3rd Person

Evil is everywhere.

Evil destroys, tortures, corrupts.

When you picture evil, what do you see? A tyrannical emperor? The violent erasure of an entire race? The swift destruction of a planet?

Evil is all those things, but it is also more than that.

Evil is not always so loud. Sometimes it's unseen, ignored.

It forces itself into the smallest of cracks, festering there for generations...

...

As the seven Jedi finished their preparations, they would depart for Irisella with none of these things in mind.

Adi

"You should let go of the boy." Master Windu asserted forcefully.

Before the seven of us had been able to board a Venator, we'd received an unexpected visit from the Chancellor, as well as several members of the council.

My former master had then pulled me aside.

"Master... I... why?" I sputtered. Clearing my throat, I did my best to maintain composure in the face of my old master. "We discussed balancing my council duties with my padawan, which I've managed well."

"Indeed. However... your padawan is no longer worth a council member's time." Master Windu insisted. My heart dropped, upon which I immediately picked it back up.

If I wasn't careful, my old master would sense it.

"I'm... not sure I agree, master." I dissented lightly.

"Enough. We all had our doubts, yet you and I saw something in the boy. Sadly, we were mistaken. It's time to move on." my old master maintained firmly.

"I wasn't mistaken." I declared, standing my ground.

"When will my lessons sink in, padawan?" Master Windu spat. "You have grown attached to the boy, and you can't even see it."

His sudden accusation finally cracked my composure.

No! He was wrong. I... I would never. I knew the importance of the Jedi way firsthand.

"That's... not true." I insisted weakly.

"Why you're even taking him with you on this assignment, I have no idea. You saw how badly he was torn apart on Jedha... nor did you fare too well." my master scorned, digging in further.

Crestfallen, I had no further rebuttals.

...

When had I ever been this indecisive, this unsure of my own actions?!

...

In my state of panic, I called upon the code I'd lived by for my entire life.

'There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force.'

...

"We'll finish this another time." Master Windu proclaimed annoyedly, motioning to join the others.

Zevon

Before we'd been able to depart, Chancellor Palpatine had ambushed us along with Master Yoda, Master Windu, and Master Shaak Ti.

As Masters Kenobi and Skywalker chatted up the Chancellor, I stayed back with Barriss.

The operation on Irisella would be spearheaded by six heroes.

Anakin Skywalker.

Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Luminara Unduli.

Adi Gallia.

Ahsoka Tano.

Barriss Offee.

Six of the finest Jedi picked from all levels of training.

Then there was me.

Where was Ahsoka?!

"You look pale." Barriss observed.

"Do I?" I chuckled, playing it off. Internally though, I was on edge.

In response to Barriss's observation, I briefly examined myself.

Other than my still-braced leg, my injuries had all but healed.

Well...

Only the physical ones.

My hands were shaking.

Was I really ready to go back so soon?

The meeting with the Chancellor, the reveal of the planet and Grievous, the preparations...

It had all happened so fast, before I even had the chance to think. Why hadn't my master said anything?

"Zevon! There's someone I want you to meet!" I heard Ahsoka holler in the distance.

My train of thought derailed, I turned to witness Ahsoka walking toward us alongside a clone trooper. The worn blue markings on his armor indicated high rank, or at the very least veteran status.

"Good to meet you, commander. The commander told me all about you." the soldier addressed. He saluted me before offering a handshake that I reciprocated.

"Captain Rex, I assume." I guessed, grinning as I shook his hand. His grip was strong!

He nodded, confirming my suspicions.

It was most definitely Rex. Though I'd heard Ahsoka babble about her number one clone buddy time and time again, our paths hadn't yet crossed until this point.

"Rex, it wouldn't hurt to call us by our names. With so many commanders, I think it'll get... confusing." Ahsoka suggested.

"Fine by me, commander." Rex responded professionally, with the hint of a knowing smile. The battle-hardened soldier was set in his ways. Ahsoka rolled her eyes at him, and I couldn't resist laughing at the absurdity of it.

