Training Grounds
I was resting with my back against the bark of an old tree that had watched many clan warriors grow up.
The sun was beginning to set, and in the distance I could see Mandalore.
I had never been there.
My entire life, up to this point, had been spent in the clan, on Concordia.
The farthest I had ever gone was when I snuck away and followed the hunting team.
I wanted to see Concordia’s forests and mountains with my own eyes.
But after traveling a couple of kilometers, they noticed my presence.
Apparently, I still couldn’t escape a wolf’s sense of smell, even if I stayed more than a hundred meters away.
That day, I received one of my mother’s cold reprimands.
She punished me by taking away the thing I enjoyed most besides training:
My holocrons filled with technology and knowledge.
I wasn’t allowed to access them for an entire week.
But it didn’t end there.
My mother told my aunt, who made me spend another full week doing nothing but endurance exercises.
It was the worst week of my new life…
So far.
The date of the hunting trial was getting closer.
Only six months remained.
It was held at the beginning of every year; I suppose I was lucky to have been born at the start of the year as well.
I stopped thinking and stood up.
Today, my mother had a meeting with the other high-ranking members of the clan, so she wouldn’t be home.
Lately, she seemed distracted and exhausted.
Apparently, there were internal difficulties.
She carried a great burden on her shoulders, and that was one of the reasons I valued her so much.
I remembered that Efi had asked for my help repairing several reconnaissance droids, so I headed toward the workshop where she said she would be waiting.
When I arrived, I saw countless piles of spare parts and mechanical components.
She was alone, leaning over a workbench while trying to repair the circuitry of one of the droids.
She was so focused that she didn’t notice me until I stood beside her.
She jumped in surprise, but as soon as she recognized me, she immediately began talking, bombarding me with questions and scolding me for arriving late.
“I got lost on the road of life,” I said.
She raised an eyebrow and sighed, already tired of hearing the same excuse.
“Don’t you ever get tired of saying that?”
“I suppose I do,” I replied with a laugh.
After a brief exchange, I began helping her.
It was difficult for these droids to break unless they were hit by blaster fire.
“There has been a lot of activity around the clan walls lately. My mother and a group of Fierce Fangs found three reconnaissance droids destroyed after they lost contact.”
Hearing that helped me understand my mother’s behavior.
“Didn’t she tell you anything else about the situation?”
“Not directly. But today I overheard her speaking with one of her subordinates about Mandalore. Apparently, a civil war is approaching between Duke Kryze’s pacifist faction and the traditional warrior clans. The most powerful clans are seeking alliances to oppose them or, failing that, force the others into submission. Things are complicated on Mandalore. Many clans are isolating themselves and preparing for war, while others have already begun annexing weaker clans.”
“And here on Concordia?”
“The traditional clans are gathering their warriors and preparing military resources.”
I remained silent.
If we chose the wrong side, the clan could be in danger.
Even if we remained neutral, there was still the possibility of being conquered.
We needed to increase our strength.
The reconnaissance droids were useful, but we needed more of them and with greater range.
The training chambers were strengthening the clan, but that required time.
I considered improving bows and spears through the forge, but I still didn’t understand their construction well enough.
That would take too long.
I could only focus on droids.
It was time to build a mass-production factory.
A large project that would require both time and resources.
I would try to convince my mother to export potatoes to distant systems and use the profits to begin the project.
It would take us at least four years.
Enough time before the war erupted.
“Azmar, are you still there? Wake up!” Efi shouted.
“I suppose I got lost in my thoughts.”
“Let’s continue. We have a lot of work to do.”
I looked around the noisy, cluttered workshop.
I only hope the war doesn’t begin soon.
One week later.
It was already daylight when I headed toward the farm.
I needed to review the surplus potato production intended for export.
I had done it.
It had taken a long week of compromises and small victories, but in the end my mother supported the idea.
I had discovered the crop and introduced the large-scale cultivation method, so I had the right to a share of the profits.
Of course, I intended to invest every credit into the droid factory.
The old woman was waiting for me there.
I already knew her name.
My aunt had told me:
Arami Fen’Black.
Within Clan Fen’ruus, everyone carried “Fen” at the beginning of their surname, but only direct descendants bore the complete family name, such as my aunt, my mother, and me.
“Good morning, Elder Arami.”
“Good morning, young wolf.”
“I believe you already know why I’m here. My mother must have informed you.”
“Yes. Here are the records of the total production and the surplus from the latest harvest.”
She handed me the documents.
“Thank you, Elder Arami.”
Before I could begin reviewing them, she stopped me.
“Azmar, I want to give you some advice. It may be useful.”
“It would be an honor to hear it.”
“I have analyzed the properties of this crop. We always believed it merely helped restore energy and endurance faster than other foods. But we discovered something else. If consumed regularly, it can improve physical performance—human or any compatible species—by as much as forty percent.”
I fell silent.
“Only the finest specimens achieve that effect,” she continued, “and I have reserved those exclusively for the clan. I assume you understand why they should never be exported.”
“Of course. I would never do something so reckless.”
“In the records I gave you, only the production that provides a five to ten percent improvement through prolonged consumption is included. The effect is almost imperceptible to ordinary people. Furthermore, I modified that crop so it cannot reproduce outside our lands.”
I was surprised.
“I’m the clan’s best scientist for a reason,” she added proudly.
That solved one of my greatest concerns:
Other people reproducing the crop and eliminating our advantage.
“I also improved your cultivation process and developed a more efficient fertilizer. Crop yields have increased considerably.”
I had never imagined she possessed such a playful side.
I had always seen her as a serious old woman with few words.
“Thank you, venerable Elder Arami. You’ve spared me many worries.”
“You’re welcome, young cub. I expect great things from you.”
Her tone became firm and distant once more.
I thanked her again and returned home.
I had much to plan.
Time continued moving forward, and I had no idea whether my reincarnation had altered the course of events.
Anything was possible.