Chapter 8 - Always a Master

"What is this about?" Qui-Gon asked as he entered the Council chambers.

"Padawan, is that the manners I taught you?" Qui-Gon's eyes went wide and he held his breath when he looked up at Leif Dooku. His former Master, who had left the order some time ago, now stood in the middle of the Council chambers.

"No, Master." Qui-Gon bowed to the Council. "Pardon my haste. Why was I summoned here?"

"Master Dooku?" Mace addressed the former Jedi with annoyance clear in his voice.

"It's Count...Count Dooku, my new title. A post I was serving when my former Padawan contacted me. Told me the most shocking of stories. I understand that this body refused his choice of a Padawan without proof of his unsuitability. You then prosecuted him in a trial without offering him council or representation."

Qui-Gon winced. Over the last few weeks he felt he needed someone to vent to. It wouldn't be fair to complain to Obi-Wan about his not being able to train the boy. Obi-Wan felt bad enough about the situation as it was. He'd assumed his former Master, who had left the order, would be a safe confidant.

"The Padawan in question has not completed his Initiate trials yet." Master Ki-Adi-Mundi said. "He is still an initiate."

"And the trial, as you put it, was a disciplinary hearing," Mace added.

"In which he was sentenced!" Dooku scolded. "And the youngling is an unusual case. I understand he was already assigned a single Master. One that did not request him. An inexperienced Knight, no less!"

"The Jedi in question has not objected to the ruling of the hearing," Oppo Rancisis pointed out. "We had no reason to give him a full trial."

"He objects now!" Dooku growled.

"Fine." Mace sighed. "We can debate his sentence. But the youngling Anakin is already bonded to knight Kenobi, and this Council is not accustomed to breaking a bond except in the most extreme cases. Unless you have something to accuse... There is nothing more to discuss on that front…"

"I don't accuse." Qui-Gon was quick to voice that. He was willing to let his Master do his thing, and see if he could get the sentence reduced or eliminated, but he would not be dragging Obi-Wan or Anakin into this.

"But we will be discussing this Initiate. His case is evidence as to how prejudiced this Council is against my Padawan."

Mace half smiled at this. "Oh, Initiate Skywalker will be discussed. It is concerning this Initiate that the accused is being charged. I assume you wish to be his counsel. We'll give you an hour to confer with the accused. The trial will begin after this."

"But the whole council is not gathered." Dooku objected.

Mace looked at Yoda, and shook his head. "Master Piell is on a long term mission in the Arkanis Sector. He will be unavailable for an indefinite period of time. If you wish to postpone this, the accused will be expected to fulfill his original sentencing in the meantime."

"Fine," Dooku huffed. "I will speak with my Padawan now."

"I don't understand it!" Mace growled.

"It's Qui-Gon. What about this still surprises you?" Adi Gallia asked.

"The part where he gets in trouble and goes running off to his Master to complain?" Eeth Koth added.

"The part where Master Dooku throws a fit and defends his golden Padawan of any wrongdoing?" Yarael Poof tagged along.

"He was supposed to leave the order. I thought we'd be finished with these after he'd gone." Mace stomped as he paced.

Yoda listened to them rant about his own former Padawan and Grandpadawan in silence. He knew it was true, all they said. Leif had a strong attachment to Qui-Gon.

In the years since his fall, Yoda had wondered how it had occurred. Was he such a bad master that not one of his lineage, but two had fallen to the Sith. However distant, Anakin Skywalker is still his Grandpadawan.

Of course his initial theory was that it had been Leif's attachment to Qui-Gon, and the man's death which made him fall. To a Jedi, it's an easy conclusion to make. Attachment is always an easy scapegoat. Because in Yoda's experience it often was to blame. But ever since he met Luke, especially after Anakin returned, Yoda had to question. 'What else?'

For Leif to form an attachment at all was surprising. Few in the Order knew, but as a baby Leif had been abandoned by his own father. That was bad enough, but then in a decision that would later haunt Yoda, he took the youngling class to Serenno. It was supposed to be educational, not demoralising. The boy's father wasn't supposed to hear his abandoned son's name and react with such hate. But he did. Perhaps it was all Yoda's fault.

