Where Anakin is Knighted

Attachment.

If there was one thing that the Jedi as a group feared, it was attachment. History dictated over and over that Jedi fell because of attachment; became Sith because of attachment; wrought destruction because of attachment. They took these hard won lessons to heart, and so it was that, over time, a system was constructed to prevent attachment on any and all levels of a being's psyche.

It was best to start young - before attachments were fully formed. This was the first and most obvious thing the public ever saw the Jedi do. If a child was taken extremely young, before their memory centers could finish imprinting their parents, a difficult attachment to break: family. This, however, was only the beginning of their training.

Clans played a key role in the next phase of indoctrination. Instead of having the one-on-one time with a youngling that parents had with their children, clan heads had a one-on-many. The first purpose in this was to show younglings that they were part of a group. It trained them to think in the collective - perhaps not to the level of the Acronans who said "we" instead of "I," but to realize that to succeed one needed to work together with their clan mates. "Success," then, in the eyes of a youngling, was very simply a display of affection from the clan head - praise of a job well done, a reward of sweets, or the much coveted hug or pat on the head.

The second purpose of the clans was to monitor. Because they spent every day with the younglings, clan heads could find those that were attachment prone - in other words, the ones that went out of their way to gain the attention of the clan head in either a positive or negative light. These were the younglings that went above and beyond helping their clan and be disappointed when they were not singled out for praise, or those that would deliberately break rules or were unruly in order to single out the clan head's focus. When a predetermined number of these incidents occurred, the youngling would be pulled aside and given the lecture about attachment.

Because of their age, this was often watered down to: "I know what you want but I will not give it; because it is not what you need. A Jedi should not 'want,' because want is selfish. I can't give you something that bad." Once this occurred the clan head would deliberately ignore the youngling's cries for attention until he or she learned the lesson.

Also, during these crucial formative years, Master Yoda was their instructor in the ways of the Force while the clan heads handled the more academic subjects. It was universally agreed that Yoda was the best at teaching younglings how to access the Force without feeling, with a clear mind and instinct that would serve them in later years.

Once at age seven, younglings became Initiates, and the search for a master began. It was no accident that this age was chosen, because this was the age that a child's psyche became fixed and, if not, the Initiate had time to work on themselves before a master would choose him or her. A series of tests were run on the Initiates, academic and practical but also psychological, to assess their readiness for apprenticeship. Once they passed, the tournaments began.

For the Initiate, it was the first time they had to think for themselves outside their clan. On their own, they had to find something about themselves that a master would be attracted to. The monitored Initiates, those prone to attachment, by that point had been lectured and talked to enough that they could cross this hurdle. Some, however, could not.

This was the case with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace reflected.

Kenobi, so desperate for attachment, did not look to himself to find a quality that shined, but rather tried to exude some quality he thought the masters were looking for, and his anger at being passed over leaked through. It was this that had him shipped off to the AgriCorps, along with the other Initiates that failed the attachment tests.

The training bond created between Master and Padawan, then, was the first true "attachment" they were given in their lives, and by that point most considered it not a bond but a tool in which to learn. It was because of this perception that Jedi could be safely encouraged to nurture the bond, build it and form it as a clan head would not; the deeper the bond, the more could be taught.

While the system was strong it was not infallible, and it was not uncommon for Padawan's with attachment problems to slip through the cracks. After a time, these Padawans were tested - and they would either pass, as Kenobi did after the death of Qui-Gon, or they would fail, as Xanatos did when he was reunited with his father. Often these tests doubled as Trials, because by that point it was a given that the attachment problem would be with the Padawan for the rest of his or her life; and so the Padawan needed to do what any Jedi would do - overcome the character flaw.

The bond itself was nothing more than a link between two minds. The link would develop primarily through getting to know one's Padawan, and this was done simply by living together - learning sleep patterns, common circles of thought, personality trends, work ethic, favorite foods, the hundreds of choices made over the course of the day. Once the master knew the Padawan, it was easier to use Force empathy and other skills to learn about the Padawan more thoroughly in order to better instruct the student.

It was common practice, then, to hold off on teaching shielding to a Padawan until two or three years into an apprenticeship. This served two purposes: it prevented trouble on missions where discretion was necessary - a practical function; and it made a check and balance to the bond. If a Master received an attachment driven Padawan, the shielding gave the master a level of protection and the Padawan another lesson on attachment.

The secondary way the bond developed was through usage - usually through meditation. Taking a Padawan through different sutras of the Code or doing a guided self-reflection or pre-visualization of a mission often made a Master and Padawan closer, because of a shared mind. Over the last thousand years, it had been demonstrated that a bond could only grow so deep, get so far, because of the deliberately designed teacher-student relationship of the meditations.

