To be a Clone.

(Story told from Lia's perspective) I was peacefully dozing on my bed, not even having had time to change my clothes properly—that's how tired I was today. Of course, I had run around almost half of Coruscant looking for a job, but I still couldn't find what I was looking for. Something nearby beeped and vibrated. I grimaced and struggled to open my exhausted eyelids. Something was glowing in front of me. At first, half asleep, I thought it was a lamp that had somehow ended up on my bed, but then, rubbing my eyes, I recognized the glowing object as my comlink. Damn! How could I not have heard it before! The device fell silent, and with a sharp movement of my hand, I grabbed it. “5 missed calls from Raya,” the notification said. Oh my god! How deaf I am! Raya must have thought I was dead!!! With a trembling but quick movement of my finger, I pressed the call button. My friend answered immediately. “Hi, Raya. Sorry I didn't answer! I just dozed off a little and didn't hear you,” I began to babble quickly in my defense. “It's okay. I thought you must have fallen asleep. You must have been so tired after your day,” Raya reassured me in a calm tone. “By the way, I have some news for you.” I swallowed, biting my lip hard. “And... what news?” I asked hopefully. “I talked to Padmé, and she said she would ask her friends in the Jedi Order about allowing you to take the test,” she said cheerfully. I involuntarily held my breath in surprise. My heart began to beat faster, and with each beat, I felt a wave of euphoria and hope wash over me. “Is that true? Did you really manage to talk to her about it?” I asked, my voice filled with joy. “Of course I talked to her. She knew your parents, and when she found out that you were their daughter, she simply couldn't refuse to help,” I could hear the comfort and calmness I so desperately needed in my friend's voice. After all, I had been very worried these past few days about finding a job and moving to a new planet that was completely unknown to me. “Raya, thank you so much! I just don't know how to thank you,” I began to shower the Pantorian with gratitude. “Yes, but you must also be prepared for the Jedi to refuse you,” Raya said, her voice becoming more measured. I fell silent. In my joy at having taken even a small step toward achieving my goal, I completely forgot that our fantasies and desires do not always coincide with reality. I fell from seventh heaven to earth. “Okay, I'm going to go do my thing, and I would advise you to start training, because Padmé may not report this to the Jedi anytime soon — they have their own missions to attend to,” said Raya, and we said goodbye. I put the comlink back on the nightstand and leaned back, plopping down on the bed. My gaze fixed on the monotonous, boring ceiling. A swarm of thoughts and emotions raced through my head. I felt both happy and anxious at the same time. It was a strange feeling... you don't feel either one or the other, but something in between. “Damn, I haven't trained in a long time... I hope I haven't forgotten what my father taught me,” I said aloud, not knowing why or to whom. “I should have a full-scale training session tomorrow,” I thought to myself and closed my tired eyelids, falling into a deep sleep. *** (From Anakin's perspective) Well... It was a normal day in the Jedi Order. The younglings were training to become someone's Padawans in the future, the young Jedi were either heatedly discussing something or sitting in the library reading information for future missions or to enrich their inner world. The older Jedi were either on missions or training their students. Actually, I had nothing to do — Obi-Wan was on a mission, and Ahsoka went to sleep after training. Then, after walking up and down all the corridors of the temple, I decided to visit Padmé. We hadn't seen each other for a long time, and I missed my beloved wife. So I flew to the Senate. A meeting was just coming to an end, so I simply waited for my wife in the corridor. Then there was applause, and Padmé came out of the door opposite. Apparently, her idea to help the lower levels of Coruscant suited everyone, and the vote was successful. Noticing me, she quickened her pace and headed straight for me. “I see you're not sitting still. How did the meeting go?” I asked with a smile. “Everything was wonderful! Everyone supported my project to help the lower levels, and now all the problems related to them will be solved within a week,” Padmé chirped enthusiastically. I smiled. I liked watching her smile. At moments like this, I wanted to be closer to her. “Oh yes, Annie, I completely forgot to ask you something,” my wife began. “Go ahead and ask, but not here,” I whispered, and we quickly turned into the corridor we needed, which led to Padmé's private office. Once inside, we sat down on a small beige sofa next to a low glass table. “So what did you want to ask me?” I began. Padmé sighed. “You remember I told you about Senator Asmi Shilli? She died with her husband and daughters exactly seven years ago,” she said sadly. “I remember. It's a real tragedy,” I said sympathetically. "We thought they had all died, but Raya Chuchi told me that both girls survived. Lia is now on Coruscant, but nothing is known about the older one. But Lia is a very talented girl, her father taught her how to use weapons and martial arts techniques from the age of five! She really wants to serve the Republic, but with her education as a translator, no one will take her. But Raya told me that she dreams of fighting alongside the clones. And I would like to ask you, Ani, if you and Obi-Wan could take a look at her abilities and give her a trial test," Padmé concluded. An awkward silence ensued. "But you understand that this is absurd and impossible! First of all, we don't really know her, and