ll denotes mind speech or mind thought
At the same time as Knight Xani was having his planned rendezvous with the mystery man hidden by the shadows of the temple shrubbery, Jinn was having his own conversation.
He just went to visit with Mace. He was not sure why, but he knew he felt like company and the idea of being pitted against his former was not all that appealing. At least maybe his friend Windu would hold his judgment and not discuss Xanatos with him.
"Would you care for tea Qui?"
"No but some quiet conversation would be nice."
"Sounds good to me."
Windu was being passive to his friend because he knew he did not like arguing with his former master. Maybe they did not really argue but where Xanatos was concerned, they were opposite sides of the fence. He himself find not care for the way Xani had jerked the little initiate up so abusively, but for own he was not going to say anything.
"Wait; let me shut my bedroom door."
Jinn cocked one eyebrow and smiled mischievously.
"Did I interrupt something Master Windu. I can leave."
Windu got the drift of what he was saying and laughed aloud. No, I certainly would not "let" you interrupt "something " had" there been "something" to interrupt."
"Do you have a guest?"
Mace hated to tell Qui why he shut the door, but he felt he should.
" Yes as a matter of fact I do. Obi-Wan is in there resting."
Anger, for no apparent reason flared in Jinn.
"Since when is it the duty of a council master to baby-sit an initiate?"
"I am not baby-sitting. Yoda well….. He did not want the boy to go back to where he shared a room with padawan Chun. That is all."
"What? Does that mean you will be keeping him until he is shipped to the Agricorps, after all the others have been paired with masters?"
"Qui, why are you saying such things about the little boy? Do you have some vendetta against him?"
"Only that my old master tries to shove him down my throat at the expense of my former padawan, Xanatos."
"I have seen no indication that he is shoving anyone down your throat."
"He certainly tried to make Xani look bad at the training hall today. Trying to make it seem that it was Xanatos' fault for the Kenobi child being hurt. He was hurt because he lacked any kind of saber skills what so ever. I could take an hour with a seven-year old and he would be able to beat the boy in the practice ring."
Jinn seemed quite pleased with the wise joke he had made about Obi-Wan. He wrongly blamed Kenobi for Yoda's dislike of Xanatos. In truth Yoda had never "cared" for Jinn's former padawan, turned knight.
"Maybe you and I see things through a different spectrum. I did not see Yoda do anything. I did see Bruck Chun continually attack the boy after he was barely able to stand on his own two feet. He would not back off until Obi-Wan conceded and Knight Xanatos made sure it was loud enough for the auditorium to hear."
"I came here to talk not argue."
"Then Master Jinn talk, but do not try to lie anything on your old master, my dear friend, that is not his fault."
There it was again another council member trying to blame his Xani.
"Whose fault was it?"
The question went unanswered.
"Well if you are not going to answer me, I will just leave. I can see the episode today is not over, thanx to that child in your bedroom."
Jinn went to leave, hand on the door handle before Windu ventured to reason with him again.
"Do one thing for me Master Jinn. Ask the children if they were taught the kata, the one Bruck used. I know you taught it to Xanatos."
"And well he remembered it, he did. Why should I ask them? I know Xanatos would not slight the others just for this Chun boy. Why would he Mace? I know he wants me to take the boy and from what I saw of his fighting he might be a prize padawan at that."
Now Mace showed his dislike of his friend right now.
"What fighting ability? The boy took a smaller child and beat him to a pulp because that child had no training of that kata. From what I can see he has not been taught very much with the saber."
"Or maybe he did not learn what he was taught. We could go round and round on who is to blame for the boy's inept abilities with the saber. I know one thing, in battle there will be many fights he will not be familiar with."
"Yes there will and that will be the instruction his master will have to give him, how to battle in reality. This today was not real."
"Are you saying that this Bruck is not worthy to be a padawan?"
"I do not know the boy enough to judge him that well. I felt anger roll from him when battling Initiate Kenobi."
"Aye and I felt pride from Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Yes but in one aspect I agree with Master Yoda."
"And pray tell what is that one aspect?"
"When the boy was lying there on the floor injured he tried to release his pain into the force. I felt a ripple of the force as his pain joined with another Jedi in that room. Did you not feel it?"
Jinn immediately beaded up with perspiration.
ll Had there been others that felt the transference of pain from Obi-Wan to me? ll
"What? Felt what Mace? You mean the ripple in the force? Well yes I did feel something."
"The boy has not started a bond with a master. At least we were not aware that he had and he is not aware of it either. I do not know what happened but I do know that whoever was the recipient of that pain directed by the force when Obi-Wan made a valiant effort to release it is destined to bond with him. Have any idea who that would be Master Jinn?"
