JEDI TEMPLE TRAINING ROOM
The polished wooden floor reflected the soft light from the overhead panels, while the hum of lightsabers echoed through the wide space. I stood facing Obi-Wan, feet firmly planted on the ground, my new Mandalorian helmet perfectly fitted to my head.
The T-shaped visor gave me full view of the combat area, but the symbolic weight it carried was even greater.
Obi-Wan activated his blue saber with a snap-hiss, the blade humming calmly through the air.
His posture was relaxed, elegant—almost casual.
I activated mine. The white blade emerged with a crystalline, pure sound. I took a deep breath.
"Ready ?" he asked, spinning the saber slowly in one hand.
"I'm ready, Master."
I moved first, saber horizontal, trying a quick sequence of diagonal cuts.
Obi-Wan deflected the first easily, spinning the hilt as if conducting a dance.
The second strike was blocked with a simple wrist movement. The third… didn't even get close. Before I realized, he had sidestepped and parried with a gentle push of the Force.
"Your center is too high," he said calmly, circling around me. "Lower your knees. Feel the ground. You're trying to win with strength, but your stance is off balance."
I turned quickly, trying to surprise him from below, but he jumped back like he had predicted the move before I even thought of it.
"Fight with purpose, not with haste."
I adjusted my stance. Felt the floor beneath my feet. The vibration of the Force around me. He was right. I had been trying to make up for my lack of experience with aggression. I breathed in, letting the helmet help me focus.
This time, I advanced with more precision. Two attacks — a lateral cut, followed by a reverse spin — quick, but controlled. Obi-Wan blocked the first, but raised an eyebrow at the second. I saw a flicker of approval.
"Better."
Then he advanced. His stance shifted from defensive to offensive with the grace of a flowing river. I barely blocked the first strike. The second forced me back. The third almost knocked the saber from my hands.
"Stronger opponents will test your focus. Use the helmet, Ravan. Let it remind you who you are. Use that."
His words sparked something inside me.
I faced him. Felt the Force flowing — not as a weapon, but as a bridge. Between calm and instinct. Between Jedi and Mandalorian.
I advanced again, but now with control. Each movement was more centered.
A block. A counter. A dodge.
Even so… Obi-Wan was an unbreakable wall. He deflected everything, as if reading my thoughts before I acted.
In a final move, he spun his saber and disarmed mine with a clean strike, sending the white blade deactivating and flying away. My chest rose and fell with effort. He remained still, saber still lit, pointed to the side.
"You're improving," he said, deactivating the saber. "There's still a long way to go, but you're on the right path."
I took a deep breath inside the helmet. Even defeated, I felt… stronger.
"One day…" I said, catching my breath, "I'll make you take a step back."
He smiled, a gleam in his eyes.
"Then I'll be waiting."
The hum of the sabers had faded, and the sound of my steady breathing filled the helmet. The fight was over—for now. My arms still trembled slightly from the intensity, but my focus was solid.
Obi-Wan looked at me with that same calm expression, as if everything was under control—because for him, it always was.
That's when we heard a voice from the doorway, full of sarcasm and a touch of teasing:
"Well, well… and here I thought Obi-Wan would never dare train another Padawan after me."
I turned quickly. In the doorway, leaning casually against the frame, stood Anakin Skywalker. His dark Jedi uniform was dusty, as if he had just come back from a mission. His smile was wide, and his eyes sparkled with that ever-present humor — half-joke, half-challenge.
Obi-Wan crossed his arms and sighed with a small smile.
"Things change, Anakin. Some of us learn from past mistakes."
"Or maybe you're just trying to fix the trauma," Anakin shot back with a light laugh, stepping away from the door.
"Either way… good choice. The kid's got presence. And a cool helmet, by the way."
"Thanks," I replied, adjusting the helmet proudly.
Anakin walked over and nodded, inviting us to follow him.
"Come on. I don't know why the Masters called me, but I'm not getting scolded alone."
We walked together through the temple halls. Obi-Wan moved with his usual composure. Anakin, on the other hand, talked non-stop — and I listened carefully, trying to absorb it all.
"The last mission was a mess," he said. "Pirates, sandstorms, a protocol droid who thought he was a general… anyway, just another day in the Outer Rim. Seriously, if you'd seen what R2 did with a flamethrower…"
I chuckled quietly. It was impossible not to be swept up by his energy. He spoke with passion, with drive, as if every detail mattered. It wasn't how I imagined a Jedi Knight would act. And yet, it made perfect sense.
We arrived at another training room. The door was slightly ajar, and hushed voices came from within.
As we entered, we saw Ahsoka Tano at the center of the room, surrounded by observing Masters.
She spun fluidly, her green lightsaber humming through the air as she deflected and dodged blasts from a training drone. Her movements were precise, agile, full of energy. Every shot was countered with technique, but also with instinct. The Force flowed through her like a living dance.
"She's good," I murmured, proud of my friend.
Anakin stopped beside me, arms crossed.
"I guess so. I just wish I knew why I was called."
'Oh Anakin, your ignorance is truly impressive,'
I thought. Even if I didn't know what was coming, the mood in the room made it obvious.
Obi-Wan simply observed in silence, his gaze distant. Perhaps thinking of the future. Perhaps the past. Maybe both at once.
As Ahsoka finished the sequence with an elegant spin and deactivated her saber, the Masters around her exchanged quiet murmurs of approval.