secondly, she's a girl, and don't you think that would be strange? A girl fighting alongside the clones. Who knows what could happen. There are so many complications—she needs a uniform, separate living quarters, and what about her period and other things?" I began to bombard Padmé with questions in bewilderment. "Anakin, calm down. I just asked you to give her a test—why are you getting so worked up? Padmé laughed. I dropped my head face down on my hands and, exhaling, said: “Okay, I'll talk to Obi-Wan. But don't get your hopes up—he might refuse.” (From Obi-Wan's perspective) I had just returned from a mission when Anakin came to me with some suggestions and questions. It's a good thing I didn't decide to take on a new apprentice — Anakin and Ahsoka are enough for me with all their antics. “Obi-Wan, I need to talk to you urgently,” Anakin pounced on me as soon as I crossed the threshold of the temple on Coruscant. “What is it this time, Anakin? Have you and Ahsoka gotten into trouble again, and now I have to clean up your mess?” I asked wearily, walking solemnly down the luxurious yet simple corridor of the temple. On either side stood sculptures of the great Jedi Masters from throughout the galaxy's history. “No, Master, we didn't do anything with Ahsoka. She's sleeping after training. The thing is, we need to conduct a test,” my former student began. “And who are we supposed to test?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. Anakin hesitated. “Is it for some youngling or Padawan?” I began to ask counter questions, trying to understand through the Force what he wanted from me. “No, it's a test for a girl who wants to fight alongside our clone troopers,” Anakin finally blurted out. I stopped, stunned by what I had heard. “You must be joking.” “No, it's not a joke...” “And who is this girl?” I asked, looking my former student straight in the eye. “Her name is Lia. Senator Amidala told me about her. According to her, she is very talented and could be useful to us,” Anakin replied. “But you understand that this is impossible! Where have you ever seen a girl from the people fighting alongside clones? Don't you think this is absurd and strange?” I replied, still in a state of mild shock, continuing to walk along the huge oval windows of the temple. “But master! Can't we just see what she's capable of? Especially since she's the daughter of the late Senators Shilly and Malkor,” the guy began to defend this girl I didn't know. Approaching one of the elevators, I stopped and turned to Anakin and said: “All right. All right... We'll give her a test. But not until tomorrow. Today there's an important meeting of the Council.” “Thank you, Master!” Anakin replied cheerfully. “But please keep this a secret for now.” “As you wish,” I agreed and stepped into the elevator that had just arrived. *** (From Lia's perspective) At the time appointed by Raya, I stood at one of the landing platforms, where speeders and small ships were constantly landing. The platform itself was small, oval-shaped, with signal lights on the sides. This piece of metal, which was a little battered and even had some parts of the railing barely hanging on, had markings so that the speeders could stand evenly, rather than haphazardly. There were many people of different races milling about, and here and there, clones patrolling the area could be seen through the crowd. Their uniforms had distinctive red markings. Most likely, they were clones from the Elite Coruscant Guard. Looking at them, you felt so defenseless and powerless in comparison. I was starting to have unpleasant thoughts about not being able to pass this test when a small XJ-6 aerospeeder landed next to me with Raya inside. “Come on, get in quickly! We're running late,” she called to me. I ran up and jumped into the vehicle, and we flew to our destination. “We're flying to the Jedi Temple. That's where your test will take place,” Raya explained to me. I felt that my emotions and excitement were about to overwhelm me, like a tsunami crashing down on a city. “Come on, Lia, you need to calm down. Everything will be fine. You have nothing to worry about — you've been preparing, and you haven't forgotten anything,” I tried to reassure myself. About 10 minutes later, we arrived at the magnificent structure that was the Jedi temple. As I looked at this architectural masterpiece with awe, I felt even more overwhelmed. Raya walked me to the entrance of the room where I was to be examined and, wishing me luck, headed for the exit. “I'll wait for you outside. Good luck! I believe you can do it,” she encouraged me as we parted. I waved weakly after her and, taking a deep breath, knocked. Silence. “Am I really late, and now they won't let me in?” A negative thought ran through my mind. But as soon as I had that thought, I heard the voices of two men behind the door. I nervously bit my lip. The door opened, and a guy in his twenties appeared in the doorway, with chestnut hair down to the middle of his neck and a scar across his right eye. He was dressed in a typical Jedi robe, almost black in color. I also noticed that his right hand was covered with a black leather glove. Behind him stood a man who was clearly 10 years older than him. He had a neat beard and walnut-colored mustache, as well as hair combed to the side. He was also dressed in a robe, but it was light beige in color. Each of them had a lightsaber hanging from their belt. “Good afternoon,” I greeted them. “Good afternoon,” the men replied and motioned for me to come inside. I confidently stepped over the threshold, and the door behind me slammed shut. “Are you Lia Shilly?” asked the man with the beard. “Yes, sir,” I replied. “My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this,” he pointed to the guy with the glove, “is my friend Anakin Skywalker.” “It's