Legacy Rising: This is the story of Arryn Mindalen, second Padawan to Obi-Wan Kenobi, before, during, and after the Clone Wars.

Chapter 4

Our mistakes are what define our fate.

25 BBY, Sartinaynian, Coruscant

The delegates collectively gasped as awe as the chamber, hidden for centuries, was once again illuminated. The two leaders began speaking rapidly, accentuating their words with wild gesticulations.

"They're saying this is where the hieroglyphic calendar used to be," said Arryn, working hard to keep up with their highly excited dialect.

"Used to be?" said Obi-Wan.

Arryn interrupted the tribal leaders, asking for clarification. The blue haired leader knelt on the edge of the pool in the hidden room and doused a medallion he'd worn around his neck with the water. It turned from blue to gold upon coming in contact with the water. The green haired leader followed suit, to the same result. They babbled incoherently to one another, then proclaimed in broken Basic, "It is underwater."

"How deep is the pool?" Anakin asked, peering over the shoulder of one of the delegates.

Arryn relayed the message and answered, "Less than half a meter."

"Our lightsabers could evaporate the water," he suggested, with a glance toward Obi-Wan.

"I don't know if they'll want us getting rid of their healing water," Arryn shrugged, "But who knows. Do you want me to ask?"

Obi-Wan put a hand to his beard. "Why not? It's worth a shot."

Arryn explained Anakin's idea, and at their confused faces, pulled the hilt of her lower-powered training lightsaber off her belt. She thumbed the switch, igniting a brilliant turquoise blade.

The delegations grinned at one another and answered affirmatively.

"They agreed. I think they really want to get to this calendar."

The three Jedi got to work, using the heat from their blades to evaporate the water. Obi-Wan and Anakin, having full-powered lightsabers, were more effective in their task, but Arryn was glad to have contributed as well. For the first time, she felt like a real Jedi, a part of a team.

They made quick work of the pond, revealing a dazzling sight below: in immaculate detail, the history of the Sartinaynian people was painted around the border of the pond, with the centre containing perfect lines of pictograms, each line a more ethereal colour than the one before. The aides to the delegates snapped images of the calendar and feverishly uploaded them to the Holonet from their datapads. Arryn cocked her head sideways and considered the image before her.

Anakin came up behind her and imitated her pensive pose. "So…what does it say?"

Arryn looked up at him and grinned. "I haven't a clue." Obi-Wan raised a questioning eyebrow. Arryn shrugged. "They haven't used hieroglyphics in centuries. But I'm sure these guys," she gestured to the buzzing assistants, "Will get us an answer any minute."

Like clockwork, the lead assistant to the blue chief held up his datapad and called out in Basic, "I've got it!" They all clustered around his screen where the image of the calendar was superimposed over the image of an ancient text, scanned from the archives of a library elsewhere in the galaxy. He said a few quick sentences to Arryn and nodded emphatically at the image.

"He says the keystone is what was used to calculate the treaty. It will take a bit of time, but they can use it in place of their old periodic agreements."

"Well, I guess that makes our job easier," said Anakin. Obi-Wan fixed him with an unamused stare. "Well it does," he muttered under his breath.

Obi-Wan looked back at Arryn. "Is there any idea how long it will take before the calculations are completed?"

She relayed the message and the chief shrugged a quick answer. "Perhaps by tomorrow morning," she said. He tapped her on the shoulder and pointed upwards, adding on a comment. "He also asks if we would care for evening meal while we await the means to continue the proceedings."

Obi-Wan nodded. "That would be fine."

The Jedi delegation followed the Sartinaynians to a dining room laid out with elaborate place settings in fine porcelain and crystal.

The assistants took two tables along the front of the dais, leaving the middle for the chiefs. The green haired chief gestured to the middle table. "The chiefs have invited us to dine with them," said Arryn.

Servants hailing from both the green and blue tribes brought out plates and plates of lavish food and drink.

"Mmm, this is good," said Anakin, his mouth full of food. "Much better than survival rations."

