Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero
--sparkvallen
Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies. I do not own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc.
Chapter Six
"So! How was it? What did you learn? What was it like to travel with Master Yoda?" Siri demanded, leaning in close to Falco as she barraged him with questions.
Falco and Yoda had returned to Coruscant in the wee hours of the city-planet's morning. Parting ways at the hangar bay, Falco had gone to the dormitory to catch a few hours sleep before his courses the next day. It was as they sat together at lunch that Siri was finally able to ask her friend about the trip to Kashyyyk.
"It was… um, cool!" he said brightly. "We rode in a shuttle together that a pilot flew for us--"
"Of course."
"--and Kashyyyk is full of these huge trees!"
"Wrorshyr trees," Siris interjected.
"Yeah. And the Wookiees were like… really big and live in tree cities," he went on. "While Master Yoda was talking with the chieftain, I was just, you know, sitting around and playing with my hydrospanner. I… well, this Wookiee, Chewbacca, came and sat with me and we're like… friends now!"
"Really?"
"Uh-huh. So he and I went for a walk and he gave me some credits to buy things at a bazaar! And he got me a new hydrospanner! A real one!"
Siri's expression showed that she didn't seem to think of the trip as nearly as exciting as Falco obviously did. Twitching her snout-like nose, she asked, "So you and Master Yoda didn't actually do anything together then?"
The disappointment in her voice was lost on Falco. "Well, we traveled together! He had his meeting to go to so I studied and stuff."
"Oh. I just…"
"What?"
Siri gave a shrug. "I just thought that you were going on a Jedi mission together. Like he was prepping you to become his Padawan…"
Falco looked at her wide-eyed. "Master Yoda take me as a Padawan Learner? Come on, Siri! That's just… silly!"
"That's what some other students are saying around the Temple…"
"What?" Falco frowned.
"That Yoda is preparing you early."
He shook his head. Falco said, "Nah. He just wanted me to come because… well, because… well, I don't know why! But like I expected him to have me meditate or that he'd give me extra lessons while were in the shuttle, but he took a nap! So I did my homework."
A Twi'lek youngling who was older than Falco and Siri overheard their conversation from the next table over. He coughed with derision; the lekku tails twitched. "Listen to him, eh? Being so humble like a good Jedi Padawan should…"
Falco stared at the Twi'lek, Gruft, with surprise. "Huh?"
"Oh, listen to you telling Siri that it's nothing to go off-planet with Master Yoda as though you're a member of the Council!" Gruft snapped.
"I didn't, I was just--"
"Save it, Falco. We all know you're Master Yoda's golden boy. Just like how Anakin Skywalker became a Padawan without even having to train here like the rest of us, you're practically Yoda's--"
"Master Yoda's," he interrupted.
"--Padawan, and you're not even old enough to be one!" Gruft finished, ignoring Falco's addition of the Jedi Master's honorific.
The little Chadra-Fan leapt out of her chair and advanced on Gruft. "Just leave him alone! You're just jealous because Falco's made friends with Master Yoda while you're posturing and trying to look important so that some Knight will take you on as a Learner," she hissed. "You're so jealous that it's silly - that's not the way of the Jedi!"
Falco just gaped at his friend as she jumped to his defense. The Twi'lek's lekku twitched showing his annoyance at Siri's fiery speech. Gruft slammed his tray down on the table, stood and marched off. Siri and Falco stared after him as he left the cafeteria then she turned and sat back down.
"Th-thanks, Siri. You really stood up for me."
Siri nodded once. "Gruft was being stupid. Sure, Master Yoda spends a lot of time with you but you just said that it's because he's being friendly toward you and nothing more."
"Still, I-- Well. You didn't have to do that, Siri," Falco said.
She shrugged. "I told you that people are thinking that."
Falco sighed. He picked at the stew before him without saying a word for a few moments. "I can't help if Master Yoda has some reason to talk to me. Or if he wanted me to go to Kashyyyk. Are people going to start hating me because of this?"
"They're going to be as jealous as Gruft just was," she said. "You know that. I guess that's why we're younglings and not Knights, right? Because we're not so trained yet. Just be grateful that Master Yoda is taking an interest in you though. We both know that's pretty rare."
Falco nodded, his expression almost glum given the truths that Siri dished at him.
Several weeks later marked the return of Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to Coruscant from a mission that had taken them through several systems in the hunt for a demented female scientist intent on picking apart the Force and the Jedi through science. Falco sensed Anakin immediately in Galactic Awareness and as he turned to gaze at the seat the older boy had taken in the months previous, the Padawan waved at him enthusiastically.
All Falco could see when he looked at Anakin was the angry boy in his vision. He returned the wave half-heartedly and hoped to avoid the Padawan while he was on Coruscant. That was not to be however. As Falco rushed from Instructor Kel's class, Anakin again hollered up the corridor at him until the youngling had to stop lest it be obvious that he was ignoring him.
"Uh, hi. How's it going, Anakin?" Falco asked, nervous.
Smiling, Anakin replied, "I'm good, real good. Master Obi-wan and I just got back to Coruscant. We were on quite the mission."
"That's what I kinda heard. The other students were talking when you first got back," he admitted.
"Oh yeah?"
Falco nodded and looked down at his feet.
"Say, listen. I need a sparring partner for lightsaber practice today. How about you join me?" Anakin suggested, still smiling.
"What?"
Anakin shrugged. "Lightsaber training is one of my favorite things to do. I want to be as good as Master Yoda… better than Master Windu some day!"
Falco couldn't figure out how to respond. Apparently Anakin didn't know that at his level, Falco was still in an introductory course about the lightsaber. He didn't train with one yet! He felt embarrassed at saying so since Anakin wasn't that much older than him and he was already out on missions with a lightsaber and a Master. The Chosen One, Falco remembered. Of course lightsaber training would be one of his favorite things to do…
"Um… well, I guess that's a good goal and all, wanting to be as good as the High Council members--"
"Better than," Anakin reminded.
"--but, like… I'm still in the basic lightsaber information course right now, Anakin," he admitted. "I haven't even used a lightsaber yet, okay? I can't spar with you."
Anakin stared at him with surprise. "They haven't even let you use one yet?"
Falco shook his head no, mortified at how surprised the Padawan was.
"Not even Master Yoda?"
"You know about my chats with him too?" Falco asked, embarrassed even though Siri had pointed out that he had nothing to be self-conscious about.
"Everyone knows. So, Master Yoda hasn't trusted you with a lightsaber yet, even under his instruction?" Anakin repeated.
Falco wondered how this conversation could get any worse. He just wanted to be left alone; he didn't want Anakin the Chosen One pestering him with questions he couldn't answer or teasing him because he wasn't at the same level as a Padawan was.
"No, he hasn't okay? Can you let it go, please?"
Anakin held up his hands. "Okay, sorry! I just thought that maybe we could spar, but if you haven't been trained… hey wait! What if… I gave you a few lessons?"
Falco felt he was on dangerous ground now. He was intrigued by the offer and what was the difference between getting extra training from Master Yoda and getting a little help from Anakin Skywalker? Was there a difference?
"I… um… I might get in trouble for that. I start my lightsaber training class soon, so like… maybe once I learn from an instructor, maybe then I can spar with you, okay?" Falco said.
Anakin's disappointment that Falco had turned him down was evident. Anger passed over his face briefly before he masked his feelings. "Alright. Well, see you around Falco."
And with that, the Padawan was on his way up the corridor. Falco stared after him, feeling very uncomfortable.
