Chapter 5
"Well," Brady said as he made his way to one of the meditation pads, sitting down swiftly, as Chloe looked on. "You are a hard person to find Chloe."
"Well perhaps I did not wish to be found, Master Black." Chloe said as she sat down on the other meditation pad, ducking her head in both embarrassment as well as anger.
"I see. Well then you did an excellent job." He said smirking at her, trying desperately to get the image of she and Obi-Wan out of his mind. Didn't they know better? What he had seen surly implied that they were about to go against their vows. But why wasn't he reporting them? And why was he silently wishing that he could take Obi-Wan's place? Regardless of all of his beliefs and the fact that this young woman infuriated him more than anyone ever has.
"Not well enough since you have found me." She said fixing her robe around her folded legs, careful not to look up, for she knew that if she did, her emotions would become unleashed.
"Well you can thank Padawan Skywalker for that. I saw him going into one of the com-rooms and he sent me in this direction." He said.
"Evil." She mumbled under her breath. "I'm so going to beat him up."
"Now don't be rash Chloe. We know that that is your problem. And I know that I did not help with that." He said sincerely.
"What gave you that idea? When I stormed out on you or your unwelcome greeting right now." Chloe asked spitefully.
"I'm sorry that we all can't be Master Kenobi." He said spitefully, whatever friendliness that had been displayed on his face, disappearing with this comment as his mind once again took him back to the almost embrace he walked in on.
"You do not know what you speak of. Master Obi-Wan is a trusted friend. I have more respect for him than I will ever have for you." She seethed.
"Then perhaps we should rectify that my apprentice. The galaxy does not begin and end with Master Kenobi."
"I realize that, and I was not implying that it did. I am just saying that you will never be the man that he is. He is deserving of my respect, where as you are not."
"Well then perhaps you should get to know me better, then you can better make that assessment." Brady said.
"Well, I would have, had the first words out of your mouth not been rude and condescending." She said glaring at him.
"See, we are both at fault. I can admit my mistakes." He said smirking once more.
"Oh, the great Master Black can do that?" She asked a smirk appearing on her face as well. "Then the universe must have ended. What did you speak with the Council and they told you to amend this situation at any cost?"
"No. I looked inwards, and have seen what must be done."
"Afraid of Master Yoda?" Chloe asked.
"Terrified." He said chuckling as Chloe soon joined him. "See, that wasn't so hard. We can get along if we try."
"But there shouldn't be effort in that. For us to even have a civil conversation is taking all of my energy."
"Don't think that you are the only one kid." Brady said his eyes smiling then changing suddenly as he saw the grim look on Chloe's face. "Right, sorry. No, kid."
"I see that you did a lot of soul searching then, to admit that you are wrong even. From your reputation, I don't believe you've ever done that."
"And don't expect me to ever again. This is just for us to have a fresh start. I shouldn't have let my anti-social tendencies affect my treatment of you. The Council gave me an assignment neither of us wanted, and I was rash about it. Now that I have reflected upon that, I see what I have done wrong. And I hope you have as well." Brady said sincerely.
"Master Kenobi has helped me reassess the situation." Chloe said smiling as she thought of the handsome Jedi Master.
"Well he must be very persuasive." He said, his mind seething from the dreamy look that appeared on her face as she thought of the older Master. "I take it that there won't be any repeat…" He said trailing off.
"Master Obi-Wan and I are none of your concern. Even if you are my Master, you have no right to butt into my personal affairs." She said angrily.
"And as a Jedi, you have no personal affairs, do you understand my young Padawan?" Brady said, his anger equal to the young woman's.
"Then I would assume you will not allow me to speak with Anakin Skywalker then? Or anyone else for that matter? Because I have many friends, all of whom I rely upon greatly. As they do as well. You cannot ask me to give up all that I have known because you do not like it." She said standing up to face him. "My old Master understood this and supported all of my relationships."
"Well, I am not your old Master. I am your new one, and things will be different. Believe me. So, do not expect your life to go on the same as it was now that I am in it. If I have to change my way of doing things, then so will you." He said standing to meet her, as their eyes burned into one another.
"So, you are punishing me for your inconvenience?" She asked turning around, unable to bear the intrusion of his stare. "Well then perhaps Master Black you have not done enough soul searching. If you think that you can come to me after a short while with false apologies and hope, then you do not know me as well as you like to think you do."
