Thread : Han Solo rolling with the plot, chapter two : Obi-Wan Kenobi unusual padawanship

Sometimes Obi-Wan thought his new master was very much alike the Jedi in the Temple. Other times he believed he was karking mad. When accepting Han offer, he knew he was not entering a classical master-padawan partnership. Privately, Obi-Wan acknowledged he ignored the exact specificity of a master-padawan partnership outside of the theorical aspect. A master should teach, guide and protect his student, allowing him to grow into his own person, able to make the decisions benefiting the greatest number of people and become a knight of the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan told so to Master Solo after they left Bandomeer. Master Solo considered the answer to his query, told him to call him Han or Captain Solo, then proposed to establish a lesson plan together, which turned into Obi-Wan first lesson.

"Don't call me master kid, it implies I either own you or that I know more than you, which is bantha shit. First, there is things I know better than you, things you know better than me, and things none of us know. Using master would mean I mastered knowledge and you don't master knowledge: you know enough to deal with a situation and learn to deal better with them, but there is always stuff you don't control. Mastery is an impossible goal you must thrive toward but be aware will never reach. Second, learning goes two ways. I'll teach you what I know, and you'll feedback me what you know, so I'll explain better, and for that you mustn't put yourself in a submissive position. Always question kid. It will not always be good answers or even the good questions, but questioning oneself is how one learn. At the beginning I will make the questions: you'll tell me what you understand, and I'll make you explain it until you understand it truly. But the objective is for you to stand on your own feet, so questions." So Obi-Wan questioned. It took him three weeks to stop calling Captain Solo systematically Master Solo, but it would have been hard to mistake Captain Solo for a Jedi after he tried – and failed badly – to cheat off a customer trying to cheat them off.


Most of Obi-Wan courses were unrelated to anything in link with the Jedi, or so he believed until Master Solo expounded on them. Captain Solo gave life lessons rather than curriculum ones. Except the diplomatic, geopolitics and languages courses over-holo Obi-Wan followed, but those were not given by Master Solo. Captain Solo lessons took place at unexpected times, and branched from mundane subjects.

"It's nice to look at the big picture. The all-connecting Force, binding us all together. The Republic smoothing the edge of cohabitation amongst beings. But in the end it means jack-shit if you do not look at the small pictures. You should always look at the big picture: you cannot understand the small pictures otherwise. Same way, never forget the big picture is composed of so many small pictures you can never understand all of them. What does it tell you kid?" "On a philosophical viewpoint that the Unifying Force and the Living Force are indissociable, but that's against specialized perception valued by most masters." "Precisely kid: masters. Already well aware all is linked, if they are not so off kilter they forget the beginner lessons. Cause and effect, anticipate the consequence of your action and we already spoke about that. Now, I know you know a bunch about the big picture, but I'm more small pictures myself. Three things matters in the small pictures. First, viewpoints and understanding: beings only see part of the whole, and ideally you need the whole to understand a situation: hence the need to cross viewpoints. Second, motivation and historical, ideological, economical and all the al in presence, which you need to know to understand a situation. Third, objective and means: will you act, what is your aim, how will you act, with what actions, allies or levies?" "I believe I will use the tool box to repair the fresher panel, master". Captain Solo sighed, Obi-Wan grinned and avoided the cuff on his ear.


Sometimes Captain Solo could pass off for a Jedi. Every morning – when they didn't include manhunt from tradoshan thugs or hurried departure from criminal dens – he woke Obi-Wan with a cup of tea to meditate for at least an hour, side by side on twin cushions. Captain Solo was as immobile, his breathing as calm as any master, and his presence in the Force smoothed over. He never talked of what he sensed in the Force, but waited until Obi-Wan finished to discuss their next destination. It seemed pretty wise for Obi-Wan to wait until barely out of trance to take a decision. Not as close to the Force as during trance, but the objective was to teach and Obi-Wan understood that. It took him some times to understand that when Master Solo spoke of bad or good feelings he referred to nudges from the Force. Each time Obi-Wan felt tested, but not unkindly. They'll talk planets, political climate, trade and smuggling opportunities, then settle on a course. As time progressed, Obi-Wan picked more and more of their destinations for he became more aware of the Force whispers, and they ended in less scuffles.

Afterwards, they'll warm muscles together, then Obi-Wan was given the dreadful remote and Captain Solo left to do whatever Han did. At first, Obi-Wan had felt offended to be put face to face with a training remote: he outgrown those by the time he was eight. He promptly learnt that training remote had little in common with those at the Temple. His hits did not sting more, but he was quicker, moved erratically and fired more often. In short, even with the Force assistance it was hard to keep up with the remote of hells. "Never waver kid. Keep in sync, don't let your thoughts wander elsewhere. Don't think about the hit you missed, you'll get hit again. It's a trial in concentration and endurance". Four years later, when Obi-Wan was first presented to the Council, the councilor evaluating him would mutter "battle meditation" like something exceptional. At the time though, Obi-Wan slaved to last longer than ten minutes before the stings stifled his muscles. It was only later it became a test of endurance.

