Chapter 52 - Choosing Padawans

"No Master," Qui-Gon exhaled loudly enough for the comm unit to pick it up. "I am just going along as a fellow chaperone. To help Obi-Wan look after the kiddos. I will not be taking a Padawan at this juncture." How such a thing could not be clear after the ten times he had already stated it, Qui-Gon had no idea.

"Hmm, you should still bring your good saber and an extra tabard. In case you decide to demonstrate your skills for one of the younglings," Dooku suggested.

Qui-Gon knew it wasn't worth it to argue. He let out a breath, "Yes, Master." Of course his good saber, as Dooku called it, was one he replaced years ago when he stopped practicing Makashi. It's at the bottom of an old trunk in his room right now, buried under years of junk.

"Yes. And remember to go over your records in the Prodigy Quiz Team," Dooku reminded him.

"Prodigy Quiz Team, Master that was over thirty years ago!"

"Still, it's an achievement. And it never benefits you, being shy about your achievements."

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes. "Yes, Master. Should I decide to propose padawanship, I'll go over my entire record with the youngling."

Dooku's face puckered like he was tasting something sour. "You know I am only trying to help. After Anakin turned you down, it's natural to be nervous. But the only way to get over that is to put yourself out there again. Besides, we don't want what happened before to happen again. Kenobi was a good egg, but you waited until nearly the whole class was chosen before you went looking.

Qui-Gon took a deep breath. He did not want to remind his Master why he'd waited so long to ask Obi-Wan. Doubtless his Master would point out a similar trend to how he was feeling right now. And he did not want him to threaten to send Yoda after him again. "You're right, Master. I am sorry. I will remember all of your advice." It wasn't worth it arguing with Dooku any more.

"Good, then I leave you with my best wishes."

"Goodbye, Master," Qui-Gon said.

Dooku waved a hand and the comm cut its connection. Dooku's image fizzled out, and Qui-Gon exhaled.

Qui-Gon knocked on the door to his Padawan's quarters. Obi-Wan opened it in a frazzle. "Anakin, just pick a droid. We don't have all day," he turned to shout over his shoulder. "Ah, Master. It's good you've arrived."

"Yes, I can see. Can I be of any help?" Qui-Gon stepped in and turned to take in the living quarters, which were in a state of unrest.

"Not really. Anakin just needs to select one of his droids to bring along, then we'll be ready to go meet the others." Obi-Wan paused and Qui-Gon couldn't help but pick up a box which was tipped over near them. "We've been cleaning out the second padawan's room ahead of time, and we're still only part way through it."

"Ah, I understand." Qui-Gon sighed, and that he did understand. Kenobi's old room in his own quarters has been left untouched since he moved out and is probably growing a new lifeform in the dust. "And Is Master Quarmall coming too?"

"Yes, and Master Koon." Obi-Wan confirmed. Indeed, it took a bit of wiggling to get the required number of adults to come along for the number of Initiates they were taking. Temple regulations were strict when it came to younglings.

"Oh, Plo agreed to come along," Qui-Gon laughed. "I'll bet you Ten credits, he'll have a Padawan by the end of the day."

"Thanks Master, but I'll tell you the same thing I told Master Windu. If I wanted to lose my credits, I'd find a gambling droid and put my money on a podracer."

"Podrace, Who's Podracing?" Anakin walked in carrying a bag. "I've got everything."

"Anakin, wait." Obi-Wan counted the lumps in his bag. "I said you could bring one."

"I know, but Siri said I could bring both Trix and Seven-Eight," Anakin defended.

Obi-Wan looked into the other room and Siri shrugged innocently. "What, he asked really politely."

Obi-Wan shook his head and mumbled, "When you get a Padawan."

"What was that?" Siri walked into the room carrying Abigail.

"Oh nothing, are you all ready?" Obi-Wan was smart enough to accept defeat and let his Padawan bring both of his droids to their dinner party. He quickly moved on to helping with their daughter.

"What's the matter Ani-Boy," Dex looked worriedly at his guest, who was slumping away from his party.

"Nothing. Nothing's working out as it should." Anakin started to brush it all off, but then began confiding in the Besalisk when he bent down to look him in the eye. "Siri was supposed to talk with Kate, and Qui-Gon's just talking to the adults." He sighed. "How's he supposed to find a Padawan if he don't talk to none of 'em!"

"Um hmm." He looked up to see Siri, having a lively conversation with Kent, and Qui-Gon was surrounded by Obi-Wan and Quarmall. "You know this reminds me of the time I tried to get two of my friends to, ah, hook up." Dex's eyes slid around the room and back to the youngling, like he awkwardly remembered he was talking to a twelve year old, and had to edit his words mid-flow. "Yeah, it turns out, no matter how well you think you might know someone, sometimes you have to let them find their own mates. Then just support them as a friend when they do."

Anakin's eyes trailed over to the party again, and his shoulders suddenly popped up. "Good Idea, Dex."

The old Dinner owner wiped his hands on a towel as he watched the young man run back to his group. He wished all his patrons were as easy to talk to as the youngest ones were.

Anakin had seen an opportunity. He slid in to where Kate and Freya sat. Sure, Siri was still busy talking to Kent, but they make a better pair anyways, and Master Quarmall just got up, leaving Qui-Gon's side open. "You know, Master Jinn has made extensive study of the Living Force." His eyes encouraged Kate to take the empty seat.

Kate gasped. "I don't know what I'd say to him."

"Just ask him to help you with your Force Dynamics paper," Freya helped.

