~~24~~
She walked out of her room and back into the living room. She sat at the table across from her Padawan and looked into his eyes.
"Master, I can explain." Alexi said quickly.
"Well, I certainly hope so young one. You have a lot of that to do. Start now." Yenshu said in a commanding tone.
"Well, it started a few days ago after you blew up at me." he started. "I was wondering why you got so upset, so I went outside to think. I started realizing how much of a jerk I've been and I began to think that it would be better if you had never found me at all, so I started walking towards the Dune Sea. I found a nice rocky area where I could sit and think. I was there for a while, I don't know how long exactly." He got up and started pacing around the room.
"What did you think about while you where in that nice rocky area?" Yenshu asked as her eyes followed his every move.
"I continued to think of how you never should have found me and how you must have misunderstood what the Force wanted. But while I was meditating, I saw four figures off in the distance. They were glowing a blue-green color and they were coming towards me. I got up and ignited my lightsaber, ready to defend myself against anything." He stopped for a drink of water, then continued.
"After a moment, I decided that I didn't deserve the weapon of a Jedi so I threw it to the side and awaited my destruction. I sat back down and waited for the figures to come to me. While I was waiting, I still thought about how I should just leave you. I was pleading for help from someone to tell me what to do. To tell me if I was right or wrong. I had my eyes closed in meditation and when I opened them, the figures were right in front of me."
He stopped talking. He was staring at the wall, remembering the strange encounter. "Who was it Alexi?" Yenshu asked, now looking concerned.
"One of them, a tall dark skinned bald man, introduced himself.
" 'My name is Mace Windu. These are my fellow Jedi Adi Gallia, Qui Gon Jinn, Winna Di Yuni, and Shaak Ti.'
"They were all in Jedi robes so I felt that I needed to bow, so I did. They returned the motion. I asked why they decided to grace me with their presence and the one named Qui Gon Jinn spoke first.
" 'The Force guided us here. None of us know why, but everything happens for a reason. We are here for a reason, though we may not be able to see it.'"
"Hold on a second, you actually spoke with Mace Windu, Adi Gallia, Shaak Ti, Winna Di Yuni, and Qui Gon Jinn?" Yenshu asked sounding astonished.
"Yeah, why, do those names mean anything to you?" he asked.
"Uh, yeah! Mace Windu was the head of the counsel and the master of Lin San, Adi Gallia was also a member of the counsel and the master of Tzadik, Shaak Ti was another member of the counsel and was the master or Lllyana, Qui Gon Jinn was one of the best Jedi ever and he was the master of Obi- Wan, and Winna Di Yuni was." Yenshu said, but she stopped herself before she said who Winna Di Yuni was.
"Well," Alexi started again after trying to figure out why she didn't tell him who the last Jedi Master was. "they came to talk with me. Anyways, after Master Jinn said that, I gave him my 'what in the name of Datooine are you talking about' look, so Adi Gallia explained it.
" 'What he means is that we may not know why we are here, but there is a reason. Everything happens for a reason.'
" 'What reason could you possibly have for being here?' I asked them.
" 'Well, do you need guidance for something?' Shaak Ti asked.
" 'Yeah. The Force might have sent us to help you. Is there something you need?" Winna Di Yuni said.
" 'I don't need anything! I'm just a little confused, well, actually, I think my master was confused, or the Force was.I don't know.' I said.
" 'Well, what are you or your master or the Force confused about?' Mace Windu asked.
" 'I don't think that I was supposed to become a Padawan. I think it was a mistake. I've caused nothing but grief for my master, Yenshu, and I'm always screwing up our missions with an attitude or because I don't listen.'
" 'And you think that this is Yenshu or the Force's fault? Do you really believe that? In the depths of your heart, is that what you feel?' Qui Gon asked me. I sat for a little while after that, but when I looked up to answer him, he was gone, along with the others. I sat there for a while longer, thinking about what all of them said and how they acted. After thinking for a long time, I decided it was time to return home." Alexi finished. He then sat down next to Yenshu and looked at her expectantly.
"What do you want me to say?" Yenshu asked, referring to his look.
"I want to hear what you think of my time away. I want to know if you think I made the right decision. And I want to know who Winna Di Yuni is, or, well, was." he said.
"Alexi, firstly, if I thought you were ready to know her, then I would have told you. Secondly, the only one who can decide if you made the right decision is you. I am happy by the decision you made. I would be very sad if you decided to leave me or if something happened to you. Though, I do have to say that I am sad that you felt you couldn't talk to me about this." she said.
"Well, sometimes you need to hear things from someone besides your parental figure to get the right perspective. That's what I needed. I'm sorry, but I did. If you had told me I probably would have just shrugged it off." he replied.
"Do you just shrug off everything I say?" Yenshu asked with a smile.
"Of course not. I-"
"I know, you just needed to hear it from someone else. Actually, I always went to Master Windu or Master Yoda if I needed another outlook on things, especially after I got yelled at by my master." she said with a laugh.
"Really? Maybe that is why Master Windu was sent to me. But why were the others?" he asked.
"Probably for two reasons: one-all of the people sent to you were the masters of one of your associates on this mission, and two-they were always known for how well they handled Padawans. They were the best for talking to anyone. All of the Jedi went to them when they had problems. If I had a choice of Jedi for you to talk to, then I would have picked them." Yenshu got up from the table and headed for the door. "Oh, I would also like to say that I am glad you found someone to talk to, even if it wasn't me. C'mon, we've got some things to look at before our company comes." Alexi followed Yenshu out the door and they both headed to where their fight with Xanatos started.