Yet this was not why Leif was so distant and untrusting, even amongst his friends. That was the fault of one Lorian Nod. The youngling had been jealous of Leif, but pretended to be his friend. One day Lorian stole a dark holocron from the archives and blamed it on Leif. Yoda later learned the truth, but it taught Leif that you can never trust anyone one hundred percent.

'And trust this Council, he never could,' Yoda sighed. 'Deserve it, we never did.'

His sigh caught the passing glance of Depa, who glared at her own Master.

Mace looked at her confused, not sure why she was looking so critical. "Well, at least we have a solid case. He won't be able to get out of trouble this time. And what's more, we can throw the full set of charges against him." Mace smiled a satisfied smirk.

Yoda opened the doors with the Force. Leif and Qui-Gon walked in. Neither bowed.

"I'd like to know what ridiculous charges you have against my Padawan, this time," Leif demanded.

'Always without merit, the charges are. Never justified, the system is.' Yoda thought. 'Always working against it, he is, because working against him, he sees it. What if he's made to see differently?' Yoda thought.

Mace's back went rigid as he prepared to read the full charges.

Yoda interrupted him. "An offer we have."

Leif smiled and eyed Qui-Gon. "Now this is why I'm here. What's your offer?"

Mace eyed Yoda and rolled his eyes.

"Keep original charges, we will, and original punishment you will serve."

"Ha. I don't see how that's an offer at all." Leif spat.

"Your full charges," Mace read. "Endangering a youngling, seen in the defendant bringing a nine year old onto a battlefield. Neglect of a Youngling, seen in a lack of basic care provided to the same nine year old. And the ones Yoda was kind enough to offer to drop. Negligence of Duty and Endangering a Republic World's Elected Leader, Both seen when he brought the Naboo Queen onto the same battlefield."

"Your original punishment, to serve in the creches. Designed to teach, it was. Hope for that still, I do," Yoda explained.

Leif coughed. He scowled at his former Padawan and turned back to Yoda. "I would like to speak with you, Master. Sidebar."

Yoda nodded and waved a hand, summoning him closer.

"Did he really do all that?" Leif asked.

"A witness to this, four council members were. Apparent, his lack of knowledge in dealing with younglings is. To correct this, my only intention is," Yoda whispered.

"I'd counter that if four council members were witnesses, they could've stepped in to correct the mistake. But… You're right. If he finishes his sentence, will he be excluded from padawanship?

"No. Not at this point." Yoda answered.

"Good, then we will accept your offer." Leif bowed.

Qui-Gon looked up and saw this in shock. "Master?"

Leif walked past him and hardly stopped to say, "Come along now, Padawan."

"Master?" Qui-Gon followed him out the door.

"Are you happy with this?" Mace intended his remark to be scolding.

"Yes. Yes, I am." Yoda responded. To floor the Master of the Order even more, he then got off his chair and walked away.

Some time later, Yoda walked down the halls deep in thought. He found himself, almost without consciousness, headed to the Creche. It was a popular spot for him to go, especially this time 'round. It was something about the younglings. They reminded him what he was doing this for.

As Yoda entered the room with the youngest initiates, a sudden gasp of air caught his attention. Qui-Gon was sitting in a chair with an infant youngling in his arms and more gathered around.

"Oh, uh… Master, is there something I can do for you?" Qui-Gon asked nervously. He shifted the baby in his arms. For a moment her strawberry blonde curls disappeared behind the Knight's strapping arms.

"Oh, youngling Abigail. How does she sleep?" Yoda hummed.

"She sleeps well. That's just what I was doing. Helping her sleep. I wasn't promoting attachment at all." Qui-Gon's nervousness bled through to the Force.

"A favorite of mine, too, she is," Yoda said to relieve the man of his worry.

On the floor a youngling shifted. "The tory. What happened next. Plea-gue Mater Jinn."

Ppp-please!" The chorus erupted.

"A demanding audience, you have," Yoda said.

"Oh yeah, where did I leave off? Obi-Wan went into the cave, against his Master's wishes, because he thought he could get through faster and finish the mission before his friend Siri finished her's. So Obi-Wan crept through the cave… until!" Qui-Gon paused for dramatic effect.