Deeper bonds were achievable - almost always with those that were attachment-prone, but the next step - the Knighting - prevented bonds from growing too strong. The braid was cut and the newly minted knight spent the next one to five years on solo missions. Those years of disuse would make the bond fade over time, breaking the attachment. This was the last step in making the Jedi entirely self-sufficient, teaching them at last that he or she needed no attachment to be successful, and when the new Jedi reflected this attitude in their mission reports, they were given a Padawan to repeat their lessons to the younger generation.

It had worked for the Jedi for a thousand years.

They brought light to civilization - the Republic - for generation after generation. In a way, this system was the pinnacle of their success.

Mace stood in the dark circle, hood drawn up as everyone else had. The chamber was in utter darkness.

It was, at least, until the lightsabers ignited.

Anakin Skywalker stood in the center of the circle.

Anakin Skywalker. The Chosen One.

When they had first met, Qui-Gon proclaiming the boy conceived by midi-chlorians, the youngling had an uncanny ability with the Force. The tests were extraordinary; the raw talent was almost unbelievable. But he was too old. He did not have the right indoctrination; his attachment to his mother and his fear for her welfare were palpable to everyone on the Council. All the critical work done in the formative years was missing.

They had two choices: let him loose on the galaxy untrained. Or not. That was what Kenobi told the Council in his report; that agonizing report detailing the death of his master, Qui-Gon's final plea, and the return of the Sith.

The Sith! Even a thousand years after the fact, the Jedi well remembered the horror of the Sith Wars. And there was the boy, more than ready to be seduced by them. Already partly seduced, because of his attachment issues.

The Council recoiled at the idea of the Sith having that kind of weapon.

The decision to train Skywalker was obvious after that.

Now, a dozen years later, Mace reflected on that decision.

The choice of a master for the boy was a difficult one. It was necessary to find a Knight who not only could expertly teach the basics that Yoda normally instructed, but also one who could shield against Skywalker's natural proclivity to attachment, and properly undo those ten odd years of reckless abandon that the boy had experienced. That was a very tall order, and there were very few Jedi indeed who could do all of those things.

There was also the issue that Kenobi was insisting that he be the one to train the boy. This was fiercely contested, and with good reason. He was untested, a Knight for barely a few days at the time. He did not have the requisite time alone on missions to secure his already shaky foundation of attachment. Worse, he was proven over and over to have problems with attachment: he was sent to AgriCorps before he and Qui-Gon spontaneously formed a bond. He left the order - however temporarily - because he felt attachment to the Young on Melida/Daan. He touched the Dark Side because of his anger at the loss of his master just scant days before. Kenobi, at the time, was one of the worst possible choices to train the boy.

And yet he had pursued the job doggedly, using his burgeoning skills in negotiation and, ultimately, playing the card that it was Qui-Gon's last wish. Whatever people thought of Qui-Gon Jinn, in the end he had a charm that besmirched even the most rigid of the Council, and his heartfelt plea had touched everyone.

Except Yoda.

He had vehemently protested against even taking young Skywalker, and because of these obvious problems (and perhaps others that Mace could not foresee) he refused to condone the decision.

At first, in the beginning years, the Council had dared to think that they had made a wise decision. Kenobi was a strict taskmaster and a gifted teacher, and Skywalker loved to learn. The pair was closely monitored for signs of attachment, and though their bond had become uncommonly strong, familial bonding - the greatest fear they had - did not seem to occur. If anything, there seemed to be a rugged edge in their relationship that kept them at a distance to each other. It caused problems on missions, certainly, but most of the Council thought this would be good for the both of them. It prevented attachment.

Or so they thought.

Then the War started.

In the last two years, their bond grew to exuberant levels; well beyond anything anyone had ever seen. Somehow their training bond had become so complete as to be physically visible in the Force, a giant cord that connected the two minds. What had happened to create this unheard of strength, Mace did not know. He suspected Yoda might have an inkling; Mace knew that the grandmaster had spent many a meditation on it. He first noticed it after Kenobi's return from the dead; his escape and rescue from Dooku's apprentice, Ventress. As he gave his report, Mace could see the deep connection he had to Skywalker - to be expected, he had first assumed, given Kenobi's mental state and Skywalker's tendency to help those in need. Those thoughts slowly changed as he watched Kenobi scattered state constantly be pulled back by his Padawan. Not through words or physical gestures, but through the bond - normally an impossible feat - which upon closer inspection had become some kind of shatterpoint.

That little revelation had given him pause. The bond had overnight become something that was more than slightly important, and the Force was so clouded with the Dark Side that neither he nor Yoda could understand what. The depth of the bond was frightful, Mace could not fathom what it would be like to be that deeply connected to someone; and he worried about how it manifested. He read their respective reports: the exuberant distances at which they could communicate, the level of detail their telepathy could perform.