Jinn was now a ghostly pale. The beads of perspiration now turned to little streams inching their way down the side of his face from his forehead.
Jinn did not and was not going to answer the question just put to him by his friend but neither could he lie.
"Now why would you think that I would know where the force had directed than boy's pain? I am not his keeper and remember this well Master Windu, I will not be his keeper. Knight Xanatos would personally take it as a betrayal if I took this child. He must know something about him other than what he has told us. He is dead set against me training him. I think he just wants the best for me and he sees that Obi-Wan Kenobi is not the best if anything he could turn a master gray before he met his knighthood requirements. Now if you will excuse me.."
ll I did not lie. Well I didn't tell the truth either, but it will have to do. Just let me get out of this door. ll
"Old friend please do me the favor by asking the others when you conduct the interviews if they were taught that kata. Might be helpful to Knight Xanatos. If he thinks of it he might ask the children the same question. Might be enough reason for some on the council to revoke his probation if he has been unfairly training one of the initiates over the others. Another thing that might help your former padawan if you found out who the boy is trying to bond with through the force. That way Yoda won't be breathing down your back trying to push the child on you, if in deed a bond was forming with one of the "other" masters."
Windu had a very good idea who the recipient of the pain was because of the newly forming bond. He saw the look in Jinn's face when the pain had transferred itself to him. That was at least the bald headed master's opinion.
Jinn wheeled around, his Jedi robe billowed with the trapped air in its folds.
"Is that what this is about? You plan to trap Xani to get him thrown out of the temple. You will forsake him for that "runt" of a child laying in there."
"Do you hear yourself Qui? Why are you so opposed to this boy? Is there something you are not telling me? How can you talk with such obvious cruelty and dislike for the boy? I have never known you to act so unfairly about an initiate or for that matter, anyone."
"No your are right. Nevertheless, I am all-to-aware of the fact that the council members acted unfairly toward Knight Xanatos and I think they will not be satisfied until he is run out of the Jedi. Should I put you and Master Yoda's name on the list of those who wish Xani expelled from the Jedi order?"
Windu had rattled off questions to Master Jinn. They had all gone unanswered by the amazon of a master because he himself was afraid of voicing his own answers.. It would mean he would have to face the" truth".................
PEACE ewen
At the same time as Knight Xani was having his planned rendezvous with the mystery man hidden by the shadows of the temple shrubbery, Jinn was having his own conversation.
He just went to visit with Mace. He was not sure why, but he knew he felt like company and the idea of being pitted against his former was not all that appealing. At least maybe his friend Windu would hold his judgment and not discuss Xanatos with him.
"Would you care for tea Qui?"
"No but some quiet conversation would be nice."
"Sounds good to me."
Windu was being passive to his friend because he knew he did not like arguing with his former master. Maybe they did not really argue but where Xanatos was concerned, they were opposite sides of the fence. He himself find not care for the way Xani had jerked the little initiate up so abusively, but for own he was not going to say anything.
"Wait; let me shut my bedroom door."
Jinn cocked one eyebrow and smiled mischievously.
"Did I interrupt something Master Windu. I can leave."
Windu got the drift of what he was saying and laughed aloud. No, I certainly would not "let" you interrupt "something " had" there been "something" to interrupt."
"Do you have a guest?"
Mace hated to tell Qui why he shut the door, but he felt he should.
" Yes as a matter of fact I do. Obi-Wan is in there resting."
Anger, for no apparent reason flared in Jinn.
"Since when is it the duty of a council master to baby-sit an initiate?"
"I am not baby-sitting. Yoda well….. He did not want the boy to go back to where he shared a room with padawan Chun. That is all."
"What? Does that mean you will be keeping him until he is shipped to the Agricorps, after all the others have been paired with masters?"
"Qui, why are you saying such things about the little boy? Do you have some vendetta against him?"
"Only that my old master tries to shove him down my throat at the expense of my former padawan, Xanatos."
"I have seen no indication that he is shoving anyone down your throat."
"He certainly tried to make Xani look bad at the training hall today. Trying to make it seem that it was Xanatos' fault for the Kenobi child being hurt. He was hurt because he lacked any kind of saber skills what so ever. I could take an hour with a seven-year old and he would be able to beat the boy in the practice ring."
Jinn seemed quite pleased with the wise joke he had made about Obi-Wan. He wrongly blamed Kenobi for Yoda's dislike of Xanatos. In truth Yoda had never "cared" for Jinn's former padawan, turned knight.
