Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 50 - Master and Disciple (Part 50)

Coruscant, the Coruscant Galaxy.

Korusa Sector.

As the sun rises over Coruscant, the gloom of dawn is dispelled by the radiance of a new day ushered in by the beating heart of the Republic.

Even amidst the most massive conflict in the galaxy's history, Coruscant's fiery soul never wavered in its relentless journey forward.

life goes on.

The levitating vehicles silently converge into a river thousands of meters below, the hum of the anti-gravity engines the ceaseless breath of this planet.

Anakin stood in the center of the training field, his feet on smooth, cool tiles with slightly worn edges from years of use.

All around him, golden leaves fell silently from the ancient trees, a few clinging to his dark brown boots.

The ancient tree standing there, its gnarled roots entwined in a specially made soil grid, should have been comforting, but Anakin felt nothing at that moment.

Just as he was unaware that dawn had once again graced the capital.

His eyes were deeply shadowed, his jaw was clenched, and his Jedi robes were damp with the night dew.

Unlike the capital city where it is located, the Jedi Temple is like a solemn mausoleum, towering above a sea of ​​transparent steel.

The Clone Wars were a powerful force that scattered the Jedi across the stars, leaving only a handful of veteran Jedi Knights in the Temple at any given time.

In the empty corridor, the sound of footsteps was particularly clear.

How many of those who fought in the desolate lands will never be able to return?
Only the Force knows.

Anakin felt that he also had some kind of perception.

There was a smell of stale incense and polished stone in the air, mixed with an indescribable sense of emptiness.

The answer is too many.

The Jedi Temple is in mourning.

It seems to have always been this way these days.

On the wall, blue memorial lamps lit for the recently deceased flickered faintly in the dim niches in the distance.

Anakin also mourned in his own way.

For his mentors, his Jedi comrades, and his comrades who fought alongside him and are now unrecognizable.

He had hoped to release his stress and clear his mind by staying in this space, but ended up standing there all night.

The sweat had long since evaporated in the cold air, leaving only taut muscles and stiff joints.

If Obi-Wan Kenobi were to witness this, the Jedi Master would undoubtedly say something like, "So you've finally found the way to meditate, haven't you, Anakin?"

Thinking of this, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, but then he regained his cold expression.

But war is like a gear, relentlessly turning.

His time was filled with meetings, reports, press conferences, endless paperwork, tedious bureaucracy, and... funerals.

Too many funerals.

Master Mondy, Master Koss... two members of the Jedi Council died in the same battle.

This is a sobering thing.

If the war wasn't real enough before, it's incredibly real now.

The marks on his fingertips seemed to still be from gripping the hilt of the lightsaber.

When Anakin only wanted to visit his men who had just been rescued, he learned that they had been transferred to a deep space medical station.

Visits were prohibited and communications were strictly restricted, probably because the place was crowded with intelligence personnel of the Republic, and the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant and confidentiality agreements.

I am the Jedi General.

Anakin was secretly furious, his knuckles turning white from clenching his fists.

If anyone has the right to visit their soldiers, it's definitely me!

“Anakin,” a familiar voice roused him from his reverie, footsteps clearly audible in the empty training ground, “Have you been standing here all night?”

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin sheathed his lightsaber, the hum of which abruptly ceased, and he turned stiffly, a slight breeze stirring the hem of his robes. “...And who is this?”

His gaze swept over Obi-Wan and landed on the figure behind him. A young apprentice, a Togruta girl, her blue skin soft in the morning light, her white hair and tail markings clearly visible.

Judging from the length of her head and tail, she is still just a teenager.

Anakin smiled bitterly to himself.

And her height.

She was so short, she was just a child.

She was wearing a standard-sized apprentice robe, with the cuffs and trouser legs carefully rolled up.

“Anakin, this is Ahsoka Tano, sent here by Master Yoda,” Obi-Wan introduced, his voice deliberately light, but with an imperceptible scrutiny in his eyes. “Ahsoka, this is Anakin Skywalker, you will be working with him from now on.”

Ahsoka looked up at Anakin with his bright, amber eyes, which made Anakin feel a pang of sadness. "As you command, Master Skywalker."

Her voice was clear and crisp, with a touch of childishness.

The girl couldn't help but break into a bright smile.

A set of sharp teeth, like a dagger.

Because the Togruta people are natural predators, they still retain traces of their ancestors.

Her small, pointed ears twitched slightly, revealing her barely suppressed excitement.

"I've said it before, I don't take on apprentices!"

Anakin frowned, his mood growing heavier: "The higher-ups have probably made a mistake. I won't let this young apprentice follow me."

"You can't say that about me!" Ahsoka blurted out, then playfully teased, "I'm sticking with you now, Tianxing!"

Obi-Wan laughed when he heard this. He knew that Master Yoda's purpose was to increase Anakin's burden of responsibility.

“What did you call me? Don’t be so disrespectful, you brat.” Anakin raised an eyebrow. “You’re not old enough to be an apprentice.”

“You think I’m not enough, but Master Yoda thinks I’m enough.”

Anakin and Ahsoka bickered, and although he felt some resentment, it distracted him from the surging darkness within him.

"Humph!"

Anakin ignored her, his gaze sweeping over her head to Obi-Wan Kenobi, his voice low and menacing, "We are at war, Master. Now is not the time to train apprentices; they will only become a burden."

His words were like cold stones hitting the ground.

“Hey!” Ahsoka protested, his eyes narrowing and his small chin stubbornly raised. “I’m not a burden!”

Her head swayed uneasily.

The little Togruta straightened his body, trying to make himself look taller, but the effect was not obvious.

She clenched her fists and hid them inside her wide sleeves.

Anakin whirled around, his movements swift and sharp, his eyes icy cold as ice, piercing her with deadly precision.

Ashoka was stung by the coldness in his gaze and shrank back. The smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of astonishment and hurt.

“Are you serious?” Obi-Wan raised one of his neatly trimmed eyebrows, a hint of amusement playing at the corner of his mouth beneath his beard, but his gaze toward Anakin remained serious. “You weren’t like this most of the time before…”

“Of course it’s true.” Anakin’s voice was laced with suppressed anger.

“I think you’ll agree that practice is the best way to learn,” Obi-Wan said calmly but firmly. “This applies to both masters and apprentices. The Jedi Council has already met and discussed it… Anakin, Master Yoda believes that it would be most beneficial for you to take on an apprentice.”

He emphasized the words "most advantageous".

Anakin almost roared out loud, his Adam's apple bobbing, "Are you kidding me? I can't take on apprentices."

His voice was strained, each word sounding like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth.

He didn't believe he could take good care of an apprentice.

Especially now, with war breaking out at any time, being by his side carries unpredictable risks.

They could even lose their lives as a result.

The thought coiled around Anakin's heart like a cold snake.

(End of this chapter)