Author's Note: Hey, all, I've decided that I'm going to post on Wednesdays... which is when I posted the first chapter by date, but that was actually nearly midnight on that Wednesday. So, here you go. I debated where to do my thank yous... I think at the beginning slows down the flow of the story less than at the end... but tell me what you think.

Thank you to: Knight Queen, Tiamath Thanks for the spell check... I don't have a beta who has read the books., beth, Kenobi-girl1, A.NuEvil, Pirate Rhi To be honest, most of my research was a dictionary...;), Dora-the-elda We'll get to their lessons, but I'm not sure they'll be what you had in mind...

On to the story... see you all next week.


Obi-Wan wished – as he stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, hands holding datapads clasped behind his back –he could have meditated before meeting the initiates. He was emotionally exhausted, he realized, from the questioning that he had submitted to in front of the Council. Too many of his hopes and dreams were wrapped up in what those twelve masters thought of him, he groaned mentally. He just hoped he was alert enough to deal with these initiates.

Doors opened to Obi-Wan's right, just past Qui-Gon, and he turned to watch two initiates lead in blindfolded by their helmets. The Padawans helping Master Yoda that day placed the two girls squarely on the starting marks, and backed away as the initiates took their fighting stances. Obi-Wan knew that right now all they could hear was their own breathing, waiting.

"Begin," bellowed the green master. Khiss, kchnk. They lighted their sabers nearly simultaneously, but the taller initiate managed to swing and connect with the smaller initiate's saber just as the smaller put up her guard.

"Which one is which?" whispered Obi-Wan. He stood just behind his Master's elbow, trying not to distract the younglings.

"You tell me, Obi-Wan," said Qui-Gon, his eyes and voice dull. Obi-Wan wondered what he did wrong. "Use your powers of observation, and compare it to what you read about the initiates."

Bantha dung, Obi-Wan thought. He really wished he had had time to meditate. He rubbed his eyes and studied the initiates as they thrust and parried with their sabers as well as the Force. The shorter one was doing all she could to fend off attack, but was obviously less skilled with her 'saber. The obvious thing would be to assume that Maela would be the shorter, less skilled one, but you couldn't always trust the obvious. Obi-Wan watched the shorter girl. She lifted her saber up in the fifth parry – horizontal, high above her head. When she "looked" up at her saber, strands of auburn hair where visible below the bottom edge of the helmet. The smaller girl was Maela, because Lilia had brown hair.

"Lilia currently has the upper hand," whispered Obi-Wan. His master obviously knew which girl was which, no need to spell it out. "She is quite good. She seems to know what Maela is going to do before she does it."

"I believe," said Qui-Gon, "that she is using some precognitive techniques." He studied the two girls. "Lilia is using some advanced techniques for her age, but Maela is only average. We may have to work with them separately on the trip; the gap of their skills is much too wide." The duel moved to a point where a "killing blow" could be used at any moment.

"Enough," demanded Master Yoda. "Remove your helmets, young apprentices." Yoda tapped his gimmer stick to emphasize the sentence. They did, and then bowed to each other, and then to their master, thanking by symbolic gesture for lessons learned. Then the two students presented themselves to Yoda, who studied them carefully.

Obi-Wan finally got a look at them. The taller, more skilled Lilia looked unremarkable. Her brown hair was short, and her long Padawan braid was unadorned, clothes simpler than most. Her deep brown eyes were shadowed, as if she was much older than her ten years.

Maela looked young. Her features were still cubby in a childish way, and her red hair was cut chunky as if she had done it herself. She was smiling softly, face flushed with exertion and hazel eyes flashing despite knowing how badly she had done.

Yoda addressed the young one first. "Defended yourself well with the force, you did, Maela Nuccio." The Master turned to the other. "Impeccable technique, yours was, Lilia Ryhne." The two girls bowed again. Lilia, used to the training exercises, started as if to leave. "One moment, wait," Yoda asked, holding up one three fingered hand. "Noticed our guests, you may have." He gestured towards Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan watched as Maela's eyes widened and returned to normal, and Lilia scowled. Obi-Wan glanced at Qui-Gon, who smiled at their reactions to being caught off guard.

