Some battles are fought with sabers. Others are fought in silence.
Night fell across the dense jungle of Maridun, heavy and humid, blanketing the wounded and weary in restless silence. A low fire crackled near the makeshift camp, casting long shadows along the roots of the massive tree that sheltered them.
Jason sat by the outer perimeter, cloak wrapped over his shoulders, knees drawn up, his gaze lost in the flames. His saber hilt rested beside him, untouched since the skirmish. His hands were still.
But his thoughts—never.
Ahsoka sat nearby, arms resting on her knees, watching the fire with a similar stillness.
"You okay?" she asked quietly.
Jason didn't answer at first. "I'm fine."
"That usually means you're not."
Jason looked over at her and gave a half-smile. "Getting good at reading me, Tano."
"Just learning from the best."
A beat of silence passed.
Ahsoka's voice softened. "That thing you did back there… with the droids. That wasn't just Battle Meditation."
Jason looked back to the fire. "No. It wasn't."
Ahsoka waited, but he didn't offer more.
[Later – Jungle Clearing]
The scouts returned first—Commander Bly, flanked by troopers, leading a pathfinder unit back to camp.
"Found something, General," Bly reported to Aayla. "A village. Not far. Not Separatist. Looks… local."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Locals?"
"Not armed. Primitive tech. Tribal structure. They call themselves the Lurmen."
"Think they'll help us?" Ahsoka asked.
Bly hesitated. "Hard to say. They didn't look thrilled to see us."
"We're not leaving Anakin out here unprotected," Aayla said. "If there's a shelter nearby, we need it."
Jason stood slowly. "Lead the way."
[Lurmen Village – Arrival]
The Jedi approached the village slowly, unarmed, Anakin on a litter carried by two clones. The village was a circle of tall grass huts surrounded by the tall reed trees of the plains. Small creatures peered out from doorways. The Lurmen were short, fur-covered beings with wise, watchful eyes.
At the center, the elder stepped forward—Tee Watt Kaa, his face stern beneath his gray-furred brow.
"We do not want war here," he said at once.
Jason shared a glance with Aayla. "We're not bringing war," he said gently. "Only wounded. Shelter, for the night."
Tee Watt's eyes lingered on Anakin's unconscious form. "…Very well. But no weapons. And no soldiers."
The Jedi nodded.
[Inside the Lurmen Hut – Anakin Resting]
They laid Anakin down on a low mat inside one of the larger huts. His breathing was steadier now, but he remained unconscious. Ahsoka stayed at his side, her hand lightly on his.
Jason leaned in the doorway, watching the gentle rise and fall of Skywalker's chest.
"He nearly died to save us," Ahsoka whispered.
Jason nodded. "That's what he does."
She looked back at him. "So why do you look like the one hurting?"
Jason didn't answer.
[Outside – Lurmen Fields]
Jason stood apart from the others, near the edge of the tall grasses. The village behind him was quiet. The jungle stretched before him like an ancient wound.
Aayla approached silently, her presence calm, unwavering.
"Still thinking about the battle?"
Jason exhaled. "More like thinking about what comes next."
Aayla stepped beside him. "The Lurmen don't believe in war. They won't fight. Not even to defend themselves."
Jason glanced at her. "And you agree?"
"I respect their choice," she said. "Perhaps they've found a peace we never could."
Jason looked back toward the village. "Or maybe they've just convinced themselves it's peace. Even if it costs lives."
Aayla studied him. "You think we should force them to fight?"
Jason shook his head. "No. But we don't have the luxury of not fighting. The Separatists won't respect their ideals. They'll burn this place like they've burned a hundred others."
"And if they do?" Aayla asked.
Jason's jaw tightened. "Then I'll be there. Saber drawn."
[The Next Day – Separatist Arrival]
The sky thundered with the roar of Separatist dropships. Jason, Ahsoka, and Aayla stood at the village's edge as massive troop carriers descended from the clouds.
Jason's breath slowed.
"They're deploying artillery," Bly said grimly. "Looks like heavy-duty."
Out of the largest walker stepped a figure clad in bone-white armor—Lok Durd, a Neimoidian weapons developer flanked by droid enforcers.
"We're here to conduct a live-fire demonstration," Durd announced. "A new weapon, to test on organic resistance."
Jason's fists clenched. "He's going to use the Lurmen as target practice."
"We can't let that happen," Ahsoka said.
But Aayla turned to Tee Watt Kaa. "Will you flee?"
The elder looked at the skies. "We will not run. And we will not fight. But we will not stop you from doing what you believe."
Jason stepped forward. "We'll stop them."
[Battle – Separatist Assault Begins]
They had no war machines. No fortress. No army.
But they had the Force.
Jason stood on the field with Ahsoka, Bly, and a small group of clones. Aayla was on the far flank, laying charges to sabotage the droid artillery before it could fire on the village.
"Positions!" Jason shouted. "Let them overcommit!"
The droids came fast—rolling tanks, marching infantry, spider walkers pounding across the grass.
Jason closed his eyes.
He let go again.
The Force swept through him like a tide—and flowed outward.
The clones steadied.
Ahsoka's stance sharpened.
Even Aayla, far from him, felt it—a rise in awareness, coordination, timing.
Battle Meditation.
He moved.
His blade ignited.
And then the field became chaos.
[Combat Unleashed]
Jason darted between droid ranks, blade spinning in precise fury. He used the terrain, leapt from trees, redirected blaster bolts into walker joints. Ahsoka and Bly flanked the enemy, her sabers a blur of green light.
Durd's experimental weapon charged.
"Launch the shell!" he shouted.
Jason saw it—a glowing orb, rolling across the field, vaporizing all in its path.
The clones dove clear.
Jason turned, saw a squad still too close.
He reached.
With the Force, he hurled the energy backward—just enough to shift its direction before it detonated harmlessly against a fallen walker.
The ground shook. Smoke rose.
And the Separatists broke.
[Aftermath – Quiet]
The field was wreckage. Droids littered the grass. Fires smoldered from fallen vehicles.
Jason stood at the edge of it all, breath heavy, saber still warm.
Tee Watt Kaa approached.
"We did not fight. But we are… grateful."
Jason looked at him, weary. "You still believe in peace?"
"I believe peace is not the absence of war," Tee Watt said. "But the refusal to become it."
Jason stared at him for a long moment.
Then nodded.
[Later – On the Edge of Departure]
Anakin had awoken, recovering quickly. The Jedi were preparing to depart.
Jason stood beside the gunship, Aayla behind him.
"You were right," she said softly. "There are many ways to be a Jedi. Some walk closer to the fire."
Jason didn't smile. "I just don't know how far I can walk before I stop being one."
Aayla looked up at him. "Then walk with others. Not alone."
Jason looked toward Ahsoka, who gave him a light punch on the arm.
"I saw what you did," she said. "That thing with the energy wave? Still think you're not scary?"
He smirked, finally. "Only a little."
To be continued...