very nice to meet you,” I replied, trying to be as polite as possible. “Well, then, let's begin the test. First, we'll check how well you can handle firearms,” said Anakin and pointed to a rack with blasters of various calibers and types, ranging from a regular pistol to a hand cannon. Next to it were targets made of droid heads. I grimaced slightly at the sight of the targets because I remembered how the Sith who killed my parents had these same pieces of metal that destroyed anyone who was dissatisfied. Approaching the rack, I took a pistol, stepped back to the required distance, and, holding the handle with both hands, took aim. (From the perspective of Obi-Wan Kenobi) When I saw Lia, I was a little surprised. She looked young, and I'm not afraid to say it, she was pretty. Her oval face with a straight, sharp nose was accentuated by medium-length pinkish-peach hair tied in a neat ponytail at the back of her head. She looked both fragile and quite strong at the same time. She was wearing a gray sleeveless turtleneck, baggy black pants, and high black boots. Her gaze was determined and firm, although through the Force I sensed excitement deep within this girl's soul. I was also surprised by how politely she spoke and how she used words. That was the first thing that caught my attention. We decided to start with shooting, because to be a soldier, you had to be good with weapons. When she made a couple of accurate shots with the blaster, I realized that she was quite skilled with this type of weapon. So she shot with all types of firearms. It was clear from Anakin's face that he was just as surprised as I was. “Okay, I can see that you're an excellent shot. But what about your combat skills? I mean, can you fight?” I explained the next stage of the test. The girl nodded and stood waiting for further instructions. “You'll fight the droid first, and then one of us,” Anakin explained, placing the droid in the middle of the room. Lia approached the droid at about arm's length, stood in a fighting stance, clenched her fists, pressed her elbows to her sides, and swung her leg at the droid's head. It flew off, hitting the floor with a sad clang. “Wow,” Anakin said quietly in surprise. “Not bad,” I said restrainedly, “show me what other moves you have.” Lia nodded and delivered a couple more blows to the iron body with her fists, followed by a couple more kicks from lunges. Realizing that she might no longer be interested in fighting the droid, I suggested that she fight Anakin. She didn't mind, and, standing in front of the young Skywalker, she prepared to attack. Anakin decided to be cunning and began to strike not with his hands, but immediately lunged at the girl, grabbing her hands and pulling her toward him so that she would fall on her back. But Lia managed to bend her knee and kick Anakin in the stomach. He retreated a little, but did not loosen his grip. Through the Force, I sensed that the girl's spirit was not broken. Then Anakin let her go and decided to switch to kicking. He lunged forward and struck his opponent's left shoulder. She recoiled, falling to her right knee, but immediately got up to strike back. It was interesting to watch Lia's fighting technique. “It's curious that such a fragile and helpless-looking girl can so easily defeat anyone,” I thought. Finally, the fight ended when Lia knocked Anakin to the carpet, pinning his arms behind his back. “Enough,” I said, and Lia immediately released Skywalker, who was already groaning in pain. “Lia, could you step outside for a couple of minutes and wait for us in the hallway?” “As you wish, sir,” the girl replied and left the room. Anakin slowly approached me, rubbing his hands. “Oh, she fights so well. Any Jedi would envy her,” the guy said with a smirk in his voice. “I agree, her skills are commendable,” I added. “So what are we going to tell her? I think we can make an exception for her,” said Anakin, “I like her.” “Let's not jump to conclusions. First, we need to discuss this with the Council.” I recorded how the test went, so I think that will be enough," I said, and we went to tell Lia about our decision. *** “Lia, we'll let you know our decision after we discuss it with the Council,” Anakin announced. “You did well, I'm impressed.” I remained silent. Lia thanked us for our time and effort and, after saying goodbye, quickly walked down the corridor toward the exit. Through the Force, I sensed that Lia had clearly begun to hope for something. *** (From Lia's perspective) After the test, Raya drove me to the high-rise building where my apartment was located. After saying goodbye, I immediately went to bed without eating. I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to do anything, but one of the Jedi praised me. Anakin, I think... The most important thing now is not to get worked up again and not to get so excited that I can't sleep. Closing my eyes, I immediately fell asleep. At night, I woke up at about two o'clock to a knock on the door. At first, I thought it was some drunk Radiant who had confused the doors, but the knocking continued, and I decided to go check who was banging on my door at two in the morning. When I opened the door, I woke up completely. Standing behind the door was Obi-Wan Kenobi himself! “Um... hello,” I said awkwardly. “Hello. I'm here on business. I wanted to tell you not to get your hopes up too high about joining the clones. It's impossible, especially for you,” the Jedi said quietly. "Yes, I understand that it's not possible. But I didn't just decide to become a volunteer for no reason. I want to help, serve, and protect the Republic. I want to protect the defenseless and bring peace. At least, that's what my father taught me... I said, looking Obi-Wan in the eyes. He was silent for a moment, stroking his beard, and then said: “I warned you.”