On the surface of Corust, at a heavily reinforced positiohe Senate building. A lot of different armed and armored brigades were moving to eh the increasing droid presen the surface. Many e equipments were still used in the current republic army, obviously not all of those were stolen by the rebelling es. However, this time, those ons were managed by none ilitary personals.

  Two panies ur soldiers and another pany of elite Senate guards were entrusted with the defense of the symbolically valuable Senate building. The leaders of the defensive forces were her than Grandmaster Yoda.

  Master Windu was also here, but left with the iion of succeeding in a preemptive attack against one of the major spaceship's nding ptforms, which the enemy had retly taken, and they were clearly intending to use it as aion base to unch atacks against high priority targets. Just like the Sehe Jedi temple and the already damaged energy districts of the city sector.

  The battle was readying itself to step into the phase of iy.

  Yoda was standing at the top of the staircase leading into the Senate building, looking over the unfoldis with a tired but intense gaze.

  Above him, the battle was raging without an end. The fighter ships and droid troop transporters were locked in an unending loop to dodge the stant anti-aircraft fire. While also forced to dodge the occasional republic fighter ships, which brazenly flew into their allies anti air fire just to take out a few more transport ships, their as were dht suicidal, yet for the trained eye, it was also weirdly anized. Like bees flying around their harassed .

  Yoda has sehe powerful force preseretg over the p and beyond. He also knew what it was, but seeing its effi such a rge scale battle was still shog to him.

  -We have indeed fotten much, too much from our aors’ legacy… If we had just a few masters who knew battle meditation on a much lesser scale, then we could have put this war behind us a long time ago. Sparing tless lives in the process…

  Yoda gnced up once again at the sky, then sighed. His foow turowards the man standing by his side, just a few steps behind.

  -e andar Gree, are you sure that you are ready for duty? Is your head injury properly healed yet?

  -Affirmative General, it is good to be back. We are really grateful to you for putting in a word for us. We won’t let you down, not this time, or ever again.

  There was a flicker of emotion leaking into the battle hardened e ander’s voice. It was rare for such shows of emotion to happen with e troopers. Especially the morously trained ander units.

  However, Yoda wasn’t surprised by this. es or not, they were still human. He khat more than most people in the Republic did. He also uood that the es didn’t have any choice, they were forced to follow the order through the behavioral modification biochip. They have removed the biochip from as many captured es as they could, but they also ime to recover from the operations, before they could be returo service.

  Yoda was silent for a while, as the stant explosions occurred around the massive shield geor pced in a way that its energy field surrouhe entire Senate building.

  Then he eventually said it with strained words.

  -I have been living for a long time, ander. Maybe a loime than I should have. It seems that the force willed it for me to be in charge of the Jedi Order in such crucial moments. In moments, when I find myself failing my duties, more often than not. I have made my fair share of mistakes, Gree. I am not going to it another, and send a loyal soldier away, for as done beyond his trol.

  There was a short, but peaceful silengulfing the two people. Then Gree gave a nod and added.

  -General, if I might be as bold to say.

  -Go ahead.

  The man gave off a quick salute and stated loudly.

  -It has been an honor to fight by your side, General. And I believe that when I say that, I speak in my brother's pce as well.

  Yoda was surprised a speechless by this statement. Therefore, the only thing he did was nod. Theurned back to look at the aerial battle still happening over their heads.

  In the deep undergrouor of the capital city, which was even more fortified than the Senate and the Jedi Temple together. Master Kenobi and Master Secura jedi masters and a handful of more jedi knights were leading the defending troopers around the secret military energy facility. That was basically emp most of the military facilities around this part of the p.

  It was a key point in all manner of defeactics, and therefore, it was heavily guarded. trating a high number of jedi and military personals to be pced around it.

  Unfortunately, the location of the energy facility was not that hidden anymore, sihe cellor naturally knew of its existence before he turned out to be a traitor and a Sith lord. Because of this, it o be fortified as much as possible and guarded in a simir manner.

  Luckily, the enemy units didn’t arrive to this level yet, but it was only a matter of time.

  Near one of the main nding ptforms of the capital, two panies of the sed army, led by General Windu, equipped with heavily armored walkers known as AT-TE’s were advang towards the airfield.

  Luckily, at this time, most of the civilians had been evacuated to lower levels of the p, but there were still a few stragglers running around predictively trying to do just that.

