CHAPTER THREE.

The tool hut was small and cramped but provided enough space for what Elly needed to do. She wanted to get the software issues fixed. Her coding skills mainly came in useful with older droids which the gardening droids were. She had spent a few months learning how to code the droids for a mission. It had been an unnecessary honing of her abilities but it came in useful now.

Hel had left notes in the code where the issues were stemming from so Elly just had to work out how to fix them. Hel was right when she said that the code was old and clunky. It was seemingly written by an amateur at best. Elly knew she wasn't much better but even she could acknowledge its issues. It was too simplistic.

So, she worked to improve it. But the determination quickly turned into disappointment as she failed again and again to repair the droid. Her attempts had gone largely unsuccessful and the test droid continued to malfunction until she gave up. A frown on her lips as she stared at the code on her datapad. It should be working. She couldn't understand what she had done wrong.

"The flowers are wilting." Anakin's voice startled Elly and her head shot up to meet his gaze. He chuckled and she sent him a polite smile. She was friendly with Anakin, mostly due to him training Ahsoka and his connection to Obi-Wan. But their friendship had become strained after she was taken out of active duty and secluded herself.

"I'm trying to fix the droids. They're malfunctioning," Elly responded as she took the drive out of the back of the droid once again. Anakin walked in, letting the door whoosh shut behind him. He held out his hand for the datapad and Elly reluctantly passed it to him.

"Did the mechanics have a look?" Anakin asked as he scrolled through the code. Elly nodded.

"I gave it to them a few weeks ago. They were too busy to fix it." She usually wouldn't say anything. She wouldn't entertain conversation but this was something she knew Anakin could help her with. He had been building droids since he was a child. If someone knew anything about droid coding, it would be him.

"Can I?" He asked. Elly nodded, waving nonchalantly. He smiled and placed the datapad on the table. He then began to go through and fixed the code. Elly didn't even bother to look at how he did it. She knew that she wouldn't understand it but she was glad it worked. He then unplugged the driver from the datapad and put it back into the droid.

The droid came online without any issues and Elly grinned. Anakin then took the driver out and Elly raised an eyebrow. He had a mischievous glint in his eye and he pocketed the driver. Her face fell but his didn't.

"I helped you, now I want you to help me," Anakin said with a cheeky smile on his face. Elly crossed her arms over her chest. She hadn't entertained Anakin in conversation for months and she was suddenly beginning to regret it. He always had another motive, another reason for doing whatever he did.

"Anakin, I need that driver. You cannot hold it for ransom," She tried to keep herself polite but she wanted to steal it back. She knew whatever he would ask that it wouldn't be something good. She stood up from the chair and pushed it under the desk before she moved to stand in front of him.

"I'll give it back if you agree to train Ahsoka. Just once but she wants to see you in action," Anakin negotiated. Elly narrowed her eyes. Anakin had seen her train with Obi-Wan before. He knew how competitive and harsh she could be.

"I will tell you what I told Ahsoka. I do not duel anymore. Please give me the driver back," Elly said as she pushed her hands into the pockets of her cloak. Anakin scoffed and she raised an eyebrow. He kept his hand firmly around the driver in his pocket, refusing to give it up.

"Duel me. Just once and then I will make sure Ahsoka stops asking you questions. It's a one-time thing, Elly. Come on," He was teasing her slightly. She shook her head and he frowned. Elly wasn't sure where Anakin had suddenly gotten this arrogance. As a Padawan, he was certainly stubborn, childish and arrogant but not to this extent. He had some vague awareness of her situation. He had seen her when she returned and yet, here he was.

"Anakin, I have enabled some of your more idiotic decisions over the years but this is not one I will encourage." He waved his hand in front of the door and it whooshed open behind them as he took a step back. He nodded his head solemnly.

"I understand but I guess that means the driver is mine." He shrugged. Elly's face dropped completely and on reflex, she used her force to shove him back. He was able to keep his footing but he looked mildly offended by her action, "Whenever you change your mind, It'll be here." He brought the driver out just to taunt her but when she attempted to use her force to pull it to her, Anakin was already pushing back against it.

