-From the perspective of Nizzal-

  In the m hours, on the day of the attack.

  I was still sulking after I received an “F” grade in history css yesterday. As, I was still cruelly herded out to the school’s backyard. Luna, seemingly having enough of my childish antics, rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand forcefully, draggi. Okay, I didn’t put up that much of a resistao begin with. I was enjoying the attention she gave me after all...

  We sat down on a bend watched as other middle school children were walking around, chatting happily or pying basketball and ames. The fact that I was having a sense of normal my life was a bit overwhelming to me. Even so, being among my peers was clearly good for my mood, as I felt a sense of tentedness I hadn’t felt for quite some time now.

  Who would have thought that being able to act like a child when you are physically a child is good for your mental health? What a realization, dang it.

  As, I couldn’t really be absolutely sure that this was the cause for my momentary sense of peace. The reason for this fort could also be derived from the solitary fi of which I was enduring before I came here. You wouldn’t really think until you experie on your skin, how muot seeing human faces around you and not being able to express yourself freely speaking with other intelligent beings add to or deduct from your overall mental health. Humans and twi’leks are social beings to begin with, on a very basic level.

  I was sittio Luna wearing a simir school uniform in a rexed manner while halfheartedly watg a bunch of kids py around. It eaceful and rexing. I liked this and wasn’t even ashamed to accept this truth anymore. At least to myself, there was no way I could cover it up, so it was better to accept it.

  I turo the right, looking at the quiet Luna sitting by my side. She was also watg the game, but I could see that she was more scious about the game than I was. It was not the extreme awareness I sensed from her when I beat Steve pying Jedi vs Sith otle ptform, but she was still putting in an ho effort. Suddenly, her head turowards me and our eyes met.

  She was a human girl. I realized that about 98 pert of this school was human. I saw awi’lek irl who came over and weled me. We had a small chat before she left. I also saw three Iktochi, two boys and a girl. They me, but that was it. They were also older kids, and too aloof to chat with little ones, at least publicly.

  Oh, I guess I didn’t mention that I was a first year. My age was just right. That was the reason why it was so easy for me to enroll in this school, the school year was already on for a few months, but since I was thought to be a talented child, based on the questions teacher Lana asked me I was easily accepted.

  It also turned out that this particur school was in need of more students. There ractical war going oween schools to gaiention of more and more students. Corust had areme variety of educational facilities, but thanks to the global worries of the past years of war and eisions, people seemed to beore scious about raising children. Which led to the oute of fewer children being born and enrolled in schools.

  Some of the schools were even closed thanks to the civil sector receiving less goveral support. By the passing days, more funds were eled into the war mae of the republic. A tendency that didn’t seem to stop in the near future.

  -What are you looking at, Nizz? Some would think that you have never seen a human girl before, from the way you stare at me...

  My sciousness was brought back to reality when I reized the amused voice of Luna speaking. Yes... well, I used to bnk out while staring at people quite often... I guess Ava and Kate are already used to it, but that doesn’t mean Luna will be...

  I blushed a bit and looked down at my knees. I could see my bare legs appearing uhe reach of the skirt I was wearing... When was the st time I actually wore a skirt? I ’t seem to remember... also, damn, my skin was ridiculously pale.

  I winced, feeling a light piny forearm. I looked up suddenly ahe light blue eyes of Luna, her eyes twinkling in amusement and pyful warmth.

  It never ceased to surprise me how quickly certain children were capable of warming up ters. Just two days ago, we didn’t even know of each-other’s existence.

  -You are doing it again.

  She pined.

  -Am I not worthy of your attention, Nizzy?

  -Uh, it’s not that... I mean… sorry.

  Her smile grew, as she said after a small ugh.

  -Don’t fret, I was only teasing you. You must have a vivid imagination, Nizzy. At least that is what Ms. Lana used to tell the kids who bnked out on her csses.

  I nodded, realizing that it artly the case, the other part being a mountain of excessive memories which teo blink in front of my eyes when I was in a rexed state of mind, not fog my attention on anything specific.

  I looked back up at the smirking Luna, feeling a bit overwhelmed by her bright and strong personality. It was no wonder why the boys accepted her as their equal. Also, it was more than obvious that she loved rivalry and petition. I suspected that her love towards video games was born more from a desire to pete with others than being about the video game part, however I couldn’t be sure of it just yet. It could also be the other way around, meaning her petitive spirit might have been born from her pying games so mubsp;

  It didn’t really matter.

  -How do you like our school? I didn’t expect you to get into an argument with a teacher yesterday. Getting an “F” out of it was nothihan pin stupidity if you ask me...

  I groaned, releasing the remains of my frustration.

  She chuckled, listening to my rea.

  -Don’t let it bother you too much, just watch your words ime. Calling the teacher’s expnation a bunch of half cooked lies was just asking for trouble. Even if it retty cool. I don’t know where you pulled out that fideo spout historionseo his face… For a moment; I thought that you were serious. I even looked up some of the stuff o, but I only found wild specution at best.

  -Argh... don’t mention it, please... I don’t want to talk about it any longer.

  She smiled at me deviously and slid closer on the bench. Hearing my fed up whining.

  -Okay, but if I did as you asked, would you let me pet your head?

  I was surprised by this sudden proposition and asked with suspi.

  -Why would you want to do something like that?

  She turned a bit flustered by my question, then gave me a stink eye and turned away with a huff.

  -Of course she wouldn’t know the reason... Anyway, just ignore what I said earlier.

  -... fine?

  -...