"Going to visit your parents, you are," said Yoda. "Take you, Master Qui-Gon and his Padawan will." Yoda stepped foreword closer to the initiates and handed them each a datapad. "Letters from home, these are. Talk to Master Qui-Gon you must." Master Yoda leaned his gimmer stick and exited the room.

"Good evening, Initiate Lilia. Good evening, Initiate Maela." Qui-Gon bowed very slightly to them, as the initiates bowed deeply in accordance with etiquette. "I am not sure if you are aware, but I was your sponsor into the Order." The two girls said nothing, did not even nod. They must not have known, Obi-Wan thought. "Since your parents have requested that you visit home, my Padawan and I will act as your chaperones. This is my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi." Qui-Gon looked behind him, to Obi-Wan, a reassuring glance. "He will help you with your preparations to leave. Now, if you excuse me, I have other preparations to attend to."

Maela watched Qui-Gon cross the room to speak with one of the trainers. Lilia looked out in front of her, eyes unfocused, waiting for Obi-Wan to speak. He took a deep breath, but was interrupted. "You saved the healing crystals of fire!" Maela gushed. "It's my favorite place to meditate."

"I only helped…save… them." Obi-Wan had no problem admitting that he had only helped, but the word "save" seemed so… over the top. He wasn't a hero.

"Not too much pride," said Maela approvingly. She grinned, and Obi-Wan didn't know what to think – she seemed to be enjoying his discomfort. Obi-Wan paused, trying to remember what he had to tell the initiates. Lilia bowed.

"Pleasure to meet you, Padawan Kenobi," Lilia intoned solemnly. Bowing was something he could deal with. Obi-Wan watched at Lilia glared at Maela – Maela, being youngest, was supposed to bow first – and Maela bowed grudgingly. Obi-Wan bowed as well.

"Initiates Rhyne and Nuccio, the Council has instructed me to help you prepare for your visit home like Padawans prepare for missions." Obi-Wan hoped he sounded impressive to them. If he was going to help teach them, he was going to have to command their respect. "On a real mission you have to know something about where you're going and what you're doing. You each know enough about your own home, so you'll research the other." Obi-Wan activated the datapads and looked at them briefly to make sure he was handing them to the right girls. "There is information on both the planet and the other's family. You'll be expected to have a working knowledge."

Lilia began to read immediately, Maela casually skimmed through the files. "When do we have to have a … working knowledge by?" The phrase was unfamiliar to the eight-year-old and it sounded funny coming from her lips, almost mocking.

"Before we leave," said Obi-Wan, ignoring the possible connotations of Maela's inflection. "Master Jinn will probably quiz you periodically on the transport, to make sure you know the important things. That's what he does with me." Maela nodded thoughtfully and began to skim backwards through the information; Lilia was still studying the first section.

"You'll have to study that," said Obi-Wan, "but you'll also have to prepare for the mission in other ways. Also on those datapads are your packing lists – make sure that you have everything for your bags. We don't leave until late tomorrow – the travel times are on there too, so if you have any trouble, you can contact me or Qui-Gon. Information to contact us is on there too." Obi-Wan paused, and half observed the initiates as he mentally check off what he needed to talk about. Research, packing, travel, lessons…he had almost forgotten about the lessons.

Obi-Wan pulled a smaller datapad out of his pocket. "I know you have enough datapads, but only one of you has to take care of this." Lilia looked up from her intense study of Maela's biographical information, and Maela remained watching Obi-Wan, despite still scrolling up and down the datapad. "It's a request for your Masters to provide daily lessons for our two week trip. Don't worry about your physical training classes. Master Qui-Gon has taken care of that." Obi-Wan nodded over at Qui-Gon, who stood outside of a range that would interrupt. He carried two training sabers to pack in their general luggage, and a datapad with the daily physical regimes of the initiates. Obi-Wan had been relieved when Qui-Gon took care of talking to the physical training masters – Obi-Wan knew he wouldn't have known what questions to ask.

