Satele instructed each time, deflecting the shots from the training

remote perfectly. So far, the remote hadn't slipped past her defense.

"Up." Satele said.

Katniss waited a split second to move, but that was all the remote needed. Katniss brought her

blade up, but not in time, and the remote's shot hit her in the knee.

"Ah!" Katniss cried, gripping her knee and gritting her teeth. The remote stopped humming, and

floated motionlessly.

"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it," Satele said with a smile. "It took me months

to perfect my lightsaber skills. You've only had three days."

"I know, I'm not giving up." Katniss assured her.

Ten minutes later, Satele and Katniss were in the mess hall for a break. Katniss agreed to meet up with Satele after lunch and looked for a place to sit.

"Hey Katniss, over here!" a voice called out. Katniss turned and saw Fives waving her over,

and the rest of their squad was with him. Another man dressed in stormtrooper armor was with them, but his helmet was off. Katniss walked over to their table, and soon got a surprise.

"Katniss, this is Finn, the First Order stormtrooper Echo and I captured at District Nine," Fives explained. "Finn, meet our squad leader, the Mockingjay herself." Finn excitedly shook Katniss's hand.

"It's an honor to meet you." he said, and Katniss could tell he was being sincere.

"So, I guess you'll be training with my squad now?" Katniss asked, even though she already

knew the answer.

"Come on now, you know we don't take no for an answer, right?" Tup replied.

"Of course you don't." she said with a smile.

Hardcase piped up. "How's the lightsaber training coming along?"

"It's going good. I've started to get the hang of it a little." Katniss said. "It's a little easier than I

thought."

"That's the spirit. "Gregor replied with an encouraging smile.

After Katniss had eaten her lunch, she met up with Satele again in the training room.

"Ready?" Satele asked.

Katniss ignited her lightsaber in response.

"Then let us begin." Satele replied.

After another hour of rhythmical swings and deflecting training bolts from the training remote,

Katniss had sweat dripping from her brow like a heavy rain. However, this time, none of the three training remotes got past her defenses.

"You are performing excellently," Satele assured her. "Remember: you must let calm serenity fill

you. Do not let your emotions control you in battle. When you can concentrate, you can bring about victory for all your brothers-in-arms on the battlefield."

"I won't forget," Katniss promised. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Next training session tomorrow."

Later, Katniss was back in the arena section of the base, sitting with Prim and Jedi Master Plo Koon on the side. Finick and Gale were practicing their dueling again.

"Aren't you going to take a turn?" Prim asked.

"I've only been training three days," Katniss said. "I'll wait a while."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Prim replied. "Commander Wolfee has been training me how to

use a blaster pistol, and he even suggested I get rocket boots." Prim said with a laugh. "I'm fine with the blaster pistol and hand-to-hand combat training, but I'm really a medic."

"I think it'd be good," Katniss told her. "If you need to protect your patients in the thick of

battle, it may come in handy."

"I know, but come on, rocket boots?" Prim laughed. "Does a medic really need that much?"

"Well, since several technologically advanced armies are now in this war, I think it's good to be

prepared. If you go up against a pack of mutts, you'd be able to handle yourself well."

"I guess so." Prim replied with a shrug.

"And by the way, Katniss," Plo Koon spoke up, "Satele tells me you have progressed well in

your first three days. Very impressive."

"Thanks." Katniss replied somewhat shyly.

"Your friend Gale is doing good as well. It almost seems as if he was born for this." Plo Koon

commented as he observed Finick and Gale's duel.

"That's Gale for you," Katniss stated matter-of-factly. "Always ready for battle."

"Oooooowwww!" Finick suddenly cried out, dropping his vibro-trident and gripping his left

shoulder in pain.

"Sorry! It was an accident!" Gale explained frantically.

"For goodness sake, put that thing on a lower power, would you?!" Finick yelled.

Prim rolled onto the ground in laughter.

Meanwhile, Katniss's squad was quickly befriending their new ally.

"Come on Finn, don't give up now!" Echo encouraged.

"I'm...not...giving...up...yet!" Finn growled through gritted teeth.

Finn's hand gripped Echo's and he strained with all his might as they arm-wrestled. Finn put up

a good fight...the First Order did not take the physical training of their troops lightly. Finn was an inch away from victory. But a Republic ARC Trooper was not to be underestimated. Echo's fist was one of iron, and his grip unrelenting. In the end, the match ended in Echo's favor.

"Man, come on!" Finn complained.

"Don't worry, Finn," Echo said, putting a consulting hand on Finn's shoulder. "You're steadily

progressing. You held out longer this time."

"Pretty soon, you'll be on the battlefield, scrapping clankers by the hundreds." Gregor told him.

"Don't worry, I'll do everything I can to reach that goal." Finn replied.

By now, Finn had a new set of armor. Because he was not a clone, he hadn't been able to

acquire clone armor, but Republic Trooper armor suited him fine. Jace Malcom had helped Finn select it, and Finn had additionally proved himself a very skilled rifleman.

"What do you guys do on your training course?" Finn inquired.

