Chapter 21 - 13th Birthday

It finally started calming down at the Temple. Ash had seen enough action lately, and she enjoyed the down time. Once she healed completely, her master surprised her by going on more missions than normal. He never usually went on any at all, but he figured it was time he got back into the habit of going on them.
A year later when she turned 13, her master had a special trip planned out for them to Ragoon VI. He believed it would be a very good place for them really to bond with each other as master and padawan. They would leave on the day she turned 13.
“Are you excited for the trip?” Cin asked her the day before they were suppose to leave.
“Of course I am master. Hopefully we won’t run into any crazed scientist or dark Jedi on the way,” Ash said teasing him.
“You’re so funny I forgot to laugh,” Cin said smiling. Ash just smiled back to him. “Now go get your stuff ready for tomorrow and get a good night sleep. This trip is about getting to know the Force better than you know yourself. You’re going to learn a lot on this trip and you need to be prepared.”
“Whatever you say Master,” Ash replied and patted him on the shoulder. Then she left for her room. When she got there, she got a bag big enough to fit all her lightsaber, a weeks worth of clothes, and that’s about it. She knew her master would get everything else. Hopefully, they wouldn’t need anything like medical supplies.
While she was packing her stuff, there was a knock at her. Ash stretched out with the Force to see who it was.
Echo.
“Come in!” Ash yelled. She grabbed a lightsaber and hid it behind her back. She wanted to surprise her sister to see if her reaction time was getting any better. When the door opened and Echo walked in, Ash sprang and activated her lightsaber in one smooth stroke. Echo ignited her lightsaber and blocked Ash with one smooth stroke.
“This is a nice way to greet your sister,” Echo said.
Ash backed off and clipped her lightsaber to her.
“Just seeing if your reaction time is getting any better,” Ash said. “Congratulations, you passed!”
“I’m so honored,” Echo said sarcastically and walked over to her bed and sat down.
“So, you do remember what tomorrow is right?” Echo asked.
“Is that the day I finally kick your butt in a lightsaber duel?” Ash asked jokingly.
Echo laughed.
“No because that will never happen,” she said. “I meant what day it’s going to be. We’re both going to be 13. You get to go to beautiful Ragoon VI while I get to stay here and train with Rahm all week. Fun…”
“Look on the bright side…you’re not putting your life in danger for once!” Ash replied.
“I’m getting used to doing that. It’s going to be hard just staying here all week.”
Ash burst out laughing.
“Try staying here for years at a time and having nothing to do like I did!”
Echo smiled. While she had been on mission after mission, Ash got to spend time training with Cin and other Master’s here in the Temple.
“I guess your right. You do need a little experience,” Echo said.
“Shut up,” Ash replied, giggling.
Echo patted her on the shoulder and left.
Ash finished packing, then used the fresher and went to sleep. She went bed early knowing that she would have to wake up early.
She awoke to her comlink buzzing. She picked it up and her master’s voice came over the speaker.
“Good morning, sleepy head,” he said.
Ash wiped the drool off her mouth and tried not to sound so tired.
“Same to you,” she replied.
“Good, now get your butt down to hangar bay!” Cin said.
“Sure thing,” Ash replied and signed off on the comlink. She sat up on her bed and pushed the hair out of her face and tried to wake up. She was a Jedi that liked their sleep, and when she didn’t have it, it was hard for her to get going.
She got out of bed, put on a fresh tunic, brushed her hair, then grabbed her bag and left for the hangar bay. On the way she stopped by Echo’s place and left a package by her door. Inside was a lightsaber she had made just for Echo since they both were turning 13. It was kinda like saying ‘Here’s a gift for you because on this day you could’ve been going to the Agricultural Corps.’ She hoped Echo liked it. It was one of Ash’s best lightsabers yet.
When she got to the hangar bay, she found her master standing besides two
X-wing starfighters. She didn’t have a good feeling about this.
“Just what do you think you’re doing by those x-wings?” Ash asked him.
“I think it’s about time you learn how to fly a real ship instead of just a simulation,” he replied.
Ash had done simulations in the Temple before, but she had never actually flied a real ship. Although she had memorized every control and button and had mastered every simulation, she didn’t want her friends to know that, especially Echo. She would want to go flying all the time if she knew. Ash was a pretty good pilot, but she didn’t enjoy it much.
Ash smiled and put her one bag in the small cargo hold and got in the cockpit. She put on her headset so she could keep in touch with her master, then she started up the ship. There was already an R2 unit in the ship asking if she wanted him to get the ship flying. His name was R2-D7.
“No that’s fine R-D,” she replied. “I’d like to get the ship moving myself.”
The droid sounded disappointed but then let her do all the work.
“Ready for take-off?” she asked her master.
“You take the lead,” he replied.
Ash got the ship up and exited the hangar bay. Cin was right behind her. She cleared coruscant atmosphere and then started to calculate the jump to hyperspace. She wasn’t exactly sure what do and had to ask Cin to remind her, but she got the hang off it. She pulled the throttle back and the stars turned into starlines and they were off. Ash’s vacation had finally begun. She was looking forward to it. She put her seat back and relaxed, and tried to get back to sleep.

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment