Where Emotions May Take You
By Arcangel
Disclaimer: If you don't know who owns Star Wars, you should crawl back under the rock you came from. Shame on you! I do, however, own Jedi Padawan Taro.
Warnings: This is slash, so please do not read it if that kind of thing offends you. Flamers will be ignored, I only listen to constructive criticism.
Chapter One – Past As PrologueAnakin reluctantly raised his hand to open the door, but hesitated just before his finger reached the button. He looked back at Obi-Wan and Master Windu, who were standing down the hallway, waiting for him to enter the classroom so they could go and discuss some matters.
Anakin hadn't been much afraid of anything yet, and it wasn't so much that he was afraid now, but he really didn't want to go into the classroom. There was, of course, the fact that he didn't know anything about the Force yet. And because of that, he had been placed in a class with Padawan's almost half his age.
Looking at the two Jedi, Anakin sighed and pushed the button, which made door slide open. It wasn't so much Obi-Wan's encouraging nod that had made him push the button, though it did help, but the stern look on Master Windu's face.
He glanced into the classroom and saw ten Padawans sitting at their desks, talking to each other. But the person that really got his attention was sitting in the corner right next to the door, meditating.
The young man looked about sixteen years old and his skin only slightly less dark than Master Windu's. He was slender and, from what Anakin could see, somewhat short too. But he possessed some sort of exotic beauty that no-one Anakin had met in the last few weeks had, and Anakin had met a lot of people since he had left Tatooine.
Anakin was so lost in the young man's beauty and the peaceful aura that hung around him that he started when he was tapped in his shoulder. His eyes immediately flew to the boy standing next to him.
"Hi, my name's Jarek. I'm Knight Shiro's Padawan. Who are you?" Anakin saw all the other boys were looking at him. "I'm Anakin Skywalker, Knight Kenobi's Padawan," Anakin said, slowly making his way to the first desk.
"When did Padawan Kenobi become a Knight? And how come he has a Padawan so soon?" One of the boys walked over to Anakin. "So, is it true? Did you really see a Sith? How did you guys defeat him?"
One of the other boys snorted. "Of course it isn't true! If it was, do you really think they'd put him in our class?" Anakin glared at the redhead. "It is true! He had horns on his head and he tried to kill my friend Padmé," he said, agitated.
The boy wasn't impressed. "If you really saw a Sith and your Master managed to defeat him, then you must know a lot about the Force. Can you do this?" The boy pointed at the data pad on the first desk and the electronic device came off of the desk and hung in the air.
All the boys were looking at Anakin expectantly while Anakin looked at the data pad hanging in the air. Suddenly five slender fingers gently took the data pad and all the boys started when a soft tenor voice cut through the in the room.
"Why make something that is as easy as this, that hard? Nemos?" It was the dark-skinned young man that had been meditating in the corner. When he mentioned the redhead's name, the boy looked down ashamed.
"Do you see that empty desk, Padawan Skywalker?" Anakin started when he realized the young man was talking to him. He looked around and saw the empty desk. "Good. Now close your eyes and imagine it in a room all by itself. It's a dark room, with no windows and only one door."
Anakin did as the young man asked. "You're standing in the doorway looking at the desk, Padawan Skywalker, that's how you can see it. But I want you to walk into the room and close the door behind you. Lock out all of the sounds, except for my voice. Then walk to the desk. Are you there?"
Anakin nodded. "I'm going to tell you a secret, Padawan Skywalker. The desk is as light as a feather. Try lifting it up, you'll see," the young man said somewhat bemused. Anakin imagined himself lifting the desk and he was surprised when it indeed turned out to be as light as a feather.
"I want you to keep the image of you lifting the desk in your head, Padawan Skywalker, while you open your eyes to see what you've done." Anakin slowly opened his eyes, trying to hold on to the image of him holding the desk above his head.
He started when he saw that in reality the desk was hanging in mid-air, and his mind went blank. Immediately, the desk plummeted down hard on the floor. "I'm sorry, I just…," Anakin started, but the young man didn't let him finish.
"It's okay, Padawan Skywalker. It happens to every single Padawan the first time, don't worry about too much. In fact, I'm quite impressed. You achieved something none of your classmates have managed so far, and this was only the first time you've tried to use the Force knowingly. But remember this, Padawan: doing something the first time is relatively easy compared to doing it a second time. If you want to be a good Jedi, you'll have to work hard. But most importantly, you'll have to practice a lot."
Even though he didn't even bear a resemblance to Qui-Gon Jinn, this young man reminded Anakin of the Jedi that freed him from slavery on Tatooine. "I understand, Master sir," he said, figuring only a Jedi Master could be so wise. He was surprised when the young man started laughing.
Anakin shifted his attention from the unusually bright emerald green eyes to what the young man was saying. "I'm not a Jedi yet, though I am flattered that you would think so. I'm a Padawan, like you are," the young man said and he showed Anakin the braid that sprouted from the base of his skull.
That wasn't the first thing that would surprise Anakin. The door slid open behind him, revealing Master Yoda. "Come with me you must, Padawan Taro. Meeting with Council we have," the wise old Master said.
The young man looked up at Yoda with surprise written on his face. "Master?" Yoda nodded and looked at Anakin before answering.
"On mission we must go, my Padawan. Disappearance of Jedi Knight we must investigate. Class today given by other Jedi and his Padawan shall be. Go we must now," Yoda said, more strongly.
Taro nodded at Yoda before looking down at Anakin once again. "Remember what I told you, Padawan Skywalker," he said before walking towards the door.
"I will, Mister Padawan Taro, sir. And good luck," Anakin said and was surprised again as Taro looked back at him with eyes so bright that they almost seemed to emit light.