Obi-Wan had to agree. He turned his attention to watching, with great interest, as Arryn and the two chiefs engaged in a deep conversation. Though he couldn't understand the specifics, the chiefs' elaborate gestures and frequent laughter indicated that they had taken a liking to the Youngling. Obi-Wan was puzzled. The girl had not acted the least bit deviant on the mission, and had indeed proven to be an asset. There had to be a missing causal link between her acting out at the Temple and her surprising normalcy. He returned to his food, making a mental note to consider it during his nightly meditation.

After the elaborate meal, the Jedi were shown to the guest quarters where three sleep couches were pushed up against the adjoining walls. Obi-Wan excused himself to meditate in a nearby garden, while Anakin taught Arryn how to play Sabacc. Not long after, Arryn turned in early, not used to the excitement of the last day. Obi-Wan and Anakin left the initiate to her rest and went for a brief walk around the complex.

"Well, this turned out quite differently than expected," said Anakin bluntly.

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. "I can't say I'm disappointed at the outcome, though," he replied.

"I'm glad the Sartinaynians can continue their traditions without having outside mediation foisted upon them."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "The Jedi don't foist mediation upon anyone, Padawan. Surely you know that."

Anakin bit his tongue, desparately wanting to retort with his vastly different point of view, but knew better. "Yes Master," he said diplomatically.

Obi-Wan, who knew his Padawan well, chuckled at the strained response he received. "When you're a Jedi Knight, you can voice whatever opinions you desire, Anakin. You'll just have to deal with the consequences on your own."

"If I ever become a Jedi Knight," Anakin grumbled. "It seems like forever until then.

"Anakin, you won't be my Padawan much longer," Obi-Wan said softly. "You are growing up quickly."

"Come on, Master, I'll always be at your side." He smirked and added, "I just won't be taking any orders from you."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "So what else is new?"

"Speaking of taking orders, I've grown fond of our new companion."

"Arryn Mindalen? Yes, she's something else. I'm just not sure what to make of her."

"She's a good kid…just needs some guidance and support. Remember what I was like at that age?"

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin with a brow raised. "And you're implying things have changed for you since then?"

Anakin raised his chin in slight defense. "Yes, Master. Clearly I am more mature and well-behaved."

"Whatever you say, my very young Padawan."

They continued in amicable silence until they reached their quarters.

"Good night, Anakin."

"To you as well, Master."

Obi-Wan awoke from his slumber with a start, feeling a tremor in the Force. It was fear- but he could not pinpoint its origin, as it seemed to consume every corner of the room. A flash of lightning from the storm that had begun before dinner colored the room in white light and it was then that he saw Arryn. She sat huddled up against the wall next to the door, looking out the window with her knees to her chest and her hair braided over her shoulder. Her body slightly jolted with each crack of thunder and he realized that the fear was coming emanating from her in large waves.

"Arryn?" he called out. She didn't answer. He stood up from his sleep couch and walked over to her and knelt down by her side. He never really noticed how small she really was until he saw how tightly bundled she was against the corner. He placed a hand on her shoulder, attempting to comfort the frightened child. "Arryn, what's wrong?"

The normally bright azure of her eyes was dark and with each flash of lightning, he could see her pupils dilate only to return to what appeared to be black orbs.

"Nightmare," she whispered. "I think the thunderstorm caused it. I can't sleep…I can never sleep at night."

Obi-Wan dropped his hand from her shoulder and looked outside at the curtain of rain blinding anything that stood on the other side

"Do the nightmares happen often?" he asked gently.

She nodded, and in a tiny whisper, answered, "Nearly every night."

He glanced back at the chrono on the wall and sighed at the late hour. There was no telling how long she had been awake. What he did know was that sleep was the last thing on her mind, not while she was so afraid. He was tempted to begin lecturing her on how she must let go of her fear and push it deep into the Force, but he was most certain that wouldn't have the effect he wanted. The sleeplessness likely explained the behaviour during the day. The nightmares were the missing causal link he'd been looking for.

Obi-Wan stood up and took a few steps backward before settling himself on the floor in a meditative pose. Once he was certain that he was centered, at peace with the Force, he opened his eyes.

