13 - Men are from Coruscant, Women are from Corellia

<div id="i4c-draggable-container" style="position: fixed; z-index: 1499; width: 0px; height: 0px;"><div data-reactroot="" class="resolved" style="all: initial;"></div></div>"Nabarra out! Nabarra out! Nabarra out!"

I sit in a sculpted park besides a pink monstrosity that the locals consider art watching local politics in action. Well a public demonstration against their current leaders. The arrests following the recent adventure had led to some wide ranging revelations. While still miniscule in the Galactic scheme of things, Aura's operation had attracted a number of interested persons, the arrest of their agents leading the authorities down some illuminating lines of inquiry. This in turn has led to a number of scandals, like the one playing out here. Gad Nabarra, leader of the Progressives and current premier of Corellia had been implicated in having his fingers in the slavery pie. He was currently at the 'deny everything' phase, while his opponents were not wasting time letting the voting public know. Some of which were now in the streets noisily clamouring for him to step down.

Democracy is indeed the worst form of government as Winnie was fond of pointing out and all that.

"This is all your fault Coruscant." says Hera from behind me.

I turn round. Hera is doing her best to glare at me, number four only though. Is she okay?

"How, is it all my fault. I neither participate in nor encourage the institution of slavery. Quite the opposite in fact. With regards to the local excitement, I am but a humble observer." I say.

That earns me a snort from Hera.

"You, you have casually strolled in and caused no end of embarrassment to us. The Isolationists are rising like anything and with the overtures made by the Confederacy things could propel people somewhere foolish. Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me this was not your intention all along." she says.

I stand up and face Hera. I look into her eyes and concentrate.

"I primarily am here to further Anakin's education and to train him in the ways of the Force. I helped in busting that slave operation because it was the right thing to do. As did you." I say.

"No-one believes that. You conveniently stumbled across that operation, one that we had missed, just happen to have assets available to render assistance and the leakage from everything has damaged one of our allies in the government."

It is clear that acting according to the Will of the Force is almost indistinguishable from a meticulously brilliant and planned operation.

"I can only plead that I follow the Will of the Force. I cannot be held responsible for the slavers ability to remain hidden, nor the Greens inability to detect it. Nor am I responsible for their actions or that of your political allies. As often happens, the Force placed me in the exact right place at the precise time to knock the entire house of cards over." I say.

"The what?" says Hera.

"House of cards. Do people not balance playing cards to make small, rather unstable structures? For fun?" I say.

"No, why would anyone do that?" says Hera.

I try to remember what playing cards look like here. To be honest, I skipped those mini games. Are playing cards not oblong here?

"Never mind, bad reference. The Force placed me in the right place for events to happen." I said.

"Events that favour you Coruscant and harm us." says Hera.

Last month you were right. Member of the Order which had not lost it's way. Now, it looks like that may not be so.

"You would rather your Order be tied to a corrupt politician? That dearly held assumptions not be given some reflection?" I ask.

"No! Of course not, but why is it you that has to do it?" says Hera.

Again there is that sense of something personal. If this were, say Obi-Wan I do not think she would protest so much. Of course that's also because Kenobi looks like 'he can read me the phonebook all day' Mcgregor. Anyways.

"I am sorry this has had unforeseen consequences. How about I help you with one? Come train Anakin with me. Tell your supervisor you persuaded me to do so by demonstrating your martial skills." I say.

Think I hadn't noticed you popping up all week? Before she can respond.

"Why thank you Hera. I accept. Such cooperation could be a sign of things to come. Well, we should hurry. Training begins in an hour." I say and begin walking for the Layferra Campus.

-----

Security at Layferra waves us through with little more than a raised eyebrow. After asking where Anakin is I head for the track because of course, that's where he is. Have Layferra even managed to get him into an actual classroom? Maybe. At the garage besides the track I find a mucky, mechanical fluids smeared Anakin and several older humans, who while not as liberally coated in the stuff as my charge have definitely been within the splatter radius. Anakin looks up from the racer, a gleaming silver affair resembling the Naboo ships.

"Dee-Jay! Sorry, I lost track of the time. Oh, hi Hera." he says.

Like every day we've been here. I get the sense he was extra distracted today.

"You do not need to be physically clean to use the Force, just clear of mind. Is the racer nearly finished?" I say looking at the sleek machine, it looks fast even just floating at rest.

"It is. It needs a test run. Can I do that first? Please?" says Anakin.

"It is best to focus on the task at hand. Since I doubt you're up to that until this thing has been round the track a few times, go ahead." I say.

