There were only so many ways Zakriahs would end his day. So many ways he would love, anyway.

He was on Coruscant, sitting with his friend and instructor— Toshi Fumin, and Master Sinube. Both were immensely amused at his story and the way he delivered it. He was satisfied to be able to put on a show. Or grip an audience. Whatever the phrase is. If one even exists.

Anyway, after Toshi finished laughing, he wanted to know what happened next. Strange, he thought he ended at the exact place he wanted to. Before he could say anything else, though, a Padawan sought him out. Apparently, the Jedi Council had requested his presence.

Now, this was odd, and Zakriahs wasn't without the question of 'why.' Rare, it was that he saw them Council together in the Chamber. But any day, it could be to see them individually walking through the Temple. They were all odd Jedi, though. Respected, of course, but odd to him, nonetheless.

And everyone he knew had chosen a Master as their favorite. Everyone he knew had decided who they would like to be.

Good for them.

Now, what's next for today? were his thoughts when he made to leave. Before he did, though, Master Sinube received his own smoothie. The second Zula berry smoothie he produced from underneath the robe next to him.

"Yeah, Dex said he was out of every flavor except Zula berry."

That's what he said to the old Master.

But Zakriahs didn't really know what a Cosian's diet consisted of. It's something he always forgets to look into. Or maybe he does, and he just forgets. It could be both. So, he picked one everyone liked and hoped for the best.

It was best if his friend's smile was anything to go by.

So, he picked up Master Kenobi's robe and left for his destination. He might have replaced the robe by now, but two of anything can be better than one. He hoped. Master Sinube wished the Force to be with Zakriahs. A strange look in his eye that he paid no mind to.

A promise from Toshi to see him later. One he believed in wholeheartedly.

The very loose plan in Zakirahs' mind was to go to the Council Chamber and be done with it. Maybe they wanted a report from his perspective. Perhaps they desired to reprimand him for his actions; they've yet to do that. Or something went wrong in the Temple with somebody, and they wanted to know if it was him.

Extraordinary what one incident in a refectory will do to your and your friend's reputations. At least it gave Zakriahs and his friends a chance to show off their exceptional cleaning skills. And now, not a single speck of soil can be found. It would have been a proud accomplishment if that wasn't part of their punishment.

But anyway, Zakriahs hoped the Council wouldn't keep him away for too long. He hoped to practice his spoon playing, and he was sure that his friends would find it amusing.

However, if there's one thing he understood plainly, we don't always get what we want. Sometimes we do, just not in the way we expect. How does that make sense?

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What an odd thing encounter the Council had.

The only thing odder than that was the sentence repeating in Zakriahs' mind.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is my Master.

Whan an honor this was. To be guided under the tutelage of one of the most respected Jedi Masters in the Order. His friends won't believe it. At least, not unless Master Kenobi tells them himself.

Now, where do we go from here?

"Are you listening to me?"

Zakriahs snapped back to reality and stood a few paces away from his Master.

"I beg your pardon, Master," He said, "I was just thinking."

"Do you do that often?"

Zakriahs shrugged, "Anyway, you were saying?"

"'As you were saying' is more like it." Obi-Wan smiled, "I was just asking you a question regarding your comment. 'If we're staying together, perhaps we should learn the worst of each other to prepare ourselves.' Remember?"

Zakriahs looked lost for a second before he snapped his fingers, "Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Now, a friend of mine told me I should do this if I ever became a Padawan. Everyone is different from one another, said she, and we must respect that."

"Your friend sounds very wise."

Zakriahs snorted, "I wouldn't know." As he fell back into step with his Master, he looked the man in the eye, "I guess a flaw I have is that I'm a light sleeper, and if it's loud enough, any noise will wake me up. And it usually takes me a while to go back to sleep."

"And I'll assume you'll find yourself pondering much before bed?" asked Master Kenobi.

Zakriahs blinked, "How'd you guess?"

He nodded, "Just a hunch."

"But one thing I can confidently say is that I won't keep you up with snoring." Zakriahs said, "My friend, Toshi, once told me I did, but after learning that he's a terrible liar, I'm happy to say you'll sleep soundly."

