Master Syn-lu sat so provocatively that Qui-Gon wanted to throw a blanket over her and have her face the wall. The blue twi'lik master leaned forward to grab one of the tea cups in front of her, dipping low enough so that the swell of her breasts could be easily seen over her top.
Qui-Gon was not amused. "Must you do that?"
"It's hard to turn off," Syn-lu shrugged. "So Master Qui-Gon, what brings you here?"
"I'm here to talk about the lessons you're teaching my Padawan."
"Oh?" Her tentacles curled anxiously. "Why- did they fail?"
Qui-Gon wasn't really sure how to answer that. "I do not approve of them and I do not wish for Obi-Wan to learn them."
Syn-lu cocked her head curiously. "Oh?" She says again. "Why ever not?"
"Obi-Wan is a Jedi," Qui-Gon spoke slowly, his voice edging on the sense of a growl. "And as such, she is expected to carry herself in such way that is respectable. Obi-Wan should not rely on flirtation techniques in order to persuade a person."
"Ah ha," Syn-lu smirked. "So you're telling me Obi-Wan pulled off one of my techniques and it worked? Good girl."
Qui-Gon placed his tea cup not-so-delicately down on the table in front of him. His face was that of calm serenity but he let the twi'lik be known how greatly annoyed and angry he was with her. "I am a master negotiator," He began slowly. "Under my tutelage Obi-Wan will learn dozens, if not hundreds of ways to convince politicians of different ages, races, and sexes to pursue a path that is agreeable to all. She will learn to manipulate a situation using only her voice and her reason and if the situation calls for it, Force manipulation. Thus as it stands, Master Syn-lu, I have never flashed a leg to gain what is needed, nor will Obi-Wan. I don't want her to believe it is alright to expose herself when a simple distraction is sufficient."
As this was said, Syn-lu's tentacles curled tightly then relaxed. She huffed and shook her head at the much taller Jedi. "I never said it was alright Qui-Gon. But whether you like it or not, it becomes necessary."
Before Qui-Gon could reply, Syn-lu continued, "I understand where you are coming from, I do. The fact of the matter is, Obi-Wan is the female of your species. And thus, she will be treated differently by others. Even by you."
"I have not discriminated Obi-Wan simply because she's female," Qui-Gon stated firmly.
"No? Your first two Padawans were male. Can you honestly tell me you haven't changed your style of teaching simply because your third Padawan is female?"
"I've changed my style of teaching because my current Padawan is a different person. Just like my first two Padawans were their own persons. Sex is irrelevant."
"You may believe that, Qui-Gon, but I can assure you many others don't. How many times has Obi-Wan been groped while on a mission?" Syn-lu leaned forward this time, not in a flirtatious manner, but visibly pushing her debate forward. "Leered at? Lusted after?"
Qui-Gon's eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at?"
"An unfortunate truth. Female Jedi are more likely to be sexually assaulted than male Jedi," Synlu's leaned back and with a smile, said, "Obi-Wan is a very beautiful girl. I've seen how other men look at her. I've seen how you look at her."
There is a flash of anger in Qui-Gon's eyes and he growls, "You're walking a very thin line, Master Syn-lu. I hope you're not suggesting I am lusting after my Padawan."
Syn-lu smirks then. "Far from it. But you do understand Obi-Wan gets a lot of attention- attention I'm sure she's not aware of. All I am doing is showing Obi-Wan and others how to use such attention to their advantage. When Force manipulation fails, a simple pouting of the lips is more than enough. A hair toss gets you names. And a flash of cleavage," Syn-lu jostles her own breasts to emphasize her point. "Will get most men spouting off their credit report. Even more, it hides the fact that we are Jedi- who would think of a Jedi acting so playful?"
She grins, her demeanor going back to slightly provocative manner she had in the beginning of their conversation.
However, once again, Qui-Gon is not impressed. He stands, and frowning down at the twi'lik, explains, "You make a convincing argument Master Syn-lu. However, the point of the matter is this: I am Obi-Wan's Master. And as her Master, it is my job- not yours- to guide and instruct her. She will become a master negotiator and your techniques have no place with her. Is that clear?"
Syn-lu purses her dark blue lips before nodding. "Perfectly."
()
That conversation did not go as planned.
Qui-Gon stalked down the Temple hallways, his mind going a million miles a minute. All he wanted to do was to ask respectfully for Syn-lu to cease her lessons with Obi-Wan. He did not mean for it to practically become a confrontation.
Even worse, it also forced Qui-Gon to accept certain truths.
He does treat Obi-Wan differently than he had with his first two Padawans. His lessons have been the same and he hasn't given her any real special treatment, but Qui-Gon has found he is more protective of her.
It was true that Obi-Wan gets a lot of unwanted attention. Men gawked at her, whistled at her and more than often enough, has made attempts to grab her. Part of teaching is to step back and allow the situation to play so that the student may find the solution all on their own. Qui-Gon had once stepped back and allowed one man to come dangerously close to the girl just to see how his Padawan would handle it.
He watched, with great distaste, as this man started sniffing Obi-Wan's hair. Obi-Wan had turned around, blinked, and then sneezed on him.
Although Qui-Gon had chuckled at the girl's unorthodox way to deter the man's attentions (She then proceeded to wipe her hands on him, which made him back away in disgust) he couldn't help but feel his stomach twist in disdain. He didn't like this feeling that he allowed someone to violate his Padawan.
And while Qui-Gon had forbidden Obi-Wan to practice flirtation techniques, he himself employed such tactics to get what he needed. He had never gone so far to show off his collar bone, oh no, but unlike Obi-Wan who only showed skin, Qui-Gon has made actual physical contact. He once kissed a woman just to distract her while Obi-Wan snuck into a main office.
The Jedi Master paused. He stood silently just outside of his, theirs, his and Obi-Wan's apartment. He could sense his Padawan moving about inside, probably making their evening meal.
Sex is irrelevant. Would things turned out so differently if Xanatos was female? Qui-Gon shuddered. Xanatos as a girl- now that's a scary thought.
Deep in his heart, he wanted to believe that things wouldn't be so different if Obi-Wan was a boy, but he knew better.
The front door suddenly opened and Obi-Wan stood there, blinking at him. "Master?" She said. Then with a smirk, "What's the matter? In your old age did you forget how to open doors?"
He smiled back, though it was half-hearted. Why did this bother him so much?
He didn't answer her. Instead, he walked past her, grabbed hold of her braid and used it as a leash to drag her back inside. As he ignored her protests- "Ow! Okay, I'm sorry I called you old!" – he also knew he wouldn't want it in any other way.
()
A/N: These get easier to write with every chapter. R/R peeps!
