Glad you all liked the first chapter.

 I was kind of trepidacious about writing this, but, hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 Check 1st chapter for disclaimers.

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  Qui-Gon groaned as he saw the table Mace had rushed to "Reserve" for him. One could see everyone form that table, and everyone could see you. To top it all off, Mace had been able to get the crèche master to sit with him. No doubt, Qui-Gon would have to listen to Master Jharg-Hon talk about Chun's better qualities all through the meal.

   About three seconds into the conversation, Qui-Gon discovered that he was right. While he sincerely doubted that the master truly like the initiate, it was the crèche master's job to talk positively about all of his students.

    Absently, Master Jinn let his mind wander. He doubted he would get by with full blown meditation, but he could take his mind elsewhere. Serene blue eyes scanned the crowds of initiates eating in the luncheon room. His gaze came to rest upon the ginger haired girl from the earlier fight. She was at a table close to his talking to a Mon Calamarian.

    Their closeness now revealed more detail to what he had only glimpsed in the saber room. The bottom half of her face was scarred. Young skin folded in wrinkles that could only be caused by burns.

     Qui-Gon was disrupted from his study when Mace took his leave to attend to council business. Pouncing on his opportunity, Qui-Gon interrogated the crèche master.

"What's the name of the human girl at that table?"

Qui-Gon saw the first genuine glimpse of affection from the man.

"Obi-Wan. She'll be turning thirteen in a few weeks. Too bad really, I'll miss her being around. She'll probably get shipped off to the Agri-Corp."

"I saw her fight earlier. I take it her saber skills are her best quality?"

"No, not really."

"Then why do you assume she won't get apprenticed?"

A harsh laugh came from the other master.

"Perhaps you need your eyes checked. She's not exactly whole."

Fire flared in Qui-Gon's eyes, "Are you insinuating that a Jedi would be so vain as to pass over an apprentice for mere looks?"

"Insinuating? No, Master Jinn. I am stating that fact. Jedi are not so vain, but the people we work with are. It would be too much of a burden for a master to have to cope with the prejudices against her looks in addition to prejudices against Jedi."

"Hardships are no reason for a master to ignore a good student."

"Really Master, I am not disagreeing with you that she would make an excellent Jedi. I am simply stating what has been told to me several times. Every time she would go into a political situation there would be the normal pressures of the mission PLUS the fight against her looks."

"If there is such a problem, then why don't you just have her face fixed? Surely the Order would not object to a cosmetic surgery for the purpose of gaining a knight?"

"It has been done several times. Her face just stays that way. When she was young, she was burned with an organic chemical. It permeated her skin. Now, whenever we fix it, the skin just grows back the same way. It was the reason her parents gave her to the order. They were too high profile to live with a disfigured child."

Qui-Gon was about to respond when it was announced that the saber fights were about to re-start. He lifted himself from the table, bid his goodbyes and walked back to the arena.

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    Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed. She felt sorry for the tall Master that all the initiates kept trying to impress. They all wanted to be the next apprentice of the Great Qui-Gon Jinn. Couldn't they see that he didn't want to be here?

   Ugh, Bruck was the next person he was about to interview. Personally, she hoped he wouldn't pick Bruck. It might be un-Jedi of her, but she didn't think that Bruck would make it all the way to the trials. He was too mean.

   Bruck was the one who tormented her constantly. Oafy-Wan was his favorite taunt, but he was more cruel when they were alone. Bruck had been the one to tell her how ugly she was. Somehow he had found out that that was the reason she had been given to the order. He told her no-one would ever want her.

     She used to think that wasn't true. But after four years of initiate trials, she knew he was right. The only master that had ever asked to interview her was a Kel Dor. He hadn't realized she was a damaged human and thought her another species. His inquiries had been dropped when he found out otherwise.

      That happened a lot. The masters didn't mean to be unkind; they just didn't want to get her hopes up. It was one of the reasons she made friends with other species. They usually didn't have opinions on human beauty, so they didn't really care.

    Obi-Wan had tried to work on her healing skills in hopes of getting apprenticed to a healer. She wouldn't be a Jedi Knight, but at least she could still call the Temple her home. The only problem had been that she wasn't good at it. Her access to the Living Force was too shallow. Healers needed to have a balanced level in order to be effective.

Her only consolation was that this would be the last time she would have to sit in a waiting room all day hoping to be called for an interview.

    A smile crossed her lips. Master Jinn had gotten rid of Bruck pretty fast. Now he was calling for Garen. If Master Jinn did take an apprentice, she hoped it would be Garen. He was a friend. Never had he laughed at her for the way she looked.

"Still waiting for Prince Charming Oafy-Wan?" Bruck's voice was soft and taunting.

"Is some big, brave master going to come and make you a Jedi?"

"Go away Bruck."

"I plan to. Master Jinn just told me I was on his mind as a potential apprentice. Once I go away with him, you'll never see me again."

As Bruck swaggered away, Obi-Wan realized there was another benefit for going to the Agri-Corp. No Bruck.