https://youtu.be/8QpUGCXwOks

Third Person

Ever since the war's genesis, the number of off-world Jedi had surged. As a result, the temple was more barren than ever. With a quick stroll around temple grounds you would still encounter hundreds of individuals, but it was only a fraction of the thousands of Jedi located throughout the cosmos. While marveling at this strange emptiness of the temple, one had to consider the role of the Jedi. Should they really play a role in this conflict? Should they have nothing to do with it? On one hand, should the Jedi forsake their role as guardians of the force and become soldiers? On the other, should they do nothing at all and allow agents of shadow to cause strife throughout the galaxy? There was much debate among Jedi scholars with this issue. 

Only one thing was certain. Throughout the coming and going of Jedi Generals and their troops, one single novice stayed through it all. He hadn't left the planet in five years. 

Adi Gallia POV

Rest; I doubt that word was included in his vocabulary. Day after day, without fail, my padawan repeated the same routine. I knew that my methods were considered harsh among the order, but never before had a student of mine so willingly adapted to them. Furthermore, he coupled my sessions with training of his own design. 

(y/n) POV

5:00, wake up. After breakfast, meditation.

6:30, lightsaber training.

9:30, force control. 

12:00, lunch.

12:30, meditation.

13:30, force sense.

16:00, a run.

16:30, calisthenics.

18:00, dinner.

18:30, strength training.

21:30, studying in the library.

23:30, bed. 

I thought my training was hard before. No, compared to this, that was like taking clams from a Gungan. 

Every day was a battle, a constant struggle. Still, I managed. It wasn't because I was tougher than the rest. No, internally, I was in a constant state of suffering. It wasn't because I wanted to, it was because I had to. Adi Gallia, this opportunity she'd given me... it was my only chance. For I, for The Weakest Jedi to succeed, I had to become something greater than human. 

I sparred with Master Gallia to the point that my forearms felt like they would rip apart from tightness. 

I meditated for such lengthy periods I felt I would lose myself. 

I concentrated so hard to control my body with the force, I felt I would burst a blood vessel.

I ran to the point I felt my lungs would burst.

I pushed my muscles so hard I felt they would spontaneously combust and turn me to ash. 

Through continuous repetition, what had once been difficult yet fun become agonizing and monotonous. Still, I had to persevere, for there was no other choice. 

Adi Gallia POV

He was improving. At a terribly slow pace, but improving nonetheless. After teaching him the extent of Form I, we moved on to Form II. Then, Form III. He wasn't a master of Form I by any means, but some movements take time to sink in, thus I felt letting him practice alone and moving on to other forms would suffice. 

His control and sense of the force was still lacking, but what impressed me was the knowledge he possessed. Evidently, with so much time on his hands previously he'd taken it upon himself to read every book in the Jedi archives. Unfortunately, knowledge doesn't always translate to power.

And, of course, I continued to observe his "strength training." He also continued to spar with the massive droid known as HK-74. The conflict within (y/n) intrigued me, to say the least. As he commanded his body to push out rep after rep, I could feel the anger, sadness, and pain within him. Yet, as he continued his workout, those feelings gradually faded. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. Well, nothing more to say there.

A Few Months Later

(y/n) POV

"Your attacks are still unfocused!" my master barked as she effortlessly blocked my diagonal slash. She was right, but it's not as if I'd trained all these months to see no results. 

Readying my Form I stance once more, I called upon my core, my shoulders, my forearms. Synchronizing them as one, I put all of my power into the next strike. Predictably, my master parried it, as she always did. 

Then she toppled. 

https://youtu.be/K_94vy1M0Tw

I stood there, speechless, as my master picked herself up from the stone floor. She was similarly flabbergasted. 

"Seems I underestimated that one." she grumbled. 

"Master, you're rattled!" I jeered, unable to contain my laughter. I was unsure of whatever had incited this small victory, but it was progress nonetheless.

