Chapter 39 - New Mission, New Friends...and Old Rivals

“I hope I’m not intruding, but by the way things looked, your sister’s not to happy right now. I though you might want someone friendly to talk to right now,” he said.
“She is friendly, most of the time,” Ash said as Kiro sat down on a chair next to the bed.
“It’s just…we can share anything, and this last incident with Broze has made her…distant,” Ash continued and looked down.
Kiro pulled her head up to look at him. Ash was surprised that he was actually listening to her. For once someone would let her vent.
“Hey, cheer up! She’s just having a hard time. Just stick to it and she’ll come too eventually,” he said, jokingly punching her in the shoulder.
Ash giggled.
“Thank you, you’re really helping me here,” Ash said smiling.
She took a risk and got off the bed and hugged him.
“You have no idea how important it is to me to have a friend that will actually listen,” Ash said and sat back down on the bed.
“No problem,” he said. “Anytime you need to talk, just call me.”
Ash could tell that they clicked. They were going to be really good friends.
Just then both of their comlinks rang. Mace Windu’s voice came over the speaker.
“You are to come to the docking bay right away. The Jedi are under attack on Geonosis and we need all the help we can get,” Mace said, and then signed off.
“So much for having time to catch things up with my sister,” Ash said and stood up. Kiro did too.
“Hey, maybe this will be some bonding time. At lot can happen when a battle’s going on,” Kiro said.
“You’re right about that!” Ash said and lead the way out the door.
“So, what are some of you’re talents?” Kiro asked as they ran to the docking bay.
“I have a love for lightsaber combat,” Ash said as they turned a corner.
“I’ve noticed that. When I was young, I was studying under Cin Drallig until he picked you to be his padawan, “Kiro said.
“Cin has good taste,” Ash said with a cocky smile and looked at Kiro.
Kiro looked at her and gave her his cute smile.
“Ya, he does have good taste,” he said back to her.
Sith Blood, I think I’m in love, Ash thought to herself. Wait a minute, I’m a Jedi. This type of love is forbidden! Snap out of it Ash!
They finally got to the docking bay. Ash was surprised to see tons of other Jedi in the docking bay.
“Wow…this must be a pretty big ordeal,” Ash said.
“I suppose so,” Kiro said.
They walked in and Mace Windu walked up to them.
“Hurry up guys. Get in you’re starfighters and get prepared to follow myself and Master Unduli. We’ll explain the rest on the way through hyperspace.”
“Right away Master!” Ash and Kiro said at the same time, already running to the starfighters. Ash then felt her sister’s presence come into the docking bay. She was glad she had been called on this mission too. At the other end of the docking bay, she saw Echo and another man.
“Wait a minute Kiro, we have to go talk to my sister,” Ash said and turned to run to her. Kiro just followed and didn’t ask any questions. He knew how important between them were right now.
Ash got closer and got a better look at the man with Echo. He was tall, muscular, and had long black hair in a loose pony-tail.
“Who’s your new friend?” Ash asked as she ran up to her.
“This is Xiang,” Echo introduced him as they got closer. Ash could tell that Echo liked the guy. He was decent looking, Ash had to admit. As soon as they got close to them, Ash could sense Kiro become uncomfortable, and he wouldn’t meet Xiang’s gaze.
“Do you have any idea what’s going on here?” Ash asked.
“Master Kenobi, Skywalker, and Senator Amidala have been taken captive by the separatists. We’re going to rescue them,” Xiang said.
“We need this many Jedi to rescue 3 people?” Kiro said.
“Apparently the council believes there will be more than we expect when we get there,” Echo said.
“Well then, we better get going,” Ash said and turned around to go back to her starfighter. Kiro followed.
Master Kenobi was a legend around the temple, and Anakin Skywalker was too. She couldn’t believe that they were the ones that had been captured. She had heard of Senator Amidala, but she didn’t now much about her.
“Why were you uncomfortable back there?” she asked Kiro as they walked back to their ships. The hangar bay was crazy.
“How did you know I was uncomfortable?” Kiro asked.
“I can read you like a book…you don’t like Xiang. Why?” Ash asked.
Kiro sighed as they got to their ships. There was a pair of starfighters right next to each other that weren’t being used yet. Ash started hers up and so did Kiro. They both got in each one and prepared to launch.
Ash opened a private channel to Kiro’s starfighter.
“You still haven’t told me why?” she said looking out her cockpit window to him. “I wined to you, now I can listen to you wine for a little bit.”
Kiro sighed again over the channel and looked at her.
“We weren’t the best of friends when we were little. In fact, we were rivalries.”
Kiro paused for a second.
“My very first master dumped me for him. He believed that Xiang had more potential. Except he didn’t tell me that right to my face. I over heard him talking to someone. It was the worst day of my life.”
Ash’s mouth dropped. She had never heard of a master doing that to their apprentice.
“Kiro…I’m so sorry. I had no idea,” she said.
“It’s okay. My old master is dead now. I don’t hold anything against him, but I still feel that Xiang is better than me, and my master died thinking that. I have vowed to show Xiang that I’m a better Jedi than he is.”
Ash almost shuddered. Kiro really had deep dislike for Xiang. It must have really torn him up inside.
“Don’t worry, I won’t steal your master or padawan or…anything from you,” Ash said.
She saw Kiro smile in his cockpit, and then Mace Windu’s voice came over the channel.
“Let’s get moving. Follow myself and Master Unduli’s starfighter out of the atmosphere and then get ready for hyperspace. Be prepared for anything when we exit hyperspace.”
Ash watched Mace’s ship pick up and leave the hangar bay. Other ships followed and so did Ash and Kiro. They kept their ships close to each other.
They hadn’t known each other long, but Ash already thought that they were forming a bond. They just clicked.
Ash exited the atmosphere and pulled the throttle back, watching the stars turn into starlines as they disappeared into hyperspace.

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