Xena's tale: The Clone Wars

Chapter 1 My long lost brother

It was early in the morning, I got up quietly trying not to disturb any of the other beings from their sleep. I put on my outfit: leather black gear with white stripes on the sewed parts, a long, black cloak with a hood, and two lightsabers that dangled on the belt of my outfit.

I crept slowly through the halls until I was near the training room, and entered the dormant room. "You're here as well?" I heard a low voice call.

I looked around and saw a human, male leaning on one of the pillars of the training room, arms crossed. He stepped out of the shadows and I recognized him as Anakin Skywalker, my brother.

No, we are not blood related, but we considered each other siblings for a long time. When I first became a padawan, I still didn't feel like I belonged, but Anakin was one of the few other padawans that I had grown closest to.

Like me, he was a slave who was accepted due to his high midichlorian count and high request of another Jedi master, or knight, to be accepted in the order for 'special reasons.' We both could relate to one another and when we found out we both had the highest midichlorian count out of the whole order, we were inseparable from that point on, for the last eight years.

He also let me be a part of his private wedding with Senator Amidala, which I happily accepted. Of course I knew it was against the order to marry, but I wasn't going to snitch on him or on Padme. When I promised I would keep their secret, they treated me like a sister and sister-in-law. Ever since then, I have always had their back and protected them from the eyes of the council, even from the eyes of his and my master.

When he walked into the barely luminated room, he wore his usual, brown, Jedi robes, and had his padawan braid in as well. He walked up to me, grabbing the hilt of his lightsaber and nodded towards the training mat.

I nodded back and we both headed to the mat, igniting our blades and getting ready for our signature duels. It was tradition for both of us to train early in the morning until we both exhausted each other, since each of us were the only ones that could beat one another, well besides Anakin's Master and mine.

We circled each other, waiting for the other to make a rookie mistake, but since we knew each other better than anyone, we knew how to fight one another, and the enemy together.

He made the first move and I went to block and strike, but he knew what I was about to do, and deflected it. This went on for a little while and we both eventually got bored, so we decided to talk while dueling. "I hear that each master will be a general, and the padawans a commander," Anakin said while blocking my blade strike. "That is fair, but something just doesn't feel right about the Jedi Order so eager to join the war," I said while keeping my ground to his advances.

We kept talking about the role of the Jedi and eventually, we heard the doors open and Master Plo and Master Kenobi were standing in the frame. We both held our ground, until Master Kenobi said, "Are you two done playing, or do we have to schedule another playdate for you both?" I giggled a little bit at the question, while Anakin turned to face his Master and I took my chance. Pushing with my blades on his lightsaber, he stumbled and fell on the mat with a thump. I held my blades to his chest and smirked. "And that's checkmate, Skywalker."

I deactivated my lightsabers and hooked them to my belt and helped Anakin up. We both walked to our Masters and Master Plo said, "It's time, little one." I nodded, knowing this could be the last time I was on Coursant. After the Battle of Geonosis, the Republic Senate asked the Jedi order to lead the clone army that mysteriously was made.

I still didn't trust the Kaminoans, they barely mentioned anything about why Master Siffo Dias asked for the army and what happened to him. Even when the doner, Jango Fett, was captured, instead of being killed on Geonosis, and put in the Republic's prison, the Kaminoans just paid for his release and asked for him back. It all didn't sit well with me, but I didn't have anything to prove, but a hunch.

As Anakin was dusting himself off, we all headed towards the entrance of the temple. Bidding goodbye and good luck to the other Jedi's in the Temple, I prayed that they would all survive this war. I was about to step out, but someone said, "Xena, wait." I turned around and saw that it was Sentinel, and the other Temple Guards. Master Plo, Master Kenobi, and Anakin all turned around as the guard approached me. Master Plo immediately got in front of me and said, "Is there a problem, here?" Everyone knows that if a Temple Guard approaches you, you are in big trouble. Sentinel then said, "No problem here, we only wanted to wish you and padawan, Xena, well before you departed from the temple."

I could hear Master Kenobi and Anakin letting out a sigh of relief that I wasn't being contained for anything. I stepped in front of Master Plo and said, "Thank you, Sentinel, but next time don't come dashing up to me like I did something wrong." That earned a chuckle from the guard, who pulled me into a hug, and the other temple guards in the temple.

Like Master Plo, the temple guards treated me like a child, even though I was seventeen and were very protective about me. All temple guards loved being around me and learning how to better their forms for intruders.

When Sentinel pulled away, I could sense his uneasiness and tried to offer some comfort. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it." He nodded and he, along with the other temple guards, ignited their blades, as a sign of respect. I nodded and me, Master Plo, Anakin, and Master Kenobi exited the temple to the ships.

We all walked towards the landing pad of the ginormous cruisers to meet our clone battalion. Master Plo and I turned to Master Kenobi and Anakin to wish them a final goodbye. Master Plo shook Master Kenobi's hand and Anakin and I hugged. I could see his eyes start to water but, like Sentinel I tried to give him comfort.

"Like I told Sentinel, we will see each other again and I am not going anywhere." He pulled away and nodded, smiling at me. "I'll beat you the next time we spar again." I laughed and said, "I'll hold you to that."

I walked back to Master Plo's side and he said, "You ready, little one?" I nodded and my chest lit up a bit from Lunar's spirit. We both walked away from Master Kenobi and Anakin, and headed towards war.