"Arryn," he said calmly. "Come away from there. I want to show you something."

She turned towards him with confusion in her eyes. She saw him sitting on the floor with perfect posture. His cool gray eyes didn't waiver from hers.

"Please," he asked again. She felt strange, but something told her to listen. Whether it was the Force or Obi-Wan's voice in the back of her head, she did as she was asked and crawled over to the space in front of him and crossed her legs beneath her and mirrored his position exactly.

"Take my hands," he asked her again holding out his own fingers for her to grasp.

"Why?"

"You need to trust me Arryn. I am only trying to help you find peace. You need to learn how to push your emotions away. If you don't master this concept, you will never be able to walk the path of the Jedi."

Arryn put her small hands on the Jedi Master's, and immediately, waves of calm washed over her.

Obi-Wan settled into teacher mode. "Take a deep breath. Match your breathing with mine." When Arryn complied, Obi-Wan nodded in approval. "Good. Now I want you to call each fear you have to the forefront of your mind. Begin with the storm and the nightmare. I will know when you're ready."

Arryn took a few moments to make certain she could maintain the steady meditative breathing, and did as Obi-Wan asked.

"Examine your fear with the Force. Consider it from all sides. Then release it."

Arryn considered the storm, and saw it broken down to fragments of nature. To droplets of water. To molecules. To protons and electrons. Suddenly it didn't seem so daunting, once it was in perspective. She took a deep breath and released her fear into the Force, her tense shoulders relaxing somewhat.

"Good. Now I want you to think back to the Temple. What do you fear?"

Arryn's tension returned at his mentioning the Temple, but Obi-Wan forced calmness through their temporary connection in the Force. "I fear…failure. Rejection. Being different."

"Do the same thing we just did. Examine, then release."

With each of her fears released, Arryn relaxed, slipping into a deeper meditative trance.

"Good. Now clear your mind completely. Stay there until you're at peace." A few minutes later, Arryn opened her eyes.

"Better?" asked Obi-Wan.

"Much."

"Your fears cause you pain," said Obi-Wan, folding his arms and studying the Youngling. She bobbed her head in response. "One of the most crucial lessons you must learn is to know yourself. You cannot suppress your fears, you must know them, then you must let them go. Learn from them. That is the only way you will be successful down the path of the Jedi. Do you understand that?"

Arryn let his words sink in. "Yes. I think I do."

"Good. I hope so. Now, shall we attempt once more to get some sleep?"

Arryn smiled. "Definitely." She stood up and gestured to Anakin's sleeping form on the opposite sleep couch. "Apparently Anakin doesn't have that problem."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Ah yes, the joys of being a sleep-deprived teenager. Good night, Arryn."

The Jedi oversaw the final preparations of the treaty for the Sartinaynians the following morning. They each received an elaborate vase in thanks, which the Jedi immediately requested be donated to the underserved in one of the planet's small villages. They bid their hosts goodbye, and once again boarded their transport for Coruscant.

Once they were stably cruising through hyperspace, Arryn searched for a space to process the mission, and sat against the bulkhead in the cargo hold, knees drawn up to her chin, arms clasped around her legs, listening to the hum of the engines. A few moments later, Anakin peered around the corner and smiled when he saw her. "Hey there, want some company?"

"Sure."

"What are you thinking about?" He hoisted himself on top of the heating unit, boots dangling over the side.

Arryn sat up, trying to think of a diplomatic way to phrase the burning question she'd had since they met. "They call you the Chosen One. Do you feel…chosen?"

He looked down at a scuff on his boot. "Not really. I feel…different." He paused and thought for a moment. "You know how someone can seem like a friend, but they're really in it to just ride your coattails?" Arryn nodded in understanding, but not from personal experience. "It's like that. I never really know who actually cares about me as a person, or who's more interested in seeing what I can do."

"So how do you deal with it?"

"I grew up with a mother, a phenomenal mother, and I try to live every day with the values she instilled in me." Anakin grinned, "Although the occasional garbage-pit race or part-seeking expedition sometimes blurs those lines."