"May the Force be with you too, Padawan Skywalker," he said before the door closed.
Anakin's heart was racing way up in his throat, and he was afraid it was going to pop out soon. He breathed in and out a few times, calming himself down a bit as he waited for the hangar doors to open.
It had been three weeks since Master Yoda had left on a mission, taking his Padawan with him. Anakin had tried to ask Obi-Wan about it, but the recently knighted Jedi hadn't known much about the mission either.
The doors opened, and three people walked out of the hangar. Anakin recognized the tall form of Master Windu, who had been giving Master Yoda's class while he was away, and the much shorter Master Yoda.
But it was the third person that caught his attention. It was Master Yoda's Padawan, Taro, who walked slightly behind the two Masters. Taro's gaze traveled down the hallway to his left and Anakin pulled his head behind the pillar he was hiding the rest of his body.
"Master, if you would be so kind as to grant me a few minutes before the debriefing of the Council," Taro said to Yoda, and both Jedi Masters stopped walking. Yoda turned around and looked at Taro before briefly glancing down the hallway Anakin was hiding in.
"More than five minutes debriefing of Council cannot be postponed. Hurry I suggest you do," the wise old Master said before beckoning Master Windu and walking down the hallway that was to the right of the hangar.
Anakin still had his head behind the pillar, so he didn't see any of it, but he did hear every word. When he was certain that both the Masters were far enough, he peaked around the pillar once again to see where Taro had gone.
"I'm right here, Padawan Skywalker," Taro said, sitting on the other side of the pillar, and Anakin startled. He took two steps and stood next to the sitting, green-eyed Padawan. "How did you know I was here, sir?"
Taro smiled. "I sensed your presence, which wouldn't be unusual per se. But I also sensed your emotions: your joy at seeing me alive and unharmed, your guilt at skipping class and your fear of getting caught," Taro answered, surprising Anakin once more.
"You sensed all that?" Taro smiled that wonderful smile of his once again, his eyes becoming brighter every passing second. He motioned for Anakin to sit down next to him as he answered. "Yes, I did. It would have been hard not to sense it all."
A thought crossed Anakin's mind. "Did Master Yoda and Master Windu sense me as well?" Taro nodded, but when Anakin's face fell and the younger Padawan stood up he put a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Easy, Padawan Skywalker. They sensed your presence, but I do not believe they sensed your emotions. Emotions are quite hard for Jedi to sense, especially if the distance is more than a few feet. Your not in trouble yet, but I do suggest we get you to class now."
"If emotions are so hard to sense, then how did you sense them?" Taro smiled once again as he got up, leaving Anakin more and more mesmerized every time he did so. "I am…rather unique, one might say. I come from the planet Aravane, in the Outer Rim. My people, the Weru, possess the ability to read the emotions of others. It is an ability we ware born with, but as we grow older it advances. The Elder amongst my people may experience other people's emotion as their own and some are even capable of influencing the emotions of others."
"I wish I could do that," Anakin said, looking at Taro with awe. Taro shook his head sadly. "It isn't as appealing as it sounds, Padawan Skywalker. At times, knowing what others feel can be…distressing. I'm glad I was trained by my people in the ways of empathy, as our gift is called, before I came here to become a Jedi. Now I can look at pain and suffering a little more objectively, instead of having it tear my very being apart."
They walked in silence for a few minutes before Anakin remembered something. "Mister Padawan Taro, sir? If you've got some more time, there's something I want to show you," he said excitedly.
"Really? What's that then? I believe I can spare some time if you can satisfy my curiosity, Padawan Skywalker," Taro said, the boy's sudden enthusiasm getting to him. Anakin smiled at him. "Just call me Anakin, sir," the boy said and looked up at Taro uncertainly after he had said it.
Taro smiled warmly at him. "On one condition, Anakin. Call me Taro, and no more 'sir'. Simply Taro, okay?" Anakin smiled before taking Taro's hand and dragging the older Padawan to an empty classroom.
"What are we doing here?" Anakin looked at Taro nervously before closing his eyes and concentrating. Taro kept quiet, allowing the boy the time he needed. He was surprised when suddenly all the desks in the classroom came off of the ground. After a few seconds, they all hung a foot or two above the ground.
Suddenly, the door slipped open. Anakin started and turned around quickly to see who it was, dropping all of the desks. Fortunately, Taro was able to pull an incredible stunt by using the Force out of the blue to catch all of them and putting them down gently.
"Trained Jedi for many years I have, but never something like this I have seen. Practiced long you have, Padawan Skywalker?" Anakin nodded. "Yes, Master, I…I wanted to surprise Taro when he returned, sir."
Yoda closed his eyes and nodded. "Great also your accomplishment is, my Padawan. But late you are for Council debriefing. Five minutes I said, ten it has been. Come with me you must and to class young Skywalker must go."
Yoda opened his eyes and looked at Anakin. The boy nodded nervously and waved goodbye to Taro before heading off. Yoda studied Taro as the Werin watched Anakin hurry down the hall. "Betray you your thoughts do. Fond of young Skywalker you are."
Taro smiled, but didn't take his eyes off of Anakin. "It is strange. It hasn't been that long since I met him, and this was only the second time he and I interacted, but still I feel a connection with him. A wonderful future awaits him, though if it is with the Jedi I cannot see. Great things may be expected of him," Taro said before remembering the debriefing of the Council.
Yoda sent him off, telling him he'd be there soon. As Yoda watched his apprentice leave, he sighed. "Of you too expected great things may be. And future of young Skywalker your choices may decide, my Padawan. Hope make right choices you do," the wise old Master mumbled as he set himself in motion to go to the Council chambers.
T.B.C.
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