PART THREE: PATIENCE
Obi-Wan acknowledged the older Jedi's comment and stepped into the room. Young Padawan of different shapes and sizes sat at stations fixed as a square,facing the center of the room. It was quite dim except for the light in the center of the room and at each station. Jedi Master Anoon Bondara, a Twi'lek, watched each Padawan carefully construct their own lightsaber, which their Masters had started earlier in the weeks for their new hopeful apprentices. Anoon noticed the two new visitors, but noted that they didn't want their presence to be known to those in the room. Several Masters greeted them with a nod, hidden in the shadows of the room.
Anoon turned back to the pupils and addressed them. "...a lightsaber isn't to be used for a thrill of a good fight, but protection of oneself or in which they are assigned to protect. If a Jedi is to disarm their lightsaber in attack, they must be ready to protect another as well as himself. He also must be able to take one's life if it turns to it. A Jedi must be ready to take a life, or be prepared to die in duty.
"However, if used in improper care it could result in extensive repair. These lightsabers are to be carried as the most prized possession you have. They are apart of you. An extension of your soul, almost like another way to communicate. If they were to fall into an untrained hand it could result in an injury one could not fix..."
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan walked the perimeter of the stations and found their apprentice working hard on his lightsaber. He was so determined to finish it. It brought no surprise to them. They both knew how well he worked with tools. Anakin already wore the clothes of a Jedi--loose, but a comfortable tunic, pants, soft-material boots that hugged against his ankles. However, his hair had not been cut to that of a Padawan, but it would happen at Obi-Wan's ceremony.
Obi-Wan was the first to approach the apprentice. "Hey, Anakin."
"Hey, Obi-Wan." Anakin also noticed the other figure looming over him. "Hey, Qui-Gon. Feeling better?" Anakin's eyes never left his work.
Qui-Gon smiled and took a seat next to his new apprentice. "I'm feeling much better, Anakin. Thank you for asking."
"You're welcome, sir." He struggled to get the Ilum crystal in place. "Is it really this hard to make a lightsaber? It doesn't make any sense."
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon looked at each other. Obi-Wan took his newly- constructed lightsaber into his hand. He remembered that he nearly spent all day and night for the past week and a half constructing it, with Qui- Gon helping him every now and then when the Healers had permitted.
"It takes time, Anakin." Obi-Wan leaned over him.
"You worked on yours for nearly a week and you're already done. But so have I and I can't even get a simple thing like this crystal in."
"Patience, my padawan. You cannot just rush into it. This teaches you patience, Anakin," Qui-Gon placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder.
Anakin began to force the crystal in place.
"Anakin, wait. Don't just force it in," Obi-Wan broke in front of him.
Anakin panicked and dropped the crystal. It shattered all across the floor. Anakin shot him a look. "What'd you do that for?!" His anger was breaking from the patience he just had. His eyes fixed on Obi-Wan like a predator on his prey.
Obi-Wan panicked. He dropped to the floor and began to pick up the broken pieces of the crystal.
Qui-Gon touched Anakin's shoulder. Anakin looked at him, the anger slowly slipping deep into his soul. "Anakin, you must learn patience when it comes to making a lightsaber. It is not something that is to be rushed. With time and training you will learn patience like Obi-Wan has."
"Ow! Sh--" Obi-Wan caught Qui-Gon's glare. Obi-Wan sucked the blood from his finger and got to his feet.
Qui-Gon got to his feet and walked toward the back of the room. Obi-Wan followed.
"You seem a little on edge, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan waved his finger around to ease the pain then looked at the other Jedi. "Seriously, Master, you don't see how dangerous he is?"
"He is a little arrogant, yes. Impatient. Much like you were. But give him time, Obi-Wan."
"And you make that sound so easy, but it's not."
"Now, you know I felt when I became your master. I never said it was going to be easy to train your own apprentice, Ben." Qui-Gon's eyes trailed onto his old apprentice and turned back toward Anakin. "So, Anakin? Are you ready for tonight? The big move into a new life?"
"I suppose," he slipped another crystal in easily. He began to put the finishing touches on the lightsaber.
Obi-Wan loomed over him, an annoyed look on his face. For the longest time, Obi-Wan had his own insights on the boy. The day they first met, it shook him up to think that a nine-year old boy managed to get them the parts they needed to get to Coruscant. This nine year old boy had defeated an entire Trade Federation control ship on his own. It scared him to think that one boy could do that on his own. If he was the one in the prophecy, he would be the one to bring balance to the Force. It made Obi-Wan feel inferior. Low. He felt Qui-Gon's serious glare on him and pulled away.
