Mycroft entered without knocking.
The padawan and master were shirtless and kneeling across from each other, carefully pushing an egg between them with the force. John's face was contorted in concentration, Sherlock's was happily amused. The boy appeared like he was cover in a thin, filmy substance. Sherlock was completely clean, aside from his poorly dressed wounds, Mycroft frowned. His brother had a knack for injuries.
"Firm, but gentle, little one. Push too hard and the egg will shatter, don't push at all and you cannot reach your goal." Sherlock was using an old productive lesson his master had taught him. The boy had to push the egg past the master's shoulder, the catch was the master was also pushing on the egg. If the child pushed too hard against his master's returning pressure the egg would…
A sharp cracking sound caused John to recoil as the yolky sludge smacked him in the face. Sherlock chuckled deeply.
"Not funny." The victim huffed.
"One must learn to laugh at himself in order to gain wisdom, my slimy apprentice." The older man chuckled.
"You laugh at me enough for both of us, Master." John wiped his face with his sleeve. The goop dripped into his eyes and mouth, John's mouth twisted in distain. "That is horrible!" The more his mouth moved the more egg was allowed in, Sherlock passed the boy a rag as Mycroft cleared his throat. John's head shot around, he scrambled up and bowed low.
Sherlock bowed in sync with John, but mumbled softly next to him, "Hide the eggs, if Mycroft finds them they'll be devoured."
John turned his face up to the eldest man with a small smile. Sherlock rested his thin hand on John's shoulder. The boy looked at Mycroft expectantly as the master knelt in front of the child who should have been his padawan. He noted how at peace the child seemed to be. He even smiled at the old master. "How are you, youngling?"
The boy's smile wavered, he glanced at his master swiftly. Sherlock raised an eyebrow, John scowled, Sherlock smirked, John rolled his eyes, Sherlock snorted, and John finally grinned. The pair seemed to have developed their own language. John gently clicked his boot against Sherlock's. "I'm fine, sir. Is there something I can do for you, Master?"
"I was wondering why you were not in class today, young one." Mycroft said, he carefully avoided Sherlock's annoyed gaze.
"I am not giving him over to teachers who have the incapability of teaching subjects better than I." Sherlock said shortly.
"Are you saying you are better than the teachers in the temple, little brother?"
"I only said I was more capable, Mycroft."
"John needs to go to his classes today. I require your presence with me." Mycroft said solemnly. John threw Sherlock a look. "The council requires you dear brother."
This caught the young knight's interest. "For what?"
"John's trials, of course."
"How thick do you think I am?" Sherlock demanded.
Mycroft worried at his lip. He did not want to discuss this in front of the child, it was not something he wanted John to associate him with after his apprenticeship was transferred. He glared at his impertinent brother. Sherlock had dug his own grave long ago, Master Yoda had made a poor choice giving John to his little brother, a decision Mycroft refused to agree with. Luckily it was about to be corrected.
John pressed himself against Sherlock's leg, he could feel something controlling growing in Mycroft's aura. It was just as revolting as some of the associates Sherlock dealt with on Tatooine. "Very well." Sherlock said boredly. "Give me a moment to get ready."
Mycroft nodded curtly, as he exited Sherlock pulled John in front of him. Their eyes met. "You felt it too." Sherlock said swiftly.
"What's going on?" The boy pleaded. He held onto Sherlock's pant leg desperately. "Master?"
"Focus on the present moment, John." Sherlock cupped his padawan's cheek with his hand. "It will be alright, I promise you. Do you trust me?"
John's lower lip trembled. "You yes…"
"It will be alright." The master said firmly. "Go get dressed for whatever idiotic classes your former clan has planned for you today."
The boy gave him a curious look. "I'll be advanced compared to all them."
"Jedi do not brag, little one."
John grinned. "Says the master show off."
"I show people the correct way to do things and they assume it is showing off." Sherlock snorted indignantly.
"May I show my friends the "correct way"?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you did not laugh at yourself hard enough this morning. Go get dressed."
John stood on his tip toes, and Sherlock leaned down to meet his forehead. "Yes, Master."
The boy came out hurriedly in a fresh tunic and cleansed of all egg. Sherlock was screwing a lid on a metallic thermos, John leaned into his master's leg curiously. The older man passed it down to the small boy with a sly smirk. "Open it after your classes, it should still be warm." He carded his hand tenderly through the baby soft hair.
"Okay, Master." The child exhaled. He allowed himself a few seconds of his master's warmth before pulling away from him with a small giggle. He thanked his teacher for whatever the thermos contained, strapped it next to his light saber, and wandered out of the quarters. Sherlock smiled after his padawan.
Mycroft was waiting for him in the hall, he rested against a large pillar with a superior look spread over his face. Sherlock adjusted his tunics uncomfortably, the fabric constantly reminded him how much of his attachment was focused on John. He sighed, the little boy was worth it.
Idiotic child.
Idiotic adult.
Mycroft sneered at him. "I've been wondering how you acquired such…traumatic injuries."
"My padawan asked to see your fighting style, I am proud to say I showed him accurately." Sherlock announced snidely.