Arryn grinned.

Anakin sighed, understanding where Arryn was coming from, and looked her in the eye. "Listen Scraps, if there's one piece of advice I can give you, it's to be yourself. Don't let the others bring you down."

He gave her a stern look, and Arryn had a premonition of him, years later, talking to a Padawan of his own. There was certainly more Obi-Wan in him that he'd like to admit. "At the same time, you've got to do your part to not provoke them. Try to listen, try to learn from them…they can teach you more than any lesson or holobook. No person, no Jedi, is an island. I know it's tough. Force, I'm still struggling with it. But I know I couldn't have made it this far without a lot of help."

Arryn had to fight the urge to give Anakin the biggest hug her small frame could manage. He didn't berate her, or worse ignore her. He treated her like an equal, and for that, she was eternally grateful. They were interrupted by Obi-Wan, shouting from the cockpit, "Anakin, Arryn. Coruscant. Get up here!"

Anakin jumped down and slung an arm around Arryn's shoulder and playfully ruffled her hair. "You know, if I had a sister, I think she'd be exactly like you."

Arryn grinned and pulled away in jest. "But could your sister beat you to the front?" And with that, she took off down the hallway with Anakin a step behind.

"No fair, you cheated," he whispered as they both caught their breath when they reached the cockpit.

Obi-Wan turned and rolled his eyes. "I'm not even going to ask."

Anakin slid into his seat and took over the controls, expertly manoeuvring the craft through the highly congested space lanes of Coruscant, and landed on the Temple's transport pool docking platform.

Upon disembarking, Anakin gave Arryn's braid a tug. "It was great to have you along, Scraps."

"You too! Would you help me with Ataru sometime?"

Anakin grinned. "You bet!"

Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "Anakin? Would you please report to Master Windu that we've returned? I want to have a quick word with Arryn."

Anakin nodded with a salute and headed into the Temple.

Obi-Wan crouched down to Arryn's level, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Looking pointedly in her eyes, he said, "I want to leave you with a thought, Arryn. Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too, can become great. Find friends who are likeminded and who are also designing purpose-filled lives. Similarly, be that kind of person for your own friends."

Arryn allowed herself a tiny smile. "I will. I promise."

"Good." He patted her shoulder and stood up to leave.

"Um…Master Obi-Wan?" Arryn stopped him briefly. "Thank you. Seriously. Thank you for everything."

Obi-Wan gave her a nod in response. "You're welcome. Keep your promise, Young One."

"I will."

Arryn returned to her quarters, and after a brief evening meal, was called up to the Council tower once more. Master Windu and three others sat in on meeting. Arryn folded her arms into the sleeves of her cloak and stood quietly, but with a confidence she lacked the first time she was called before the Council.

"Again, we've called you before us. We've spoken with Master Kenobi, whose report stated that you showed remarkable initiative." Arryn perked up at that. Master Windu continued. "Initiate Mindalen, explain your error."

She closed her eyes and remembered Obi-Wan's words during the storm. "I seek…to escape pain." She opened her eyes slowly.

Master Windu leaned forward in his seat and frowned. "Pain can be our greatest teacher. Why turn away from it?"

Arryn nodded in agreement. "Yes, I see that now. But before…before I didn't know what to do. So I ran. I was thoughtless, reckless, disobedient…"

Master Windu smiled thinly. "A long list."

Arryn felt oddly mature as explained her self-discovery. "I couldn't understand why I wasn't in more trouble for what I did, why I was essentially being rewarded with a mission. But I see it now- my penance came in the form of introspection. It showed me that I don't need to prove anything. Master Obi-Wan said it is important to know who you are-"

"A good piece of advice," agreed Master Windu, "And…"

"And in running from my pain, rather than facing it, I left no time to think, to learn from it."

Master Windu nodded slowly, considering Arryn's words carefully. "Do you know where your pain comes from?"