She looked like a spoiled child next to the veteran.

Ahsoka flicked me for snickering while Rex waved to Barriss.

"Commander Offee." he greeted.

"Hi, Rex." she greeted back.

"Does that mean you've been assigned to the mission, Rex?" I asked. He nodded. "I didn't know we were going to be working with clones... were any other troopers assigned?"

"Who can say?" a voice spoke up from behind me. Whipping around, I was graced with a familiar face... well, of course the face of a clone trooper would be familiar. Duh.

Point being, it was a clone I knew.

Burst.

"Burst!? You too, huh?" I exclaimed, happy but confused to see my... my friend.

"General Gallia's orders. I'm in the dark, just the same as you." Burst elucidated nonchalantly.

As Rex and Burst locked eyes, they gave each other a nod of respect.

"Always a pleasure to work with a fellow brother." Rex stated as Burst saluted him, a superior.

His grimy armor now sported extra markings, identifying him as a clone of special status. In this case, it was the status of an ARC trooper.

His armor still bore the insignia of the 91st legion, but he'd added some flame markings as well as some rough streaks that looked like air currents.

There were also new attachments to areas such as his vambraces... did ARC troopers get special gadgets? I vaguely remembered something like that.

"Well... aren't you going to introduce us?" Ahsoka prodded, which took me out of my thoughts.

"Ah, yeah... my bad." I muttered, slightly annoyed. "Ahsoka, Barriss, Rex... meet Lieutenant Burst, ARC trooper of the 91st legion. We fought side by side at the battle of Jedha. Burst... these three are Ahsoka Tano, Barriss Offee, and Captain Rex of the 501st..."

With the ice broken, the chatting began.

Eventually... my short, dark-skinned tholothian master joined us. Unfortunately, Master Windu was trailing closely behind her.

"Padawan Tano. Good, I see you've brought along Captain Rex." Master Gallia observed, glancing at Burst as well.

"It's an honor to be serving you, General." Rex flattered Master Gallia. Both Rex and Burst had immediately stood at attention upon seeing the two council members approach.

Burst was silent.

Master Windu stood behind my master, his calculating eyes analyzing our group from afar. I noticed a slight shake of his head as he spotted me... the cranky, joyless old bastard.

"I'm terribly sorry for the delay, Master Yoda. I must admit... for such a crucial mission, I felt it appropriate to see the heroes off myself." Chancellor Palpatine exclaimed with his usual cheer.

As the Chancellor made his way toward our current position, I could feel something change in the two clones beside me...

He was the leader of the Grand Army of the Republic. To them, the Chancellor must have been a god... a paragon of their ultimate purpose... and this was probably their first time seeing him.

They stood at attention and saluted with more vigor than I'd ever seen in a clone.

Before our grand departure, the Chancellor requested that all seven Jedi stand in a line.

Once we'd done as he asked, he made his way down the line with dark shadows of Star Destroyers at our backs.

"Obi-wan Kenobi! Your leadership and sensibility make you a worthy ally, not to mention your familiarity with the droid general. Anyone seeking to confront Grievous would always want you in their corner! Good luck to you." Palpatine declared.

Master Kenobi bowed lightly, a formality.

Next was Anakin.

"Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi in no need of an introduction." Palpatine remarked with a warm smile. "May your victory be swift and decisive."

Anakin bowed.

The Chancellor then passed by Ahsoka.

"Ahsoka Tano, is it? Ah yes, the promising protegee of Master Skywalker! As long as you heed your master's wisdom, you will continue to grow." Palpatine stated.

Ahsoka bowed.

Master Luminara was up next.

"Luminara Unduli. I must admit, I'm surprised you haven't been offered a seat on the council yet! Your loyalty to your Republic, not just your order, is something to take pride in. Good luck to you." Palpatine remarked.

Master Luminara bowed.

The Chancellor now approached Barriss.