"Okay, okay you got me." she scoffed. "I'll add one to your tally. Don't forget that I have well beyond a thousand, with a million more to come."

Before we could discuss the upset more, I heard a voice that I'd only heard in holo-recordings of lightsaber combat.

"Ah, Master Gallia! Good to see you again." remarked none other than Anakin Skywalker. 

"Ah, hello Skywalker." my master stated simply. That's right, I forgot my master had been sent on a mission with Master Skywalker only just before my apprenticeship began. But wait... where Anakin Skywalker was... "And padawan Tano." Ahsoka Tano was not far behind.

"And, who might this be?" Anakin inquired, motioning to me.

"Master Skywalker, I'm (y/n) (l/n), a padawan learner." I introduced myself, bowing.

"(y/n) (l/n)? Oh, I've heard all about you from Ahsoka." the charismatic Jedi chuckled. At this, I briefly made eye contact with Ahsoka, upon which we both looked away sheepishly. The two of us hadn't spoken since the... incident from months ago. Anakin shot a knowing look at Ahsoka before acting blissfully unaware of the tension between us. 

"How about a sparring session? You two seem to be going at it already." he suggested jovially. 

"Hm, yes, that would be excellent." Master Gallia agreed.

https://youtu.be/ZUlAytznxn4

The first match was between my master and Anakin, a demonstration for their apprentices. After meeting each other face to face and bowing, the two Jedi rigidly took on their forms of lightsaber combat. Each was a well-known practitioner of form V, specifically the djem so variant, so their bout was sure to be enthralling.

"Begin." Ahsoka called out, releasing the tension that had built between the two combatants. Anakin instantly took to the offensive, forcing my master to suppress an endless barrage of stabs and slashes. Ahsoka and I watched from the sidelines with an uncomfortable silence between us. 

My master continued to expertly parry Anakin's attacks, but I could see her wincing. His offensive front was taking its toll, despite her best efforts. Would Anakin Skywalker really take the victory this easily?

No. Locking on to a gap in his cascade of blows, her deep blue eyes flickered with purpose. Master Gallia sidestepped his incoming vertical slash before retaliating with her own diagonal slash. However, Anakin narrowly blocked the counterattack by using his momentum and shifting the position of his blade to the left. This resulted in the two masters locking their sabers together, each attempting to overpower the other. 

After a moment, it became clear that Anakin was winning this physical contest. He slowly forced my master's saber closer and closer to her brow, gritting his teeth while he did so. Eventually, she yielded. Pulling away from the Jedi Knight, my master regained her footing. A recess in the fight ensued, and so the two warriors paced back and forth while reassessing their opponent.

"Running, Master Gallia? That's not like you." Anakin taunted lightheartedly. My master ignored him. 

She was cool and collected; Anakin, anxious and fidgety. It was interesting to see the deep contrast between their combat styles, despite their sharing of lightsaber form V. My master was clearly more experienced; she knew all there was to know about Djem So, and executed every movement with masterful precision. Anakin was more unpredictable however, and with his youth came ingenuity and an innate talent not seen in a thousand generations.  

"You are unwise to lower your defenses!" Master Gallia declared with a shout. 

My master took the initiative of continuing the duel, opting for a lightning quick stab toward Anakin's chest. The Jedi Knight swatted her thrust aside with little effort, paying her back with a horizontal slice. His attack was deflected too, and what was once a one sided bout became a back and forth. Based on my basic knowledge of the seven forms, this was form V at its purest. The form was designed for easy access to both offense and defense, and both masters showcased this. 

Eventually, Anakin once more gained the advantage. My master began to tire, and he took full advantage of that fact with an unrelenting volley of lightsaber strikes. Then, in a flash, the duel was over. The legendary General Skywalker held his blue lightsaber at the side of my master's neck, claiming victory. 

"You are beaten, Master Gallia." Anakin asserted with a triumphant grin. 