"And your short temper will be the end of you." He said spinning her around to face him. "Change is inevitable. So, just except it. I have and so must you. And like I've said before, if you want to ever take the trials, you are going to have to listen to me. To trust me." He said reaching out his hand to hers, as she eyed it wearily. "I'm your only hope."
Slowly Chloe reached out and placed her own hand in his, shaking it slowly, the roughness a surprising comfort to her smooth palm. "Well if I have no other choice. I'll have to listen to what Master Kenobi said. Listen to you. And give this horrible mismatch a chance."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." He muttered as she finally withdrew her hand.
"Not a problem." She said stepping back and looking at him. "Kid."
"Excuse me my very young Padawan learner, but I am a good ten years older than you." He said.
"Not that you look or act like it." She said slyly
"Perhaps if you spent less time practicing your wit and more on your mental skills you would have been taking the Trials as we speak."
"And if you had not been rude the moment that we met then perhaps we would not be stuck in this circle of destruction Master Black."
"And perhaps you are right." He said smiling.
"Doth my ears deceive me? Is Jedi Master Brady Black admitting he is wrong once again?" She asked playfully.
"Like I said before. Don't expect me to do it again. What has occurred in this room, stays in this room. Even what I walked in on." He said knowingly.
"Which was nothing." She said trying to convince him. "But you do have a deal. We wouldn't want to ruin your reputation of being an abrasive bastard."
"And we wouldn't want to ruin yours of being a selfish brat." He said, his face plastered in a grin, as Chloe finally did the same, her smile barely reaching her eyes. "You know, you are my first Padawan learner?" He asked as he made his way to the door, Chloe following behind.
"Why am I not surprised? No one sane would want to work with you."
"Well it's a good thing that you are not someone who is sane."
"Takes one to know one."
"Fine, then we are both insane, rash, obnoxious, hotheaded brats who will not ever get along and are only in this because of our respect for our elders. And from that we will rush through whatever life throws at us as fast as possible so that we can get out of this insane, completely incompatible relationship." He said.
"You know something Master Black? This could be the beginning of a tolerable friendship." Chloe said smiling as they made their way out of the meditation room and down the corridor, to see what awaits them.
"Well," Brady said as he made his way to one of the meditation pads, sitting down swiftly, as Chloe looked on. "You are a hard person to find Chloe."
"Well perhaps I did not wish to be found, Master Black." Chloe said as she sat down on the other meditation pad, ducking her head in both embarrassment as well as anger.
"I see. Well then you did an excellent job." He said smirking at her, trying desperately to get the image of she and Obi-Wan out of his mind. Didn't they know better? What he had seen surly implied that they were about to go against their vows. But why wasn't he reporting them? And why was he silently wishing that he could take Obi-Wan's place? Regardless of all of his beliefs and the fact that this young woman infuriated him more than anyone ever has.
"Not well enough since you have found me." She said fixing her robe around her folded legs, careful not to look up, for she knew that if she did, her emotions would become unleashed.
"Well you can thank Padawan Skywalker for that. I saw him going into one of the com-rooms and he sent me in this direction." He said.
"Evil." She mumbled under her breath. "I'm so going to beat him up."
"Now don't be rash Chloe. We know that that is your problem. And I know that I did not help with that." He said sincerely.
"What gave you that idea? When I stormed out on you or your unwelcome greeting right now." Chloe asked spitefully.
"I'm sorry that we all can't be Master Kenobi." He said spitefully, whatever friendliness that had been displayed on his face, disappearing with this comment as his mind once again took him back to the almost embrace he walked in on.
"You do not know what you speak of. Master Obi-Wan is a trusted friend. I have more respect for him than I will ever have for you." She seethed.
"Then perhaps we should rectify that my apprentice. The galaxy does not begin and end with Master Kenobi."
"I realize that, and I was not implying that it did. I am just saying that you will never be the man that he is. He is deserving of my respect, where as you are not."
"Well then perhaps you should get to know me better, then you can better make that assessment." Brady said.
"Well, I would have, had the first words out of your mouth not been rude and condescending." She said glaring at him.
"See, we are both at fault. I can admit my mistakes." He said smirking once more.
"Oh, the great Master Black can do that?" She asked a smirk appearing on her face as well. "Then the universe must have ended. What did you speak with the Council and they told you to amend this situation at any cost?"
