Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero
--sparkvallen
Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies.
Ido not own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc.
Chapter Seven
In the span of three years, the galaxy was becoming an increasingly tumultuous place. Jedi were being called to serve to more and more systems as pressures from the Commerce Guild, the Trade Federation and what was being termed the "Separatist Movement" affected planetary conditions and daily lives. In that same span of years at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Falco Volt and his best friend Siri Sarae had moved on to the most intense areas of a Jedi students studies; they were old enough to be chosen as Padawan Learners now and focused on their Force skills and lightsaber combat in their spare time. Every generation of Jedi hopeful knew that the Masters observed them everywhere they went within the Temple, especially now that they were of age.
At Yoda's recommendation, Falco began work in the droid and mechanicals repair shop to hone those additional gifts he possessed. He was hardly sleeping as it was with the training schedule he kept but how could he turn down the chance to have actual building and repair work to do? While Falco had hoped beyond hope that all of his time spent with the Jedi Master would yield an apprenticeship to Yoda himself, he saw that for all that training and bonding, Yoda made no mention of such an opportunity. Like every youngling, Falco worried that no Master would select him… that his talents would be "squandered" on the AgriCorps or some other non-Knight area of the path. Worse, Falco feared that Yoda had recommended him to the shop because he knew that young Jedi Volt would never become a Jedi Knight.
Falco's best friend Siri told him that his worries were ridiculous, but he dismissed any of her counsel at this point: what could she knosw about his fears? Siri had become a Padawan Learner already! She was off on missions with her Master, a Twi'lek Jedi who had complimentary strengths in diplomacy and mediation like Siri possessed. Remembering the "lecture" that Siri had given in the cafeteria a few years back to a Padawan-hopeful who had been jealous of Falco's relationship to Yoda, he tried his best not to be resentful toward Siri because she'd already achieved the next level of her training. Mostly, he missed her terribly. They'd known each other all their lives, and now, Siri was somewhere across the galaxy while he remained at the Temple.
Trying to push the jealousy out of his mind as Siri chirped in his head about letting go of such un-Jedi-like emotions, Falco went about his work. Several younglings stopped in, needing their comlinks repaired - he wondered what in space they did to them all the time? Were there games that involved tossing your comlink off a parapet that he'd never known about in the temple? Falco didn't ask; he just gave each youngling a stern lecture about using the property they were given wisely and sent them on their way. On this particular day, Falco had just sent yet another youngling off who'd managed to corrupt his datapad severely when a seasoned Padawan entered the shop.
"Falco Volt?"
He looked up from his datapad where he'd been logging his tasks for the day. "Um, yeah? I mean… yes? How may I help you?"
"Your presence is requested by Master Yoda. He's in the Room of a Thousand Fountains."
Falco gaped. He nodded quickly and mumbled about how he'd be there faster than a good Kessel run and worked to shut down the droid and repair shop. Yoda wants to see me. Oh gods, what did I do? Am I in trouble? Oh! Oh! Maybe he's finally going to ask me to be his Padawan Learner! Falco had to stop himself from thinking before he hyper ventilated - he desperately worked on a calming meditation to slow his heart rate and breathing. Nevertheless, he sprinted through the corridor to the turbolift and stomped impatiently as it seemed even the rapid 'lift system was purposely dragging in order to slow him down. When the doors finally opened again, Falco again rushed down the hallway toward the heralded meditation room. He was sure this was the conversation he'd been dreaming of, the conversation that Siri and the other younglings had insisted was coming.
He barely remembered his proper etiquette as he entered the Room of a Thousand Fountains, an elaborate natural and technical system that allowed water fountains to spring from seemingly impossible angles and directions. The gentle spray misted his face as Falco entered, seeking out Yoda. He gulped as he saw him standing with his back to the doorway.
"Master Yoda?" Falco called out, his voice barely a whisper when he'd meant to speak with purpose.
The diminutive Jedi Master turned and beckoned Falco closer. As he approached, he saw that Yoda was seated on a small log that overlooked a stream that crossed through this part of the room. Automatically, he sat down across from the Master and smiled.
"Hello Master Yoda."
"Glad to see you I am, Falco. Good it is that came quickly you did!"
Falco flushed with pride. He's going to ask me, he's going to ask me… he kept repeating in his mind, sure that the words were going to come any moment.
"Introduce you to someone, I must," Yoda said, snapping Falco from his dreamy state. He gestured with his cane toward a tall and lean Human male that Falco had failed to notice when he'd entered the meditation room.
"Oh."
The other Jedi approached and bowed to Yoda and Falco. The Padawan-hopeful sprung back onto his feet and returned the bow while Yoda nodded respectfully from his log.
"Um, hello…" Falco said, trying to keep his tone normal.
"You're right, Master. He is like me at that age," the man with the close-cropped dark brown beard said with a smile.
"Sit you both should, Kire and Falco," Yoda said with a knowing smile showing his crooked teeth. They did just that, forming a triangle with Yoda in their seating arrangement. "Falco, introduce you I do to Jedi Knight Kire Finelli. Kire, Falco Volt this is."
After they greeted each other again, it struck Falco that Kire and Yoda had been talking about him. He looked from Master to Knight, hoping they'd explain themselves.
"Working in the shop will Kire be--"
Falco gasped, misunderstanding this statement because he hoped that Yoda's next words would be that Kire was replacing him so that he would become Padawan to the High Council leader!
"--teach him you must about your work, so work together you can!" Yoda finished.
The wizened Jedi Master smiled as he watched Falco work through his emotions - from false-hope to confusion and eventually resignation.
"Work together? But you… um, everybody knows that I can handle the shop fine," Falco said. He glanced at Kire Finelli. "No offense, Jedi Finelli."
"None taken, Falco," Kire replied.
Yoda tsk-tsk'd and poked his stick at Falco. "Good you are. Better you would be with a Jedi Knight to work with, hm?"
Even better with you, Master, Falco thought.
Kire smiled patiently as he saw the youngling's face radiating disappointment still. He had heard from Yoda himself that Falco had had a special relationship with the Jedi Master and no doubt, Falco had come up here with his expectations raised as tall as the Temple itself.
"Falco, I believe this is my cue." When he looked at Kire, perplexed, the Knight continued. "We were both summoned here because Master Yoda thought we might make a strong Master-Padawan pair and--"
"What?" he gasped, interrupting. "Like, you can't be serious, can you?"
Yoda's ears twitched.
"Falco, yes. I'm serious and so is Master Yoda in this." Kire leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, getting eye-to-eye with the youngling. "I know we just met, but I have been assigned to work the repair shop with you since I also possess a few good technical tricks up my sleeves."
Falco looked at him, unconvinced.
"I've also heard a lot about you from Master Yoda and he suggested to me that I might consider you for an apprenticeship," Kire concluded. He leaned back and smiled.
"But--!" Falco sighed and looked at Yoda, who shook his head no.
"Train you formally I cannot. Other duties that take my time, I have," he said. "A fine Padawan Learner you would be, Falco, but with me, impossible it is."
Falco dropped his chin onto his chest, trying to calm down. This was a nightmare! He'd hoped for years to be Yoda's Padawan and now the Master was pawning him off on some unknown Jedi Knight! He knew Yoda was a busy Jedi. How could he no be? Younglings were aware of the state of the galaxy even if they never went on field missions and Yoda did lead the Jedi Council. But…
"Why don't Falco and I take some time to get to know each other?" Kire suggested. "Perhaps we could go out for a bite to eat outside the Temple?"
"A sound plan this is, Kire," Yoda said. He looked to Falco. "Dine with him, you will."
"Yes, Master," Falco replied, still glum.