It was astonishing, and, if he dared to admit it, a little frightening. He did not understand it, how it had come to be, why it had happened, and questioning either Kenobi or Skywalker on that front brought odd answers. The boy often became instantly defensive - asking what did it matter if it got the job done before spinning on his heel and walking away. Kenobi was more forthcoming, but he seemed just as confused on how it had occurred as the others. His memories immediately after his rescue were sketchy at best, and so he could only try to explain what it was like. He reassured Mace and Yoda - several times - that Skywalker didn't know what happened either, with a certainty that startled Mace. Kenobi was always very weary of what he said about his Padawan, always very tentative to point out a character flaw in his pupil like his arrogance or his lack of self-mastery; but now he said things about his Padawan with utter conviction, even confidence. It was as if he now understood his Padawan, inside and out.

Mace and Yoda both feared the damage that would happen to the two of them if one were seriously hurt, or even killed. They had tried different things to curb the growth of the bond, but in the end nothing had worked.

After Kenobi was granted the title of Master; his very first motion was to push for Skywalker to be Knighted. His continued efforts on the front lines showed his passing the Trial of Skill and the Trial of Courage both; the loss of his arm was the Trial of Flesh; and he enigmatically said that Skywalker had passed his Trial of Spirit many, many times.

The Council ultimately agreed, hoping that the end of the apprenticeship would somehow affect the training bond.

With their sabers pointed to the ground, the Council members eyed young Skywalker. Measuring. Gauging. He had spent the last twenty-four hours in the Hall of Knighthood, deep in meditation. Kenobi had spent the same time with the Council, getting some much needed work done before the ceremony; and he would occasionally smile, his eyes growing distant, before he would get back to work. When questioned he would simply say that, "Anakin had a good moment in his meditation."

Even now, Mace could see micro expressions flitting back and forth on Skywalker's face, and a glance showed the same with Kenobi. They were sharing this ceremony on a level Mace had once again never seen before.

"Jedi, we all are. Speaks through us, the Force does. Through our actions, proclaims itself and what is real the Force does. Here today we are, to acknowledge what the Force has proclaimed."

Skywalker's face swelled with pride, and behind him Kenobi's did as well. Mace found himself wondering whose it was.

Yoda turned his large green eyes to Skywalker, the boy staring back. The moment held, tension and anticipation and energy filling the room. Yoda had not wanted this; he did not feel Skywalker was ready, but the need for Knights was simply too great. They needed more generals. So,

"Step forward, Padawan."

Skywalker did so, lifting himself from his kneeling position and confidently coming forward. "Anakin Skywalker, by the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, dub thee I do, Jedi," and with a flourish Yoda's green lightsaber flashed unbearably close. The sound of burning hair was brief, almost invisible compared to the hum of the lightsaber, but everyone could see the brown-and-blond braid spinning away from the former Padawan, "Knight of the Republic."

Perhaps in his first ever sign of respect to him; Anakin Skywalker bowed his head in deference to Yoda.

Mace stepped forward.

"Take up your lightsaber, Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight. And may the Force be with you."

Skywalker lit his 'saber; and the twelve Council members lifted theirs in salute, the end of the ceremony.

Mace watched the look between Kenobi and Skywalker, watched their bond with intense interest to see what would happen with the link of teacher-student broken - with the attachment broken.

And everything shifted.

Kenobi stepped up to Skywalker, lowering his hood and grinning broadly. He put a firm hand on his shoulder, and Anakin looked down with a small smile, looking almost shy. He lifted his head with a cocky grin, however, and looked down at his former master. "We're equals, now," he said.

"Yes," Kenobi agreed quietly. "At last in name."

The grin broadened. "I'm still better than you," he said in coy mockery.

Kenobi returned the grin. "And you still have much to learn, my overzealous Padawan."

"You can't call me that any more, Master."

"And you can't call me that any more."

They shared a small laugh, and Mace openly stared as he felt their bond thunk into place, almost as if at last it was where it was supposed to be. He looked at Yoda and saw that he, too, had witnessed the shift. What did this mean? What was to happen? Even Yoda was losing the ability to see the future, just as Mace's skill at seeing shatterpoints had diminished.

Neither could say what the repercussions of this would be.

Author's Notes: Yay! The Clone Wars are finally done! No more going back and adding parts, no more read-throughs to see if the flow is fixed, no more dragging our feet with fight sequences that we have no clue how to do! (collapses over keyboard) We're dooooooone...

Now to get Real-Life work done... See you in a month.

And for those curious, you'll know if there is Ahsoka or not in the next chapter.