Anakin beams and scrambles into the racer's pod. He dons a helmet and manoeuvres the racer out onto the track.

"Thank you again for taking on Anakin." I say to the Joffs, the senior engineer present. Joffs is a large moustachioed human a few years younger than me.

"It is we who should be thanking you. Most the time I feel it is we who are learning from him. Extraordinary." says Joffs as the racer lines up at the start position.

"Isn't that the way with any good student?" I say.

Joffs laughs. "Indeed it is. Indeed it is." the engineer looks at me, "Does Anakin have to become a Jedi? If he stayed with us he could revolutionise engineering. The field would simply explode."

Which is far better than planets if you ask anyone. Maybe not Palpy or Tarkin, but anyone sane.

There is a hum and a whoosh as the racer leaps and accelerates, flying over the track. Joffs and the other engineers ignore boring things like visiting Jedi and concentrate on truly important matters such as speed, handling, air resistance, power consumption, heat loss and a hundred other things to a chorus of 'Hmm', 'Well', 'My' as well as a few expletives as the racer zooms past us, Anakin figuratively giving what passes for physics here the finger.

'And did you see how fast his pod can go?' I guess it's my fault for memorising those lyrics all those years ago. Looks even faster in the flesh.

"Yes Coruscant. Are you really just going to let him go?" says Hera besides me.

"If that's what he wants, then yes. Anakin may surprise everyone though. He could pick several things. Space engineer, abolitionist and if he defects to the Greens he can also be a happily married man with a family and officially a Jedi." I say.

Hera opens her mouth, shuts it and stares at me.

"You can't do that." she says after a moment.

"Why not? These are not even the only options I intend to present to him. The Jedi don't just become lightsabre wielding Knights. He could be a terraformer, a healer or even an explorer." I say listing the other service branches of the Jedi Order, I think.

Another pause. "A terraformer. Really?" Hera says, the distaste evident in her tone.

"Yes! What's so bad about that? Practically every world in the Galaxy is terraformed to one degree or another, most with Jedi assistance. It may not be glamorous but it is an important and worthy part of our civilisation." I say.

"It's barely a step up from glorified dirt farmer. And they spend their entire time on the Rim." says Hera.

"Really? That's the public perception of them?" I say. Hera nods. "I wonder if I ask someone on the Rim their opinion I would get the same answer."

Further conversation is interrupted by the racer returning and it being swarmed by enthusiastic engineers. I wander over.

"With these numbers we can make a serious challenge at Argentuffe." says Joffs to various murmurs of agreement.

"I'm gonna be able to race again?" says Anakin excitedly.

Joffs looks a little worried. "That won't be possible son. Galactic racing regulations are that you must be of age to race. That's sixteen standard." he says.

Anakin scrunches up his face.

"Aww. That's not fair. Sixteen? That's forever." he says.

"It's not forever. Anakin is still able to work on the racer even if he is underage to pilot it?" I say.

"That he is. Come on lad, we can't break the rules but being the designer gets a whole lot of notice too." says Joffs.

"I still get to pilot it when testing? Right." asks Anakin.

"That should not be a problem. Oh well, better let you get on with your Jedi stuff." says Joffs.

"Thank you. Why don't you remain, join in. Before you ask the basic meditation is useful to anyone. After all, the Force is present in us all." I say.

Joffs looks unconvinced.

"Erm, well. I really want to check all this data. Another time perhaps?" he says before leaving. The other engineers follow.

Then it's a quick meditation session, warm up and run round the track.

"What am I learning today?" asks Anakin.

"I thought Hera could introduce both of us to her preferred fighting styles." I say before turning towards Hera. "If you want to, of course."

Hera frowns. Come on. He's the Chosen One. Show how you're better than me.

"Very well. Adopt a guard position. Is that it? Force help me." says Hera as she nods and begins.

-----

Ow. I am now staggering back to the apartment. Ow. I want a shower.

"That was fun. Is Hera going to help us again?" asks Anakin.

"I believe so. Well, until she kills me." I say. Ow.

"She won't kill you. She's a Jedi too." says Anakin. "Also, I think she likes you."

Ow. "Really? Is that why I am one big walking bruise?" I say.

"Yes. She is pushing us because she cares. I think she is worried about you." says Anakin.

Ow. I open the apartment door. We go inside.

"Okay. Showers. You first, grease monkey." I say.

Anakin looks at me for a second, but since he is now used to random references that make no sense from me he just ambles off to the showers. I sit down painfully. I close my eyes and focus. I'm reminded that eventually I'm going to run into dark side fueled maniacs with deadly rave sticks. So some good combat training is valuable. It may even be useful when I face down the Sith.

