HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
by ardavenport
"Focus, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon instructed.
They stepped forward together. One, two, three. Lightsabers whirling. Stop. Turn. Side. Lunge.
Obi-Wan moved with his Master. Linked together through the Force, the two men moved as one across the blue, red and brown patterned floor. Bright sunlight poured down around them from the skylights in the upper hall of the Temple. Other Jedi in groups of twos and threes, spaced well away from each other, exercised around them.
Twirling around and bringing his saber straight up, Qui-Gon pivoted. Obi-Wan turned, his motions following, momentarily falling behind the older man's. Now face to face, their moves realligned, mirrored each other, the hum of their sabers rising and falling with each crisp stroke and precise step. They followed no form or pattern, their strikes random, moving only with the flow of the Force.
Again, Qui-Gon swung his saber up, holding it vertical for a fractional pause, the signal to change. Again, Obi-Wan momentarily lagged before correcting himself. They moved again as a matched pair. Step. Jump. Turn. Sabers in motion all the time. Defending. Attacking.
Qui-Gon's saber went up again and stayed there.
He inhaled deeply, releasing the Force while his younger Padawan caught his breath.
This was not Obi-Wan's worst performance with this exercise. But he had also done better.
"You are distracted, my Padawan," Qui-Gon said.
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan agreed, taking deeper, more controlled breaths, releasing the Force properly. "I will do better next time."
He straightened earnestly, obviously willing to continue, but Qui-Gon held his hand up. He was not tired, but Qui-Gon did not see any benefit to more practice. Obi-Wan would just continue to do it wrong which would be counter-productive. The random actions demanded that both Master and Padawan rely on the Force without the ordinary sensory cues that they would normally use when fighting as a team. But only if both participants kept their focus narrowly on the task.
Obi-Wan's focus was always over-broad in his saber practice, covering the whole terrain far beyond his opponent. Qui-Gon had long ago ceased to try to correct this flaw. It was the way Obi-Wan fought naturally and to suppress it would diminish him as a fighter in other ways. Though he would never be as powerful a fighter as he might be without his attention so divided, Qui-Gon encouraged Obi-Wan to use this tendency to his best advantage.
But it was still annoying when Obi-Wan did not properly control it. And Qui-Gon sensed that more than the other people around them distracted his apprentice now.
Next to him, Obi-Wan's eagerness wilted. Sighing, Qui-Gon almost relented. When faced with a student eager to learn, a Jedi Master did not lightly let the opportunity slip by. But a different opportunity approached instead.
Qui-Gon recognized the short blue hair and dark brown tunic of Vaax Miti, a fellow Padawan and age-mate of Obi-Wan, approaching. He did not know her or her Master, Plamoff Misso, very well, but Obi-Wan thought well of both of them.
"Perhaps you should practice with someone else to change your perspective," Qui-Gon suggested as Vaax joined them.
Obi-Wan looked back at him with trepidation.
"A change of situation can be an excellent way of renewing one's focus," Qui-Gon said encouragingly, not understanding Obi-Wan's reaction. He turned back to Vaax. She bowed to him and smiled with pointed yellow teeth.
"Hello, Master Qui-Gon," she said cheerfully. "Obi-Wan."
Qui-Gon fractionally paused in a way not dissimilar to Obi-Wan's lapses during their saber exercise.
"Hello," he replied.
Vaax Miti no longer had her Padawan's braid.
"Master Qui-Gon," she replied pleasantly, bowing to him. "Obi-Wan," she said, smiling, nodding toward the young man.
Qui-Gon caught himself before he started with, 'My Padawan. . . .'
"I feel that we have reached an impasse in our session today and that a change would be beneficial." He looked from Vaax to Obi-Wan. "I have a few things to attend to at the moment. You might continue, Obi-Wan, with Vaax. . . . if you are willing?" he invited.
"Of course, Master Qui-Gon. I would be happy to."
Obi-Wan reluctantly smiled as Qui-Gon inclined his head to both of them before striding away, between the areas where other Jedi practiced, toward the edge of the training area.