At the beginning, he lasted so little time Master Solo only had the time to ready another cup of tea before he had to deactivate the remote and help Obi-Wan massage his limbs. It was a victory when Han had the time to come back and yell correction while Obi-Wan was still dealing with the remote. Sometimes he got hit too, but Master Solo was rather good at avoiding hits. Later in Obi-Wan padawanship, Han engineered hostage situations by purposefully getting in the remote way, leaving only Obi-Wain to redirect the hits. It was another example of cross-teaching Master Solo was adept of: Obi-Wan was convinced the remote was also a training exercise in letting go of anger and hatred because Obi-Wan hated the damn thing. He only managed to like it a tiny bit after he unleashed it on unsuspecting pirates. The pirates ran, Obi-Wan named the remote rancor.


After a year on board of the Falcon, Obi-Wan training started to circle on itself. They had reached the point where Obi-Wan had more questions than answers, and no way to answers his questions by meditating on them. Captain Solo either did not understand Obi-Wan queries as he was not a Force-sensitive, or Obi-Wan still did not understand his master thinking process. Han had some unusual and effective viewpoints Obi-Wan never heard of before, after all. Once they agreed that very-interesting-discussion-number-three (of the week) would not answer itself without additional element despite their hatching a common vocabulary early on, Master Solo announced they were going to Ach-To.

Obi-Wan distinctly felt like he should have known about Ach-To, because it was clearly a Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan promptly revised his opinion once Han cheerfully told him to explain everything around. Because there were things alike Coruscant Temple, and others so different the philosophical understanding of the Force of those having built this Temple should have been very different. Which shed some light about his difficulties with Han teaching when he found himself face to face with a mural painting depicting both side of the Force. Han tales about Vader and Ben were against everything Obi-Wan had ever learnt about the opposing Sides of the Force. And it wasn't theorical heresy, Han had known both of them.

"You shouldn't peer at the Dark Side, padawan" Master Solo cautioned about Vader "give it an inch and it'll take you whole, then close the lid by destroying the very reason why you turned to it. After that, you'll shy from admitting you caused the destruction of the very thing you wanted to protect the most and walk deeper and deeper in the shadows, spreading more destruction in your wake. It's why beings rarely turn back: they'll have to climb back all the way they descended, acknowledging every malignant actions they did and not letting their guilt pull them further in the Dark Side. It's harder than words can describe, to acknowledge his errors, to feel the full weight of remorse and to not despair. Because the slightest hesitation will make the attempt to return to the Light crumble on itself and give more hold to the Dark Side".

"The Dark Side changes you. Twists you. But underneath it all, there is still the lost boy who sought guidance, purpose" he said about Ben "Never the same as before, but Light call. Not in the same way as the Dark Side, not as potently, but it never turn its back to one. Suffice to look and an hand is offered. That's why, in the end, the Light win: it never cast off anybody, it's beings who are struck with blindness. So-called Light-sider, acting like Dark-sider in their fear, believing cutting off feeling, people, studies will protect them from temptation. Not understanding the Dark craves for Light and the Light seeks the Dark. It's a whole, not parts."

They stay for three months on Ach-To. That particular conversation turned Obi-Wan world upside-down. Because Han described the Jedi Order without telling their name or knowing their views on the Dark Side, and called them untrusting in the Force, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but remember Master Yoda saying "do or do not, there is no try" and linking it with "believe or believe not, distrust will spell your fall".


"I could stay with you" Obi-Wan says when that conversation inevitably come. "You could, but that won't teach you how to be a Jedi. Just a good old smuggler with trick in his selves like me, or the founder of diverging Order like my kin. What do you want in life, kid? What is your place in the galaxy?" And Obi-Wan heart breaks just a little, because he meditated on the subject for weeks and the answer never changed, not since before he left Coruscant Temple. He was a Jedi, he was always going to be a Jedi. The Force said so, and Obi-Wan as much to his teacher. Captain Solo smiled "then you'll be a Jedi. It'll be a strange adventure, no doubt, and we'll find you a master in the oddest way, but the Force knows its tricks and will find a way. It always does."

Han assurance does not stop him from moving to sectors Jedi have an high chance to be called "What if I help the dice a bit, padawan? It'll take more than a bit of cheating to filch you a real Jedi". Indeed, they always arrive after the Jedi leave, or depart before they are called. And each time Obi-Wan feels a bit glad to not be parted yet from his master. He picks the next planet helped by a nudge in the Force, one unlikely to have a Jedi visit, but with some smuggling and trade opportunities and a nice spot to meditate on the subject. He did not expect the Jedi, but the Force assured he would be a Jedi himself, so Obi-Wan never fooled himself believing he would stay with Han once understanding Captain Solo could only bring him so far. He can see a laugh shining in Han eyes when he comes back to the ship a Jedi Master in toe, because it is an odd way indeed. Obi-Wan rolls his eyes and introduce them.