Master Kenobi winced, "Yes, well, unfortunately, I do snore, and I am a heavy sleeper. As I've been told repeatedly in my life. You'll probably have to go to sleep quickly."

Zakriahs pondered how the dynamics of this relationship would work(Oh, some habits will have to fight to survive) before he asked, "Anything else I should know?"

"Only that you should be ready to be active at any moment's notice. We're going to be out in the field, after all."

A vague indifferent expression crossed Zakriahs' face, and before he could hide it, his Master had noticed.

"Is something wrong?" Master Kenobi asked his new Padawan.

Oh, plenty of things. For one, my spoon playing, and I'm struggling to get a proper hold of them. There's so much fighting going around, yet hardly any talking. And I'm not even going to delve into the mess that is Count Dooku and his "Confederacy." Too much is happening all at once, and too few are prepared for it. He let out a frustrated sigh, "And it feels as though it gets worse with each passing day."

Obi-Wan didn't really know what he expected the boy to say. Maybe he would say 'nothing,' which Obi-Wan could then impart wisdom to his pupil. Or he could be sincere and tell him his trouble. He wouldn't force him to say anything, but Obi-Wan wanted to have an answer for him. Whatever he expected him to say, it wasn't this.

How to approach this? he wondered.

Master and Apprentice continued to walk in silence. Obi-Wan didn't know what to say. And Zakriahs might have said too much. Eventually, when they were a few feet away from Obi-Wan's dorm, Zakriahs slowly stopped walking. So Obi-Wan did the same.

"Master Kenobi..." Zakriahs said, slow and uncertain, "why did you choose me as your student? Don't you have enough problems? Why put up with one more?"

The older man seemed taken aback by this question. He could tell, all this time, that Zakriahs had much on his mind. He was, however, patiently with the boy to talk when he wanted to. And speak, he did. Obi-Wan continued to see just how different his new Padawan would be from his first one.

Finally, he spoke, "You are not a problem; I don't know what makes you believe such a thing. There are many reasons why you are now my Padawan. Reasons I wish you to learn along the way. For now, simply know that you have a chance, and I guarantee you have a chance to become a Jedi."

Obi-Wan could sense the uncertainty in Zakriahs; he certainly wasn't satisfied with the explanation. There is much to be done, Obi-Wan thought.

Zakriahs seemed to look around for whatever reason. He looked behind himself, left and right. Almost as if he expected someone next to him. Obi-Wan could sense a hint of disappointment when he turned back. I suppose he's used to the company of his friends.

Finally, Obi-Wan could sense confidence easing into the Padawan and see the slightest smile reaching his face.

"Well," Zakriahs said at last, "if you say so."

"I do say so," Obi-Wan's smile returned, and he led his Padawan to their shared quarters. They would spend their time there until they would inevitably be called to the frontlines.

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I'm a Padawan. I am a Padawan.

Somehow, no matter how many times I repeat it, it's still unbelievable. At least now, thanks to my Master(My Master. I have to get used to that), am I finding it easier to believe.

It's difficult to say where to go from here. I knew that I would accompany my Master on a mission to restore peace to the galaxy any minute now. No question about that. Except for one: when? Also, what would we do? Who would we meet? How long would it take? Will we win? Will we lose? But I don't want to focus on that now. Instead, I'll focus on the time it took between my last few days of relative peace and battle.

As it happened, Master Kenobi and I had spent most of our time at the Temple.

I had familiarized myself with my new shared room. It was certainly more spacious than my previous one. Two beds, a pair of meditation pads, a small bench, and next to it, a thin holoprojector. The windows held a clear view of the sight of Coruscant's structures and the hustle and bustle of civilians heading to work in speeders. A pretty dull sight if anyone asked me. But no one asked me, much less Master Kenobi, so I kept my mouth shut.

As I lay on my bed, I was content. No, I was more than content; I was in bliss. I ought to ask everyone I know about their mattresses. As far as I can tell, whoever makes them must be Force-sensitive. And they must use their power to look into the future and see who their owner will be. It's as if this bed responds to my every need...