"Think again, Skywalker." my master shot back, which caused Anakin to look down... and see a similarly azure blade point directly at his heart. 

"You definitely did that just now." Anakin laughed.

Evidently, the better master was yet to be decided. 

The next to duel would be Ahsoka and I, something that neither of us seemed very happy about. Nevertheless, we greeted each other and ignited our emerald sabers, the same as our masters had. However, no words were exchanged. As I waited for my master to start the duel, nervousness crept down my back. 

I was going to duel Ahsoka, for real this time. Ahsoka, my longtime friend. Did I really want to fight her? First and foremost, history told me I had no chance against her. We'd never actually sparred, not even with training sabers, all because she felt she would steamroll me. Second of all, why would I fight my friend, even in a mock duel? Well... I suppose I had my reasons now... 

"Begin!" Master Gallia yelled, taking me out of my thoughts. 

https://youtu.be/2xe9XjUSmyQ

Though we'd started, Ahsoka and I stood still. Whether it was unwillingness or restlessness on her part, I didn't know. We simply assumed our forms of combat while staring each other down. Ah, she was using form V as well (why does everyone use form V?!), though she sported her signature reverse grip I'd seen her use since forever. As for me? Well, as basic as it was, Shii-Cho was the only form I felt comfortable with as of now. No elegant posing, no flashy spins or flips, just pure simplistic power. 

I began prowling forward, as slow as a gonk droid. Ahsoka noticed and imitated. We grew closer and closer, to the point each of us was just nearly a saber's reach away. It was at this moment I struck, putting all my body into a downward stroke. It must have been obvious, because Ahsoka didn't even have to block it. She merely performed a back step, easily evading my attack. She followed up the dodge with an acrobatic jump, landing behind me. I ducked, narrowly avoiding the lightsaber that passed over my head. 

Ahsoka had... had she tried to kill me? No... I'd essentially done the same thing only just before she almost removed my head from my shoulders. It was good to remember that even during training these were weapons that could kill. As the duel continued, my pent up anger towards Ahsoka began to surface.

She was the better duelist, there was no question about that. As our viridescent sabers clashed, I struggled to keep up with her technique. It's not that I didn't have speed or agility, I just lacked the precognition and instinct most Jedi possessed. I wonder why? Getting off topic, but I did have one advantage. I'd seen her skills my whole life, but this new me was someone new to her.

Ahsoka slipped past my guard, then she slipped past it again, but each time I managed to escaped her before she could claim victory. Now she was coming in for another swipe with her reverse grip. I readied a parry as I had twice before.

'Surely she's not trying the same thing a third time?' 

To my utter disbelief, she was. She angled her weapon so that it snuck past my guard, aiming for my neck. Unfortunately, she didn't see the knee heading toward her solar plexus.

"Thud."

My knee brutally crumpled Ahsoka's stomach, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to hunch over in pain. 

"I hope you're not going easy on me." I snarled, speaking to her for the first time in months. 

"Wouldn't dream of it." she coughed, picking herself up and smirking. That set something off inside of me. I needed to beat her now. To prove I was better. To wipe that smirk off her face. 

"You won't win with only enthusiasm, snips!" Anakin called out to his padawan. At this, Ahsoka shifted to a normal grip. Oh... that changed things. 

The change of grip also changed the flow of the battle, for I'd never seen Ahsoka fight with a normal grip. She was being more aggressive, seemingly emulating her master. She slashed diagonally, I barely guarded. She then faked a wide swipe to the right, yet spinning and instead aiming for my left. I parried, holding my green saber the left of my head. Gradually, I was being pushed backward. 

'No! Not like this!' I screamed internally, my rage reaching a boiling point. 

"Focus!" Master Gallia yelled. 

https://youtu.be/py3huvygmZc

Of course. All my training, all my effort over these past few months, it couldn't be for nothing. I wouldn't allow it to be for nothing. With but a deep breath, my fury subsided and was replaced with dead calm. I could feel everything around me, for everything was the force and the force was everything. Right... Ahsoka was now attempting to disarm me with a twisting motion... everything seemed to move slower in with my newfound senses.

