Across the Stars

Chapter 30

Obi-Wan stood on the bridge of the Negotiator before the Jedi council far away on Coruscant. "Anakin and his men are already enroute, but regardless I'm afraid that we are badly outnumbered to defend Kamino, especially given the fact we are not only expecting Grievous to be at this battle but Ventress as well. We need more Jedi to face this threat."

Master Windu leaned forward in his chair. "Unfortunately, the separatist army has picked a perfect time to launch this attack, there are no Jedi that we can spare from various other fronts across the galaxy." At this, Obi-Wan pulled his hand down his face in frustration.

"Surely there must be one Jedi we can spare?"

Obi-Wan's question was met with silence for a moment, and then Master Plo-Koon, also joining this meeting from a distant place aboard his own Cruiser, spoke up. "I may know someone who can assist us in this fight. She could get there quickly and could be critical in maintaining security on Kamino."

"A Jedi?" Obi-Wan asked.

"She is trained in our ways, though was never fully inducted to the order." Obi-Wan could swear that at this point Plo-Koon was giving Master Windu a very pointed stare.

"The woman you refer to is not an official part of the Grand Army of the Republic, and cannot simply be dispatched to help with a high priority mission." Windu was staring right back at Plo-Koon, his eyes narrowing in apprehension.

For a moment, there was a tense silence, then Master Yoda gently said, "Dire, the situation is. Contact her, Master Plo, you must."

***

Shira's personal shuttle was traveling through hyperspace at top speeds. When Plo-Koon had reached out to her she hadn't hesitated in canceling her remaining plans for the coming days and flying as fast as she could towards Kamino. She hadn't been able to contact Rex on the matter, but she had left him a brief message on their long-range communication device.

I'm coming to Kamino. The Jedi don't know my identity.

As Shira pulled her hair back into a tight bun she felt a gentle pull in the force as she got closer to Rex. She could tell he had read the message and was reaching out for her. Shira pushed a wave of reassurance and love through their bond and focused on the masks in front of her. She was dressed in white and beige Jedi robes, and was trying to find something to cover her face. Finally, she pulled out a white mask marked with gold, one that matched the masks of the temple guardians on Coruscant. Though she had never fully been inducted into the order, she had spent most of her young life at the temple, and when she had left the temple, she had been gifted this mask by Master Yoda, his way of telling her that the Jedi would always be a part of her.

She ran her thumb over the cheek of the mask fondly, then tied it in place. As she turned to look in the mirror, she was taken aback for a moment. In her reflection she saw the person she had almost become. The jedi she was in everything but name. Attaching her lightsaber to her belt, she turned towards the cockpit filled with resolve. Not only would she protect Kamino as a Jedi, but as Rex's wife.

Shira dropped out of hyperspace into an intense battle in Kaminoan airspace. Hailing the Negotiator, she transmitted her landing codes and only had to wait a moment before she was directed to an orbit where she could attempt to get to the surface of Kamino. Attached was a chilling message.

Get to the nursery, we believe Ventress is attempting to strike there.

Swinging her ship around in a sharp turn Shira dove towards the gray surface of the planet. Thankfully allied ships were watching for her shuttle and kept separatist droids off her shuttle's back until she broke through the ever-constant cloud cover of Kamino and sped towards a free landing pad.