"Maybe you and I see things through a different spectrum. I did not see Yoda do anything. I did see Bruck Chun continually attack the boy after he was barely able to stand on his own two feet. He would not back off until Obi-Wan conceded and Knight Xanatos made sure it was loud enough for the auditorium to hear."
"I came here to talk not argue."
"Then Master Jinn talk, but do not try to lie anything on your old master, my dear friend, that is not his fault."
There it was again another council member trying to blame his Xani.
"Whose fault was it?"
The question went unanswered.
"Well if you are not going to answer me, I will just leave. I can see the episode today is not over, thanx to that child in your bedroom."
Jinn went to leave, hand on the door handle before Windu ventured to reason with him again.
"Do one thing for me Master Jinn. Ask the children if they were taught the kata, the one Bruck used. I know you taught it to Xanatos."
"And well he remembered it, he did. Why should I ask them? I know Xanatos would not slight the others just for this Chun boy. Why would he Mace? I know he wants me to take the boy and from what I saw of his fighting he might be a prize padawan at that."
Now Mace showed his dislike of his friend right now.
"What fighting ability? The boy took a smaller child and beat him to a pulp because that child had no training of that kata. From what I can see he has not been taught very much with the saber."
"Or maybe he did not learn what he was taught. We could go round and round on who is to blame for the boy's inept abilities with the saber. I know one thing, in battle there will be many fights he will not be familiar with."
"Yes there will and that will be the instruction his master will have to give him, how to battle in reality. This today was not real."
"Are you saying that this Bruck is not worthy to be a padawan?"
"I do not know the boy enough to judge him that well. I felt anger roll from him when battling Initiate Kenobi."
"Aye and I felt pride from Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Yes but in one aspect I agree with Master Yoda."
"And pray tell what is that one aspect?"
"When the boy was lying there on the floor injured he tried to release his pain into the force. I felt a ripple of the force as his pain joined with another Jedi in that room. Did you not feel it?"
Jinn immediately beaded up with perspiration.
ll Had there been others that felt the transference of pain from Obi-Wan to me? ll
"What? Felt what Mace? You mean the ripple in the force? Well yes I did feel something."
"The boy has not started a bond with a master. At least we were not aware that he had and he is not aware of it either. I do not know what happened but I do know that whoever was the recipient of that pain directed by the force when Obi-Wan made a valiant effort to release it is destined to bond with him. Have any idea who that would be Master Jinn?"
Jinn was now a ghostly pale. The beads of perspiration now turned to little streams inching their way down the side of his face from his forehead.
Jinn did not and was not going to answer the question just put to him by his friend but neither could he lie.
"Now why would you think that I would know where the force had directed than boy's pain? I am not his keeper and remember this well Master Windu, I will not be his keeper. Knight Xanatos would personally take it as a betrayal if I took this child. He must know something about him other than what he has told us. He is dead set against me training him. I think he just wants the best for me and he sees that Obi-Wan Kenobi is not the best if anything he could turn a master gray before he met his knighthood requirements. Now if you will excuse me.."
ll I did not lie. Well I didn't tell the truth either, but it will have to do. Just let me get out of this door. ll
"Old friend please do me the favor by asking the others when you conduct the interviews if they were taught that kata. Might be helpful to Knight Xanatos. If he thinks of it he might ask the children the same question. Might be enough reason for some on the council to revoke his probation if he has been unfairly training one of the initiates over the others. Another thing that might help your former padawan if you found out who the boy is trying to bond with through the force. That way Yoda won't be breathing down your back trying to push the child on you, if in deed a bond was forming with one of the "other" masters."
Windu had a very good idea who the recipient of the pain was because of the newly forming bond. He saw the look in Jinn's face when the pain had transferred itself to him. That was at least the bald headed master's opinion.
Jinn wheeled around, his Jedi robe billowed with the trapped air in its folds.
"Is that what this is about? You plan to trap Xani to get him thrown out of the temple. You will forsake him for that "runt" of a child laying in there."
"Do you hear yourself Qui? Why are you so opposed to this boy? Is there something you are not telling me? How can you talk with such obvious cruelty and dislike for the boy? I have never known you to act so unfairly about an initiate or for that matter, anyone."
"No your are right. Nevertheless, I am all-to-aware of the fact that the council members acted unfairly toward Knight Xanatos and I think they will not be satisfied until he is run out of the Jedi. Should I put you and Master Yoda's name on the list of those who wish Xani expelled from the Jedi order?"
Windu had rattled off questions to Master Jinn. They had all gone unanswered by the amazon of a master because he himself was afraid of voicing his own answers.. It would mean he would have to face the" truth".................
PEACE ewen