"But I finished that paper," Kate pointed out.

"So. Ask him to help you edit it," suggested Anakin.

"Okay." Kate took a very deep breath, and let it out.

Anakin didn't know why she looked so nervous. She didn't need to be. It's Qui-Gon she was talking to. Still, he helped himself to some Blue Cheese Fries and sat back to listen to the others chat.

'Master Jinn, I know you are probably very busy, and I know it sounds like I'm just clamoring to get your attention like any Post Trial Initiate.' Kate sighed, as she tried again to find the right words to say, "Mas-ssssssss,"

"Dex!" The Master whose attention she sought quickly stood up and was enveloped in a hug with the dinner's owner, a Besalisk with two sets of arms.

Kate sighed and sat down in her original target seat, now empty. She put her elbows on the table and leaned her chin on her fists. "What's the matter little one?" came an unexpected voice behind her.

"Oh nothing, Master Koon."

Plo sat down next to her and though his mask was hiding his eyes, his force presence made it clear he was focused on her.

"It's just that, I've tried all the things everyone has said. I tried to focus on what each Master wants. I've faint interest in all their gibberish and still no one wants me. I can't make it work."

Plo nodded. "What subjects interest you?"

"Well, I wrote a long paper on the Living Force for a class, and I was going to ask Master Jinn to read it…" Kate tried to portray a genuine interest in the subject, but the Master poked her force presence and it fell apart. She sighed, "Alright, that was my friends' idea. Truth is, I finished that paper already, and don't really want to talk about it again."

"What subjects truly interest you?" Plo repeated his question.

Kate looked down for a second. She honestly didn't know how to answer his question. "I'm curious about a lot of little things. First, this thing Anakin did when we were getting our Kyber crystals. Leeta was going to get hers, but there was a Pelko Bug in her way. Anakin used a bond to do a Beast trick on the thing, and I was just thinking, it doesn't make sense. The Physics of it, if he transferred his effect to her, it should have been diminished. Leeta had no idea how to do a thing like that."

"Hmm." Plo nodded. "A beast trick through a bonded connection. Even on a Pelko Bug, it would require a strong push. Anakin is very strong. Are you interested in the Physical Sciences?"

"Umm?" Kate felt the instinct to hide her head and blush. "Yeah."

Plo's force presence smiled. "So am I. It's true that many will dismiss it as being an unimportant subject, but then a question as intriguing and unexplainable as Anakin comes up, and suddenly the old sciences become more important than anything."

Kate smiled. The last time she heard anyone so interested in physics was when an EduCorps Jedi was brought in to give a lecture to her age group. She remembered how excited she felt when he'd demonstrated his experiment to the class.

"You know, you should look up Master Sheri's works, once you get back to the archives. I think you'll find it intriguing." Plo suggested.

"Oh, I've already read her starter books. Her other work is in the advanced section, which is only available to Padawans," Kate pointed out.

"Is it… That's a problem now." Plo shook his head. "Oh well, there is one solution to that. Are you interested in being my Padawan?"

Kate's eyes got really big. "REALLY!" she asked.

In a very serene way, the Master nodded.

"Yes… Yes, I'll be your Padawan." She threw herself at him and hugged him.

Master Plo's hand came up to pat her head. "I'm glad."

When Qui-Gon finished greeting his friend Dex, he looked back towards where he was sitting to see Plo hugging one of the younglings.

Obi-Wan laughed and said, "It didn't take him long, did it?"

"No. It looks like a good idea you didn't take the bet," Qui-Gon replied.

"There're still another two Initiates." Obi-Wan's eyebrows rose. "Don't say you can't. You were ready to take Anakin three years ago."

"Anakin was a special case. He needed someone. They don't need me. They'll find a perfectly good Master on their own."

"You are a good Master."

Qui-Gon turned to stare at Obi-Wan in shock.

"What. I'm greedy. I want a Padawan brother." Obi-Wan shrugged.

"I did introduce you to Feemor," Qui-Gon reminded him. Neither of them mentioned Xanatos, his failure.

"Another Padawan brother," Obi-Wan specified. "One not so often away on missions to far off sectors of the galaxy. My point is: You don't need to take rejects from the Council of Reassignment anymore."

Qui-Gon gasped. He'd never shared any of that story with his former Padawan. He looked into Obi-Wan's eyes and was surprised to not see judgment.

Obi-Wan turned him to face another direction. "Alex is over there. I remember you saying you were impressed with him earlier." And with a light pat, or a hefty push, Qui-Gon couldn't tell which, he was sent off towards the Youngling in question.

Hello everyone,

Plo's Interest in Physics came from his Legends Wiki page, which said he'd often used the sciences to help his Force Powers. I, however, have little to no knowledge in Physics. I keep saying the next book I write will have a bunch of country bumpkins so I won't have to research anything to write it, but I can't seem to put it into practice.

I hope Qui-Gon's version here, helped you to understand his offer to train Anakin, often interpreted as ego, was really him just offering to do what needed to be done. It felt like an inconsistency, and I hope it's resolved.

Anyway, in the next chapter you should find out who offered to teach Freya. Remember she's got some anxiety over the offer, and hasn't told anyone who it was from yet. I have a cute way to resolve her worries planned, and then I'll probably have Anakin and Obi-Wan doing the braiding ceremony. Hopefully all in one chapter.

So far the pairs are:

Anakin + Obi-Wan

Ramu + Poison Spitter

Leeta + Yaddle

Kent + Siri

Kate + Plo

Alex + Qui-Gon

Freya + ?