"Ah, the young Barriss Offee! Truly a model apprentice, it's a pleasure seeing you once again." Palpatine chuckled.

Barriss bowed.

Next, my master.

"Adi Gallia... longtime council member and Jedi Master. I heard about your exploits on Jedha! Be sure to apply that same intuition and focus on Irisella, Master Gallia..." Palpatine trailed off.

My master bowed.

Finally... me.

Palpatine paused as he laid his eyes on me, looking slightly confused.

"I'm terribly sorry, I don't believe we've met. You are...?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Zevon Boltreaver, er... sir?" I explained, not sure what to call the man.

"Chancellor is fine... you must be Master Gallia's apprentice, then." Palpatine chuckled, laughing off my puzzlement. "Good luck, Zevon Boltreaver."

His laughter evaporated quickly.

With the informal ceremony concluded... we, the seven, stepped foot onto the staging area. Up ahead, the Star Destroyers were waiting.

As each footstep took me farther and farther from the Chancellor, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.

The moment Palpatine had focused his attention on me, his demeanor had changed. It was as is there was something about me that was just wrong to him, though I couldn't put my finger on what exactly.

Strange.

"Watch yourself out there... may the force be with all of you!" Master Shaak Ti stressed, seeing us off.

I briefly spotted Anakin and Ahsoka having a quick dialogue with Master Yoda.

I couldn't help but eavesdrop.

"Hm... Skywalker, Ahsoka... remember to trust in each other, you should.. Still... remember your training, you must. You must learn to let go of everything you fear to lose." Master Yoda finished, directing that last part toward Anakin.

After that... they exchanged farewells, the green little elder waving with his tiny arm-span as he leaned on his wooden cane. Ahsoka then broke away to walk beside me.

"Sorry about that, but every so often we check in with Master Yoda. After all, he was..." my upbeat togruta buddy began.

"The one who assigned you to Anakin." I finished, knowing what she was going to say.

"Yeah, I forgot that I told you that." Ahsoka admitted, realizing. "Anyways, I still can't believe we've been assigned to a mission together!" she gushed with elation.

"I'll try not to drag you down to my level." I joked with a dry tone, punching her shoulder lightly.

"Oh, come on! Have a little self-respect." Ahsoka groaned, rolled her eyes.

"Which cruiser will we be boarding?" Master Luminara asked ahead of us.

"I'm not sure. I would have suggested the Absolute. Unfortunately, it's still being serviced." Master Gallia stated regretfully.

"Oh? That's just as well, I'm not a fan of the name." Master Kenobi admitted jokingly.

"The Resolute is already prepped, Master Gallia." Anakin informed her.

As I reached the base of the boarding ramp, I paused for a second.

I clenched my fists in the hopes that the shaking in my hands would stop.

"Zevon, are you sure you're good to go?" Ahsoka inquired, tugging on my robe. She seemed genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine." I assured her, but I don't think she was buying my act.

"No you're not." Ahsoka asserted, her brow furrowing. To my surprise, she then turned to my master. "Master Gallia, should Zevon really be going with us? I don't think he's fully recovered."

...

Not this again.

I felt the resentment bubble to the surface yet again.

...

"Padawan Tano... my apprentice is as necessary to this mission's success as anyone. He's fully capable of making his own decisions; he certainly doesn't need you to make them for him." my master chastised harshly, glaring at Ahsoka.

My master's rebuke caught me off guard, no... I think it caught everyone off guard, leaving the seven of us (plus Burst and Rex) in a tense silence.

Ahsoka looked like she wanted to dish out some backtalk, but Anakin grabbed her shoulder to prevent further conflict.

Regardless, there was no point in turning it into a debate. My master had already begun the ascent up the boarding ramp... as if nothing had happened.

Master Luminara shook her head, sighing. She seemed disapproving of Ahsoka's refusal to give in to authority... this probably wasn't the first time.

Before I knew it, the Resolute was airborne... and I was once again enveloped by the cosmos.

Adi

The Rothana system was a lengthy distance away. Our odyssey would be substantial.