Two lumps of brown fabric sat on a bench near the wall in a less brightly lit place between two windows above. Qui-Gon lifted up a sleeve from the darker brown robe and retrieved a small Temple data screen from an inner pocket. Back on the floor, Obi-Wan and Vaax stood together, conversing, both holding their sabers. Obi-Wan demonstrated a few swings and steps with his deactivated saber hilt.
Activating the data screen, Qui-Gon paged through the usual announcements and Temple business about eating hall schedules and work area maintenance until he came to the personal announcements. There were four knightings. Vaax Miti was the second one on the list. Three days ago.
Qui-Gon sighed. Three days ago, over last-meal, Obi-Wan had very earnestly asked for Qui-Gon's assessment of his progress in his training. Then he had very sincerely listened to all suggestions and advice and criticism. Qui-Gon had sensed at the time that his Padawan had become eager for his time to take the Jedi Trials for knighthood, but he had not thought that Obi-Wan's enthusiasm was fueled by a specific event.
It mattered little what Obi-Wan's inspiration might have been. He was not ready for the Trials.
To his credit, Obi-Wan had accepted Qui-Gon's assessment, his inquiries motivated by his desire for improvement. And his desire to be a Jedi Knight. Though it was sincere, Obi-Wan's eagerness meant that he had not attained sufficient maturity for Knighthood.
Over in the training area, Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan and Vaax begin the exercise of synchrony. At the first switch from moving together to moving as opposites Qui-Gon knew that Obi-Wan was leading. Vaax followed perfectly with smooth fluid motions though the way she moved and struck with her saber were subtly distinct from Obi-Wan. He watched them switching back between the two synchronies before they stopped and conferred.
When they started again, Qui-Gon knew that Vaax led this time. Initially, Obi-Wan barely, but noticeably, lagged Vaax before they settled into moving as a matched pair. But when Vaax switched to opposing moves, the fractional pause returned before he caught up with her and they were moving together again.
Sighing, Qui-Gon looked down at the data screen again.
Though Obi-Wan was not ready, Qui-Gon had contemplated what his Trials would be. As his Master, he was the one to decide, but he had found it a more difficult task than he had thought.
The Jedi Trials were always different for all Jedi, but they always focused on one thing: the Jedi must prove that their training had taken them beyond falling to the dark side of the Force. Sometimes the Trials were a single task, sometimes a series of temptations. Confrontations. Revelations. But when Qui-Gon considered which of Obi-Wan's weaknesses might lead him to darkness, he found none of them to be very likely. A basis for his apprentice's Trials eluded him so much that he had consulted history for some inspiration.
As a Master, Qui-Gon was privileged to have access to the records of all records of Jedi Trials in the Archives. But none of the histories he had accessed felt right at all to him, though a few resonated with possibilities. One eager Padawan had been subjected to the shock of being told that she would never attain the status of Knight and was invited to leave the Order, testing her willingness to let go of her ambition. Another was put in a life-and-death situation where he thought he had to sacrifice his Master's life for another's. Another had to demonstrate her willingness to sacrifice her own and her Master's life. All of those Padawans had gone on to become wise and remarkable Knights in the Order.
As Obi-Wan would be.
On the training floor, Obi-Wan was doing worse with Vaax than he had when he started. The two stopped and conferred again. A hint of frustration tinted Obi-Wan's expression.
Looking down at the data screen and the list of knighted Jedi, Qui-Gon felt some sympathy for his young apprentice. At Obi-Wan's age, Qui-Gon had already been a Knight for a few years and was selecting his first Padawan to train. And Obi-Wan knew this. . . .
Qui-Gon's eyes fixed on the glowing symbols at the bottom of the data screen in his hand. Obi-Wan would be twenty-three years old in a few days.
Ten years.
Obi-Wan had been his apprentice for ten years.
Jedi did not celebrate anniversaries. But they did note the passage of time and the changes it brought. Staring down at the glowing date, Qui-Gon suddenly felt as if that ten years had been compressed into that moment.
Looking up, Qui-Gon saw that Obi-Wan and Vaax had resumed their exercise. He sadly thought that this was a mistake. Obi-Wan needed time to consider what he was doing before repeating the exercise wrong again. Over and over, doing it wrong.
