Well, this would have been up a few days ago had work not got in the way. I knew it was highly overrated. : ) I'm hoping to have another chapter up before the end of the weekend, so be on the look out for that. A big thank you to all who reviewed the first chapter and who added this story to their alerts and favorite lists. It means so much! Enjoy this update and please leave a review!
"I want it to be known that this was not my doing."
"Always a good way to start a conversation Mace," Qui-Gon said, eyebrows raised. Both Masters took a seat in Qui-Gon's living room, making themselves comfortable.
The venerable Jedi Council member gave a long-suffering sigh, "You have been assigned to teach the Advanced Tracking and Concealment class."
"The what?"
"It's new," Windu said, waving a hand dismissively, "Basically, you'll teach them higher-level Force control skills. There are ten students, mostly padawans."
"Mostly?"
Mace became instantaneously preoccupied with the armrest of Qui-Gon's worn brown chair, picking at the frayed fabric, "There might be three or four older initiates. It will only be for a few weeks."
"Ah," was all Qui-Gon could muster, well aware that it would do little to no good arguing.
To be truthful, he was not exactly surprised. Yoda had been suggesting he should take another apprentice for the last few months. But, Qui-Gon would not be taking a new learner. In fact, if he could steer clear of younglings for the rest of his life, that would be for the best. How could he condemn another innocent being to his tutelage when it had only succeeded in leading Xanatos down such a damnable path?
Yoda, of course, could not see this reasoning. More than likely, the little green Master was behind his new assignment. Qui-Gon was about to ask his friend if this was the case when his door opened once again. It was Tahl, who had long ago ceased to knock before entering his quarters. The last time had probably been when he had still been apprenticed to Master Dooku.
She grinned at Qui-Gon, gold and green eyes shining, "I see you told him the news. Don't worry Qui-Gon, judging the Saber Tournament is not that bad. We have all done it before."
"I had not got that far," Mace reluctantly replied, clearing his throat. Tahl's smile faded as she stopped short of the living room.
Qui-Gon was torn. On the one hand, the anxious looks plastered on both faces were priceless, filling the Jedi Master with the kind of mirth he had not felt for many months. On the other, he felt more than a little vexed by the blatant manipulations of the Council. And, one councilor in particular, who Qui-Gon was now certain was the mastermind of his current 'mission'. In the end, he decided to take the high road. For now.
"When do I start?" he asked, mildly.
Mace and Tahl visibly relaxed. She sat next to him on his overstuffed, green sofa. The material was threadbare at best. Most people would say the couch would look more at home in the nearest junkyard, but Qui-Gon loved it.
"The tourney is next week and your class starts tomorrow."
"No, no, it was approximately 100,000 BTC that the lower levels of Coruscant last saw sunlight, not 120,000 BTC."
"Blast! How did I miss that?"
Obi-Wan smiled, "Perhaps you've been looking at your paper for far too long?"
"That is a severe understatement," Amber grumbled.
The two elder initiates were lying by the large lake located within the Jedi Temple awaiting the start of their next lesson. They had arrived early and Obi-Wan had been kind enough to look over Amber's final project for her Galactic History class. It was an extensive, forty page tome on the very beginnings of the galaxy and the Republic. This after many other equally long writing assignments she had been made to complete through the last year.
There were two sections of the history seminar and somehow she had been placed with Master Yuun Brintt, a very aged humanoid with a penchant for intense out-of-class work. Obi-Wan had been fortunate enough to be placed with Knight Asori Finwej, a younger Jedi who taught much the same as their first history instructor, Master Ordona, had. Their days were spent reading and discussing the material. Obi-Wan's class had been fortunate enough to enjoy many field trips to the numerous museums and historical monuments located throughout Coruscant.
"Everything else looks good," he said, handing her datapad back.
"Glad to hear it," Amber replied, stuffing the wretched object in her bag, "At least only one of us is subjected to this torture."
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
Amber shrugged and offered him a grin before turning to her back, gazing up at the beautiful blue sky. She only wished her flippant attitude reflected how she really felt. Not only had this particular class been a nightmare over the past year, it was also the cause of the ever expanding chasm between the two friends.
In two months time, Obi-Wan would be 13 years-old, Amber following a few short weeks later. Neither youngling had been chosen as an apprentice and as time marched towards their respective birthdays, it appeared that their dreams of becoming Jedi Knights would not be realized.
Their years of rigorous training would all go to waste, though they were told this was not at the case. Their clan Master, Docent Vant, had explained that their skills would simply be utilized elsewhere in the Jedi Service Corps. Amber and Obi-Wan had failed to find these words particularly comforting.
The crushing rejection would be enough to be getting along with, but the complete reality of their situation was much worse. Thanks to her tenure with Master Brintt, Amber had been placed with the Exploration Corps, the archaeological branch of the Order. She would be stationed in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy for research work. ExplorCorps was not a horrible alternative and, in a very remote part of her, Amber could begrudgingly admit that the work would at least be interesting.
It was still completely unacceptable. Unimaginable. Because, the simple truth was that Obi-Wan had not been selected to enter the Exploration Corps. Instead, he had been assigned to the Agricultural Corps, where he would tend and harvest crops in the service of the Republic. He would be placed on a specific world. One that would assuredly be no where near the Unknown Regions.
They would be separated.
Amber felt that now familiar rush of panic. The mere thought was alarmingly painful. The two initiates had shared a bond for as long as they could remember and never separated longer than a few weeks. This would be permanent. This would be final. And, this was all thoroughly wrong.
She knew this was not how it was supposed to be. If both were being trained as Jedi knights, the two younglings would at least see each other at the Temple. They saw Garen and Reeft all the time, both having been selected by masters some months back. That was what was supposed to happen. That was something that could be prepared for. They would not be together all the time, but they would still have that connection.
A booted foot gently nudged her leg and Amber turned her head. There were more people gathered near them now, all waiting for the appearance of their instructor, but her gaze did not fall on any of them. Obi-Wan was watching her, head tilted to one side. He smiled at her, but it did not reach his eyes. Those blue-grays swam with the same troubled questions and barely checked anxiety.
"Amber..." he started, but she quickly looked away.
Obi-Wan always wanted to talk about it. To discuss what waited for them just off the horizon. Amber preferred to live in the here and now. And, completely ignore what was to come.
"I wonder who will teach this class this year."
She heard her friend sigh, before he answered, "I heard Master Shoma. He returned from sabbatical a few days ago."
"I heard the same thing."
A rustling among the meager assembly caused Amber to sit up. A Jedi Master was almost upon them, coming to a stop in front of the group.
The Master smiled, "Hello my young friends."
The rather large Jedi went on to introduce himself, but it was unnecessary. Almost every initiate in the Temple knew this man. Amber recognized the master immediately and a glance shared with Obi-Wan showed that he did as well. This was no Master Shoma. This was Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn.