Chapter 4 - Say what?!

Echo was sitting at a table with Broze, Aero, Nya, Kali, and Juno, laughing. Aero was reluctantly sitting at the table covering his head.. Apparently, he still thought he was popular, but not after what happened with the lightsaber and evening-meal incident.
“Greetings,” she said as she came up to the table and sat beside Echo.
“Achuta,” Echo said. “And before you ask, that means ‘hello’ in Huttese.”
“Oh,” Ash said laughing a little. “Sorry I was late, I was exercising.”
They all sighed.
“Enough about boring stuff,” Kali said. “I heard from a secret source of mine that Yoda is firing Master Windu.”
“How many times must I tell you?” Juno shot back. “It’s not happening!” Kali just rolled her eyes.
“Master Windu and Master Yoda are as close as a Jedi and their lightsaber,” Nya said.
“Or as a Rancor and his food,” Broze said. Ash laughed, and so did everybody else. Broze was the guy that made everybody laughed.
“Plus, I don’t think you can actually fire a Jedi Master,” Echo said. “Unless he goes to the dark side.”
“Whatever,” Kali said irritated.
After lunch, everybody (except Kali) went back to Ash’s room with her. They wanted to try out her obstacle course. It was very small, and you would have to wait your turn to go through it, but it did work out a sweat. Nya also went through it more than once.
Ash noticed that once Echo went through it once, she was about down. Ash sensed that she wasn’t too happy about it, but she was still having a good time. The same feeling she got from Broze, but he stayed because Aero kept going through the course. They always stayed together.
It was about 5 minutes till class started when Echo left.
“Uh guys, sorry but class is going to start soon. So catch ya after class!" Echo shouted as she ran out the door.
Ash and the others looked at the time to and realized they should be going. They all left in a group. They 3 had the next class together. Ash was in all advanced class, so she hardly ever saw her friends.
Her next class was one she particularly enjoyed. As an advanced student for her age, she was already training under Jedi battlemaster Cin Drallig. She grabbed her favorite lightsaber, a curvy, bright magenta blade.
She hurried out of her room and to her next class. She slipped inside, being a little late, hoping that Master Drallig wouldn’t notice.
She got in the room and slipped into line with the other students.
“I’m going to get right into things today,” he said. “First of all, I need Ash Chi to step forward.”
Ash stepped forward. Oh great, she thought. I’m in trouble again.
“Ash, Master Yoda has requested your presence in the arena,” Master Drallig said.
“Right away,” Ash said, and left the room. She was very relieved. But she also wondered what why Yoda wanted to see her so soon. Twice in one day is very unusual.
She made her way the to the arena and opened the door. She was surprised to Master Yoda and Master Windu standing in the middle of the arena, along with Echo. Ash ran to the center of the room.
“I didn’t do anything this time! Jedi Promise!” she said out of breath.
“Trouble you are not in, Ash. Tested to be a padawan you are to be,” Yoda said.
“Well, that’s what I meant of course. Why would I ever be in trouble?” she said quickly, hoping the two masters didn’t hear it. Of course they did, and gave her a stern look. Ash looked over and saw Echo laughing.
“Hmmmm,” Yoda said, and then let out a small chuckle for himself. Mace Windu stopped the chuckling.
“Greetings girls,” Windu said. “We have a test for you.”
“Bring it on!” Ash said tauntingly. She couldn’t help herself. It was her nature.
“She means we’re ready,” Echo quickly put in. If it wasn’t for Echo saving her, the Masters may have sent her back to her room.
Mace opened his mouth as to say something, but quickly closed it and opened it again.
“The test is simple,” he said. “You must choose 5 of your friends, and you will battle them.”
Yoda nodded.
“Aero, Broze, Kali, Juno, Nya,” they both said at the same time. They must have a strong twin connection to be able to talk like this all the time. Ash didn’t even notice it anymore, and she’d only known her for a day. But still, Ash couldn’t figure out how they could have gotten close to each other so quick.
Master Windu gave them both an odd look, then grabbed his comlink and said something Ash couldn’t make out.
Soon all of her friends came down. Kali came down with her hair in curlers.
“Is there an emergency? I’m kinda in the middle of something,” Kali said, pointing to her head.
“There is no emergency, but you have been called down her to be tested in battle against Ash and Echo,” Windu said.
Ash’s face fell to shock. She couldn’t fight her friends, but she also knew that to be a Jedi meant no attachments, and if it meant battling her own friends, she would do it.
Her friends just groaned. Ash could tell just be looking at them that they knew they didn’t stand a chance and that they really didn’t want to waist their time. But they would have to.
First up was herself against Aero, and Echo against Broze. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Echo ignite her lightsaber and charge towards Broze. She snapped out of that and faced her opponent.
“Bring it on Ash!” he said proudly.
He was already running towards her. She flipped high over his head and ignited her lightsaber in the air. She slashed at Aero while she was in the air, but he deflected it. She landed and spun around, just in time to meet Aero’s green blade to hers. They were in a lightsaber lock. It’s time to get serious, she thought to herself. She disengaged her lightsaber and moved out of the way, leaving room for Aero to go falling down past her. On his way down, she hit him in the head with the handle of her lightsaber. He grunted and fell to the floor. He turned over and Ash offered him a hand to help him up. He accepted.
“That was unexpected,” he struggled to say.
Ash looked over and saw Broze face first on the floor and Echo apologizing to him.