They switched from paired motion to opposing.
Obi-Wan stayed with Vaax with no pause.
His saber also swung too widely and he took an extra step that Vaax did not. But he stayed with her for the transition and then his motions matched hers again.
Obi-Wan did the same thing on the next transition, swinging his saber further out than Vaax before settling down to matching her.
Qui-Gon smiled at Obi-Wan's solution. By exchanging one error for another he was still doing the exercise wrong, but he had traded up. The synchrony was the more important element. And the discovery of his own unique solution was even more valuable than the skill itself.
The two age-mates continued together in their matched dance, beige tunic and brown hair, dark brown tunic and blue hair moving together in harmony while other Jedi sparred and exercised around them. On every transition Obi-Wan's saber pointed in a different direction from Vaax's, or his elbow stuck out when hers was close to her body, or he crouched lower. But he stayed with her with no pauses, his motions smooth and controlled.
With one more glance down at the data screen and date, Qui-Gon tucked the device back into his robe and strolled back to the training area where Obi-Wan and Vaax were finishing.
"You are doing very well," he said to both of them.
"Only because of Vaax's suggestions," Obi-Wan replied modestly.
"Obi-Wan is a quick learner," Vaax said, deflecting some praise back toward her friend.
"As I have noted many times already," Qui-Gon agreed. "But I believe it is close to third meal and that we should clean up beforehand."
"Of course. If you decide to go to Master Zumlot's lecture, Obi-Wan, we can meet afterward."
"Sure," he agreed amiably. Vaax turned to leave.
"Knight Miti," Qui-Gon said loudly. She froze, looking up at her elder.
"Congratulations on your elevation."
She stared back, surprised, before blushing and nodding a bow of thanks, apparently, unable to find words for a response. She hurried away.
"What is Master Zumlot's lecture about?" Qui-Gon asked as they strolled together off the floor. The beams of sunlight streaming down onto the patterned floor angled lower in the late afternoon. Many of the other Jedi, also aware of the approaching mealtime were leaving or had already left.
"Controlling water with the Force," he said.
"And Vaax will be participating?"
"Yes. She expects to get wet." Obi-Wan grinned.
"I would expect so; it is a difficult skill to master. I would be happy to attend as well."
"It will be the day after tomorrow. I planned on going, unless we leave for Malestare before then." Obi-Wan spoke of their next mission.
"That will not be decided until tomorrow," Qui-Gon answered.
They walked together down a wide passageway overlooking another expanse of hall. Jedi walked slowly here, some conversing, most silent. The upper halls of the Jedi Temple were wonderfully peaceful and strong in the Force as if the air tasted fresher like a garden, even thought there was only vast and grand architecture around them.
"Don't worry about being knighted so soon, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon spoke his thoughts aloud, softly. The young man looked up at him with wide gray-blue eyes.
"I don't think I. . . . .worry about it."
Qui-Gon waited for more as they continued to walk slowly together.
"I believe it is good for me to be mindful of my goal."
"Your diplomatic skills promise to be much greater than my own. but do not use them to disguise your own feelings with me," he admonished gently. "We have been together for ten years now. Has that been so long?"
"No." he denied immediately. "It hardly seems any time at all now. But I feel impatient. And . . . . disappointed. That I have not done better." He lowered his head. "And I know that is one reason why I am not ready for the Trials. But I still feel that way." His questing eyes looked back up at him.
"I know." Qui-Gon could see and feel Obi-Wan struggling to accept his disappointment, but only half succeeding. He put his hand on the younger man's more slender shoulder, the physical contact intensifying the connection between them. Qui-Gon's confidence smoothed over his apprentice's doubts.
"You will do better. When it is your time." Qui-Gon felt Obi-Wan's shoulder drop with equal parts of frustration and resignation.
"It will be your time soon enough." Qui-Gon looked forward, down the great hall.
"But for now. . . . it is still our time."
==OOO== END ==OOO==
first posted on tf.n: 19-Jul-2008
Disclaimer: All characters and situations belong to George and Lucasfilm; I'm just playing in their sandbox.