...

...

...what was I talking about?

Oh, wait! I remember!

Anyways, I was more than content to lay in that bed. Just stare at the ceiling until my eyes close, with nothing else except my thoughts.

Obviously, that's not what happened.

But instead, Master Kenobi told me that we were to head to a training room at once. I thought about protesting, but I also wanted to prove my worth to my Master. And I knew my Master needed to get a sense of where my skills were. So, no protest was made, but plenty of haste was.

So, here we are. Standing in one of the many dojos the Temple had to offer. Standing in front of each other, ready to learn how the other works.

Master and Padawan, mirroring basic Shii-Cho stances. Master Kenobi's posture radiated confidence. I tried my best to imitate this; I like to think I succeeded.

I never had a strong opinion of any of the dojos here. There is white here, brown lines there, a few wooden swords on the wall, the Jedi symbol above the entryway, and a rocky-looking ceiling. I suppose the simplicity is striking in its own sense, but that ceiling? I don't know; it sort of feels out of place, like some phrase related to a fish and a volcano. Or something like that. I take it back; I do have a strong opinion on the dojo. So many surprises today, and it feels like they won't stop anytime soon.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

But I digress.

I took a step forward, and my Master took one back. I repeated my action, and he repeated his.

My Master's eyes only focused on mine. Every so often, I stared into his blue eyes, but I primarily focused on other things: how far apart from each other were his legs, how close our lightsabers were, the armor he wore, and how he was able to maintain silence.

And yes, the silence he kept. His face revealed nothing, absolutely nothing discernable. I wondered what expression I wore as I took one more step.

This time, he did not back away.

I waited for the first move. I was patient, but so was he. Maybe we could stand like this forever. Except, I didn't want to. I have things to do. And I didn't want to draw this out any longer.

So, I struck.

First, a fake strike to the right to be replaced by a left. Make him think I'll go for his left and catch him off guard; that was my intention. Unsurprisingly, my Master blocked it with ease.

It didn't matter; anyone could have seen it a mile away. So, follow it with an angled strike, if only because it feels awkward not to.

There we have the second step; pull away and assess. Of course, this is only a test. Should I say we're sizing each other up? I don't really like that phrase. For some reason, I can't help but think of two sentient buildings trying to see which one is—

I quickly raise my lightsaber to block a thrust from my Master's lightsaber.

"Padawan," He said before pulling back, "please pay attention. Don't allow yourself to be distracted."

"Hey, I blocked that just fine!" I said, my brows furrowing. I like my thoughts. It's a strange thing to admit(out loud or in my head), but I—

And he struck once again.

He stabbed his blade towards the right side.

I batted it away at the last second. Gripping both hands on my lightsaber, I swiped down and then to the right. On the second strike, I spun around and used the kinetic energy to hit harder. Naturally, all of them were blocked.

After a few minutes of blocked vertical and horizontal swipes, I decided to back away. I'm pretty sure I read something about repeated actions being defined as insanity. But there's no time for that now. Now, I'll study my opponent.

Only two times did he try to attack me. After that, he hadn't made any offensive move. So then, it was Soresu. How interesting. He's starting to circle around me, so naturally, I should do the same. How many other forms was he proficient in, I wonder? Was this him getting a sense of my power? Or does he just really like that form?

I'm trying to figure him out, just as I'm sure he already has me pegged. I'm being painted by a Master artist of justice. I hope he's getting my good side. Wait, no, that's not right.

Oh, but really now, another tricky situation I found myself in!

We were still circling each other when I decided to switch my tactics. It was time to see how powerful Master Kenobi's defense was.

Running for a build-up of momentum, I flipped up into the air and over my Master. I repositioned my body and tried to leave a strike on his back. It occurred to me after the contest had finished how lucky we were to have our sabers in the training setting. Otherwise— Nope! I won't even think about it!