To be continued.....
Obi-Wan acknowledged the older Jedi's comment and stepped into the room. Young Padawan of different shapes and sizes sat at stations fixed as a square,facing the center of the room. It was quite dim except for the light in the center of the room and at each station. Jedi Master Anoon Bondara, a Twi'lek, watched each Padawan carefully construct their own lightsaber, which their Masters had started earlier in the weeks for their new hopeful apprentices. Anoon noticed the two new visitors, but noted that they didn't want their presence to be known to those in the room. Several Masters greeted them with a nod, hidden in the shadows of the room.
Anoon turned back to the pupils and addressed them. "...a lightsaber isn't to be used for a thrill of a good fight, but protection of oneself or in which they are assigned to protect. If a Jedi is to disarm their lightsaber in attack, they must be ready to protect another as well as himself. He also must be able to take one's life if it turns to it. A Jedi must be ready to take a life, or be prepared to die in duty.
"However, if used in improper care it could result in extensive repair. These lightsabers are to be carried as the most prized possession you have. They are apart of you. An extension of your soul, almost like another way to communicate. If they were to fall into an untrained hand it could result in an injury one could not fix..."
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan walked the perimeter of the stations and found their apprentice working hard on his lightsaber. He was so determined to finish it. It brought no surprise to them. They both knew how well he worked with tools. Anakin already wore the clothes of a Jedi--loose, but a comfortable tunic, pants, soft-material boots that hugged against his ankles. However, his hair had not been cut to that of a Padawan, but it would happen at Obi-Wan's ceremony.
Obi-Wan was the first to approach the apprentice. "Hey, Anakin."
"Hey, Obi-Wan." Anakin also noticed the other figure looming over him. "Hey, Qui-Gon. Feeling better?" Anakin's eyes never left his work.
Qui-Gon smiled and took a seat next to his new apprentice. "I'm feeling much better, Anakin. Thank you for asking."
"You're welcome, sir." He struggled to get the Ilum crystal in place. "Is it really this hard to make a lightsaber? It doesn't make any sense."
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon looked at each other. Obi-Wan took his newly- constructed lightsaber into his hand. He remembered that he nearly spent all day and night for the past week and a half constructing it, with Qui- Gon helping him every now and then when the Healers had permitted.
"It takes time, Anakin." Obi-Wan leaned over him.
"You worked on yours for nearly a week and you're already done. But so have I and I can't even get a simple thing like this crystal in."
"Patience, my padawan. You cannot just rush into it. This teaches you patience, Anakin," Qui-Gon placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder.
Anakin began to force the crystal in place.
"Anakin, wait. Don't just force it in," Obi-Wan broke in front of him.
Anakin panicked and dropped the crystal. It shattered all across the floor. Anakin shot him a look. "What'd you do that for?!" His anger was breaking from the patience he just had. His eyes fixed on Obi-Wan like a predator on his prey.
Obi-Wan panicked. He dropped to the floor and began to pick up the broken pieces of the crystal.
Qui-Gon touched Anakin's shoulder. Anakin looked at him, the anger slowly slipping deep into his soul. "Anakin, you must learn patience when it comes to making a lightsaber. It is not something that is to be rushed. With time and training you will learn patience like Obi-Wan has."
"Ow! Sh--" Obi-Wan caught Qui-Gon's glare. Obi-Wan sucked the blood from his finger and got to his feet.
Qui-Gon got to his feet and walked toward the back of the room. Obi-Wan followed.
"You seem a little on edge, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan waved his finger around to ease the pain then looked at the other Jedi. "Seriously, Master, you don't see how dangerous he is?"
"He is a little arrogant, yes. Impatient. Much like you were. But give him time, Obi-Wan."
"And you make that sound so easy, but it's not."
"Now, you know I felt when I became your master. I never said it was going to be easy to train your own apprentice, Ben." Qui-Gon's eyes trailed onto his old apprentice and turned back toward Anakin. "So, Anakin? Are you ready for tonight? The big move into a new life?"
"I suppose," he slipped another crystal in easily. He began to put the finishing touches on the lightsaber.
Obi-Wan loomed over him, an annoyed look on his face. For the longest time, Obi-Wan had his own insights on the boy. The day they first met, it shook him up to think that a nine-year old boy managed to get them the parts they needed to get to Coruscant. This nine year old boy had defeated an entire Trade Federation control ship on his own. It scared him to think that one boy could do that on his own. If he was the one in the prophecy, he would be the one to bring balance to the Force. It made Obi-Wan feel inferior. Low. He felt Qui-Gon's serious glare on him and pulled away.
To be continued.....