Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars nor anything affiliated with George Lucas. I do not own anything affiliated with anyone else either. Plot line is mine. The Gakkou is mine. Mom (i.e. Lydia Williams-Ishida) is mine. Kassie/ Cassona Elemental Ishida is mine. Take her and I will hunt you down and hurt you.

Exchange Student

Chapter 3: In Which Routines Are Established

"How many classes?!?"

Qui-gon Jinn looked at the girl sitting before him. "Ten."

"That's it?"

The Master raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did you want more?"

Kassie's expression "did a 180" as she would say. "No! I mean, no, Gakkou usually gave me twenty plus classes, because I was so far behind the other students. You can give me ten. I have absolutely no problem with that." Hand motions accompanied the passionate words. "I thought my school years would get harder."

Qui-gon chuckled at her last statement. "Here we focus more on practical experience once the student has reached a certain age."

"Padawan age."

He nodded. "Yes. Missions become forefront. The Master and Padawan work together, much like you must have with your...Sensei, right?"

Kassie winced, but still responded. "Right word, wrong idea. Sensei and I did not do that much practical work together. Yes, he taught me to fight and would spar with me so that I could learn, but when it came to the workings of the Gakkou...I was on my own. Doesn't help that the Master's Council is split down the middle and Sensei usually makes tie-breaking votes."

"I didn't know you were so involved in Gakkou policies."

"Technically I can't be until my second year, but things happen. They needed a first-chair student to run the Student Council that wasn't afraid to be forceful. Unfortunately that puts me at odds with Masters Bordeaux and Chiang."

"I see."

"So when do classes start?"

"Next week."

The Master's Council decided that a week was needed for Cassona to adjust to Republic time. She did not think so, but allowed them, as she put it, to "coddle her." That week was spent talking to Padawans, Creche Masters and other Masters and Knights that she met as she moved about the temple in her very un-Jedi clothes.

The younglings were quick to trust her and the Creche was a normal place for her to be in the mornings. The other normal place for her was in one of the many gardens, sitting with a good book or her personal laptop. And, Qui-gon Jinn noticed, her cell phone was always conveniently in her pocket wherever she went. It was something about being Student First-Chair of the Gakkou Student Council...at least that was what she told him.

Obi-wan and company helped Kassie with her furniture and hanging pictures. The girls bonded over decorating and "chick flicks" she had brought with her. English was becoming normal for this group of friends, for which Kassie was grateful. She always said this would be her home for the next year or years. She never gave a straight answer about that.

Qui-gon Jinn arranged her classes so that they were simple, but the option to test out would be available after a few weeks so the Master's Council could determine her skill level.

During this week, however, her nights were spent with Master Qui-gon, learning the basics of the Jedi katas. It was tedious and annoying. Kassie had never caught on to katas well, she was an adapter, not a meticulous follower. Unfortunately, she wasn't allowed to do anything with the Jedi Martial Arts until she learned the katas.

"Turn out your left foot and step into the next pose."

Kassie wasn't by nature a patient person. Orders only made her less so.

"I know, Master Jinn."

"No talking is needed, Cassona."

"I know, Master Jinn."

Qui-gon smiled to himself despite the disdain he heard in her voice. She was very graceful in her movements, and while impatient, could stand still for long periods of time. Kassie moved into the next pose and waited while Qui-gon thought through his critique.

"Elbows up. Right foot slightly farther out."

"Yes, Master Jinn." Her tone was slightly mocking, but it was recognized as her teasing tone.

"You're almost through the eleventh kata, Cassona. It would be a shame to start over."

"From the beginning of eleven?"

"From the beginning of one."

She was silent after that while she finished adjusting her stance.

"Good." Master Jinn walked around her. "Next position. Raise—"

"Raise saber right and step over, and turn into next position."

"Correct."

Qui-gon once again marveled at this student's ability to show her personality, even when conformity was desired. Gennai had told many stories as to her brilliance and her naivety. She was a fast learner, but an academic entity rather than a political one. Qui-gon was aware of Gennai's desire to protect his student, but he couldn't. Being a Gigano student had never been easy, and Gigano teachers never had the correct type of Sensei-Student relationship. They would never have the right relationship. There was too much competition between would be students.

"Good. Move into next stance."

"What? No critique?"

"The stance was perfect."

"Okay then..."