She walked out of her room and back into the living room. She sat at the table across from her Padawan and looked into his eyes.
"Master, I can explain." Alexi said quickly.
"Well, I certainly hope so young one. You have a lot of that to do. Start now." Yenshu said in a commanding tone.
"Well, it started a few days ago after you blew up at me." he started. "I was wondering why you got so upset, so I went outside to think. I started realizing how much of a jerk I've been and I began to think that it would be better if you had never found me at all, so I started walking towards the Dune Sea. I found a nice rocky area where I could sit and think. I was there for a while, I don't know how long exactly." He got up and started pacing around the room.
"What did you think about while you where in that nice rocky area?" Yenshu asked as her eyes followed his every move.
"I continued to think of how you never should have found me and how you must have misunderstood what the Force wanted. But while I was meditating, I saw four figures off in the distance. They were glowing a blue-green color and they were coming towards me. I got up and ignited my lightsaber, ready to defend myself against anything." He stopped for a drink of water, then continued.
"After a moment, I decided that I didn't deserve the weapon of a Jedi so I threw it to the side and awaited my destruction. I sat back down and waited for the figures to come to me. While I was waiting, I still thought about how I should just leave you. I was pleading for help from someone to tell me what to do. To tell me if I was right or wrong. I had my eyes closed in meditation and when I opened them, the figures were right in front of me."
He stopped talking. He was staring at the wall, remembering the strange encounter. "Who was it Alexi?" Yenshu asked, now looking concerned.
"One of them, a tall dark skinned bald man, introduced himself.
" 'My name is Mace Windu. These are my fellow Jedi Adi Gallia, Qui Gon Jinn, Winna Di Yuni, and Shaak Ti.'
"They were all in Jedi robes so I felt that I needed to bow, so I did. They returned the motion. I asked why they decided to grace me with their presence and the one named Qui Gon Jinn spoke first.
" 'The Force guided us here. None of us know why, but everything happens for a reason. We are here for a reason, though we may not be able to see it.'"
"Hold on a second, you actually spoke with Mace Windu, Adi Gallia, Shaak Ti, Winna Di Yuni, and Qui Gon Jinn?" Yenshu asked sounding astonished.
"Yeah, why, do those names mean anything to you?" he asked.
"Uh, yeah! Mace Windu was the head of the counsel and the master of Lin San, Adi Gallia was also a member of the counsel and the master of Tzadik, Shaak Ti was another member of the counsel and was the master or Lllyana, Qui Gon Jinn was one of the best Jedi ever and he was the master of Obi- Wan, and Winna Di Yuni was." Yenshu said, but she stopped herself before she said who Winna Di Yuni was.
"Well," Alexi started again after trying to figure out why she didn't tell him who the last Jedi Master was. "they came to talk with me. Anyways, after Master Jinn said that, I gave him my 'what in the name of Datooine are you talking about' look, so Adi Gallia explained it.
" 'What he means is that we may not know why we are here, but there is a reason. Everything happens for a reason.'
" 'What reason could you possibly have for being here?' I asked them.
" 'Well, do you need guidance for something?' Shaak Ti asked.
" 'Yeah. The Force might have sent us to help you. Is there something you need?" Winna Di Yuni said.
" 'I don't need anything! I'm just a little confused, well, actually, I think my master was confused, or the Force was.I don't know.' I said.
" 'Well, what are you or your master or the Force confused about?' Mace Windu asked.
" 'I don't think that I was supposed to become a Padawan. I think it was a mistake. I've caused nothing but grief for my master, Yenshu, and I'm always screwing up our missions with an attitude or because I don't listen.'
" 'And you think that this is Yenshu or the Force's fault? Do you really believe that? In the depths of your heart, is that what you feel?' Qui Gon asked me. I sat for a little while after that, but when I looked up to answer him, he was gone, along with the others. I sat there for a while longer, thinking about what all of them said and how they acted. After thinking for a long time, I decided it was time to return home." Alexi finished. He then sat down next to Yenshu and looked at her expectantly.
"What do you want me to say?" Yenshu asked, referring to his look.
"I want to hear what you think of my time away. I want to know if you think I made the right decision. And I want to know who Winna Di Yuni is, or, well, was." he said.
"Alexi, firstly, if I thought you were ready to know her, then I would have told you. Secondly, the only one who can decide if you made the right decision is you. I am happy by the decision you made. I would be very sad if you decided to leave me or if something happened to you. Though, I do have to say that I am sad that you felt you couldn't talk to me about this." she said.
"Well, sometimes you need to hear things from someone besides your parental figure to get the right perspective. That's what I needed. I'm sorry, but I did. If you had told me I probably would have just shrugged it off." he replied.
"Do you just shrug off everything I say?" Yenshu asked with a smile.
"Of course not. I-"
"I know, you just needed to hear it from someone else. Actually, I always went to Master Windu or Master Yoda if I needed another outlook on things, especially after I got yelled at by my master." she said with a laugh.
"Really? Maybe that is why Master Windu was sent to me. But why were the others?" he asked.
"Probably for two reasons: one-all of the people sent to you were the masters of one of your associates on this mission, and two-they were always known for how well they handled Padawans. They were the best for talking to anyone. All of the Jedi went to them when they had problems. If I had a choice of Jedi for you to talk to, then I would have picked them." Yenshu got up from the table and headed for the door. "Oh, I would also like to say that I am glad you found someone to talk to, even if it wasn't me. C'mon, we've got some things to look at before our company comes." Alexi followed Yenshu out the door and they both headed to where their fight with Xanatos started.