Yoda nodded and Nya and Juno walked up, Nya to Echo and Juno to Ash. Nya and Juno ignited their lightsabers and both charged. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nya and Echo engaged in a lightsaber lock. Ash, lightsaber still disengaged, slipped under Juno’s first swing and kicked her in the back as she went by. She grunted, but didn’t give up. Then, she heard Nya scream. She felt bad for her friends.
Juno regained her balance, and steadied herself in front of Ash. Juno attacked, and Ash ducked all the slashes. On the other side of the room, she heard Nya scream again.
She finally found an opening and kicked Juno’s lightsaber away from her hand, and landed a high kick to the chest. Juno fell back with Ash’s foot on her stomach.
“Ok, ok! I’m done!” Juno said out of breath.
Ash released her from her foot and helped her up. She looked over to Echo and saw her holding up Nya. Nya had a huge wound on her side. It was nasty.
Ash and Echo looked over to Kali. Master Windu and Yoda were looking at her too.
“Ya….no way you can get me to participate in this suicide attempt! I’m out of here!” she said and left the arena.
Ash hated this test so much. She had battled friends before, but this time it had been different. The looks on her friend’s faces scared her. They seemed hurt on the inside and the out. Ash hated those looks with a passion. Her friends were her life, but that was probably part of this test. The masters want to know if she was ready on the inside, not just by what she could do with a lightsaber. They needed to know if she was prepared mentally to attack someone who was close to her if needed. Or if she could manage just being away from her friends. They needed to know if she was prepared to let go of people close to her for the greater good.
Mace Windu spoke up.
“Yes Echo, that was the point of this test,” he said talking to Echo.
So, know we’re even thinking the same thing, Ash thought.
“The test, you have passed,” Yoda said.
“Thank You, masters,” They both said.
“But what exactly have we passed?” Ash asked. She wanted to know why the Masters had ordered this test.
“Proven you have to be ready to become Padawans,” Yoda said. “Despite your young age.”
“But I must warn you Ash, “Master Windu said. “If you hope to be chosen as a padawan soon, I suggest you work on your attitude a bit.”
“Yes master,” Ash replied. Why are the masters always critiquing me? Master Drallig seems to like me.
“Dismissed, you are,” Yoda said.
Echo and Ash left the arena and went to their rooms.
“What do ya say we get to know each other some more?” Echo asked her.
“I’m sorry, but I just need to be left alone for a bit,” Ash replied. She didn’t want to make Echo feel left out, but she didn’t feel like being with anyone.
“Besides, don’t you have to get back to class?” Ash asked her.
“I guess so,” Echo said. “Goopta ma bossa!” she said as she turned around and headed the other way. She seemed to always have a smile on her face.
So did Ash, but she just didn’t feel like it right now. As she walked back to her room, thoughts raced through her mind. Why can’t I just control my attitude, huh? It would save me a lot of trouble. Maybe I just like the drama. But I hate feeling like this. I know I just passed the tests to become a padawan very early, but no one will ever pick me because of my attitude.
Ash got to her room and locked the door. She flipped onto her bed and sat there. She took out her lightsaber and ignited it. It was only a training saber, and wouldn’t cause much damage. The only way the Council had agreed she have more than one lightsaber was if she put a safety lock on it, to which only a Jedi Master could remove when she became a padawan. But now she wondered if that lock would ever be removed.
She stared in to the vibrant pink-red blade. A peace fell over her, and she let it flow through her. She seemed already more relaxed.
She picked up her hand and lightly touched the blade. It stung, but not enough for her to yelp or grunt. She had always wondered what a real blade would feel like, but she wasn’t about to find out anytime soon. That’s why she would touch her training blade, to remind her not to come in contact with a real blade, whether by accident or in battle.
There was a knock on her door that brought her away from her peaceful state. She deactivated the blade and put on a robe so no one would she the burn on her hand. She looked at the chrono. 4 hours had passed since the battle. Classes would almost be over.
She opened the door. There stood a teenage female Mon Calamari Ash didn’t remember seeing before.
“The council wishes to see you,” she said. “As soon as possible.”
“Thank you. I’ll be on my way then,” she said and closed the door. The Mon Calamari left with out saying anything else.
As Ash put on a fresh new tunic, she wondered. What does the Council want now?
She had no idea, but she hoped it was important to interrupt her peace and quiet.
She put on a fresh tunic, a grabbed a different lightsaber with a bright green blade, and headed to the Council Chamber. It was a long walk from her room.
When she reached the Chamber, she was admitted right away. When the door opened, the Force flowed through her. She loved this place.
Cin Drallig stood in the middle of the chamber and looked over at Ash and smiled slightly. Ash walked to the middle of the chamber and bowed respectfully to Cin and the other masters.
“Ash, we’ve asked you here again because Master Drallig has agreed to take you as his apprentice,” Master Windu said.
Ash’s heart almost stopped. You’ve got to be kidding me?! She thought to herself.
“Kidding, we are not,” Yoda said, sensing her thoughts.
Ash couldn’t put very many words together at the moment, so she said to her new master and the other masters around her, “Thank you! So much!”
“Congratulations. Now go, become more acquainted with your new master,” Windu said. “But come back in one hour, both of you. You will be meeting with some of the other new Padawans and their masters.”
Mace looked over to Ash.
“Echo will be here also, along with her new master.”
She’s a padawan too now? YES! Ash thought.
Ash almost skipped out of the Council Chamber, but she knew better. She was a padawan. Finally! This is gonna be a piece of cake, she thought.

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