Arryn contemplated the question for a moment. "My fears." At Mace's raised eyebrow, she continued. "I fear getting close to people. I fear loss. But most of all, I fear failure. I know fear leads to anger. But having fear is not wrong, it is relying on it that is."

"What does running from your fear do?" asked Mace pointedly.

Arryn shrugged. "Nothing. It simmers under the surface, ready to explode. But it doesn't have to. Master Obi-Wan said feeling fear, and then releasing it is the Jedi way. I see this now."

"Good," approved Master Windu. "Because you will fear. It is inevitable."

"And that will be my test."

Mace put his hand to his chin and regarded her thoughtfully. She grasped the concept he had hoped she would learn from the experience. He permitted himself a momentary curiosity about her future as a Jedi, but the Force brought him no answer. He sighed. "You are excused, Initiate Mindalen. But be mindful- we will be monitoring your progress."

Arryn bowed. "Yes Master." She turned to leave, but paused for a moment. "Thank you," she said with deep sincerity. "I really get it now."

Mace Windu gave her a single nod in return, and Arryn returned to her clan, a decidedly new person.

The next months were a whirlwind for Arryn. Thanks to her self-imposed supplemental education, she was moved up a year to another Clan where her peers embraced her intellectual curiosity. Two initiates, Elantra Villa-Neuava and Anaria Zahn, became the friends she never had in her own year. Though the three had their share of youthful adventures, they shared her dedication and practical ambition. With the increased demands of her new Clan, Arryn drove herself to the top of class after class, because she had to. Mace Windu's words never left the forefront of her mind- the Masters kept a keen eye on her, but she didn't mind. Arryn finally found an environment where she could thrive.

She practiced hand-to-hand combat until her body was numb, went sleepless late into every night with star maps, biology charts, and ancient texts dancing before her aching eyes. She trained harder than she had ever trained in her life- astrocartography, unarmed combat, hyperdrive math, comm installation tech, and lightsaber technique.

The latter subject was of great importance for the initiate exhibition where Masters seeking Padawans would evaluate- and choose- from her classmates. Master Ilena Xan, more commonly known as "Iron Hand," the nickname bestowed upon her by her students for her fierce joint locks utilized in hand-to-hand combat, coordinated the tournaments.

There were thirty-two apprentices entered in Arryn's tournament. Most ranged between twelve and thirteen, but at eleven, Arryn was by far the youngest. The format of the tournament was left to a vote amongst the competitors- a few chose sudden-death elimination, but the majority ruled for a tiered tournament. On the appointed day, Arryn, along with Elantra and Anaria anxiously sat on a sideline bench, waiting for the tournament to begin. The white training room, when opened to its maximum capacity, was enormous. Typically it was partitioned into smaller spaces where exercises and velocities could still be performed comfortably. For the competition, however, the room was not completely at its maximum, but it was relatively close. A balcony overlooking both halves of the space served as a partition and the far boundary for the initiates' duels.

Master Iron Hand made her way to the centre of the room, around which initiates were stretching and nervously chattering. Scout Enwandung-Esterhazy, an acquaintance of Anaria's whispered to Arryn, "She must think we look like weevils wiggling in a box of flour!"

Arryn giggled, slightly relaxing her tightly bunched nerves.

"Alright everyone," began Master Iron Hand, "You all know how this works. Open combat, no holds barred. The match ends only when you disarm your opponent, or they surrender. For every three burns, you get deducted a point."

Though at a low power, the training lightsabers were no joke. The touch of the blade was painful, sending a severe shock to the nervous system, leaving a red welt that didn't fade for days.

The Iron Hand continued. "The scores will be used to determine who is paired up for the subsequent rounds. Eliminated students, please stay and watch the rest of the tournament. Learn from your peers' successes and failures."

The first matches began. Arryn, Elantra, and Anaria quickly bested their first opponents and awaited the transition to the second round. Arryn fell into a quiet battle meditation, trying to find a deep calm that would carry her against her next opponent.

Anaria lost to a Dathomirian classmate, Andra Green, and took a seat on the bleachers next to Arryn and Elantra. Elantra was disappointedly knocked out in the following round.