As such, we had time... time to train.

"Once more!" I shouted to my apprentice from the opposite end of the flight deck.

Even from afar, I could tell his breathing was heavy. He'd already exhausted so much of his energy, despite the unbelievable endurance within him.

Still, he'd done more repetitions than I'd ever seen.

He crouched down, pressing his hands against the metal deck floor.

A runner's starting position.

My padawan then accelerated forward, lightning fast.

He was by my side in an instant.

...

He wasn't able to stop.

Suddenly, his legs buckled under the stress... resulting in my apprentice tumbling forward.

Fortunately, I froze him in place with force stasis before his face ate the wall.

Frustrated, my padawan pounded the metal panels with his fist.

"Damn! It's... it's at my fingertips, but I can't fully grasp it!" he cursed.

"Still, your use of force speed is like no other. It's as I suspected... your body is just that durable. Thus... you can activate it far more, and far longer, than anyone else." I observed.

"That doesn't matter if I can't control it." he contended.

"You'll learn to control it... eventually. It's as I've said, over and over... it may take longer for you, but you will eventually see the results of your training." I assured.

"How long, Master?" he questioned, exasperated and defeated.

"I... I don't know." I admitted.

...

After a long pause, I added a bit of encouragement.

...

"Think of it... think of it like a muscle you haven't quite tapped into yet. You'll get there... through patience and focus."

"Speaking of muscles..." my apprentice began, steering us away from the void of uncertainty. "I say we go do some calisthenics. You aren't thinking of skipping again, are you?"

"I have not been skipping. Just because I didn't go with you..." I started, defending myself.

"Whatever, let's just find somewhere to do pushups that's not the cold metal floor." he suggested, brushing me off with a handwave.

Zevon

"It should be a crime, not having a one damn gym aboard these cruisers." I stated, annoyed.

"Then we're in agreement." my master corroborated.

Some spare living quarters would have to do.

We started with ordinary pushups... a well-known, universal pushing exercise.

After a few hundred consecutive reps, I checked up on Master Gallia.

She was doing... well. I doubt she'd done as many as I had, but still... she had improved.

"Let's kick it up a notch." I suggested, hiding a devilish grin. "One hundred pushups, one-handed."

I retracted my left hand from the floor, placing it on my back.

Then, it began.

Up, down. Up, down. Rinse and repeat.

I felt the burn in my pectorals, the strain in my triceps, all whilst my core prevented my torso from swiveling. Balance was crucial during one-handed pushups.

I finished. One hundred, done.

My master was still at it.

"Fifty... six..." she huffed, barely keeping herself from collapsing on the floor.

"You've got this, master! Remember, no foul play either... no force-enhancement allowed! Come on, one hundred! Get it done!" I encouraged, or rather... demanded.

"Unfortunately, padawan... I don't... think... I've reached your... level... just yet. At the very least... I'll... give an attempt..." she assured me, gasping for breath.

Attempt? Attempt!?

"There is no attempt, master. You either succeed... or you fail!" I growled through gritted teeth. "Just this last set, master!"

...

"ONE MORE SET, MASTER!" I yelled as she reached seventy.

Her arm gave out before she could complete the set... much to my disappointment.

A moment passed before she was able to talk.

"Are you the master now?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

I opened my mouth to respond, but she shook her head as if saying 'It was rhetorical.'

I wasn't going to be silenced.

"Why didn't you keep going?" I demanded.

"Because I couldn't, padawan." she answered simply, wiping off the sweat on her forehead with a towel. "I'll get there eventually... I'm in no rush. Tell me... as strong as you are now, were you that strong from the beginning?"

I begrudgingly shook my head, though it was tough for me to concede.

"No, master." I mumbled.

"I didn't think so." Master Gallia replied.

Burst

Zevon was probably off training somewhere around the cruiser.

Maybe I would've joined him, but...

The bridge was quiet.

Admiral Yularen was on break in his quarters.