Fives broke into a mischievous smile. "Oh, your puny buckethead training course was nothing

compared to what we do, you can be sure of that.

Fives was indeed very serious, Finn realized, as they took him to the weight room in the base,

then the obstacle course. Finn couldn't help but be a little bit jealous...while he could bench press one hundred pounds on each side with a forty-five-pound barbell, Gregor could easily bench press one hundred fifteen pounds on each side, and leg press three hundred. The obstacle course was just as rigorous, and left Finn feeling more exhausted than ever.

"Now you know why your former friends always end up defeated when they face us." Tup said

playfully.

"That's why I switched sides." Finn replied with a grin.

While Finn gained the friendship of Katniss's squad, Katniss kept relentlessly training with

Satele. Although the training sessions left her tired, Katniss focused on her goal. Within just two weeks, Katniss was finally dueling Satele herself, and after a month, Katniss had her first test duel with Gale. Although Gale came out on top, he only barely won, and even then, it had taken him five minutes to beat her. As for Finn, he constantly trained with Katniss's squad, and they taught him valuable things about squad operations and target practice. He found he now had a home and was glad he had finally achieved his goal: to fight the good fight.

"Can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they see my new friends!" Finn told Hardcase.

"And we'll have a special way to say hello." Hardcase replied, patting his chain gun.

Unfortunately, after her month of training, Satele was reassigned to a base out in the East, near

District Eleven.

"However, I have made a request for a Jedi Sentinel Master to come and complete your

training," Satele informed. "His name is Corran Lancer. He told me he would be glad to finish your training. He is a great warrior."

"I will be honored to have him as a teacher." Katniss replied, and Satele smiled.

............................

The next day, Corran Lancer arrived in the Hangar Bay, and Katniss was waiting. She was

astonished at his outfit. He wore robes of white and gray, with a mix of yellow in some places. His helmet had two small eye holes, and a tree-like design adorned his helmet and torso.

"You must be the Mockingjay." Corran stated and extended his hand in greeting.

Katniss shook it. "Why does your helmet look like that?" she asked.

"So our troops are able to distinguish us from the rest of the Jedi." Corran replied.

"What's the difference between a Sentinel and a Knight?" Katniss inquired.

"Although we do use the Force, we tend to do more cross-training along with Force training,"

Corran explained. "While we use the Force in battle, we combine more hand-to-hand combat techniques and mental conditioning. This allows us to resist outside mental influences and

Force-based attacks to some degree."

"Oh, I see." Katniss replied.

"Additionally, our lightsabers are yellow." Corran added and ignited his lightsaber to show her.

Katniss was filled with awe. "Why a yellow blade?"

"Why make us indistinguishable from the rest of the Jedi?" Corran replied.

Fifteen minutes later, Katniss was in the training arena with Corran.

"Since you have mastered the basics," Corran told her, "We will now go into more intensive

dueling and combat training. Are you ready?"

Katniss again ignited her lightsaber in response.

Corran was indeed serious when he had said the next stage would be more intensive. He not

only began showing her new methods of attack and defense but showed her another important element: speed. Every time they dueled, Corran always seemed to elude her blade at last moment, just when she thought she would win. He dodged in ways she had never seen before...he would spin to the side when she made a thrust for his hip and would often backflip when she made a swing for his legs. He seemed to move as fast as lightning. Soon after, she had dueled him five times and had not yet won.

"Don't be discouraged," he told her often. "In time, you will get the hang of it."

Although she didn't always want to believe him, she did find herself improving somewhat.

While she may not have equaled Corran in speed, she made up for in lightsaber and hand-to-hand combat. Corran had shown her not only how to block punches, but how to block and evade a Force powered roundhouse kick should the need arise. He showed her how to backflip, and how to survive a lightsaber duel with only her hands and feet if she lost her lightsaber in combat.

Katniss faithfully attended her training each day and was soon equal to Gale in dueling. Her

lungs always felt like they would burst each day after training, but she endured it. Although she knew it was rigorous, she was willing to do what it took to win the war. Eventually, after another month of training with Corran, she was ready for her final test...

A final duel with Corran, and this time she had to win.

Katniss stepped out onto the arena, a curious sense of calm filling her. She knew she may not be

a Jedi, but she knew it was better to try than do nothing at all. Besides, if she lost, there was no severe punishment awaiting her. Merely two more weeks of training was all.

Petta, Finick, Gale, Prim, and Ahsoka sat on the side, giving her encouraging glances and

smiles. And Katniss got one message from all of them as she looked back.

Don't be afraid.

"And I won't." she told herself, turning again to face Corran.

Corran stood silently in front of her, and at first glance he may have seemed docile, but Katniss

knew what he was capable of. Another important lesson she had learned: don't underestimate your opponent. Katniss fearlessly returned his solemn gaze and stopped a few meters away from him. Still maintaining eye contact, she pulled out her lightsaber, and the emerald green blade ignited.

Corran, in turn, ignited his double-bladed lightsaber, and the duel began.