Obi-Wan does not have a braid, as Captain Solo was adamant a padawan braid was a dead giveaway and an advertisement for Force-sensitive hunters to come get him. Obi-Wan grumbled a bit, but after being told how much he would fetch on a slave market agreed that he could live without a padawan braid. Next space-port Captain Solo took him to a local jewelry store to purchase beads and a chain "Hair can be pulled in a fight, and a chain used to choke someone, but wear it around the wrist and it'll be just a piece of jewelry. Nobody would know what it stand for. You'll just need to tell me what each bead stand for."

The absence of braid did not save him, because some passengers sold the information of his existence off after being ferried onboard the Falcon. Hence the pirates and remote episode. It would have saved them trouble had they understood it at the time, but they only learnt of it after being pursued by Force-sensitive slavers on Nar Shadda. Or, more accurately, when a frecking Dark Sider smuggled himself on the Falcon to ambush them in hyperspace. Obi-Wan didn't even known Dark Sider existed outside the knowledge the Dark Side could corrupt Jedi. As such, he was understandably shocked when the suddenly unleashed darkness Force-slammed him against a wall.

In half an heartbeat the revealed Dark Sider had stalked across half the floor, and it was only the snap-hiss of the red lightsaber activation which pulled him from his shock. Captain Solo fired away, catching the Dark Sider attention: he pulled back from Obi-Wan and rushed toward Han, wrenching his blaster from his hand. Obi-Wan scrambled to his feet, ignited Leia lightsaber, but realized at the same time he could not reach Han in time. Captain Solo reflexively raised his hand to block the lightsaber descending toward him, his left hand reaching toward his belt and his second blaster.

Obi-Wan heart stuttered as he ran toward the fight. The Dark Sider lightsaber fizzled instead of cutting through Han arm, puzzling him and an instant later Obi-Wan, but Han had already his second blaster in hand and fired at the unsuspecting Dark Sider.

Obi-Wan only understood what happened after they spaced the body. "He was so sure I was less because I wasn't Force-sensitive he dismissed me as a threat. Arrogance, pride : mortal enemies of common sense or survival. Beings are not easily summarized and understood. Well, I may not be decked in Mandalorian armor, and I may not be as quick as a Force-sensitive, but I have tricks of my own. I outlived Sith Lords, I'm not going to be finished off by a wannabe Dark Sider".


The encounter seemingly spurred Captain Solo into action. He spent nearly three weeks weaving a confusing trail and buying paint, before heading to Ach-To. The researcher team from Coruscant Temple which Master Dooku hinted at back on Serenno shared food once Obi-Wan identified himself as the padawan of Han Solo, and Han as the original giver of the coordinates. "I grew up on Corellia. As I was quite rebellious in my youth, I tend be a goner for atypical knowledge. Mainly self-raised myself since I left Corellia. After, I largely stayed in the Outer Rim" Han answered when Jocasta Nu remarked she never met him at the Temple. Obi-Wan asked himself a moment if his master knew he just impersonated either a Green Jedi, a Shadow, a sector ranger or a borderline mystic. It explained nicely a muted Force signature and unorthodox views on the Force, and his incident report about the Dark Sider was accepted without a raised eyebrow.

Obi-Wan was baffled when the charade held the whole month of their stay, despite close interaction with real Jedi. Then again, if Obi-Wan had not seen Han pull "Jedi" or similar acting many times during his padawanship he mays have been fooled too. As it was, he was busy repainting the Falcon with only Force use. Captain Solo called it an exercise in concentration and precision. Obi-Wan was dubious about the feasibility, but he conceded when Han started rambling on impossible Force feats. At least Obi-Wan got to watch him squirm under Jocasta Nu interrogation about where did he learnt Force draining technics existed, then Jocasta Nu progressive bafflement when Han started counting off every Dark Sider his teaching line encountered.

Some weeks later, the Millenium Falcon, newly renamed Starchaser as a compromise name, landed on Ilum. Obi-Wan knew not whether Han weaseled clearance out of the researcher team or was just that good a smuggler. Han did not accompany him to the cave "Only you can go ahead, padawan. Guidance stay on the threshold of choice and destiny. Step on your path, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

The Green Jedi are a schismatic Jedi sect established on Corellia, which allow wedding and children if I remember right. They are tolerated by the main Coruscant Temple but have little link with them. A Shadow is a Coruscanti Jedi hunting Dark Sider. I invented sector ranger, but I guess long time posting in key sectors make sense.