Obi-Wan shook his head to clear it and turned back to the initiates."So, anyway, you have to share that excuse letter, and take it to all of your Masters tomorrow." Obi-Wan paused again, wondering how he could be sure that happened. He could double check on them, make sure himself lessons did get collected, but how could he be sure that they tried? "Why don't we pick a time for you two to meet tomorrow, so you can go to your Masters and share the datapad?"

"How about after morning meditation and before classes?" said Maela. "Can I hold the datapad?"

"No, I think Lilia should hold it," said Obi-Wan, looking dubiously at the small girl's out-stretched hand. "She's older." As Maela withdrew her hand and let her shoulders sag, Obi-Wan handed Lilia the datapad. "Where should you meet?"

"I meditate in my room," said Lilia.

"I meditate by the Healing Crystals of Fire," said Maela. She was leaning on one of her feet, and swinging the other back and forth, slowly. She wasn't quite over the disappointment yet, Obi-Wan could see. But, he thought, that girl had too much excess energy.

"Well, why don't you meet outside the meditation room that holds the Healing Crystals of Fire?" suggested Obi-Wan. "Remember to meet. You don't have to attend classes, just make sure you go before they start so that they'll have enough time to set aside lessons for you." Obi-Wan sighed. "That's it, I guess." He turned to his master. "Do you have anything to add, Qui-Gon?"

"Not at all, Padawan." Qui-Gon knelt so he was nearer to eye level with the initiates. "You are dismissed. Make sure you follow the directions on your datapads."

"See you tomorrow!" chirped Maela, waving heartily as she skipped towards the locker rooms. Lilia bowed, and turned, and pointedly walked in a dignified manner where she was supposed to be. When they were gone, Qui-Gon put his arm around his Padawan's shoulder and led him out of the practice room as well.

"So, what did you think of the initiates?" he asked.

"Well, Lilia made sure that Maela followed etiquette and bowed after our introductions," Obi-Wan thought aloud, "but then completely ignored any of my further instructions once I handed her the datapad with the information about Maela's family." They moved through the corridors, passing Jedi walking in pairs, and in solitude. "It's like she ignored one kind of courtesy and enforced the other."

"What about Maela?" Qui-Gon said, as he palmed open the door to their suite. Obi-Wan paused, half in the door, thinking. Qui-Gon made a mental note to teach Obi-Wan to report faster in the future, making observations as he goes.

"She seemed very impressed that I was involved in the rescue of the Healing Crystals of Fire. And when I protested that I only helped, she seemed very pleased and said that I had very little pride. I wasn't comfortable with it." Obi-Wan moved into the main room and flopped in his lazichair. "It was strange."

Qui-Gon sat in the remaining lazichair. "She's young, Obi-Wan. I wouldn't take much stock in her…" Qui-gon paused, trying to properly qualify her statement. "compliment." Qui-Gon paused again, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. "But she is right. Your lack of pride, I suppose, after saving the temple is quite admirable."

Obi-Wan looked up, surprised. "You think so?"

"I do, Padawan." Qui-Gon stood up and stretched his towering frame. "Now, I think it's time to rest for the night. We have packing to do tomorrow, and formal permission to leave to get from the Council for the initiates."

"What permission to leave?" Obi-Wan stood as well, but his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"I guess I didn't tell you," said Qui-Gon, as he walked towards his door. "Initiates have to pass through the Council before they leave the Temple. It's a procedure that was put in place so that all the initiates' whereabouts are known. Very few kidnapping attempts are made by parents that way."

"Parents make kidnapping attempts?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised.

"Not in a couple hundred years, or so." Qui-Gon yawned.

"But I didn't tell the initiates that they had to go before the Council! They won't like the surprise!"

"Well," said Qui-Gon. "Think of it as a twist in the mission. This chaperoning job won't have any. So, they'll have to learn to cope with such inconveniences before we leave."