New Master

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The morning sun bathed the Coruscant skyline in hues of gold as I sat on the edge of my bed, watching Shaak Ti finish her preparations. Her lekku swayed slightly as she adjusted the straps of her travel pack. Despite her usual calm demeanor, I could sense the tension beneath her surface.

"And where are you going, Shaak?" I asked, genuinely curious but also slightly troubled. It wasn't just about the mission; it was about being without my lover and master for months.

She turned to me, an almost regretful smile on her lips. "I'm going to Yavin IV. The Council received reports from scout droids about possible Sith ruins. They need someone with knowledge of ancient civilizations, and I was deemed the best candidate."

I exhaled slowly, crossing my arms. "Well, they're not wrong. You're a skilled Consular, a fantastic warrior, and your knowledge of past eras is unparalleled."

"Aww, you think so highly of me?" she teased.

I smirked, standing up to close the gap between us. "And you're hot—very hot."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Alright, enough of that. I need to get going soon. And you—" she poked my chest, "—should go see your master. Skywalker isn't as merciful in combat as I am."

A playful shiver ran down my spine. Now that my training with Shaak Ti was complete, the difficult part was about to begin. My time under Skywalker's instruction was bound to push my limits further than ever before.

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I entered the training hall to find Master Skywalker already waiting, his arms crossed, a cocky grin on his face. "Alright, Knight Kriss, you've learned Form II and IV, but now it's time to refine them. You're going to train in my version of Form IV and start mastering Form V. Let's spar—I need to see where you stand."

He ignited his lightsaber, its brilliant blue hum filling the air. His stance was relaxed, but his elbows were raised slightly higher than mine. I knew why—his proficiency in Form V meant he could seamlessly transition between offense and defense at a moment's notice. Meanwhile, my stance was more upright, refined by my experience with Form II. I relied more on counters and precise strikes rather than overwhelming force.

We lunged at each other, blades clashing in a frenzied dance of light and sound. The combat was fast, relentless, neither of us willing to give an inch. Our blades moved in dazzling arcs, blue meeting bluish-green in bursts of energy. Though I was strong, Skywalker was stronger. His sheer experience began to show as he subtly outmaneuvered me.

Finally, with a sudden burst of speed, he knocked my saber from my grasp. My weapon landed several feet away, and his blade was at my throat before I could react.

"Sigh… you win, Master."

Skywalker smirked but nodded approvingly. "Master Ti did a good job with you. You're a natural at dueling, but you still lack raw experience. From now on, you'll train in dueling with me for three hours a day and spend another three hours deflecting blaster fire with the 501st. The rest of the day, you can do what you want."

I groaned internally. He was enjoying this way too much.

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A month had passed since Shaak Ti left, and while my training had been progressing well, I was reaching my breaking point. Skywalker's methods were brutal but effective. Between lightsaber drills and the never-ending blaster deflection exercises with the clones, I barely had time to think. Worse yet, I was becoming increasingly frustrated. Not just with the training—but with my own rising tension. I missed Shaak. I missed our lovers' moments together, her touch, her voice.

One morning, during another punishing deflection drill, I lost focus for a split second. A stun bolt struck my right hand, making me drop my saber. Before I could recover, more shots landed on my chest, then my legs, until I was forced to surrender.

Laughter erupted from the troopers surrounding me. "Looks like you need to keep that focus, sir," one of them joked.

I scowled. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up."

At that moment, Master Skywalker entered the room, accompanied by someone I hadn't seen. She was a Togruta, her lekku adorned with blue and white markings, and she wore an unconventional, revealing set of jedi armor. Two lightsabers rested at her belt, and her amber eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Ugh… hello, Master…" I muttered, still catching my breath.

"Hello, Knight Kriss. You seem a little lazy today," Skywalker said, his tone laced with amusement.

I chuckled weakly. "Lazy? Skyguy, I was shot into submission by a death circle of stun blasters."

Skywalker shrugged. "Hey, no need to get aggressive now."

Ahsoka smirked, folding her arms. "So this is the Jedi you're finishing the training of?"

"Yeah. Will Kriss, last apprentice of Cordova before his death."

Ahsoka's expression softened. "My condolences, Knight Kriss."

I gave her a small smile. "It was a long time ago. I've made peace with it. So, what brings you here?"

Skywalker's expression turned serious. "Kriss, you're nearly at the end of your training. You have the skills, but you lack experience in the field. I'm sending you and Ahsoka on a mission. We are suspecting that a criminal group is operating in the Korriban system."

Ahsoka frowned. "The Sith system?"

I tensed. "That sounds dangerous."

Skywalker waved a hand dismissively. "You won't be alone. Rex and the 332nd will be accompanying you, they finished the mission to capture Maul almost a month ago. You'll be in command of the operation, but remember—only Jedi Masters can be official commanders in the new Intergalactic Force Patrol."

I glanced at Ahsoka, who looked just as excited as I was. "If the clones are coming with us, then I'm in. And you, Knight Tano?"

She grinned. "Let's go bring some justice."

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The next morning, I stood on the hangar deck, watching the clones load the last of the supplies onto the Republic cruiser. Ahsoka approached, adjusting her gauntlets.

"This should be fun," she mused. "Hunting down criminals in Sith space. What could go wrong?"

I sighed. "You just had to say that."

A deep part of me knew that this mission wasn't going to be simple. The disturbance I felt a month ago still lingered in my mind. Korriban was more than just a system with old ruins—it was the birthplace of the Sith, a place that had devoured many Jedi before.

As I stepped onto the ship, I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of destiny pressing against me. The past month had shaped me, but I knew that this mission would test me in ways I had never imagined.

And I had a feeling that I wasn't just walking into a simple criminal hunt.

Something far darker awaited us on Korriban.

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