Chapter 3

Friends and Assignments

It was at that moment that Ahsoka suddenly became aware of a coppery taste in her mouth. Carter just looked at her as if he was expecting her to say something. Self-conscious, she swallowed the small amount of blood instead of spitting it out in front of him. Instantly Ahsoka’s head spun.

“Are you okay?” Carter asked, taking a step toward her with a concerned look on his face. “You look like you’re gonna be sick.”

“I’m fine,” Ahsoka insisted. She put a hand to her head to stop the dizzying. In that instance, she lost her balance. Before she had time to recover, she was in strong, tan arms.

“I… sorry,” Carter said sheepishly, letting her stand for herself.

“It’s okay,” Ahsoka said. “Thanks.” She felt her cheeks getting hotter at the embarrassment of falling because she swallowed blood.

Carter laughed softly. “I thought you said you were fine!”

Ahsoka smiled. “I was sure I would be.”

Carter flashed another white grin, and Ahsoka’s breath caught in her throat for a moment. His smile instantly disappeared. “What’s wrong?”

Ahsoka shook her head. “Nothing.” She quickly changed the subject. “I saw that you use Ataru. How effective is that form?”

“Apparently not very effective against you,” he said.

Ahsoka laughed. “No, it was hard to beat you. Even then it was half luck.”

“It’s been said for millennia: There is no luck; there is only the Force,” Carter reminded her.

“I didn’t ask you about old sayings, though,” Ahsoka pointed out. “I asked about Ataru.”

Carter chuckled. “Right. It’s known as either the Aggressive Form, or the Way of the Hawk-Bat. I’m not sure where they got that. I mean, I don’t feel like a hawk-bat whenever I whip out my lightsaber or anything.”

He paused a moment when Ahsoka laughed. “Sorry,” she said. “Go on.”

He smiled. “It’s a fairly aggressive form, like its first nickname, that involves a lot of acrobatics. It relies on a Jedi’s ability to jump, run, and flip with control over and help of the Force. You may have noticed that I did a lot of flipping around during our duel. That’s what Ataru is all about. But there are a few weaknesses in the stance, which is why I’m currently studying Soresu as well. First of all, against multiple opponents, you may jump your way into the enemy’s blade, while trying to avoid another attacker. And some, including Count Dooku according to Master Kenobi, strike at the feet, which forces Ataru users to make a jump over head and lose their spine while they’re at it.” Carter shuddered.

Ahsoka grinned and patted him on the shoulder. “Well, you’re good at it. I couldn’t have beaten you in my comfort zone, that’s for sure.”

Carter blushed, which for some reason surprised Ahsoka. “Thanks. Good job to you too.”

“Good job for what, nearly killing you?”

Carter gave her a little half smile and shrugged. “Something like that.”

Ahsoka smiled. “Sorry.”

Carter gave her a full grin. “Ahsoka, I don’t blame you. There is a purpose for everything. The pain helps me learn. It’s fine, and I forgive you. Just let go of the guilt.”

“Let go of the guilt?!” Ahsoka nearly screamed. “How do you expect me to just let go? It’s not that easy!” She sighed, and buried her face in her hands. “I mean, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have burst out at you like that.”

She peeked at him through her fingers in startled amazement as he smiled at her, and put a hand on each of her shoulders. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. Anger is the worst of the emotions. It could lead me to the dark side.”

Carter shook his head, making his pitch-black braid wiggle back and forth. “No it doesn’t. Anger- all emotions- just show that you care. It’s how you act on your emotions that can lead to the dark side.”

Ahsoka frowned. “That’s not what the code says.”

“The Jedi Code is just full of guidelines. If you follow it blindly, you will not be able to make decisions for yourself.”

She looked into his emerald eyes, and saw past them wisdom that was beyond the capacity of a normal fourteen year old. “You’re…” she was about to say, ‘wrong,’ but she realized the full meaning of what he had said. “Right,” she finished, taken aback by her own words.

Carter flashed the half smile again, and she couldn’t help but grin with him. “I know,” he said with a short bark of laughter. “I wouldn’t have lied to you or anything.”

“You know,” Ahsoka said, “I know that you wouldn’t. You… It’s like we’ve been friends forever.”