Anyway, he blocked it. No surprise, for it was but a simple test. When I landed behind him, I made plenty of aggressive strikes. I'm sure my Master must have suspected me of having known Ataru. Perhaps the spin might have been a dead giveaway, or maybe he knew how popular Ataru was amongst us 'youngsters.' We have the energy to spend, so we figure why not.

I press on with renewed vigor. Every blow that I dealt had power behind it. I aimed for his head and then his neck, he blocked both, so I spun again for a more powerful hit, but his defense retained its strength, and our blades locked together.

I wanted to rush forward and push or backhand him, knocking his balance away. With our blades still stuck, I shifted mine into my right hand to bat his away, making an opening to his body. His defense, however, would not go away, and he backed away at the last second.

He thrust his lightsaber out again, and I had to bat it away. I did so with my right hand, and in a sweeping motion, I spun around to slice where his feet would have been. If he didn't jump over me.

When I noticed him overhead, he attacked, and swiftly did I bring my sword to slice up where his blade would have been. Offenses can be defenses too. If they really want to be. As Master Kenobi landed behind me, I fell back a few paces away from him. We both paused to go over what we had learned from one another.

At first, I was a bit surprised fo the flip he demonstrated. I mean, most Jedi are capable of acrobatic feats, but so far, Master Kenobi had fought as if he were a wall that took the pressure and had cannons hidden behind carefully hidden panels. Suddenly seeing this wall sprout legs and fly above me was amusing, surprising, and a little inaccurate. But then, it occurred to me: this man was trained by Qui-Gon Jinn. One of the greatest duelists the Order ever produced. Who was an Ataru user...

This means my Master could see everything I threw at him from a mile away...

...

Well, I might as well go out in a blaze of glory.

Charging forward without screaming like a lunatic, I held my lightsaber in my right hand and pressed on. I spun around and jumped up while landing three effortlessly blocked blows, then I decided I would rush forward to land many more as quickly as possible. It continued like this for some time, and though I felt I wouldn't win this, I still had to try. So many aggressive strikes. So many flips, kicks, and all with energy to give. All of them for naught.

The duel ended with me holding my lightsaber above my head. My Master had his lightsaber with his right arm and the blade under my chin. My Master's breathing was steady and even, just as his posture was. I was quite the opposite: my breathing was harsh, my legs were trembling, sweat covered my brow, and I wanted, so desperately, to put my lightsaber down. I couldn't even tell if I had brought him close to where I was. I just couldn't understand.

I stared into his eyes, and he stared into mine.

"Do you yield?" He asked.

"Can I?" I asked after a few breaths.

And I dropped my weapon and fell to my knees at his nod.

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"Well, what's the verdict?" I asked after a few minutes of resting and a drink of water.

"At first," He began, "I thought you would continue to be unfocused. I was pleased to see that you quieted your mind as quickly as you did. You said you space out often?"

I nodded.

"Then, this is something we must work on." He stroked his beard, "You're a talented duelist, yet you were strenuously pushing yourself. You focused on offensive moves and hardly ever defended yourself. Had I never attacked, I would go so far as to call your defense 'nonexistent.' If your offense were a little more potent, this wouldn't be a bad thing. If we're working together, your defense must be strengthened— especially now in these troubled times."

I stared at him, never interrupting, and I took in everything he told me. In other words, there is significance— definitely promise— but it must be refined. Well, I can't say I knew what to expect.

"Wait, an unrelated note. Or maybe it is related; we'll see in a second. Wasn't Ataru supposed to counter Soresu?" I asked.

He scrunched his eyebrows and looked away for a brief second. "Technically, it's the other way around."

"Oh," I said, a hand at my forehead, "I had it backward!"

He shook his head and looked up for yet another brief second. "One last piece of advice: there's much more to combat than lightsaber forms."

I wanted to argue on that; I'm sure my expression showed as much. But then, I remembered that he's the Master, and I'm the Padawan. So instead, I said, "I understand."

He nodded and led me out the door. I had the feeling, however, that he didn't believe me.

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Toshi strolled through the Temple on his own. As he did so, he saw Master Kenobi in the distance. By his side was unmistakably Zak. Toshi couldn't pretend like he knew every place in the Temple like the back of his hand, but even he knew where they were going. The same place a Jedi goes when they're leaving for a mission. A place that he saw Jedi frequently go these days. Is he...?, was as far as Toshi thought before he raced after his best friend.

