Ry-Gaul walked out of his room onto the outdoor balcony. The cool twilight air was refreshing, and he breathed it in gratefully.

I think I'll go for a walk… later.

He leaned against the rail, enjoying the feel of the smooth, cool stone. He drummed his fingers on the marbled rock and sighed.

It's nice to relax after a long day… it's not every day I get to take a break.

Lately, things had been quite rushed. Mission after mission, day in and day out—the Jedi hardly ever got to rest, let alone rest frequently.

Should I take another Padawan? Or should I try to become a youngling guardian?

Ry-Gaul chuckled to himself.

As if I could stand babysitting younglings all day… I'd probably like another Padawan better.

He sighed. To be frank, he missed his old Padawan. Not only had he and Tru been a Master/Padawan duo, they'd become friends. And now, he felt like having some quiet company… someone like Tru. The more he thought about it, the more he wished that he could find another Padawan—one somewhat, if not exactly, like Tru.

He began to reminisce about one of him and Tru's latter Master/Padawan days…

XXX

He'd been standing out on his balcony, staring at the Coruscant traffic rushing around, on a night not unlike this one. It had been a busy day, full of tension and frayed nerves. He was hungry but full, tired but restless, and alert yet dazed. He wasn't sure how to handle all of it at once, and all he really wanted was someone to show him what to do.

He remembered thinking, But if anyone says anything at all to me, they're going to regret it in a bacta tank.

Then Tru had come in, with food and water on a tray, and a blanket.

What was it that he said?

Oh, yes… Tru had handed him the tray and said, "Here, Master. You might need these." Then Tru handed him the blanket and said, "Master, you should get some rest." The Padawan then proceeded to quietly stand next to him and accompany him in the art of traffic watching.

Somehow, the Padawan had seen right through his seemingly unreadable Master, and done the right thing—giving food, water, a blanket, and most importantly, his quiet company.

XXX

Ah… that boy was a good one. But then, that's not to say he didn't have his faults…

Ry-Gaul thought about one of the weightiest matters he'd ever personally encountered…

Back in the day when there were actually enough Jedi to send around in multiple Master/Padawan groups, he and his fellow Masters—Soara Antana, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Siri Tachi—had embarked with their respective Padawans—Darra Thel-Tanis, Anakin Skywalker, and Ferus Olin—on a mission to capture one of the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy, Granta Omega.

Huh, wish we had that many Jedi to do those things now…

On that fateful mission, Tru's lightsaber had shorted out. And unlike the reliable Padawan he usually was, he hadn't taken his lightsaber to Ry-Gaul. Instead, he'd given it to Ferus. And totally unlike the reliable Padawan he was, he hadn't turned in the faulty lightsaber either. Of course, the two apprentices managed to fix the saber, but they hadn't fixed it well enough.

I should've picked up on Tru's unusually peculiar behavior; but no use dwelling on "what-ifs" now…

Then in the midst of the final battle before Obi-Wan had killed Omega, Tru's lightsaber had again shorted out, putting his life in jeopardy. And Ferus, perhaps one of the noblest Padawans to ever be in the Jedi Order, had redeemed himself by, in the blink of an eye, swapping sabers with Tru.

And two nanoseconds later, a blaster bullet had fired straight at Ferus—who had the dysfunctional lightsaber.

…And then Darra stepped in…

Indeed, Darra, the redhead who was dear to all, dove in front of Ferus and took the shot herself—saving his life, but losing her own.

And in the aftermath that followed on that fateful day, Tru's friendship with Anakin had shattered; Ferus left the Jedi Order, and the whole Order mourned the loss of a Padawan, mentor, friend, and fellow Jedi.

XXX

That was definitely uncharacteristic of him; I remember I picked him for his surety in doing the right thing… but he's learned from his mistakes… that boy learned well… And as much as that memory has haunted me, I'll still be proud of him…

Now, "that boy" was a man. "That boy" had grown taller, perhaps taller than Ry-Gaul himself. "That boy" had increased in strength, in knowledge, and in wisdom. He'd become a Jedi Knight, no longer obligated to accompany his ex-Master.

I'm going to miss having Tru as a Padawan… maybe I'll see him around, though.

As proud of Tru as he was, Ry-Gaul had known that it was time to let Tru go. Unfortunately, he hadn't been prepared for being Padawan-less, as he had been for previous Padawans. And since he was feeling incomplete, his new task was clear…

I'm getting another Padawan. And I'll be able to get one quick, since it's almost time for Padawan-selecting.

With that thought, Ry-Gaul spun on his heel, strode into his quarters, and deliberately fell on his sleep-couch. For the first time that day, his lumbering body mass was still.