She stepped back to show the fifth of the blocks in the eleventh kata, swinging her practice saber too close to her body.

"That was too close, Cassona."

"I'm not used to the saber yet."

"Do it again."

"Fine."

Master Mace Windu was incredibly amused by the state of his friend. Qui-gon Jinn had taken on a huge responsibility by accepting Gennai Gigano's student, and now he was feeling the pressure. From what he could gather so far, she was indeed a handful of massless energy that bounced from earth to heaven to hell and back to earth.

"I've never met anyone with their mind as undisciplined as hers."

Mace knew when to speak, and now was not the time. So he listened with a soft smile on his face as his lifelong friend doled out story after exasperating story.

"But she's good. She's very good." Qui-gon looked at his friend, whose usually severe face was still broken by a smile. "I'm so glad I could amuse you."

Mace Windu shook his head. "I've never heard you so...adamant about a charge. This Cassona sounds like the antithesis of the Jedi."

"She is, and yet she isn't. She's undisciplined, but she's focused. She's impatient, but passionate. Her moral imperative is perfect, except for her pranks. She deems those necessary."

Windu smiled wider.

"And her clothes..." Qui-gon shook his head. "I don't even know how she can move in those..jeans, I believe they are called. The fabric is not loose enough."

"The Council is certainly enchanted with her story." Mace commented as he drank another drought of his Siccoain alcohol. Qui-gon's glass was already gone.

The long haired Master grunted. "They would be enchanted."

Windu laughed.

"Okay, so Advanced Basic is three mornings a week. Classic is two mornings a week, alternating with Advanced Basic." Cassona looked at the datapad she held in her hand depicting her ten class schedule. "What's this?"

Obi-wan looked at where she pointed, "Physics with Sridenta mathematics."

"Oh, right, your version of Calculus. That's five mid-mornings a week. And Beginning Astrophysics three early afternoons a week to be off set by...what's that?"

"Computer Science."

"That's to be two early afternoons a week. I can't believe I have to learn another computer system."

"Actually three."

Cassona's face grew angry as her eyes flashed at Obi-wan. "Hey, I didn't make the rules."

"Fine. And then I have History of Politics five late afternoons a week. Treaties and Etiquette, with Master Jinn, five early evenings a week. I can eat during that class right?"

"Master will probably be fine with that."

"And...that's it?"

Obi-wan looked at her amusedly. "You want more."

"No. I just thought I would have ten classes."

"You have Piloting and Mechanics on what you call 'weekends' with me and Kata and Advanced Sword on the weekends with Master and Master Windu."

"That's still nine classes."

"Then there's Meditation every morning and evening, with—"

"You and Master Jinn, I know. You count that as a class?"

"You don't?"

She was silent as she looked at the schedule. Obi-wan looked across the table they sat at waiting for Master Jinn to return. "Kassie?"

"Hmmm?"

"You're okay with this?"

"To be honest, Obi-wan, I don't really have a choice. I need to take these classes, I just don't want to, well, the politics I would take."

"Your Master—"

"Sent a very specific list, I know. Still, I'd rather learn about the Republic by an internship or something that gets me in the thick of it all." She looked up. "The Senate building is beautiful, and though I'm sure the politics are sticky, I still want to get in there."

Obi-wan saw her eyes light up. "All in due time."

She grinned. "Yes, all in due time."

Master Jinn hadn't gotten stone cold drunk since his Padawan days, and he never would again after that experience. The drink with Mace had calmed his nerves after a taxing day of katas, and almost arguments with Cassona. Her teasing and mocking tones would get her into trouble one day, but her katas were almost perfect. She just needed to be tested and then she would move on to sparring and Force-work. He would need to speak to her about today, though she had seen nothing wrong with the way she acted (and to be honest neither did he), but the other Masters and Knights expected more of a Gigano student.

That was the root of the problem. She was a Gigano, and with that the Jedi believed should come a degree of...presentableness, as the Jedi community defined it. Cassona did not fit in that category. And he very much doubted that she ever would.

"She's not entirely happy with her lot in life, Master."

Qui-gon smiled at his perceptive Padawan. "What do you mean?"

"She likes the politics not the other classes."

"Gennai mentioned she has an incredible affinity for politics and manipulation."

"So, what do you think of her?"

"She has a long road ahead of her." Qui-gon smiled at his Padawan's puzzled expression. "Good night, Padawan. I'll see you tomorrow."