"Zak!"

Zakriahs turned, looking a little peeved. "Toshi, what have I said about calling me 'Zak'?"

Toshi caught up to his friend, "And Mas—," and his words died in his mouth when he saw who stood a few paces behind him. Obi-Wan had the faintest look of exasperation and the clearest look of bemusement on his face. Really, though, anyone would be to see the same gaping twice in one day.

"Dreamers stick together," Zakriahs said to his Master, a toothy grin present. Zakriahs snapped his fingers in front of his friend's face, and he returned from whatever place he was in.

"Yes, Toshi, this is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi," Zakriahs nodded an exaggerated nod, "and you'll never guess what I am." He flipped away his nonexistent-hanging hair, and that's when Toshi noticed that the hair Zak flipped away wasn't nonexistent.

"Zakriahs..." Toshi breathed out, "Y-you're a Padawan!?"

Zakriahs pouted an exaggerated pout, "Toshi, how are you just going to guess what I am when I just said you can't?"

"Um..."

"I mean, seriously! You have no idea!"

"Za—"

"I had an entire speech ready, and it would have been—"

"Padawan!"

Zakriahs turned to the voice, "What?! I mean, what? I mean, yes?"

If Master Kenobi was amused or perplexed by how quickly his Padawan's tone of voice changed, he didn't let it show. Instead, he addressed the second young one.

"Is there something you'd like to say?" He said.

Toshi found his voice for the Jedi Master this time by some miracle.

"Well, uh, I like your braid." He just didn't know if that was the right thing to say.

"Ah," Zakriahs said smiling, "why, thank you! I did it myself."

Master Kenobi coughed into his hand.

"With plenty of help from my Master, of course."

Toshi spotted Master Kenobi rolling his eyes, which meant Toshi had to do the same. So, he did.

Zakriahs raised an eyebrow, "Do you doubt me?"

Toshi opened his mouth, then paused to search for the right word. Once he found it, he looked Zakriahs straight in the eye.

"Yes."

Zakriahs grumbled as Master Kenobi covered a chuckle with a cough. He then reached into his tunic and pulled out a small bag.

Zakriahs muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'shorty' before taking Toshi's hand. Toshi looked at the small blue malformed balls in his hand.

"They're Zula berries, yes. Eat them before I change my mind." Zakriahs said.

"Where'd you get these?" Toshi asked, eyes slightly widened.

"They fell into my hand from on-high."

Toshi looked up at him with a dumbfounded face.

Master Kenobi stepped in, "Dex was kind enough to supply us with Zula berries."

Zakriahs looked at him, "I couldn't say 'no' to those eyes, even if I wanted to."

"There is a distinct advantage to honesty." Kenobi gave a wiry smirk.

Zak raised his eyebrows, "Brutal honesty, more like it."

Kenobi shrugged an innocent shrug, "The dish was disgusting; that is all there is to it."

"So," Toshi interrupted, already chewing on his berries, "Padawan Asher, huh? What's that like?"

Zakriahs shrugged, "Well, I've got more to do now, and it won't stop anytime soon. Honestly, it's only been a few hours for me. But now, I will have my work cut out for me.

"How do you mean?" Toshi asked, starting to become anxious. He was hoping for the best, but his fears were all but confirmed at Kenobi's grimace.

"We've received a call to Christophisis." Said the Jedi Master, "They've requested my presence, especially since Master Skywalker is there right now."

Toshi's face began to fall with every word he spoke— and his mood with it. And Zakriahs couldn't ignore it.

"Excuse me, Master," Zakriahs cleared his throat and breathed out, "can you give us a second?"

Master Kenobi looked at his Padawan, undoubtedly sensing the same thing, and nodded. Kenobi took a step back, and Zakriahs stepped forward and pulled Toshi behind a pillar.

