Enjoy and Review;p
CH18
Earlier that Day
Master Windu braced himself as he opened the door to the old trolls living quarters. He had to stoop down to enter and because of the apartments small size. He had been invited; force only knew what it was he did wrong to deserve to drink the green trife his master called tea, but a Jedi did not dwell on such thoughts and truly he had swallowed down worse concoctions during the various diplomatic meetings he attended. One in particular on Artaq even now left a foul slimy taste in his mouth.
"Good, Good, sit." Yoda commanded his gimlet eyes twinkling. Mace slid down onto the closest meditation cushion opposite a low table as Yoda fumbled with the tea pot pouring a vile green liquid into his cup. "Drink." The old troll commanded as he sipped his own portion of the substance. Mace was not one to tarry long and downed it all in one go after all Qui Gon wasn't the only one who excelled in diplomatic negotiations.
"You called me master? Have you too sensed the darkness?"
Yoda's eyes narrowed. "Dangerous times these are, sense something amiss I do."
Mace frowned. "Do you think that the reason is the boy? Or Kenobi? I have never seen anyone who could use so much force with only initiate training."
"Intertwined their paths are, surprised you should not be, great potential Kenobi had before sent from the temple he was."
"I do not understand Master, why was he sent from the temple then if the force indicated that he would be a Jedi?" Back then Mace had been strong in the force but if he would have sensed that Kenobi was destined to be a Jedi by the force's decree then he would have searched for a master or promoted his own padawan a year earlier so he could train the boy.
Yoda harrumphed as he moved to pour more tea in his tea cup. "Mysterious are the ways of the force, Qui Gon his Master should have been, now not ready he is to train another, too far into regret has he fallen. Looming over him the betrayal of Xanatos still does."
Mace shifted on the cushion steepling his fingers in thought. "Even if the problem of Xanatos was addressed I do not think Qui Gon would be the appropriate master for Obi Wan, he has already once rejected the boy. This would cause a general distrust between padawan and learner."
"Right you are," Yoda grumbled. "Broken the trust is new Master we need, Yan Dooku agreed has."
Mace's eyebrow twitched in surprise. "Dooku?"
Yoda sighed as he collected the cups and made his way to the sink his stick making scratching sounds on the polished floor. "Agreed I did not, lost too much he has, ready he is not, though ready he will claim he is."
"There is Master Gallia her padawan is due for a promotion this year."
Yoda's eyes suddenly found his. "Stubborn you are, know you that need an apprentice you still do."
"I was planning to take an initiate do to graduate in two years." He protested. "Kenobi needs a firm guiding hand I may not be what he needs."
The gimmer stick swung rapping his knees painfully. "Firm you will be, need you he will, sense uncertainty in his future I now do. Flirt with the dark side he did, accidental this could have been need a Vapaad master he does else fall like Xanatos he will."
Mace frowned. "If that is so why have you kept this from the council? Kenobi could be a threat to the Jedi!"
The old troll chuckled. "No less dangerous then the Skywalker boy he is. Trial the force has sent you, refuse it you will?"
"No master." Mace Windu rose deep in thought. He had always wanted a chance to prove that Vapaad the constriction of darkness by light could be possible. It seemed the force was sending him the challenge he desired. Yet why did he have an uneasy feeling about this?
"Master Windu agreed to train you he did." The old troll rasped. Kenobi suppressed a look of disgust. Of all the masters why had the force given him the orders most renown? He would have preferred Dooku who he had heard was unforgiving with his mantra of the end appeasing the means. But he was a Sith he had lived through far worse and he would come out of this only stronger.
It was already evening when Obi Wan was shown to his new room by a fellow padawan after a quick haircut and given a selection of robes. He was sorely tempted to choose the black ones but that would be ridiculously suspicious so he settled for the dark brown shirt and pants. Apparently he would now share a room with his new "Master." He cursed again under his breath at his foul luck. Living in Master Windu's rooms would cause him to live in the west wing of the temple in which most of the council members lived save Yoda who resided in the South wing closer to the youngling's quarters.