Elly didn't bother to go after him as he walked off with her driver. She could survive maintaining the gardening alone. It wouldn't be ideal but she knew she could survive like that for a few more weeks. Anakin would eventually get bored and give her driver back. She just had to wait him out. She had much more patience than him.

-

The Gardens were quiet and Elly had spent the past few days doing all the gardening by hand. Anakin had appeared multiple times but Elly had never entertained his ideas. She refused to be bullied into training. It was something she had long lost enjoyment with and she refused to go back especially if it was Anakin that was pushing her that way.

He may be the Chosen One, the golden boy of the Jedi Order but she had no interest in giving him an even bigger complex. She would not bend to the whim of the Chosen One like many of the other Jedis had over his two decades of life. Especially if bending to his whim would cause her to lash out or do something against Ahsoka. She would never forgive herself for that.

Elly dropped the trowel into the soil as she moved to sit cross-legged. Her back ached from bending over to replant a few Rhododendrons. She ran her fingers along the petal before she let out a long relieved sigh. It was the last task she had to complete for the day and then she could leave, meditate and go back to her room.

But before she could stand up and admire her work, she felt Obi-Wan Kenobi approach her. His presence was one she could always feel in the force. She wasn't sure why it was always so clear to her when he was Obi-Wan but she knew. And usually it wouldn't bother her but he was coming right for her.

She glanced at him before she knelt down and grabbed her trowel. Part of her wanted to walk away, pretend she hadn't seen him but she couldn't. She knew she couldn't so she turned around to face him with a smile.

"Is everything okay, Master Kenobi?" She asked as she wiped the soil off the trowel. He nodded his head before he gestured for her to walk ahead of him.

"We need to talk." That was never a good sign but she nodded her head, walking in front of him. She headed towards her tool hut, needing to put her equipment away. They walked in silence until they reached the hut. Elly walked in and placed her trowel among the other tools before she turned to look at him.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked as she pulled the chair from underneath the desk. She sat down and Obi-Wan glanced around before he stepped through the door into the hut. The door whooshed shut behind him and the interior light was all that kept the darkness at bay. Elly could feel something off in the Force and she didn't want to be in public when he admitted whatever he was about to to her.

"The Council would like to speak to you, formally," Obi-Wan explained. They both knew what that meant and Elly's face dropped in an instant. He gave her an awkward look and she ran her fingers through her hair. He already knew her question before she asked it, "The meeting is in half an hour. It's an urgent matter."

Elly knew what this was. She knew what they were going to do and she couldn't. She couldn't. He gave her a soft smile and she shook her head. She turned towards her desk and then stood up. She pushed the chair under and Obi-Wan waited, hoping for confirmation that she would attend.

"Am I to be informed of the subject of this meeting?" Elly asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at him.

"I believe you know what this will be." Elly nodded and took a deep breath. She glanced at her hands. Her nails had dirt under them so she needed to clean up. Her robes were also informal and if she would be placed in front of the entire council, she would rather look more presentable so she nodded her head, "I will return to my room and I will meet you in the Council meeting in half an hour." Obi-Wan's posture significantly relaxed at her acceptance. He had expected an argument or at least some resistance but she seemed content.

"Thank you, Master Muloa," He said before he stepped back. He waved his hand in front of the sensor and the door whooshed open. He stepped through but paused and looked back at her, "With this meeting, I have nothing but your best interest in mind." Elly's eyebrows pulled together but she nodded.

"I know, Obi-Wan." He then turned away and walked out of the Gardens. Elly crossed the room and left, going straight for her quarters. She knew that she had to be presentable so as soon as she got in, she washed her face and removed the dirt from her nails and hands. She then switched into her formal Jedi robes.

Part of her wanted to skip the meeting, not attend but it would only delay the inevitable. It would only create more issues for her and she just had to suck it up. It would be fine and she knew that. Obi-Wan was on her side even if nobody else on the Council was.

Elly took the long route to the meeting room. She also walked slowly, attempting to sort through her emotions. She had to be presentable and that included emotionally. Mace Windu had a habit of trying to pick apart her emotions so Elly had to have a strong front. She knew that this meeting could end horribly but she tried to keep a positive outlook.