The few bridge officers present were simply manning their tasks at the control panels.

Meanwhile, I was playing holochess at a table.

Alone.

Against myself.

'Ha. Easy checkmate.' I thought to myself, moving a queen across the board to win the game.

I was so absorbed in my own activities, I didn't notice one of the automatic doors beside me open.

"Commander Offee!" I blurted out, startled by her sudden appearance.

Barriss Offee looked as shocked as I, almost dropping the holobook she was carrying.

"I was just startled." I clarified glumly, turning back to my game.

"Holochess?" she inquired, sounding curious.

"Yep." I confirmed, beginning my opening for the new game I'd just started.

"I thought you played holochess with alien creatures... 'Dejarik,' right?" Barriss observed, noting that the pieces I was playing with were inanimate.

"That's the version most people know... this is just chess. You wouldn't normally see this version being played by anyone other than a Coruscant bigwig." I explained to her, starting my opening on the other side of the board.

"Can I play? I'm a quick learner." she asked softly, also gaging my reaction.

"Sure!" I accepted, welcoming a real opponent.

Zevon

After a quick shower, I scoured the vessel for anything to do.

Ahsoka was training with Anakin and Rex.

Obi-wan and my master were going over strategies and intelligence... they were the de-facto leaders of the operation after all.

No sign of Master Luminara, Barriss, or Burst.

My previous sentence was disproven the second I walked through a pair of automatic doors leading to the bridge.

Barriss and Burst were seemingly engrossed in a game of holochess.

"Ah! Hey kid. You wanna learn how to play too?" Burst queried happily.

"Sounds fun." I accepted, pulling up a chair.

As I sat at their table, I carefully watched their moves play out.

I didn't quite know what was going on, but it was nonetheless clear to me that Burst was the superior player. Barriss was probably new as well, right?

Without warning, Barriss moved one of her pieces across the board to take Burst's queen. A devastating blow.

Did Burst have a plan?

There were many long pauses whenever Burst contemplated his moves. During such pauses, I found myself examining the intricate, detailed pieces they played with. Burst played a luminescent blue, while Barriss played a deep, translucent red.

After careful consideration, Burst moved one of his blue pawns forward. Strange... he'd moved it into the vicinity of one of Barriss's bishops, right?

Sure enough, Barriss defeated the pawn almost immediately. Thus, it was back to Burst.

This time, Burst's move was swift and decisive. He maneuvered one of his knights across the board until...

"Checkmate." Burst proclaimed smugly.

"What?" Barriss questioned, bewildered. After a few seconds, her eyes widened in realization. "Oh... you got me."

"What was that, exactly?" I asked Burst, curious.

"Nothing too special... I just used a sacrificial pawn and steered the red bishop away. After that, the commander's king was wide open." Burst explained to both of us, earning nods of understanding.

"You're pretty good, huh?" I stated, to which Barriss gestured that she agreed with me.

"Trust me... if you think that, you haven't seen enough people play." Burst assured. "I'm terrible, but Slip..." he trailed off, realizing what he'd said. "I never won against Slip." he finished solemnly.

Barriss then tapped me on the shoulder.

"Your turn?" she asked.

"Sure." I acknowledged, interested.

Barriss was helpful in explaining the game to me throughout my match against Burst. Without her guidance, I doubt I would have lasted four moves.

Burst was probably going easy on me anyway.

"So, where did you learn how to play?" I asked, hoping to distract Burst. Maybe if I siphoned his attention away from the game, I could sneak in a few dirty tricks.

"Actually, it was a Jedi. I don't remember his name, but he taught both me and Slipstream as we were returning from the Battle of Geonosis." Burst obliged, taking my queen after a chuckle.

My distraction was amounting to nothing.

"Crack!"

Burst and I simultaneously heard the piercing sound of something shattering.

It was Barriss... she'd dropped her holobook onto the cold metal floor.

"Everything's fine back here!" Burst hollered over to the bridge officers, who'd looked behind them with startled faces.