He shrugged. “Well, forever’s never gonna end. We might as well start now.”

Ahsoka beamed. “You’re saying you want to be friends?”

“Sure. You’re fun to be with. Besides, I need to know you as someone other than ‘the girl who burned a hole in my chest.’ What’s your comm channel?”

________________________________________________________________

Six weeks later…

Carter stood alone in his room, his hands touching the hilt of his lightsaber. Quickly, he activated the weapon with a flourish and moved to take the beginning stance of Soresu. He groaned aloud and fixed mistakes in the defensive form. He had used Ataru all his life, and not being on the offensive unnerved him. But he was determined to get Soresu down as well. He had heard the stories, that a true master of Soresu was invincible. But switching from two very different forms was not easy.

With a sigh of defeat, Carter tossed the lightsaber onto his bed and sat at his desk, returning to his studies of Darth Revan, the Prodigal Knight, who returned to the light side and destroyed the Star Forge.

His comlink beeped, and he turned to it. “Padawan Carter Draik,” he answered.

“Carter,” Master Kento’s voice said through the comlink.

“Yes, Master?”

“The Council wants to speak with you and I. Come up to the Jedi Council Chambers in the top spire,” Kento ordered.

“Yes, Master.”

Carter frowned as he summoned his lightsaber with the Force and clipped it to his belt. What could the Council possibly want? He opened the door and stepped into the turbolift leading up to the Council Chamber. There was no sense in keeping them waiting.

Kento met him outside the chamber. However, he was surprised to see Master Skywalker and Ahsoka standing outside the door. Ahsoka grinned at him. He smiled back. “What’s this about?” he asked them. “What are you two doing here?”

“Carter, my guess is that we’ve been assigned to the same mission.”

“Really?” Carter asked, surprised.

Ahsoka shrugged. “Yeah. It happens all the time. And if the Master-Padawan teams work well together, they sometimes pair ‘em back up for optimal success in future missions.” She winked.

Carter smiled at her. Inside, his stomach churned. He’d never gone on a mission with anyone besides just his Master. It would just be plain weird to be fighting off the droids alongside his friend, and the Chosen One. One mistake would provide prime opportunity for embarrassment.

But embarrassment was an emotion he did not need. He tossed the thought aside with a slight shake of his head that went unseen. The doors to the Council Chambers opened in front of him, and he and Ahsoka each followed their respective Masters, standing tall like soldiers at attention.

“Masters Skywalker and Marek, Padawans Tano and Draik,” Master Yoda addressed them. A most disturbing message from Master Luminara’s ship, the Sedawan, we would like you to see.” He nodded at Master Kenobi, who turned on the holoprojecter. Immediately, a clone trooper, a seargent by the looks of his armor, appeared.

“We’re completely overwhelmed, sir! They came out of nowhere!” The trooper looked around, raised his rifle, but was cut down by a blade that made an all too familiar snap-hiss.

“We have to help them!” Ahsoka said before she could stop herself. She diverted her gaze to the ground as her Master turned a chastising glare on her.

“The Sedawan was carrying a stock of lightsabers from Illum.” Obi Wan Kenobi said.

“In this war, far too dangerous it is for Padawans to travel to Illum. We decided to bring the crystals to Coruscant and have them build their lightsabers here,” Yoda explained to Kento and Anakin.

Master Kento spoke. “The crystals are useless to anyone but a Jedi. What would anybody want with them?”

“You ask the wrong questions.” Yoda replied. “Killed by lightsaber, the trooper was.”

“Count Dooku!” Anakin said immediately.

“Perhaps. But for now, the matter is unclear.”

“Yes,” said Mace Windu, his hand on his chin. “That is why it is imperative we send an investigation team immediately.”

“Us?” Carter asked.

Windu nodded. “Yes. I trust that your orders are clear?”

“Yes, Master,” Carter replied for all of them. “Go in, investigate what happened to the troops and Master Luminara, check cargo, report back. We’re good.”

“Then you are dismissed,” Yoda said. “May the Force be with you.”

“And with you,” the four non-council Jedi said. Then, they walked out the door to their starfighters, each in their own way mentally preparing themselves for the danger that imminently lay ahead.