When it was announced who would be paired up in the next round, Arryn almost fell over when her name was called directly after Lucien Bartolimei, the one student in her clan who continuously gave her a hard time. He also had a reputation for being the dirtiest fighter among the initiates. Elantra, sitting next to Arryn, let out several curses not remotely suitable for the Temple. He patted her on the back. "Well, it was nice knowing you."

Arryn tried to quash the feeling of nausea that had suddenly washed over her, and smiled weakly at Elantra. "At least I get to go against someone I really want to hit. If I die out there, will you give my eulogy?" she asked in half-seriousness.

They were interrupted by Master Xan's announcement for the competitors to enter the arena.

Elantra elbowed her. "Go out there and try to stay alive as long as possible. I'm not in the mood to make up nice things about you." She gave his arm a good-natured slap and headed to face her fate.

With sweating palms, Arryn bowed to Master Xan and to Lucien, though he barely returned her the courtesy. Two lightsabers blazed to life, humming and clashing in dangerous choreography. She attacked fast, testing Lucien's footwork, a strength she had over him with her slight size. He stumbled backward, but slashed upward, nearly singeing Arryn in the neck. She performed a flawless front handspring flip over him, hit the floor with a shoulder roll, and whipped around with an elegant parry to meet his forceful attack. He flashed her a grin of pure malice and came in with a fast attack, feinting right before striking left. Arryn parried expertly, and the two were momentarily paused in a stalemate. Lucien vied for another tactic, using clumsy acrobatics to distract from his ultimate goal of tiring Arryn. She twirled and smacked him on the forearm, leaving a huge gash in his tunic.

"Sorry about that!" she chirped, dancing away.

"You are going to pay for that," he hissed through his teeth.

She sighed and switched her weapon to her right hand. She trained right-handed often enough that it wasn't completely implausible that she would do such a thing as a desperate ploy to throw him off. For that matter, he might even think she was right-handed. Arryn changed her grip from two hands to one and took her turn attacking with a sudden burst of energy. Lucien parried, but each clearly took effort. Arryn smiled at the realization that he was tiring.

"Wanna know a secret?" she asked cheerfully. When they were close enough that no one else could hear her, she whispered, "I'm not really right handed."

With that piece of knowledge out in the open, Arryn clearly had the upper hand, and force-leapt onto the balcony, some 12 feet above the ground, with Lucien a beat behind her. Their duel continued on the walkway above the large chamber, to the disappointment of the spectators who could no longer have a decent view of the battle.

Arryn grabbed Lucien's wrist in a numbing joint lock. He tried to kick her in the head, but his severely limited mobility made the attempt futile. Growling a series of Huttese curses, he noticed that he had been disarmed, and was thus defeated. Arryn, giving him a tiny smirk, opened her free hand and showed him his missing weapon. "Looking for this?"

"Why you…" He tried to shake her off him, and with the force of his significantly larger size, pulled free, but the momentum caused Arryn to go flying, too. She found herself heading into the other section of the large chamber, where two older Jedi were locked in a practice battle of their own. She twisted in mid-air to ensure she'd land on her feet, but in doing so, caught the other Jedi by surprise. For a long comical moment, the three of them were frozen in battle stance, lightsabers glowing, screaming at one another.

Yoda, from the walkway where he was perched, doubled over, wheezing with laughter.

Arryn, the first to recover, grinned when she saw whom she'd run into. "Hiya!"

Anakin deactivated his lightsaber, laughing too. "Scrappy!"

"What in the blazes is going on?" asked Obi-Wan, disengaging his lightsaber and folding his arms in mock sternness.

Master Iron Hand, who had joined Yoda on the balcony, shouted down to Arryn, "Well, Mindalen, it looks like you won."

To the shouts and cheers from the other side of the walkway, Arryn punched a fist in the air. "YESSSS!"

Anakin gave her a good-natured slap on the back. "Nice work! Your Ataru practices must have paid off." To Obi-Wan's furrowed brow, he added, "It was the apprentice tournament. Looks like our friend here is following in my footsteps."