The little ones stirred with eyes open wide. Yoda smiled. He could guess which story this was from the mission reports Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had written.

"He walked into a Krykna hive!" Qui-Gon shouted.

The younglings gasped as one.

"Now, Obi-Wan has never been a fan of spiders. He gets one in his bathroom and he screams like a little girl."

Most of the younglings laughed at this. So did Yoda, who knew it was not an exaggeration.

Qui-Gon continued, "These were over six feet tall with pedipalps that looked like fangs. It was at this time that Obi-Wan's Master came looking for him. He ran in and stood in front of his Padawan, holding his lightsaber up defensively. 'Run!' he said. But Obi-Wan didn't move. He was frozen stiff in terror. And to make matters worse, the Krykna were becoming more stirred up. Initially they just wanted him out of their territory, but now they were reacting to Obi-Wan's fear and were going for the kill."

The Youngling's eyes were opened wide. "Oh no," one of them moaned.

Qui-Gon continued, "The Master knew he had to do something. So he grabbed Obi-Wan, threw him over his shoulder, and ran. He carried his padawan all the way out of that cave. They took the long way around it. Obi-Wan learned to never disobey his Master again, and maybe not to put up too much of a fuss over the spiders in the bathroom."

Yoda and the younglings applauded. Qui-Gon stood up and bowed, carefully as he was still holding baby Abigail. Then he went to put her in her crib.

Yoda followed him. "An interesting tale to tell. Exaggerated, your results are. Disobey again, Obi-Wan did. And still afraid of spiders, he is."

Qui-Gon shrugged. "Yeah, it was a story. Let the younglings learn something from it at least."

"Mmm-hmm," Yoda hummed. "Tell more of them you should."

Qui-Gon laughed. "Oh, I think Obi-Wan 'll protest if I tell all of his learning curves to the younglings here."

Yoda laughed, as he looked down at the baby in her crib. "Perhaps, perhaps not." Yoda wondered what happened to this baby in his future. Internally he scolded himself for not paying more attention the first time 'round. After being inducted by the council's vote at her birth, little Abigail joined the rest. Yoda didn't have a reason to keep tabs on her. At least he didn't think so. She would've been padawan's age when it all fell apart, so likely not killed by Anakin in the Temple. This realization made Yoda feel a bit better.

"And how has Dooku been?" Yoda asked.

"Master, he's fine." Qui-Gon coughed a raspy laugh. "I don't know how you did it. Changed Dooku's mind so fast."

"The mind of his Padawan, a Master always knows. My Padawan Leif will always be."

Qui-Gon looked at the chronometer. "Actually, could I clock out with you? I should get to the archives before they close. Need to do some research."

"Research? An assignment, you do not have." Yoda knew Qui-Gon really only attended research in the archives when he had to. Usually before a mission assignment.

"Yeah, I kinda do. Dooku gave me homework after the trial today." Qui-Gon blushed, then he laughed. "It's ridiculous really. I have to write him a paper on child development."

"Hmm, a good idea, this is. Your paper, I would like to read. Dismissed, you are."

Qui-Gon sighed, and he rolled his eyes.

Yoda smiled and chuckled as he left.

Hello,

According to the research I did, Count Dooku doesn't have a first name anywhere. And it doesn't make sense for his former Master to use his title, despite what happens in Canon. I was almost going to use Yan Dooku, as I've read it before in other fanfics, but I decided to be original: Leif Dooku. The name means heir or descendant. I felt it was fitting for a Jedi with a Noble heritage. There's a reason I pick the names I do.

The backstory is half taken from canon, half from legends. Because I needed to be creative to get the human out of him. Too many authors like to turn their villains into things to overcome, and I don't like to write that way.

The Qui-Gon & Dooku attachment is not canon either, but is based on the things Dooku said in episode II concerning Qui-Gon.

The mission Even Piell is on is in Tatooine. He will be negotiating a lot with a bunch of different people and it may be a while before we get a mission update from him.

It is also not canon that Obi-Wan ever had a phobia of spiders. I made up that story about the Krykna. Though not the species. I found them on Wookieepedia.

Next week I'll have to decide which of my ideas to do next. Look for more Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Qui-Gon.