Shadow Jedi

Chapter 3

The planet Crait was on the edge of our field of vision. We load up back into our gunship. The doors are sealed shut, even the vents as we will have to use the gunship to get to the planet. Once again, I am sandwiched between Cody, Gregon, and Kenobi. The trip is hard and fast to keep off any scanners that may be on the surface. We can already see two Separatist ships on the surface. The Gunships do not land. Instead, it lowers to about ten feet above the ground and waits thirty seconds before taking off again.

Cody orders the men to deploy their spikes in their shoes to help with their grip. Glad to have worn my tights with my breakaway skirt, I pull spikes that live in the skirt's belt out and attach them to the toes of my shoes, "Look at that," Waxer points at them, "Where did those come from?"

"My training teaches me to always be prepared and think outside the box," I answer before standing up straight.

"General," Cody draws Kenobi's attention, "What are your orders?"

"We saw at least two ships," Master Kenobi states, rubbing his chin with his right hand, "We need to see both sides of their camp, but for now, we stay together."

We start towards the Separatist base. Cody and Boil take the lead, followed by myself and Kenobi, and the rest behind us. We walk along the base of the salt hills, using them to block the wind. Another trait of Crait that makes it a harsh place for humans. As we continue on or way, I can't shake the feeling that something is coming. Master Kenobi can even feel my uneasiness, "Are you alright, Padawan?"

"Yes," just something doesn't feel right."

"Calm your mind, Taisiya. It is normal to be nervous on your first mission, but don't let it cloud your judgment."

"Yes, Master."

Getting to the end of the hill coverage, after another hour of walking, Cody starts to make his way up the hill. The feeling from earlier has not gone away and even grows the higher up he gets. At the last second, I yank him back with the force, "Everyone, get down. Now!"

Cody lands next to me, but before anyone can yell or question me, a group of Separatist battle droids starts walking past along the edge, "Everyone down," Master Kenobi whispers. I look at him before raising my two hands in front of myself. I focus on raising concealment for the whole team until the small group of droids is passed. Even with the training that Master Jarrus has put me through, holding a screen for this many people is hard.

"Master," I whisper as my hands start to shake. He looks at me and then back at the droids.

"Just a few more seconds, Taisiya," his face holds a confident look.

 As soon as the droids are out of view, I drop my arms and start taking a few deep breaths, "Thanks, Commander," Cody offers me his hand to help me stand, "How did you know that the droids were there?"

"I don't know how to explain it other than I just knew."

Boil slowly makes his way up the hill and gently peaks over the top, "Well, there is no droids in sight General."

Kenobi quickly checks a holo-map on his wrist before looking over the men and me, "We are over halfway to the droid base," he moves the map, "There are a set of caves no more than two clicks to the west. We can rest there for most of the night before heading out before the sun rises."

"Why not keep going through the night," Havoc asks, "We could be at their base before the sun rises and surprise them," his eyes flicker to me before moving on, "We have at least two more hours of sunlight."

"We have been going for five hours," Boil states.

"We will rest when we can," Kenobi states, "The scanners that the droids have work at night. They most likely will not work in the middle of the day because of the minerals and salt surface."

Without another word the group moves out towards the caves. Kenobi keeps a close eye on me, knowing that the screen I put up earlier would have drained me. However, I am going to prove myself to my group of Clones. It takes twenty minutes to reach the caves. After Waxer and Wooley clear them, we set up camp in the mouth of one. Havoc is put on the first watch. 'Since he has extra energy,' as Cody says. Everyone settles down for some shut-eye.

"Taisiya," I turn my head to my Master, "Get some sleep. We will speak later, okay."

"Yes, Master."

Kenobi and I take the last shift before everyone wakes up. He takes this time to speak with me, "You did well yesterday, my Padawan. Have you had any other feeling like the one from yesterday before?"

I nod, thinking back to a youngling class, "The first time I noticed it was when Master Gallice was teaching our class. She was working with another youngling when I got a bad feeling. I ended up force-pushing her into the wall; however, it saved her from the lightsaber that somehow got off of training mode."

"Does Master Jarrus know about this?"

"Yes, he tried doing different things to see if I have the gift of intuition. But I never got a feeling," I sigh, "Can I meditate till the men get up."

With a nod of his head, I move through the group of sleeping men into a darker part of the cave. I sit down, letting the coolness of our shelter wash over me. Clearing one's mind has been helpful for me since I started training with both my masters. Their styles are so different, and I try not to compare, but sometimes it is hard not to. I have found that clearing my mind lets me focus on the information that they are teaching me instead of the style. By the time Kenobi calls for us, I feel refreshed with the force.

Gathering around the map, Master Kenobi lay out the plan, "We will split into two groups. I will lead a team, and Commander Cody will lead the second squad. Gregon, Wooley, and Boiler, you will be with me heading to the far side of the camp. Everyone else, you are with Cody and taking this side of the camp. We will move into position and wait for midday before trying to gain access. "

After getting our stuff together and readying to set out, I can feel my master's concern through the force.  Just before I pass over the salt hill, "Master," he looks up at me, "May the force be with you."

"May the force be with you."