When they arrived, all Council members were already there. Obi-Wan stood by the door to greet her and guided her inside. Some of the Council were in person but a few were missing, fighting in the War. A war she had never imagined would start. They were meant to be in peace-time.

Once the door to the room was closed, Obi-Wan crossed the room to his seat and sat down. Elly suddenly felt so watched. Everybody's eyes on her and they were judging her. Every little thing about her. Her skin felt like it was on fire but she kept a neutral front. She pushed her shoulders back a little and straightened up her posture. Her hands resting in front of her, linked together and she wore the most diplomatic smile she could.

"Master Muloa, are you aware why we have brought you here?" Mace Windu spoke. Her eyes flitted to him and he held the blank expression he always seemed to sport. She was sure she'd never even seen him smile, maybe he would at the end of the Clone Wars when they win.

"No, I have not been informed. Master Kenobi only came to find me and relayed the meeting time," Elly responded as she looked around at the Council. That was a lie. Obi-Wan had implied what the meeting was going to be about but he didn't tell her. He wasn't supposed to. Though he had done a lot of things he was not supposed to in his time.

"There is no easy way to say what we are about to ask of you," Windu began and Elly's face dropped. She glanced at Obi-Wan but he had averted his gaze. He was staring at the floor. He looked guilty. There was more to this.

"Become a general, we would like you to," Yoda said as he looked up at her. Her eyebrows furrowed and the dark pit in her stomach seemed to swallow her up in record time. She glanced around at every face and there was seriousness in all of them. Obi-Wan didn't even have the guts to meet her gaze but she couldn't become emotional.

"And while I understand this request and respect the council's wants, I am not prepared. I have not trained in over three years and am unsuited to command a battalion with my current skill set." She sounded eloquent. It was all talk, trying to cover up the terror that was running through her veins. Fear was never something she should feel but having that many lives in her hands did terrify her. Obi-Wan knew that.

"You are one of the most respected and talented Jedis of this generation. Your skill set is perfect for commanding a battalion," Master Kolar interrupted before she could make any more excuses. Her gaze flickered to Kolar before going over to Obi-Wan and then Yoda. She shook her head when she was met with blank stares.

"I am not fit to command a battalion. No bureaucracy will change my three years of inexperience. Although I have advanced in other areas of study like my language abilities and meditation, I cannot lead and I cannot fight. I cannot defend myself in the same way I once could and placing me in charge of a battalion with my current inexperience would only end in harm and disaster. I would lose more battles than win," Elly continued. She knew that she was a good fighter. She had been one of the best and her force abilities were to a scale that had been unheard of until Anakin joined the Order and dwarfed her. But she knew that she had lost much of those skills in the past three years. Her time had been devoted to gardening and teaching younglings Basic and Huttese.

"Then you will train alongside a Padawan again." Windu's words made Elly's face twist into disbelief, "If you believe yourself to be so unfit then we will put you back at the beginning. Would you also like to join the younglings' classes? Would that suit you, Master Muloa?" Elly shook her head and put her hands in her pockets.

"I only think it would be easier if I shadowed another Jedi Master as they led a battalion and went through brief lessons to return to my former glory." Elly knew she could not argue with Windu even if she desperately wanted to. He had been out for her since the day she had stepped away from active duty.

"And who would you shadow?" Kolar asked. Elly glanced between the Council and Obi-Wan was looking at her now. She didn't have an answer.

"My battalion is resting but I could give Master Muloa lessons and she could move out with us on our next mission, if the Council approves," Obi-Wan suggested. He had always come to her saviour in these meetings and she was glad. She glanced at him and the look alone showed him how thankful she was.

"I see no reason to object," Windu stated. The other members seemed to agree and with the formalities over, Elly stepped back. She bowed and mumbled 'may the Force be with you' before she left the meeting room. Her feet carried her straight back to her room, barely holding back the panic that was beginning to course through her body.

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NOTE; finally away from the things i have already published!! following a relatively similar story to the original version of this but hopefully better written and has better characterisation!! hope you enjoyed <3