"Barriss?" I pressed, seeing her with her hands pressed against her temple.

Her eyes were temporarily glazed over.

"I'm okay." she shrugged, focus returning to her irises.

"You were there too, weren't you... the Battle of Geonosis, I mean. Sorry, I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to trigger any painful memories." Burst guessed, sounding understanding.

"Yes, it's fine." Barriss confirmed, taking in a deep breath before turning to me. "That was my first battle."

"Oh." I expressed, taken aback.

The three of us sat in silence for a moment.

We all understood. We knew.

In our silence, the only other audible sound was the pulsing hum of the Resolute sailing through space-time.

"I'll tell you what happened, if you're interested." Barriss offered me.

"Trust me, I get it. It's not my business." I assured her, but Barriss seemed strangely... guilty?

"It's only fair... Ahsoka told me about Jedha." she admitted.

Truthfully, I didn't really care... that she'd been told about my bad experiences, I mean. Still, Barriss looked like she'd made up her mind.

"Fine then." I surrendered.

"It started in that arena... I'm sure you know the story. I was with my master. We were hidden among the audience like the rest of them... all two hundred and twelve Jedi. When Master Windu gave the signal, we revealed ourselves." Barriss began.

"All of us thought it would end after that... after they saw our lightsabers. We didn't think there would be a war. "Then the droids came... so many droids..." " she shivered.

"Blaster bolts... flying everywhere. My master shielded me. Everywhere around me, I heard the screams. I saw their bodies fall. And... before I knew it, there were only thirty one Jedi standing in that arena." she continued, her voice cracking.

"I think that's enough." Burst advised from the sidelines, to which Barriss nodded.

"When we finally see the end of this war, if we see it... how many of us will be left?" Barriss questioned, making eye contact with both Burst and I.

Barriss was on the verge of tears, but she wouldn't let herself cry. This was all heavy stuff.

I'd been naïve, walking into the war without fully understanding it. Yet, at the very least... I'd perceived it to be a war. It didn't seem like Barriss had been given that luxury.

"We're all going to make it." I reassured Barriss, but even I knew my words were hollow. "You, me, your master, Burst, Ahsoka, everyone."

"Ahsoka..." Barriss trailed off after hearing her name. "I'm sure she will."

"What do you mean by that?" I questioned, perplexed.

"I like Ahsoka, she's my friend... but she's not like us." Barriss affirmed regretfully.

"I still don't get what you're saying." I restated still not seeing the picture.

"The war doesn't affect her, not as it does you or I. She has no weaknesses, she doesn't second-guess herself... she's not... vulnerable." Barriss declared.

"I'm... not sure I agree." I stated, though I understood her point now.

"You know Ahsoka. She has never doubted her role in all of this. She's... always charging down the path to victory." Barriss maintained, her gaze falling in despair.

As if on cue, the automatic doors opened wide once more.

Anakin and Ahsoka entered; the stars of the show.

"There you are! Were you two hiding from me?" Ahsoka joked, sitting between Barriss and I.

"Chess?" Anakin asked, noticing Burst shuffling the red and blue pieces around.

"Indeed, General." Burst replied.

"Lieutenant Burst, right? You have taste." Anakin complimented, grinning with his arms crossed.

All seven of us, as well as the two clone troopers, were eventually called to the meeting room by Masters Kenobi and Gallia.

"We'll reach the blockade shortly." Master Kenobi informed us.

"As such, there are additional elements of the mission that need to be discussed." Master Gallia expounded.

"General Grievous is to be captured only, not killed." Master Kenobi instructed, staring at Anakin specifically.

Anakin rolled his eyes playfully.

"Of course. The wealth of knowledge - separatist secrets - he possesses is too valuable to throw away." Master Luminara noted, Barriss at her side.

"And without him, Dooku would still remain... the war would continue." Master Kenobi furthered Master Luminara's observation.

"As such, we've been given a holding cell explicitly for imprisoning the droid general." Master Gallia further elucidated, pointing to a high-tech looking rectangular device in the corner.