"No. I looked inwards, and have seen what must be done."
"Afraid of Master Yoda?" Chloe asked.
"Terrified." He said chuckling as Chloe soon joined him. "See, that wasn't so hard. We can get along if we try."
"But there shouldn't be effort in that. For us to even have a civil conversation is taking all of my energy."
"Don't think that you are the only one kid." Brady said his eyes smiling then changing suddenly as he saw the grim look on Chloe's face. "Right, sorry. No, kid."
"I see that you did a lot of soul searching then, to admit that you are wrong even. From your reputation, I don't believe you've ever done that."
"And don't expect me to ever again. This is just for us to have a fresh start. I shouldn't have let my anti-social tendencies affect my treatment of you. The Council gave me an assignment neither of us wanted, and I was rash about it. Now that I have reflected upon that, I see what I have done wrong. And I hope you have as well." Brady said sincerely.
"Master Kenobi has helped me reassess the situation." Chloe said smiling as she thought of the handsome Jedi Master.
"Well he must be very persuasive." He said, his mind seething from the dreamy look that appeared on her face as she thought of the older Master. "I take it that there won't be any repeat…" He said trailing off.
"Master Obi-Wan and I are none of your concern. Even if you are my Master, you have no right to butt into my personal affairs." She said angrily.
"And as a Jedi, you have no personal affairs, do you understand my young Padawan?" Brady said, his anger equal to the young woman's.
"Then I would assume you will not allow me to speak with Anakin Skywalker then? Or anyone else for that matter? Because I have many friends, all of whom I rely upon greatly. As they do as well. You cannot ask me to give up all that I have known because you do not like it." She said standing up to face him. "My old Master understood this and supported all of my relationships."
"Well, I am not your old Master. I am your new one, and things will be different. Believe me. So, do not expect your life to go on the same as it was now that I am in it. If I have to change my way of doing things, then so will you." He said standing to meet her, as their eyes burned into one another.
"So, you are punishing me for your inconvenience?" She asked turning around, unable to bear the intrusion of his stare. "Well then perhaps Master Black you have not done enough soul searching. If you think that you can come to me after a short while with false apologies and hope, then you do not know me as well as you like to think you do."
"And your short temper will be the end of you." He said spinning her around to face him. "Change is inevitable. So, just except it. I have and so must you. And like I've said before, if you want to ever take the trials, you are going to have to listen to me. To trust me." He said reaching out his hand to hers, as she eyed it wearily. "I'm your only hope."
Slowly Chloe reached out and placed her own hand in his, shaking it slowly, the roughness a surprising comfort to her smooth palm. "Well if I have no other choice. I'll have to listen to what Master Kenobi said. Listen to you. And give this horrible mismatch a chance."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." He muttered as she finally withdrew her hand.
"Not a problem." She said stepping back and looking at him. "Kid."
"Excuse me my very young Padawan learner, but I am a good ten years older than you." He said.
"Not that you look or act like it." She said slyly
"Perhaps if you spent less time practicing your wit and more on your mental skills you would have been taking the Trials as we speak."
"And if you had not been rude the moment that we met then perhaps we would not be stuck in this circle of destruction Master Black."
"And perhaps you are right." He said smiling.
"Doth my ears deceive me? Is Jedi Master Brady Black admitting he is wrong once again?" She asked playfully.
"Like I said before. Don't expect me to do it again. What has occurred in this room, stays in this room. Even what I walked in on." He said knowingly.
"Which was nothing." She said trying to convince him. "But you do have a deal. We wouldn't want to ruin your reputation of being an abrasive bastard."
"And we wouldn't want to ruin yours of being a selfish brat." He said, his face plastered in a grin, as Chloe finally did the same, her smile barely reaching her eyes. "You know, you are my first Padawan learner?" He asked as he made his way to the door, Chloe following behind.
"Why am I not surprised? No one sane would want to work with you."
"Well it's a good thing that you are not someone who is sane."
"Takes one to know one."
"Fine, then we are both insane, rash, obnoxious, hotheaded brats who will not ever get along and are only in this because of our respect for our elders. And from that we will rush through whatever life throws at us as fast as possible so that we can get out of this insane, completely incompatible relationship." He said.
"You know something Master Black? This could be the beginning of a tolerable friendship." Chloe said smiling as they made their way out of the meditation room and down the corridor, to see what awaits them.