Katniss swung at his legs, and just as she expected, he jumped. Remembering what he had

taught her, she uppercased him with her other hand, and Corran staggered backward. Nonetheless, Corran quickly recovered, and jabbed his blade at Katniss's left hip. Katniss, who by now had gained more speed, dodged to the right barely in time. She brought he lightsaber down, and Corran parried it. Their blades locked as they wrestled for control. Corran used his right hand to punch Katniss in the face, and Katniss headbutted him back. Their blades unlocked, and Katniss again went on the offensive. However, Corran, just like in their previous duels, deflected her every move with incredible speed. Katniss attempted to deliver a roundhouse kick to Curran's face. He ducked, and Katniss swung her lightsaber at his legs. He jumped, and Katniss roundhouse kicked again. This time, she hit her mark, and Corran went flying back from the blow. He landed on his feet and charged again.

Corran expertly twirled his lightsaber and thrust it towards Katniss's right shoulder. Katniss

deflected the blow, high kicked him in the chin. Corran backflipped and leaned back to avoid a blow from Katniss aimed at his arm. He flipped over Katniss, turned around, and swung his lightsaber towards her legs. Katniss brought her lightsaber over and behind her back and parried his blow just in time. She turned around and swung at him with her right hand. However, Corran blocked it just in time, and brought his knee up to her stomach. Katniss grunted in pain but recovered. Corran swung his lightsaber at her again and again, but Katniss expertly deflected his blow one-handedly. Corran swung his lightsaber at her legs again, and this time Katniss backflipped to avoid the blow.

Katniss could already feel the sweat dripping from her brow, but she was determined to go

down fighting. She slashed her lightsaber downward, and Corran blocked it. Again, their blades locked, and they wrestled for control. But this time, as their blades circled in between them, Corran suddenly overcame her, and Katniss felt her lightsaber fly out of her hand.

Immediately, she knew what to do. She jumped up and kicked Corran in the chest, and he

staggered back. Katniss knew she had to act fast and grabbed Curran's wrist and twisted it as hard as she could. Surprisingly, her plan worked, and Corran dropped his lightsaber. Seeing her opportunity, Katniss punched Corran in the chest, then across his face. Corran again brought his knee up to her stomach, then followed the blow with an uppercut. Katniss let go of his wrist and staggered back, and tasted blood, but she knew she had to go on. Corran attempted a roundhouse kick. But Katniss reacted in time and caught his leg before it struck her face. She yanked up, and Corran fell to the ground. Katniss knelt, and punched him in the face again, while pinning his right arm with her other hand so he wouldn't call back his lightsaber.

Corran, however, was not down yet. He wrapped his legs around Katniss waist and twisted hard.

They rolled over, and Katniss ended up underneath him. Corran held her down with one hand and attempted to call his lightsaber with the other, but Katniss knew better. Before his lightsaber reached him, Katniss again grabbed his wrist, and his lightsaber fell away. Katniss then brought her legs up and kicked with all her might. Corran flew off her, and Katniss jumped up quickly. Seeing his lightsaber nearby, she ran and picked it up, then charged while Corran was still getting up. As she ran toward him, she executed a flying kick. Corran, before he could react, again found himself on the ground.

Katniss held his own lightsaber to his throat. Corran gazed up at her silently, and Katniss

returned his gaze bravely, panting heavily and blood staining her chin.

"Well done, Katniss." Corran congratulated.

"Woo-hoo!" Petta exclaimed.

"Way to go, Mockingjay!" Ahsoka cried out.

"You did it, Katniss!" Finick said clapping his hands.

Katniss deactivated Corran's lightsaber and helped him to his feet.

"You are one of the best apprentices I have had," Corran complimented. "You will become a

great warrior."

A couple minutes later, Corran had left to meditate, and Katniss had recovered her lightsaber.

All her friends stood by her, showering her with praise. Suddenly, Gale's comlink beeped, and he turned it on.

"Gale here." he informed.

"You, Petta, Finick, Prim and Katniss must report to the Command Center immediately,"

Commander Gree informed him. "You will be getting debriefed for your next mission. Are they with you now?"

"Affirmative, Commander," Gale replied. "Yes they're with me. We're on our way."

Katniss took a detour at the bathroom to wash the blood from her mouth, but was able to arrive

to the Command Center on time. Commander Gree, Jace Malcom, and Jedi Master Mace Windu were there.

"What is our mission sir?" Petta asked anxiously.

"You will know in a moment," Mace Windu replied sternly. "But first, I want you to meet

someone."

The back door hissed open, and all eyes turned to see the person entering the room.

He was at least Gale's height and wore a red and black outfit. The red and black alternated in a

pattern...his torso was black, his arms red, and his gloves black. On his wrists, he wore gauntlets, one that looked like a flamethrower. At his side, Katniss saw a lightsaber, but also two blaster pistols. Additionally, a sniper rifle was strapped on his back, and a combat knife on his chest. The belt that held his blaster pistols also housed several grenades.

"Meet my apprentice." Mace Windu said.