"So that's it, then? Find Grievous, capture him, get out? Where do Lieutenant Burst and I fit into this, General?" Captain Rex inquired.

"That's the objective, as well as protecting the factory. We still have no idea exactly how Grievous plans to attack, although Master Gallia and I have some theories." Master Kenobi answered.

"I determined that adding one or two clones of special expertise would be a good idea..." my master trailed off. "Lieutenant Burst is the best sharpshooter I've ever seen." she added, looking at Burst. Burst refused eye contact. "You are as well-rounded a clone trooper as any, captain." Master Gallia finished, looking at Rex.

"Thank you, General." Rex graciously accepted.

"As for engaging Grievous.. he's not to be taken lightly." Master Kenobi urged ominously. "Grievous is a coward. He'll run the first sign that things aren't going his way... but there is a reason Dooku made him supreme commander of the droid army."

"Meaning, master?" I questioned. Truthfully, I knew little about General Grievous aside from the fact that he was a cyborg.

Master Luminara was the one to answer my question.

"General Grievous is a lightsaber duelist, though he does not have the force... he's stolen the lightsabers of the many great Jedi he's slain. However, Grievous is a tactician first and foremost. His strategic mind has been the order's largest obstacle during this war." Master Luminara informed me with her usual formal tone.

"Yes. He couldn't have gotten many droids through the blockade, but what he does have he will use to extreme effect." My master agreed.

"His cybernetic enhancements have given him four arm appendages. With the ability to wield four lightsabers at once, he's been able to overwhelm unexpecting Jedi time and time again. If you do confront him directly, the General will not confine to basic dueling conventions... he will use trickery and deception." Master Kenobi reaffirmed the danger of Grievous.

"Only a calm, adaptable Jedi with an unwavering defense can triumph over Grievous." Master Luminara declared.

"I just want to see the guy for once." Anakin stated, juxtaposing his serious colleagues.

Suddenly, Admiral Yularen's voice came out of the intercom.

With that, the meeting came to a close.

We'd arrived at the blockade, located in the Rothana system.

The Resolute lingered there far longer than any of us expected. The leaders of the blockade had been given explicit orders against allowing instruments of war to pass through.

After a long debate, headed by my master, we were allowed to bring one singular starfighter onto Irisella with us. Of the starfighter we brought, anyone can guess who it belonged to.

From afar, Irisella was uniformly ocean blue.

But... as we grew closer to the planet, I began to absorb all the fine details.

The diversity of colors. Ocean blue, but also sea green. Dull red... bleached white... electric purple.

The chains of islands all strung together, like a serpent coiled around the circumference of the world...

This planet was beautiful. It was like nothing I'd ever seen, far outclassing the scenery of Coruscant and Jedha. I was sure of it, and I hadn't even touched down onto the surface.

Once we did reach the surface, we didn't land at the factory. No... RHE had been very specific about not landing directly on the factory, something my master wouldn't stop grumbling about.

From what I overheard, their reasoning included something about the factory's turbolaser defense system, as well as something else I couldn't quite hear. Regardless, they were very stingy about keeping advanced weaponry away from the factory. That was why we were only taking a single starfighter, and why we'd been warned about being careful with our lightsabers and blasters.

Instead, we boarded a ferry that would take us to the weapons factory.

The ferryman, 'Ryoshi,' was of an alien race I'd never seen, nor read about in the archives.

The Umidori. That's what he called his people.

He was humanoid, but it was clear that his species had adapted to a marine lifestyle. His entire body was covered in sea green scales, and his hands and feet appeared to have some form of webbing; probably for swimming.

His 'hair' could barely be called that. Rather than having individual strands of hair, flat, seaweed-like extensions grew out of his scalp.

His facial features intrigued me the most. His teeth were sharp, indicating a strictly carnivorous diet. Lastly, his black eyes were completely void of any iris.