  The retively long military ade out of esc troops and mostly AT-TE walkers was not that hard to spot from the sky, even as they passed between a forest of skyscrapers. They were retively in cover, except if a ship passed by right above them. Which happens frequently.

  Thanks to their luck or the sheer chaos unfolding above them, they weren’t attacked from the air just yet. However, that could ge at any moment. The soldiers also khis and were stantly gng up towards the sky with worried gazes. The tension was already palpable and still growing.

  Windu was walking in the forefront of the voy, gring into the dark streets ahead, and trying to pierce through every shadow hidden in the darkness. The sun had pletely gone down by now. It was officially nighttime.

  In front of Windu, a new face of Corust came to life now, ohat he didn’t know before.

  Thanks to the still flickering lights and unreliable publiergy service, which was the result of the earlier attacks on the energy pnt, and no doubt additional more ret attacks, Corust public levels of electricity had gone down once more. At least on this sector of the rge p, but other parts might also be in a simir case, based on the sheer magnitude of this frontation.

  It was the most basic strategy of war, to annihite or at least slow down enemy infrastructure by taking out sources of energy, whi this case was electricity.

  As the soldiers marched, they became aware of a series of bsts and shouts somewhere in front of them. Windu immediately gave the order to stop the voy.

  -Scouts!

  He shouted and two soldiers ran up to him, saluting almost simultaneously.

  -Rep for duty General!

  -Good! Go ahead, figure out the situation a to me what is going on, immediately.

  -Yes sir! Right away, sir!

  With that, the two soldiers leapt into a. Prang forward into the dark forest of human made crete buildings. In their movements, the only light source drawing out their silhouettes from time to time was the brief flicker of blowing up starships itles far above them.

  Windu looked after the scouts for o time, then turned his gaze towards the rest of the soldiers.

  -Everyone else, prepare to engage!

  The soldiers didn’t say mu response, but most of them started to look over their gear, cheg if it funed properly. While those who had more experieh simir battles seemed to be preparing themselves mentally, they must have checked their equipment already, probably multiple times.

  Windu also decided to prepare for the iable, calling a variety of jedi stances and force abilities into the forefront of his mind. Going through those moves, if only in his mind, for the billionth of times, was still useful.

  It was his life’s effort, the culmination of all that he stands for. It was not thanks to talent. Talent pyed the smallest role in it as ba his day, and even now, there are more taleudents. There were people who were stronger in the force.

  However, there were not many that could rival his sheer stubbornness, his willpower to reach the pinnacle of his abilities. Through repetition, practice, meditatioing it endlessly, days in and days out. He has earned himself the pce among the Jedi High cil even when he never wao be in su annoying position.

  Bureaucratic jobs were not suitable for his character, but Yoda didn’t seem to uand this. He wao hone his abilities, and all the politics he was angled in were doing everything in their power to hihose efforts.

  Holy, if it wasn’t for Master Yoda, he would long have left this cursed po live out his life in seclusion, somewhere on the fringes of the gaxy. There were so many miraculous pces to make a self-supp home, and train in peace, alone.

  Things weren’t easy now that some of his old friends returelling him tales of a life that they fulfilled while he only dreamt of it. He was quite obviously jealous of them, but how could he leave now? When the jedi needed him more than ever before… To live such a life in the near future was nothing short of a daydream.

  He sighed deeply.

  His sorrowful thoughts were gently interrupted by the snarky words of one of those earlier mentioned old friends.

  -I think I uand it now.

  Windu already felt that this versation wouldn't end in his particur favor, but couldn’t really help himself and asked the question of which the other presence was clearly waiting for.

  -And what is that exactly?

  The voice broke off towards a pyful dire. The sound of every sylble spoken by this feminine voice was like an art, a music to the ears, a secret only those cherished who were able to prehend and appreciate the small things in life.

  Against all that was a on belief in the Jedi temple, he was someone who truly could appreciate such things. Unfortunately, behind the song, like w, the actual tents spoken were not so endearing to his ego and mind.

  -What else could it be, Mace? I am speaking about the reason why all your hair jumped off your head. It must be more reasonable for them to it suicide instead of enduring your scowls any further.

  Windu finally turowards the source of the song like voice, with an even deeper scowl etched into his face.

  His scowl soon fell apart and ged into a cheeky smile.

  -Like you are oo talk, Mevu.

