AN: Ok it's been a while since I've posted a story on here so bare with me. Please read and review and as always, I do not own star wars, if I did I wouldn't be writing on here I would have made many more movies by now.

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Silence; peace, an utter state of both bliss and concentration. It is the state that every jedi seeks while in meditation. It was the exact opposite of what Arima felt. The young human female sat with her legs crossed and eyes closed. On the outside she looked calm and collected. Even her brown shoulder length hair barely moved in the wind. On the inside her mind was anything but calm.

"Meditation is so damn boring!"

"Shut up, I can't concentrate with you butting in."

Arima sighed audibly which got her master's attention. A gentle prod through the force from the older man forced the young female to relax for a few minutes. Her mind wouldn't have any of it though and she soon found her mind wandering back towards the other padawan.

"Can't we just go practice with our lightsabers?"

"For crying out loud Arima! I'm trying to meditate….butt out of my mind for a moment!"

Arima peeked her green eyes open a smidge to take a look at the young man sitting across from her. Devan's olive colored face was locked in deep concentration as he tried desperately to unlock the mysteries of the force. Arima smiled at his determination. "As if something like the force can be unraveled by sheer will alone." She whispered to herself quietly, trying to avoid bugging Devan anymore. Suddenly there was a pressure on her mind and before she could resist there was a second presence there.

"Arima, I said no talking…..if you talk again…or interrupt Devan again…I'll ban you from the sparring center for a week."

Arima peeked her eyes open again and was met by a stern and serious gaze from Master Tekkan Farce. Though her master was often strict in enforcing his rules, Arima had to be thankful that he was still alive. He had survived the famed battle of Geonosis. In fact it was that deadly battle that had thrown Arima and Devan together in training.

Devan's Master Eath Koth had not returned from the battle. His gunship had exploded somewhere over the surface of the barren planet. Devan rarely talked about his late master, but had once told Arima that he had felt the exact instant that Koth had died. Arima soon found herself thinking about what she would do if she lost someone close to her. Someone like her own master or even Devan. A wave of sorrow washed off of the young girl and collided into the minds of the other two meditating by her side.

Devan opened his eyes and stood to his feet. He walked over to Arima and put a hand on her shoulder and whispered a few comforting words. Though it was uncharacteristic for jedi to show emotion, the jedi master stayed silent. Deep down he knew that the times were changing. It was very likely that the two young teenagers would soon be forced onto the battlefield. Whatever comfort they could provide each other was important. As jedi masters were becoming stretched far and wide across the galaxy; greater and greater tasks were being forced upon the less experienced. Both Devan and Arima had yet to face the trials that would make them jedi knights. The trials had been put on hold since the beginning of the clone wars and though the two were ready, they would remain as padawans for the time being.

"Enough meditation….I…I have some good and bad news."

Both padawan's looked up. Arima tapped Devan's hand in thanks and then stood up. Both of them stood at attention before the master jedi.

"I have just been informed that you two will be accompanying the 'Guardian of Justice' when it leaves for its mission in three days.

Both padawan's exchanged shocked looks. Devan was the first to find his voice. "Um….was that the good news or bad news sir?"

Master Farce gave a weak smile. "The bad news is that you will be entering into this war at such a young age. The good news is that the jedi council has agreed to allow the two of you to work together as partners. It is a new tactic that the council is hoping will increase the ability of padawan's to impact the war."

Arima let out a heavy sigh. It was all her dreams and fears coming to fruition in one single moment. She had often laid awake at night yearning for a chance to enter a battle. Her heart ached to join the clone wars and do some good. Her mind, however, knew the likelihood of surviving a war. Every day, word of another jedi being killed alongside his clone troopers came in. The few padawan's that had seen battle so far had not fared well. Most of them had died as the fatigue of constant combat dulled their connection with the force. The young female reached out a squeezed Devan's hand and then took a step away from both men.

"I must go pack and say a few goodbyes. May the force be with you." Arima said with a polite bow to her master. Devan and Master Farce watched her leave, feeling the waves of emotion cascade off of her as she rounded a corner and disappeared from view.

"I will be on my way too then master." Devan said and started to leave.

"Wait a moment."

Devan turned around a confused look on his face. The jedi master took a step forward and wrapped an arm over the teenager's shoulder.

"The reason you two were chosen is because you balance each other out very well."

Devan nodded, it was something that had been proven again and again in both drills and combat simulations. Where Arima was aggressive and forceful, Devan was calm and calculating. The padawan looked up as he sensed Master Farce about to speak.

"Arima has always relied on her emotions too much….keep…keep an eye on her for me."

Devan once again nodded his head without saying a word. The first lesson learned by younglings was that fear, hate, and even love could be used to turn a jedi to the dark side of the force. A jedi who trained and fought with emotion was an easy target.

"Do not worry Master…Arima is strong, even if she is hard headed at times."

"Very good Devan…go pack, you will be leaving soon."

The Master and padawan said their goodbyes and parted ways.