Seeing through her trickery, I resisted the contortion with the strength of my arms. This locked us in a struggle, but she knew better than to face me in a test of raw strength. Retreating, she leapt once more. Whirling to gain momentum, she mixed in a bit of form IV (Master Yoda's specialty) before swinging her blade toward me. I planted my feet firmly in the ground as I'd practiced, delivering a powerful swing equal to hers. Our sabers hissed and sparked as they forcefully came together.

As she flipped through the air from the backlash, I charged forward. I had to act now, before she regained her footing. Sure enough, when she landed I was right there. Finally, it was me on the offensive as I put my all into a nonstop stream of stabs. Caught off guard, Ahsoka frantically fended off my attacks. 

'Focus! Overcome your limitations!'  I roared. I pushed my physical body to the brink; my piercing blows becoming so fast one might have though they had entered hyperspace. Even so, Ahsoka would not yield. 

There! For a moment, her lightsaber slipped through her grip. Going for the win, I put every ounce of strength I had left into this one last cleaving motion. Wait... that sparkle in her eye! It was surely a bluff, but there was no time to stop what had already been set in motion. Resigning myself to whatever was to come, I slashed toward my opponent in one fluid motion. 

Ahsoka lightly parried, allowing my blade of light to slide across her own before shifting to her preferred reverse grip. As I was still impeded by my momentum, I was helpless as she put her green blade to my neck.

Defeat. Nothing new, but strangely it didn't feel so bad this time. The duel was... fun? I'd shown how much I'd progressed, and that was enough. All the anger and pent up frustration I'd felt earlier had dissipated. Contrary to that, I felt the pains of regret. Regret for how I'd treated Ahsoka, for how I'd shut her out. I'm sure she felt the same.

https://youtu.be/908dfkfD9b4

"(y/n), I'm sorry for..."  she started, shutting off her lightsaber. Before she could finish, I slapped her on the back as friends often do. 

"I know, Ahsoka. I'm sorry too." I laughed. She looked relieved, but her face was still conflicted.

"It's just... I didn't want you to get hurt." she explained. That made things a little more clear.

"Ah..." I responded with realization.

"We can talk more about it later?" she suggested with a weak smile, to which I nodded my head calmly. 

Phew... at least that conflict was somewhat resolved.

"Well done, both of you." Anakin praised as he made his way toward us. My master wasn't far behind him.

"It... wasn't bad." proclaimed the ever stoic Master Gallia. Coming from her, that was praise. Each master then split off to talk with their padawan alone and discuss tips for improvement. 

"Master, give me the run down." I stated. We'd been through this many times.

"There isn't much to say, padawan. Train as you've been training, that's all you can do." she uttered. Strange, usually she elaborated more. Maybe that was a sign of my advancement. "That aside, I must comment on your... friendship with Ahsoka Tano." she affirmed out of left field.

"What do you mean?" I said defensively.

"Don't forget that a Jedi must not be swayed by emotion. That includes attachment... attachment to others. Don't let your friendship with her become a source of inner strife." she advised insightfully. 

"But..." I protested, trying to explain myself.

"One more thing..." Master Gallia continued, ignoring my pleas. "I've succeeded in getting approval for your first assignment in the field."

This revelation made me forget about all else in the moment. A real mission? In the clone wars? Finally!

"Oh?! Do elaborate." I exclaimed excitedly. 

"We are to investigate possible separatist activity on Jedha. Specifically, the illegal trade of kyber." 

Author's Note

I know it's technically Friday, but hey, to me it's Thursday night, so I got the chapter out on time. I'm excited to get into this arc I have planned, hope you guys are too. One more thing, I intend to edit and clean up all the chapters at some point, but right now I don't really have the time.