  He looked at the form of the familiar bith woman standing nearby while scrutinizing the dept of his wrinkles; she was just as brazen as he remembered. Or even more so… where was the st time he saw her he wondered? Before he could figure it out, his question was already answered by the person in front of him.

  -It was over thirty years now, I believe. And that is not something you should say to a dy. Even if I never had hair to begin with, the implication is just rude. Sigh… but I agree, time surely flies by. Look at us now, do you believe that I am sidered old now? I swear to my flute-saber that I ain’t feeling older than thirty by a single day!

  Mace shook his head lightly while pointing out the obvious.

  -That is probably because of the force slowing down your natural aging…

  -I wonder why it didn’t work out for you then?

  Windu furrowed his eyebrows once more and added.

  -Probably because of the different circumstances.

  -Fine, I guess that’s a valid point.

  -Yes, it is.

  Somewhere too close for fort, a loud explosion occurred. The tremors could be felt through the ground as further smaller explosions followed it.

  The two jedi stayed silent until the explosions ehey were fog on their surroundings, sensing for any dahat could prove as a threat to the troops or themselves. After not finding anything, they pulled back their senses and tiheir versation.

  Windu was the first who spoke this time.

  -All things sidered, it is good to see you again, “old friend”.

  Said Mace teasingly, while carefully emphasizing the old part. Watg the naturally pale pink skin colored bith woman ging into a bit sharper shade of pink.

  He was expeg a tirade but was surprised when Mevu, instead of shouting off his ears, stepped closer and hugged him lightly. Windu’s body turned rigid, and his brain froze for a moment. The warm and soft sensation and flowery st mao reach his nostrils momentarily overwhelming his thoughts.

  His initial shock was immediately faded after he actally made eye-tact with one of the smirking soldiers pointing at him while exgihan courteous gnces with some of the other soldiers, who were also watg the unfoldis with keen eyes. He immediately became self-aware and pushed the troublesome woman to an arm’s length distance.

  Of course… these guys ain’t es anymore, I ’t really expect the same discipline and discretion. In the case of the tter it was more like not expeg any to begin with.

  Mevu, seeing the clearly flustered rea of Mace, started to giggle while saying out loud.

  -It seems I was worried for no reason. After all, you couldn’t really just turn into a stuck up prick so easily, or could you?

  -For the Force’s sake, Mevu Rumi, trol your words, we are not in a private versation…

  -Would that make things more iing if we were?

  Windu’s eyes wide hearing the obse implication, aurned away with a fickle of annoyance.

  -Over the years, it seems I have fotten what a devious woman you really are. And now, it is too te to get rid of you.

  With that, Mace saw the closing silhouettes of the previously sent out scouts, and robotically started to walk towards them.

  While this happehe pushed away and scolded bith jedi dy watched the clearly flustered Mace act like a fool and ughed heartily to herself.

  -Oh, Mace it is good to see you too… it seems there are things that never ge, even through the passing of time, by that I mean... You are still as cute as ever…

  Mevu could swear that she heard Mace mumble to himself while walking away in hasty steps. He said something along the line like: and you are as shameless as ever. Which made the situation even more ridiculous from her perspective.

  Some of the nearby soldiers also chuckled, witnessing the ued se and the choking tension whigulfed the panies were relieved, if only a bit.

  Mevu reached down to her belt, feeling the weight and form of her lightsaber. It was created in the form of a flute, which was not ohetic but also funal. She remembered that she had to go quite the length to create it, as ade designs like this were more than unusual she had to pn it from scratch. Even so, she succeeded, and now, so many years ter, it was one of her most cherished memories. The day when all those efforts and work came to fruition.

  Which was actally also the day when she became the friend of an unusually grumpy kid. Who really liked the tune of her newly created musical instrument and was kind enough to point out that she should pce the psma emitter oher end of the flute-saber if she doesn’t want to end up actally pushing the wrong button and shortening herself with a halfhead as a result.

  What a gruesome thought… she was so engrossed in the making of her flute-saber that she made su obvious ht i part of assembling it. Luckily, it was easily ged by turning a few parts into a different angle.

  -Sigh… this tells something about bith and their musical instruments… I could never bond with my saber on the same level without making it bee a tool for creating music itself. Well, to be ho, not all bith’s were musis, but I surely was one.

  -Anyway, let's see what these scouts have discovered.