He tore off his plebian clothes into the recycler and scrubbed his skin clean until it was raw trying to physically rub off any aura the dark side of the force could have left on him. He made sure to leave his holo behind so that his calls could not be traced. If needed he could slice into a public terminal or Kiosk to send messages or in the worst case scenario use a fellow padawan's comm. He was on his own for now and he would take his revenge. Slipping in to his new attire he padded on the soft white carpet in his socks settling opposite a dejarick board while waiting for his new Master to arrive. To spend the time he activated the game moving the pieces in different positions to plot out his course of action. For a Jedi unlike the Sith first you began by eliminating the weaker links. Then you proceeded to battle the final boss who tormented by grief and loss could easily succumb to the lull of the dark side. Hearing footsteps in the halls he made a few more moves which held no semblance of his previous strategy and then closed the game with a wave of his hand.
The door was slid open and Master Windu entered eyeing the room critically. "I see you have settled in. Come I wish to test your light saber skills." Having already built a light saber as an initiate he raised no eyebrows by bringing his own back into the temple. His second light saber however he would have to leave behind as he had built it at a later date from a green crystal Darth Plageus had provided for him.
Following Master Windu to the dojo he picked a training light saber from the rack and like his master set it to its lowest frequency. Both flourished their sabers in salute and Obi Wan instantly attacked with a downward slash at his opponent who blocked and parried. Mace executed two quick flurries to his side which Obi Wan avoided clumsily on purpose. Mace took advantage of his shaky form bringing his light saber down hard on Obi Wan's own. Obi wan allowed Mace to force him to his knees and then executed a forward roll giving a quick parry to the side. He then executed another clumsy Ataru flip allowing Mace to nearly execute a Sai tok blow which at full power could sever him at his waist. He executed a quick Mou Kei strike at Mace's feet before the latter after parrieng brought down his saber once again on Obi Wan's own trying to force him down. Obi Wan however resisted this time turning the crossed sabers into a battle of strength over skill. Both now covered in sweat tackled each other for control of the epicenter which would allow them to force the opponent to his knees.
"Getting old master?" Obi Wan hissed baring his teeth into a feral smile.
"You still have much to learn, whelp." Mace answered through clenched teeth thoroughly enjoining the spar. It had been a long time since he had fought anyone who could match him in sheer strength and although Kenobi's frame was more wiry then his own the boys muscles had power. It was like fighting with a younger version of Dooku, granted most of his jumps and spins were sloppy but he could see why Obi wan was a promising candidate for any Master to train. He could also however see what Master Yoda meant. The boy was not shrouded by the dark side of the force but many of his attacks were sharp and quick indicating the boy's desire for a quick victory even though he should have realized that defeating a Council member of his caliber would take many planned attacks to get him off guard not simple slices of a blade. Many of his attacks also blatantly put the boy himself in danger but all this could be amended.
With a few quick strokes and to show his padawan that he still had much to learn he disarmed the boy with a round kick to his chest as his padawan tried to bear down on him. Obi Wan flew back landing hitting the wall hard and falling onto his back. Was it too much?
Mace offered the boy his hand but Obi Wan ignored it pulling himself up. He could feel the confusion and bare traces of anger his padawan was generating. "Obi Wan-"
"You didn't have to nearly break my back to prove your stronger master." The boy hissed his face contorted in pain as he clicked a vertebra in place. Mace chuckled "This is standard exercise padawan if you are hurt a trip to the healers is in order."
"I'm fine." Obi Wan muttered as he tossed a saber unceremoniously close to the rack and stalked out of the room. Mace frowned in confusion for someone of Obi Wan's physical prowess taking a hit like that should be nothing.
He tarried longer to try and meditate away the confusion before going up to his rooms. His padawan was already passed out on a bed in the room adjacent to Mace's own clothes still on boots hastily discarded , face pressed down into a pillow. Mace ran a hand over his scalp. No one ever said training a man nearing full adulthood would be an easy task. He entered the room pressing a hand on his padawan's back as a precaution to any accidental damage he might have caused. To his surprise he sensed various smaller injuries, frowning he cautiously lifted the shirt to be met with a back covered in whipmarks.