  We sat there in silence for a while. Luna’s annoyance quickly dissipated and she decided to show me her newly bought pair of hairpins. The design oop of the hairpins was molded into the form of a pair of blue roses. It was quite a cute thing. It looked ni her blond hair; the roses matg the color of her blue eyes. I praised the choice, and she beamed, already fetting the earlier dissatisfa. Which I caused, but didn’t know how exactly...

  -We have two more csses for the day. If you promise me to not get into trouble during history css this time, then we walk home together. It turns out the restaurant where you stay is in the same dire as my house.

  I blihen nodded.

  -It’s a promise then! It’s good that anirl is in the dueling club now. Boys are fine... but there are things you ’t talk about with them.

  Suddenly I had a raising sense of disfort... did I just walk into a trap? Nah, it’s probably just me being paranoid and stuff like that.

  The pause between csses ended, and the kids were herded bato the school building.

  The st two csses ended without further trouble, and I walked home by Luna on my side, talking about homework, and school things, sometimes boys and also games. It seems, that Luna was indeed ied in games. My previous thoughts were misguided. I also promised to teach a few moves to her. She wao beat Steve in the way I did, in exge she promised to introduce me to a friend.

  I was genuinely looking forward to it.

  We parted at the restaurant’s doorstep and with a fortable peacefulness. I walked up to my room after I waved at Kate and Ava. I closed my door, took a few steps inside my room, and froze. I felt a sense of electric jolt, but it was so weak that it couldn’t be sidered a danger. It was more like a foreshadowing, but what did it mean?

  I saw a series of blue energy particles starting to swirl around my body. My brain immediately made an expnation.

  I was being teleported through the carrier... Yes, these special crystal driven ships also had an inbuilt aura based freestyle teleportation. At least, if you wore the wrist accessory that held the personal energy field geor. I was always wearing it, so they could track my location and teleport me. It was the easiest way to get there on time, anyway.

  It was a normal procedure, except... I was a bit te... and I didn’t get to ge my clothes...

  Damn.

  A few seds ter, I was standing in a rge room ihe Jedi temple. This pce was given to me as a high-quality guest room. I was a grandmaster, after all. My rank noroperly accepted.

  After my materialization process was done, I found myself standing in front of three people who were anxiously waiting for my arrival.

  I heard the voices of the three elders wele with deep respect.

  The elders were all of mandalorian in, which was not surprising, as mandalorians made up the rgest part of our ranks. Be that in the ranks of force sensitive or not.

  -We wele you Grandmas-...

  Their clearly practiced weling ritual, which was apanied by a light bow, was interrupted when they saw me appear wearing my school uniform with a typical school bag hanging on my back.

  I gulped, seeing their shock. My eyes met with the clearly amused gaze of Elder Noorna, who was the only female elder present, and a member of the elder’s cil of Unity, which made her into the highest ranked elder present.

  A respectable warrior elder of the Grey Order. She just passed the age of 361, but she would kick the ass of many younger warriors still in their prime. She is clearly an avid user of life's elongating teiques, but her pletely gray hair and deepening wrinkles show the permaouch of time.

  Her eyes ran over my body with an analyzing gaze finally stopping on my schoolbag, which was decorated with a morse plush animal figurine dangling on a thin tread...

  Her eyes then snapped bai which time my face was already deeply flushed.

  -Is this a... school uniform?

  Was what she asked me with mock hesitance, her voice slightly shaking with disbelief, amusement and, if you ask me… forcefully withheld ughter.

  Is she trying to make me state the obvious... to make me writhe in agony while adding salt to my fresh wound? Well, good luck with that. After I came to accept my own unreasonable urges today, my sense of shamelessness has only grown beyond what was thought possible by mere mortals.

  Wait... why am I proud of that? Eh... it doesn’t really matter.

  Because of that, I straightened myself, taking on a sense of aloofness and stated in a baone.

  -Of course it is. you imagine aer disguise for someone in my current form? If you ’t put aside your sense of shame for the betterment of the order, you are clearly not putting your heart into your missions.

  I scolded them.

  The other two elders seemed thten up immediately, as they said.

  -Ah, as expected of the grandmaster of our Order.

  Stated one of them, theher tinued.

  -Exactly, she would never cease to surprise us with such a itment. Throwing aside her pride with such ease to be able and plete any mission! Willingly humiliating herself, as if it were nothing... I would never be able to go to such lengths!

  Who is humiliating herself! Do you really think that!? It is not that bad… Really!

  -Yes, for a moment I thought that she was willingly wearing such shameful clothes, unbeing of a grandmaster... how shhted I was. Five me, oh great elder! For my pride blinded my vision.

  Wha-who... ugh... is... would that be really so bad? e on, it’s just a cloth, right? Right?! I mean...

  The other one said in aional tone, praising me while reag a new height of worship.

  -Yes! I thought that too… but that would have been absurd! To be ho, going to such lengths, I could never do… I would rather die with my dignity... If that makes me unbeing of the title of Elder, I shall retire from my duty.

  I blinked heavily, feeling speechless.

  -… No… that is not necessary…

  Just stop it…

  -Ah, how wonderful our leader is… Enduring as any great oak, and merciful like the freshening breeze on a spring m.

  Ugh, stop throwing daggers at me please... idiots... if this goes on much longer, I might start g...

  While the other two elders were lost in their own worlds, giving me passive aggressive vibes, I felt the reevaluating gaze of Elder Noorna, who was silently fog on the ever growing blush c my otherwise expressionless face. Our eyes met again, and there was a twinkle suddenly filling her eyes, ohat gave me sudden chills...

  Did... did she figure it out?

  She smiled at me mischievously.

  Uh-huh... she definitely did... I am doomed.