When they were fourteen-
"Come on," Thane said. He sat opposite her, cross-legged, deep within the Fortress. "You know this."
"Do I?"
"This guy started a war."
Ciena's head swam. They'd been reviewing galactic history for three hours now. "Okay. The criminal gang that interfered with a legal execution on Geonosis and sparked the Clone Wars was led by . . . by . . ." She shut her eyes, winced, and said, "Mace Windu?"
Then she opened her eyes again to see Thane grinning at her. "See. You knew it all along."
Next to them, the CZ-I droid clucked approvingly. "Your grasp of history is excellent, Miss Ree. In my opinion, you should be much more worried about calculus."
Her face fell. Thane glared at CZ-I. "I knew we should've installed the tact upgrade."
"What use is tact if it keeps you from learning?" CZ-I shuffled closer, his ancient joints no longer easy to move. "When you first smuggled me into the ridgecrawler to bring me here for study sessions, you said I was to ensure that both of you passed the exams. I can't do that by pretending you understand certain subjects when you don't."
Ciena could've groaned in despair. These weren't even the entrance exams for the academy. These would only allow her to qualify for the academy's preparatory courses. "If these tests are kicking my butt, how can I ever pass the real ones?" She tried to make it a joke, but her voice cracked.
Thane heard her. "Hey," he said, leaning closer. "You're smart enough. You can fly any single-pilot ship in the Imperial Starfleet, and I bet you could even handle a Star Destroyer on your own, if they gave you the chance."
She had to laugh. "I doubt it."
"I don't doubt it." His words became firmer, more forceful. "I don't doubt you. So stop doubting yourself, okay. We can do this."
Ciena repeated the words to make herself believe them. "We can."