After prepping the sails of the colossal vessel, as well as loading Anakin's starfighter aboard, we set sail.

"Why can't I fly the starfighter to the factory, exactly?" Anakin asked Ryoshi.

"You'll see once we reach it." Ryoshi hissed, lighting up a cigarra and inserting it into his mouth.

Gradually, the shore that we'd disembarked from disappeared from view.

All that was visible now was the open ocean... the deep, blue sea.

The constant rocking of the boat had been jarring at first, but I found myself warming up to it over time.

And the warm, relaxing ocean breeze... had a planet like this really existed?

I closed my eyes to take in the environment... and when I reopened my eyes, I saw it.

A forest in the ocean.

Massive, pink pillars of what looked to be some sort of coral, sprouting out of the ocean and into the sky. Branches of coral broke away from their 'tree trunks,' forming an interconnected canopy that blocked Irisella's harsh sun.

As we entered the forest, Ryoshi steered us so that we avoided any of the pillars of coral.

As soon as we'd entered the new ecosystem, my ears had been assaulted by the sound of incessant splashing.

I peered over the deck into the water below, revealing the source.

The ocean was teeming with life... so many species, so many colors.

Ahsoka, Barriss, and I had been speechless for minutes.

All we could do was take in the beauty of Irisella.

"Ah, so this is why." Anakin observed, noting the colossal 'coral trees' obstructing much of the sky.

"It's part of it." Ryoshi commented. Clearly there was still a piece of the puzzle still missing.

Barriss eventually left to ask Ryoshi some questions, leaving Ahsoka and I alone to marvel at the thriving world.

"Look, Zevon!" Ahsoka whispered as a four-winged yellow bird landed on the bow of the vessel.

As we continued sailing through the 'polypwood' forest, (according to Barriss, that's what Ryoshi had told her the coral trees were called) Ahsoka and I began to notice something strange.

There was a slow, but noticeable shift in the coloring of the polypwood. It was ever darkening on the color spectrum.

It darkened from pink to red, and eventually a darker red.

As the polypwood darkened, the canopy above grew less thick. Eventually, sunlight began to leak through the cracks.

I also noticed a correlation between the darkening of the polypwood, and the murkiness of the ocean.

It seemed like... it seemed like the surface was coated in a viscous oil or some sort of chemical.

My theory became more evident once I noticed some of the gooey chemicals sticking to the ship's hull.

After a time, there was no longer a forest in the ocean. The polypwood still visible were mere stumps peeking out from the ocean surface. They were completely black, and visibly decaying.

There were black clouds of something in the sky.

Our collective awe at the planet's beauty had now been fully extinguished.

"Those gas clouds are highly explosive, it'd be too dangerous to fly through them... and you wouldn't want to risk setting the sea on fire either." Ryoshi snarled through his razor sharp teeth as he exhaled a smoky cloud of his own.

"That makes sense, your explanation is appreciated." Anakin thanked the ferryman.

The world around me was no longer thriving.

It was withering away.

"Guroooooohhh!!"

Suddenly, we all heard a booming roar that shook the entire ship.

"What was..." I started, turning to Ahsoka, but I never finished.

A dark shadow passed under the boat, dwarfing it.

It must have been at least... two-hundred meters.

A leviathan.

I could only make out its form beneath the surface, but its body structure was serpent-like. No... maybe dragon-like?

"Guroooohhh!"

It roared yet again, one of its gigantic black fins briefly surfacing starboard before submerging once more.

Its cries grew more distant as the beast swam opposite to our trajectory.

Eventually, it was gone.

"Care to explain what that was?" Master Gallia demanded, speaking to the ferryman.

"Simply a wounded animal." Ryoshi hissed, uninterest in delving deeper. He then extinguished his cigarra, pointing directly ahead of us through the smog. "We're here."

When we broke through to the other side of the poisonous haze, his claim was validated.

There it was, a factory built atop the sea...

With plumes of stygian haze being expelled from its multiple smokestacks...

Darkening the sky.