They walked side by side in silence. Mycroft allowed Sherlock to abuse him this once, soon, very soon he would have to be polite to visit John. Sherlock stalked a head of Mycroft into the council room, masters were filing into the grand room and taking their assigned seats. Sherlock stood proudly in the center of the room, he noted some masters looked at him with pity, whilst the majority of them just glared.
Some things would never change.
At last the green troll took his seat in the front of the council men, Sherlock bowed low. "Master, I have successfully found the crystal. I would like to bring it down to the labs for examination with your permission…"
"Informed about this meeting, have you been?" The troll asked gravely. "Not about your work on Tatooine, this is."
"I was informed this meeting is about my padawan's trials. This is not so, Mycroft would not tell me of the real reason."
"Where did your detour take you?" Master Donavan cut in.
Sherlock stiffened, he looked towards Master Windu. "What is this really about, Master?"
The older man stroked his chin, his eyes were focused beyond Sherlock. As a child the look used to frighten him, now it was merely irritating that his question was being ignored. "Padawans have begun going missing, Sherlock. They simply vanish from under their master's noses."
"What has that to do with John?"
Master Kota piped up behind him. "They are the padawans of the Dark Acolytes you begged the council to save twenty-two years ago."
Sherlock's emotionless face betrayed a small frown. "They were not willing Acolytes." He turned back to Yoda. "All of them, Master?" Rica hadn't contacted him, she would have told him immediately if anything happened to Mary.
"No." Master Dooku folded his hands under his nose. "We have called the remaining back to investigate into this matter farther. This is greatly disturbing, Sherlock. Given your past…"
"The Jedi order teaches one to let go off the past, as it is already gone." Sherlock quoted harshly. "My past has nothing to do with my padawan, he isn't even aware of it yet."
"Afraid to tell him, you are." The grand master accused.
"I have only had him little over a month my master. I was simply waiting for the opportune moment."
"Holmes." Master Windu sighed. "We believe that they are turning them over to the Dark Acolytes. There are great numbers of dark one's forming, Jedi are spreading all over the galaxy to stop their uprisings. We believe the temple has been infiltrated with your past accomplices."
"Then you are truly blind." The young knight scowled. The council took a collective intake of breath. "The Dark Acolytes need two things my masters: new padawans and revenge upon those who turned against them twenty-two years ago. What easier way to eliminate two birds with one stone than to conveniently have each of their padawans disappear. From there it is easy to turn them dark with this." He threw the pouched crystal to the grand master carefully. "Do not, under any circumstances, touch that with your skin."
"Know their plans, you do?" The eldest master inquired gently.
"It's hardly difficult to…"
"Sherlock, this council has elected that any padawan under a former Dark Acolyte is to be question and if necessary removed from their custody. Do you understand what this means?" Mycroft said starkly.
Sherlock's entire being froze. Coldness spread through his whole body, making his knees weak and his heart stop. "You are going to take John from me." It was not a question.
"We are questioning him now, you went off course yesterday. That in itself is mildly concerning." Mycroft said gently.
"I took him home, Mycroft." Sherlock was appealed with how sick he sounded. His stomach clenched. "We had an argument, it was my fault. I took him swimming to apologize."
"Like we're going to believe that." Donavan muttered.
Sherlock curled his hand into a fist. "I doubt you'd believe me if I told you the sky was blue, Master." His gaze was cold. "It is ironic Masters, this is strangely similar to what the Acolytes used to do. Give a man something precious and then take it away from him."
"Want him, you did not." Master Yoda's cane came down with a thunderous crash that caused Sherlock to flinch. "Gave him to you to learn from, we did. No progress has been made, I fear." The old master sounded weary. "Rid yourself of him, hard this should not be."
Sherlock wanted to double over, his head was spinning. John was his, they had to see it. Sherlock was not the greatest knight, he understood that. He would likely never reach the rank of master, but John was his padawan. He had never been more certain of anything.
"Master, my padawan has taught me many things." The young knight glared at the old midget. He did not disguise the anger in his voice. "You are mistaken."
"Take care of what you say, Knight Holmes." Windu's voice was cold. Sherlock glared at him.
For John. You can do this for John.
He didn't want to. Not this, but…
John.
"Would you like to see what my padawan has taught me my master?" Sherlock addressed to Korunn master heatedly. The older man raised his eyebrows menacingly. Sherlock clenched his jaw.
I don't want to do this. Not this. My pride or my padawan, I know I cannot have both, but why this? Why now?
Sherlock wished there weren't so many eyes on him as he knelt at the grand master's feet. His pride in pieces on the floor, his wit stamped into the ground next to it, he ripped out his self-importance and laid it at the old goat's feet. "He has taught me I speak without thinking, that humility is often the answer over self-ego. I beg of you master let me continue learning from him, teaching him. He is my padawan. Surely you felt this when he was given to me. I would sooner die myself than see that boy hurt." He bowed his head. His pride couldn't hurt him anymore if someone jabbed their light saber through it.
Yoda gave a strangled noise that sounded an awful lot like a warm chuckle. Sherlock raised his eyes and saw a sly smile creep across the midget's face. Sherlock blushed fiercely. "Learn much, you have. Good for you, your padawan is."
"But is he good for his padawan, Master?" Donavan demanded.
"See, we soon shall. Soon. Soon."