How many of those bozos are there? I mean the 'Rule of Two' sounds cool and ominous to deliver at the end of your new trilogy even though the only people who didn't know it was Palpatine weren't on solid food either. How does that work? All those daft Sith buggers cheat and try to game the system. Wasn't Maul Palp's minion on the side? Who thought he was a Sith. Dooku had that bald chick. There are only two. Sure. There's accidents and mistakes. Incidents where there apprentice attempts to off the master and both end up thinking the other is dead. Now you have two two's. Or four, eight, sixteen? Less a few to account for when the bozos score a mutual kill.

'There are nine.' comes the beguiling voice.

Great. Thanks Sharon. Of course I don't have to speculate when I have her.

'Palpatine and Dooku have been busy. Soon it will be just them. Unchallenged, unopposed and with me enslaved to their will.'

Oh great, the Sith basically have their own psychotic Highlander thing going. Complete with their own prize.

'Yes. Me. You said you wanted to fight slavery. Then free me. Help me.'

Then she is gone. I open my eyes. From the noises coming from Anakin's bedroom the shower is free. I rise and walk to clean myself before going to sleep.

-----

"Come on Dee-Jay, get up." says Anakin.

I am on my back. Again. Damn, Hera is both fast and powerful with those telekinetic hits. We're training today in a park outside our apartment as it's a day off for Layferra and co. but not us Jedi. Ever vigilant, or in my case ever bruised at the moment. It's been two weeks, tendays, whatever and I've been smacked around for most of them.

"Again Coruscant?" she says

I sit up wondering at the bruises I'll have today.

"Yeah. Again." I say and get up.

Salute the audience, salute your opponent and remember don't salute their majesties because Hera is charging right now. I counter charge. Strike, push, block, strike, push, strike, strike, block, push, lock.

"You're improving Coruscant." says Hera, her face only inches from mine.

"I'ld thank my teacher, but I'm told she's a heretic." I reply.

Break, charge, push, push, strike, block, block, push, hold, lock.

"Heretic? I'll show you."

"Now, now. Don't fight angry."

Break, strike, block, block, push, push, strike, block, strike, bam! I stumble, turn it into a roll and come standing up.

"Nice." says Hera as she charges again.

Block, push, lock.

"Had enough?" says Hera.

This time in reply I lean forward and kiss her on the cheek. Her determined expression breaks for a second. In that moment of lost concentration I telekinetically blast her off her feet.

I wait for her to get up.

"Stop cheating." she says.

"It is an illegal move to kiss your opponent? Oddly specific." I say.

"And when is that going to happen against a real opponent?" says Hera.

"You have to admit no Sith lunatic would see it coming. It could be the start of a new fighting form. Again?" I say.

"No. Anakin. Your turn while Coruscant considers his bouts. New form. And you call me the heretic." says Hera.

Anakin gets up and swaps places with me. I sit down and watch the two spar as I concentrate on letting the Force deal with the knocks. Mend those bruises, banish the lactic acid and repair those muscles. Hera is a bit gentler with someone half her size but they are still pretty furious. Even watching them is exhausting. After about twenty minutes of high impact, impact they break.

"Very good Anakin. Now we rest and focus on what has been learned." says Hera.

"Sure. Thanks Hera." says Anakin. He then bows and trots over to sit beside me, legs folded and closes his eyes. Hera walks over and sits on my other side.

"As for you Coruscant. I have a question. Why did you kiss me?" she says.

Good answer right now really appreciated brain.

"Would you have preferred I spat in your eye?" I say. Hand in your notice brain, we're not a teenager.

"I suppose not. Be warned Coruscant. I will not be one of your conquests." says Hera stiffly.

The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Yeah, thanks Gertrude.

"Then keep calling me Coruscant and you should be fine." I say.

"Fine. I'll do that." says Hera.

I meditate and concentrate on the session, replaying the events in my mind. The style is what you could expect from close quarters fighting like you normally get in the narrow confines of a starship. You do however, ideally want someone watching your back, on the defensive, covering for you. I consider asking Hera about what must be the complimentary style when there is a strange twisting sensation in my gut, like I had eaten something bad. Not a good idea. Okay.

Hera practices a highly aggressive fighting style and belongs to an order where you typically marry. Damn. The problem with puzzles is not seeing what is there, but rather what is absent. Also, in our recent little adventure I had fallen into that supporting role, almost naturally.

You idiot. Begs the question of course. What do I do now?

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