"You won it too?"

Anakin pretended to be offended. "Come on, Scraps. It's me!"

Obi-Wan came over and patted her on the shoulder. "Well done, Young One. It takes a great deal to win the tournament."

"Thanks, Master Kenobi. That means a lot."

Elantra poked his head over the railing of the walkway. "Hey down there! I think you're wanted in the Infirmary!"

Arryn rolled her eyes. "Stupid burns. It's really nothing, but I'll go anyways. Sorry for barging in on your practice session!" She waved to her friends, and with a neat mid-air somersault, she vaulted up to the balcony where Masters Iron Hand and Yoda were waiting to speak with her. A very annoyed Lucien was escorted off the balcony to have his wrist reset.

That evening, Anakin Skywalker found his former Master in the Jedi Archives, scrupulously examining the droid-cam recordings of the apprentice tournament.

"Well, well. I have a feeling I know what you're up to, my old Master."

Obi-Wan paused the recording and leaned back in his seat, a look of amusement on his face. "Is that so?"

"And I just want you to know, I fully support your decision."

Obi-Wan folded his arms, enjoying the little game Anakin was playing. "And what decision is that?"

"You are going to take Arryn as your next Padawan. You've been considering it since Sartinaynian. Don't think I haven't noticed you meeting with her clan leader-"

"That was for a mission-"

Anakin fixed him with a look. "And you mean to tell me Arryn Mindalen did not come up once in the discussion?"

Obi-Wan bit back a smile. "Well, yes, but-"

Anakin perched on the desk. "And you've been casually observing her practice sessions-"

"How in the blazes did you know that?"

Anakin smirked. "I have my sources."

"Alright, alright, fine. You know me well."

"So… when are you going to ask her?"

Obi-Wan put a hand to his beard. "I haven't officially decided, Anakin."

"Are you crazy? She's perfect for you. Relatively quiet, obedient... and most importantly, I like her."

Obi-Wan gave him a pointed glance before closing the recording he'd been viewing. "Well, then you should consider taking a Padawan."

Anakin looked horrified. "You're delusional."

"Teaching is privilege, as I've told you before," replied Obi-Wan, getting up.

"Maybe in another decade," replied Anakin. "Or two," he added under his breath. He clapped his former Master on the shoulder. "Just think, if you don't ask Master Yoda, someone else might just take her, and then you'd be stuck with another Padawan like me."

Obi-Wan dramatically put the back of his hand to his forehead. "Oh Force help me. A fate worse than death." He sighed. "I will go speak to Yoda now."

"Good."

Within the night, Initiate Arryn Mindalen was transformed into Padawan Arryn Mindalen, apprentice to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

A/N: Sorry for the 2 month delay…this is a super long chapter in return! I got inspiration from a variety of sources… thanks to the authors of "Dark Rendezvous" and "Rogue Planet" and I'm sure a TON of other stories and books that I can't remember off the top of my head. I am truly grateful!

Please check out Arryn's Tumblr at http:/ www. classicalbrunette. tumblr. com

Shout Outs:

JMOK- Ah, sorry you got cut off of the page when I hit submit! I hope you had an AMAZING time in Australia- I am super jealous (especially since I developed a HUGE crush on Mr. RPatt as Cedric Diggory...I've never seen Twilight, so I can't say much about that though ;) ). Thanks for the review with the last chapter. I owe you like 50 million reviews...I keep thinking I do them, then..oops, guess not. But anyhoo...I hope you're having a fantastic summer! How's the college hunt going? Good luck!

Batmanofni- Thank you, thank you! I am so happy that you liked it…and your comment about the characters is every FF writer's dream compliment! You're the best!

Chewbacca-related Tumblr Anon: I will post a preview of a Chewie-related part of the story for you next week. (It will be at the end of the story, so it won't appear here for awhile, but it can be a fun sneak peak for you!)

Other Tumblr Anon: Thank you for your comments and questions! They legitimately keep me writing and continuously inspired. You're the best!

Phillio and Somename- Thanks…hope you enjoy this chapter!