Toshi suddenly found it hard to look at his friend, and he felt silly for it; a Jedi's not supposed to act this way. Zak lightly slapped Toshi's face two times; that was enough to get his attention. Zak didn't grin; instead, he had a look Toshi had seen in the past. That look an adult gave you when they knew you had something on your mind and wanted you to say it. The look that said once you get it off your chest, you'll feel better. The look that he wore, Toshi thought.

"Hey," Zakriahs said, gently pulling Toshi's gaze to him, "Hey, come on. What is it?"

"Uh..." Toshi began before falling silent for a moment. Eventually, he realized he couldn't get his thoughts out and instead tried questions, "...So, you're going to war, huh?"

Zakriahs' eyes widened, and, suddenly, it was his turn to look away from his friend. Not for long, though. Zakriahs stared back at his friend, a definite frown marred on his face, and his green eyes held some water.

"Yeah, I...guess I am." Zakriahs nearly whispered.

An awkward silence descended between them. Both boys shifted in place, yet neither wanted to leave or speak next. Any time one looked at the other, they would immediately look for some kind of distraction. Eventually, Toshi broke the silence with another question.

"Is...is your presence mandatory or...?"

"Actually, I requested he take me." Zakriahs realized too late that that was the wrong answer.

Especially since the hidden question was, are you being forced to go? With that, Toshi knew he was trembling, and fear had taken hold of his heart. He reached his hand out for some reason and then retracted it, for he knew it was happening to him all over again. He shouldn't be feeling this type of emotion, and he shouldn't have the sudden urge to scream for help. No, instead, he would stop trembling, smile, and pray the Force would protect his friend. The Force...guided and protected Jedi. You mean like before?, quietly came a voice in his head. Toshi pushed it away and made to—

"Toshi, what's wrong?"

Toshi looked up to his friend and blurted out his words.

"Nothing!" He nearly shouted but could reign it in and continue, "I mean— it's just— I don't know what..."

The words died in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to say how he really felt, but he really wanted to talk to Zak. Toshi let out a long and heavy sigh. Why was this so difficult?

"Toshi," Zakriahs began, "I can wait for as long as I need to. Whenever you can get your mouth to work, I'll be here to listen. I swear on my lightsaber."

Zakriahs was able to grin once Toshi looked up again. Some of Toshi's worries began to wash away, and the smile he wanted to wear earlier didn't feel forced.

"Okay," Toshi whispered, "just...be careful. Alright?"

Zakriahs understood just what Toshi wanted him to. His eyes still had water, yet they were somehow steely at the same time. Zakriahs held his hand out for Toshi to take, and his posture was in a slight bow. Toshi just embraced his friend, catching him off-guard. Though temporarily stunned, Zakriahs was able to pat his friend's back. And his head, for good measure. The boys separated, looking only slightly embarrassed.

"Til we meet again, Toshi," Zakriahs said, a hand on his heart as he bowed and his eyes never leaving his friend, "and may the Force be with you."

Toshi bowed in return, "And you, Zakriahs Asher."

Ignoring the prying gazes, Toshi and I parted ways. As I met with my Master on the way to the Republic Cruiser, Toshi would soon suffer under Master Sakehn's scolding, drawing my pity out for him.

And why not? I'm finally going through with many a Padawan's dreams. Traveling the galaxy and righting wrongs all around! Under the tutelage of a renowned Jedi Master. Fortune does smile on me today.

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Much is expected from you as a Jedi.

You are to look evil in the eye and say no to their diabolical deeds.

You must be quick and cunning on your feet when other people's lives are at stake.

You must be ready in every way possible to answer the call to arms against those who disrupt the peace.

That is what Zakriahs Asher believes when he marches into the galaxy. He was well aware of the evil which pervades the galaxy, things that only he and those around him have the power to fight.

However, as he recalled the space battle above and recounted the many truths he discovered in just a few days, an impossible-to-ignore reality was glaring at him like a group of dark grey, killer droids, and a tank. That message in that reality wouldn't catch up to him for a while, so in the meantime, he could only utter one more truth. One that had no right to be ignored. Just one.

"I should apologize to Toshi if I get back..."