Across the Stars

Sekai Shyrr was a little older than most padawans. A Jedi Master would typically take personal charge of training a padawan when they had reached 14 years old but the war had thrown things into chaos on all sides of the conflict. Sekai's field training had been put to the wayside as no suitable Jedi master had been available for her training until Master Corvan Orius had tragically lost his padawan on the battlefield, the young boy killed by an ambushing Separatist battle group.

As she waited for a master, she practiced her saber skills at the temple, studied history and battle tactics in the library, meditated in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, and practiced her fledgling Force powers. She was recognized as being somewhat weak in the Force but was proficient in her other categories. Master Cin Drallig himself had commended her saber skills but pointed out numerous flaws during each sparring session. At least she had the potential, if not the practical skills yet.

The day Master Corvan Orius had walked into the temple, mere weeks after losing his padawan, he had locked eyes with Sekai as she moved from the library to the training room. She felt a rush of the Force flow through her and saw him shuffle uncomfortably. Hours later, she was summoned from her lightsaber drills to the council chamber where an impromptu gathering of available council members informed her that she was now assigned to Master Orius as his padawan learner and would accompany him back to his flagship; a Venator-class cruiser, the "Vanger." She had been a mixed ball of emotions, emotions the council and her Jedi training told her to stifle, but as she packed her few belongings and gazed at her temple chambers one last time, she couldn't help but feel excited. And scared.

The walk to the transport platform had been silent between her and Orius, he seemed hesitant to speak. The ride to the Vanger was a little less quiet but he merely cautioned her on steps to avoid tripping over or bulkheads to duck under as they moved from shuttle to shuttle and finally into the vast cruiser still in drydock on the planet Coruscant.

Manufactured by Kuat Drive Yards and boasting a length of 1,150 meters, a 548 meter wingspan, and a height of 268 meters, the roughly triangular Venator-II class Star Destroyer was the backbone of the Republic Navy. Crewed by 7,400 people and with a carrying capacity of 2,000 additional soldiers, the cruiser was a force to be reckoned with and this one, the Vanger, had two smaller support vessels that carried an additional 500 soldiers each along with transports and vehicles for ground invasions.

Sekai had marveled as their shuttle approached. Vast red swaths of paint and carbon scoring across the hull showed the dual pride of the Republic and the ferocity with which it battled its enemies. She had briefly considered how she was now expected to battle the enemies of the Republic with the same fervor.

It wasn't until they had stood upon the bridge, final preparations for launch under way, that Orius had finally spoken properly to Sekai. Orius was a male human, about middle-aged, with some gray hairs showing through his otherwise black head of hair. He was well-built and had the air of a soldier, one who had seen Hell and come back. Mixed with that sense was immense loss and grief. He had cared deeply for his padawan and the loss crushed him. He knew his duty was to continue training, move to the next padawan, teach her so she wouldn't meet the same fate, but he still felt trepidation at the task. It seemed like she just reminded him of his failure every time he looked at her.

Sekai stood beside him that day, gazing out from the bridge, and listened intently as he formally introduced himself and vowed that he would do all that he could to protect and teach her. She could sense, even with her weak control of the Force, that he was a hurting man who needed to do to this to aid in his own process of healing.

He had then summoned his leadership staff to introduce the new padawan to the officers she would need to know the most. Almost all of Master Orius's entire crew was made up of clones though each had individualized himself through tattoos, haircuts, or scars earned in battle. Sekai could also sense slight variations in their mental processes between them, depending on role it seemed. Soldiers were aggressive and coordinated, sailors were a bit more passive but more thoughtful, and officers tended to be analytical and intuitive.

That day, four men stood before the two Jedi and Master Orius introduced each.

Numbered as CC-0377, Commander Yuten was the ground forces commander and he was as standard as clones came. Commanders tended to be proud of their natural features and he maintained that. Firm facial features, a steady voice, and strong physique marked him as a soldier and the eight pips on his white and yellow armor marked him as a Marshal Commander, the highest rank of clone commander.

Beside him stood Captain Qent, one of the very few enlisted crewmen of the 78th Division, he captained and commanded the vessel in combat often working in tandem with Orius. He had sandy blond hair that broke slightly out of regulation length and gentle facial features that complimented his soft yet commanding voice well. He smiled warmly at Sekai and shook her hand, the only one of the men to do so.

Behind him was Chief Engineer Kresk. Incidentally one of the few non-humans on the vessel. Kresk was a stout blue-skinned Duros male that nodded deeply in greeting. He was there more as a formality, but Sekai would need to know who was next in command should the structure be broken down.

Lastly, and most curiously, was Lieutenant CT-8311, named "Seogi" and he was assigned as Sekai's guide and bodyguard by Commander Yuten as a special request from Master Orius. Seogi was Yuten's second in command and was also given a smaller detachment of 24 clones to serve as a special squad in combat for both protecting and training Sekai in the practicalities of warfare. Seogi was powerfully built, like every other clone soldier of the Republic's army, but had shaved his hair into an angular design reminiscent of the Republic's emblem as a way of differentiating himself from his identical brothers. The pair of vertical lines on his blue accented armor that marked him as a lieutenant helped further the distinction.

Sekai was dismissed shortly after meeting the primary officers and Seogi then guided her to her quarters, answering questions about the ship, the troops, and himself as they went. He spoke stiffly, giving her short answers and refusing attempts at small talk if they weren't a direct question. She stayed silent after getting rebuffed for asking if the two had anything in common they could bond over, since they were going to spend more time together as bodyguard and Jedi. He answered coldly, "We have nothing in common, sir."

After leading her to her bunkroom in an awkward silence and giving her his communicator code so she could summon him as needed, Seogi departed and left the bewildered padawan to slowly unpack her gear and try to familiarize herself with the small room. Her was mind abuzz with thoughts and emotions.